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Hertta-Maria Amutenja Political parties observing the printing of ballot papers for the November 2024 elections in Johannesburg have raised concerns over the transparency of the process. Imms Nashinge of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) expressed dissatisfaction, citing a lack of communication and briefing from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). According to Nashinge, the samples of the ballots were not yet approved, and the team didn’t get clarification on the logistical arrangements. “We are not satisfied with how they dealt with the whole process. There was no proper communication or briefing as to what was going to happen before…

Stefanus Nashama Political analyst Sakaria Johannes believes the release of the Labour Force Thematic Report next year, is politically motivated and election-based. The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Tuesday announced that it would only release the report on 29 January 2025. The last Labour Force Survey was done in 2018, which found the country’s unemployment rate stood at 32%. “In a nutshell, it's a politically motivated decision in general and an election-based decision, in particular,” he said. Johannes said that if the report is released before the elections, the current government will suffer at the ballot box. “Such information might…

Martin Endjala The Media Ombudsman has voiced concerns regarding the inadequate media coverage of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) since August. According to the latest media monitoring project report covering the period from 21 August to 30 September, the NEFF has failed to maintain its media presence. The lead report consultant, Christie Keulder, explained that the NEFF averages three times a day of coverage during the period under review. “This data is very concerning. Although statement coverage per day stands at 69. As electorates, we want to see a political party having a media presence. If a party has…

Niël Terblanché While Africa continues to face escalating climate-induced disasters, governments find themselves on the frontlines of continuously managing the aftermath of disasters, the situation calls for concrete steps that safeguard the future of the continent and its people. Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister, John Mutorwa, while launching the 9th Session of the Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfRP-9) in Windhoek on Tuesday, said the event is aimed at addressing the continent’s growing need for disaster risk management strategies. He said the conference provides a platform for the continent's leaders and experts to evaluate progress made in disaster management,…

Allexer Namundjembo The rollout of native language education in schools is facing setbacks due to a shortage of qualified teachers in the Khomas and Erongo regions. This is especially for the Rukwangali and Khoekhoegowab, leaving many learners without the opportunity to study their mother tongues. Despite government policies to address these challenges, the implementation thereof has been slow, with little being done to employ educators from regions where native languages are spoken. Educational director Paulus Nghikembua on Monday told the Windhoek Observer that the situation is impacting the learners badly. “Currently the Rukwangali language is being offered at Dr. Frans…