Blog – Page 282 – Windhoek Observer

14 Jul

Windhoek hauls away 1 877 waste loads in clean-up effort

FeaturedMayoral Clean‑Up Campaign

Allexer Namundjembo The City of Windhoek has launched its 2025 Mayoral Clean‑Up Campaign under the theme “My Waste, My Responsibility”, calling on residents, businesses, and institutions to help restore Windhoek’s status as Africa’s cleanest capital. Speaking at the launch, Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja said the campaign is not just a one-day event but a citywide effort running until October 2025. It focuses on community-driven waste management and environmental care. She said the initiative aligns with the city’s strategic plan 2022–2027, which promotes collective responsibility for urban cleanliness and public health. Since April 2025, the City has emptied over 5,100 skip…

14 Jul

MIRT denies excluding IPC during Modi visit

National NewsNarendra Modi, Panduleni Itula

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The ministry of international relations and trade (MIRT) has dismissed claims by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) that the party’s leader, Panduleni Itula, was excluded from official events during the recent visit of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. In a statement issued on Thursday, MIRT said Itula was formally invited to attend a state luncheon hosted in Modi’s honour. The ministry called the IPC's accusations “false” and “misleading”. “The Leader of the Opposition Party was invited to the luncheon hosted in honour of His Excellency Narendra Modi. The invitations to both the Leader of the Official Opposition…

13 Jul

Windhoek shoppers pay more for white bread flour

Observer Money

Justicia Shipena Residents in the Khomas region paid the highest price for white bread flour in June 2025, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) bulletin released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). A 2.5kg bag of white flour costs N$53.21 in Khomas, compared to N$51.99 in southern and eastern regions and N$49.66 in the north. For white cake flour (2.5 kg), the highest price was N$59.19 in the southern and Eastern regions followed by Khomas at N$57.55, while the north recorded the lowest price at N$52.64. This comes as the country's annual inflation rate stood at 3.7% in…

13 Jul

Rundu chiefs unveils new management

Featured, SportsAgrippa Haindondo, Galil Palvin, Namibia Premier League, Rusten Director, Tomas Matias

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Rundu Chiefs Football Club has appointed a new management and technical team following its promotion to the Namibia Premier League for the 2025/26 season. Club chairman Agrippa Haindondo said the new contracts will take effect on 1 September, when preparations for the upcoming top-flight season begin. The appointments follow the club’s registration as a close corporation and an internal restructuring process. “These strategic hires underscore the club's commitment to professional excellence and sustainable growth as it prepares to compete in the Namibia Premier League, following its recent registration as a Close Corporation and a comprehensive internal restructuring. This…

13 Jul

T20 league to shape next cricket stars

SportsAndrew Hall, Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller, Jean Basson, Riaan Grobler

Justicia Shipena The 2025 T20 Franchise Competition is set to identify future talent for the country's high-performance squad and national cricket team. As the country’s top cricket league for clubs, it offers top players a competitive platform to showcase their skills and earn national selection. Cricket Namibia launched the tournament last week, introducing four franchise teams and their sponsors. The matches will be played over the first two weekends of August at the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller welcomed the sponsors and praised their investment in the sport. “We are excited and privileged to…

13 Jul

Open water team set for Singapore

SportsMadison Bergh, Nico Esslinger, Reza Westerduin, Riaan Steyn, Tristan Nell, World Aquatic Open Water Championships

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibian Open Water Swimming team will compete at the World Aquatic Open Water Championships in Singapore, taking place from 15 to 20 July 2025. Namibia Aquatic Sports Federation president Riaan Steyn announced over the weekend that four athletes will represent Namibia. They are Madison Bergh, Reza Westerduin, Tristan Nell, and Nico Esslinger. The team will be accompanied by coach Jörn Diekmann and team manager Angelika Diekmann. Nico Esslinger joined the team in Singapore after arriving from Antibes, France, where he is on a scholarship. He will compete in the 10 km, 5 km, 3 km knockout, and…

11 Jul

Health ministry blames tender delays on emergency tenders

National NewsCentral Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN)

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services says it was forced to spend over N$54.8 million through emergency and direct procurement due to delays by the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) in awarding tenders. Health executive director Penda Ithindi told the Windhoek Observer that legal challenges and slow tender processes forced the ministry to use emergency, direct, and restricted procurement methods. He said these steps, including requests for quotations, were necessary to prevent service interruptions. The auditor general’s 2022/2023 report revealed that the ministry used emergency procurement worth N$19.2 million and direct procurement worth N$35.6 million. The…

11 Jul

IPC cries foul over exclusion from state functions during Modi visit

National NewsIndependent Patriots for Change (IPC)

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has accused the Namibian government of excluding the party from official events during Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit, calling it an insult to democracy and the voters who supported them. IPC leader Panduleni Itula said the government continues to sideline the opposition, despite the IPC being the second-largest party in Parliament. He said the situation was especially disappointing during Modi’s visit, given that the Indian leader represents the world’s largest democracy. “While India’s prime minister, representing 1.4 billion people, who exercise their democratic rights, stands on Namibian soil, our own government…

11 Jul

Outdated transport permits to be replaced by end of 2025

National NewsUrban Mobility Conference

Allexer Namundjembo The ministry of works and transport is reviewing outdated transport permits, some dating back to the 1970s. By the fourth quarter of 2025, these will be replaced with renewable, owner-based permits tied to vehicle safety and service quality. This was revealed by works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi during the Urban Mobility Conference on Thursday. The conference hosted by the City of Windhoek was held under the theme “Driving Economic Growth through Urban Mobility”. Nekundi also revealed plans to shift legal accountability for traffic fines from drivers to vehicle owners. He said the ministry is working with international…

11 Jul

Venaani urges NNN to tackle insider trading

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani has challenged President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to dismantle what he describes as an organised insider trading network within government. He said this is necessary to effectively combat corruption. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Venaani accused senior government officials of engaging in insider trading. He claimed directors and executive directors are using their positions to benefit from state tenders and contracts. “Most importantly… one structure we must agree upon as a legislature and a country together is that we need to dismantle a very organised insider trading network. I want to…