Witvlei

Witvlei is situated on the B6 {{Convert|150|km|abbr=on}} east of Windhoek on the way to Gobabis.

{{Historical populations|2011|1,524|2023|2,633|percentages=pagr|align=none|footnote=Source:{{cite web | title=4.5 Population by town and census years (2011 and 2023) | url=https://nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf | work=Namibia 2023 - Population and Housing Census. Main Report | publisher=Namibia Statistics Agency | access-date=1 November 2024 | pages=33–34}}}}

Witvlei receives an average of {{convert|317.7|mm}} of rainfall per year. In the 2010s drought, the lowest figure recorded was {{convert|67|mm}} in the 2018/2019 rainy season.{{Cite news | title=Khomas faces worst drought in 90 years | last1=Menges | first1=Werner | last2=Oliveira | first2=Yokany | newspaper=The Namibian | date=23 May 2019 | page=1 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/78826/read/Khomas-faces-worst-drought-in-90-years}}

The original name of the village in Khoekhoegowab (Damara/Nama) is ǃUri ǃKhubus (white fountain).{{cite news|title=Abattoir a Glimpse of Hope Where There is None|last= Kangueehi|first=Kuvee|newspaper=New Era|date=10 March 2005|url=http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=5976}}

The settlement was the site of the Battle of Witvlei in the First Herero-Nama War in March 1864. Maharero, with the help of the hunter Frederick Green (known among the Ovaherero as Kerina), led a contingent of 1,400 Ovaherero from Otjimbingwe against the Orlam Afrikaners under Jan Jonker Afrikaner. Afrikaner's forces were defeated and they fled, although a number of other battles followed elsewhere.{{cite book

|last1=Tonchi

|first1=Victor L

|last2=Lindeke

|first2=William Alfred

|last3=Grotpeter

|first3=John J

|title=Historical Dictionary of Namibia

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mls4H1mnN_0C&q=battle+of+witvlei&pg=PA153

|series=African historical dictionaries

|year=2012

|publisher=Scarecrow Press

|isbn=9780810853980

|page=153}}{{cite news|title=Maharero kaTjamuaha: The Consolidator of the Ovaherero Polity (1820-1890) Part II|last=Shampapi|first=Shiremo|newspaper=New Era|date= 14 October 2011|url=http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=41166}}

Witvlei is known for its meat production.[http://www.afrol.com/articles/25250 Namibian beef soon hits EU market] Afrol, Last accessed 28 February 2013

Witvlei Meat was inaugurated in August 2006 and was for several years the only significant employer and taxpayer in the village.{{cite news|title=Witvlei Meat closure leaves council in precarious position | newspaper=Prime Focus magazine|date=January–February 2016 | last=David | first=Rosalia | url=http://www.primefocusmag.com/articles/945/witvlei-meat-closure-leaves-council-in-precarious-position/}} The abattoir has a slaughter capacity of 27,000 cattle annually.{{cite news|title=Witvlei Abattoir|newspaper=New Era|date=27 February 2013|last=Schlechter|first=Deon|pages=11–12}} Financial problems and arguments with Namibia's biggest meat producer MeatCo over the export quota to Norway led to a closure of the abattoir in 2014.{{cite news|title=Witvlei Meat wins back access to abattoir|newspaper=The Namibian|date=8 April 2016|page=3 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/149438/archive-read/Witvlei-Meat-wins-back-access-to-abattoir}} It was set to reopen in 2016 but remains closed {{As of|May 2017|alt=as of May 2017}}.{{cite news|title=Agribank defies court order on Witvlei Meat | last=Kavangua | first=Ngaevarue | newspaper=New Era | date=19 May 2017 | page=1 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2017/05/19/agribank-defies-court-order-on-witvlei-meat/}}

The Witvlei Street Kids Center was inaugurated in the village in 2001. The regional council donated an empty, un-serviced plot to the project in November 2004, and in December 2005 the center was built with money donated by the Suiderhof Dutch Reformed Church congregation and various individuals and companies. Two pre-fabricated houses were transported from Windhoek all the way to Witvlei.{{cite web|title=Witvlei street kids center|date=27 February 2013|url=http://www.ngsuiderhof.org/index_files/Page393.htm|publisher=NG Church Suiderhof}}

Witvlei is governed by a village council that has five seats.{{Cite news | title=Know Your Local Authority | publisher=Institute for Public Policy Research | newspaper=Election Watch | year = 2015 | issue=3 | page=4}}

The 2010 local authority election was won by SWAPO which gained three seats. One seat each was won by the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF).{{cite news|title=Witvlei's woes continue|last=Konjore|first= Romanus|newspaper=The Namibian|date=25 February 2013|url=http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2013/february/article/witvleis-woes-continue/}} SWAPO also gained three seats (344 votes) in the 2015 local authority election. UDF and the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) won one seat each with 125 and 72 votes, respectively.{{cite web | title=Local elections results | publisher = Electoral Commission of Namibia | page=5 | url=http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0 | date=28 November 2015}} SWAPO once again won the 2020 local authority election but lost majority control over the village council. It obtained 260 votes and gained two seats. The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), formerly DTA, was runner-up with 194 votes and also two seats. The remaining seat went to the Landless People's Movement (LPM), a new party registered in 2018, which won 116 votes.{{Cite web | title=2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats | page=12 | date=29 November 2020 | publisher=Electoral Commission of Namibia | url=https://www.ecn.na/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Media-Release-on-LA-Results_2020.pdf | access-date=25 January 2021}}

Most of the inhabitants of Witvlei are of Damara descent, but there are also Ovambo, Herero, people from Kavango, a few Ovahimba, and many more inhabitants of mixed ethnicity.

{{Commons category|Witvlei}}

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Category:Villages in Namibia

Category:Populated places in the Omaheke Region