Okahandja

Last updated
Okahandja
Khoekhoe: Kaiǁkhaes
City
Motto: 
Semper Prorsum
Namibia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Okahandja
Location in Namibia
Coordinates: 21°59′S16°55′E / 21.983°S 16.917°E / -21.983; 16.917
CountryFlag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
Region Otjozondjupa Region
Constituency Okahandja constituency
Town1894
Area
 • Total229 km2 (88 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 census) [1] [2]
 • Total45,159
 • Density200/km2 (510/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Climate BSh

Okahandja is a city [3] of 45,159 inhabitants in Otjozondjupa Region, central Namibia, and the district capital of the Okahandja electoral constituency. It is known as the Garden Town of Namibia. It is located 70 km north of Windhoek on the B1 road. It was founded around 1800, by two local groups, the Herero and the Nama. [4]

Contents

History

Okahandja means the place where two rivers (Okakango and Okamita) flow into each other to form one wide one in Otjiherero. [5]

A German pastor, Heinrich Schmelen, became the first European to visit the town in 1827. [6] In 1844, two missionaries were permanently assigned to the town, Heinrich Kleinschmidt and Hugo Hahn. A church dates from this period. A military post was established at the initiative of Theodor Leutwein in 1894, and it is this date that is officially recognized as the town's founding. [7]

A number of important historic Namibian people are buried in Okahandja, among them Maharero, Jan Jonker Afrikaner, Hosea Kutako and Clemens Kapuuo.

Economy

The population of Okahandja is growing rapidly. It stood at just over 14,000 as measured by the 2001 Population and Housing Census, and is estimated to have surpassed 24,000 in 2012. [8] [9]

Von Bach Dam is situated outside of Okahandja. It provides the majority of Windhoek's water. An open-air curio market attracts tourists, and the town serves as the administrative centre for the Herero people.

Transport

Okahandja Railway Station, 1902 Bahnhof Okahandja 1903.jpg
Okahandja Railway Station, 1902
Monument to Herero Chiefs: Gravestone of Tjamuaha, Maharero, and Samuel Maharero Maharero monument Okahandja.jpg
Monument to Herero Chiefs: Gravestone of Tjamuaha, Maharero, and Samuel Maharero

Okahandja Railway Station, situated on the Windhoek—Swakopmund line, was built in 1902 during Imperial Germany's colonial rule of German South West Africa. Today it belongs to the Trans-Namib railway network. [10]

Education

In the 1870s Rhenish missionaries established the first school. The Augustineum School was reopened at Okahandja on 9 November 1905; it was later moved to Windhoek. Today Okahandja has six primary schools and two high schools. Namwater Vocational, situated outside the main town, is the only institute of higher education in Okahandja.

The National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) is today situated in Okahandja. NIED was created after independence as the institute from where a new national system of education was created, replacing the previous racist system of apartheid.

Previously the German school Regierungsschule Okahandja was in the city. [11]

Politics

Okahandja is governed by a municipal council that has seven seats. [12]

In the 2010 local authority election in Okahandja, SWAPO won with approximately 62% of the vote. Of the five other parties seeking votes in the election, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) received approximately 13% of the vote, followed by the United Democratic Front (UDF, 8%), the United People's Movement (UPM, 7%), National Unity Democratic Organization (NUDO, 6%) and Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA, 2%). [13] The 2015 local authority election was again won by SWAPO which gained five seats and 2,572 votes. One seat each went to the DTA and the UDF with 236 and 213 votes, respectively. [14]

SWAPO also won the 2020 local authority election but lost its absolute majority in the municipal council. It obtained 1,865 votes and gained three seats. One seat each went to the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC, an opposition party formed in August 2020, 654 votes), the local Okahandja Rate Payers' Association (ORPA, 574 votes), the Landless People's Movement (LPM, an opposition party formed in 2016, 377 votes), and the UDF (290 votes). [15]

Sport

Okahandja offers the following sports codes; Soccer, Netball, Basketball, Tennis, Horse Raising, Dancing, Running, Gym, Spin & Drifting, Radio Helicopters...

