A 72-year-old woman who joined Namibia’s independence movement in the 1970s is a strong contender to become its first female leader as the country votes in a

Namibians vote Wednesday in pivotal presidential and legislative elections that could upset the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation's 34-year grip on power. SWAPO's candidate, current vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah,

Namibia's ruling South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) -- which has been in power since independence -- fears the same fate as other liberation-era parties crushed in elections across the region when the country goes to the polls Wednesday.

Namibians go to the polls on Wednesday to elect a new president and parliament in what could be a tough election for the ruling SWAPO party, which is seeking to extend its 34-year rule. SWAPO has governed the southern African nation since leading it to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.