The low number of eligible voters registering to vote in the November elections continues to be a cause for concern.

President Nangolo Mbumba says if nothing is done over the next few weeks, the country will not have a full picture of the number of voters and risk being accused of irregularities in the election. 

Dr. Mbumba, Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa, and the Secretary-General of the Swapo Party met with the management and commissioners of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).

The latest registration numbers from the ECN show that only 900,000 out of more than 1.6 million eligible voters have registered since the General Registration of Voters (GRV) exercise started on June 3.

With less than three weeks to go before the exercise ends on the first of August, concern over the low registration numbers has reached the top echelons of government. 

President Mbumba shared the concerns of some members of the public, mainly about challenges to the information shared at the registration points.

Other challenges relate to eligible voters being turned away over a lack of proof of residence documents, as the requirement is that voters register only in areas where they live.

The use of mobile teams, especially in rural areas, is another, as are reports of faulty equipment.

Responding to the concerns, ECN Chairperson Dr. Elsie Nghikembua explained that the GRV process was planned in line with the preliminary statistics of the Namibia Statistics Agency that were available in 2023.

There is no chance for the GRV process to be extended, and the ECN has re-enforced its teams to carry out the process as efficiently as possible.

The voter education campaigns are underway, which both sides feel should be strengthened for a wider reach.