Oshana Region

Oshana is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Oshakati. The name Oshana describes the most prominent landscape feature in the area, namely the shallow, seasonally inundated depressions which underpin the local agro ecological system. Although communications are hindered during the rainy season, the fish which breed in the oshanas provide an important source of dietary protein.

Oshana Region
Region
Location of the Oshana Region in Namibia
CountryNamibia
CapitalOshakati
Government
 • GovernorElia Irimari
Area
 • Total8,647 km2 (3,339 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total176,674
 • Density20/km2 (53/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (CAT)
HDI (2017)0.669[3]
medium · 4th

The Oshakati-Ongwediva-Ondangwa complex has experienced dramatic urban growth in recent years and forms an important commercial and potential industrial focus. As a whole, it forms the second largest population concentration in Namibia after Windhoek, but it still lacks basic infrastructure and most of the services and facilities normally found in urban areas of this size. The majority of businesses in northern Namibia are located here, providing a significant amount of employment. However, urbanisation is continuing within the region.

Omahangu is the principal staple crop grown in Oshana, which is suitable for agriculture. However, the soil is exhausted over much of the central area and requires substantial fertilisation in order to maintain reasonable productivity. Cattle also do well here and herds are extensive. The southern portion of Oshana is an extensive savannah plain stretching as far as the Etosha Pan, but the generally high salinity of soil and water render it unsuitable for grazing or cultivation.

The area is far more densely populated in north, which is linked to Tsumeb and other regions by the high quality trunk road; this also facilitates the transport of freight. However, a significant improvement in the rest of the road network and in other forms of telecommunications are required. Oshakati and Ondangwa have airstrips which handle medium-sized airplanes in daylight only and provision can be made for both passengers and airfreight. The establishment of a control tower may contribute to the improvement of all-weather air and transport. Reasonably good hospitals are situated at Oshakati and Onjiipa, which supports a number of clinics. Although both primary and secondary schools are spread across the region, there are few relative to the amount of inhabitants of the region.

Oshana is one of only three regions without either a coastline or a foreign border. It borders the following regions:

Politics

The region comprises eleven constituencies:

Clemens Kashuupulwa was appointed governor of Oshana in 1998.[4] He was reappointed in 2015 following the 2014 election[5] and served in this position until November 2018. In March 2019 Elia Irimari was appointed to succeed him.[6]

The 2015 local and regional elections saw SWAPO win uncontested seven of the eleven Oshana constituencies.[7] The remaining four constituencies SWAPO won by a landslide, with results well over 90%.[8]

Typical landscape of Oshana Region

Economy and infrastructure

According to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in Oshana Region is 24.5%.[9] Oshana has 137 schools with a total of 50,740 pupils.[10] The centres of major economic activity are the towns Ondangwa, Ongwediva and Oshakati.

References
  1. "Namibia's Population by Region". Election Watch. Institute for Public Policy Research (1): 3. 2013.
  2. "Oshana 2011 Census Regional Profile" (PDF). Statistics Namibia. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. "'People Say I'm the Second Mugabe'", New Era, 14 April 2015.
  5. "President announces governors". The Namibian. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  6. Ashipala, Nuusita (13 March 2019). "Councillor Irimari appointed as governor of Oshana". New Era. p. 1.
  7. Kangootui, Nomhle (23 October 2015). "Swapo gets ǃNamiǂNûs uncontested". The Namibian. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015.
  8. "Regional Council Election Results 2015". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 3 December 2015. p. 18. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  9. Duddy, Jo Maré (11 April 2013). "Unemployment rate still alarmingly high". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
  10. Miyanicwe, Clemans; Kahiurika, Ndanki (27 November 2013). "School counsellors overstretched". The Namibian. p. 1.

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