CIVICUS discusses Namibia’s election results with Namibian human rights defender and political activist Joram Useb.
In an election marred by challenges such as ballot shortages and decisions to extend voting periods, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party became Namibia’s first female president. Defying predictions of a run-off, Nandi-Ndaitwah won 57 per cent of the first-round vote. Opposition parties rejected the results, citing irregularities. SWAPO has extended its 34-year rule but faces growing youth discontent over unemployment, housing shortages and inequality, as well as growing demands for land reform and economic change in one of the world’s most unequal countries, where more than 64 per cent of people live on under US$5.50 a day.