Justicia Shipena
The opposition parties needed just one more seat to regain control of the Windhoek Municipal Council.
Instead, Swapo’s majority has closed the door on any chance of an opposition-led coalition for the next term.
Swapo secured eight seats in the 2025 local authority elections, giving the party a clear majority and the power to steer the council without relying on other parties. Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) won three seats, while Affirmative Repositioning (AR), Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and United Democratic Front (UDF) each secured one seat.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said the numbers leave no room for a coalition among opposition parties.
“No, it will not work for them because when you add them together as the opposition forces, they are still less than… I think they are three, if I’m not mistaken, all together in the opposition,” he said.
He added that Swapo’s majority means the party “has total control in terms of steering the agenda in that council.”
Kamwanyah said the opposition cannot block decisions because their combined strength is too weak.
“The opposition forces all together cannot stop Swapo from making any decisions,” he said.
He pointed to past tensions among opposition parties as another barrier to unity.
“From a historical point of view, those opposition political parties in the seat of Windhoek Council did not have a cordial relationship to work together. We have seen them flip-flopping to one another and forming another alliance with another party,” he said.
He said he does not expect parties to unite this time.
“I don’t really see that this time they will band together and work together to prevent monolithic decision-making by the ruling party in the council,” he said.
Kamwanyah said coalitions may still emerge in other towns where Swapo did not win outright majorities.
“We might see that somewhere else, but not in Windhoek. I’m doubting,” he said.
The new numbers mark a major shift from 2020, when Swapo held five seats, IPC four, AR and LPM two each, and PDM and Nudo one seat each. The opposition then had enough seats and formed a coalition, though it later collapsed.
This time, parties with only one seat say they are not engaging in coalition talks.
AR spokesperson George Kambala said the movement is not pursuing any coalition arrangements.
“We are not in talks with any coalition or in any other talks,” he said. He said AR is focusing on the upcoming inauguration.
“We are looking forward to our council being inaugurated. That’s the focus right now,” he said.
He said AR will study the political environment once the council is inaugurated.
PDM president McHenry Venaani shared the same stance. He said Swapo’s clear majority leaves no space for coalition discussions.
“I don’t think there is a possibility of a coalition in Windhoek. Swapo has eight seats, so they were given a mandate to lead. Unless they are reaching out to other parties to go join, then it’s a proposition one could look at,” he said.
Venaani stressed that Swapo can govern without support from any other party.
“At this point in time, Swapo does not need any other party to form a coalition. Any coalition would be futile, because there is already a party with a full mandate to govern,” he said.
At the back of it, the swearing-in of newly elected regional council and local authority councillors has been cancelled.
This is according to a circular dated 28 November issued by executive director of urban and rural development Wilhelmine Shivute. The cancellation comes as magistrates remain on strike.
Last week, urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa warned that he may appoint administrators countrywide if councillors are not sworn in by this week.
