Khorixas

Khorixas is a town of 6,000 inhabitants in southern Kunene Region, Namibia. It was the capital of the Damaraland bantustan before Namibia's independence.[2] It is the administrative capital of Khorixas Constituency. Most of the inhabitants are from the Damara ethnic group. The town is located near to an important deposit of petrified wood and the Twyfelfontein valley, known for its rock art.

  • Aerial view of Khorixas (2018)
Khorixas
Housing in Khorixas
Khorixas
Location in Namibia
Coordinates: 20°22′S 14°58′E
Country Namibia
RegionKunene Region
ConstituencyKhorixas Constituency
Government
 • MayorCloephas Tjunduwa
 • Town Council CEOLina #Gaeses
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total6,796
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
ClimateBSh
Children in Khorixas

Economy and infrastructure
Khorixas landing strip and main road C39 (2018)

The regional hospital and some other regional offices are still located in Khorixas, though the capital of Kunene Region is Opuwo. There are six schools and one branch of University of Namibia (UNAM) in Khorixas, Versteendewoud is the biggest primary school and Cornelius Goreseb High School is the biggest secondary school. Other schools are: Eddie Bowe Primary School, Welwitchia Primary School, Welwitchia Junior Secondary School and Th. F. ǃGaeb Primary School.

Khorixas suffers from a lack of economic development and employment opportunities, which leads to frustration and outward migration among many of the town's youth.[3] The unemployment rate in town is estimated to be around 70%. Donkerhoek (Afrikaans: dark corner), the town's informal settlement, has neither water nor electricity.[4]

Khorixas has a landing strip nine kilometers east of town parallel to the main road C39. The Runway Numbers are 09/27 and elevation is 3320 feet.

Politics

Khorixas is governed by a town council that has seven seats.[5] Due to its location in former Damaraland, the ethnically Damara-based United Democratic Front (UDF) has strong support in the population. Unlike in most other constituencies of Namibia, the ruling SWAPO party had until 2015 never won in Khorixas.[6]

Local authority elections

The 2015 local authority election was won by SWAPO, gaining four seats (1,741 votes) and the majority in the village council. The remaining three seats went to the UDF with 1,345 votes.[7]

Mayors
  • 2005 Martha Claassen, UDF. Claassen was the first female mayor of Khorixas but her reign lasted only three days.[8]
  • 2012–2015 Trypohasa Moloto, UDF.[8]
  • 2015–present: Elizabeth Geises, SWAPO

Geography

Climate

Khorixas has a semi-arid climate (BSh, according to the Köppen climate classification), with warm to hot summers and mild winters. It borders on a desert climate (BWh). The average annual precipitation is 220 mm (9 in), with a low of 106 mm (4.2 in) during the 2010s drought in 2018/19.[9]

Khorixas
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
45
 
 
29
17
 
 
64
 
 
27
17
 
 
67
 
 
27
16
 
 
22
 
 
26
14
 
 
4
 
 
24
11
 
 
0
 
 
23
9
 
 
0
 
 
22
8
 
 
0
 
 
24
9
 
 
1
 
 
26
11
 
 
6
 
 
28
13
 
 
14
 
 
28
15
 
 
10
 
 
29
16
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: World Climate Guide

Sport

The Robber Chanties, which in August 2010 played in the Northern Stream Division One and sought promotion the Namibia Premier League, are based in Khorixas.[10]

Sights

References
  1. "Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011)" (PDF). Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report. Namibia Statistics Agency. p. 39. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. Khorixas Journal; For Apartheid's Castaways, Heartbreak in Desert New York Times, July 7, 1989
  3. Khorixas: A town on a downward spiral The Namibian, 10 August 2009
  4. Kapitako, Alvine (24 April 2015). "Jobs simply scarce in Khorixas". New Era. p. 6.
  5. "Know Your Local Authority". Election Watch (3). Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4.
  6. "UDF's mediocrity led to Swapo victory - ǁGaroëb". New Era. 3 December 2015.
  7. "Local elections results". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 28 November 2015. p. 4. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  8. Miyanicwe, Clemans (28 November 2012). "Khorixas elects young mayor". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013.
  9. Menges, Werner; Oliveira, Yokany (23 May 2019). "Khomas faces worst drought in 90 years". The Namibian. p. 1.
  10. Chanties cry foul over unwanted whistle blower New Era, 5 August 2010

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