Namibian president names woman successor

Namibia’s President Hage Geingob on Saturday named Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the sole candidate for the ruling Swapo party in next year’s elections.

In remarks to the party’s top organ, the president called on party members to support Ms Nandi-Ndaitwah when official campaigns begin next year.

Ms Nandi- Ndaitwah is the party’s vice-president and the country’s current deputy prime minister.

“Elections took place, we have the results that we are going to have one candidate only, that will be comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and we will campaign and we have a person who will lead us,” President Geingob said.

He also called on Swapo members not to create factions from the outcome of the party nominations.

President Geingob is due to step down next year after serving two terms. He was first elected in November 2014.

Swapo has led Namibia since independence and remains the country’s biggest political party.

But its popularity has recently waned because of discontent over rampant unemployment and corruption linked to senior party officials.

The party lost its two-thirds majority in parliament in the last general election in 2019. It also lost control of key municipalities, including the capital Windhoek, the port towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, and several regional councils.