Edward Tenete
A shortage of ballot papers and mounting frustrations among voters turned election day into a tense and challenging experience for presiding officer Rikambura Katjiuanjo at the Elisenheim Estate B polling station.
“I was very scared,” Katjiuanjo said in an interview with Nampa, recalling the moment voters attempted to force their way into the polling station on 27 November leading to one of the police officers at the scene having to intervene.
“There was a moment when one of the police officers came and grabbed the phone from me to speak to my returning officer to tell him if they don’t do anything in the next 15 minutes, he would call police chief Joseph Shikongo or somebody to call the President. That’s how bad it got,” she explained. Katjiuanjo, one of the 4 269 presiding officers appointed for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, was in charge of ensuring order and managing the polling station at Elisenheim just outside Windhoek.
However, the station ran out of ballot papers at around 14h00 and only received new ballot books at around 18h00, which caused a wave of frustration among voters.
Adding to the chaos was the fact that some voters were intoxicated.
“They were drunk, that was the problem. The place where we were was close to a place that sells alcohol, that’s why some of them were so aggressive,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Katjiuanjo remained steadfast in her commitment to her duties and to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).
“That is why I am here. I have to fulfil my duties. I have to protect ECN because I am also an employee. Anything that bumps into ECN bumps into me,” she said.
She further said despite the difficulties, she would not hesitate to take up the role again in future elections.
“I will. This is the fourth time I’m doing elections, these things happen,” she stated.
Katjiuanjo also shared some suggestions to avoid similar situations in the future, emphasising the importance of better preparation.
“I would like us to go into the process of doing these things the day before, checking the books, stamping the books and all that. Coming to the centre at 06h00 and opening at 07h00 and noticing that you have only four books, that was not proper,” she said.
-Nampa