As more than 1.4 million Namibians voted on 27 November in presidential and parliamentary elections, the question on many people's minds is whether the ruling party, South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), will succumb to the fate of former liberation movements and long-ruling parties in Southern Africa.

In May, South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), recorded its worst performance since coming to power in 1994, forcing it into a national unity government with right-wingers. Meanwhile, to Namibia's east, the Botswana Democratic Party, also of the independence era, was sent packing on 30 October after 58 years.

SWAPO, the only ruling party Namibians have known since attaining independence in 1990, faces what many have described as its most challenging test at the polls. A sluggish economy and 43 per cent unemployment among 15- to 34-year-olds—with 18- to 35-year-olds making up 42 per cent of the electorate—have pushed many Namibians away from the ruling party.

Continued……Young people are also unlikely to vote for SWAPO solely based on the party's liberation credentials, as has been the case with older generations. SWAPO candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has promised to create 500,000 new jobs to win them over.

What could save SWAPO from the jaws of defeat is the opposition’s fragmentation, with 14 candidates having thrown their hats in the ring, potentially splitting the opposition vote and enabling Nandi-Ndaitwah to reach the threshold of 50 per cent plus one vote. A runoff election will occur if no one reaches that threshold, which would be unprecedented for the country.

In the 2019 elections, SWAPO candidate Hage Geingob (1941-2024), who died earlier this year, amassed 56 per cent of the vote, a significant drop from the 87 per cent he won five years earlier.

Sources:

https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/world/swapo-facing-tide-of-change-2ae0c87c-03fe-4713-8677-b400cdbc2e44

The Haitian Diaspora Political Action Committee and individuals filed a class-action lawsuit on 25 November against the American Red Cross, the International Red Cross and related entities for fraudulently using donations meant for Haiti’s relief following the 2010 earthquake. The plaintiffs seek a total of $1 billion for compensation and punitive damages, as well as a full accounting of funds raised.

The American Red Cross maintains that ‘money donated for Haiti earthquake relief went into a restricted account that could only be used for programs and services for Haiti. Designated funds are never used for operational deficits or payment of debt,’ according to a statement to the Miami Herald. The group added that a detailed financial breakdown of spending is available on its website.

However, a joint 2015 National Public Radio (NPR) and ProPublica investigation reported the Red Cross had only built six permanent homes while claiming to have housed over 130,000 Haitians.