Blog – Page 218 – Windhoek Observer

17 Sep

Affordable housing impossible without serviced land – RCC

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Roads Contractor Company (RCC) has stressed that affordable housing in Namibia will not be possible without serviced land. This follows the signing of a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) on Monday. The agreement between the two state-owned enterprises aims to speed up land servicing and housing delivery under the government’s sixth National Development Plan. RCC interim chief executive officer Dasius Nelumbu said the company’s role in road construction, water and sewer reticulation, stormwater drainage, and electrification is central to housing projects. “Affordable housing is not possible without proper infrastructure. RCC’s role…

17 Sep

From crisis to hope: How genomic research could turn the tide on prostate cancer in Namibia

Featured, Opinions

Uvatera Maurihungirire Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in Namibia, with an alarmingly high rate of 63.8 cases per 100 000 men. In Sub-Saharan Africa, this number is predicted to at least triple by 2040. This means that prostate cancer has now overtaken other leading malignancies in Namibia, including breast and cervical, making it a critical public health concern that requires urgent attention. Despite this, many men are diagnosed only when the disease has advanced, which limits treatment options and reduces survival rates. Why are the numbers so high? Several factors contribute to the high prostate cancer…

17 Sep

Oceana’s horse mackerel catch disappoints

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Oceana Group says catch rates for Namibian horse mackerel continued to disappoint, leaving the business performing at the same level as the prior period. In a trading statement for the year ending 30 September, the group said horse mackerel sales prices remained firm due to sustained market demand. This follows, as for the 2025 fishing season, the cabinet set the horse mackerel Total Allowable Catch at 208 000 metric tonnes, down from 270 000 metric tonnes. The group expects basic earnings per share to fall by at least 40%, or 368 cents per share, compared to 920 cents…

17 Sep

Andrada Mining reports record tin production

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Andrada Mining Limited, the critical minerals producer with operations in Namibia, has reported record quarterly tin output for the three months ended 31 August 2025. The company produced 453 tonnes of tin concentrate during the quarter, up 17% from 388 tonnes in the same period last year. Contained tin rose 14% to 273 tonnes, supported by improved operational efficiency and a stronger recovery rate of 73%, compared to 69% in the previous quarter. The average realised tin price increased 4% year-on-year to US$33,308 per tonne. Andrada also achieved record six-month tantalum concentrate production of 27 tonnes, with 10…

17 Sep

Paladin sets new mining and sales targets for Langer Heinrich

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Paladin Energy Ltd has released its Annual Information Form for the year ended 30 June 2025, outlining mining, processing, and sales targets for the Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) current financial year. The Namibian uranium mine, Paladin’s only operation currently in production, entered the 2026 financial year with 2.2 million tonnes of medium-grade ore stockpiled. About 49% of the planned mining fleet is in use, with the rest expected to arrive later this year and be fully commissioned in the second half of the financial year. Mining will focus on the G-pit, with limited activity in the F and…

17 Sep

Inflation will gradually pick up to toward 3.7%

Observer Money

Namibia’s headline inflation slowed to 3.2% year on year in August, marking the lowest rate so far this year. While this continues the disinflationary trend seen since late 2023, the outlook suggests that inflation will gradually pick up again toward 3.7% to 3.9% by December, as several pressures begin to build. Food inflation remains the main driver, holding steady at 5.2% year on year. Strong increases in fruit, meat, and vegetables continue to weigh heavily on household budgets, and global trends are not offering much relief. The latest FAO Food Price Index shows renewed strength in vegetable oils and meat,…

17 Sep

OBSERVER DAILY | The coming shock: Why suspending deduction codes could hit Namibia hard

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

When the Namibian government announced that, effective 30 November 2025, it will suspend the deduction code system for public servants, the news landed like a thunderclap across the financial sector. On paper it may look like a simple administrative tweak, removing the ability for lenders and insurers to collect repayments directly from civil servants’ salaries. In reality, it threatens to upend a seven-billion-dollar ecosystem of term-lenders, microlenders and insurance providers whose business models hinge on deduction at source (DAS). The immediate poster-child of the disruption is Letshego Namibia, which according to Simonis Storm researcher Kara van den Heever originates 96%…

16 Sep

Willemse was Namcor’s ‘middleman’ to Enercon

Main

Justicia Shipena National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) corruption and bribery accused Kornelius “Cedric” Willemse served as a middleman between Namcor and Enercon Namibia before being appointed as Namcor’s supply and logistics manager, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has told the court. ACC chief investigator Oberty Inambao testified during Willemse’s bail application on Monday. He said Willemse acted as a consultant to Namcor when Enercon signed a fuel supply agreement with the company in 2021. Willemse was later appointed permanently in June 2022 as supply and logistics manager. “From the evidence we obtained, Mr Willemse was an employee of Namcor throughout…

16 Sep

Tsumeb mine shaft rusts months after renovation

National News

Renthia Kaimbi A project meant to preserve one of Tsumeb’s oldest landmarks and boost tourism has turned into a dispute over alleged misuse of funds and poor workmanship. The rehabilitation of the historic De Wet mining shaft, funded by a €100,000 (about N$2 million) donation from the German government, was completed only months ago. Local residents have already raised concerns after rust began to appear on the structure five months after it was sandblasted, coated, and welded. The project was intended to make the shaft safe for visitors, but accusations now suggest that the work left the structure more vulnerable. …

16 Sep

Four local associations apply for ECN registration

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Four local associations in Namibia have applied for registration with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), signalling a growing mobilisation ahead of the next local authority elections. A government gazette published on September 11, 2025, lists the Association for Localised Interest—Swakopmund (ASOLI-Swakopmund), Walvis Bay Community Association (WBCA), Outjo Residents Association (ORA), and Grootfontein Rates and Taxpayers Association (GRTPA) as applicants under Section 148 of the Electoral Act, 2014. The notices were signed by ECN chief electoral officer Peter Shaama on 5 September and published six days later. The gazette includes details of each association’s office-bearers, addresses, membership numbers,…