Home from the SADC political and security summit in Luanda, he calls on all parties in the central African giant to ensure the poll takes places place peacefully and  credibly.

The six SADC presidents gathered in Luanda had a first-hand briefing on political developments in the DRC.

As President Cyril Ramaphosa reports: “President Joseph Kabila was here himself and he says they are moving fun steam towards elections on December 23.

Ramaphosa says the SADC leaders decided it was no longer necessary to send Namibian President Hifikepunya Pohamba as a special envoy to the DRC.

Good progress is being made implementing the December 2016 political agreement in Kinshasa on the election calendar.

The country’s independent  electoral commission is confident it can oversee the process.

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Phambaha’s only the fourthe leader to win the prize which is the world’s most valuable individual award in its nine years of existence.

President Hifikepunya Pohamba wins five million dollars and 200 000 dollars a year for life from the prize established by Sudanese philanthropist and telecoms billionaire Mo Ibrahim.

Pohamba’s office says the money will go to his foundation helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue higher education.

Former OAU secretary general Salim Ahmed Salim, who chairs the committee that awarded the prize, says under Pohamba Namibia’s cemented its reputation as a well-governed, stable and inclusive democracy with strong media freedom and respect for human rights.

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The award’s gone unclaimed for five years because Sudanese philanthropist and telecoms billionaire Mo Ibrahim could not identify a deserving candidate.

Former liberation fighter Hifikepunya Pohamba succeeed Namibia’s independence president Sam Nujoma and served two terms.

He did not contest the poll last year where Hage Geingob was elected Namibia’s third president.

The Mo Ibrahim prize prize is worth $5m to Pohamba with a further $200 000 a year for life.

It was established in 2006 and Mozambican leader Joaquim Chissano was it’s first laureate.

Since then Botswana’s former president Festus Mogae and his counterpart from Cape Verde Pedro Pires are the only other winners.

Nelson Mandela was made an honorary laureate.

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South Africa’s Western neighbour will get a new president and have to meet quotas to put more women in government.

The high court in Windhoek dismissed a last-minute by by opposition parties to block the voting in Namibia on grounds that using the Indian-made e-voting machines could lead to vote rigging.

So 1.2 million eligible Namibians will proceed tomorrow voting for 96 members of the national assembly and selecting one of nine presidential candidates.

Current prime minister Hage Geingob is clear favourite to succeed Hifikepunya Pohamba, who’s run his constitutionally limited two terms at the helm.

Equally his SWAPO is expected to beat off rivals from left and right to retain the power its held since independence 24 years ago.

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