Swapo gains ground but faces coalition councils in more than 20 local authorities

Over 20 local authorities including Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Grootfontein and Keetmanshoop are headed for coalition councils, as no single party secured absolute majority control during last week’s elections.

Final results of last Wednesday’s elections announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) on Saturday show that while Swapo regained lost ground in some parts of the country, the party still needs to contend with fragmented councils in about 20 local authorities where opposition parties collectively hold enough seats to block its dominance.

Other local authorities set for coalition councils are Karasburg, Mariental, Khorixas, Karibib, Usakos, Tsumeb, Outjo, Arandis, Henties Bay, Omaruru, Maltahöhe, Gochas, Divundu, Opuwo, Bethanie, Otjinene, Ondangwa, Okakarara, Aroab and Gobabis.

The figures released by the ECN show that 272 942 (36%) out of 752 043 registered voters participated in last week’s local authority elections. A total of 3 152 ballots were rejected.

Nationally, 1.4 million voters were registered for the elections, with a 609 013 voter turnout representing 40.7%, while 5 946 ballots were rejected.

In 2020 the regional council and local authority election turnout reached only 37% for local authority and 43% for regional council, compared to 60% in the 2019 national election.

During the results announcement ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua urged newly elected councillors to serve with integrity and called on unsuccessful candidates to accept the voters’ decision.

“I commend you for your participation and encourage you to continue playing your part in building Namibia into a prosperous nation,” she said.

The released data shows that Swapo has improved in terms of regional performance this year, compared to 2020, dominating with 63.35% (382 067 votes) compared to 56% in 2020.

In the local authority election, the party registered 141 181 votes (52.40%), an increase compared to 39.85% in 2020.

The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) emerged as the second most popular party with a total of 40 448 votes in the local authority (15%), and 74 176 votes in the regional council elections (12%).

This represents a decline from the 21% and 17% the party had in 2020.

Swapo’s highest regional council votes came from the Omusati region with 67 483, followed by Ohangwena (61 244) while its highest local authority votes came from Khomas (38 004).

Swapo received eight seats in the Windhoek municipal council, an improvement on its previous four seats, cutting out any chance of coalitions.

The IPC received three seats on the Windhoek council, losing one seat, while the Affirmative Repositioning (AR), and Landless People’s Movement (LPM) each dropped one seat after securing only one.

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) retained its one seat and the United Democratic Front (UDF), replacing the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), made a comeback after securing one seat, bringing the total seats of council to 15.

However, despite retaking control of the Windhoek municipality, Swapo still lost ground in some local authorities.

In 2020 it lost control of key local authorities including Arandis, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Windhoek, Oranjemund, Lüderitz, Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, Aranos, Berseba, Bethanie, Kalkrand, Gibeon and Mariental, but has now regained them.

In the south, the LPM did not field candidates in nine local authorities, a factor widely viewed as having cleared the path for Swapo’s strong comeback. These localities include Berseba, Bethanie, Aranos, Gibeon, Rehoboth, Kalkrand, Tses and Stampriet.
In Erongo, LPM also did not contest at Henties Bay, Arandis and Uis.

At the same time, several former Swapo members who had joined opposition parties in the last election cycle have since returned to the ruling party, particularly in Erongo, strengthening Swapo’s position.
Swapo secured more than 46 local authority seats from areas it previously lost.

COALITION FACE-OFF

Swapo faces possible power struggles in some major councils where no party has a majority control.
Some opposition parties have indicated their readiness to negotiate, although no formal talks have begun yet.

Among them is PDM secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe who stresses that the decision to enter coalitions depends on the dynamics of each local authority.

Outgoing LPM Windhoek councillor Ivan Skrywer yesterday said the party has not made a decision as to who to enter into coalition with as discussions are yet to be held but he indicated that the leadership has hinted it would collaborate with some political parties.

He said in localities such as Mariental, the party may collaborate with IPC, but these discussions are pending.

