Government & politics — Namibia

• history: adopted 9 February 1990,
• entered into force 21 March 1990 amendments: passage requires majority vote of the National Assembly membership and of the National Council of Parliament and assent of the president of the republic; if the National Council fails to pass an amendment, the president can call for a referendum; passage by referendum requires two-thirds majority of votes cast; amendments that detract from or repeal constitutional articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended, and the requisite majorities needed by Parliament to amend the constitution cannot be changed; amended 1998, 2010, 2014

• chief of state: President Ne
• tumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH (since 21 March 2025) head of government: P
• resident Netumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH (since 21 March 2025) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among
• members of the National Assembly election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-yea
• r term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 27
• November 2024 election results: 2024: Netumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH elected president in the first round; percent of vote -Netumbo Nandi-NDAITWAH (SWAPO) 57%, Panduleni ITULA (IPC) 26%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.10%, Bernadus SWARTBOOI (LPM) 4.72%, Job AMUPANDA (AR) 1.80%, Hendrik GAOBEAB (UDF) 1.16%; other 3.31% 2019: Hage GEINGOB reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB (SWAPO) 56.3%, Panduleni ITULA (independent) 29.4%, McHenry VENAANI (PDM) 5.3%, other .9%
• November 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: National Council (42 seats); members indirectly elected 3 each by the 14 regional councils to serve 5-year terms);

Note

the Council primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly National Assembly (104 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed list, proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 8 nonvoting members appointed by the president)

• elections: National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 25 November 2020 (next to be held on 25 November 2025)
• National Assembly - last held on 27 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
• election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SWAPO 28, LPM 6,IPC 2, PDM 2, UDF 2, NUDO 1, independent 1; composition as of July 2022 - men 36, women 6, percent of women 14.3%
• National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 65.5%, PDM 16.6%, LPM 4.7%, NUDO 1.9%, APP 1.8%, UDF 1.8%, RP 1.8%, NEFF 1.7%, RDP 1.1%, CDV .7%, SWANU .6%, other 1.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 63, PDM 16, LPM 4, NUDO 2, APP 2, UDF 2, RP 2, NEFF 2, RDP 1, CDV 1, SWANU 1; composition as of July 2022 - men 58, women 46, percent of women 44.2%;

Note

overall percent of women in Parliament 35.6%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 3
• judges in quorum sessions) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president of Namibia upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission; judges serve until age 65, but terms can
• be extended by the president until age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Electoral Court, Labor Court; regional and district magistrates' courts; community courts

• All People's Party or APP (Erastus SHUUMBWA)
• Christian Democratic Voice or CDV [Gothard KANDUME]
• Landless People's Movement or LPM [Bernadus SWARTBOOI]
• National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Esther MUINJANGUE]
• Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters or NEFF [Epafras MUKWIILONGO]
• Popular Democratic Movement or PDM [McHenry VENAANI] (formerly Democratic Turnhalle Alliance or DTA)
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mike KAVEKOTORA]
• Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE]
• South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Charles KATJIVIRUE]
• South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Hage GEINGOB]
• United Democratic Front or UDF [Apius AUCHAB]
• United People's Movement or UPM [Jan J. VAN WYK]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one pa
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

chief of mission

Ambassador Randy William BERRY (since 9 February 2023) embassy: 38 Metje Street, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek mailing address: 2540 Windhoek Place, Washington DC 20521-2540

telephone

[264] (061) 295-8500

FAX

[264] (061) 202-5219

Email address and website

• ConsularWindhoek@state.gov
• https://na.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Margaret Natalie MENSAH-WILLIAMS (since 18 January 2021)

chancery

1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone

[1] (202) 986-0540

FAX

[1] (202) 986-0443

Email address and website

• info@namibiaembassyusa.org
• https://namibiaembassyusa.org/