Windhoek Observer

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Affirmative Repositioning (AR) member of parliament Fredrick Shitana has proposed that commercial banks be required to provide public ablution facilities or risk losing their fitness certificates. Speaking during a parliament session on Wednesday, Shitana questioned why some businesses that serve the public for long hours are required to have public toilets to obtain a fitness certificate.  He asked why commercial banks seem to be exempt from this requirement. “To obtain a fitness certificate is to ensure that those institutions meet the acceptable standards of health and safety. In order to allow them to conduct business, certain categories of…

Justicia Shipena The ministry of health and social services has declared a cholera outbreak in the Opuwo District of the Kunene Region following confirmation of locally transmitted cases. Health minister, Dr Esperance Luvindao, made the announcement on Thursday during a media briefing in Windhoek.  She said eight suspected cases had been reported as of 18 June 2025.  Six of these, including one death, are from the same household. Two other suspected cases were identified in Opuwo and Otjimuhaka village.  Preliminary tests for those two came back negative.  Confirmatory tests for the first two cases were conducted by the National Institute…

Niël Terblanché NamPower has officially broken ground on the 100 MW Sores|Gaib Power Station, which will be Namibia’s largest solar power facility.  The station is being constructed 33 kilometres northwest of Rosh Pinah. NamPower managing director Kahenge Haulofu said the project is a major step toward expanding local electricity generation and reducing the country’s dependence on imports. “Our country has abundant sun, and we are ready to seize the opportunities that renewable energy offers,” he said. The name “Sores |Gaib”, meaning “Power of the Sun” in Khoekhoegowab, was chosen through an internal competition.  Haulofu said the name honours Namibia’s heritage…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The deputy minister of education, Dino Ballotti, has assured the public that the planned free tertiary education at state institutions will not disadvantage students enrolled at private institutions. Ballotti made the remarks on Thursday during the first meeting of the Task Force on Free Tertiary Education in Public Institutions, held in Windhoek. He said funding should follow the student and not the institution, as the aim is to support Namibian learners regardless of where they study. “While our focus is on public institutions, it is vital to ensure that students enrolled at private institutions are not unjustly disadvantaged,…

Justicia Shipena To be removed from the European Commission's high-risk list, Namibia must show sustained progress in implementing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action Plan.  This includes strengthening the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) systems. Namibia was added to the European Union’s list of high-risk jurisdictions on 10 June, following the EU’s standard practice of aligning with the FATF grey list.  Other countries on the list include Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Nepal, and Venezuela. The European Commission’s decision follows the FATF’s February 2024 Plenary Meeting, during which Namibia was placed on the grey…

Niël Terblanché A delegation from the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has embarked on a five-day benchmarking mission to Botswana to accelerate the digital transformation of Namibia’s water supply systems. Hosted by Botswana’s Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), the visit focused on knowledge exchange around smart prepaid metering technologies and customer service systems. NamWater CEO Abraham Nehemia is leading the delegation, which includes executive committee members and technical experts.  The team was welcomed at WUC’s Mmamashia Treatment Works, where a structured programme of technical sessions, site visits and strategic discussions was launched. “We are here to learn from WUC’s experience and see…

Allexer Namundjebo The first-ever Commonwealth Business Summit opened this week in Windhoek, drawing government officials, trade ministers, investors, and business leaders to discuss ways to strengthen trade and investment across the Commonwealth. The summit runs alongside the 2025 Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting, marking the first time the ministerial gathering is held outside the United Kingdom. Commonwealth secretary general Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, delivering the keynote address, said the Commonwealth bloc holds a unique position in global trade. “We have a market of 2.7 billion people, shared legal systems, and a 21% cost saving on intra-Commonwealth trade,” she said. Botchwey urged for…

Niël Terblanché The deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture, Dino Ballotti, officially inaugurated the 7th Namibia Library and Information Council (NLIC) during a ceremony on Thursday. Balloti acted on behalf of minister Sanet Steenkamp. He commended the new council members for their expertise and urged them to steer the sector into a new chapter shaped by digital innovation and equitable access to information. The newly appointed council will serve a three-year term until 2027. Ballotti noted that the recent call for expressions of interest attracted wide interest from the public and institutions alike. “The nomination process…