Harare (New Ziana) –President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to Namibian President-Elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) following her victory in elections held last week.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia on Tuesday declared Nandi-Ndaitwah the winner of the Presidential vote, becoming the first female leader of that country, and the second on the continent.
She won with more than 57 percent of votes, with her closest rival Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Chang (IPC) getting 26 percent.
Itula and other opposition parties have disputed the result, alleging “organisational flaws”, and have indicated that they will challenge the outcome in court.
In his congratulatory message, in which he addressed Nandi-Ndaitwah as “Your Excellency and Dear Sister,” President Mnangagwa said her victory was a reflection of the trust and confidence that the people of Namibia had in her leadership to safeguard the liberation heritage and bring socio-economic change in the country.
“On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on your historic election as the President of the Republic of Namibia,” he said.
President Mnangagwa expressed confidence that the excellent relations between Zimbabwe and Namibia would continue to flourish in the years ahead under Nandi-Ndaitwah’s leadership.
“I take this opportunity to assure you of Zimbabwe’s commitment and readiness to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation with Namibia for the mutual benefit of our two peoples,” he said.
According to media reports, the Namibian capital Windhoek was calm on Wednesday, with neither celebrations nor protests as people carried on with their normal lives.
SWAPO has been in power in the large but sparsely populated southern African country since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
A party stalwart, Nandi-Ndaitwa, who is currently the Vice President, is a trusted leader having served in high government office for a quarter of a century.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also extended his congratulations to Nandi-Ndaitwah on Wednesday, saying her election as the first woman in the region to hold the high office was “testament to democracy and its ability to transform our societies.”
In the Parliamentary election held at the same time, SWAPO held on to its majority, winning 51 of the 96 elected seats, while the IPC won 20, making it the official opposition.
New Ziana