Okahandja United FC competes in the Namibia Premier Football League as of the 2023. [16] The oldest soccer club in town is known as Spoilers Sports Club that was founded in 1963 and managed over the years by "Ou Boss" Reinhardt Maletzky. In the 1970s, Okahandja Soccer Club had a competitive football team that won several competitions. [17]

In addition, local club Liverpool Okahandja were NFA-Cup winners in 1992 and Namibia Premier League champions in 2002. Other local teams were Magic Tigers, Battle Boys, Teenagers, Golden Arrows.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windhoek</span> Capital and largest city of Namibia

Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which was 486,169 in 2023, is constantly growing due to a continued migration from other regions in Namibia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaheke Region</span> Region in Namibia

Omaheke is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, the least populous region. Its capital is Gobabis. It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari desert. The self-governed villages of Otjinene, Leonardville and Witvlei are situated in the region. As of 2020, Omaheke had 48,594 registered voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swakopmund</span> City in Erongo, Namibia

Swakopmund is a city on the coast of western Namibia, 352 km (219 mi) west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 main road. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As of 2011, the town had 44,725 inhabitants and 196 km2 (76 sq mi) of land. In 2023, the population had increased to 75,921 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gobabis</span> City in Omaheke Region, Namibia

Gobabis is a town in eastern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region, and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situated 200 km (120 mi) down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana. The town is 113 km (70 mi) from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an important link to South Africa on the tarred Trans-Kalahari Highway. Gobabis is in the heart of the cattle farming area. In fact Gobabis is so proud of its cattle farming that a statue of a large Brahman bull with the inscription "Cattle Country" greets visitors to the town. Gobabis also has its own local airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grootfontein</span> City in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia

Grootfontein is a town with 26,839 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia. It is one of the three towns in the Otavi Triangle, situated on the B8 national road that leads from Otavi to the Caprivi Strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keetmanshoop</span> City in ǁKaras Region, Namibia

Keetmanshoop is a town in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and benefactor of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaruru, Namibia</span> City in Erongo Region, Namibia

Omaruru is a town in the Erongo Region of central Namibia. The town has 14,000 inhabitants and encompasses 352 square kilometres (136 sq mi) of land. It is situated near Mount Erongo, on the usually dry Omaruru River. It is located on the main paved road from Swakopmund to Otjiwarongo. The name in the Otjiherero language means 'bitter milk', as Herero cattle herds used to graze on the local bush that turned their milk bitter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karibib</span> Town in Erongo Region, Namibia

Karibib is a town in the Erongo Region of western Namibia. It has 3,800 inhabitants and owns 97 square kilometres (37 sq mi) of town land. Karibib is the district capital of the Karibib electoral constituency. It is situated on the Khan River, halfway between Windhoek and Swakopmund on the B2, the main road between Walvis Bay and Johannesburg. The town is known for its aragonite marble quarries and the Navachab Gold Mine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otjiwarongo</span> City in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

Otjiwarongo is a city of 49,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Otjiwarongo electoral constituency and also the capital of Otjozondjupa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outjo</span> City in Kunene Region, Namibia

Outjo is a town of 15,000 inhabitants in the Kunene Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of Outjo Constituency. It is best known as the main gateway to Etosha National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethanie, Namibia</span> Village in ǁKaras Region, Namibia

Bethanie is a village in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia. It is one of the oldest settlements in the country. Bethanie is situated on the C14 road between Goageb and Walvis Bay, 100 km west of Keetmanshoop. It has a population of about 2,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usakos</span> Town in Erongo Region, Namibia

Usakos is a town on the banks of river Khan, 140 kilometres north-east of Swakopmund in the Erongo Region of Namibia. It is located on the B2, the main road between the Walvis Bay and Johannesburg. The town has 3,000 inhabitants and owns 58 square kilometres (22 sq mi) of land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otavi</span> Town in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia

Otavi is a town with 10,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. Situated 360 km north of Windhoek, it is the district capital of the Otavi electoral constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arandis, Namibia</span> Town in the Erongo Region of Namibia

Arandis is a mining town in the Erongo Region of western central Namibia. Originally a camp for workers of the nearby Rössing uranium mine, Arandis was declared a town in 1994.

