mib bulletin november 2009 - namibian government

8/7/2019 MIb Bulletin November 2009 - Namibian Government

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Gov rnm nt Information Bull tin Nov mb r 2009

R public of Namibia

Gov rnm nt Information

Bull tinNov mb r 2009

IN ThIs Issue

el ctions Cod ofConduct

Pag 6

2009 Pr sid ntail &

National Ass mblyto d liv r cr dibl

l ctions

Pag 10-11

N ws from thr gions

Pag 18-20

Namibians at hom , abroad and at s a goto polls

By K e H y w

FREE/SpEcial

1

ElEctionS HouSE: This building and its occupants have become centre of attention for some time now. The Electoral Commission has become the hive of activitiesfollowing the beginning of the campaign for the Presidentail and National Assembly Elections.

27 - 28 novEmBER 2009 are election dates. Many Namibians cannot wait to cast their votes to give a mandate to a fth government of the Republic of Namibia for thenext ve years.

inSERt: Director of the Electoral Commission of Namibia, Mr. Moses Ndjarakana


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Gov rnm nt Information Bull tin: Publici ing Gov rnm ntThe Government Information Bulletin was

established through Cabinet decision number13 th/04.07.06/002 as an of cial informationbulletin to publicise the Governmentsprogrammes, policies and activities for thebene t of Government institutions and the

Namibian public. All Government institutionscontribute towards the Bulletin. The GovernmentInformation Bulletin is published monthly by theMinistry of Information and CommunicationTechnology. To meet the speci c informationneeds of communities, the public is invited

to send comments and suggestions onGovernment projects, programmes and policies,which will then be covered in the Bulletin.More Government news and information canbe accessed on the GRN news button on theGovernment internet site at www.grnnet.gov.na

The Bulletin is distributed free of charge to ruralcommunities through the Ministrys regionalof ces. The public and organisations arewelcome to subscribe to the Bulletin, but mailingcosts will be for the account of the subscriber.

Cont nt

priv e B g 13344, Windhoek te e hone 061 - 2839111F x 061 - 230170E-m i [email protected] DV8 Saatchi & Saatchi,

Windhoek.l yo nd rin ing Solitaire Press, Windhoek.

2

Sacri ces of the liberation struggle were not in vain....... 3

Namibia donates school to Angola.......... 4

presiden h nds F rm ui koms o S n

community........................................................... 5

Heroes Day: The rich history must be told, says

Pohamba........................................................................ 6

Namibia and Russia sign agreements.............. 7

2009 Election dates announced....... 7

Hausiku opens new Namibian chancery in Angola....... 8

Namibia commemorates the Day of the

African Child............................................................... 9

Nam-Zim review areas of cooperation.............................. 9

SaDc presiden s e m o romo e ross

border tourism........................................................... 10-11

Standards for residential child care launched.................. 12

Namibia and Germany discuss development

cooperation....................................................................... 13

Champions applaud Nams impressive feats on

HIV/AIDS......................................................................... 14

Pohamba calls for rigorous behaviour change

campaigns........................................................................ 14

Who are the champions for a HIV Free

Generation?...................................................................... 15

US renews support for Nambias ght against

HIV/AIDS......................................................................... 16

Refugees abused Namibian hospitality - Kaapanda........ 17

Kaapanda applauds media self-regulation...................... 18

News from Cabinet Chambers......................................... 19-20

From th D k of th Mini t rOn November 27 28, 2009,Namibians are once againgoing o he o s o e ein o ower residen ndmembers of the NationalAssembly who will leaderour country for the next veye rs.

Namibia will be twenty yearsold since independence on21 March 1990. The countryhas come of age after havingparticipated in four roundsof national elections. Ourdemocracy, peace and stabilityhave been consolidated andwe have become a model of democracy in Africa.

Elections give us the opportunityto participate in the political affairs of our country to apply our informeddecisions to choose the people we want to lead us into prosperity.

It is now time for all Namibians to stand up and go to the polls to votewisely so that we do not become complacent with what we have alreadyaccomplished. This is a decisive moment. Every decision we will make,will affect the future of our nation.

Therefore, we must take these elections seriously to give a mandateto the people we feel are able and capable of making our countryprosperous.

For close to 20 years, the SWAPO-led Government has been buildinga solid foundation of a country which was neglected by the apartheidcolonialism. It is only logic that the next Government we elect intopower will continue to implement development projects and programmesthat are aimed at alleviating poverty and raise standards of living of ourpeople.

So, let our voices be heard while we vote in peace.

Hon. Jol Kaapanda, Minister of Information and Communication

Technology


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Government Information Bulletin November 2009

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The E ect C mmissi n f N mibi(ECN) c mp eted the s pp ementv te egist ti n n 30 Septembe 2009c nt -wide. The ECN t geted m stpe p e wh t ned 18 e s, wh h dneve v ted bef e, wh st thei v tingc ds nd wh se c ds g t d m ged.N mibi ns b d nd th se w king t

This is how the born-frees ocked to the registration centres around as proud Namibian

se h ve egiste ed nd e expected tt n p in thei n mbe s t exe cise theidem c tic ights t ch se thei p itic

ep esent tives n N vembe 13, 2009.

By the end of the two weeks supplementaryvoter registration from 17 30 September 2009,992 Namibians in 26 countries had registered,

bringing the total of eligible registered voters to291 592 as compared to only 82 321 registeredin the 2004 supplementary voter registration.They include people serving in Namibianforeign missions and other eligible individualvoters living abroad. The table below showsthe number of registered Namibian voters indifferent foreign countries.

Namibians at home, abroad and at sea goto polls

B K eni Hi w

CouNTry ToTal

Angola 13

Austria 28

Belgium 35

Botswana 23

Brazil 104

China 21

Cuba 60

Republic of South Africa, (Cape Town) 95

Democratic Republic of Congo 7

Ethiopia 9

Egypt 5

France 12

Germany 24

India 20

Malaysia 5

Nigeria 5

New York 54

RSA (Pretoria) 94

Russia 26

Sweden 16

Tanzania 13

United Kingdom 33United States of America (Washington DC) 19

Zambia 14

Zimbabwe 257

ToTal 992

The ECN sees this voting process as signi cant in the ful llment of theprovision of the recent amendment to the Electoral Act. A high number of voters abroad are expected to cast their votes in the November elections.Eligible voters abroad and at sea are expected to vote on 13 November2009. Scheduling the voting date for the voters abroad and at sea is incompliance with the law that stipulates that sea-going personnel haveto vote days before the actual voting date. The Ministry of Fisheries andMarine Resources, the Electoral Commission of Namibia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been working closely to make the exercise a resoundingsuccess.

According to a press release issued on October 3, 2009, the improvement

on the higher turn-out of the supplementary voter registration has beenattributed to the ECNs commitment to hard work and the resourcesinvested on both the voter education and supplementary voter registration.Despite critics and fears, many Namibians ocked to the registration pointsto register and have been able to receive their voting cards, stated thepress release. It went on to explain that part of the success can be alsoattributed to the improved partnership between the ECN, media institutions,

Source: ECN

Government, civic organizations and politicalparties that supported the voter educationcampaigns and in some cases conducted theirown education programmes to motivate peopleto register.

The ECN noted the increased interest andenthusiasm in this years elections contrary tothe voter apathy which was falsely professedthrough sensational and selective reportingby some of the print media. Our information

campaigns have helped to raise awarenessand understanding of elections as a measureof democratic participation,con rmed the ECNpress reease.

The data reveals that the Khomas region ranksthe highest with a total of 52, 078 followed bythe Omusati region with 32, 657 and Ohangwenawith a total of 31, 643 in the number of votersgenerated through the recently concluded voterregistration.

In 2004, a total of 978, 036 Namibians registeredto vote while the preliminary gures generallyindicated that more than 1, 300, 500 peoplemay be eligible to vote in this years elections.

The ECN is urging Namibians to turn-out in largenumbers at the voting points to cast their votes.They are advised to guard against detractors of the electoral process who do not want to seeNamibia emerge as one of the most advanceddemocracies in Africa, We should demonstrate

Continues on page 4


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E ecti ns e p t f c p cit -b i dingnd emp we ment p cess. These e

the w ds f the Ch i m n f the E ectC mmissi n f N mibi (ECN), M . VictT nchi, in his dd ess th t he de ive ed

t the Inte n ti n D f Dem c c tthe P i ment G den in Windh ek n 15Septembe 2009.

The Chairman of the ECN noted that the 2009Presidential and National Assembly Elections werea mammoth challenge, but quite surmountable,considering the fact that they were not the rstto be undertaken in the country. From ECNsperspective, elections are part of the politicalcapacity-building and empowerment process,offering the voters opportunity to participate indecision-making, and to elect their own leaders, Mr. Tonchi explained, adding that everyone mustget the opportunity to vote.

Our assessment includes the required legal andpractical realities of voter registration and electionadministration as well as the precise rules and themethod used to translate votes for candidates and/

or parties in an election into an allocation of seats, he further explained his bodys duties.

