Omuthiya Gwiipundi is the capital of Oshikoto Region

Oshikoto Region

Oshikoto is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. The northern part of the region is agricultural, whereas the main economic activities in the southern part are cattle rearing and mining...

 in northern 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...

, situated approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Etosha National Park. It has about 5,000 residents. Prior to Omuthiya, Tsumeb

Tsumeb

Tsumeb is a city of 15,000 inhabitants and the largest town in Oshikoto region in northern Namibia. Tsumeb is the home of the world-famous Tsumeb mine, and the "gateway to the north" of Namibia. It is the closest town to the Etosha National Park...

 was the regional capital.

Local authority elections

In February 2008, the town was the center of an election controversy as the ruling SWAPO faced the Rally for Democracy and Progress

Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)

The Rally for Democracy and Progress is an opposition political party in Namibia. It was launched on November 17 2007 under the leadership of Hidipo Hamutenya and Jesaya Nyamu, both former leading members of the ruling SWAPO party and cabinet ministers. Hamutenya had unsuccessfully sought the SWAPO...

 in the town's first local authority election.

In 2010

Namibian local and regional elections, 2010

Namibia held elections for their local and regional councils on 26 and 27 November 2010. The terms of regional councillors and local authority representatives were originally set to expire in 2009...

, SWAPO won Omuthiya with approximately 92% of the votes.