KEETMANSHOOP — Bernadus Swartbooi, leader of the Landless People’s Movement, has voiced significant concerns regarding the low voter registration rates in the ||Kharas Region of Namibia. During a belated independence celebration event for the Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency, Swartbooi emphasized the urgent need for increased voter participation.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the current voter registration figures are troublingly low compared to previous years, where turnout was between 60 and 70 percent. He highlighted the critical importance of engaging young voters and the general populace to register in the remaining days of the enrollment period, which started on June 3 and is scheduled to end on August 1, 2024. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has recorded only 41,861 registrations out of an eligible 70,672 voters in the region as of July 13. Swartbooi suggested that the ECN should extend the registration deadline to accommodate more potential voters and address the issue of not registering prisoners, which he described as a significant oversight and form of discrimination.

During the celebration, Swartbooi also criticized the central government for over-centralizing power and resources, which he claims has led to corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement. He argued that the government should recognize and empower regional and local authorities more substantially, rather than treating them as peripheral entities dependent on central government favors.