Mr. Tonchi reiterated that voters cards are theonly voters passports to participate in a particularelection and together with voters registers, voters

cards are used to make sure that only Namibiansparticipate in the Presidential and NationalAssembly Elections, when Namibia becomes oneconstituency.

The ECN Chairman noted the importance of maintaining a credible voters register by recordingall those registered abroad, new potential votersand the removal of the names of deceased personsand change the names of married people whomight have changed their maiden names andthose of spouses, including changes of addressesas well as those who have relocated from one areato another or from constituency to another or fromone local authority to another. A voters registerhelps elections of cials to verify that the votersturning up to vote are indeed registered; it enablesindividuals to ascertain the presence of their namesthereon and gives the electorate a chance to viewthe register and to object against the inclusion of names of persons who should not be there, therebyensuring transparency, explained Mr. Tonchi.

Mr. Tonchi was pleased that the ECN has been hardat work, preparing citizens, particularly people of

voting age and especially those who are likelyto participate in the elections for the rst time including the born-frees through road shows,trade fairs, meetings, symposia and communitymeetings. With these activities, the ECN aims atensuring that the degree of spoilt votes would be

eliminated by instilling a spirit of tolerance amongvoters.

Mr. Tonchi singled out a cordial relationship thatexists between the ECN and political parties, sayingthat it augurs well and stands out as a good omenfor our country. He expressed the ECNs wish forgood cooperation to exist among the registeredparties to be replicated in the conduct of theirleaders, members and followers.

Mr. Tonchi promised the Namibians citizens: restassured Namibia and our friends that we will getthere and you will be very proud of your ElectoralCommission of Namibia during the upcomingelections.

ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT ONLY BE FREE BUTBE FAIR: You will be proud of us, says Tonchi

Continues from page 3Namibians at home, abroad and at sea go to pollstolerance while embracing each other ascitizens of a country that the world is looking

up to since we were franchised to vote for therst time in November 1989 through the UN

supervised elections. Since then, we have been

able to conduct our own elections in the mostcredible fashion, remarked the ECN, addingthat there will always be challenges.

regi n 2004 2009 %Inc e se

C p ivi 3, 997 12,574 68.2%

E ng 6,327 18,257 65.3%

H d p 2,475 8,794 71.85

K s 3,236 13,101 75.3%

K v ng 12,638 23,971 47.3%

Kh m s 5,131 52,078 90.1%

K nene 4,793 15,764 69.6%

oh ngwen 11,118 31,643 64.8%

om heke 3,916 13,326 70.6%

om s ti 12,414 32,657 61.9%

osh n 8,204 28,255 70.9%

oshik t 3,082 23,642 86.9%

otj z ndj p 4,990 16,538 69.8%

G nd T t 82,321 290,600 71.7%

(ECN), Mr. Victor Tonchi


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a cc ding t the CV f the Di ect f theE ect C mmissi n f N mibi (ECN),M . M ses Ndj k n c ies en m sexpe ience with him, n t n in eg

m tte s b t s n dem c c in N mibind the S the n af ic n Deve pment

C mm nit (SaDC).

Apart from being the current Director of the ECN,he is also an Executive Director of the NamibiaDemocracy Support Centre since 2005 and thelegal consultant for the SADC Parliamentary Forumsince 1998. After working as a Senior Legal Of cerin the Ministry of Justice for two year, he workedfor three years as a Director of the Legal Councilat the National Assembly. He also brie y worked asa Secretary to the National Assembly in the year2000.

Mr. Ndjarakana has been involved in the provision of legal professional advice to the Namibian legislature

Who is Moses Ndjarakana?and judiciary branches, scruitinising legislativeinstruments such as bills, international treaties andprotocols to ensure accuracy and Constitutionalityof those laws, among other duties.

He had also spearheaded the implementation of computer learning throughout the country undera project: Parliament/ Microsoft Partners inLearning Project, of which he was a chairman.

Mr. Ndjarakana studied at the University of WestIndies where he obtained his LLM, specialising inlegislative drafting and Constitution law while mostof his studies were done in the United State.He was awarded the Meritorious Scholarship from1988 1991 by the Lutheran World Federationand Evangelical Lutheran Church in America forundergraduate studies, the Deans InternationalScholarship for his law school studies by theCarthage college in the US as an excellent studentof the year 1991 1992 to study at Capital

University Law School (US) between 1991 1994.The recognition is given to students who havedemonstrated academic excellence.

He obtained his General Certi cate Examination(GCE) at Mater Spei College, in Francistown,Botswana.

Mr. Moses Ndjarakana in his of ce at this busy time

The Elector l Commission of N mibi isre dy for the upcoming Presidenti l ndN tion l assembly Elections despite forthe few hiccups which occurred t thebeginning of the supplement ry voterregistr tion in September 2009. B llotp pers were s id to h ve rrived l te tthe registr tion points.

The Director of the ECN, Mr. Moses Ndjarakana,assured the public that everything is in placeand many born frees, the youth, the elderly,people with disability and those who sought forduplicates have registered country-wide.

He said that the supplementary registration wasa success, adding that this can be attributed tothe systematical education campaign that theECN had undertaken.

The ECN is using various strategies to reachout to various audiences. In addition to theappointment of the Voter Education Of cersin each constituency, SMSs, bill boards,radio and television were used as channels

of communication, catering for the differentlanguages.

The ECN is determined to continue to use thesestrategies till the end of the voting process.Communication is being improved to encourage

Time is ticking with every heart beat asvoting approaches

B K eni Hi w

more people to go and vote and discouragevoter apathy. Mr. Ndjarakana also commendedthe efforts of political parties in conducting votereducation on their own, urging them to continueto do so.

The people have matured as far as democracy isconcerned, remarked Mr. Ndjarakana, reasoningthat 20 years of going to the polls, the countryhas come of age and the people know whatelections are all about. He said that the ECN iscreating the right environment for them to goand vote without fear to choose their leaders.

Mr. Ndjarakana noted that the public is positiveabout the elections and that is why a total of 290000 people were registered in the supplementaryregistration although he expects the number togo down due to some irregularities that may bedetected later. He revealed that the ECN has asafe mechanism or system to detect applicantswho are trying to be funny by registering morethan once and some foreigners who have triedto register, saying that the system will detect theinconsistencies when the data is entered in the

computer.

There will be 571 registration points and 1 500or more polling stations country-wide, whichinclude xed and mobile ones. The Commissionwill rely on the government transport, making

use of government vehicles, which will bedelivered in November.

The ECN is training polling and presiding of cersto be able to recruit capable people with goodtemperament and professionalism. Between9 000 and 10 000 people will be recruited aspolling of cers from different background suchas the unemployed and government of cials atboth junior and senior positions.

Mr. Ndjarakana noted challenges in therecruitment process. The already employedpeople are being recruited because theyhave experience in handling administrativeprocedures, including government vehicles thatcannot be entrusted in the hands of any personwhose record is not well known.

We take cognisant of the unemployed. We needto deal with that but not go out all for them, said Mr. Ndjarakana, explaining that things haveto be in capable hands.

People with disabilities and the elderly are

catered for and papers are printed in Braille.

Assuring the population that everything is inplace, Mr. Ndjarakana urged people to go andvote because it only happens once in ve years.


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Results will be live on camera to delivercredible elections

B K eni Hi w

T m ke the e ecti ns s t nsp ent sp ssib e, the N mibi n B dc stingC p ti n (NBC) nd the medi h seswill have of ces at the Khomas RegionalC nci H t c ve the P esidenti ndN ti n assemb E ecti ns.

Announcements of the elections results willbe live on NBC television and radio withoutany interference, said Mr. Moses Ndjarakana,Director of the Electoral Commission of Namibia(ECN).

There will be regular media sessions orinteraction with ECN of cials. In addition tothe mainstream media sessions, the ECN hasestablished a Website Portal where the publicand other interested parties can send theirqueries. Through this medium, citizens can ndout locations of their polling stations and points.The ECN promised citizens and stakeholdersthat there will be improvement in this yearselections as compared to the 2004 Presidentialand National Assembly Elections due totremendous support received from public sectorinstitutions, churches and other establishmentsthat made available their facilities to the ECN.

There will also be an information desk aimedat responding to the public queries. The publicis advised to only seek for appropriate or issue

related questions. The electoral body hastaken a conscious decision to take the usageof information and communication technologyas a step further during the upcoming electionsboth in terms of usage of such technologies invoter education, training and preparation of election of cials and the transmission of results.This will be done with several ICT partners asit has already been noticed in terms of sendingmessages through SMSs to the electorate,sponsored by the MTC, Telecom Namibia andCell One

The ECN wants to ensure transparency andaccountability in the process of conductingcredible elections ever to be reckoned. Ballotpapers were printed in South Africa by a Black Empowerment (BEE) company, REN-FORMcc which won the tender to print the ballotpapers for the upcoming 2009 Presidentialand National Assembly Elections. Ballot paperswere received under the watchful eyes of someopposition political parties who registered theirsatisfaction on the process.

