While Namibia is a multiparty democracy, the SWAPO Party has ruled since independence. Protections for civil liberties are generally robust. Minority ethnic groups accuse the government of favoring the majority Ovambo ethnic group in allocating public goods and services. The nomadic San people experience disproportionate poverty and societal marginalization. Other human rights concerns include police brutality and discrimination against women and LGBT+ people.

• In February, President Hage Geingob died unexpectedly after a short illness. He was immediately replaced by Vice President Nangolo Mbumba in accordance with the Namibian Constitution. The newly inaugurated president made it clear that he had no political ambition beyond serving out the remainder of Geingob’s term, which expires in March 2025.
• In December, SWAPO’s Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner of the presidential election with 58 percent of the vote, and would become Namibia’s first woman president. SWAPO also retained its majority in concurrent elections to the National Assembly, taking 53 percent of the vote. While the opposition remained fragmented, opposition parties’ increased representation brought SWAPO to the edge of losing the majority it has held since independence.
• However, the elections were marred by ballot paper shortages, severe technical malfunctions, and staffing issues, prompting the president to extend voting at select polling stations. Key opposition parties claimed the extension was illegal, rejected the results, and vowed to challenge the election outcome in court. The African Union’s election observers assigned the Electoral Commission of Namibia a transparency score of just 50 percent.
• In April, the University of Namibia banned political activities on its campuses nationwide, prompting criticism from independent analysts and opposition politicians who accused the university of curtailing freedom of expression and association. In September, the university’s management attracted further criticism after the SWAPO Party’s youth organization held a rally at the university’s Windhoek campus in spite of the ban.
• In June, Namibia’s High Court in Windhoek struck down two colonial-era laws that criminalized same-sex relations between men. The government appealed the ruling, setting up a legal battle at the Supreme Court.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.