OKAHANDJA – With the election machinery in full swing for the presidential and National Assembly polls slated for November 28, Otjozondjupa Regional Governor, Samuel Nuuyoma, has urged residents in the region to avoid spending time drinking on the day before the elections.
He said although the Otjozondjupa is ready, residents should avoid spending time at shebeens the day before voting, so that they wake up in time for the elections.
Namibia will for the first time in its history use electronic voting machines (EVMs), with people casting votes in one day instead of the two days as was done in the past and November 28 – polling day– was declared a public holiday.
This month, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) received another 3 400 EVMs bringing the total number of machines to 6 800.
Speaking in an interview with New Era, Nuuyoma said the region is well organised and prepared for the upcoming national elections.
“The whole region is well mobilised and well organised. I don’t see anything bad that will happen to the Swapo Party. I think Otjozondjupa is going to do it. People are already well organised. I urge people in the region to be ready on the 27th of November. They should not go to shebeens to consume alcohol. They should go and sleep sober and then on the 28th of November the people of Otjozondjupa will be the first at the polling stations because we want to achieve victory beyond victory,” he urged.
Otjozondjupa has a population of about 144 000.
In Okahandja close to 15 000 people have been registered as eligible voters and with the supplementary registration, the list went up to around 16 000.
“I want all these 16 000 people to vote for Swapo,” stated the governor.
Regarding political violence during the campaigns, Nuuyoma said they are campaigning peacefully in the region.
There has been no record of any political violence reported thus far.
“We are not violent people, we want things to be done according to the peace and stability that have been created since the independence of this country and we want that to continue,” stated the governor.
He cautioned people to refrain from any political violence, saying the campaign period should be free and fair in the spirit of the Namibian people.