Adolf Kaure

The South West Africa National Union’s (Swanu) candidates for the upcoming 2025 Regional Council and Local Authority elections have set their eyes on improving the state of affairs in Windhoek.

The party’s local authority candidate Ripuree Mbakurupa said she is ready to address the alarming rate of school dropouts and unqualified youth as a ticking time bomb during a press briefing on Wednesday in Windhoek.

“From early 2013 a significant number of school dropouts increased rapidly to 54% up to date, it’s time for the government to give an insight on how they are going to cater for our uneducated and unemployed youth,” she added.

She further stated that more vocational training and job opportunities in key sectors like agriculture, fishing, and mining are needed to equip young people with skills needed for the labour market. 

“These would not only help in contributing to the country’s GDP growth, but by doing so the government would also be removing our youth from the streets and rescuing them from anti-social factors like alcohol abuse, drug abuse and becoming victims of crime,” she said.

Vezemba Rodman Katjaimo broke Swapo’s stronghold for the Katutura Central Constituency by winning the 2020 elections with 1 983 votes. He was followed by Michael Aihuki of Swapo (976 votes) and the Landless Peoples’ Movement’s Delphia Suxus (879 votes).  During the 2015 elections, Swapo’s Ambrosius Kandjii won the elections with 3 009 votes.  Swapo’s Helster Gawanab claimed victory in 2004 with 1,732 votes out of the 5 180 casted votes.

Swanu’s candidate for the Katutura Central Constituency, Forah Kotjinjo said that his campaign is centered on three pillars, namely safety and security, healthcare as well as TVET (technical vocational education training).

He said that under Swapo and PDM’s rule, nothing has changed in the Katutura Central constituency’s development. 

“We need to change something here in Katutura Central. In terms of security, the people of Katutura are not safe anymore because every corner in Katutura there is a robbery, assault and alcohol abuse and we must take that out of our community,” he said.

Kotjinjo said that if voted as the next councilor for the constituency, he will collaborate with law enforcement and emergency services. “We can do this by working with the police for patrols, community policing, neighbourhood watch programmes for us to reduce crime in Katutura Central,” said Kotjinjo.

“We will bring back Operation Kalahari Desert to patrol the community for our people to be safe,” he added. 

The candidate further highlighted the challenge of the Katutura Health Centre not having a maternity ward. 

“When something happens to unborn babies or mothers, they must be rushed to Katutura Hospital or State Central Hospital from Katutura or Wanaheda. Every clinic must have a maternity ward to provide safe and special care for mothers and babies during childbirth. 

Complications during delivery can be unpredictable and becoming life threatening,” he said.

Swanu was founded in 1959. The party’s president, Evilastus Kaaronda received 0.73% (7991 votes) during the 2024 Presidential Elections and 1.05% (11,484 votes) of the vote during the 2024 National Assembly Elections.