Uuvudhiya Constituency

Uuvudhiya Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Oshana Region of Namibia. The constituency office is situated in Engombe.^[1] Uuvudhiya Constituency had a population of 4,114 in 2011, down from 4,378 in 2001.^[2]

Uuvudhiya constituency (red) in the Oshana Region

Geography

The constituency is by far the largest in Oshana region. It covers an area of 5,825 km² (2,249 sq mi)^[2] and is part of the Cuvelai Basin, including Lake Oponona, its largest lake. The area is dominated by flood plains which become swamps during the raining season.^[3][4]

Economy and infrastructure

The district road D3607 is the access road to Uuvudhiya constituency. There are no other proclaimed roads in the constituency; Transport is done on tracks that frequently become impassable during the raining season.^[3]

Politics

Uuvudhiya constituency is traditionally a stronghold of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) party. In the 2004 regional election SWAPO candidate Seblon Paulus received 2,099 of the 2,130 votes cast.^[5] Councillor Paulus was reelected in the 2010 regional elections with 1,621 votes. His only challenger was Gabriel Jeremia of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) who received 19 votes.^[6]

In the 2015 local and regional elections the SWAPO candidate won uncontested and became councillor after no opposition party nominated a candidate.^[7] For the 2020 regional election again no opposition candidate was fielded,^[8] and Timoteus Shoopa a Shivute, the SWAPO candidate, was duly elected.^[9]