A close watch had been observed during thetransportation of the ballot papers to Namibia

from South Africa as reported in the local mediaearlier that an armed helicopter oated overthe convoy of four trucks, carrying them whilethe police escorted the vehicles and the ECN

From left, Mr. Victor Tonchi, Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Namibia and Mr. Moses Ndjarakana,Director of the ECN embracing the Namibian ag as

one of the symbols of pride

commissioners and members of the politicalparties under eagle eye to the ECNs storagefacility in Windhoek.

ECN is adamant that it will not leave things tochance.It is working hard to make sure thatnegative effects on its journey to the D-Day(s)are mitigated. This is due to the fact that itregards the elections as a project of signi cantnational interest that will draw attention of theinternational community.

During the elections, Namibia will receiveobservers and the media from all over theworld.

Political parties and public urged to bevigilant at polling stations

a p itic p ties p ticip ting in the

pc ming N vembe P esidentind N ti n assemb E ecti ns w d

h ve indic ted thei p ticip ti n t theE ect C mmissi n f N mibi (ECN)bef e the 19 oct be 2009.

The Director of ECN, Mr, Moses Ndajarakana,said that political parties response to theelectoral code of conduct is up and down.This, he explained, is due to the fact that thecode of conduct does not enforce penalties onguilty parties and as a result it is dif cult toenforce the law because there are no checksand balance in place. But we are trying for as

long as political parties adhere to the principlesof holding peaceful rallies, Mr. Ndjarakana said.He added that so far, some political parties havesucceeded in reporting their political rallies tothe authorities before they take place. Someof them even come to consult the ECN to ndout as to what is expected of them, noted the

A voter registration point at the Polytechnic of Namia campus Continues on page 7


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ECN Director. On the question of the politicalparties complaints about the awarding of thetender to print ballot papers, the ECN Directorsaid that it is the right of every political partyto question anything related to the electionswith the hope to improve the situation bysuggesting a course of action than justcriticising. We welcome and appreciate that, Mr. Ndjarakana said.

During the elections, political parties areexpected to have their representativesas watchdogs at the polling stations. Mr.Ndjarakana called on the public and politicalparties to be vigilant.He explained that since voting will take placefor two days, political party representativesshould be ready to spend a sleepless night

Continues from page 6Political parties and public urged to be vigilant at polling stations

at the polling stations to watch over the ballotboxes, saying that they will be expected toreport and con rm the irregularities occurringat their various stations.

He made it clear that if representatives detectirregular cases, they have a right to reportthem, giving all evidence and proving the issuebeyond reasonable doubt.

The ECN will make this years electionstransparent, according to Mr. Ndjarakana, ascounting will be done at the polling stationsand results will be reported to constituencies,centres and eventually to the Central ResultCentre in Windhoek electronically. Equally, theresults will be displayed at the polling stationsimmediately after counting is completed and

subsequently displayed country-wide as soonas they are out. He assured the public that there will be nomovement of ballot boxes. They will remainat the polling stations until elections are over.He urged the public to report cases, especiallyif they see any ballot boxes being movedfrom any polling station during the electionperiod except for the mobile units which willbe moving from one point to another in acontrolled manner. Mr. Ndjarakana was sarcastic over the factthat some members of the public werenot happy about the fact that voting willtake two days, saying it is the same publicthat complained that one voting day is not

enough.

Prime Minister Nahas Angula on electionissuesB K eni Hi w

Q esti n: N mibi is g ing t h d its4th P esidenti nd N ti n assembE ecti ns, h w e these e ecti ns g ingt be diffe ent f m the s?answe : The only difference we have now isthat we have a multiplicity of political partiesand even that multiplicity of political partiesthe electoral commission will be able to handlethese elections smoothly with the cooperationof political parties. That is very, very important -the cooperation of all the political parties, saidthe Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Nahas Angula inan interview with the Government information Bulletin.

There are procedures in place. For example,the code of conduct of political parties should

regulate the behaviours of political players.So, as far as I am concerned, I do not seethat these elections are different from otherelections which were held before. We shouldhave enough experience to run these electionssmoothly in terms of transparency, which isvery important for the growth of democracy inour country.

Q esti n: y s id th t the e e s m np itic p ties n w, c n e b te?answe : Parties should hold the letter andspirit of the Namibian Constitution very high.The Namibian Constitution prohibits advocacyfor racial, tribal, and ethnic interests. That isnot in the spirit of the Namibian Constitution.

The electorate should be able to distinguish[between] those who have political grudgesbasing their grudges on another individual

and those who are truly addressing the livesof the people. And that is where the politicalparties should focus, [especially on] how theyare going to improve things in the next 5 years.That should be the message. We have a lot of challenges here in Namibia as far as the welfareof our people are concerned.

The question of unemployment, HIV/AIDs,Malaria, TB, housing, sanitation, quality of education and the economic growth are theissues. People should talk about the issues andhow they are going to tackle them and not tryto send emotional messages of other political

gures or political parties.

They should focus on issues and I expect that

Namibian political parties should be matureenough to know that people will distinguishbetween the people who are talking aboutissues which are going to affect the peopleand those who are going to talk about issueswhich are kind of political vendettain nature.

Q esti n: The w d h sch nged with the c ming f P esident B k ob m tp we in the united St tes.Wh t h s N mibi e ntin te ms f h w t h nd ee ecti ns c ming t p we

f n p esident c ndid te?answe : The signi cance to belearnt from the emergence of President [Barak] Obama to thehighest authority in the US is the

fact that the American people have recognisedthat a character of a person is very importantand not because of his tribe, his origin or ethnicbackground.It is the character of a person that matters. Thatis what we are learning from the experience of the American people as far as the election of the Obama is concerned. And I believe that theNamibian people should also do the same - tolook at the character of the individual.

Is the individual capable of managing ourdiversity? It is a challenge to manage the diversityof Namibia diversity in terms of culture, socialstanding, gender and generations.

This is what the Namibian people should look

at to elect a person who is not standing fornarrow personal interest(s) of a particular groupbut a person who can manage the diversity of Namibia.

Education is Power: Simon Lala, Assistant Education Of cer,conducting voter education in the community of Ohaukelo in

the Omulunga Constituency


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Elections Code of Conducta p ties p ticip ting in the P esidenti nd n ti n assemb E ecti ns p edged nde thei

sign t es t c de f c nd ct s c mmitment t f ee nd f i e ecti ns.

1. Intimidation, in any form, is impermissible.

2. No weapon of any kind, including any traditional weapon, may be brought to any political rally, meeting,march or other demonstration.

3. Parties shall avoid holding rallies, meetings, marches or demonstrations physically close to one anotherduring the same time.

4. Parties shall refrain from utilising public address systems, either xed or mobile between 21:h00 and 07:00

hours and which could constitute a public nuisance.

5. Speakers at political parties may not use language which incites violence in any form against any otherperson or group of persons, Parties will not issue pamphlets, newsletters or posters which contain materialswhich incite people to violence.

6. Party members and supporters will not disrupt other parties rallies, meetings, marches or demonstrations.

7. Party members and supporters will not seek to obstruct other persons from attending the political rallies of other parties.

8. Party members and supporters will not dis gure or destroy political or campaign material of other parties.

9. Party leaders will use their good of ces to seek to ensure reasonable freedom of access by all political partiesto potential voters, including those at farms and on state-owned properties, outside working hours.

10. Parties will establish lines of communication to one another at headquarters, regional and local levels, andwill appoint liaison personnel who will be constantly on call to deal with any problems that may arise.

11. The Director of Elections will meet party representatives on a weekly basis to discuss all matters of concernrelated to the election campaign and the election itself. Emergency meetings, will be convened as and when

necessary.

12. Designated members will attend their parties rallies to ensure compliance with this code.

13. All allegations of intimidation and other unlawful conduct in the election campaign will be brought to theattention of the Police and to the attention of the Directorate of Elections at the places where they are allegedto have occurred.

14. Part leaders will issue directives to their members and supporters to observe this Code of Conduct, and takeall other necessary steps to ensure compliance.

15. The Directorate of Elections and party leaders undertake to publicise this Code of Conduct throughout Namibiaby all means at their disposal.

16. Parties will in their advertising and propaganda efforts take care not to dis gure the environment.


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The m nth f N vembe wi seeN mibi ns f m w ks f ife,ng nd d he ding t the p s t

c st thei v tes f the e ecti n f newg ve nment th t wi g ve n the c ntfor the next ve years. These will bethe testing times s the c nt wi be

nde the w tchf e es f the citizensnd the inte n ti n c mm nit since

N mibi is ne f the c nt ies espectedf its dem c tic p incip es nd g dg ve n nce in the SaDC egi n nd theaf ic n c ntinent.

Preparations are at the pick in all thirteenregions of the country to ensure that theelectoral process runs smoothly and transparent,including in the Karas region.

