Oniipa
Oniipa
Town in Oshikoto Region, Namibia
Oniipa is a town in the Oshikoto Region of northern Namibia and the district capital of the Oniipa electoral constituency. It lies just outside Ondangwa.[2]
Oniipa | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 17°55′00″S 16°02′00″E | |
| Country |  Namibia |
| Region | Oshikoto Region |
| Constituency | Oniipa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.6 sq mi (14.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,524 ft (1,074 m) |
| Population (2023 census)[1] | |
| • Total | 4,740 |
| • Density | 850/sq mi (330/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Climate | BSh |
Oniipa was established in 1872 by the Finnish Missionary Society. In 2014 it became part of the settlement area combined with the nearby village of Onethindi. It was designated as a town in 2015.[3]
The old church hospital, the Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital, which was named after the first female nurse, is situated in Oniipa. Today, the hospital is managed by the Government of Namibia.
During the struggle and war for independence of the country, a printing shop was burnt down by the Boers.
Oniipa is governed by a town council that has seven seats.[4]
Oshikoto Region, to which Oniipa belongs, is a stronghold of Namibia's ruling SWAPO party. For the 2015 local authority election no opposition party nominated a candidate, and SWAPO won uncontested.[5] SWAPO only narrowly won the 2020 local authority election. It obtained 733 votes and gained four seats. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, obtained 673 votes and gained three seats.[6]
It is the hometown of former Lutheran bishop and liberation leader Leonard Auala.[7]
- "2023 Population & Housing Census Preliminary Report" (PDF). Statistics Namibia.
- "About Us - Oniipa Town Council". Oniipa Town Council. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- "Know Your Local Authority". Election Watch. No. 3. Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4.
- "Local elections results". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 28 November 2015. p. 6. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
- "2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats" (PDF). Electoral Commission of Namibia. 29 November 2020. p. 15. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- Bishop Auala Centenary The Namibian, 25 September 2008
