Local teacher Petrus Mutji, who contested as an Independent Candidate (IC), is the Councillor for Tsumkwe Constituency.
36-year-old Mutji who teaches at Grashoek primary school, secured 1,438 votes against his close contestant, the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) followed by the Swapo Party.
Mutji, who grew up in Omatako and completed his primary school there, says his wins represent a call for change.
He says he aims to inspire youth in particular and Tsumkwe constituents to work together and bring development to the constituency.
"The message that the community sends through is to opt for change; it has been high time that people's voices be heard, you know, in terms of engagement and in terms of development."
He vows to tackle the issue of poor roads, limited water supply, lack of electricity, poor network, and unemployment and facilitate improvement of school infrastructure.
"We have got a service delivery gap, we have poor infrastructure in Tsumkwe, we have economic development limitations in Tsumkwe, and we have got social concerns in Tsumkwe. We have got a network that is limited in most of the areas. If you look at Grashoek, Kanovlei, and most of the Nyae Nyae areas, they are not covered with network services. We have electrification that does not cover most of our area that starts at Grashoek and Omatako. We have a functional traditional authority, and we still do not have electricity there. We have Kanovlei and other areas like Aasvoelnes,and |Nhoma and these are tourism hubs, and all Nyae Nyae villages are tourist hubs."
He expanded on his long-term vision for the constituency, saying, "For the constituency to be striving and be resilient, whereby our cultural heritage is uplifted and safeguarded, youth are engaged in economic development and elders are catered for, women are empowered, and we have our gravel road that nearly makes it impossible, especially in the rainy season, for people to travel."
He plans to facilitate the construction of a shopping centre in Tsumkwe to curb the long distances residents have to travel to get basic goods.
Mutji says he will work closely with the traditional authorities to assist in tackling developmental challenges.