Community-based associations have emerged as some of the biggest winners in this year’s Local Authority elections, securing multiple seats across several towns and signalling growing voter appetite for community-driven leadership.

 An analysis of Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) results shows that residents’ associations and ratepayers’ groups performed strongly in at least nine local authorities, challenging the dominance of established political parties in several key municipalities.

While major political parties such as Swapo, Independent Patriots for Change and Landless People’s Movement still command most council seats, associations made remarkable inroads in areas where frustrations over land, housing and service delivery have been mounting.

In Gobabis, A Right to Shelter Foundation of Namibia (A-RTS-N) won three seats, one of the biggest victories for any civic organisation. 

With 2 248 votes, the shelter association outperformed national parties looking to govern the town.

In Okakarara, the Okakarara Residents Association for Development (ORAFD) also secured three seats, becoming the second-strongest group on the council. 

Voters, analysts say, were drawn to an organisation rooted in the community and campaigning on development and accountability.

Okahandja saw one of the widest spreads of association representation from three different associations – Okahandja Rate Payers Association (ORPA), Okahandja Community Representatives Organisation (OCRO) and Promised Land Residents Association (PLARA). However, only ORPA managed to win a seat.

Other towns with association wins include Grootfontein (GRTA – 2 seats), Swakopmund (SRA – 2 seats) and Walvis Bay (JWBRA – 1 seat).

At Rehoboth, three different associations participated. 

Rehoboth Independent Town Management Association (RITMA) – 1 seat, Rehoboth Ratepayers Association (RRA) – 0 seat and the Resident Enhancement for Housing and Opportunities (REHO) – 0 seat.

Others were at Mariental, where MRA scored one seat. 

At Omaruru, OCDO also scored a seat. 

Across these councils, national parties like Popular Democratic Movement, National Unity Democratic Organisation, LPM and IPC struggled to match the momentum of community organisations.

Political analyst Ellison Tjirera from the University of Namibia said the election outcome signals a “major shift in political trust”, as residents choose to empower themselves through local organisations rather than rely on national party structures.

He said Namibian voters have delivered a powerful message in this year’s local authority elections, as they no longer trust national political parties to fix their daily problems.

 Instead, they are turning to community-based associations, local groups formed around housing, land, rates and development issues, to take charge of municipal affairs.

“What the voters are telling the political parties is that they don’t trust them. People would rather trust themselves. They want their own local agenda, driven by their own community-based organisations,” Tjirera said.  He argued that the success of these associations shows voters want representatives who “speak their language”, understand unique local problems, and are not controlled by political headquarters hundreds of kilometres away.

“People want to dictate what happens in their municipal councils themselves. They are taking back the developmental agenda,” he said.

This year’s results show a clear pattern that community-driven associations performed exceptionally well – in some cases becoming major forces in their councils.

Tjirera said this outcome is no accident.

“The associations are born because of the issues in those localities. In Gobabis, the need is shelter. That is why a shelter association won three seats,” he said.  Tjirera said national parties failed because they rely on broad, one-size-fits-all approaches, while voters want hyper-local, targeted solutions.

“Political parties must learn that all politics should be local. They must listen to issues in each specific local authority. You cannot impose one solution everywhere,” he warned. 

He argues that national political movements have been slow to realise that local authorities have different and sometimes urgent challenges, such as water shortages in some towns, housing crises in others and mismanagement in many councils.

Tjirera described the growing association movement as a form of democratic self-assertion, where residents are reclaiming power they previously handed to political parties.

“People are taking back the power they have in voting and giving it to themselves and their organisations,” he said.

He added that this trend mirrors voter frustration with infrastructure decay, rising land prices, water shortages and slow housing delivery in several towns. 

In many cases, residents believe national parties have failed to address these problems.

IPPR researcher Dieterich Remmert observed that housing remains a national crisis and that associations focusing on this issue – like the Right to Shelter Foundation – are tapping into widespread public frustration.

He added that many residents feel their voices are better heard by community associations that understand local realities.

Remmert noted low youth turnout and broader fatigue with party politics, saying many young people remain discouraged after long queues and registration challenges in previous elections.

But even he agrees that the rise of associations shows people want new, locally-grounded solutions.

With association-dominated councils in Gobabis, Okakarara, Okahandja, Rehoboth and other key towns, analysts warn that these organisations now face the real test of governance.