The Governor of the Karas region, Hon. DawidBoois, reiterated that the region is ready, sayingthat many people expressed their excitementto once again to elect a government that willlead the country for the next ve years. Peopleare well informed and mobilised to take part inthe elections even though there are challengessuch as the unemployment that might lead tovoters apathy, Hon. Boois observed. He notedthat other challenges, including the HIV/AIDSpandemic and housing are on the top of the

governments agenda and might not have anyadverse effects on the elections.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)sRegional Coordinator in the Karas region, Mr.Berendt Both revealed that about 13 000 people

have registered in the voter registration in theregion. It came to light that a small percentageof people who were under the impression that

the registration period would be extendeddid not register as a result. But Mr. Both wassatis ed with the overall registration turnout.Many of the people queued up on the last dayof the registration.

About 25 xed and 8 mobile polling stationswill be put up in all six constituencies of theKaras Region. Continuous planning, monitoringand evaluation are underway to address anyshortcomings during the period leading upto the elections. Shortcomings have beenidenti ed during the recruitment processes.In the beginning, it was dif cult to identifyand select competentapplicants from the hugenumber of the people whoapplied for these positions,especially from the list of the unemployed. Trainingof the people recruited insenior positions such aspresiding and returningof cers became a priority.

The essential logistics inthe region are now in place,

with three logistical depotsin Karasburg, Aus andKeetmanshoop identi edand established. Thetransport needs have beenaddressed and vehicles are

ready in the care of the government garage.

Assistant Voter Education Of cers have beentrained in all the six constituencies of the Karasregion, focusing on educating voters on how tocast their votes and what documents they willneed to take along to the polling stations.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia saw theneed to appoint more of cers of late as SaraLena Tiboth, the Regional Voter Educationof cer in Keetmanshoop noted: I was theonly person doing voter education in the Karasregion during the periods 2004/5 and 2006/7without transport. People might not have beenwell informed and educated on electoral issues

as supposed to be. She explained with a shy of relief, now thatAssistant Voter Education Of cers began to betrained since last year, in each constituency of the region, the problem is partly addressedalthough there are still a few challenges, shenoted. Tiboth expressed concern regardingsome people not attending voter educationsessions and regular community meetingsto discuss issues affecting them. Severalattempts have been made in the past topersuade members of communities to attendmeetings but were fruitless despite the wideuse of major communication channels suchas radio and television, churches, schools andposters, she added, calling them to changesuch attitudes and exercise their democraticrights by participating in the elections.

Both the Governor and the ECN RegionalCoordinator urged their communities to go outin big numbers to vote their representativeswho will govern the country. They are adamantthat the region was prepared to go to the pollsand are con dent that the country will holdpeaceful and transparent elections.

Karas region ready to voteB Imm n e K pe & C dette l w

Elections Supervisor, Mr. A. Appolus, Assistant Regional Coordinator, Ms. C. Louw, MICT and Ms. Tiboth Regional Voter Education Of cer busy working

Giving an interview, Governor of the Karas region, Hon. Dawid Boois left with Claudette Louw of MICT


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Hon. Katrina Hanse-Himarua, Governor of the Hardap Region

Potential voters should also be educatedon the three branches of government, said

Governor Hanse-ImarwaB Hend in N. Fi ipp sThe G ve n f the H d p egi n, H n.K t in H nse-Im w , exp ined h wthe egi n is p ep ing f the pc minge ecti ns in N vembe 2009 nd efe edt it s in f swing. We w d be seeingdiffe ent c s g ing nd the egi n,th t is f m the E ect C mmissi n f N mibi (ECN) nd the v i s p iticp ties, nning p nd d wn, c mp igningf the pc ming e ecti ns, she s id.

She also believes that people in the Hardapregion are ready to go and vote for the partiesthat they believe would bring change in theirlives.

The ECN has put a lot into place, in terms of votereducation. The Governors of ce is also constantlyin consultation with the various divisions, aswell as of cials at various constituency levels.The Voter Education Regional Of cer is hard atwork, putting logistics together, concentrating onvarious matters in terms of the voter education.

The Hardap region Governor stressed that thevoter education is important. It is critical thatpeople have to be educated in terms of theimportance of voting, because if they dontunderstand why they have to vote, then it islikely that we will be experiencing voter apathy, she added. Explainig the importance of elections, theGovernor said that everything has to be viewedfrom the historical background. For example,we didnt have the democratic right to vote.Through our vote, we can now elect people

whom we trust to lead us, she added. We need to inform the people in terms of the government setup, how the governmentis composed, the structures and its functions.Only through voting that we can establish good

governance, the Governor analysed. She furtherillustrated that the people should be taught aboutthe three branches of the government such asthe Executive, Judicial and Legislative, addingthat leaders have the duty to let the voters knowwhat roles these structures play and why theyare important.

Giving another example, Hon. Imarwa notedthat it was critical that the judicial issues should

be brought into the voter education for peopleto understand the justice system, including thelaws that are governing the country as well asthose that are governing the electoral system. Governor Hanse-Imarwa further explained whyit is important to include legal issues in votereducation, saying that the elected leaders areusually sworn in by a judge. That is why weneed Parliament because decisions and laws aremade at that level, she added. The Governor reiterated that those systems arethere and can only be maintained if people wentto vote.

Other important issues to implement votereducation are the rights and freedoms interms of the elections. We need to inform thepeople what rights and freedoms they have sothat nobody can be afraid to go and vote. Forexample, if you are a farm worker and your bosstells you I will be watching you through mycamera if you go and vote for party x, whichis not my party, said Hon. Hanse-Imarwa. Itis important for them to know there is freedomfor them and that they are protected by the

Constitution, added the Governor.

She noted that various steps in elections shouldbe included in the voter education because somepeople are voting for the rst time. It is criticalfor them to understand why they must vote andthat it is their constitutional right to go and vote .The moment you step into a polling station, youshould know how you will go about it, how tomake your cross, the Governor reiterated.

The Hardap region has eight mobile 24 xedpolling stations since the previous Presidentialand National Assembly Elections in 2004. Itis expected that the number will increase thistime. The Governor has come up with variousproposals in terms of reducing the mobile pollingstations by increasing the xed ones.

She said that there might be changes because

she has forwarded a submission to the ECN,proposing several changes in terms of additional

xed polling stations and the establishment of mobile points.

In terms of safety and security, residents areassured that their safety is guaranteed in termsof political intolerance, aware that it is naturalfor people from different political parties tohold different views. So those are fundamentaldifferences and they will exist even in the absenceof elections, Hon. Hanse-Imarwa noted.

The Governor revealed that there are no majorhiccups in her region as far as political intoleranceis concerned, adding that there is nothing likepolitical parties ghting and intimidating eachother or stopping or obstructing each otherspolitical rallies. That shows maturity andtolerance for each other so far, she said.

As far as the registration of people in the regionis concerned, the Governor explained that in the

rst few days, the Hardap region is one of thosethat had experienced problems because of somematerials that had not arrived on time, causinga shortage. In the Rehoboth West Constituencya total number of 805 people registered to vote.In the Rehoboth East Constituency a total of 1605 people have registered, 865 in the RehobothRural Constituency, 2 658 in Mariental Urban, 1671 in Mariental Rural Constituency and 1 190 inGibeon Constituency. The total people registeredin the Hardap region is about 8 794.

The Governor expressed her satisfaction withthe turn out during the supplementary voterregistration. She urged residents of the Hardapregion to turn out in their numbers to go andvote.

Mariental Municipality of ces - one of the polling stations in the Hardap region


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Ohangwena set to make importantdecisions

B : M i N. Hedimbi

W ith n few weeks eft f thep tenti v te s t c st thei v tesc nt wide, oh ngwen egi n isp ep ed t p ticip te in the pc mingP esidenti nd N ti n assembE ecti ns. Inte esting , in N mibi se ecti ns hist , it is the b n f ees whwill have a chance, for the rst time, toexe cise thei dem c tic ights b v tingthe e de s f thei ch ices.

According to the Regional Voters EducationOf cer, Ndapwa Ndevaetela, Ohangwenacommunities have been taught about how to voteas well as why it is important to exercise theirdemocratic rights. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has Assistant Voters EducationOf cers (AVEO) in all constituencies of theregion, expect Epembe constituency where theAVEO has resigned earlier this year. However,Ndevaetela admitted that although the personresigned, their regional of ce would havethe responsibility to cater for the .Epembeconstituency.

Although people have been well educated onvarious aspects of elections, Ndevaetela feelsthat political intolerance still exists among manypeople of different political parties, adding thatthe Constitution has granted full right to everycitizen to become a member of any politicalparty of their choices, and therefore intimidationbecause of political differences could beregarded as violence. She emphasised thatpolitical parties have signed the code of conduct

with ECN, but this seems not to be adhered toby many. It is only through adherence to thecode of conduct that we will have our nationalelections free and fair, remarked Ndevaetela.Ndevaetela pointed out that voter card is theonly pre-requist for one to be allowed to vote.Putting on party colours at the polling stationsor in area of about 500m from the polling pointsis strictly prohibited and should be avoided.

