Okahao Constituency

Okahao Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omusati Region of Namibia. It had 12,390 registered voters in 2020^[update].^[1] Its district capital is the town of Okahao, the birth place of Namibia's founding president Sam Nujoma.

Okahao Constituency (red) in the Omusati Region

Okahao Constituency was created in 1998 from existing constituencies of Omusati, following a recommendation of the Second Delimitation Commission of Namibia, and in preparation of the 1998 general election.^[2] It covers an area of 9,910 km² (3,830 sq mi). Okahao Constituency had a population of 17,548 in 2011, down from 17,751 in 2001.^[3]

Villages

• Uutsathima, 80 kilometres (50 mi) away from Okahao. It is home to Uutsathima Combined School, a school predominantly for San people with 12 teachers and more than 300 pupils.^[4]

Politics

Like all other constituencies in Omusati, Okahao constituency is traditionally a stronghold of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) party. The 2004 regional election was won by SWAPO politician Isai Paulus Kapenambili. He received 6,039 of the 6,104 votes cast.^[5]

In the 2015 local and regional elections SWAPO candidate Leonard Shikulo won uncontested and became councillor after no opposition party nominated a candidate.^[6] Councillor Shikulo (SWAPO) was reelected in the 2020 regional election. He obtained 4,694 votes, far ahead of the only opposition candidate, Erastus Shipopyeni of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC, an opposition party formed in August 2020), who obtained 396 votes.^[1]

References

1. "Regional Council 2020 Election Results". Interactive map. Electoral Commission of Namibia. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
2. "Re-division of certain regions into constituencies: Regional Councils Act, 1992" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 1940. Government of Namibia. 31 August 1998. pp. 10–11.
3. "Chapter 2: Population Structure, Composition and Density" (PDF). Omusati 2011 Census Regional Profile. Namibia Statistics Agency. p. 4. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
4. Shaanika, Helvy (29 May 2015). "San learners attend classes standing". New Era. p. 1.
5. "Electoral Act, 1992: Notification of Result of General Election for Regional Councils" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 3366. Government of Namibia. 3 January 2005. p. 6.
6. "Opposition parties are mosquitoes, says Kawana". The Namibian. 26 October 2015.

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