View source for Omuthiya

{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|name          = Omuthiyagwiipundi
|other_name             = ''Omuthiya'' (short form)
|native_name            =  <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname               =
|settlement_type        =
|motto                  =
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline          = File:Omuthiya.JPG
|imagesize              =
|image_caption          = Open air market in Omuthiya
|image_flag             =
|flag_size              =
|image_seal             =
|seal_size              =
|image_shield           = Coat of arms Omuthiya Town Council.jpg
|shield_size            =
|image_blank_emblem     =
|blank_emblem_type      =
|blank_emblem_size      =
|image_map              =
|mapsize                =
|map_caption            =
|pushpin_map            = Namibia <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_mapsize        =300
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location in Namibia
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = {{flag|Namibia}}
|subdivision_type1      = [[Regions of Namibia|Region]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Oshikoto Region]]
|subdivision_type2      = [[Constituencies of Namibia|Constituency]]
|subdivision_name2      = [[Omuthiyagwiipundi Constituency|Omuthiyagwiipundi]]
|subdivision_type3      =
|subdivision_name3      =
<!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes   =
|government_type        = [[Municipal council]]
|leader_title           = Mayor
|leader_name            = Johannes Ndeutepo<ref name=reelected/>
|leader_title1          =
|leader_name1           =
|established_title      =  <!-- Settled -->
|established_date       =
<!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude         =
|unit_pref                =Imperial <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
|area_footnotes           =
|area_total_km2           = 125
|area_land_km2            = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
|area_water_km2           =
|area_total_sq_mi         =
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of               = 2023
|population_footnotes           = <ref name=nsa>{{cite web | title=Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011) | url=http://cms.my.na/assets/documents/p19dmn58guram30ttun89rdrp1.pdf | work=Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report | publisher=Namibia Statistics Agency | access-date=24 August 2016 | page=39}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Preliminary-Report-doc-fn.pdf |title=2023 Population & Housing Census Preliminary  Report|website=Statistics Namibia| df=dmy }}</ref>
|population_note                =
|population_total               = 7,560
|population_density_km2         = auto
|population_density_sq_mi       =
|population_metro               =
|population_density_metro_km2   =
|population_density_metro_sq_mi =
|population_urban               =
|population_density_urban_km2   =
|population_density_urban_sq_mi =
|population_blank1_title        =Ethnicities
|population_blank1              =
|population_density_blank1_km2 =
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
<!-- General information  --------------->
| timezone                = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset              = +2
|timezone_DST           =
|utc_offset_DST         =
|coordinates            = {{coord|18|21.636|S|16|34.874|E|region:NA|display=inline}}
|elevation_footnotes    =  <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m            = 1079
|elevation_ft           =
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type       =  <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
|postal_code            =
|area_code              =
|blank_name             = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
|blank_info             = [[Semi-arid climate#Hot semi-arid climates|BSh]]
|blank1_name            =
|blank1_info            =
|website                = http://www.omuthiyatc.org.na/
|footnotes              =
}}
'''Omuthiyagwiipundi''' (short: '''Omuthiya''') is the capital of [[Oshikoto Region]] in northern [[Namibia]], situated approximately {{Convert|10|km}} from [[Etosha]] National Park. It has about 7,500 residents.<ref name="NE">{{cite news
|url         = http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=41420
|title       = Omuthiya growing at a fast pace
|last        = Heita
|first       = Desie
|date        = 31 October 2011
|newspaper   = [[New Era (Namibia)|New Era]]
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120527150730/http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=41420
|archive-date = 27 May 2012
|url-status     = dead
}}</ref> Prior to Omuthiya,  [[Tsumeb]] was the regional capital.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=43587&no_cache=1
|title=Oshikoto Regional Council moves to Omuthiya
|last=Shivute
|first=Oswald
|date=21 August 2008
|newspaper=[[The Namibian]]}}</ref>
The town has been proclaimed in October 2007 and the Omuthiya Town Council established in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.omuthiyatc.org.na/home-1/about-omuthiya/ | title=About Omuthiya - Omuthiya Town Council | date=16 June 2019 }}</ref>
==Politics==
Omuthiya is governed by a town council that has seven seats.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Know Your Local Authority | publisher=Institute for Public Policy Research | newspaper=Election Watch | year = 2015 | issue=3 | page=4}}</ref>
[[Oshikoto Region]], to which Omuthiya belongs, is a stronghold of Namibia's ruling [[SWAPO]] party. In February 2008, the town was the center of an election controversy as SWAPO faced the [[Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)|Rally for Democracy and Progress]] in the town's first local authority election.<ref>[http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=44638&no_cache=1 Battlefield Omuthiya] ''[[The Namibian]]'', 28 February 2008</ref> In [[Namibian local and regional elections, 2010|2010]], SWAPO won Omuthiya with approximately 92% of the votes.<ref>[http://www.ecn.na/results/2010/Press_Release_Local_Authority_-_Omuthiya.pdf Omuthiya Local Authority] Electoral Commission of Namibia</ref> For the [[Namibian local and regional elections, 2015|2015 local authority election]] no opposition party nominated a candidate, and SWAPO won uncontested.<ref>{{cite web | title=Local elections results | publisher=[[Electoral Commission of Namibia]] | page=6 | url=http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0 | date=28 November 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210194328/http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0 | archive-date=10 December 2015 }}</ref>
SWAPO only narrowly won the [[2020 Namibian local and regional elections|2020 local authority election]]. It obtained 746 votes and gained four seats. The [[Independent Patriots for Change]] (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, obtained 630 votes and gained three seats.<ref>{{Cite web | title=2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats | page=15 | date=29 November 2020 | publisher=[[Electoral Commission of Namibia]] | url=https://www.ecn.na/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Media-Release-on-LA-Results_2020.pdf | access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref> Johannes Ndeutepo {{As of|2023|alt=is}} mayor of Omuthiya.<ref name=reelected>{{Cite news | title=Northern re-elected mayors promise quality service delivery | last=Vatleni | first=Eino | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=27 November 2023 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/northern-re-elected-mayors-promise-quality-service-delivery}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{coord|18|21.636|S| 16|34.874|E|display=title|region:NA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}
[[Category:Towns in Namibia]]
[[Category:Regional capitals in Namibia]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Oshikoto Region]]