Windhoek: Swapo Party Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa had said the electoral commission ‘ s confirmation of Netumbo Nandi – Ndaitwah as the party ‘ s presidential candidate is a significant milestone for Namibia . The Electoral Commission of Namibia ( ECN ) declared 15 presidential candidates as duly nominated for the upcoming general elections on Thursday , including Nandi – Ndaitwah as the only female candidate . Speaking during a press briefing , Shaningwa said Nandi – Ndaitwah is the first woman to run for the highest office in Namibia . ‘ A woman has just been declared in accordance with the law to stand for the highest public office of the land . As Swapo members , this achievement comes at the back of years of deliberate policy interventions with a view to removing all legal , cultural and institutional obstacles women have for many years been confronted with when it comes to leadership and senior public positions ,’ she said . Shaningwa said Nandi – Ndaitwah ‘ s declaration by the ECN should end ma
licious and politically motivated campaigns to delegitimise her candidacy . She was making reference to arguments by some Swapo members who felt that Nandi – Ndaitwah was irregularly chosen . The former international relations minister and current vice president was chosen as the ruling party ‘ s vice president at its seventh Ordinary Congress in November 2022 . She was elected along with the late party president , Hage Geingob , who was serving his second and final term as head of state before his death in February 2024 . As is customary in Swapo tradition , Nandi – Ndaitwah was to be the automatic choice as the party ‘ s presidential candidate for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections . However , some called for an extraordinary congress to elect a new Swapo president . The party ‘ s central committee chose to postpone the congress until 2025 and reaffirmed Nandi – Ndaitwah as the presidential candidate . The High Court in Windhoek on Monday dismissed a case that sought an order to compel th
e Swapo Party to hold an extraordinary congress and subsequently dismiss Nandi – Ndaitwah ‘ s candidacy . ‘ We are happy that our members remained committed to supporting the party and its presidential candidate amidst a sea of lies , fake news and a politically motivated campaign of misinformation . Now that we have passed this critical stage , I call on our members to continue with political activities across the country with a view toward mobilising support for the party and its presidential candidate at the upcoming elections with the objective and goal of achieving a landslide victory ,’ Shaningwa said.
Source:The Namibia News Agency
