Voters head to the polls on Wednesday in the latest test for one of southern Africa’s liberation parties, which have been rebuked at the ballot box this year.

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.

Namibia's vice president was among the first voters in elections Wednesday that could see her become the desert nation's first woman leader, even as her ruling SWAPO party faces a strong challenge to its 34-year grip on power.

Namibia’s Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah could become the country’s first female president if she wins the presidential election Wednesday.

Namibians will vote on Wednesday in what is expected to be the most competitive election yet for the ruling SWAPO party, which has governed the southern African nation for 34 years.

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.