Anna Ndapanda Noah is one of the eligiblevoters who con rmed that she will de nitelygo to the polling point to cast her vote,emphasising that, by so doing, she will have theright to complain to her elected leaders if thingswould not happen as promised. She appealedto the ECN, and the general public to ensurethat elections are conducted in a free and fairmanner. It is only through voting, that citizenscan ensure that they will have no regrets abouttheir future leaders because they will addresstheir concerns to the leaders they would electinto power, said Noah. She concluded that thisis the golden opportunity that only comes after

ve years, therefore, people should use thisopportunity to let their voices heard.

Hilja Haihambo is one of the born frees who forthe rst time will cast her vote. She said thatshe can not wait to partake in the upcomingelections. Asked why she wants to vote, shesaid that she wants to empower her politicalparty and is looking forward to consolidateddevelopment in her area. She also felt thatvoting will give her the peace of mind and thatpeace will always prevail in the country.

During the supplementary registrations,Ohangwena region registered about 31 643potential voters. People are reminded to go outto their nearest polling points, and elect leadersof their choices.

Anna Ndapanda Noah in Ohangwena region cannot wait for the D-Day. She is so excited

Hilja Haihambo, a born-free from one of the disadvantaged communities in the Ohangwena region will vote for the rst time in her life


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The om heke regi n C nci s id itis h pp with the w k f the E ectC mmissi n f N mibi (ECN). acc dingt om heke regi n G ve n , H n.l Mcle d-K tji , the ECN is d ing

g d j b in v te ed c ti n. Mcle d

s id the ECN is w king with c nstit ence de s t ed c te c mm nities. The

ECN is d ing g d j b. The e eeducation of cers in every constituency.The e s w king h nd in h nd witht diti n e de s nd c nstit encc nci s, she s id.

Governor McLeod-Katjirua said the ECN hasdone its job in preparing the region for theelections with its voter education programs.Voter awareness started well in advance andis still on-going, she added. She believes therewill be a high turnout of voters in Novembersince most Namibians are getting politicallymatured as they understand the need to casttheir votes.

Hon. McLeod-Katjirua further stated that 13325 residents of the Omaheke region registered,citing that there was a high number of born-frees that turned up during the registrationperiod. She believes that with the high gureand high moral of the Omaheke potential voterswill attend political rallies as political partiesencourage their members, supporters andsympathisers to cast their votes.

The Omaheke Governor concluded that herregion is well prepared for the up-comingNovember Elections. We are ready. Everythingis in place and we are just waiting, she assuredthe public, adding that there are enough

Go and cast your vote, it is yourdemocratic right, says MacLeod-Katjirua

B Esthe Benj men

polling stationsfor all areas andshould the needarise areas, thatare not coveredadequately, willbe catered for.

Echoing the samesentiments, theECN RegionalC o o r d i n a t o r,Fessy Marenga,noted that theregion is ready,c o m m e n d i n gthe smooth ranvoter registrationprocess. Amongthe 7 Omahekeconst i tuencies ,

(Gobabis, Epukiro, Kalahari, Otjinene, Aminuis,Otjombinde and Stainhaussen), Gobabisrecorded the highest registered voters with3 399, followed by Otjinene with 2 332. TheEpukiro constituency had the lowest registered

voters, numbering 1 393 due to mostly theconstituencys low population.

Each constituency is with a voter educationof cer. The voter education of cer, HenryCloete, explained that the high turnout was dueto the fact that people are now more aware andbetter informed of the voting process.

Cloete explained that the ECN is still busyeducating the communityon where designated pollingstations are located, votingdates and on how to casttheir vote to avoid spoiltballots.

On the names of thedesignated polling stations,Marenga said that theyare yet to be veri ed andresidents will be informed assoon as the list is out.

Although voter educationof cers use lea ets, posters,pamphlets, as well as hosting

meetings with communitymembers as part of theirvoter education programmesthey will also need additionalmaterials in places withoutelectricity. There is a need

to prepare for bad weather that might disturbthe two-day voting process. There is also aneed for more vehicles unlike during the voterregistration process when vehicles were notadequate and some materials such as lampsand tents will also be needed in case it startsraining.

Marenga thus urged Namibians to exercise theirdemocratic rights to vote. I encourage peopleto exercise their democratic right as enshrinedin the constitution of Namibia, he added.

One of the registered voters from Gobabis,Abedi Kaiko said that voting is a platform forpeople to exercise their freedom of expressionand choose who they want to govern them. If given such an opportunity, why not use it? It isone of the platforms that allow me to expressmy freedom of expression and go to vote forwhom I want to be my leader, added Kaiko.

One of the born-frees, a grade 12 learner atWinnie Du Plessis High school in Gobabis,Rikuvera Katjimune is an excited new registeredvoter. He said that come 27-28 November 2009,

he will de nitely go and cast his vote. Iwant to have my say in the democracy of thecountry, he added.

Most people in the region are excited aboutthe up-coming elections and are eager to goand cast their votes, citing that Namibia is apeaceful and democratic country and they hopethat it will remain peaceful and democratic.

Omaheke Regional Governor, Hon. Laura Mcleod-Katjirua

Henry CLoete, Voter Education Of cer at Gobabis


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Oshana voter education of cers strive for100% valid votes

B M is Simi s

o sh n regi n V te s Ed c ti nOf cer, Vinus Mutota, and her teame st iving t e ch 100% v id v tes

d ing the pc ming P esidenti ndN ti n assemb E ecti ns.

It has emerged that some people in the Oshanaregion would know how to vote only if therewas one column in which to mark a cross butget confused if there were more than one boxon the ballot paper to choose from. As a result,one cannot rule out the possibility of peoplemaking mistakes on the ballot papers if theyare not educated.

On the question as to what will one do if theymade mistakes while they are still in the votingbooth, it is advised that the voter will call anof cial present to issue them with a new ballotpaper rather than to scratch on it, in whichcase it will be counted as a spoiled or rejected

ballot.

In the Oshana region, registered voters areeducated and advised to use a cross as asymbol denoting yes. The purpose for votereducation in this regard is to avoid generatinginvalid ballots as some people may regard

a cross mark as unfriendly. Under normalcircumstances a cross symbolises wrong oroff beam unlike in voting when it is used tosymbolise correct or right.

One of the Voter Education Of cer, ShimbindjaSeverin, said that during the past elections, itwas alleged that some Oshiwambo speakershad drawn goatlings (literary baby goats) onthe ballot paper boxes as a cross is perceivedto be okakombo (small goat).

Josef Amwandi (24), Okaku Constituency VoterEducation Of cer made sure that emphasison how to vote correctly became a priorityduring the public education meetings. I amsure people here will vote accurately as theynow understand how to cast their votes, saidAmwandi.

In our education campaigns, we taught

them how to vote, to identify valid ballots andthe correct symbol that is used in voting todifferentiate between the wrong and right crossbut they can now do, explained Amwandi.

Various topics such as elections, multi-partydemocracy and political tolerance, the Namibian

Electoral Commission codeof conduct, fundamentalhuman rights and freedoms,among others, dominatedcommunity discussionsand the Oshiwambo NBCradio programmes on votereducation.

The people in the regionare mobilised and we arestill mobilising them, saidMutota. Through communitybased meetings people ask questions to which answersare given.

About 28 255 eligible votershave registered duringthe supplementary voterregistration in the Oshanaregion.

Mr. Natangwe Hamata,Headmaster of the NengusheJunior Secondary School in

the Okaku Constituency, hasbeen voting since the UnitedNations Supervised Electionsin 1989 and he is going tovote again, this year, becausehe believes that it is hisdemocratic right and duty to

do so as a citizen.At the Indangungu Combined School, teachersare counting days left before elections startbecause they consider voting as their civic duty.Voting is the expression of the will of citizensto exercise their democratic right to chooseleaders of their choice, a Grade 10 teacher atthe school said.People in the Oshakati informal resettlementscannot wait to cast their votes in the upcomingPresidential and National Assembly Elections,especially those who would see ballot boxesand papers for the rst time.The Etango Complex Road Showin August 2009and the subsequent community meetings turnedout to be a milestone in the process because asthey attracted mass attendance, and mostly theborn frees who are eager to know more aboutthe upcoming elections.The ECN distributed reading materials and other

campaigning items such as caps, T-shirts andpens to the public during the Etango ComplexRoad Show.In Uuvudthiya Constituency at OpononaKindergarten, the attendance was huge withelders turning up in a bigger number.

Natangwe Hamata, Headmaster, Nengushe Junior Secondary School, Severin Shimbindja and Josef Amwandi, oshana Voter Education Of cers


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Political parties should educate theirmembers on elections

B : otti ie Shingenge

The G ve n f the E ng egi n,H n. S m e N m , h s c ed n p itic p ties in his egi n, s we

s the c nt s wh e, t ctiveed c te nd inf m thei membe s t

v id intimid ti ns f n n t e.

