Namibia’s ruling Swapo party has selected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for 2024. The announcement was made by President Hage Geingob during a speech to the party’s top organ, where he called on all members to support Nandi-Ndaitwah’s candidacy. As the party’s vice-president and the country’s deputy prime minister, Nandi-Ndaitwah is a highly respected politician with extensive experience in government and international diplomacy. If she wins the election, Nandi-Ndaitwah will succeed Geingob, who is due to step down next year after serving two terms as Namibia’s president.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s political career began in the early 1990s when she worked as a liaison officer between the United Nations and Swapo during Namibia’s transition to independence. She later served as a member of parliament before being appointed as Minister of Environment and Tourism in 2005. Over the years, she has held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Information and Communication Technology. Nandi-Ndaitwah is known for her diplomatic skills and has represented Namibia on the global stage, serving as the President of the United Nations General Assembly from 2009-2010.
As the ruling party’s candidate, Nandi-Ndaitwah will be seeking to regain lost ground in the next year’s election, which will be highly contested. Despite Swapo’s long-standing position as the country’s largest political party, its popularity has declined in recent years due to public discontent over corruption and unemployment. In the 2019 general election, the party lost its two-thirds majority in parliament and control of key municipalities, including the capital Windhoek.
However, with Nandi-Ndaitwah as its candidate, Swapo is hoping to regain the trust of the Namibian electorate and win the election. The coming months will see the official launch of election campaigns, during which parties will outline their policies and agendas. It remains to be seen whether Nandi-Ndaitwah will be able to address the concerns of voters and lead Swapo to victory in the upcoming election.
Party unity emphasized
President Geingob emphasized the importance of party unity and called on Swapo members not to create factions from the outcome of the party nominations. The party’s popularity has recently waned due to discontent over rampant unemployment and corruption linked to senior party officials. In the 2019 general election, Swapo lost its two-thirds majority in parliament and control of key municipalities, including the capital Windhoek, the port towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, and several regional councils.
Looking ahead to the 2024 elections
With Nandi-Ndaitwah as the candidate, Swapo will be seeking to regain lost ground in next year’s election. However, the party will need to address the concerns of the Namibian electorate regarding unemployment and corruption to regain the confidence of voters. The coming months will see the official launch of election campaigns and the outlining of policies and agendas by parties ahead of the election.
Image Credit: Nandi-Ndaitwah/Twitter
