Hardap Region

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Use South African English|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox settlement  | name = Hardap Region | native_name = | native_name_lang =  | settlement_type = [[regions of Namibia|Region]] | image_skyline = | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | nickname = | motto = | mottoeng = | image_map = Hardap in Namibia.svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of the Hardap Region in [[Namibia]] | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Namibia]] | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | seat_type = Capital | seat = [[Mariental, Namibia|Mariental]] | government_footnotes = | leader_party = | leader_title = Governor | leader_name = [[Riaan Charles McNab]] | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = <ref name=ElectionWatch>{{cite journal |year=2013 |title=Namibia's Population by Region |journal=Election Watch |publisher=Institute for Public Policy Research |issue=1 |page=3}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 109,781 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = <ref name =Census2011>{{cite web |url=https://cms.my.na/assets/documents/p19dptss1qomtvt476iefc1p535.pdf |title=Hardap 2011 Census Regional Profile |access-date=10 April 2020 |website=Statistics Namibia |df=dmy }}</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|access-date=2024-03-16|archive-date=2024-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324152514/https://nsa.nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Preliminary-Report-doc-fn.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | population_total = 106,680 | population_as_of = 2023 census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | population_note = | timezone = [[Central Africa Time|CAT]] | utc_offset = +2 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | iso_code = | blank_name_sec1 = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2017) | blank_info_sec1 = 0.665<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref> {{color|#fc0|medium}} · [[List of Namibian regions by Human Development Index|5th]] | website = {{URL|https://hardaprc.gov.na}} | footnotes = }} {{Contains special characters|Khoekhoe}}

'''Hardap''' is one of the fourteen [[regions of Namibia]]. Its capital is [[Mariental, Namibia|Mariental]]. Hardap contains the municipality of Mariental, the towns of [[Rehoboth, Namibia|Rehoboth]] and [[Aranos]], and the self-governed villages of [[Gibeon, Namibia|Gibeon]], [[Gochas]], [[Kalkrand]], [[Stampriet]], and [[Maltahöhe]]. The [[Hardap Dam]] is located in the region.

==Geography==

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 the [[Northern Cape]] Province of [[South Africa]]. Domestically, it borders the following regions: *[[Erongo Region|Erongo]] – northwest *[[Khomas Region|Khomas]] – north central *[[Omaheke]] – northeast *[[ǁKaras Region|ǁKaras]] – south

==Politics== [[File:Wahlkreise in Hardap (2014).svg|thumb|360px|right|Hardap constituencies (2014)]]

As of 2020, Hardap had 52,534 registered voters.<ref name=election2020>{{Cite web | title=Regional Council 2020 Election Results | publisher=[[Electoral Commission of Namibia]] | date=18 January 2021 | series=Interactive map | url=http://elections.na/ | accessdate=19 March 2021 | archive-date=12 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612210020/https://elections.na/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> The region comprises eight [[Constituencies of Namibia|electoral constituencies]]: {{div col|colwidth=20em}} * [[Gibeon Constituency|Gibeon]] * [[Mariental Rural]] * [[Mariental Urban]] * [[Rehoboth Rural]] * [[Rehoboth Urban East]] * [[Rehoboth Urban West]] * [[Aranos Constituency|Aranos]] (created in 2013) * [[Daweb Constituency|Daweb]] (created in 2013) {{div col end}}

As in all other regions, [[SWAPO]] was by far the strongest political party since [[Independence of Namibia|Namibian independence]]. In February 2009, then-governor Hanse-Himarwa was condemned by the [[National Society for Human Rights]] of Namibia for declaring Hardap Region "SWAPO territory" and urging supporters not to allow other political parties to "invade" the region.<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 February 2009|title=Hardap Governor Incites Violence|publisher=NamRights (National Society for Human Rights (Namibia))|location=Windhoek, Namibia|url=http://www.nshr.org.na/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=1059|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722234402/http://www.nshr.org.na/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=1059|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=9 November 2009}}</ref>

