Across southern Africa, political parties that have led their countries since the end of colonialism have ceded power to the opposition in recent months. Namibia bucked the trend.

Namibia's ruling SWAPO party was declared winner Tuesday of last week's disputed elections, ushering in the southern African country's first woman president after a disputed vote that the main opposition has already said it does not recognise.

Namibia's election commission says Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling SWAPO party won 57% of the vote, negating the need for a runoff. The largest opposition party says it will challenge the results in court.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, from the governing South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), looks set to become Namibia's first female president with more than 90% of the votes from last week's disputed election now counted.

A woman who joined Namibia’s independence movement in the 1970s is a strong contender to become its first female leader as the country votes in a presidential election.

By Nyasha Nyaungwa WINDHOEK (Reuters) -Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia's ruling SWAPO party has been elected president and will be the country's first female leader, results released by the country's electoral commission showed on Tuesday.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won with 57% of the vote, according to official results, defying predictions that she might be forced into a runoff.

Namibia's Vice President and SWAPO presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah gestures after casting her vote in the elections in Windhoek, Namibia, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Noah Tjijenda/File Photo WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia's ruling SWAPO party led both the presidential and parliamentary races on Tuesday,

Namibia’s ruling party presidential candidate leads in early results of an election characterized by technical problems which caused voting to be extended for three days

Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was a member of the country's underground independence movement in the 1970s.