Blog – Page 186 – Windhoek Observer

09 Oct

Sankwasa accused of ignoring Okahandja’s filth

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Okahandja community activist Shatyohamba Haihambo has accused Rural and Urban Development Minister James Sankwasa of being politically biased and selectively critical. He said Sankwasa ignored the town’s worsening sanitation problems during his recent visit. Haihambo said that while he appreciates Sankwasa’s “radical approach,” his comments often appear politically motivated and inconsistent. According to him, Sankwasa met privately with the Okahandja Town Council before addressing a community meeting but made no mention of the town’s deteriorating conditions. “Okahandja is currently the dirtiest town in Namibia, under a Swapo mayor. Yet the same Sankwasa who never misses a chance to…

09 Oct

CoW rules out hiring replacements during waste workers’ strike

National News

Justicia Shipena The City of Windhoek (CoW) has confirmed it will not hire replacement workers to perform the duties of striking solid waste management employees. The fixed-term workers are set to begin a protected strike today. City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya stated that the municipality respects the workers’ constitutional right to strike, but it will not deploy substitutes unless work is necessary to prevent danger to life, health, or personal safety. The strike follows a dispute over pay and benefits. The employees involved handle litter picking, street sweeping, and general cleaning in residential and business areas across Windhoek. “The City shall…

09 Oct

Over 200 people arrested in one month for drug offences

National News

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibian Police (Nampol) arrested 211 people on drug-related charges in September. Nampol spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi said on Wednesday that 202 of the suspects are Namibians, while the others include two Angolans, one Burundian, one Tanzanian, and five Zambian nationals. Shikwambi said cannabis topped the list of seized substances between 1 and 30 September. Police confiscated 1.08 tonnes of cannabis, 1 037 Mandrax tablets, 33 grams of cocaine powder, and 186.5 units of crack cocaine. She said the arrests and seizures demonstrate intensified police operations against illicit drug networks operating within and across Namibia’s borders. “Our…

09 Oct

Govt lawyers argue Germany immune from genocide lawsuit

National News

Justicia Shipena The Namibian government has argued that Germany can only be sued in its own courts. It said the country’s High Court has no jurisdiction over Germany in the ongoing genocide case. In its heads of argument, government lawyers representing the speaker of the National Assembly, the National Assembly, the President, the cabinet and the attorney general said Germany enjoys sovereign immunity under international law and cannot be brought before Namibian courts. The state's legal team, which includes Raymond Heathcote, Sakeus Akweenda, Sisa Namandje, and Eliaser Nekwaya, argued that the rule of state immunity, accepted by international law and…

09 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | Namibia first: The optics of justice and the burden of history

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The legal battle unfolding in the High Court over the joint Namibia–Germany genocide declaration is far more than a constitutional dispute; it is a moral mirror reflecting how we, as a nation, navigate justice, memory, and sovereignty in the postcolonial age. On one side stands the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), flanked by descendants of the Nama and Ovaherero communities, arguing that the government has betrayed their cause by defending the former coloniser. On the other side stands the government, represented by Namibian lawyers, insisting that it is merely clarifying legal principles, not shielding Germany from accountability. But in politics, as…

09 Oct

The power of a small deduction … understanding the role of payroll deductions in Namibia’s economy

Featured, Opinions

Ingah Ekandjo I recently spoke at the opening of one of our top-performing branches, prepared to talk about growth and community impact. But instead, I choked up. The room faded; my past came alive. I grew up in a modest Namibian family of seven children. Not all of us could get student loans or bursaries, but my mother, a government nurse with little savings, had taken out an education policy (an insurance plan for schooling). Listening to my introduction, memories of my childhood flashed before my eyes. In that moment I fully understood how that simple policy brought me here. …

09 Oct

Microlenders hang civil servants dry

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Former minister of finance, Iipumbu Shiimi, says the country's high household debt, especially among public servants, is fuelled by gaps in the law and weaknesses in the deduction code system. Shiimi explained that the payroll deduction management system (PDMS), meant to improve access to credit, has instead encouraged excessive borrowing as microlenders face little risk when repayments are automatically taken from salaries. “Consequently, many civil servants are left with little to no disposable income and increasing financial distress,” he said. Shiimi called for the speedy adoption of the consumer protection bill to place all microlenders under the Namibia…

09 Oct

Drilling of Kavango West 1X on schedule

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) Ltd says drilling of the Kavango West 1X exploration well is progressing as planned. Brian Reinsborough, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said the final casing string has been set at a depth of about 2,300 metres, just above the targeted Otavi reservoir. “Currently, the well is drilling ahead into the Otavi carbonate reservoir, which is the primary target in the Damara Fold Belt. We anticipate drilling an extensive section of the potential reservoir, which will be followed by a full evaluation of the Otavi section. The Kavango West 1X well is testing…

09 Oct

Koryx Copper shareholder meeting delayed

Observer Money

Staff Writer Canadian-listed copper developer Koryx Copper Incorporated has made amendments to its management information circular ahead of a special shareholder meeting scheduled for 15 October. The company said the changes were required due to a labour dispute in British Columbia, which could delay regulatory approvals for its planned continuation and redomiciliation from Canada to Luxembourg. At the meeting, shareholders will vote on Koryx’s proposal to transfer its registered office and central administration to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where it will operate as Koryx Copper S.A., a public limited company. The move is aimed at improving Koryx’s international corporate…

09 Oct

African companies raised over US$800 million in Q3

Observer Money

African companies raised over US$800 million in the third quarter of this year, marking a 21% increase compared to the same quarter in 2024. This growth was driven primarily by growth-stage funding, despite a decline in the number of deals. This uptick in funding, following several quarters of decline since the 2021 funding bubble, reinforces predictions highlighted in our recently released Africa Venture Pulse Report, which indicates that 2025 funding is on track to surpass 2024 totals. Since peaking in 2022, overall deal activities, particularly deals between US$100 000 and US$1m, have been on a steady decline. In contrast, very…