By Surihe Gaomas
NKURENKURU
Swapo party almost made a clean sweep in the just ended local authority election at Nkurekuru in the Kavango region, winning six of the seven seats.
The Republican Party (RP), the only ‘real’ opposition in the election, took the remaining one seat.
Close to 3 000 residents are to witness the first official swearing-in ceremony of the seven new local authority councillors tomorrow.
According to results issued by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) after voting ended last Friday, the Swapo party won overwhelmingly, securing 1 375 votes which accounts for six seats at local authority level.
The RP got 103 (surplus) votes while the rest of the opposition political parties fell away. These were the DTA, which got 12 votes, CoD 29 and NUDO with six.
Speaking to journalists after the vote counting that went on till past midnight on Friday, Swapo Party Regional Coordinator of the Kavango Region, Vincent Likoro, said the entire election process was free and fair.
He congratulated the RP as the only opposition party that secured a seat in the election.
“Over 90 percent of Nkurenkuru residents have spoken through the ballot and it shows the trust and confidence people have in Swapo, but less than 15 percent of the people did not cast their votes and that is a matter of concern for us. We are however happy with the results and a hard task now lies ahead for the town of Nkurenkuru to develop. We have a very serious and urgent responsibility to see to it that we deliver to the residents of Nkurenkuru,” said Likoro.
Swapo Party was just short of 37 votes to secure all seven seats. As for RP that secured one seat, their one seat is seen as a major breakthrough as Nkurenkuru has always been a Swapo stronghold.
Gracefully bowing out of the highly contested election, the CoD, DTA, and NUDO added their voices saying that the entire process was free and fair.
“I am happy with the process. I would have.
liked to have seen my own party get one or two seats but we did not manage that. At the same time, we need to congratulate the ECN for the speedy counting of the votes. It is a step in the right direction,” said NUDO Administrative Secretary, Theophelus Uahongora..
Sharing the same view, the CoD’s Shikere Kahguyu said everything went smoothly though he described the situation as difficult after they failed to secure a seat.
Prior to the vote counting last Friday, hundreds made their way to the seven polling stations, one of which was mobile.
The polling station at Elcin Nkurenkuru High School opened its doors at 07h00. Fifty-six-year-old Biata Kaliketu was one of the first people to come in.
“I woke up at 06h00 in the morning just to come and vote,” said Kaliketu holding her voter’s card.
After her, three more elderly women entered.
In town, villagers living on the outskirts of Nkurenkuru were already standing in long queues ready to cast their votes.
At the mobile station, ECN Director Philemon Kanime said the process was indeed going very well especially with the aid of the latest satellite devices.
“The electronic voters’ role is taking place and the whole system is linked to the main server in town. People are coming in full force, they want the area to become a town,” said Kanime.
A total of 1 782 voters registered for the election while 1 416 cast their votes.
Swapo’s new councillors are Ausiku Hausiku, Hendrina Kadubuli, Mirjam Sikwaya, Erastus Sitentu, Beata Kanyanga and Thomas Ngoma. The RP’s new councillor is Reino Simbungu.