Opuwo Otjihinamaparero Ohopoho | |
|---|---|
| Town of Opuwo | |
.jpg) aerial view of Opuwo | |
  Opuwo Location in Namibia | |
| Coordinates:18°3′20″S13°50′26″E / 18.05556°S 13.84056°E /-18.05556; 13.84056 | |
| Country |  Namibia |
| Region | Kunene Region |
| Constituency | Opuwo |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.82 sq mi (9.89 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 12,335 |
| • Density | 3,200/sq mi (1,200/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Area code | 065 |
| Climate | BWh |
Opuwo is the capital of theKunene Region in north-westernNamibia. The town is situated about 720 km north-northwest of the capitalWindhoek, and has a population of around 12,300 (2023). It is the commercial hub of the Kunene Region.
Opuwo is situated at the intersection of theC41 andC43. There is a small airfield in town, theOpuwo Airport.[3]
Putuavanga Senior Secondary School in town is among the best government schools in the Kunene Region. There is also theOpuwo Primary School with[update] 39 teachers and 1,200 learners.[4]
The following organizations and offices are situated in the town: Opuwo Police Station, Opuwo District Hospital, Ministry of Home Affairs (Department of Civic Affairs / Regional Civic Registration Office /Kunene Region) and Opuwo Department of Works. There is a Christian church.[5]
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Opuwo is governed by a town council that has seven seats.[6]
| Party | Votes | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Turnhalle Alliance | 1504 | 3 |
| National Unity Democratic Organisation | 155 | 0 |
| Rally for Democracy and Progress | 44 | 0 |
| Party | Votes | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Turnhalle Alliance | 538 | 2 |
| Congress of Democrats | 396 | 2 |
| National Unity Democratic Organisation | 259 | 1 |
| Name | Term | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uaurikua Kakuva | June 2004 – 2010 | DTA | [10][11] |
| Pieter de Villiers | June 2006-? | CoD | [12] |
| Tuarungua Kavari | 2010-15 | SWAPO | [13][14][15] |
| Albert Tjiuma | December 2015 - December 2020 | SWAPO | [16] |
| Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo | December 2020 - Current | PDM | [17][18] |
The name Opuwo was given in the 1920s by the commissioner ofOndangwa,Carl Hugo Linsingen Hahn [de], the grandson ofCarl Hugo Hahn, who came in search of land to build an office. Upon his arrival, he asked the local headman to give him land where he could build an office. The headman gave him a small plot, and when the headman tried to give him more land, Hahn responded saying "Ohopoho (it’s enough for me). I don't want any more land". The word Ohopoho was changed to Opuwo in 1974 due to orthographic reform. The local residents of Opuwo called itOtjihinamaparero at the time, and some still call it that.[19][20]
The first office to be established in theKaokoland area was the colonial administrative office inSwartbooisdrift on the banks of theKunene River. This was the administrative centre of the area from 1925 to 1939. Afterwards, administrative control of the area shifted to Ohopoho, later called Opuwo.
The police station in Swartbooisdrift was run by Sergeant Herbert, and his aim was to receive theAngola Boers who had trekked toAngola out of refusal to accept the British government inSouth Africa. Sergeant Basson took over the office at Swartbooisdrift, and excavated Opuwo's first bore hole. Basson had the nickname “Katjiriamakaja” (a person who eats tobacco).
The Opuwo Town Council hosts the annual Opuwo Trade Fair, which was launched in 2012. The festival combines a modern business exhibition with cultural performances, live shows and entertainment. The Opuwo Trade Fair takes place in the month of May.[21]
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| National | |