===Presidential elections=== In the [[2004 Namibian general election|2004 presidential election]], the region supported [[Hifikepunye Pohamba]] of [[SWAPO]] with a narrow absolute majority of the votes (52%), followed by [[Ben Ulenga]] of [[Congress of Democrats|the Congress of Democrats]] (21%) and [[Katuutire Kaura]] of the [[Democratic Turnhalle Alliance]] (16%). Four other candidates combined for the 11%.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hardap Region 2004 President results|publisher=Election Watch Namibia|url=http://www.electionwatch.org.na/node/40?q=fullpresresults2004&region=Hardap|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722234224/http://www.electionwatch.org.na/node/40?q=fullpresresults2004&region=Hardap|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Regional elections=== In the [[2004 Namibian local and regional elections|2004 regional election]] for the [[National Assembly of Namibia]], SWAPO won all six constituencies.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Electoral Act, 1992: Notification of Result of General Election for Regional Councils | newspaper=Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia | issue=3366 | page=15 | publisher=[[Government of Namibia]] | date=3 January 2005 | url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2005/3366.pdf}}</ref>

In the [[Namibian local and regional elections, 2015|2015 regional elections]], SWAPO obtained 65% of the total votes ([[2010 Namibian local and regional elections|2010]]: 60%)<ref name=election2020/> and won seven of the eight constituencies, with only Rehoboth Urban West narrowly won by the opposition.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Regional Council Election Results 2015 | publisher=[[Electoral Commission of Namibia]] | date=3 December 2015 | pages=2–3 | url=http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/223442/Regional+Counils+Election+Results_Duly+elected+candidates+2015.pdf/32493774-80b3-4be3-9ca1-1f6ce187673a?version=1.0 | access-date=21 December 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208163948/http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/223442/Regional+Counils+Election+Results_Duly+elected+candidates+2015.pdf/32493774-80b3-4be3-9ca1-1f6ce187673a?version=1.0 | archive-date=8 December 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title=Mixed results for opposition in regional polls | last=Menges | first=Werner | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=29 November 2015 | url=http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=archive-read&id=144849}}</ref> In the [[2020 Namibian local and regional elections|2020 regional election]], the [[Landless People's Movement (Namibia)|Landless People's Movement]] (LPM, an opposition party formed in 2016) was the strongest party. It obtained 45% of the votes overall and won seven of the eight constituencies.<ref name=GG7654>{{Cite news | title=Publication of results and particulars in respect of general elections for Regional Councils: Electoral Act, 2014 | newspaper=Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia | issue=7654 | pages=5–6 | publisher=[[Government of Namibia]] | date=8 October 2021 | url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2021/7654.pdf }}</ref>

===Governors=== * [[Katrina Hanse-Himarwa]] (2004–2015)<ref>{{Cite web | title=Hanse-Himarwa, Katrina | publisher=[[Government of Namibia]] | url=http://www.parliament.na/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=979:hanse-himarwa-katrina&catid=89&Itemid=1474 | access-date=2 February 2016 | archive-date=26 January 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126193439/http://www.parliament.na/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=979:hanse-himarwa-katrina&catid=89&Itemid=1474 | url-status=dead }}</ref> * [[Esme Sophia Isaack]] (2015–2020)<ref name=Governor>{{Cite news | title=President announces governors | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=10 April 2015 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/president-announces-governors/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20150414075438/http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=25471 | archive-date=14 April 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Salomon April]] (2020–2025)<ref name=Goodbye>{{cite news | url=https://www.namibiansun.com/news/goodbye2020-04-08/ | title=Goodbye | date=10 April 2020 | page=1 | newspaper=[[Namibian Sun]]}}</ref> * Riaan Charles McNab (2025-)<ref>{{Cite news | last=Nandi-Ndaitwah | first=Netumbo | authorlink=Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah |date=28 March 2025 | title=Netumbo Nandi- Ndaitwah appointments of regional governors in the 8th administration | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/netumbo-nandi-ndaitwah-appointments-of-regional-governors-in-the-8th-administration/ | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | language=en-ZA}}</ref>

