Nandi-Ndaitwah cruises to presidential candidacy

Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was endorsed by the central committee as the party’s presidential candidate for the national election in November on Saturday.

The meeting, held at parliament on Saturday, also resolved to push the much talked about extraordinary congress to 19 April 2025.

“I stand with pride today and tell you that the central committee of Swapo today has decided we only have one single candidate. That is Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She is our vice president and our presidential candidate for 2024. Come 27 November, we are going to rally behind that candidate. That is the happiness as a secretary general I am enjoying this afternoon,” Swapo secretary general Sophia Swaningwa told The Namibian after the central committee meeting.

She said the meeting scrutinised Swapo’s constitution regarding the call for the extraordinary congress after the death of Swapo president Hage Geingob on 4 February.

“I am so grateful to the central committee who spoke with one voice. We critically looked at the constitution, asked ourselves questions, and engaged in deliberate conversations. We agreed that what was presented by the politburo was the right decision,” she said.

The politburo earlier this month endorsed Nandi-Ndaitwah as the presidential candidate for the national elections, a decision which was accepted by the central committee members today.

“Today, it’s not an individual who won but the Swapo party. The party won because of the unity among the central committee,” she said.