Oshakati is a town in northern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Oshana Region and one of Namibia's largest places. Oshakati was founded in July 1966 and proclaimed a town in 1992. The town was used as a base of operations by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the South African Border War. History In Oshiwambo, the language of the Ovambo people, 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 broadcasting tower ( high), the tallest structure in the town centre and in Namibia. On 19 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 convicted of the bombing and the issue was dropped upon independence in 1990 in favour of national reconciliation. Economy and infrastructure Oshakati has experienced much development since Namibia achieved independence in 1990. It was proclaimed a town in 1992. 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. Since the turn of the century, there are now many shops like Jet, Mr Price, furniture stores, shoes stores, pharmacies, etc. The three main shopping centres are Game, Etango, and Yetu. The Oshakati Independence Stadium is situated in town. In April 2006, the Oshakati town council building was inaugurated by Botswana's president Festus Mogae. Dr. Frans Aupa Indongo Open Market sells groceries, dried fish and dried Mopane worms. Geography Location Oshakati is situated in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin and cut by the Okatana River. Both of these geographic features make the town prone to flooding; in 2008 it was last hit by heavy floods. The Oshakati Master Plan Project is underway to build a dike around the town, to deepen and straighten the river, and to resettle people living near the riverbed and clogging the flow of water. 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 , with most rainfall occurring mainly during summer. Politics Oshakati is governed by a town council that has seven seats. The town area covers two electoral constituencies, Oshakati East and Oshakati West.