Staff Reporter
COURT documents have unveiled bits and pieces of the mysterious Else Ndapandula Chen, a woman who became known to most Namibians as an independent presidential candidate only after the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) rejected her nomination for failing to meet certain requirements.
The commission officially closed the submission period for nominations for presidential candidates, as well as political parties, for the upcoming presidential and National Assembly lists, which will be gazetted.
The ECN, in its press briefing held on 17th October 2024, revealed that it had rejected three independent candidates, including Chen, as her nomination did not meet the requirement of section 72(c)(ii) of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that it must be supported by at least 500 registered voters per region.
The commission further noted that the supporters’ consent had not been obtained, as certain declarations were marked as ‘Not Applicable’ where a signature was supposed to be affixed on the declaration. The commission added that Chen did not respond to any communication seeking clarity on the issues raised, despite having been given 24 hours to rectify the mistakes.
“I met another lady that nobody knew was contesting in the presidential elections as an independent candidate (Mrs. Chen). She had a car with religious messages, and it said that Jesus is coming. I think God is moving in this election,” said Ally Angula, who spotted Chen at the ECN briefing held today.
A quick desktop search revealed that Chen is married to a Chinese national, Yu-Khun Chen. Court records show that the couple faced a legal battle in which some of their movable property was up for auction in February 2024 after they were sued for the recovery of N$73,763.80 in arrear levies owed to Nelson Court Body Corporate.
The couple jointly own Black Shoe Investment Four CC, which is, in turn, owned by Heavenly Manna Ministries, an American religious organization based in New York.
According to court papers, the couple also engage in other humanitarian causes, including providing food and necessities for needy people residing in settlements within Windhoek. This includes cooking meals for disadvantaged persons.
