Omaheke (Otjiherero: Sandveld) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, the least populous region. Its capital is Gobabis. It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari desert. The self-governed villages of Otjinene, Leonardville and Witvlei are situated in the region. As of 2020[update], Omaheke had 48,594 registered voters.[5]
Gobabis is the centre of this area and also its main business area, as it is linked with the capital of Namibia, Windhoek, by rail and the tarred B6 national road. This infrastructure serves as the main supply line for the region.
All the other population centres in the region are linked with Gobabis by road. Many other services are rendered from Gobabis to the region, such as the Police Divisional Headquarters, which is situated in Gobabis. Clinics in the region are served by medical practitioners based in Gobabis, and there are two hospitals and a clinic serving the region.
The agricultural patterns of this region is to a large extent homogenous. Most of the 900 commercial and 3,500 communal farmers in this area are cattle breeders. A regional office of the Ministry of Agriculture, serving the whole region, is based in Gobabis.
Hunting, including trophy hunting, is one of the major sources of income for the region. This takes place mainly in the winter months, from June to August. During these months, tourists from the northern hemisphere can be seen in the area, enjoying the mild and dry winter climate and collecting trophies.
In 2013 Omaheke had 42 government schools with a total of 18,365 pupils.[6]
In the 2015 regional elections SWAPO obtained 54% of the total votes (2010: 47%) and won four of the seven constituencies. NUDO obtained 23% of the total votes (2010: 26%)[5] and won Aminuis and Otjinene, while Otjombinde was won by an independent candidate.[10][11] Although SWAPO's support dropped to 44% of the total votes in the 2020 regional election, it won five of the seven constituencies, while NUDO (23% total) kept its strongholds Otjinene and Aminuis.[5]
Omaheke is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.[18]
A large part of this region is known as the Sandveld. The northeastern part of the region is still very much wilderness.[citation needed]
Anthropologically, almost the entire Ovambanderu and Gobabis-Juǀwa ethnic groups reside in the region. Furthermore, it is a rich cultural area for Herero, Damara-Nama, Tswana, Afrikaners and Germans.[citation needed]
One of its notable event is the annual Meat Festival.[citation needed]
History
On 11 August 1904, a German armed force with artillery and machine guns, which had encircled the Herero who had fled to the Waterberg in Namibia, attacked and forced the survivors to flee to the Omaheke desert, where large numbers died. Those who tried to emerge from the desert were killed by German patrols along the perimeter of the Omaheke.[19] This was the turning point in the Herero and Namaqua Genocide.
^Menges, Werner (29 November 2015). "Mixed results for opposition in regional polls". The Namibian.
^Laura McLeod Namibia Institute for Democracy February 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
^Maletsky, Christof (20 February 2006). "Swapo members ordered to toe line - or face the music". The Namibian. He [Festus Ueitele] was supported by Omaheke Governor Laura McLeod. "You must comply".
^Haufiku, Mathias (2013-03-25). "Namibia: Governor Kamehozu Loses Battle Against Cancer". New Era. AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
^Immanuel, Shinovene (22 April 2013). "Pohamba continues to pave way for Geingob". The Namibian.
^"President announces governors". The Namibian. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.
^Duddy, Jo Maré (11 April 2013). . The Namibian. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
^Olusoga, David and Erichsen, Casper W (2010). The Kaiser's Holocaust. Germany's Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism. Faber and Faber. ISBN978-0-571-23141-6
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Omaheke Otjiherero Sandveld is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia the least populous region Its capital is Gobabis It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari desert The self governed villages of Otjinene Leonardville and Witvlei are situated in the region As of 2020 update Omaheke had 48 594 registered voters 5 Omaheke RegionRegionLocation of the Omaheke Region in NamibiaCountryNamibiaCapitalGobabisGovernment GovernorPijoo Nganate 1 Area 2 Total84 981 km2 32 811 sq mi Population 2011 3 Total71 233 Density0 84 km2 2 2 sq mi Time zoneSouth African Standard Time UTC 2HDI 2017 0 600 4 medium 10th Contents 1 Economy and infrastructure 2 Politics 2 1 Presidential elections 2 2 Regional elections 2 3 Governors 3 Demographics 3 1 Language 4 Characteristics 5 History 6 External links 7 ReferencesEconomy and infrastructure Edit Typical Cattle Farm near Gobabis Gobabis is the centre of this area and also its main business area as it is linked with the capital of Namibia Windhoek by rail and the tarred B6 national road This infrastructure serves as the main supply line for the region All the other population centres in the region are linked with Gobabis by road Many other services are rendered from Gobabis to the region such as the Police Divisional Headquarters which is situated in Gobabis Clinics in the region are served by medical practitioners based in Gobabis and there are two hospitals and a clinic serving the region The agricultural patterns of this region is to a large extent homogenous Most of the 900 commercial and 3 500 communal farmers in this area are