Rudolf Gaiseb
Observers brought together by the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) found that young people barely participated in the recently ended elections. The observers’ mission was aimed at assessing the inclusivity, transparency and credibility of the Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections.
Despite the polling stations opening and closing on time and an inclusive voting process, the findings show a stark reality, youth participation was lacking compared to last year’s Presidential and National Assembly. The findings also showed that many young people had not registered in their constituencies due to limited access to early information. Deputy general representative of Flanders in Southern Africa, Nicolas Vandeviver, explained that civic participation during the electoral process is important – not only during the months leading up to the elections but also outside of the election cycle.
“We need to involve citizens more directly in decision-making processes. We need to incorporate into our curriculum, for instance, why voting matters,” he noted. A total of 67 trained observers were deployed primarily across Windhoek constituencies in the Khomas region, with select comparative insights drawn from observations in Walvis Bay, Rehoboth and Okakarara. High-voter-density urban constituencies, such as Windhoek West, Samora Machel, and Khomasdal, received the highest observation. Speaking at the event, political analyst Panduleni Nghipandulwa pointed out that to increase voter confidence and youth participation, political party leaders need to strengthen service delivery.
His viewpoint is that when services such as education, access to land, housing, safety and security, all provided within the community, they must be streamlined to build the electorate’s trust. Another point he highlighted is to make civic education an integral part of our school curriculum. “It is currently there; some learners have access to it. For instance, those who study history, developmental studies or, at a university level, political science, are the learners who are usually well informed. But I think every single citizen needs to understand their role within this democracy. Namibia is a young democracy, and people don’t really understand what their role is,” he said. Nghipandulwa was involved in the training of the observers. He noted that young industry professionals as well as unemployed youth were selected, among others.
At the same time, the results reveal peaceful polling moods and proper ballot accounting and verification.
NID associate Valentinia Mentor said observer presence promoted transparency and procedural accountability.
The ballot boxes were observed to be properly sealed.
However, a concern about the lack of knowledge about the procedures of the voting process by the electorate was raised.
Voters could not find their way through the polling stations unless guided by the polling officials. ECN should do more in terms of the delivery of their voter education,” she suggested. Meanwhile, NID chairperson Ripuree Tjitendero encouraged all Namibians to work together and build a strong democracy.
“The Election Observation Mission represents more than a technical exercise, it is a collective commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, and public trust in our Local and Regional Authorities elections,” she said.
Tjitendero noted the institution is making progress in the ongoing responsibility of safeguarding the integrity of Namibia’s electoral processes.
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