GOBABIS – The Gobabis constituency by-election got off to a very slow start yesterday morning. The constituency had eight fixed and 19 mobile polling stations.

At four of the eight fixed polling stations that Nampa visited, no voters were seen standing in queues to cast their vote.

When Nampa arrived at the Gobabis municipality office polling station at 07h00, only one voter was seen arriving.

At a polling station erected at Epako community hall, 14 voters had cast their vote by 07h20 and presiding officer Dortea Tobias told Nampa that the voting process was moving at a slow but smooth pace, adding that she and her team had not experienced any difficulties. 

“We started on time and the voters that we have helped thus far are not experiencing any difficulties using the EVMs,” she said. 

At Epako municipality, only 37 people had voted by 07h40, while at Rukutuka Primary School polling station 49 voters had cast their vote by 08h00.

Speaking to Nampa, presiding officer at Rakutuka Primary School polling station, Ritja Muriambihu, said although everything was progressing well, very few voters were showing up.

“We are only seeing elderly voters arriving to vote at the moment. Maybe because the youth and middle-aged voters have other priorities given that school just re-opened today and today is also a working day, so we hope as from 18h00 onward, we will see a better turnout,” Muriambihu said.
Gobabis constituency has 13 457 registered voters.