2025 election highlights

This year’s regional council and local authority elections had a few surprises compared to the previous elections.

The elections saw parties with mixed results, with more women’s participation and some councillors being given a second chance by the electorate.

Here are a few notable ones in a nutshell:

Five independent candidates win elections
Five independent candidates won elections in their constituencies in the just-ended regional and local authority elections.

Three of them won in the traditionally Swapo-dominated Kavango East and Kavango West regions.

In the Kavango East region, Paulus Mbangu retained his seat in the Rundu Rural constituency, while Petrus Kashumali won Mashare constituency. In the Kavango West region, Michael Naiteta clinched victory in the Ncuncuni constituency.

Both Mashare and Ncuncuni have been held by Swapo for the past 35 years.

Mbangu, who first won Rundu Rural as an independent candidate in 2020, has now strengthened his foothold.

Meanwhile, in Tsumkwe constituency, incumbent Swapo councillor Johannes Hausiku lost to Petrus Mutji who contested as an independent candidate.

Bennety Likulela, another independent candidate, also won in the Kongola constituency in the Zambezi region. Likulela is serving his second term after winning the election in 2020.

Swapo loses grip on Nkurenkuru
Swapo lost its long-held dominance of the Nkurenkuru Town Council after surrendering two seats in this year’s elections.

The party, which had controlled the local authority since 2005, secured five of the seven council seats.

The remaining two seats were won by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, with each securing one seat.

Nkurenkuru is the administrative capital of the Kavango West region.

Rehoboth West Urban constituency in the Hardap region was won by Harald Kambrude, a former Landless People’s Movement (LPM) member who contested the election as an independent.

More women elected as regional councillors
Namibia has recorded a notable increase in the number of women elected as regional councillors in the just-ended elections.

In the Ohangwena region, Hilaria Ndjuluwa won the Ondobe constituency, while Seraphina Shekunyenge secured the Ohangwena constituency, and Olivia Hanghuwo will represent Eenhana.

Ester Nghidimbwa was elected councillor for Oshikango.

The Oshana region also saw increased female representation, with Ndilimeke Iikela taking Oshakati West and Selma Asino being elected at Outapi in the Omusati region.

Fransina Kashikola won at Omundaungilo, while Irja Mbutu is the new councillor for the Otamanzi constituency.

In the Khomas region, Emma Muteka was elected councillor for Windhoek West.

The Kavango East and West regions also saw gains, with Augusta Katembo elected in Mukwe and Emma Veikko winning in Musese.

Meanwhile, Nelao Amagulu secured Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa region, and Saara Shikokola won Eengodi in the Oshikoto region.

In the //Kharas region, Katrina Cloete was elected in Karasburg West.

Katjaimo retains Katutura Central
Popular Democratic Movement councillor Rodman Katjaimo, who was previously accused of receiving money from about 198 Namibians for a failed trip to the United Kingdom (UK), has been re-elected as the Katutura Central constituency councillor.

The individuals allegedly paid the councillor with the expectation that he would assist them in seeking asylum in the UK. However, the trip never materialised.

Initial media reports had indicated that Katjaimo was organising a trip to the Commonwealth Games.

Those who paid allegedly contributed N$65 000 each for what was marketed as an all-expenses-paid journey.

Despite the controversy surrounding the matter, Katjaimo secured enough support to return to office.

Adolf Uunona wins Ompundja – again
Adolf Uunona, previously known as Adolf Hitler, one of the longest-serving regional leaders in the Oshana region, has been re-elected as councillor for the Ompundja constituency.

Uunona, who has served in the position since 2004, secured 1 275 votes in Wednesday’s results, far ahead of his challenger Isak Akawa of the IPC, who received 148 votes.

The veteran councillor’s re-election comes shortly after he reportedly removed Hitler from his national documents.

Uunona’s birth name previously mirrored that of the Nazi dictator, drawing international headlines.

In an interview with The Namibian, Uunona confirmed that he had legally changed his name.

“My name is not Adolf Hitler. I am Adolf Uunona. I have seen people try to associate me with someone I do not even know,” he said.
Swapo wins Erongo, Khomas and southern regions
Swapo has consolidated its dominance in key regions, securing all constituencies in the Erongo and ||Kharas regions and seven constituencies in the Hardap region.

The Hardap and ||Kharas regions had been strongholds of the LPM since 2020, but this year’s results show a shift back to Swapo.

In the Erongo region, the party swept all seven seats on the regional council and reclaimed firm control of the Walvis Bay Municipal Council.

Swapo increased its presence on the local authority from three to five seats, while the IPC dropped from four seats to three.

The Joint Walvis Bay Residents Association retained its single seat, and the AR secured one seat on the council.

The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation quoted Swapo district coordinator of Walvis Bay, Patrick Bathromeus, as saying that the newly elected councillors plan to focus on service delivery.

“Our priorities include fixing roads, improving waste removal and ensuring the provision of land and housing,” he says.

Bathromeus adds that the party aims to restore public confidence by addressing long-standing concerns in the harbour town and across the region.
– Sources: Own reporting, ECN and NBC

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