Omaheke
Encyclopedia
Omaheke is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia
. Omaheke lies on the eastern border of Namibia and is the Western extension of the Kalahari desert. The name Omaheke is the Herero
word for Sandveld. A large part of this region is known as the Sandveld. Gobabis
is the main centre of this area and also its main business area, as it is linked with the capital of Namibia, Windhoek
, by rail and paved roads. This infrastructure serves as the main supply line for the region.
All the other population centres in the region are linked with Gobabis by road. Many other services are rendered from Gobabis to the region, such as the Police Divisional Head Quarters, which is situated in Gobabis. Clinics in the region are served by medical practitioners based in Gobabis, and there are two hospitals and a clinic serving the region.
The agricultural patterns of this region is to a large extent homogenous. Most of the 900 commercial and 3,500 communal farmers in this area are cattle
breeders. A regional office of the Ministry of Agriculture, serving the whole region, is based in Gobabis.
Hunting, including trophy hunting, is one of the major sources of income for the region. This takes place mainly in the winter months, from June to August. During these months, tourists from the northern hemisphere can be seen in the area, enjoying the mild and dry winter climate and collecting trophies.
The northeastern part of the region is still very much a wilderness and beautiful wild Kalahari scenes can be seen by people willing to travel tedious roads and spend nights in the open.
Antropologically, almost the entire Mbanderu and Gobabis-Ju/wa ethnic groups are residing in the region. Furthermore, it is a rich cultural area for Herero, Damara-Nama, Tswana, Afrikaner and German, with a sprinkling of northerners.
A notable event is the annual Meat Festival, which draws visitors from all over.
: Aminuis
, Epukiro
, Kalahari
, Gobabis
, Otjinene
, Otjombinde
and Steinhausen
. Upon independence of Namibia, Hereroland
East was absorbed into the region.
in Namibia
attacked and forced the survivors to flee to the Omaheke desert, where large numbers died. Those who tried to emerge from the desert were killed by German patrols along the perimeter of the Omaheke. This was the turning point in the Herero and Namaqua Genocide
.
with 13,005 votes (46%) but the Ohangwena Region
native did not win a majority of the votes in the region. NUDO's Kuaima Riruako
, chief of the Herero people, received over 7,000 votes (25%), and the DTA's Katuutire Kaura
received over 3,700 votes (13%). Only in the much more populated Khomas Region
and neighboring Otjozondjupa Region did Riruako gain more votes and in no other region did NUDO's candidate gain a higher percentage of the votes.
at home.
:
Domestically, it borders the following regions:
Omaheke is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
Regions of Namibia
The administrative division of Namibia is tabled by Delimitation Commissions and accepted or declined by the National Assembly. The First Delimitation Commission chaired by Judge President Johan Strydom suggested in 1992 that Namibia be divided into 13 Regions, a number that has not been amended...
. Omaheke lies on the eastern border of Namibia and is the Western extension of the Kalahari desert. The name Omaheke is the Herero
Herero language
The Herero language is a language of the Bantu family . It is spoken by the Herero people in Namibia and Botswana...
word for Sandveld. A large part of this region is known as the Sandveld. Gobabis
Gobabis
Gobabis is a town in eastern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region, and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situated down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana. The town is from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an...
is the main centre of this area and also its main business area, as it is linked with the capital of Namibia, Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
, by rail and paved roads. This infrastructure serves as the main supply line for the region.
All the other population centres in the region are linked with Gobabis by road. Many other services are rendered from Gobabis to the region, such as the Police Divisional Head Quarters, which is situated in Gobabis. Clinics in the region are served by medical practitioners based in Gobabis, and there are two hospitals and a clinic serving the region.
The agricultural patterns of this region is to a large extent homogenous. Most of the 900 commercial and 3,500 communal farmers in this area are cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
breeders. A regional office of the Ministry of Agriculture, serving the whole region, is based in Gobabis.
Hunting, including trophy hunting, is one of the major sources of income for the region. This takes place mainly in the winter months, from June to August. During these months, tourists from the northern hemisphere can be seen in the area, enjoying the mild and dry winter climate and collecting trophies.
The northeastern part of the region is still very much a wilderness and beautiful wild Kalahari scenes can be seen by people willing to travel tedious roads and spend nights in the open.
Antropologically, almost the entire Mbanderu and Gobabis-Ju/wa ethnic groups are residing in the region. Furthermore, it is a rich cultural area for Herero, Damara-Nama, Tswana, Afrikaner and German, with a sprinkling of northerners.
A notable event is the annual Meat Festival, which draws visitors from all over.
Politics
Since 2001, Laura McLeod of SWAPO has been the governor of Omaheke Region. The region comprises seven constituenciesConstituencies of Namibia
Each of the 13 regions in Namibia are further subdivided into electoral constituencies. The number and size of each constituency varies with the size and population of each region. There are currently 107 constituencies in Namibia...
: Aminuis
Aminuis Constituency
Aminuis Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It has 12,343 inhabitants, its district capital is the settlement of Aminuis. The constituency forms part of the border between Namibia and Botswana....
, Epukiro
Epukiro Constituency
Epukiro Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. Its district capital is the settlement of Epukiro, it further contains the settlements of Otjinoko, Otjijarua, Omauezonjanda, and Otjimanangombe....
