Samora Machel Constituency (formerly known as Wanaheda Constituency) is a constituency in Windhoek in the Khomas Region of central Namibia. The constituency is located across four northern suburbs of Windhoek: Wanaheda, Greenwell Matongo, Goreangab, and part of Havana. It had a population of 50,110 in 2011, up from 29,382 in 2001. [1] As of 2020 [update] it had 45,962 registered voters. [2]
Most of the residents of this constituency are formally unemployed and derive their income from informal employment and small enterprises like shebeens and car washes. The impact of HIV/AIDS is high. [3]
The area which made up the constituency was named Wanaheda during colonial times, an acronym for 'Wambos, Namas, Hereros and Damaras', the four peoples that were allowed to live here. In 2003, following governmental and public recommendations, the constituency was renamed [4] in honour of Mozambican President Samora Machel. [5] The suburb itself still carries the old name.
Wanaheda is traditionally a stronghold of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) party. The 2004 regional election was won by John Ya Otto Nankudhu (SWAPO) with 8,370 votes of the 10,105 votes cast. [6] Runners-up were Victoria Gawanas of the United Democratic Front (UDF, 594 votes), Fransiska Hipondoka of the Congress of Democrats (CoD, 475 votes), Gabriel Rukero of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO, 380 votes), and Adolf Kaurimuje of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA, 201 votes). [7]
The 2015 regional election were also won by SWAPO whose Fanuel San Shivute gained 8,774 votes. Tuyenikelao Kanyiki of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) finished distant second with 1,078 votes. [8] The SWAPO candidate also won the 2020 regional election, albeit by a much smaller margin. Nestor Kalola received 4,802 votes. Erastus Kupololo of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, came second with 3,402 votes. [2]
Hardap is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Mariental. Hardap contains the municipality of Mariental, the towns Rehoboth and Aranos, and the self-governed villages Gibeon, Gochas, Kalkrand, Stampriet and Maltahöhe. It is home to the Hardap Dam.
Khomas is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its name refers to the Khomas Highland, a high plateau landscape that dominates this administrative subdivision. Khomas is centered on the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior transportation infrastructure. It is located in the central highlands of the country and is bordered by the Erongo region to the west and the northwest and by the Otjozondjupa region to the north. To the east is the Omaheke region, while in the south is the Hardap region. The region is characterized by its hilly countrysize and many valleys. It has well-developed economical, financial, and trade sectors. Khomas Region occupies 4.5% of the land area of Namibia but has the highest population of any of its regions (16.2%). Khomas is one of only three Namibian regions to have neither shoreline nor a foreign border.
Otjozondjupa is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its capital is Otjiwarongo. The region further contains the municipalities of Okahandja and Grootfontein and the towns Okakarara and Otavi. As of 2020, Otjozondjupa had 97,945 registered voters.
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.
Dâures is a constituency in the Erongo Region of Namibia. It is named after the tallest mountain in Namibia, the Brandberg. It had a population of 11,350 in 2011, an increase from 10,289 in 2001. As of 2020 the constituency had 7,882 registered voters.
Katutura Central is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia, comprising the extensions 2–5 and 7–11 of Windhoek's suburb Katutura. Katutura is a township that was founded by the then apartheid government of Namibia for black people in the 1950s, when the previous township, Old Location, was converted into the suburb Hochland Park.
Katutura East is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It consists of the extensions 1, 6, and 19 of the suburb Katutura, a township within Windhoek that was founded by the then Apartheid government of Namibia for black people in the 1950s. It had a population of 18,501 in 2011, up from 17,745 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 15,878 registered voters.
Khomasdal Constituency is a constituency in Windhoek in the Khomas Region of Namibia. As of December 2019 it had 25,550 registered voters. The constituency consists of parts of the suburbs Khomasdal, Katutura, and Otjomuise. It had a population of 43,921 in 2011, up from 27,950 in 2001.
Windhoek East is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It consists of the upper-class suburbs of Windhoek: Auasblick, Avis, Klein Windhoek, Ludwigsdorf, Luxury Hill, Olympia, and Suiderhof. It had a population of 22,712 in 2011, up from 17,674 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 17,308 registered voters.
Windhoek Rural is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. Its district capital is the settlement of Groot Aub. It had a population of 22,254 in 2011, up from 20,212 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 13,625 registered voters.
John Pandeni constituency, formerly known as Soweto, is an electoral constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. In 2008, it was renamed after John Pandeni, a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and its militant wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). Pandeni was the first regional councillor for the former Soweto constituency and the first governor of Khomas. This constituency is inside the city of Windhoek in the formerly all-Black suburb of Katutura. It had a population of 15,121 in 2011, up from 13,865 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 14,758 registered voters.
Outjo is an electoral constituency in the Kunene Region of Namibia. Its district capital is the town of Outjo, its population was 8,947 in 2004. As of 2020, it has 9,197 registered voters.
Tobias Hainyeko constituency is an electoral constituency in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It had a population of 45,912 in 2011, up from 34,348 in 2001. As of 2020 it had 36,530 registered voters.
Otjombinde Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It had 6,378 inhabitants in 2004 and 4,879 registered voters in 2020. The district capital of the constituency is the settlement of Otjombinde, and its main economic hub is Talismanus. The constituency forms part of the border between Namibia and Botswana. It contains the settlements of Eiseb, Helena, and Rietfontein.
Gobabis Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. As of December 2019 it had 13,457 registered voters. The constituency covers the rural area southeast of Gobabis and the town itself, except its eastern Nossobville suburb which belongs to Kalahari Constituency. Gobabis is also the seat of the constituency office.
Ruacana Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omusati Region of Namibia on the border to Angola. It had 10,722 inhabitants in 2004 and 9,285 registered voters in 2020. Its district capital is the town of Ruacana.
Windhoek West Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It contains the affluent suburbs of Hochland Park, Pioneers Park, Academia, Cimbebasia, Rocky Crest, Windhoek North and Windhoek West. It had a population of 53,438 in 2011, up from 42,201 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 33,556 registered voters.
Moses ǁGaroëb Constituency is an electoral constituency in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It had a population of 45,564 in 2011, up from 25,642 in 2001. As of 2020 it had 41,550 registered voters.
Ncuncuni is a constituency in the Kavango West region of Namibia. It is located west of Rundu, one of Namibia's largest cities. It had a population of 38,281 in 2011, up from 26,623 in 2001. As of 2020 the constituency had 4,554 registered voters.
Tsumeb Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Oshikoto Region of Namibia, comprising the town area and surroundings of Tsumeb. It had a population of 44,113 in 2004 and 19,065 registered voters in 2020.