Hon. Nuuyoma was speaking at a mediabrie ng organised by the Electoral Commissionof Namibia (ECN) on the results of thesupplementary voter registration which wasconducted in September. All political parties inthe region, in consultation with the ECN, canmake their recommendations on the problemsthey have encountered during the just endedsupplementary registration, said Nuuyoma

He explained that no major incidents werereported in the region though some members of the public were not impressed by the attitudesof some of cials, calling on the ECN to train theof cials in question on how to work with peopleespecially during the upcoming Presidential andNational Assembly Elections.

The Erongo region is well known as a crime-

free zone and I am urging all the residents towork together and refrain from evil activities,especially at this time of the year, said theGovernor. He called on the political partiesto inform their members not to put on theirpolitical colors when they will be going to vote.

According to article 17, chapter three of theHuman Rights and Freedoms of the NamibianConstitution, all citizens shall have the right toparticipate in peaceful political activity intendedto in uence the composition and policies of Government. All citizens shall have the right toform and join political parties and, subject tosuch quali cations prescribed by the law, as arenecessary in a democratic society, to participatein the conduct of public affairs, whether directlyor through freely chosen representatives. Itfurther says that every citizen who has reachedthe age of 18 years shall have the right tovote.

Present at the same occasion was the ErongoRegional Coordinator, Mr. Johannes Kapembe,who highlighted the challenges faced by hisof ce during the registration process. Kapembesaid his team had experienced lack of transportand the insuf cient facilities and materials atthe beginning during the voter registrationperiod, adding that the situation got to normallater due to the fact that some communitymembers rendered them with assistance. He

applauded some farmers who had providedthem with vehicles.

The Erongo region has seven constituenciessuch as Walvis Bay Urban, Walvis Bay Rural,

Swakopmund, Arandis, Karibibi, Daures, andOmaruru. The highest number of applicants orregistrants was recorded in Walvis Bay urbanarea with the total new applicants of 4094,followed by Swakopmund constituency with3835 new applicants.

According to Kapembe, a total of 31 633applicants registered for duplicates, changeof addresses and the free-born in all sevenconstituencies in the Erongo region. He saidthe numbers has shown that people were

well informed during the registration process,adding that people are willing to exercise theirdemocratic right and ready to participate in theupcoming November Presidential and NationalAssembly Elections.

From left to right are: Erongo Regional Governor,Hon. Samuel Nuujoma and the Erongo Regional

Coordinator, Johannes Kapembe

The table below is showing the number of new applicants, those who sought for duplicates, and change of addresses as per constituency in the Erongo region.

E ng regi nC nstit enc New app ic nts D p ic tes Ch nge f add esses

W vis B r 3047 2142 1436

W vis B u b n 4094 2353 2200

om 854 308 503

The table below is showing the total number of new applicants, duplicates and change of addresses including new applicants in all the seven constituencies in the Erongo region.

G nd T tNew app ic nts D p ic tes Ch nge f add ess T t

14862 8732 8039 31 633

Kapembe added that, they have come up with some recommendations, including additional polling stations in the region. The meeting was attendedby different stakeholders, including the local councilors and mayors.


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a s the N mibi n n ti n wi g tthe p t e ect the e de s f theich ice in b th the P esidenti ndN ti n assemb e ecti ns, the p itic

tm sphe e in the K v ng egi n is c ms nticip ted. The c m tm sphe e

which is p ev i ing s f in the he t f the c mp ign b the d p itic p ties

s we s th se wh ente ed the p iticarena for the rst time can be attributedt the p itic m t it which the pe p e

f the egi n h s e ched. In s m ch sthe p ties e c mp igning, e ch p tis d ing its ff i s in ine with the c de

f c nd ct s id d wn b the E ectC mmissi n f N mibi , th t is ent stedt dministe the e ecti ns in the l nd f the B ve.

During the interview held with the Governor

for the Kavango region, Hon. John Thighuru,on how the people of the region are preparingtowards the upcoming elections, he explainedthat in terms of mobilising party members tovote, all political parties represented in theregion have thrown their weight into politicalmobilisation to get their members ready.

According to the Governor, the rst mobilisationstarted last year, when the Electoral Commissionof Namibia (ECN) started with voter educationaimed at providing the electorate withinformation about the Presidential and NationalAssembly elections, and what the people areexpected to do to become eligible voters. Sincevoter education began with staff members fromthe ECN, all political parties made huge effortsto encourage their party members to attend thevoter education session s to get the necessaryinformation. Voter education emphasised the

Transport obstacle to voter education inKavango

B J h nnes J chim

importance of democracy and whypeople should take part in suchelections. The second mobilisationwas, according to the Governor,the mobilisation of party membersto get registered during theSupplementary voter registrationperiod. Before and during thesupplementary registration of voters,political parties did a commendablejob which resulted in a big numberof people turning up at registrationpoints to either register for the rsttime, or for duplicate in case theirvoters cards got lost, or in case onehas changed his address by movingfrom his constituency to a differentconstituency.

Meanwhile, despite the fact thatthe supplementary registration in

the region has been successfully completed,the of cials responsible for voter educationin the Kavango region are not happy withthe status quo, in as far as transport madeavailable for carrying voter education of cials is

concerned. One resident of the Kavango region,Daniel Kandjengo David, told the GovernmentInformation Bulletin that since the start of voter education last year, only one vehicle wasmade available although the two ECN of cialswere expected to cover the whole Kavangoregion. With the experience gained during thepast voter education sessions, one vehicle wasnot adequate to enable of cials complete themost crucial voter education assignment. Hereiterated that additional vehicles for votereducation programmes is of vital importanceto enable the electorate assess informationso that every eligible voter is empoweredwith knowledge. This will help people to makeinformed decisions when the polling datesarrive.

Spelling out the objectives which the of ce of voter education wants to achieve, Mr. Davidexplained that with voter education we wantto ensure a free and fair elections, saying thatwith democratic elections for those who haveregistered, supported by voter education, wewant to kill voter apathy by encouraging theborn frees to cast their vote.

Meanwhile, during the supplementaryregistration, a total of 24 631 eligible voterswere registered in the Kavango region.According to the Coordinator of elections inthe Kavango region, Mr. Thomas Shapi, thesupplementary registration was conducted in all

the nine constituencies of the Kavango regionsuch as:

K henge C nstit enc 3953K p k C nstit enc 2587M sh e C nstit enc 1942Mp ng C nstit enc 2268M kwe C nstit enc 3070Ndi n C nstit enc 2515r nd r E st C nstit enc 1950r nd r West C nstit enc 3132r nd u b n C nstit enc 3214

Out of 24 631 people registered during thesupplementary registration in the region, a totalof 15 562 were new applicants. This guresrepresent the group of the born-frees, accordingto Mr. Shapi. The gure of 6 014 represents thepeople who were registered before but whosevoter cards got lost, while the gure of 3055represents the people who had moved fromother areas where they were registered.

From the look of the gures obtained duringthe supplementary voter registration, one hasto appreciate the efforts put in by different

political parties who have in fact mobilised theirparty members to turn out in their numbers atregistration points. If the political parties hadnot done it, the Electoral Commission could nothave succeeded in registering as amy people, Mr. Shapi concluded.

Sofar, the representative of the ElectoralCommission of Namibia together with theregistered political parties that will contestin the upcoming elections, have submitteda proposal to the Electoral Commission of Namibia to establish 140 polling stationsacross the entire region. In their submissionthey further proposed that from 140 proposedpolling stations, 83 should be xed pollingstations, while 57 will be mobile polling stations.Mr. Shapi indicated further that although theproposal on the number of the polling stationswere submitted to ECN, some time ago, noapproval has been received yet..However, the Governor for Kavango Region,Honorable John Thighuru appealed to allpolitical parties and their members to maintainthe spirit of political tolerance during theelections, as they had done during the period of

the campaign. Once the elections are over, andthe results of the elections announced, all of us should accept the result of the elections asthey are. By doing so our democracy will keepgrowing on solid foundation that has been laidsince our independent in1990, the Governorsaid.

Thomas Shapi


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The Kh m s regi n is m e th n e df the pc ming e ecti ns with t t n mbe f 200, 590 pe p e h ving

egiste ed t c st thei v tes b th fthe P esidenti nd N ti n assembE ecti ns. The Kh m s regi n G ve n ,H n. S phi Sh ningw , eve ed thisin n inte view n the ve view f thep ep edness f he egi n f theN vembe e ecti ns.

Governor Shaningwa who is the Counsellor forthe Windhoek West Constituency had this tosay: the Khomas region is prepared for thisimportant national duty, adding that leaders of different parties will stand to be elected to theNational Assembly and a President will be votedinto power by the people.

