The 2025 Local Authority and Regional Elections in Walvis Bay, Namibia
- JWBRA Team
- Dec 17
- 4 min read
On 26 November 2025, registered voters across Namibia took to the polls. Besides one or two isolated incidents, the elections were calm and organised.
Before we carry on, we would like to congratulate our very own Sharon Roodt, who was sworn in as a JWBRA Councillor on 5 December 2025 and will give this all her heart.
What Were the 2025 Elections About?
As Local Authority and Regional Council Elections, these polls determined the make-up of Namibia's 14 Regional Councils and 59 Local Authorities.
What are Regional Council Elections?
During Regional Council Elections, people in each constituency vote for individual candidates (independent or party-affiliated) to serve on their regional council for the next five years. The candidate with the most votes wins and has to go live in that constituency if they don't already do so.
Function of the Regional Councils in Namibia
You might be wondering, what does a regional council actually do? Turns out, they're actually quite important. They participate in passing laws, influence planning for their region and help local governments.
Each regional council selects three members for the National Council (which, as the Upper House of our Parliament, reviews bills and has the power to make the National Assembly reconsider them).
The regional councils also work together with the National Planning Commission and the region's Governor to guide growth and development (think roads, parks, mines, etc.).
What are Local Authority Elections?
Residents of a local authority (village, town or municipality, i.e. a city) vote for a party or registered association/organisation to represent them on the local authority council for the next five years.
Unlike political parties, associations/organisations can only participate in their local authority (LA) elections, never in regional or national elections. Each party or association/organisation puts together a list of candidates for the local authority council. These candidates have to have lived in that LA for at least one year.
The council seats are shared out based on the ratio of votes each party got. Say 10,000 people voted and Party A got 6,000, Party B got 3,000 and Party C got 1,000 votes. They then get 6, 3 and 1 seat respectively. If the most successful parties don't get enough votes to fill all seats, the rest are shared out, in order, to the runners up.
Duties of the LA Council
LA Councils must provide services and development and can make regulations (previously called by-laws) for their local authority. Depending on the LA tier, they have varying sizes and powers. There are villages, towns and municipalities (at the time of writing this, only Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay were classified as municipalities).
Local councils are supposed to be accountable to the residents and make decisions that positively impact their quality of life.
Walvis Bay 2025 Council Candidates
Quite a few groups were represented on Walvis Bay's 2025 Local Authority ballot paper. In alphabetical order, people could vote for:
Affirmative Repositioning
Body of Christ Party
Independent Patriots for Change
Joint Walvis Bay Residents Association
Landless People's Movement
National Empowerment Fighting Corruption
People Unite for Change
Popular Democratic Movement
SWAPO Party of Namibia
United Democratic Front of Namibia
United Namibians Party
Walvis Bay Community Association
Each group had to have 10 council candidates (of which 3 must have been women) plus 5 back-ups.
Walvis Bay Polling Stations for the 2025 Elections
On the left are two maps showing the permanent polling stations in Walvis Bay that were used in the 2025 Local Authority and Regional Council Elections.
Go here to see the ECN's complete list of polling stations by region, or click the button below to access this historic data on an interactive Google Map.
Results of the 2025 Elections in Namibia
Both the Local Authority and Regional Council Elections saw SWAPO take back an overwhelming number of constituencies and local authorities. Have a look at the official results here:
Walvis Bay Election Results
Compared to 2020, SWAPO really rallied and managed to cinch half the available seats. During the inaugural Council meeting on 5 December 2025, SWAPO - as expected - got all the important roles. Somewhat surprising was that the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) collaborated with SWAPO, nominating them for mayor and getting a seat on the management committee in return. One can only hope that their promise of improved services will be kept now that they (with AR's support only) have majority.
What Will the JWBRA Do Now?
While we got more votes than in 2020, the greater voter turnout (16,000 compared to 12,000) meant a smaller share of the votes. We are grateful to have maintained our one seat and humbled by the support received over the past five years.
Our mission, however, hasn't changed. Whether in Council or outside of it, our objectives stay the same: improve service delivery, increase accountability, and ensure residents’ voices are heard in every decision that affects this town.
This campaign showed that people are ready for a practical, no-nonsense alternative in local politics. We built structures, gathered data, trained volunteers, and engaged communities in ways that will continue to serve Walvis Bay long after this election.
Our next steps are clear:
• hold council accountable,
• continue supporting residents directly,
• and prepare early and strategically for the next opportunity to expand our influence.
We thank everyone who supported this effort. The work doesn’t stop just because a goal is still in progress. It continues because the issues facing Walvis Bay are real, and we intend to stay in the fight.
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