Namibia Supreme Court Affirms Presidential Election Results

Namibia's Supreme Court has upheld the results of last year's presidential election, allowing ruling party candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office as the country's first female president next month. The court dismissed a challenge from the opposition parties, including the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and the Landless People's Movement, who argued that the election was compromised by an extended voting period. Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled that the decision to extend voting was lawful and did not constitute a new election. The ruling SWAPO party, which has been in power since Namibia's independence, won approximately 57% of the votes, while the IPC's candidate received about 25.5%. Despite initial resistance, IPC leader Panduleni Itula accepted the court's ruling and stated his party would not pursue further protests. Nandi-Ndaitwah is scheduled to be sworn in on March 21.