Africa-Press – Namibia. The 2025 Regional Council and Local Authorities elections delivered victories for some and disappointment for others while also separating pretenders from contenders.
However, for Phillip Budong, who failed to secure a councillor position in last year’s polls, the experience proved to be a learning curve rather than a defeat.
Budong, who hails from Kayengona village, contested the Rundu Rural constituency seat on the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) ticket. The election was eventually won by independent candidate Paulus Mbangu.
This marked Budong’s first attempt at elective politics after being handpicked by senior members of his party. Prior to joining PDM, he served as secretary of the All People’s Party (APP). He is also a church leader, running a ministry at Gove Village in the Mashare constituency.
Reflecting on the experience, Phillip described the campaign as challenging but valuable, adding that he hopes to contest again in the future.
“I learnt a lot during the election. One of the biggest lessons is that as a leader, you must start early. Campaigning must begin on time, and you need to familiarise yourself with the people if you hope to gain their trust and win,” he said.
Budong further noted that voter behaviour in his constituency highlighted the importance of individual presence over party affiliation.
“I also learnt that many of our people still don’t fully understand how these processes work; they just want to vote for whoever they know, not the party that leads.
Most voters are loyal to individuals rather than political parties. In the constituency I contested in, people are loyal to Mbangu because they know him. He is always on the ground, and they can see what he does. That gave him an upper hand over us,” he explained.
He acknowledged that his decision to enter politics was met with mixed reactions within his church community, particularly among those who believe pastors should not be involved in politics.
“When I announced my decision to run for councillor, many worshippers at my church were disappointed. Some felt I would no longer serve them as before, while others were unhappy that I was contesting in a different constituency from where our main church is located. However, there were also a few who supported me,” he said.
Despite the loss, the man of the cloth said he views the outcome positively and as part of his growth. “The loss was good for me. I take it as a learning curve.
God willing, I will run again in the next election. There were many people who supported me, and if I connect with them early enough, I believe we can build a brighter future,” he said.
For now, as is the directive by Jesus to his disciples in the Biblical book of Mark, Budong remains active in preaching the “gospel to all creation”, leading his ministry.
He also serves as a village development councillor and a school board member at Shambyu Combined School in the Mashare constituency.– [email protected]
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