Windhoek Observer

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…

Niël Terblanché Prime Minister Elijah Tjitunga Ngurare has thanked the governments of Japan and the European Union (EU) for donating more than N$32 million to support the country's drought relief efforts. Speaking in Windhoek on Wednesday, Ngurare described drought as a slow-onset crisis that weakens food security, damages livelihoods, and threatens health and dignity. He said the current drought is among the worst Namibia has faced in recent years, with subsistence farmers the hardest hit.  “The 2024/25 Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister revealed that over 1.26 million people – about 41% of…

Erastus Ngaruka Rangeland productivity is affected by several factors, including rainfall, soil condition, fire, herbivory, and other ecological forces such as plant competition. In addition, human activities can have a significant effect on rangeland conditions. Ultimately, the adverse influence of these factors can disturb the normal ecological processes, leading to rangeland degradation. One of the recurrent factors that shape rangeland ecosystems is fire (commonly known as veld fires' or 'wildfires'), which can occur naturally or can be manmade. Many farmers have negative perceptions about veld fires due to their dangerous and destructive nature. However, natural veld fire events serve a…