ECN U-turn on Nkurenkuru exposes ‘deep institutional weakness’

The recent U-turn by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to self-review its error and have a regional council election proceed in the Nkurenkuru constituency in the Kavango West region has sparked credibility and competency concerns.

This is according to Affirmative Repositioning (AR) spokesperson George Kambala, following a ruling on Friday in the Electoral Court, which ordered that the Nkurenkuru constituency regional council election must go ahead.

This is after deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo, judge Esi Schimming-Chase and acting judge Reinhard Tötemeyer set aside a premature declaration that occurred on 16 October, when a Swapo candidate was declared duly elected in the Nkurenkuru constituency regional council election while there was already another candidate’s name submitted on the ECN nomination portal.

The Electoral Court declared the declaration of the election of the Swapo candidate as null and void.

The erroneous declaration saw Swapo candidate Tenga Ndara being declared as duly elected by returning officer Kawana Muronga, who omitted AR candidate Naomi Rebbekka, whose name was correctly submitted on the ECN nomination portal.

The court ruled that Rebbekka was duly nominated as a candidate to contest against Ndara. This means the Nkurenkuru constituency will now have both Swapo and AR contesting in the regional council and local authority elections come 26 November.

After this erroneous declaration, ECN lodged an urgent application to the Electoral Court to reverse the error, as once such a declaration is made, it cannot be reversed except through the Electoral Court.

“We note the ruling and the decision by the ECN to correct its own error regarding the Nkurenkuru constituency nomination. While we welcome the rectification as a step in the right direction, it remains a serious indictment on the competence and credibility of the ECN as the body entrusted to safeguard our democracy,” Kambala told The Namibian on Friday.

He said the fact that such a fundamental mistake occurred exposes deep institutional weaknesses and raises questions about how many similar errors go unnoticed elsewhere.

He said ECN’s self-review is not an act of grace but an admission of failure and a sign that public pressure and vigilance work.

“For us in AR, this ruling reaffirms what we have always stood for, that no institution, however powerful, should act outside the law or attempt to undermine the democratic process,” he added. Kambala commended the court for upholding justice and ensuring that the people of Nkurenkuru will have a fair contest where its candidate can rightfully stand before the people.

“Make no mistake, we will not relax. This incident has exposed why electoral reform and independent oversight over the ECN are necessary,” he said.

During the ECN’s submission in court, its legal practitioner, Jabulani Ncube, stated that the ECN’s urgent application is to restore integrity and dignity to citizens, hence, it asked the court to set aside the erroneous declaration.

Ncube argued that had the ECN not taken these steps, the Nkurenkuru constituency regional council election would have been on hold until the court resolved the matter.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.