Windhoek Observer – Page 129 – Windhoek Observer

20 Aug

CPBN awards N$7.5 billion contracts in eight years

Observer Money

Allexer Namundjebo The Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) has awarded public procurement contracts valued at N$7.5 billion over the past eight years.These contracts have been issued since the board’s establishment in 2017. The figure was revealed on Monday during the CPBN board stakeholders' engagement with current contractors. CPBN board member Julinda !Garus-Oas said the amount includes N$1.3 billion for 36 contracts awarded for goods, N$1.9 billion for 80 service contracts, and N$4.4 billion for 63 projects. Opening the session, CPBN board chairperson Mary Shiimi stressed that procurement plays a key role in national development. She said contracts with CPBN…

20 Aug

Mining shows strength in weak economy

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia’s mining sector has continued to show resilience despite a weak global economy, the Chamber of Mines of Namibia said in its July monthly update. Global growth in early 2025 has been subdued, with major economies such as the United States and the United Kingdom slowing, while emerging markets have delivered mixed results. Rising inflation, trade volatility, and falling external demand led the Bank of Namibia (BoN) to revise its growth forecast for 2025 from 3.8% to 3.5%. The chamber stated that the contraction in agriculture and diamond mining had an impact. Mining, however, remains the backbone of…

20 Aug

Rand stability to drive inflation down

Observer Money

Allexer Namundjembo Stabilisation in the South African rand and favourable external price trends are expected to drive Namibia’s inflation lower in 2025. The Bank of Namibia (BoN), at its recent Monetary Policy Dialogue, projected inflation to ease from a five-year average of 4.3% to 3.8% in 2025. The dialogue took place under the theme, "35 Years of Monetary Stewardship: Enhancing Policy Resilience in a Changing Economic Landscape." In July, the country's inflation was 3.5%. “This downward trajectory reflects both domestic policy discipline and favourable external price developments,” said BoN governor Johannes !Gawaxab. Inflation previously peaked at 6.0% in October 2023,…

20 Aug

Youth forum launches energy awards

Featured, Observer Money, Opinions

Staff Writer The Namibia Youth Energy Forum (NYEF) will host the Namibia Energy Connect and Energy Trailblazer Awards 2025 from 4 to 5 November at Droombos in Windhoek. NYEF said the initiative is not a conventional energy summit but a national platform designed to bring together Namibia’s energy leaders for reflection, collaboration, and celebration. "It is the first of its kind, uniting stakeholders from oil and gas, renewable energy, green hydrogen, and energy services to shape the country’s energy future." the forum stated The event is expected to attract over 1,000 participants, including energy companies, service providers, government leaders, youth,…

20 Aug

Love, hustles, and household budgets

Featured, Observer Money, Opinions, Uncategorised

Hileni Amadhila We often think love lives in flowers, laughter, and late-night chats, but in real life, it also lives in the rent, the groceries, the school fees, and the “Can we help at home this month?” calls. And in Namibia today, the financial side of love can be just as intense as the romantic side. The 2024 Old Mutual Namibia Financial Services Monitor shows that over half of working Namibians feel financially stressed, with rising costs and slow income growth piling on the pressure. At the same time, almost a third of working adults have more than one income…

20 Aug

Sports ministry evaluates sites for new sports facilities

Featured, Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The ministry of sports is conducting site inspections in various regions for the development of basic sports infrastructure. Head of delegation Flora Yambwa said on Tuesday that the visits form part of the ministry’s plan to evaluate identified locations in 121 constituencies. On 12 August 2025, the team met with the Otjinene Councillor and his leadership to review a proposed development site. The delegation then proceeded to Okandjira–Ovitoto in the Omatako Constituency of the Otjozondjupa region, where they were received by deputy directors from the Regional Council and officers from the Village Council. “In the Erongo Region, the…

19 Aug

Sankwasa pulls plug on Katima Council

Main

Allexer Namundjebo Zambezi regional leadership says they are unaware of the directive by urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa dissolving the Katima Mulilo Town Council. Katima Mulilo Town Council chief executive officer Raphael Liswaniso said he had not received any official communication. “As far as I am concerned, I did not receive anything. No official communication to that effect,” he told Windhoek Observer. Liswaniso explained that Sankwasa had invited councillors and staff to meetings this week, including one with the community on Thursday. “He sent us invitations to several meetings. There is also an invitation to meet staff management,…

19 Aug

AG told defence ministry to pay Enercon forex fees

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The ministry of defence and veteran affairs (MoDVA) is legally obliged to pay Enercon Namibia PTY Ltd monthly service bureau charges dating back to 2016, a legal opinion has found. The opinion, dated 19 December 2024 and addressed to minister Frans Kapofi by attorney general Festus Mbandeka, states that the charges are contractually owed regardless of whether Enercon rendered services during the period. “Service bureau charges are a fixed amount which becomes owing at the completion of each contractually stipulated time. A service bureau company, Enercon in this instance, agrees to provide services during that period, each month…

19 Aug

Procurement code risks to favour politically connected – Expert

National News

Justicia Shipena Procurement expert Mirjam Bauleth-Nashima has warned that without strong checks and balances, politically connected individuals could exploit the new code of good practices under the Public Procurement Act of 2015. The government recently announced amendments to the act to introduce guidelines that will give preferential treatment to SMEs, women-owned businesses, youth-owned enterprises, and previously disadvantaged individuals. The announcement was made by minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi during the third ministerial regional business engagement in the Zambezi Region. Bauleth-Nashima said the code aims to promote fairness but warned against sacrificing quality and cost. “The government’s intention…

19 Aug

Is it lost keys or lost leadership? A credulous excuse of a failed councillor.

Opinions

Sem Billy David I On 5 August, the Samora Machel Constituency Regional Councillor, Hon. Nestor Kalola, offered one of the most incredulous reasons for being absent from his office: “the office key was lost.” This reasoning is both reckless and an insult to the intelligence of the very people he was elected to serve. A difficult question arises: what if his cellphone had been locked inside that same office – would he not have urgently found a way to retrieve it? The excuse is nothing more than a fabrication to cover up poor leadership and failure in office. As an…