Allexer Namundjembo
Youth participation in the regional and local authority elections remained low, with many young voters not visible in the queues at the polls on Wednesday.
This is despite more than 643 000 youth registered to vote, making up about 42% of the 1.49 million voters on the final voters register released by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).
The regional and local authority elections took place on 26 November 2025.
Landless People’s Movement (LPM) Youth leader Duminga Ndala says the low youth turnout in yesterday’s Regional and Local Authority elections signals a serious disconnect between young people and the structures meant to represent them.
Ndala told the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday that the trend reflects a widening gap between young people’s daily realities and political processes.
“The low youth turnout reflects a much deeper political and social disconnect between young people and the structures meant to represent them,” she said.
She noted that older voters continue to dominate turnout levels while many young people stay away from the polls. Ndala said the issue is not a lack of interest but stems from an insufficient understanding of the importance of these elections.
“Young people have grown increasingly sceptical about whether regional and local authority elections bring any meaningful change to their daily lives,” she said.
She said many feel councillors fail to deliver visible improvements in jobs, housing, land access and service delivery.
“When the youth cannot see a clear link between voting and material improvements, their enthusiasm naturally declines,” Ndala said.
Ndala said weak civic education contributes to the problem, leaving young people without a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of regional and local leaders.
She added that disillusionment is growing because campaign promises often fail to translate into real action.
During the ECN’s first media briefing yesterday, ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua said voting opened at 7h00 across all 4 827 polling stations nationwide.
She said voting started on time and the process was running smoothly, with many voters arriving early. She added that measures to improve accessibility, especially for individuals with disabilities and the elderly, were fully in place.
In Erongo, regional governor Natalia |Goagoses criticised some employers for making staff work on a declared public holiday.
She reacted to an active construction site and called on the public to report employers who refused to release workers.
“I want to know who their managers are. I want to go and remind them of the importance of voting,” Goagoses said. She added that she would inform the President.
According to the latest census by the Namibia Statistics Agency, the youth make up 2.1 million of the country’s three million people.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said several factors may explain why young people stayed away from the polls. He said many feel regional and local authority elections do not affect their lives directly.
“Some may feel disconnected from politics because they distrust leaders, or they believe their vote will not bring real change. Others may simply lack information about the importance of these elections or about the candidates,” he said.
Kamwanyah said school, work or personal commitments also play a role because voting does not feel like a priority. He added that young people are not always encouraged at home or in their communities to take part in civic activities.
He said low turnout across age groups may also reflect shared frustrations.
“People may feel discouraged because they think past elections have not improved their lives. Some may feel that the choices offered do not inspire confidence,” he said.
He added that many voters may not understand the voting process or the impact of local government decisions.
He said poor communication, lack of transport or long distances to polling stations may also contribute to low participation.
