The Electoral Commission of Namibia
(ECN) has roped in the services of two army helicopters to ensure that about
350 voters living in areas not accessible by road in 12 villages in the Kunene
Region cast their votes on polling day.
The villages,
which are situated in Epupa Constituency, are not accessible because there are
no roads leading to those areas and due to the mountainous nature of that part
of the region.
Inhabitants of
these villages do not have access to health services, schools and most
pensioners and orphans do not receive monthly state grants.
The 12 villages
are Sierra Cafema, Skeleton Coast Safari, Otjavaja, Okakora, Otjimborombonga,
Ehekeratjitindi, Otjahawe, Owena, Otjiheke Tjangukutu, Onjezu, Oroviheke and
Orokaue.
ECN officials in
the region say there will be no fixed polling stations in any of these
villages, but they will be serviced by two teams of polling officials who will
be mobile during the one-day polls.
"These
people are very nomadic and they move a lot because they are in constant search
for water and grazing for their animals, hence the teams will be mobile. The
helicopters will fly around the area and land where groups of people are
seen," said ECN Assistant Regional Coordinator for Kunene Region, Eben
Xoagub.
Xoagub said each
helicopter will transport three electoral officials and a police officer.
"We
requested that they send helicopters with more sitting space but this did not
happen. We just have to do with the two given to us," he said.
Meanwhile, the
region's voter education officer Santos Muhenje is confident that the
additional efforts through the voter education campaign will lure more voters
to the November 28 polls.
"This time
around you can see that as ECN we have placed much more emphasis on voter
education in order to eradicate voter apathy," he said.
Muhenje said the
vastness of the region and distance between villages has been the greatest
challenge during the ongoing preparations that will end three days before
polling day.
Another
challenge is also the limited network coverage across the region, which he says
makes it difficult for officials to communicate with the central command in
Opuwo.
"Some of
the teams are forced to have extra fuel tanks on hand because of the distance
they have to travel. When people go out into the field we lose communication
and all we can do here at the office is hope that they arrive at the various
destinations without any problems," he said.
He also lamented
the nomadic ways of Kunene's rural communities: "One moment the people are
in a certain area, but when the voter education teams pitch for sessions, they
find that those people have moved to other areas already - these are just some
of the challenges the officials have to endure to make sure that all
inhabitants are well prepared for the elections," Muhenje said.
Over 1.2 million
Namibians will vote during the general elections on November 28.
New Era
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