The list of registered voters in the Khomasregion are as follows:

Name of Constituency

Total number of registered voters

Katutura Central 17,374

Katutura East 13,100

Khomasdal North 20,829

Moses Garob 27,630

Samora Machel 27,245

Soweto 11,107

Tobias Hainyeko 31,142

Windhoek East 12,485

Windhoek Rural 11,151

Windhoek West 28,527

T t 200,590

There will be about 80 polling stations in theKhomas region where voters will be expected tocast their votes on the two polling days. Someschools have been turned into polling stationsto bring democracy closer to the people.Patients who will be admitted will be able tocast their votes at hospitals such as the RomanCatholic hospital, one of the polling stations inthe region.

Arrangements have also been made forprisoners to cast their votes at the Windhoek Central Prison. Hon. Shaningwa explainedthat every constituency in the Khomas regionhas two or three polling stations, which willsigni cantly reduce the long distances that

Elections are Special: Khomas Regionmore than ready for elections

B Hi eni M dhik

voters would have to travel toreach the polling stations.

On the voting climate in theregion, which also hosts thecapital city of Windhoek, theGovernor said the situationhas been receiving supportfrom the Namibian Police(NAMPOL) since July 2009,advising political partiesto endeavour to make thisyears elections peaceful.

She observed that NAMPOLhas been urging all politicalparties to ensure peacefulelections in the region by speaking onelanguage - that of elections. Hon. GovernorShaningwa added that procedures and code of conduct have been explained so that politicalparties would know how they and the electorateshould behave on polling days to ensure thesmooth running of the elections.

At a meeting held in Windhoek, where campaignand voting dates were announced, the code of conduct was distributed after it was signed byall political parties.

She also said that the political campaignswhich were embarked upon soon afterthe supplementary voter registration werecompleted. The campaigns were made possiblefollowing information sharing exercises carriedout in conjunction with the of ce of the ElectoralCommission of Namibia (ECN).

According to Dr. Helen Nkandi-Shiimi,member of the Windhoek West Constituency,communities are ready to vote, adding thatthere is still time to educate people how to vote,especially through house to house campaigningto ensure that people know how to mark thecross.

She observed that somevoters tend to tick on theirballot papers instead of placing a cross against theparty of their choice. Theperception out there is that

a cross denotes wrongwhereas a tick denotescorrect, added Nkandi-Shiimi, explaining that invoting a cross denotescorrect whereas a tick

signi es a spoilt ballot paper.

A businessman and a constituency developmentcommittee member in the Windhoek WestConstituency, Mr. John Ole Nekundi, said peoplein the constituency are looking forward tocasting their votes on the election days.

In his constituency, election awarenessmessages are sent to the public throughdifferent media such as TV, radio, newspapers,community meetings and political parties

Alban Kloopers, the Principal of the Rocky CrestSecondary School in the same constituency saidhe received instruction from the Governor tomobilise the community to go and vote in theupcoming elections.

Kloopers explained that voter registrationstarted out slowly and eventually picked up thepace as more and more potential voters gotto learn about the registration taking place at

the school. He revealed that a message waspassed on to parents by learners at the school,explaining that soon after the message was sentout, people began to join queues to register forthe elections especially on the last day whenthe process went on till late in the night.

From left, Mr. John ole Nekundi, Dr. Helen Nkandi-Shiimi, Hon. Sophia Shaningwa, Mr. Alban Kloopers and Ms. Hileni Mudhika

Some schools are turned into polling stations


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Exercise your democratic rightsresponsibly, says Kayone

B Hi eni Shimh

NO PUBLIC HOLIDAY ON FIRST POLLING (27 NOVEMBER 2009) IN NAMIBIAS 4TH

PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBELECTIONS

M st pe p e fee ike the h ve d nethei p t, nd h ve been istenedt . The bec me c mp cent with the

e de s the p t int p we . The feethe h d e ected thei e de s t ep esentthem nd w nt t c ntin e c ns id tings pp t f them.

The Presidential and National AssemblyElections to be held in November this yearare regarded as important for the countrysdemocracy. Namibians who are eligible to voteare expected to exercise their constitutional

rights to elect leaders of their choice. Electionsgive the people a voice and empower them toapply their informed decisions. This is especiallytrue with the youth who will vote for the rsttime in their lives.

The supplementary voter registration took placein the Omusati region and potential voters haveobtained their voters cards for the upcomingelections. Some potential voters expressedtheir opinions on the registration process. Theydescribed it as successful due to the fact thatvenues were accessible and the time frame was

adequate to allow people to obtain their voterscards.

F id , 27 N vembe 2009, which isalso the rst polling day in the 2009P esidenti nd N ti n assembe ecti ns in N mibi wi n t be p b ich id .

The Electoral Commission of Namibia announcedearlier that eligible Namibians will go to thepolls on Friday, 27 November and Saturday, 28November 2009 to vote in the 2009 Presidentialand National Assembly elections. Although

The Omusati region residents areprepared for the upcoming electionand it is expected that the turn outat the polling stations will be high.Many people, including the bornfrees showed interest in voting.The region came second highest,recording 32 657 registeredvoters at the national level. Thiswas con rmed by the OmusatiRegional Governor, Hon. SackyKayone. He also con rmed thatcommunity members were happy

with the voter education meetingsconducted by the ElectoralCommission of Namibia (ECN).These programmes were aimedat educating community membersabout the up coming elections.

Hon. Kayone is positive thatmost of the public places in theregion will be used as polling stations, wherecommunity members will ock in large numbersduring elections. He concluded by encouragingeveryone in the region, especially the youth to

go and vote in peace. He also called on the

the Namibian Constitution in Article 32 (5)(a)allows the President to sign and promulgateany proclamation, the Government feels thatthere is no need to declare Friday, 27 November2009 a public holiday.

Voting in the 4th Presidential and NationalAssembly elections in Namibia will take placeover two days and also outside working hours,which will allow all voters the opportunity to

nd time to exercise their democratic right to

Omusati residents to respect one anotherto avoid disruption as this will disturb peaceand stability that everyone enjoys today. Letus respect one another and avoid sabotagebecause it disturbs the peace and stabilitywe are enjoying in our country, concludedKayone.

Omusati Regional Governor, Hon. Sacky Kayone

go and vote. The Government wants to onceagain urge voters to approach the Presidentialand National Assembly Elections with a highdegree of tolerance to ensure free, fair andpeaceful elections in the Republic of Namibia.

signed

MBEuTa ua-NDJaraKaNaPErMaNENT SECrETary


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Cabinet took the following decisions at its 20thmeeting held on 27 October 2009.

1. PuBlIC SErVICE WorKPlaCE PolICy

oN HIV/aIDSThe Of ce of the Prime Minister is entrustedwith the responsibility of engaging the publicsectors leadership, spearheading the response,mainstreaming HIV from sectoral policies toimplementation, as well as providing technicalsupport, supervision, monitoring and evaluation.The public sector response is speci cally aimedat government institutions, while the regionalsector response is with the Ministry of Regionaland Local Government, Housing and RuralDevelopment.

Great care has been taken to align the publicsector response on HIV/AIDS to already existingpolicies, guidelines, documents and legislation.The focus of the Public Service Workplace Policyon HIV/AIDS is to help government institutionsto operationalise the principles and standardsset by the National Policy. It covers the vebroad strategic response areas of the nationalpolicy and has been carefully structured tosupport a sustainable workplace policy rollout.As a promise of the employer to its employees it presents an integrated approach allowingprogramme managers to link employees tosupport systems within the public service, civil

society etc.

The Public Service Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS has been developed in consultationwith international and national organisations,federations and non-governmental organisationsand with inputs from the Ministry of Health andSocial Services and the Ministry of Labour andSocial Welfare.

The of cial launch of the policy is scheduled forNovember 2009.

Cabinet, in principle, approved the Public ServiceWorkplace Policy on HIV/AIDS and directed thatannual reviews must be undertaken to ensureits continued appropriateness for the publicservice.

Further information can be obtained fromthe Of ce of the Prime Minister at telephonenumber 2879111.

2. ESTaBlISHMENT oF a NaMIBIaNaGrICulTural rESEarCHINSTITuTE

The National Policy on Research, Science

and Technology developed in 1999 by theMinistry of Education recognises that scienceand technology interventions are critical toboth promoting and optimising niches andopportunities in the agricultural sector.

News from the Cabinat ChambersFurthermore, the Research, Science andTechnology Act, Act no 23 of 2004 provides forthe establishment and registration of researchinstitutes by both the public and private

sectors.

The establishment of a national agriculturalresearch institute will boost the nationalscienti c and technical capacity in the areaof crop and animal science. Additionally, itwill further enhance Namibias efforts in theprotection of intellectual property rights forproducts, crop varieties and animal speciesemanating from research undertakings.

Furthermore, the creation of such an institutewill ensure that ecologically sound practices,where the quality of natural resources,including land and the vitality of the entire agro-ecosystem from humans, crops and animals tosoils organisms is improved.

