Namibia partakes in Africa's first e-vote

Namibians have casted their ballots in Africa's first e-vote, with the ruling party expected to retain power.

Namibians have voted in a general election billed as Africa's first e-vote, with the ruling party expected to retain power.

As the sun set over the capital Windhoek, long queues could still be found at several polling stations around the capital.

Voters waited patiently, shielding their heads from the last rays of the desert sun with newspapers, hats and umbrellas. Police said there were no reports of violence.

The first results are expected to trickle in sometime in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Polling began on Friday, with voters standing in long lines before daybreak including some first-time "born free" voters - those born after Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990.

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"It's a rich country with poor people, so I hope there is more balance," said 43-year-old Elias while waiting to cast his vote.

The ruling South West Africa People's Organisation - better known as SWAPO - was forged from the embers of the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggle and has won every election in the 24 years since Namibia's independence.

Ahead of election day, foreign minister and senior SWAPO party official Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told AFP victory was inevitable this time around as well.

"SWAPO is going to win. There is no 'if', SWAPO is going to win," she said.

Around 1.2 million Namibians are eligible to cast their ballots at nearly 4000 electronic voting places across the vast desert nation.

Other African nations such as Kenya have run pilot or limited e-voting, but none have done so on this scale.


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