Residents’ groups to press on despite poor poll performance

RESIDENTS’ associations say they remain undeterred by their poor showing in Friday’s Local Authority polls, and have vowed to aggressively drive their causes.

This year saw a mushrooming of civic organisations, with 10 competing against their political counterparts across the country. In Windhoek, the coalition of the Windhoek Ratepayers Association (WRA) and the Local Community Association (LCA) could only muster 1 305 votes, resulting in the LCA losing its only seat on the council, which it had held since Independence.On Tuesday, WRA Secretary Horst Bödecker said his organisation had expected to win at least two seats and partly blamed the failure on voter apathy.Former LCA Councillor Hetty Rose-Junius appeared less disappointed.”Too many people are in the frame of mind that it doesn’t help to vote,” she said.”I feel bad that people didn’t appreciate the work done by the association.But we still have a role to play.There is still a future for associations not only in Windhoek but throughout the country,” she said.Rose-Junius said most association members also supported political parties and as a Congress of Democrats (CoD) supporter herself she would use the party structures to advance the concerns of LCA members.Ada /Gui, a civic organisation representing largely pensioners and the destitute, joined the fray for the first time this year, managing 1 081 votes.Its Chairperson, Johannes Hendricks, said on Tuesday that he was disappointed by the low voter turnout considering that their membership was double the number that voted.But, he said, the drive to fight against water cuts and evictions of the poor would be fiercer than ever.Hendricks said Ada /Gui intended to pursue legal action against the City of Windhoek for these actions.”It doesn’t bother us whether we got a seat [or not].We will continue doing what we have been doing,” he told The Namibian.In the far northern reaches of the country, the Katima Mulilo Alliance Democratic Association (KADA) also cited voter apathy and the alleged intimidation of voters at the polls as having contributed to its poor support.The association obtained 354 votes.KADA spokesperson Patricia Nyazo said the organisation was surprised that residents once again voted for the ruling party, which she accused of being at the heart of turmoil at the town.She claimed that voters were intimidated at the polling stations by the ruling party.Voting, she contended, was largely based on tribalism and said Swapo only had the support of the Masubia.She said the organisation was also believed to have been confused with another newcomer to the elections, the Republican Party.However, Nyazo said her organisation intended to become more visible at the town disseminating information and collaborating with other residents’ associations in other towns.The Henties Bay Civics was the only residents’ association to show some clout in the elections.They obtained three seats on the council, the same number as Swapo.Civics’ secretary Kota van Zyl said this week that the association was ecstatic at its performance, having only been established in February.She said discussions with the United Democratic Front (UDF) were scheduled for this week to discuss the possibility of an alliance.The UDF obtained one seat.Van Zyl said it had been difficult to convince residents that they could belong to a political party as well as residents’ association.This was also said to be the case at Omaruru, where the residents’ association there retained its single seat on the council.The ORA’s Heiner Dörgeloh said his organisation would also look at forming a coalition with the UDF and Nudo who obtained two and one seat respectively.He claimed that Omaruru residents were largely influenced by politics.”Whether it is good or bad for the town is irrelevant.Politics is doing a lot of harm to the towns,” he said.At Otjiwarongo residents managed to get one representative on the council.Otavi, which was previously run by a residents’ association, lost its grip on the council, obtaining a dismal 86 votes, giving Swapo absolute power on the village council.At Rehoboth, the ratepayers’ association also lost out completely – unable to obtain a single seat.Gobabis had to relinquish two of its seats it previously held to political parties. It now only has one seat.In Windhoek, the coalition of the Windhoek Ratepayers Association (WRA) and the Local Community Association (LCA) could only muster 1 305 votes, resulting in the LCA losing its only seat on the council, which it had held since Independence.On Tuesday, WRA Secretary Horst Bödecker said his organisation had expected to win at least two seats and partly blamed the failure on voter apathy.Former LCA Councillor Hetty Rose-Junius appeared less disappointed.”Too many people are in the frame of mind that it doesn’t help to vote,” she said.”I feel bad that people didn’t appreciate the work done by the association.But we still have a role to play.There is still a future for associations not only in Windhoek but throughout the country,” she said.Rose-Junius said most association members also supported political parties and as a Congress of Democrats (CoD) supporter herself she would use the party structures to advance the concerns of LCA members.Ada /Gui, a civic organisation representing largely pensioners and the destitute, joined the fray for the first time this year, managing 1 081 votes.Its Chairperson, Johannes Hendricks, said on Tuesday that he was disappointed by the low voter turnout considering that their membership was double the number that voted.But, he said, the drive to fight against water cuts and evictions of the poor would be fiercer than ever.Hendricks said Ada /Gui intended to pursue legal action against the City of Windhoek for these actions.”It doesn’t bother us whether we got a seat [or not].We will continue doing what we have been doing,” he told The Namibian.In the far northern reaches of the country, the Katima Mulilo Alliance Democratic Association (KADA) also cited voter apathy and the alleged intimidation of voters at the polls as having contributed to its poor support.The association obtained 354 votes.KADA spokesperson Patricia Nyazo said the organisation was surprised that residents once again voted for the ruling party, which she accused of being at the heart of turmoil at the town.She claimed that voters were intimidated at the polling stations by the ruling party.Voting, she contended, was largely based on tribalism and said Swapo only had the support of the Masubia.She said the organisation was also believed to have been confused with another newcomer to the elections, the Republican Party.However, Nyazo said her organisation intended to become more visible at the town disseminating information and collaborating with other residents’ associations in other towns.The Henties Bay Civics was the only residents’ association to show some clout in the elections.They obtained three seats on the council, the same number as Swapo.Civics’ secretary Kota van Zyl said this week that the association was ecstatic at its performance, having only been established in February.She said discussions with the United Democratic Front (UDF) were scheduled for this week to discuss the possibility of an alliance.The UDF obtained one seat.Van Zyl said it had been difficult to convince residents that they could belong to a political party as well as residents’ association.This was also said to be the case at Omaruru, where the residents’ association there retained its single seat on the council.The ORA’s Heiner Dörgeloh said his organisation would also look at forming a coalition with the UDF and Nudo who obtained two and one seat respectively.He claimed that Omaruru residents were largely influenced by politics.”Whether it is good or bad for the town is irrelevant.Politics is doing a lot of harm to the towns,” he said.At Otjiwarongo residents managed to get one representative on the council.Otavi, which was previously run by a residents’ association, lost its grip on the council, obtaining a dismal 86 votes, giving Swapo absolute power on the village council.At Rehoboth, the ratepayers’ association also lost out completely – unable to obtain a single seat.Gobabis had to relinquish two of its seats it previously held to political parties. It now only has one seat.