Albertina Nakale
Otniel Hembapu
Despite a lacklustre start, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) said the Zambezi region has come to the party in terms of voter registration.
Speaking to New Era yesterday, Zambezi’ ECN administrative officer Sammy Muhau said voter registration in the region has picked up – and the process is running smoothly.
The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) yesterday announced that the country has a total of 1 667 778 eligible voters for the upcoming elections.
The number comprises 789 775 males and 878 003 females.
Of the over 1.6 milion total eligible voters, young eligible voters account for a huge chunk of the overall number.
These figures exclude non-citizens, and focuses exclusively on all Namibians of 18 years and above, as well as those of 17 years when they were enumerated for the 2023 Census on 24 September 2024, which was the official census reference night.
“All Namibians (excluding non-citizens) in the category of 18 years and above are eligible voters, and can thus register for the upcoming elections.
The number of Namibians enumerated to be 17 years old by 24 September 2023 (the Census Reference Night) is 51 868 (26 003 male and 25 865 females),” shared the NSA.
With the registration process in full swing in Zambezi, he is optimistic that the number of registered voters will soon be bursting at the seams in the coming days and weeks.
“The process is going very well. As of last week, we have started experiencing more pressure due to the high number of turn-ups, especially in urban areas. Last night [Monday night], we had a high volume of turn-ups, and some teams had to work until 02h00,” he said.
He revealed that the Zambezi region has managed to register a total of 33 793 people, although this figure has not yet been officially announced.
Last week, the region had registered 26 307 voters.
The ECN made it clear that the registration dates would not be extended.
Therefore, the electoral body continues to encourage all eligible citizens to register within their constituencies countrywide, which started on 3 June, and will end on 1 August.
As of last week, the ECN had recorded 823 761 eligible Namibians registered as voters inside the country and at all Namibian diplomatic missions abroad.
The figures represent an average of 24 562 registered voters per day from 1 to 6 July 2024, with foreign missions accounting for over 1 400 registered voters.
The Commission is encouraging all eligible Namibians who have not yet registered to do so within the two weeks remaining before the end of the registration period.
Based on the ECN’s last update, Khomas is the only region with a six-figure tally of 152 920, who have registered to vote.
Ohangwena region is in second place with 87 441 registered voters.
Omusati has recorded 85 230.
Meanwhile, Omaheke is lagging, having only registered 24 261 voters, the lowest in the whole country.
Zambezi governor Lawrence Sampofu expressed concern over the low turnout at registration points.
“We are really worried about the pace at which people are going to register. It is just too slow. We appeal to our people to go and register as voters. It’s important to register as a voter. Elections are just around the corner. If one is not registered, they are cutting themselves off from the election process, and they won’t exercise their rights to vote,” he said.
He stressed the importance of elections in a democracy, saying that once a person votes, they determine their leaders.
“This is the last minute, and there is no extension for the voter registration process. People should register to vote and demand services. They need services such as water, roads, hospitals, electricity, schools and many other essential services. If they are going to vote, they have the right to demand services from the government,” he said.
However, he said ECN officials in the region are busy around the clock to mobilise and sensitise the public to go and register.
“We have a team of voter education officers and youth ambassadors who are doing a great job. However, community members are not forthcoming. Pamphlets and posters have been displayed and distributed in all the corners of the region,” he added.
Equally, he said first-time voters who turned 18 years old are showing up at registration points.
“We have seen more first-time voters, especially in towns, where they are coming in large numbers,” he pointed out.
In terms of hiccups, Muhau said they have experienced challenges with generators malfunctioning.
However, he asserted they are overcoming that challenge by hiring generators from the public.
The other issue they face is the low turnout from the public, which now appears to be in the rearview mirror.
“We have, however, put a strategy in place, whereby when a team is moving to a registration point, the voter education officers will precede them, and sensitise the community around that registration point,” he said.
Some people in the region complained that the photo on their voter’s card came out dark and could hardly be identified.
“Sometimes, the cause of that is the setup of the voter’s registration kits at the registration points. We have experienced that, especially in tents,” he mentioned.
He said that with 15 days left before the deadline, eligible voters should register en masse, and turn up on 27 November to cast their vote.
“Our registration is still ongoing. We normally start from 8h00 to 19h00. We encourage those who have not yet registered to use this time to go and register in order for their voices to be heard. They must go and register so that they can vote in November. They must step up for their rights, and register to vote,” Muhau appealed.
-anakale@nepc.com.na
Photo: Albertina Nakale