At the time you are reading this week’s editorial, there are fewer than five days before the ongoing Supplementary Voters’ Registration (SRV) ends.

The exercise, which kicked off on 4 August, ends on 19 August, or next Tuesday, to be more precise.

Eligible Namibians will head to the polls on 26 November 2025 to elect regional councils and local authorities. 

With supplementary voter registrations closing next Tuesday, Namibians are urged to ensure they are prepared to make their voice heard by choosing their local representatives.

The supreme law of the land, the Electoral Act, the Regional Councils Act, and the Local Authorities Act provide the legislative framework for the conduct of Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections in Namibia.

By registering to vote and eventually casting their vote, Namibians will ensure local representation, decentralisation, grassroots development and service delivery.

However, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has noted a low turnout during the voter registration process, particularly in several Khomas constituencies, while other parts of the country have recorded positive responses.

This decline may be attributed to the limited awareness and understanding of the process by the public.

The good turnout at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) is commendable, reflecting the youth’s interest in participating in elections. 

This was usually not the case in the past, as youth voter apathy has always been a concern, including in the presidential and national elections.

Voter education, in addition to campaigns, is therefore important to increase voter participation and empower communities as they go out to vote.

Last year, the youth in Windhoek organised a fun walk campaign to entice their fellow mates to register to vote in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

More of these initiatives are needed not only for the youth but for every eligible citizen, especially before the closing date of the registrations.

In these remaining days, Namibians should be reminded that regional and local governance speaks directly to their needs in terms of development, service delivery and overall well-being.

Therefore, it is imperative to call on all eligible citizens to make use of the remaining days to ensure that they register to participate in the upcoming Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections to vote for their respective constituencies, village councils and municipalities.

Through this process, and armed with just a voters’ card and ballot paper, you will ensure the election of public office bearers to serve on the regional councils and local authorities for the next five years.

As we have done in the past and recently during the period leading up to the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections, we encourage every eligible Namibian to take this opportunity with the seriousness it warrants, as your vote is not only your choice, but it matters too. At best, these elections can best be summed up as the ‘Bread and Butter Elections’.

These elections are crucial for effective governance and development at the local level. 

They bridge the gap between the central government and the citizens by delivering essential services, promoting participatory democracy and fostering local development.

This is because regional councils and local authorities are directly elected by the people, making them accountable to their constituents.

They deal with real bread-and-butter issues that directly affect citizens’ everyday lives, including service delivery and local development. 

As such, this proximity to the people strengthens the democratic process by ensuring citizens’ voices are heard and represented in local decision-making.

In essence, regional councils and local authorities are vital for Namibia’s governance system, ensuring that development and service delivery are responsive to local needs and that citizens have a voice in shaping their communities.

Therefore, electing service-driven candidates for the forthcoming regional council and local authority polls is essential because these elections are far-reaching, as they broaden the level of our well-grounded democratic norms and ideals.

These elections should be taken seriously by political entities, independent candidates, and associations vis-à-vis ratepayers’ associations in light of the fact that they are intended to bring real services to the electorate, who deserve better.

Voters participating in the polls on the horizon should not vote for job seekers fixated on landing salaried positions, but they should vote for competent candidates who will bring real development in 2020 and beyond.

As we have stated in the past, service should be the essence and the pinnacle of this democratic exercise.

Voters should not waste time with those masquerading as candidates who, once elected, will retreat into their cocoons only to resurface during the next election cycle. 

Being a councillor entails hard work, as it requires the voted candidate to deliver better roads, running water and electrification to informal settlements while getting rid of mountains of uncollected garbage.

Residents should never be taken for granted.

If last year’s elections are anything to go by, it is clear voters have awoken to the fact they will not vote for self-serving candidates, who, in some cases, merely want to advance their interests and not those of the people who elected them or organisations or entities they represent. 

Councillors’ primary role is to honestly represent voters or ratepayers.

 They should serve as a bridge between their local authority and voters and should deliver because gone are the days of political dead wood.

Gone are the days of freeloading on voters who deserve better service.

Register to vote!