cattle breeders A regional office of the Ministry of Agriculture serving the whole region is based in Gobabis Hunting including trophy hunting is one of the major sources of income for the region This takes place mainly in the winter months from June to August During these months tourists from the northern hemisphere can be seen in the area enjoying the mild and dry winter climate and collecting trophies In 2013 Omaheke had 42 government schools with a total of 18 365 pupils 6 Politics EditUpon independence of Namibia Hereroland East was absorbed into Omaheke Region 7 The region comprises seven constituencies 8 Aminuis Epukiro Gobabis Kalahari Okorukambe formerly Steinhausen Otjinene OtjombindePresidential elections Edit In the 2004 presidential election the Omaheke Region supported SWAPO s Hifikepunye Pohamba with 13 005 votes 46 but the Ohangwena Region native did not win a majority of the votes in the region National Unity Democratic Organisation NUDO s Kuaima Riruako paramount chief of the Herero people received over 7 000 votes 25 and the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance DTA s Katuutire Kaura received over 3 700 votes 13 Only in the much more populated Khomas Region and neighboring Otjozondjupa Region did Riruako gain more votes and in no other region did NUDO s candidate gain a higher percentage of the votes 9 Regional elections Edit In the 2015 regional elections SWAPO obtained 54 of the total votes 2010 47 and won four of the seven constituencies NUDO obtained 23 of the total votes 2010 26 5 and won Aminuis and Otjinene while Otjombinde was won by an independent candidate 10 11 Although SWAPO s support dropped to 44 of the total votes in the 2020 regional election it won five of the seven constituencies while NUDO 23 total kept its strongholds Otjinene and Aminuis 5 Governors Edit unknown 1992 2001 Laura McLeod Katjirua SWAPO 2001 2012 12 13 Rapama Kamehozu 2012 2013 14 Festus Ueitele 2013 2020 15 16 Pijoo Nganate 2020 present 1 Demographics EditAccording to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey unemployment in the Omaheke Region is 34 1 17 Language Edit According to the 2011 census 43 of the population speak Otjiherero 30 speak Nama Damara and 8 speak Afrikaans at home 3 Characteristics EditIn the east Omaheke borders are three districts of Botswana North West northern Ghanzi eastern Kgalagadi southernDomestically it borders the following regions Hardap south Khomas west Otjozondjupa northOmaheke is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude 18 A large part of this region is known as the Sandveld The northeastern part of the region is still very much wilderness citation needed Anthropologically almost the entire Ovambanderu and Gobabis Juǀwa ethnic groups reside in the region Furthermore it is a rich cultural area for Herero Damara Nama Tswana Afrikaners and Germans citation needed One of its notable event is the annual Meat Festival citation needed History EditOn 11 August 1904 a German armed force with artillery and machine guns which had encircled the Herero who had fled to the Waterberg in Namibia attacked and forced the survivors to flee to the Omaheke desert where large numbers died Those who tried to emerge from the desert were killed by German patrols along the perimeter of the Omaheke 19 This was the turning point in the Herero and Namaqua Genocide External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Omaheke Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Omaheke References Edit a b Goodbye Namibian Sun 10 April 2020 p 1 Namibia s Population by Region Election Watch Institute for Public Policy Research 1 3 2013 a b Omaheke 2011 Census Regional Profile PDF Statistics Namibia Retrieved 10 April 2020 Sub national HDI Area Database Global Data Lab hdi globaldatalab org Retrieved 2018 09 13 a b c Regional Council 2020 Election Results Interactive map Electoral Commission of Namibia 18 January 2021 Retrieved 19 July 2021 Miyanicwe Clemans Kahiurika Ndanki 27 November 2013 School counsellors overstretched The Namibian p 1 Region of Namibia Namib Web Omaheke Region Constituencies Archived 2008 12 31 at the Wayback Machine Electoral Commission of Namibia Election Results Omaheke Region Election Watch Namibia Regional Council Election Results 2015 Electoral Commission of Namibia 3 December 2015 pp 15 16 Archived from the original on 8 December 2015 Menges Werner 29 November 2015 Mixed results for opposition in regional polls The Namibian Laura McLeod Namibia Institute for Democracy Archived February 29 2012 at the Wayback Machine Maletsky Christof 20 February 2006 Swapo members ordered to toe line or face the music The Namibian He Festus Ueitele was supported by Omaheke Governor Laura McLeod You must comply Haufiku Mathias 2013 03 25 Namibia Governor Kamehozu Loses Battle Against Cancer New Era AllAfrica com Retrieved 2013 03 25 Immanuel Shinovene 22 April 2013 Pohamba continues to pave way for Geingob The Namibian President announces governors The Namibian 10 April 2015 Archived from the original on 14 April 2015 Duddy Jo Mare 11 April 2013 Unemployment rate still alarmingly high The Namibian Archived from the original on 14 April 2013 A point on the line lies within the region 20 55 S 20 55 E 20 917 S 20 917 E 20 917 20 917 Olusoga David and Erichsen Casper W 2010 The Kaiser s Holocaust Germany s Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism Faber and Faber ISBN 978 0 571 23141 6 Coordinates 22 00 S 19 30 E 22 000 S 19 500 E 22 000 19 500 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Omaheke Region amp oldid 1120683841, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
