Elections are underway in Namibia for what could be the most competitive election since independence from white South Africa 34 years ago.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wants to become the country’s first female president.
She is running on behalf of the ruling People’s Organization of South West Africa (Swapo), replacing Hage Geingob, who died in February after nine years as president.
But high unemployment, poverty, inequality and allegations of corruption have eroded support for the party.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s main challenger is Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) party, as well as fourteen other candidates.
Local media showed long lines had already formed at schools and other polling stations when voting began on Wednesday morning.
The voting, which started at 7am local time (05am GMT), closes at 9pm.
Swapo has been in power since he led the country to independence in 1990.
A candidate needs more than 50% of the vote for an outright victory, otherwise a runoff will take place between the top two candidates.
Nandi-Ndaitwa cast her vote in the capital Windhoek as the polls opened, and urged fellow Namibians to cast their vote, saying it will “have an impact for the next five years of your life”.
She is taking on the traditional, male-dominated political culture in the country.
But she is a reliable leader who has held high government positions for a quarter of a century.
Itula, a former dentist and lawyer, won 29% of the vote in the last elections of 2019, losing to Swapo leader Geingob, who got 56%.
He said this was an important day for Namibia’s democracy as he cast his vote in the capital.
Namibia is currently led by interim President Nangolo Mbumba, who took over in February after Geigob died, but he is not a candidate.
Analysts say the outcome could depend on young voters, who make up more than half of the electorate.
Namibians also elect new parliamentarians.
Namibia is a vast and peaceful country with a sparse population of about 3 million people, about half of whom are eligible to vote.
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