Oshakati is a town of 30,000 inhabitants in the Oshana Region of Namibia. It is the regional capital and was officially founded in July 1966. The city was used as a base of operations by the South African Defense Force (SADF) during the South African Border War and Namibian War of Independence. Oshakati is considered to be the largest town and capital of the northern area known as Ovamboland.

Oshakati contains the electoral constituencies of Oshakati East and Oshakati West.

History

In Oshiwambo, the language of the Ovambo, the town's name means "that which is in between", although some believe that the name (Oshakati, also Otshakati) was used to refer to the Tower, tallest freestanding structure downtown. Oshakati is located near the B1, Namibia's main highway, which stretches from South Africa through the capital Windhoek and on to the Angolan border. The Oshakati town, (popularly known as 'Otshakati tsha Nangombe' by the native Kwambi people) is within the Kwambi traditional authority.

In February 1988, a bomb blast occurred in Oshakati at the First National Bank, killing 27 people and badly injuring nearly 30 others, most of them nurses and teachers. No one was ever officially convicted of the bombing and the issue was dropped upon independence in 1990 in favour of national reconciliation.

Development and infrastructure

Oshakati has experienced much development since Namibia achieved independence on March 21, 1990. In April 2006, the Oshakati Town Council building was inaugurated by Botswana's President Festus Mogae.

Oshakati has a football team, Oshakati City FC.

In Oshakati there are many primary and secondary schools like Iipumbu, Oshakati, Ngolo, Erundu Secondary School, Kabatana and others, including Afoti Combined School in Uuvudhiya constituency in Oshana Regionin the Omapopo cluster of Oshakati Circuit.

There are also many shops and stores like Jet, Mr Price etc apart from that there are also furniture stores, shoes stores e.g Mandoza. There are three main shopping centres: Game, Etango, and Yetu. There is also Oshakati Independence Stadium and UNAM Northern campus.

Climate

Oshakati has a semi-arid climate (BSh, according to the Köppen climate classification), with hot summers and relatively mild winters (with warm days and cool nights). The average annual precipitation is 472 mm (19 in), with most rainfall occurring mainly during summer.

Notable residents

Gazza a kwaito musician
Tara Katupose and Muna Katupose, soccer-playing twins
Fresh Family, a group of kwaito musicians and dancers
Craig Williams (1984-), cricketer

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