Outjo: The members of the Outjo Residents Association (ORA) disrupted the inauguration of the newly revamped Outjo Central Park on Tuesday morning, held less than 24 hours before Namibians go to the polls to elect new leaders in the regional councils and local authority elections.

According to Namibia Press Agency, ORA members, Dankeni Tjilongo and McKay Losper, interrupted the program while the Mayor of Outjo was delivering her keynote address. The pair accused the council of holding the event under the pretence to gain favour with the residents of Outjo. The event also included the handing over of certificates for ervens and plot owners at the town.

In response, the Mayor of Outjo, Sieglinde Kanani Amamus, who is a candidate for the local authority under the United Democratic Front (UDF) ticket, maintained that the event was not hosted in her capacity as a politician but as Mayor. "I am not here to campaign; I am here as the mayor of this town to launch the park and hand over certificates. I am still the mayor of Outjo until the next council is elected and I am performing my duties as a mayor," she said.

The mayor called the Namibian police for assistance, who, upon arrival, read the ECN directive to the council, which prohibits any political candidate from hosting public gatherings 24 hours before the elections. Outjo police station commander, Harry Hoaeb, urged the Municipality to immediately stop the event and postpone it until further notice.