The Zambezi Region is one of the 14 regions of Namibia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It is largely concurrent with the major Zambezi River after which it was named. The region has eight constituencies and its capital is the town of Katima Mulilo. The self-governed village Bukalo is also situated in this region. The Zambezi Region had a population of 90,596 in 2011. As of 2020, it had 47,884 registered voters.
Politics
The region comprises eight electoral constituencies: Judea Lyaboloma Kabbe North Kabbe South Katima Mulilo Rural Katima Mulilo Urban Kongola Linyanti Sibinda
In the 2015 regional elections SWAPO won in all eight constituencies and obtained 77.5% of all votes (2010: 80%). In the 2020 regional election SWAPO still had the vast majority of votes (45.4%) but lost four of the eight constituencies, three to independent candidates and one to the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020.
Geography and Climate
The Zambezi Region can be classified as a tropical area, with high temperatures and high rainfall during the December-to-March rainy season, making it the wettest region in Namibia. The terrain mostly consists of swamps, floodplains, wetlands and woodland.
In addition to the Zambezi River, the Caprivi Region also holds the Kwando River, which marks the border with Botswana. Tributaries include the Linyanti and the Chobe. The Kwando meets the Zambezi in the far east of the region.
Katima Mulilo is the largest town, with other notable villages and settlements, including Chefuzwe, Lusese, Bukalo, Kalimbeza, Isize, Luhonono, Mafuta, Liselo, Musanga, Kongola, Chinchimane, Bukalo, Sibinda, and Impalila, along with Kayuo, Wenela, Mapulanga, Sambeso, Katembo, Siambiza, Luzibalule, Sachona, Lubuta, Mulanga, Mashambo, Omega Ill, Chetto, Bwabwata, Gaucha, Geusha, Yishesha, Sekrige, Singalamwe, Choi, Ngonga, Muneambuanas, Dipito, Sangwali, Photo, Sikwalo, Matengu, Yaka, Linyati, Muketela, Sibbinda,Makanga, Mahachana Chengere, Sebukis, Katonga, and Sachinga.
Borders
The Zambezi Region is almost entirely bordered by foreign countries. Its only domestic border is a with the Kavango East Region in the west. In the northwest, it borders the Cuando Cubango Province of Angola. In the north, it borders the Western Province of Zambia. In the south, it borders the North-West District of Botswana.
The Namibia-Zambia-Botswana tripoint lies less than 100 metres from the Zimbabwe border - causing Namibia sometimes erroneously thought to border Zimbabwe.
Flora and fauna
The region is home to 450 animal species, including elephants, making the Zambezi Region a popular game-watching spot. Wildlife is protected by several national parks, Bwabwata National Park, Nkasa Rupara National Park (previously known as Mamili National Park), and Mudumu National Park; animals travel freely across the unmarked border with Botswana, where the Chobe National Park lies. The Caprivi strip is also a prime bird-watching area, with almost 70 percent of bird species found in Namibia being recorded here.
Population
Over 90,000 people live in the Zambezi Region of Namibia, about four percent of Namibia's population. The population is mostly composed of subsistence farmers who make their living on the banks of the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe Rivers. 33,000 are part of the Subia people and about 17,000 are part of the Lozi people amongst other ethnic groups such as Mafwe, Mbalangwe, Yeyi and Totela. According to Ethnologue, Silozi is the lingua franca.
Economy and infrastructure
According to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in the Zambezi Region is 28.0%. Zambezi has 102 schools with a total of 39,808 pupils.
Tourism
Bwabwata National Park is and extends for about from the Kavango River River in the west to the Kwando River in the east. Deciduous woodlands are dominated by trees such as wild seringa, copalwood and Zambezi teak. While the park is sanctuary to 35 large and numerous small game species, visitors are not likely to see many of these animals, as vehicles are restricted to the road between Kavango and Eastern Caprivi. Animals likely to be seen are elephant, roan and kudu. Buffalo occur towards the west. As many as 339 bird species have been recorded in the west of the Zambezi Region.