Windhoek Observer

Niël Terblanché The ministry of health and social services (MoHSS) is investigating a suspected cholera outbreak in the Opuwo District of the Kunene region after several individuals from the same household fell ill and one child died. According to the ministry, two four-year-old children were taken to Opuwo District Hospital on 9 June 2025.  Both showed signs of acute, watery diarrhoea and severe dehydration. One of the children died shortly after arrival.  The other child remains in the hospital’s isolation ward and is recovering. Preliminary lab tests conducted on 11 and 12 June detected Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria that cause…

Allexer Namundjembo President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has signed the 2025 appropriation act into law, authorising a national budget of N$89.4 billion for the financial year ending 31 March 2026.  The budget details appear in the Government Gazette No. 8657 dated 6 June, following approval by parliament. The ministry of education received the largest allocation at N$24.8 billion.  The ministry of finance follows with N$14.6 billion, and the ministry of health and social services with N$12.2 billion.  The ministry of home affairs, immigration, safety, and security will receive N$7.8 billion, while defence will receive N$7.4 billion. Opposition parties raised concerns about the…

Allexer Namundjebo International relations and trade minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi has called on international investors to explore and invest in Namibia's agricultural sector.  Ashipala-Musavyi made the call at the Investing in Africa and China Agriculture Production and Trade Cooperation Conference in Changsha, China. She described agriculture as central to the country’s development strategy. “Agriculture holds immense potential to deliver food security, generate sustainable employment, especially for our youth, and drive economic diversification and rural transformation,” Ashipala-Musavyi said. The conference, under the theme "Investment Environments and Cooperation in Agriculture," brought together investors, policymakers, and development partners to explore opportunities in agriculture, particularly…

Justicia Shipena The adoption of the Convention and Recommendations on Biological Hazards will contribute to strengthening Namibia’s legal framework on workplace safety.  This is according to minister of justice and labour relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, who delivered the country’s position during the 113th International Labour Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland. The two-week conference, which ran from 2 to 13 June 2025, ended on Friday. He commended the committee on Biological Hazards for successfully concluding the second round of standard-setting discussions. “The successful conclusion of the work of this committee exemplifies the principles of tripartism and social dialogue. It demonstrates that…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibia Nurses Union (NANU) Secretary General, Junias Shilunga, says the growing number of private health training institutions contributes to poorly trained healthcare workers and compromises the quality of healthcare in the country. Shilunga made these remarks in an interview with Windhoek Observer, responding to criticisms of private nursing schools from members of parliament.  These institutions, he said, are more focused on profit-making than improving Namibia’s healthcare system. The National Assembly is preparing to debate a motion on the regulation of the increasing number of nursing schools and other health training institutions.  This comes as last week, Popular…