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Omuntele Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Oshikoto Region on the northern part of Namibia. It has 21,884 inhabitants. The district capital is the settlement of Omuntele.
Contents
The constituency is situated in the northwest part of Oshikoto about 60 km southeast of Ondangwa. The constituency is currently led by Sacky Nangula, councillor for SWAPO. It is dominated by Oshiwambo speaking people and a small number San people. People in the area survive in cultivating crops. Mahangu is the principal crop in the area.
History
The area was established by Silvanus Nyambali Nehale, son of Ondonga Chief Nehale Mpingana. During the Namibian liberation struggle many people from this area went into exile to Angola and took up arms there. However, between 1976 and 1980 combatants of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) lived at Omuntele as civilians as part of a covert reconnaissance operation. There were a number of battles in and around Omuntele like the one at Oshalongo in which Commander Max Nekongo was seriously injured. Nekongo is currently the councillor of Onayena Constituency.
Politics
Omuntele constituency is traditionally a stronghold of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) party.
In the 2009 general election, incumbent President and SWAPO candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba received 98% of the votes for President. In the 2015 local and regional elections the SWAPO candidate won uncontested and became councillor after no opposition party nominated a candidate.