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Namibia’s President wins re-election

Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has been re-elected for a second term, the country’s electoral commission says.

Mr Geingob polled 56.3% in Wednesday’s election, well ahead of his nearest rival Panduleni Itula with 29.4%.

However, Mr Geingob’s tally was well down from the 87% with which he won his first term in 2014.

He went on social media to thank Namibians for returning him to office, promising to bring tangible improvements to their lives.

His Swapo party has ruled Namibia for nearly three decades since it gained independence from South Africa.

Voters queue at a polling station in Windhoek, 27 November 2019 Voters also elected a new parliament last Wednesday

The sparsely-populated country has suffered from economic recession, hit by serious drought and low prices for its main mineral exports, diamonds and uranium.

The Bank of Namibia is predicting a third year of recession, with the economy due to shrink by 1.7% in 2019.

Swapo has also been hit by a fisheries scandal, with two former ministers under arrest for allegedly taking bribes to give licences to the Icelandic fishing firm Samherji.

Former Justice Minister Sakeus Shanghala and former Fisheries Minister Bernard Esau have been charged with money laundering and fraud.

Panduleni Itula was the president’s main challenger, although both are Swapo party members

“I am just a proud Namibian that we could have free and fair elections, no fighting, no attacking each other, free movement was allowed,” said President Geingob after the result was announced.

His main rival Mr Itula is also a Swapo member, but stood as an independent,

The official opposition candidate – McHenry Venaani of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) – finished third with 5.3%.

He said he was considering legal action over what he called “anomalies and irregularities” in the election.

Namibia uses electronic voting machines, and Mr Venaani went to court shortly before the election, arguing they were open to manipulation. The court, however, rejected his case.

In parliamentary elections, Swapo lost its two-thirds majority in the 96-member chamber, winning 63 seats instead of its previous 77.

The PDM won 16 seats, increasing its total by 11.

 

Source: bbc.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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