---
title: "Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge"
description: "WINDHOEK, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Namibia's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, clearing the way for the ruling party's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office next month."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Namibia election"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-28-namibias-top-court-dismisses-opposition-election-challenge/"
published: "2025-02-28T12:38:39"
updated: "2025-02-28T12:38:40"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 165
---

# Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge

> WINDHOEK, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Namibia's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, clearing the way for the ruling party's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office next month.

By Reuters · Published 28 February 2025, 14:38 SAST · Updated 28 February 2025, 14:38 SAST

## Key points
- In a stunning display of electoral endurance, Namibia's SWAPO party clings to power amidst opposition grumbles of foul play, while Chief Justice Shivute tosses their legal tantrum into the political dustbin, paving the way for Nandi-Ndaitwah to don the presidential crown as the nation's first female leader.
- SWAPO party secures victory in Namibia's presidential and parliamentary elections, continuing over three decades of governance.
- Opposition claims of election flaws, including extended voting periods, are dismissed by Chief Justice Peter Shivute.
- IPC and Landless People's Movement challenge the election results but are ruled against, with Shivute affirming the legality of the voting extension.
- IPC leader Panduleni Itula accepts the court's decision, stating no plans for protests; Namibia's first female president, Nandi-Ndaitwah, to be inaugurated on March 21.

## Content

The Southern African country's SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

Opposition parties alleged the election was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.

Namibia's Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled that the decision to extend voting was lawful and dismissed the challenge brought by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which came second in the polls.

In its case, the IPC was joined by another opposition party, the Landless People's Movement.

"Their challenge to the outcome for the 2024 presidential election ... fails," Shivute said.

The IPC's leader and presidential candidate last year, Panduleni Itula, said his party would abide by the judgment.

"We are not going to the streets to demonstrate or anything like that," Itula said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah will be sworn-in as Namibia's first female president on March 21.

(Writing by Bhargav Acharya;Editing by Alexander Winning)