The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, has vowed to redirect funds from local authorities that are keeping funds for development with no plan to those that have.

Responding to concerns raised by representatives of churches and civil society organisations about the state of readiness of the Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections in November, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) said it is well on track with the preparations.

Churches and civil society organisations remain worried about the state of readiness of the Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections in November.

They, therefore, urged the Electoral Commission of Namibia to engage them and use the platforms available to create awareness on voter registration.

Close to 20,000 Namibians registered to vote during the first week of the Supplementary Registration of Voters (SRV) process, which began on 4 August 2025 in preparation for the 2025 Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections. 

The supplementary voter registration, which began on August 4, has seen a total of 2,195 voters registered in the Oshikoto Region.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, has called for cooperation from stakeholders to decentralise their functions and services.

Participation in elections through voting remains the cornerstone of Namibia's democracy.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah amplified this message as she urged all eligible Namibians to turn up in numbers and register for the upcoming Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections.

Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Commissioner Pius Iikwambi has raised concern over the steady decline in voter turnout for regional councils and local authorities elections since the country’s first such polls in 1992.

The 2025 Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections will take place on the 26th of November, with Special Voting for electoral officials and uniformed personnel set for November 24th, National Council Chairperson Lucas Muha announced.

The Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), Peter Shaama, outlined the components of the 2025 Regional Councils and Local Authorities Elections calendar on Wednesday.