Well as summer draws to a close Swakopmunders can already feel the temperature drop and we can expect a rather chilly winter ahead. However, there might still be a chance of a few hot days when the warm desert east wind blows during the months of June and July.
Swakopmund Residents Association
Elections are Coming
On the 21st of March 2025 we will celebrate 35 years of independence and a new Government will be sworn in. The elections for this new government will take place on the 27th of November 2024. To be able to exercise your democratic right to vote you will have to register or reregister as a voter between the 3rd of June and 1 August 2024. This means that even if you have previously registered to vote, you will have to repeat this registration! This is important to note as effectively any previous registration as a voter will not entitle you to vote in the upcoming election!
In Namibia you have the right to choose whether to vote or to withhold your vote. The exercising of this right is a very personal but important decision to make. Should you decide not to exercise this right, you should refrain from criticising the new Government as you chose not to vote for a new Government. We should also remember that in many countries people are not granted the right to exercise a free vote for a party or individual of your choice! We are privileged to have been granted this right by our constitution.
We also distinguish ourselves from other countries in that our President is elected directly by you, by the eligible voters of Namibia and not by other elected individuals. The to be elected President is thus accountable to each voter whether you voted for that position or not.
We would encourage you to carefully consider the choice which you are entitled to make and to keep in mind how privileged we as Namibians are given the freedoms and consequences which are associated with the exercising of that right to vote.
Maintaining Our City’s Infrastructure
Maintenance of infrastructure is extremely important, and it is good to witness the work being carried out by the Swakopmund Municipality in this regard. The resurfacing of the cycle paths and sidewalks in Strand Street, regular cleaning out of sewerage pump stations, maintenance of gardens and the repairing of roads are but a few actions taken by our local authority. We can be truly proud of our Municipality!
There are however complaints raised by some residents that certain property owners do not maintain their properties in a reasonable state. We are aware that the municipality has written to several property owners to draw their attention to the fact of not only visual
appearance of buildings but also issues related to health concerns. We encourage citizens to report dereliction of properties with the appropriate authorities.
Another more serious issue of concern is the state of the government owned properties in our town that need urgent maintenance. Detailed surveys and a report were undertaken by the SRA and submitted to the Erongo Regional Governor and follow up meetings were held with the Regional Council. Many of the government buildings are of great historical value and must be preserved for future generations to come. Swakopmund is a great tourist venue, and our heritage must be preserved. We can only hope that we will soon see visible action from our authorities. It may be time for Government to consider whether some of these buildings should be offered for sale.
You Have Been Counted!
The Namibian population has grown to 3,022,401, with 1,548,177 females and 1,474,224 males according to the preliminary report of the 2023 census. The 2023 Population and Housing Census (PHC) is Namibia’s first fully digital census. It leveraged on technology available to improve operational efficiency, enhance the quality of the data collected, and ability to release results promptly. The 2023 PHC counted and collected detailed information of all persons who spent the Census Reference Night, that is Sunday 24th September 2023, in Namibia. The initial enumeration period was from 25th September 2023 to 06th October 2023, with a mop-up period, extending it to 30th October 2023 in some areas that encountered challenges. Before the Census Reference Night, the listing of households took place between the 18th and 24th September 2023.
Overall, females make up 51.2% of the population and males 48.8%, giving a national sex ratio of 95 males for every 100 females. In all, 756,339 households were enumerated, with an average national household size of 3.8 persons. The national population density in the 2023 PHC is 3.7 persons per square kilometre.
The population has increased by 909,324 people from the 2.1 million people recorded in 2011, constituting an annual intercensal growth rate of 3.0% per annum. This rate is double what was observed in the previous intercensal period (2001 to 2011 which was 1.4% per annum) and is the highest observed since independence. At this rate, by the year 2050 the population of Namibia would be over 6 million, all things being equal. The total number of households has grown by 291,500 (representing a 62.7% increase) over the 464,839 households enumerated in 2011. Household size decreased by 0.6 persons per household from 4.4 in the 2011 census.
Khomas region remains the most populous region in Namibia with a population of 494,729 people. Ohangwena region closely follows as the second most populous region with a population count of 337,729 people. Hopefully the respective municipalities/government will be ready for this.
The Erongo region has a population of 240,206 people up from 55,470 people in 1991 which is the highest increase of 333% since independence. This dramatic growth in Swakopmund is felt with a very large influx of people especially into the township areas. Many people migrate to Swakopmund from the northern part of the country looking for work opportunities. This dramatic population growth puts serious pressure on the Swakopmund Municipality to provide services to the best possible standard.
Desalination
“Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink”, said a shipwrecked sailor! Namibia might face a similar problem in the future if the drought cycles continue for years to come. Namibia has abundance of sea water which could be turned into good drinking water for human consumption. Currently the main source of water for Swakopmund comes from the Orano desalination plant which uses the infrastructure belonging to Namwater to transport that water. When there is a sulphur outburst the desalination plant is unable to filter the seawater sufficiently so that Swakopmund must, for those periods of shutdown, rely on water from the Omdel delta. This delta is under severe threat as a result of over extraction and cannot be relied upon. What makes matters worse, is that it seems unlikely that the Omaruru and Kuiseb rivers will flow this year which means that the aquifers may not be replenished sufficiently for them to be able to supply water. We all know that the population is growing and that the infrastructure of Namwater is unable to even cope with the current situation. We have therefore requested the Municipality to investigate alternative sources for freshwater to ensure availability to citizens as well as the growing number of businesses here.
The editors of this newsletter are constantly looking for matters of interest to share with others. Should you feel that a particular issue needs to be elaborated on please feel free to contact us.
As always please keep safe and look after each other.
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