Africa-Press – Namibia. THE by-election in the Kavango West region’s Ncamagoro constituency over the weekend registered a total of 1 268 votes, despite 3 818 residents in the constituency being eligible to vote.
Mainly the constituency’s elderly turned out to vote.
Swapo retained the constituency after its candidate, Thomas Rengi, emerged victorious.
Rengi received 923 votes, followed by Moses Nyundu, an independent candidate, with 153 votes, while Frans Chimbango of the Popular Democratic Movement scored 106 votes.
Ladislaus Poroto, an independent candidate, and Andreas Tjiwawa of the Independent Patriots for Change scored 79 and 29 votes respectively.
Rengi, a senior education officer in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in the Kavango West region, over the weekend said he would collaborate with the local traditional authority since it provides land for developmental projects, and is therefore an important role-player.
He said another issue faced by the constituency is obtaining national identity documents, which he would address.
“As we were campaigning, and being an inhabitant of the constituency, identity documents is one of the burning issues, and we have to work with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security to come up with a programme on how to acquire this,” he said.
The Ncamagoro constituency involves a vast area without feeder roads – especially to areas with healthcare facilities, like Erago village.
Rengi said plans are already underway to construct a gravel road to Erago.
“We heard there is something already on the table regarding the road, so when I take office, I will trace it and see how far this project is together with the Roads Authority and the line ministry.
“Having this road is very important, since there is a clinic at Erago. The road is bad, and we need a gravel road. It would not only benefit Erago village, but other villages too, since it would connect them to the main road,” he said.
Naftal Ngalangi, the director of the International University of Management’s Nkurenkuru Campus in the Kavango West region, over the weekend said the low turnout of young people at the by-elections indicates they are neither interested in politics nor trust people in political positions.
“My expectations were that people have learnt that in an independent country, your individual contribution is what brings food to the table,” he said.
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