Windhoek Observer – Page 297 – Windhoek Observer

07 Apr

Pride of lions terrorising villagers

National News

Allexer Namundjembo A pride of nine lions has been roaming freely in villages in the Judea Lyamboloma Constituency in the Zambezi region in the past days. According to the constituency councillor Divai Humphrey, the situation has caused fear in the community and frustration over what the locals say is a lack of action from the authorities. “A pride of nine lions is believed to be on the loose, terrorising communities and preying on livestock. In the morning when I spoke to one of the villagers, seven livestock had been killed by the said lions, but I believe the number has…

07 Apr

Zambezi police officer arrested for aiding inmates to escape

Featured, National News

Allexer Namundjembo A police officer stationed at the Goma Police Station in the Zambezi region was arrested on Saturday for opening a holding cell, which led to the escape of five trial awaiting prisoners. The Zambezi Regional Police Commander, Commissioner Andreas Shilelo, confirmed the incident, revealing that two Namibians and three Zambians were among the escapees. Shilelo said the officer acted alone and failed to inform fellow officers before opening the holding cell. “The inmates did not use force to escape. They simply fled after the cell was opened,” he said. By Monday, four of the five escapees were re-arrested.…

07 Apr

||Kharas Names Provisional Newspaper Cup Squad driven by talent

Sports

Ester Mbathera The ||Kharas Region will be heading to the 23rd edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup in Outjo this year with a squad that reflects the spread of football talent across the region. The 2025 Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup will take place in Outjo from 18 to 21 April. The 20-man provisional team includes players from towns and villages such as Lüderitz, Keetmanshoop, Rosh Pinah, Bethanie, Oranjemund, Tses, Karasburg, Aroab, and Koës. Coach Kallen Essau said the selection was based on performance and not geography. “We did not select players just to include all the towns. We selected…

07 Apr

SADC finalises tool to boost fight against child marriage

Africa / World

Moses Magadza A technical working group formed by the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), in partnership with regional and international stakeholders, has finalised a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework aimed at tracking progress in the fight against child marriage across Southern Africa. The group met for a week in Windhoek to complete the framework and begin developing a digital dashboard that will monitor how Member States implement the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage. The workshop brought together 28 experts from across the region, including M&E specialists from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and…

07 Apr

Duneside High faces backlash for holding organ donation lecture

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Duneside Private High School in Walvis Bay is under scrutiny after learners attended a lecture on organ donation awareness without parental consent. The matter has sparked concerns from parents and community leaders over the handling of sensitive topics involving minors. The incident involved a lecture by international organ donation advocate Anil Srivatsa, hosted by the Walvis Bay Rotary Club at the Protea Indongo Hotel. However, parents were not informed beforehand, and no consent was sought for the students to attend. “I was shocked when I found out about the event through social media. It was disappointing to learn…

07 Apr

Auas Primary School principal accused of undermining Khoekhoegowab

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Education is investigating allegations that Auas Primary School principal Toini Nauyoma is sidelining the Khoekhoegowab language and undermining the cultural identity of the Damara/Nama community. The probe follows complaints from parents and community members who say the school, located in a predominantly Damara people residential area, Windhoek, is shifting away from its cultural roots by reducing the presence of Khoekhoegowab and promoting other languages, particularly Oshikwanyama. “The situation is currently under investigation, and the ministry will provide more details once a formal report on the investigation has been issued,” said ministry spokesperson Sam Shino. Auas…

07 Apr

Luvindao calls for action on maternal deaths

Featured, National News

Niël Terblanché At the World Health Day commemoration in Katima Mulilo on Monday, the minister of health and social services, Dr Esperance Luvindao, addressed the pressing issue of maternal mortality in Namibia. She described many causes of maternal deaths as preventable tragedies that require urgent action. “Improved antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, exclusive breastfeeding, and better nutrition could further reduce these fatalities,” Luvindao said while stressing the necessity of people taking more time to care for and help each other. She also expressed concern that only 49% of mothers in Namibia practise exclusive breastfeeding, a factor contributing to child stunting.…

07 Apr

NamWater deploys water tanker to assist flood-affected Opuwo residents

National News

Niël Terblanché NamWater has deployed a water tanker in Opuwo to provide interim relief to residents still affected by a major disruption to the town’s water supply. The water tanker is supplying water to communities such as Olushandja and Katutura, which remain without piped connections following flood-related damage to key infrastructure. The national water utility’s spokesperson, Lot Ndamanomhata, said the company has made progress in restoring water services after last week’s flooding severely impacted Opuwo. “The 300 millimetre diameter feeder pipeline connecting three critical boreholes to the collector reservoir has been successfully reinstated. This, together with the reactivation of borehole…

07 Apr

Nekundi orders SOEs to include Namibians in large contracts

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi, has instructed state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to stop awarding high-value contracts solely to foreign companies, saying local businesses must be part of tenders worth N$100 million and above. Speaking in Walvis Bay on Monday during the visit of Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare to Namport, Nekundi said government institutions must ensure that local companies benefit from major contracts to retain capital in the country and create jobs. “It will not be business as usual. I will not take it anymore that you award contracts to foreign companies only. This thing of issuing…

07 Apr

Farmworker gets life sentence for murdering employer

National News

Niël Terblanché The Windhoek High Court sentenced the 29-year-old farmworker Rodney Hoxobeb to 25 years' imprisonment for the 2022 murder of his employer, Christof Mberitjiua Mungunda. Mungunda was a respected farmer from Tallismanus in the Omaheke region. At the time of his brutal death, he was 66 years old. The verdict, delivered by Judge Philanda Christiaan, has been met with approval from various quarters, including the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU). The murder occurred on 16 September 2022 at Mungunda's farm. According to court proceedings, an argument erupted between Hoxobeb and Mungunda after the latter refused Hoxobeb's request for food. The…