Clemens Kapuuo was a Namibian school teacher, shopkeeper, president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), now called Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), and chief of the Herero people of Namibia. Kapuuo was one of the leading opponents of South African rule of his country until his assassination following the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference.

Okakarara is a town in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia, located 50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast of Waterberg National Park. It has an estimated population of 7,000 and is currently growing by 1,500 inhabitants annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okahandja Constituency</span> Electoral constituency in the Otjozondjupa region of Namibia

Okahandja Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It had 18,155 inhabitants in 2004 and 18,109 registered voters in 2020. The constituency consists of the town of Okahandja and the surrounding rural area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aranos</span> Town in Hardap Region, Namibia

Aranos is a town in the Hardap Region of central Namibia, situated in the Nossob River basin in the Kalahari Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gochas</span> Village in Namibia

Gochas is a village in the Hardap Region of Namibia. It is located 110 kilometres (68 mi) southeast of Mariental and 64 kilometres (40 mi) southwest of Stampriet on the way to the Mata Mata border post to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The town lies on the banks of the Auob River 1,150 metres (3,770 ft) above sea level. The area is at the center of a set of Kalahari Desert dune farms on which cattle and sheep graze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Witvlei</span> Village in Omaheke Region, Namibia

Witvlei is a village in the Okarukambe Constituency in the Omaheke Region of central-eastern Namibia. It is situated on the B6 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Windhoek on the way to Gobabis. It is known for producing high quality meat.

References

  1. ↑ "Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011)" (PDF). Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report. Namibia Statistics Agency. p. 39. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "2023 Population & Housing Census Preliminary Report" (PDF). Statistics Namibia.
  3. ↑ "Local Authorities". Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN). Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Okahandja, a town in Namibia". The Cardboard Box. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  5. ↑ Otjozondjupa Regional Council
  6. ↑ Dierks, Klaus. "Biographies of Namibian Personalities, R-Z" . Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  7. ↑ Okahandja History Okahandja.net, last accessed on 4 October 2017
  8. ↑ Republic of Namibia 2001 Population and Housing Census (Basic Analysis with Highlights ed.). Windhoek: Central Bureau of Statistics, National Planning Commission. July 2003. p. 21. ISBN   0-86976-614-7.
  9. ↑ Paulus, Paulus (24 September 2012). "Windhoek entombed in debt". New Era . allafrica.com.
  10. ↑ Dierks, Klaus. "The Development of the Namibian Railway Network. The Rail History Until the 1990s". www.klausdierks.com. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Deutscher Bundestag 4. Wahlperiode Drucksache IV/3672" (Archived 2016-03-12 at the Wayback Machine ). Bundestag (West Germany). 23 June 1965. Retrieved on 12 March 2016. p. 32/51.
  12. ↑ "Know Your Local Authority". Election Watch. No. 3. Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4.
  13. ↑ Local Authority Election Results for Okahandja Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "Local elections results". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 28 November 2015. p. 6. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats" (PDF). Electoral Commission of Namibia. 29 November 2020. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Wells, Chelva (14 November 2022). "We want to make it difficult for whoever visits Okahandja: Gariseb". NAMPA PR. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  17. ↑ Kambaekwa, Carlos (20 August 2010). "Alcino 'Shorty' da Costa - The Portuguese dynamo". New Era .[ permanent dead link ]

21°59′S16°55′E / 21.983°S 16.917°E / -21.983; 16.917

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.