Windhoek: A total of 68 independent candidates will contest the regional council elections on 26 November. The high number of independent hopefuls signals a growing appetite among citizens to participate in grassroots politics outside traditional party structures.
According to Namibia Press Agency, an analysis of the official candidate list by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) suggests a geographical shift, with the highest concentration of independent candidates now in the north-eastern and central regions. The data shows that Kavango East Region leads the pack with 10 independent candidates, followed closely by Otjozondjupa with eight, and seven each in Omaheke and Zambezi.
The Khomas Region also shows strong representation with six independent candidates, underscoring increased political engagement in both urban and rural constituencies. The Mukwe Constituency in Kavango East stands out as one of the two constituencies with the highest number of independent candidates. Other constituencies in the region, such as Mashare, Ndonga Linena, and Rundu Urban, each have two, while Rundu Rural has one.
In Otjozondjupa, Okakarara, like Mukwe, also has three independent hopefuls. Omatako follows with two candidates, while Grootfontein, Okahandja, and Tsumkwe each have one. Meanwhile, the Omaheke Region reflects a fairly even spread, with the Kalahari Constituency fielding two independents, and Epukiro, Gobabis, Okorukambe, Otjinene, and Otjombinde each listing one.
In the north-east, constituencies in the Zambezi Region, both Judea Lyaboloma and Sibbinda, each have two independent candidates, while Katima Mulilo Urban, Kongola and Linyanti each have one. In the administrative region of Khomas, Katutura Central and Katutura East each have two independent candidates, while Tobias Hainyeko and Windhoek Rural each have one.
The west-central region of Erongo has independent candidates in five constituencies, including Swakopmund, Walvis Bay Rural, and Omaruru, while ||Kharas in the south counts five independents spread across Karasburg East, Karasburg West, and Keetmanshoop Urban.
The 2025 figure marks a slight decrease compared to the 2020 regional council elections, when a total of 87 independent candidates contested nationwide, though their distribution was more concentrated in urban areas. Khomas Region dominated with 18 independents, followed by Omusati with 11, and Oshana and Zambezi with eight each. Regions such as Kavango West had none, while ||Kharas and Erongo each had five.
In total, 456 candidates from 20 political parties and 68 independent candidates are contesting the regional council elections, according to the ECN.