“In order to have majority override, we will certainly have to enter a coalition in other towns except in Windhoek where they will constitute all decisions, because they will have the mayor and the management committee chairperson,” he added.

Nudo secretary general Joseph Uapingene yesterday also indicated his party’s readiness but said they have not been approached by anyone yet.

IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge says the party will communicate its coalition decisions once internal consultations are complete.
In a statement yesterday, the IPC said: “As we analyse this result, we do so with our eyes fixed firmly on the future.

The journey to 2029 requires unified preparedness and re-dedication.”
National Democratic Party’s Martin Lukato says a document must be drafted for all parties to abide by to prevent them from breaking their agreements.

At Tsumeb, newly elected councillor Lisken Classen of the Community Representatives Organisation says she is open to partnering with like-minded parties as long as community interests come first.

UDF secretary general Daniel Tsaneb confirmed that his party is also willing to negotiate, saying it aims to emerge with influence wherever it contests.

Swapo deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga says the decision whether the party will form coalitions will be taken by the politburo.
“The president is the one who calls for politburo meetings and I cannot actually respond on behalf of the politburo,” Herunga says.

Political commentator Erika Thomas has praised Walvis Bay voters for producing a perfectly balanced council, five seats for Swapo and five for the combined opposition.

She adds that coalitions can strengthen governance if parties prioritise service delivery over political point-scoring.

She warns, however, that ideological differences and personality clashes have historically weakened coalitions. She urges parties to avoid using power-sharing arrangements as tools for revenge.

Thomas also raises concerns about the slow pace of decentralisation, saying regional and local councils remain restricted by functions that have not been fully devolved.

She argues that unless the line ministry urgently addresses this, even well-structured coalitions may struggle to deliver services efficiently.

Public policy analyst Marius Kudumo says coalitions are not a matter of preference but a natural consequence of election outcomes where no party secures an outright majority.

“This means parties and associations must negotiate with those closest to their service-delivery vision,” he says.
He notes that coalition choices in Namibia often hinge on who a party believes it can govern with, rather than long-term ideological alignment.

Kudumo warns that any coalition must prioritise service delivery or risk losing public confidence.
“When you read the Local Authorities Act, it is all about services. There are over 20 functions, and all relate to delivering to communities,” he says.

Kudumo adds that past coalition experiences will now be tested, and any new arrangements must demonstrate seriousness and stability.

Political analyst Henning Melber says Swapo’s regained ground appears to stem more from the opposition’s failure to deliver than from a renewed surge in support.

He adds that the party also benefited from low turnout and the continued loyalty of elderly voters. Melber stresses, however, that Swapo’s recovery is not uniform across the country.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah over the weekend said while Swapo remains competitive in many areas, the latest results confirm that the party is no longer as dominant as it once was.

“In several towns, Swapo wins the most seats but not enough to control the council without partners. This means that if the opposition works together, they can take over many local authorities.

He said a united opposition can weaken Swapo’s control in regions it once dominated.
Kamwanyah noted that in places such as Khorixas and Usakos, the UDF has previously shown willingness to work with Swapo.

However, he cautioned that such partnerships are not guaranteed. Smaller parties often decide based on local relationships, trust among councillors or perceived benefits.

He added that cooperation among opposition parties remains crucial if they intend to challenge Swapo’s influence.
Fragmentation, he said, continues to benefit the ruling party.

“When they form coalitions, they are able to govern in many towns. If their goal is to reduce Swapo’s influence, then working together is the most effective strategy,” he said.

Kamwanyah stressed that the success of coalitions depends on trust, clear agreements and parties honouring those agreements after elections.
He also criticised the ECN, arguing that once again it failed and contributed to voter frustration.

“It was unable or unwilling to deal in a satisfactory way with the non-registration of LPM candidates in a number of their strongholds,” he said.

“This impacted decisively on some of the results in the southern regions, while [Bernadus] Swartbooi with his irrational behaviour hammered in other places the final nail in the LPM coffin,” he added.

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