Namibia's ruling party has chosen its candidate for the presidency in the general elections scheduled for November.

The South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), has named Hifikepunye Pohamba, hand-picked by President Sam Nujoma, as its candidate in the presidential election, according to sources from Windhoek, the country's capital.

Pohamba was almost certain of becoming the next Namibian president, given the SWAPO's strength in the country.

Minister for land, Pohamba beat two other would-be presidents, former foreign minister Hidipo Hamutenya and Education Minister Nahas Angula, by winning 213 votes in the party's 516-people congress late on Saturday.

Nujoma recently indicated Pohamba was his favorite successor while sacking Hamutenya as foreign minister, paving the way for Pohamba's success in November's elections.

Nujoma, 75, would retire after the elections. He has been serving as the country's president since Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990. Beforehand he was the president of the SWAPO to lead the struggle against apartheid South Africa for three decades.

The sparsely-populated, mineral-rich country was formerly a German colony and later ruled by South Africa when it was called South-West Africa.

Source: Xinhua