Africa-Press – Namibia. After five years under opposition control, the Swapo party has made a strong political comeback in Kamanjab constituency by winning Tuesday’s by-election.
The win is not just symbolic but marks a turning point in Swapo’s efforts to restore confidence and reconnect with local communities ahead of local and regional elections in November.
Candidate Nikodemus Hamutenya emerged victorious with 1 090 votes, beating the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), who received 835 and 105 votes, respectively. A total of 2 Hamutenya indicated that the victory is not just for Swapo members but for the entire Kamanjab constituency.
The councillor emphasised that the win was not only for Swapo members but for all residents, regardless of political affiliation.
He credited the party’s teamwork and national support for the electoral success.
“We planned well. Our vice president and secretary general were here on the ground. We worked with the district leadership, and the supporters were fully involved. It was a strong, united effort.”
Promises
The councillor outlined key service delivery goals, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, documentation and youth development.
He raised concerns over the absence of government offices in the constituency, especially those offering national documents like birth certificates and IDs.
“When it comes to government offices, we are left out in Kamanjab,” he explained, adding that Kamanjab is a vast area. You travel more than 30 kilometres to Khorixas, and even more kilometres to Omaruru, and further to other areas. We want to consult with the ministry of home affairs to see how they can bring services back,” he said.
He noted that there was once a mobile home affairs office, but it was moved to Opuwo. His goal is to bring that service back.
“We want to have a contractual meeting with home affairs so that they can bring those services back here. It’s a big issue because many people in Kamenya are still without documentation.”
Focus
The councillor also acknowledged the struggles faced by young people in the area and promised to focus on job-related services and recreational facilities.
“Our youth are just in the streets. We need sports facilities so they can be active and show their talents. Through the Swapo party manifesto, we want to bring at least one or two sports fields to Kamanjab.”
The councillor aims to lead with humility and a strong connection to the community.
“This is a victory for Kamanjab. We want to go back to our programme, follow the Swapo manifesto, and make sure we reach everyone. Even those who did not vote for us — we say thank you.”
As he prepares to take office, the councillor says he will rely on consultation, community feedback, and the party’s national development agenda to guide his term. Echoing the councillor’s concerns, Kunene regional governor Vipuakuje Muharukua, who campaigned vigorously for the Swapo candidate, said the region’s problems have been made worse by years of political favouritism and tribalism.
He accused previous leaders of using government development projects. The governor pointed out that Kamanjab had been under opposition control since 2015, most recently held by UDF until now.
Both the councillor and governor Muharukua acknowledged that while this win is a major step forward, the real test will come in the November national elections.
“Even if we win now, we still have a lot of work to do,” Muharukua said. “We must keep telling the truth to our people. The goal is to ensure the wealth of Kunene reaches the people of Kunene.”
He concluded with a vision of transformation and hope:
“Kunene is the richest region in the country. Poverty should never be associated with us. We are going to make those possibilities real for our people.”
Sesfontein
The newly elected UDF councillor for Sesfontein, Uitani //Hoeb, said he is not new to development work.
“I didn’t wait to be elected to start working for my people. I have been helping the community long before this victory,” he told New Era.
//Hoeb won the Sesfontein by-election on 17 June 2025 with 1,368 votes. Swapo’s Titus Rungondo came second with 1,192 votes. IPC got 585 votes, while PDM had 168.
In his first interview after the election, U//Hoeb laid out his plan to improve lives in Sesfontein. He said his priorities include food security, job creation, better health and education services, youth empowerment, clean water, improved roads, and digital access.
On food security, he maintains that everyone will eat. “We must feed ourselves. I will support backyard gardening and farming projects, especially in places like Grootberg. Kunene is dry, but we have water in some areas , we just need to use it wisely,” he said.
In order to fight poverty and unemployment, Uitani promised to fund small income-generating projects.
“Not everyone will get a job, but we can help people start small businesses. That way, families can earn a living” he maintained. Beside that //Hoeb promised to empower locals with registered companies to take part in government tenders. “There are people with businesses, but they don’t know how to access opportunities. We will train and support them,” he asserted.
Uitani promised to build proper markets in Sesfontein, Warmquelle, Otjokavare, Erwee, and Anker. Local entrepreneurs need proper spaces to sell and grow their businesses, he said.
He also wants to upgrade roads connecting Sesfontein to Palmwag, Puros, Otjikondavirongo and Omuramba.
//Hoeb also promised to improve network coverage in remote areas like Tomakas, Kanamub, Marienhohe, and improve NBC radio and TV reach in places like Puros, Palmwag and Omuramba.
He has served in various leadership roles, including as UDF branch chairperson, central committee member, and administrative officer at the Sesfontein constituency office. He’s also part of the Sesfontein Conservancy, Big Three Trust, and served as chairperson of the Elias Amxab School Board.
Otjozondjupa
In Grootfontein, the newly elected Grootfontein constituency councillor Nelao Amagulu, intends to crack down on the high crime rate, address the lack of employment and training opportunities for the youth and eventually return the town to its former glory days.
Speaking to New Era after her resounding victory, where she garnered 1 918 votes to win the seat, Amagulu, although her stay in office will be for a short time until the next regional and local authority elections in November, intends to move with speed to tackle urgent issues affecting the residents.
Concerning is the town’s deteriorating state of roads and general infrastructure, as well as the high crime rate, which she said is due to the youth of Grootfontein not having equitable access to jobs and training opportunities.
“Our town now looks like a dumping ground full of dirt and bushes all over, and our roads are another problem we are facing. Grootfontein used to be one of the cleanest towns in Namibia and this is no longer the case when you look around,” added Amagulu.
Her votes saw her finishing ahead of second-placed Morits Gaingob of UDF and third-placed Max Onesmus of IPC, who got 916 and 833 votes respectively.
The overall turnout of voters at polling stations across Grootfontein constituency was generally poor, as only 4 271 votes were cast from the over 7 000 registered voters in the constituency. Electoral Commission of Namibia’s Otjozondjupa regional electoral officer Victoria Amutenya, was equally disappointed with the low turnout of voters recorded on voting day, but was generally happy with how voters conducted themselves and with how smooth the process went.
“The turnout was not as anticipated, even though we worked hard as ECN to make sure everything was well in place and on time for the voters. Before the elections, we also ran an aggressive campaign to alert the public about the upcoming by-elections, and the media was also very helpful in that regard, but people didn’t just show up as expected,” said Amutenya.
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