The national agricultural research institutesfunctions will include:

Identi cation of research interest and conductbasic, applied and strategic research activitiesrelevant to the Namibian conditions;

Protect intellectual property rights;

Conserve strategic plant and animal resources;

Collaborate with private sector and otherrelevant stakeholders in the utilisation of theavailable materials.

In light of the above, Cabinet, in principle,approved the establishment of the NationalAgricultural Research Institute in accordancewith the National Policy on Research, Scienceand Technology and the Research, Science andTechnology Act, Act No 23 of 2004. Cabinetfurther directed that all existing researchstations, training facilities, analytical anddiagnostic laboratories that are within theMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestryform the core of the envisaged NationalAgricultural Research Institute and thattechnical directorates and/or divisions in theMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry formthe nucleus of the envisaged institute. Cabinetmandated the institute to execute all researchactivities currently being carried out by theMinistry to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and ensure that economically viableresearch is conducted. Cabinet also directedthat adequate and suf cient resources should

be allocated though the parent ministry toenable such an institute to execute its researchmandate adequately.

Further information can be obtained from theMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry at

telephone number 2087643.

3. FourTH SaDC CoNFErENCE oNINDIGENouS KNoWlEDGE SySTEM

IN yEar 2011, WINDHoEK, NaMIBIaIn an effort to recognize, af rm, develop,promote and protect indigenous knowledgein Southern Africa, SADC have been hostingIndigenous Knowledge System (IKS) policyworkshops since 2004. The aim of theseworkshops was to encourage member statesto develop legislation that governs and protectIKS. IKS deserves to be protected becauseof its vulnerability to innovation mainly in thepharmaceutical industry.

The 3rd IKS SADC Conference took place in theSeychelles in July 2009 and recommended thatNamibia hosts the 4th IKS SADC Conference onIKS in 2011. The hosting of the conference willbene t Namibia in terms of knowledge sharing,while the outcome of the conference will informthe development of Namibias own National IKSPolicy.

IKS is a broad area and falls under differentministries, such as Education; Environmentand Tourism; Health and Social Services;Agriculture, Water and Forestry; and Mines andEnergy. The Ministry of Education offered toact as chair of the organising committee, which

will also include the other ministries involved.

The hosting of the conference will costapproximately N$200 000 and budgetaryprovision will be made for the conference in the2010/2011 nancial year.

Cabinet endorsed the hosting of the 4th SADCIKS Conference in Namibia and directed that aninter-ministerial organising committee shouldbe formed. Cabinet also directed that aninformation meeting/seminar should be hostedon IKS initiatives in Namibia and that it shouldbe done in collaboration with the University of Namibia.

Further information can be obtained from theMinistry of Education at telephone number2706141.

4. IMPlEMENTaTIoN oF THE NaMIBIaNorTHErN raIl: oNDaNGWa-oSHIKaNGo ProJECT

During the visit of the President of the PeoplesRepublic of China to Namibia, Namibia wasoffered concessional loans totaling N$1 billionto be used to fund projects to be agreed upon.

Cabinet approved the following projects forsubmission to the Chinese government forfunding under this facility:

Electronic documents and records managementsystem;

Continues on page 19


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Your vot i your voicPResIDeNTIAL AND NATIONAL AsseMBLY

eLeCTIONs: 27 28 NOVeMBeR 2009!!!The holding of regular, free, fair, transparent and participatory elections is an important pillar for democracy. Thisyear marks the 20th anniversary of exercising our sovereign franchise for keeping democracy visible and vibrant.The Namibian nation is once again called upon to exercise their democratic right of voting during the Presidentialand National Assembly elections on 27 28 November 2009.

All xed polling stations will be open from 07h00 till 21h00. Voting times for mobile polling stations will beannounced accordingly.

In accordance with article 28(2) of the Namibian Constitution, the Namibian President is elected by direct, universaland equal suffrage vote. Members to (the National Assembly are indirectly elected through secret ballot under theParty list electoral system prepared by all the contesting political parties. The contesting political parties submitsuch lists to the Electoral Commission for approval.

For Presidential and National Assembly elections, Namibia becomes one constituency during the voting for thePresident and the members of the National Assembly and, hence, voters are allowed to cast their ballots at anyplace within or outside the country where balloting facilities are established through tender voting system.

Remember to take along your voters card to the polling station in orderfor you to be allowed to cast your vote.Presidential and National Assembly Elections27 28 November 2009Go vo e! Yo r vo e o n s!

Customs and Excise Inspection Scanners;

Upgrading of the Namibia Institute of Pathology Laboratories;

Namibia Broadcasting Corporationequipment;

Upgrading of state hospital infrastructure;and Northern Rail: Ondangwa - Oshikangoproject.

The Electronic documents and recordsmanagement system and the Customs andExcise Inspection scanners have been fundedunder this loan facility and both projects are

currently being implemented.

The Northern Rail: Ondangwa - Oshikangoproject is ready for implementation and theMinistry of Works and Transport has entered

into a rail supply contract with the ChinaMachinery and Equipment Import and ExportCorporation.

With regards to the upgrading of state hospitalinfrastructure, the Ministry of Health and SocialServices is in the process of consulting potentialsuppliers, while the remaining projects are stillbeing discussed at ministerial level.

Cabinet took note of the status of theimplementation of projects funded under theconcessional loan facility offered by the PeoplesRepublic of China. Cabinet directed the Ministerof Finance to proceed with negotiating the loanagreement for the Northern Rail: Ondangwa

- Oshikango, while Cabinet also directed theMinister of Finance to proceed with the loanagreements for the remaining projects oncethey have been presented to the Ministry by therespective line Ministries.

Further information can be obtained fromthe Ministry of Finance at telephone number2099111.

5. BRIEFING ON THE 29TH ORDINARY SADC SUMMIT, HELD FROM 2 TO8 SEPTEMBER 2009 IN KINSHASA,DRc

At the SADC Summit held in Kinshasa, DRC,H. E. Mr. Joseph Kabila Kabange, Presidentof the DRC was elected as chairperson of SADC, while H. E. Mr. Hi kepunye Pohamba,President of Namibia was elected as DeputyChairperson for the next 12 months untilAugust 2010, where after President Pohamba

will take over as Chairperson. Namibia will,therefore, form part of the SADC Troika forthe next three years until August 2012, rstas Deputy Chair, then as Chair and lastly as

Continu from pag 19N w from th Canbin t Chamb r

Continu on pag 20


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outgoing Chair.

The President of Mozambique, H.E. Mr.Armando Guebuza was elected as Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and SecurityCooperation, with H.E Ruphia Banda, Presidentof Zambia as his Deputy Chairperson. HisMajesty, King Mswati III of Swaziland is amember of the Organ Troika as outgoingChairman.

Dr. Tomaz A Salomao was re-elected asExecutive Secretary of SADC. The Summit alsoelected Eng. Joao Caholo as Deputy ExecutiveSecretary for Regional Integration. No DeputyExecutive Secretary for Budget and Financewas elected due to the absence of a suitablecandidate. It was, therefore, agreed that the

vacancy for the Deputy Executive Secretaryfor Budget and Finance be re-advertised andthat it should be open to female candidatesonly to achieve gender balance.

The Summit approved and signed ve legalinstruments, namely:

Memorandum of Understanding on RegionalCooperation and Integration among theCommon Market for Eastern and SouthernAfrica (COMESA), the East Africa Community(EAC) and the Southern Africa DevelopmentCommunity (SADC);

Agreement Amending the Treaty of the SADCto provide for the new position of a secondDeputy Executive Secretary;

Agreement Amending the Protocol onPolitics, Defence and Security Cooperationand Consequential Amendments to theTreaty to provide for the Southern AfricanRegional Police Chief Organisation, whichwas approved by the 2006 SADC Summit inMaseru, Lesotho;

Declaration on Regional Cooperation andConsumer Laws;

Agreement Amending the Protocol on theDevelopment of Tourism in the SADC aimedat aligning the Protocol with the institutionalchanges and functions on the implementationmechanism of the Protocol, in particularArticle 13.

The Summit also considered the followingreports:

Report of the Chairperson of the Organ onPolitics, Defence and Security Cooperation;

Security and political situation in the easternparts of the DRC;Political situation in Lesotho;

Continu s from pag 19N ws from th Canbin t Chamb rs

Political situation in Madagascar;

Political situation in Zimbabwe;

Report of the Ministerial Task Force on RegionalEconomic Integration;

Progress report on the preparations for theSADC Customs Union;

The Summit also discussed the Westcor Project,an energy project in which the DRC has tosubmit a Framework for the implementationof the project. The Summit also reviewed thesocial-economic situation in the region withspecial attention to the impact of the globaleconomic crisis on the region; agriculture

and food security; HIV and AIDS; Gender andDevelopment - Women in Political DecisionMaking positions.

The Summit also endorsed Malawi as theregional candidate for the Chairmanship of theAfrican Union in 201

mib bulletin november 2009 - namibian government

Documents