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Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Namibia's Supreme Court dismissed the opposition's challenge to the presidential election, confirming SWAPO's win and clearing the way for Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to become president.
By Nyasha Nyaungwa
WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, clearing the way for the ruling party's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office next month.
The Southern African country's SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.
Opposition parties alleged the election was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.
Namibia's Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled that the decision to extend voting was lawful and dismissed the challenge brought by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which came second in the polls.
In its case, the IPC was joined by another opposition party, the Landless People's Movement.
"Their challenge to the outcome for the 2024 presidential election ... fails," Shivute said.
The IPC's leader and presidential candidate last year, Panduleni Itula, said his party would abide by the judgment.
"We are not going to the streets to demonstrate or anything like that," Itula said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah will be sworn-in as Namibia's first female president on March 21.
(Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)
Namibia's Supreme Court dismissed the challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, upholding the election results.
The SWAPO party has governed Namibia for more than three decades, winning both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.
Opposition parties alleged that the election was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.
Panduleni Itula is the leader of the Independent Patriots for Change and was the presidential candidate in the last election.
Nandi-Ndaitwah will be sworn in as Namibia's first female president on March 21.
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