Lahja Nashuuta
The Swapo party has strengthened its political dominance in the 2025 Local Authority Elections, emerging as the biggest winner with 52.4% of all seats nationwide. This marks a rise from the 39.85% the party received in the 2020 elections.
Despite the strong performance, overall voter turnout dropped significantly. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) reported that only 272,942 of the 752,435 registered voters cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 36.29%. Swapo attracted 141,181 of the total valid votes cast on 26 November 2025.
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which gain a number of seats in the 2020 Regional and Local Authority Elections, recorded a noticeable decline. The party secured 15.01% of the votes, down from the 21.20% it attained five years ago.
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) also saw its support shrink, especially in //Karas region which was its stronghold , winning 5.85% compared to 14.21% in 2020. Other parties included PDM with 5.24%, UDF with 4.14%, while smaller political entities and associations collectively accounted for 17.36% of the vote.
Swapo dominates in North
Swapo’s strongest performance came from the northern regions mainly Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena and Oshikoto. The party swept nearly all major local authorities in these regions, securing majority seats in Helao Nafidi, Outapi, Ongwediva, Eenhana, Onipa and others.
In several towns with seven-seat councils, Swapo won five seats, giving them full control of the councils. In smaller local authorities with five-seat councils, including Onandjamba and Tsandi, the party secured four out of the five seats. This consistent dominance demonstrates Swapo’s continued influence and deep-rooted support in the north.
AR makes notable entry
A major development in this year’s elections was the strong entry of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, which contested local authority elections for the first time. AR managed to win seats in nine local authorities, particularly in rural towns. The movement secured one seat each in Okahao, Oshikuku, Outapi, Oshakati, Nkurenkuru, Ondangwa and Tsumeb. The movement also managed to win a seat at the City of Windhoek.
Political commentator Natjirikasorua Tjirera said the election results indicate important shifts in Namibia’s political landscape, particularly among opposition parties.
“A few takeaways from these elections are that opposition parties need to set aside their differences and be realistic about their chances,” he said. “Because a party does not need 50% plus one to win, strategic collaboration among opposition parties could have resulted in many more victories. If they had coordinated supporting one another in areas of strength, the National Council landscape would look very different today,” Tjirera argued.
Tjirera added that Namibian voters are becoming more discerning and deliberate in their choices.
“The Namibian voter is no longer a blind party loyalist. Voters are beginning to focus on individuals they believe will deliver. The strong performance of some independent candidates is clear evidence of this shift,” he said. He further said the low voter turnout should serve as a warning to political parties.
“It could be that the 60% who stayed away did not see any compelling reason to vote. Political parties must take this seriously.
They need to field people-centred candidates and demonstrate real service to the electorate if they want to regain public trust,” said Tjirera.
Meanwhile the academic and political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said the ruling Swapo party “clearly won” the 2025 elections, emerging as the top performer nationally across most regions and local councils.
However, he noted that the most striking development in this election cycle is the rise of independent candidates in areas long regarded as firm Swapo strongholds particularly the two Kavango regions and parts of the Zambezi region.
Kamwanyah said that in Kavango East, an unusually high number of residents registered as independent candidates, signalling growing dissatisfaction with traditional party politics.
He said that in the Rundu Rural constituency, independent candidate Mbangu Paulus registered a strong lead, demonstrating that voters in the area may be shifting away from automatic party-based voting. Similar trends were observed in the Zambezi region and in the Rehoboth Rural constituency, where independents also won seats.
Kamwanyah also noted that while Swapo performed strongly overall, it does not necessarily hold full dominance everywhere. In several municipalities and local councils, the balance of power remains thin enough to require coalitions or alliances.