Ongwediva

Ongwediva is a town in the Oshana Region in the north of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Ongwediva electoral constituency. As of 2010 it had 27,000 inhabitants and covered 4,102 hectares of land. Ongwediva has seven churches, two private schools and 13 government-run schools. Most of the inhabitants speak Oshiwambo.[3]

Ongwediva
Town
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
The Valley of the Leopard
Motto(s): 
Freedom & Hard Work
Ongwediva
Location in Namibia
Coordinates: 17°47′S 15°46′E
Country Namibia
RegionOshana Region
constituencyOngwediva Constituency
Proclaimed1992
Government
 • MayorAngelina Angula
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total20,260
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
ClimateBSh
Websitehttp://www.otc.com.na/
Ongwediva residential neighborhood
Queens Hall, Ongwediva fair grounds on the B1 road

History

The settlement of Ongwediva was established in the 1960s while Namibia was under South African occupation, in the area of headman Mr Nandjebo Mengela. Its purpose was to serve as a residential area for people employed by businesses and government in Oshakati and Ondangwa. All main educational institutions in the north of Namibia (at that time called the Ovamboland) were situated here.[4]

Economy and development

Ongwediva hosts an annual trade fair, the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF) since 2000, after one initial trade fair, the Northern Namibia Trade Fair, was held in 1995.[5] Opposite of the open market, there is a shopping mall (Maroela Mall, Mandume Ndemufayo St.).

Ongwediva is an urban area that experiences rapid growth. It had less than 11,000 inhabitants in 2001.[6]

Ongwediva is the second largest entertainment town in Namibia just behind the capital Windhoek. Ongwediva is a fast-growing town in terms of development and status as a second most livable town in Namibia.[7] It also features one of the few private hospitals in Namibia.[8]

Politics

Ongwediva is governed by a town council that currently has seven seats.[9]

Oshana Region, to which Ongwediva belongs, is a stronghold of Namibia's ruling SWAPO party. In the 2015 local authority election SWAPO won by a landslide (2,264 votes) and gained all seven council seats. The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) also ran but gained only 166 votes.[10]

Education

There are currently only two high schools in Ongwediva, Mweshipandeka High School and Gabriel Taapopi SSS. There are also five primary schools. The newly created Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology of the University of Namibia is based in Ongwediva, and started its first official academic year in 2009.[11] There was also an educational college for teachers. The University of Namibia (Unam) Ongwediva Campus has been named after President Hifikepunye Pohamba. The campus was formally known as Ongwediva College of Education (OCE), and also got to be known as the Unam Ongwediva Campus when all colleges of education merged with Unam in 2010.[12]

Notable residents
  • ELCIN church
  • Roads Authority office
  • Police station
  • Shopping Center Maroela Mall in Ongwediva, Namibia
  • Private hospital
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References
  1. "Ongwediva Mayor welcomes visitors". Namibian Sun. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  2. "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.
  3. "Location". Ongwediva Town Council. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  4. "Historical background". Ongwediva Town Council. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  5. "Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair, About us". Ongwediva Town Council. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  6. Republic of Namibia 2001 Population and Housing Census (Basic Analysis with Highlights ed.). Windhoek: Central Bureau of Statistics, National Planning Commission. July 2003. p. 21. ISBN 0-86976-614-7.
  7. Revealing northern Namibia. Namiba: The Namibian Newspaper. 30 July 2015. p. 14.
  8. "Informante". www.informante.web.na. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  9. "Know Your Local Authority". Election Watch (3). Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4.
  10. "Local elections results". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 28 November 2015. p. 6. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  11. "Education – Ongwediva Town Council". Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  12. Shaanika, Helvi (26 October 2010). "Namibia: Unam Ongwediva Campus Renamed". New Era Newspaper. Retrieved 28 May 2020.

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