, Kalahari
Kalahari Constituency
Kalahari Constituency is an electoral constituency in Omaheke Region, Namibia. It has 9,234 inhabitants, the constituency office has been inaugurated in 2009 and is located at the Ben-Hur settlement...
, Gobabis
Gobabis Constituency
Gobabis Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It has 14,278 inhabitants, its district capital is the town of Gobabis....
, Otjinene
Otjinene Constituency
Otjinene Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It has 14,932 inhabitants, its district capital is the settlement of Otjinene....
, Otjombinde
Otjombinde Constituency
Otjombinde Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It has 6,378 inhabitants, its district capital is the settlement of Otjombinde. The constituency forms part of the border between Namibia and Botswana, it contains the settlements of Tallismanus, Helena, and...
and Steinhausen
Steinhausen Constituency
Steinhausen Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It has 9,066 inhabitants, its district capital is the settlement of Steinhausen, it further contains the settlements of Witvlei and Omitara ....
. Upon independence of Namibia, Hereroland
Hereroland
Hereroland was a bantustan in South West Africa , intended by the apartheid government to be a self-governing homeland for the Herero people. It was set up in 1968 and self-government was granted two years later....
East was absorbed into the region.
History
On the 11th of August 1904 a German armed force with artillery and machine guns which had encircled the Herero who had fled to the WaterbergWaterberg National Park
Waterberg National Park is a national park in central Namibia on the Waterberg Plateau, 68 km east of Otjiwarongo.The Waterburg Plateau is a particularly prominent location, elevating high above the plains of the Kalahari of Eastern Namibia. Waterburg Park and some 405 km² of surrounding land were...
in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
attacked and forced the survivors to flee to the Omaheke desert, where large numbers died. Those who tried to emerge from the desert were killed by German patrols along the perimeter of the Omaheke. This was the turning point in the Herero and Namaqua Genocide
Herero and Namaqua Genocide
The Herero and Namaqua Genocide is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in German South-West Africa , during the scramble for Africa...
.
2004
In the 2004 presidential election, the Omaheke Region supported SWAPO's Hifikepunye PohambaHifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba is the second and current President of Namibia. He won the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections overwhelmingly as the candidate of the South West Africa People's Organisation ruling party, taking office in March 2005. He has also been the President of SWAPO since...
with 13,005 votes (46%) but the Ohangwena Region
Ohangwena Region
Ohangwena is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. The northern and western parts of the region are the most densely populated of this essentially subsistence agricultural region in which small scale mahangu cultivation and the keeping of cattle form the predominant activities...
native did not win a majority of the votes in the region. NUDO's Kuaima Riruako
Kuaima Riruako
Kuaima Riruako is a politician in Namibia. Riruako is also the paramount chief of the Herero and a National Unity Democratic Organisation representative in Parliament, also called "Okahandja Herero" by some...
, chief of the Herero people, received over 7,000 votes (25%), and the DTA's Katuutire Kaura
Katuutire Kaura
Katuutire Kaura is a Namibian politician. He has been President of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance since 1998 and was Leader of the Official Opposition from 2000 to 2005.Kaura was born in Ombujondjupa, Otjozondjupa Region...
received over 3,700 votes (13%). Only in the much more populated Khomas Region
Khomas Region
Khomas is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. It contains the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior transportation infrastructure. It has well-developed economical, financial, and trade sectors. Khomas Region occupies 4.5% of the land area of Namibia but has the highest...
and neighboring Otjozondjupa Region did Riruako gain more votes and in no other region did NUDO's candidate gain a higher percentage of the votes.
Language
According to the 2001 census, 39% of the population speak Otjiherero languages, 27% speak Nama/Damara and 12% speak AfrikaansAfrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
at home.
Borders
In the east, Omaheke borders three districts of BotswanaDistricts of Botswana
||Botswana is divided into 16 administrative districts: 10 rural districts and 6 urban districts. These are administered by 16 local authorities...
:
- North-WestNorth-West District (Botswana)North-West District Council is one of the local authorities of Botswana. It was established in 1966, overlapping the administrative districts of Chobe and Ngamiland...
- northern - GhanziGhanzi DistrictGhanzi is a district in western Botswana, bordering Namibia in the west and extending east into much of the interior of the country. The district's administrative centre is the town of Ghanzi. Most of the eastern half of Ghanzi makes up the Central Kalahari Game Reserve...
- eastern - KgalagadiKgalagadiKgalagadi is a district in southwest Botswana, lying along the country's border with Namibia and South Africa. The administrative center is Tshabong. Kgalagadi covers a vast area of the Kalahari Desert. It has a total area of 105,200 km², and has a population of only 42,000...
- southern
Domestically, it borders the following regions:
- HardapHardap RegionHardap is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. It is home to the Hardap Dam.Hardap stretches the entire width of Namibia, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Namibia's eastern national border. In the northeast, it borders the Kgalagadi District of Botswana, and in the southeast, it borders...
- south - KhomasKhomas RegionKhomas is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. It contains the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior transportation infrastructure. It has well-developed economical, financial, and trade sectors. Khomas Region occupies 4.5% of the land area of Namibia but has the highest...
- west - OtjozondjupaOtjozondjupaOtjozondjupa region is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. An outstanding landmark within this region is the Waterberg Plateau Park. Administration offices are based in Otjiwarongo which is the largest town in the region....
- north
Omaheke is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.