==Economy and infrastructure== Hardap has 55 schools with a total of 21,886 pupils. The region has good infrastructure with well-developed road networks.<ref>{{cite news | title=School counsellors overstretched | last1=Miyanicwe | first1=Clemans | last2=Kahiurika | first2=Ndanki | date=27 November 2013 | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | page=1}}</ref>

==Demographics== [[Image:HardapDam.JPG|right|thumb|250px|[[Hardap Dam]], outside of Mariental, at sunrise in April 2008]] According to the Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census, Hardap had a population of 106,680 (52,357 females and 54,323 males or 104 males for every 100 females), growing at an annual rate of 2.4%. The [[fertility rate]] was 3.7 children per woman. 74.3% lived in urban areas while 25.7% lived in rural areas, and with an area of 109,651 km2, the population density was 1.0 persons per km2. By age, 11.9% of the population was under 5 years old, 21.4% between 5 and 14 years, 58.3% between 15 and 59 years, and 8.4% 60 years and older. The population was divided into 28,197 households, with an average size of 3.6 persons. 43.6% of households had a female head of household, while 56.4% had a male. For those 15 years and older, 68.5% had never married, 21.6% married with a certificate, 0.6% married traditionally, 3.1% married by consensual union, 1.9% were divorced or separated, and 3.9% were widowed.<ref name=census>{{cite web |title=Hardap Region – Census Indicators, 2023 |url=https://census.nsanamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf |publisher=National Planning Commission |year=2023 |access-date=2024-04-08 |archive-date=2024-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110234059/https://census.nsanamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The most commonly spoken languages at home were [[Afrikaans]] (44% of households) and [[Nama language|Nama]]/[[Damara (people)|Damara]] (44%). For those 15 years and older, the literacy rate was 83%. Nearly half of the population is from coloured and white Namibian groups. In terms of education, 84% of girls and 83% of boys between the ages of 6–15 were attending school, and of those older than 15, 73% had left school, 9% were currently at school, and 13% had never attended.<ref name=census/>

In 2001, the employment rate for the labor force (64% of those 15+) was 66% employed and 34% unemployed. For those 15+ years old and not in the labor force (29%), 29% were students, 37% homemakers, and 33% retired, too old, etc.<ref name=census/> According to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in the Hardap Region stood at 28.8%. The two studies are methodologically not comparable.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2013/april/article/unemployment-rate-still-alarmingly-high/ |title = Unemployment rate still alarmingly high |last = Duddy |first = Jo Maré |date = 11 April 2013 |newspaper = [[The Namibian]] |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130414025748/http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2013/april/article/unemployment-rate-still-alarmingly-high |archive-date = 14 April 2013 }}</ref>

Among households, 93.2% had [[safe water]], 32.0% no toilet facility, 62.1% electricity for lighting, and 42.1% had wood or charcoal for cooking. In terms of households' main sources of income, 3.8% derived it from farming, 56.1% from wages and salaries, 3.4% from business or non-farming, and 15.9% from pension.<ref name=census/>

In 2011, 5.1% of the entire population had a disability, of which 6.3% were deaf, 10.8% hearing impaired, 6.8% blind, 22.2% visually impaired, 5.1% had a speech disability, 11.2% upper limb disability, 26.5% lower limb disability, and 16.0% mental disability.<ref name =Census2011/>

==External links== * [https://hardaprc.gov.na Hardap Regional Council official website] {{Commons|Hardap}} {{Wikivoyage|Hardap}}

==References== ===Notes=== {{Reflist|30em}}

===Literature=== * {{Cite book|author=National Planning Commission (Namibia)|year=2007|title=Hardap Regional Poverty Profile: based on village-level participatory poverty assessments in Hardap Region, Namibia: October 2005-February 2006|location=Windhoek, Namibia|publisher=Office of the President|oclc=475404251}} {{Clear}}

[[Category:Hardap Region| ]] [[Category:Regions of Namibia]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1992]] [[Category:1992 establishments in Namibia]]