Blog – Windhoek Observer

17 Dec

Civil servants to pay 2% less on loan deductions

Main

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Finance will reduce loan repayment deductions from civil servants’ salaries by 2%, with the change taking effect this Friday for teachers and police officers. Windhoek Observer understands that the adjustment follows a new government position that the 2% surcharge previously deducted from employees’ salaries should not have been carried by workers. The ministry now intends to recover the charge directly from deduction code holders, such as microlenders. The development comes as the High Court on Monday dismissed an urgent application to hold finance minister Ericah Shafudah in contempt of court. High Court judge Lotta Ambunda…

17 Dec

Business event visas add N$1.5m to state revenue in six months

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Over 900 visas were issued to people who attended Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events in Namibia. The visas have been issued since June, generating N$1.5 million in revenue to date. This comes as Namibia moves to position itself in the global business events market with the launch of the Namibia Convention Bureau (NCB). Chief immigration officer Tulimeke Munyika said the issuance of MICE visas reflects growing inbound business travel. Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Indileni Daniel on Tuesday launched the NCB and its website. She described the move as a step aimed at diversifying the…

17 Dec

Govt welcomes N$33.8 billion billion AfDB funding

National News

Chamwe Kaira The government has welcomed the approval of its Country Strategy Paper for the period 2025 to 2030 by the board of directors of the African Development Bank Group, which opens an investment approval window of US$1.78 billion (approximately N$33.8 billion) for Namibia. The country strategy paper sets out Namibia’s five-year framework of engagement with the AfDB. It outlines priority areas to support the national development agenda through grants, concessional and market-based loans and technical assistance. Under the framework, Namibia will submit priority projects for financing over the five-year period. The strategy is built around two main pillars: infrastructure…

17 Dec

Court cancels Kamanjab fuel licence over legal breaches

National News

Justicia Shipena The High Court has cancelled a petroleum retail fuel licence for Kamanjab after finding that the minister of mines and energy failed to follow the law and did not give reasons for key decisions. High Court judge Tommasi Masuku ruled recently that a petroleum retail fuel license issued in 2012 to T&A Group Holdings and Investment CC was unlawful and invalid after multiple legal breaches. The court held that the licence violated the Petroleum Products and Energy Act and its regulations, as well as the Environmental Management Act. The case was brought by Mattys Johannes du Plessis and…

17 Dec

When classrooms become crime scenes, policy silence is complicity

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The resignation of a teacher from Wilhelm Nortier Primary School while in police custody is not just another tragic headline. It is an indictment of a system that continues to react to sexual abuse in schools rather than prevent it. Once again, Namibia is forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: our children are not as safe in our learning institutions as we claim they are. The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture has condemned the alleged sexual assault and promised cooperation with law enforcement. These statements, while necessary, are painfully familiar. We have heard them before, after…

17 Dec

WHEN INEFFICIENCY BECOMES A CULTURE: NAMIBIA’S PUBLIC SECTOR

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara) Weak accountability in Govt derails development Former finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi said accountability must be elevated to the highest level if the country is to meet its national goals. He added that weak coordination among government institutions has hampered the country's progress in several development areas. Speaking on his tenure as finance minister, as it was reported in one of the daily newspapers, Shiimi admitted that while Namibia has no shortage of well-crafted plans and strategies, implementation continues to fall short due to fragmented coordination. Reflecting on his experience, Shiimi argued…

17 Dec

Public backs Starlink licence application

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) has received overwhelming public support for Starlink’s application to operate in Namibia as it continues to assess the satellite internet provider’s licence request. Cran said it received 1 180 written submissions by Friday, 12 December 2025. Of these, 1 164 supported the application, while 16 opposed it. The regulator said both supportive and opposing submissions raised substantive issues that Starlink will need to address as part of the licensing process. According to Cran, the feedback reflects wide public interest in Starlink’s potential impact on Namibia’s telecommunications sector and the future of…

17 Dec

Anglo Teck to give N$600 million to SA mining fund

Observer Money

Staff Writer Anglo American plc and Teck Resources Limited have received regulatory approval from the government of Canada under the Investment Canada Act for their proposed merger, announced on 9 September. The merger will create Anglo Teck, a larger global critical minerals company with operations and projects across several regions, including South Africa. Following the merger, Anglo Teck said its subsidiaries operating in South Africa will continue to comply with all empowerment requirements and mining licence conditions. As part of its support for the junior mining sector, Anglo Teck plans to contribute N$600 million to South Africa’s Junior Mining Exploration…

17 Dec

Simonis Storm predicts steady growth for MTC

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Simonis Storm has forecast steady but moderate growth for Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) over the next three years, driven by gradual subscriber growth and rising demand for data services. In a research note, analyst Max Rix said MTC’s net income is expected to increase from N$3.71 billion in the 2025 financial year to about N$4.7 billion by the 2028 financial year. This implies a compound annual growth rate of about 6%. The forecast is supported by an expanding active subscriber base, projected to grow from 2.32 million to around 2.55 million by the 2028 financial year. Following the…

17 Dec

Deep Yellow builds diversified uranium portfolio

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Deep Yellow Limited is advancing a dual-pillar growth strategy aimed at building a globally diversified uranium producer with annual output of more than 10 million pounds. The company’s portfolio includes two advanced projects in Tier-1 mining jurisdictions. These are the Tumas Project in Namibia and the Mulga Rock Project in Western Australia. Future growth is supported by a wider exploration portfolio. This includes the Alligator River Project in Australia’s Northern Territory and the Omahola Project in Namibia. Deep Yellow said it continues to assess opportunities to acquire additional assets that fit its strategy. The company said it is…