Omusati Region

Omusati (the Oshindonga word for Mopane, the dominant tree in the area) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Outapi. The towns of Okahao, Oshikuku and Ruacana as well as the self-governed village Tsandi are situated in this region. , Omusati had 148,834 registered voters.

The region is home to the Ruacana Falls, among the largest waterfalls in Africa, and the Omugulugwombashe heritage site, where the Namibian struggle for independence started in 1966.

Geography

In the north, Omusati borders the Cunene Province of Angola. Domestically, it borders the following regions:
* Ohangwena - northeast
* Oshana - east
* Kunene - south and west

The region got its name from the Mopane tree (''omusati'': ) which is the dominant species in the region. The Makalani palms decrease rapidly westwards from the border with Oshana region. The change in vegetation type reflects ecological conditions forming a natural boundary between the two regions.

The region is home to the Ruacana Falls. The waterfall is 120 meters (390 ft) high and 700 meters (2,300 ft) wide in full flood and is among the largest waterfalls in Africa, both by volume and width.

Villages

* Okaleke
* Ohembe
* Olupandu
* Onelombo
* Omutaku Ngwakayupa
* Onekukumo
* Onawa
* Ouholondema
* Onghili
* Onembamba

Economy and infrastructure

The northern part of Omusati is far more densely populated than the south, where the grazing is of poor quality and the water is generally saline. This is primarily an agricultural region where mahangu, also known as pearl millet, is successfully grown. A canal carries water from the Ruacana river to Oshakati, passing through Outapi. Water from this canal has been used to irrigate a large, government-run farm at Etunda where crops from maize to watermelon to bananas are grown. The electrical network covers towns including Outapi, Ruacana, Tsandi, Oshikuku, and Okahao.

The region is traversed by a high standard trunk road which provides a direct link to adjacent regions and the rest of the country. Although passenger and freight transport along this route is easy, the rest of this road network, in common with all the communal areas of northern Namibia, is of poor quality. Okahao and Outapi both have small hospitals, and a network of clinics provides basic services.

Only 17% of households in Omusati have access to improved sanitation (toilet facilities). According to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in the Region is 28.9%. Omusati has 274 schools with a total of 86,365 pupils.

Politics

The governor of Omusati since 2015 is Erginus Endjala. The region comprises twelve constituencies:

* Anamulenge
* Elim
* Etayi
* Ogongo
* Okahao
* Okalongo
* Onesi
* Oshikuku
* Otamanzi
* Outapi
* Ruacana
* Tsandi

Electorally, Omusati region is consistently dominated by the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). For instance, Omusati voters selected SWAPO with 97.68% of their votes in the 2004 parliamentary election, and again with 98% in the 2014 election.

Regional elections

In the 2004 regional election for the National Assembly of Namibia, SWAPO won in all constituencies by a landslide. In Anamulenge and Otamanzi no opposition party even nominated a candidate.

The 2015 local and regional elections saw SWAPO obtain 99.4% of the total votes (2010: 99.0) and win uncontested eight of the twelve Omusati constituencies, and two of the five towns. The remaining four constituencies SWAPO won by a landslide, with results ranging from 89% (Ruacana) to 98% (Ogongo). Although SWAPO's support dropped to 86.5% of the total votes in the 2020 regional election, it again won all constituencies by a large margin.

Demographics

As of 2023, Omusati is home to 316,671 inhabitants. In the general population, women outnumber men, with only 87 males per 100 females. The population is majority rural, with only 11.1% living in urban settlements. The population density is 11.9 people per km². 5.7% of residents are not Namibian citizens. There are 72,437 private households, averaging 4.2 members.
The population is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%, with a fertility rate of 4.3 children per woman. 14.7% is under 5, 27.3% 5-14, 29.2% 15-34, 18.4% 35-59, and 10.4% over 60.

Marriage status

26% of the adult population is married, either with certificate (16%), traditionally (4.1%), in a consensual union (1.3%), divorced (0.1%), or widowed (4.2%). The population generally marries older, with only 0.4% of the current youth population married before age 18.

Education and employment

The literacy rate has decreased from 2011 to 84.1%. 22.0% percent of pre-primary youth attend Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs. The maximum level of educational attainment is mostly primary (45.8%), with only 19.6% pursuing secondary education and 8% pursuing tertiary education. 12.3% has no educational attainment.
27.0% of inhabitants earn a wage or salary as their primary source of income, 26.3% receive an old-age pension, 19.5% rely on farming, and 7.6% are involved in non-farming business. In 2011, the unemployment rate was 35%, and 59% of residents were not in the labor force due to being a student (31%), a homemaker (49%), or retired (19%).

Technology access

From 2011 to 2023, technology access largely improved. As of 2023, 89.9% of the population has access to safe drinking water, compared to 51.6% in 2011. 42.2% have access to toilet facilities, a 21.1% increase. The proportion of the population that has access to electricity for lighting has risen from 9% to 20.2% since 2011. Access to the internet has risen to 15.3%, while cellphone ownership is relatively similar at 46.4% (from 44.3% in 2011).

External links

Official website
Omusati Regional Council

References

{{Authority control

Regions of Namibia
States and territories established in 1992
1992 establishments in Namibia