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Justicia Shipena The National Council Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Housing has recommended that all land developed under Namibia’s Flexible Land Tenure Act remain state-owned.  It stated that occupants would be given rights of use rather than ownership through purchase. The committee's recommendation is part of a report presented to the National Council this week.  The report follows a visit to Rwanda in September 2024 to study urban land delivery and housing for poor and landless citizens. “All land developed under the Flexi Land Tenure Act should remain state-owned, with occupants granted rights of use rather than ownership through…

Niël Terblanché Namibia joined the global community in commemorating the International Day for Biological Diversity under the theme “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development.” The commemorative event was held in Otjiwarongo on Thursday, where the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, called for urgent and collective action to preserve biodiversity as a cornerstone of sustainable development. Daniel described biodiversity as essential to human well-being and environmental balance. “Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, which supports ecosystems and provides essential services for human well-being, including food, medicine, clean water, and a healthy environment for all species,” she…

Justicia Shipena  Namibia has made progress in developing its laws and aligning with international agreements on the protection of minority groups, but struggles with enforcement.  This is according to European Union Ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins, who spoke at a conference hosted by the NMT Media Foundation in Windhoek this week. The conference, held under the theme ‘Amplifying San Voices in Policy Discourse’, is part of the New Narratives, New Voices project.  The three-year EU-funded initiative aims to amplify unheard voices and influence policy through community dialogue. “Namibia has made progress, but what is missing is enforcement. The San…

Niël Terblanché The Municipality of Swakopmund and Erongo RED have formalised a development agreement to co-fund infrastructure in Extension 32, Kramersdorf. The agreement, signed on Thursday, aims to support the growing demand for serviced residential land in the coastal town. According to the municipality, the development will unlock 70 single residential erven, eight general residential erven, one institutional erf, and two public open spaces. Planned infrastructure includes water and sewerage systems, stormwater drainage, semi-purified water, electricity, telecommunications, and upgraded roads with bitumen surfacing and paved sidewalks. The municipality said that the town council had initially earmarked three Kramersdorf extensions for…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Government, in partnership with NamWater and the German Development Bank (KfW), has entered into a N$1.5 billion concessional loan agreement aimed at upgrading the country’s ageing bulk water supply infrastructure. The agreement was signed in Windhoek by finance minister Ericah Shafudah, NamWater’s chief executive officer, Abraham Nehemia, and a KfW representative The German ambassador to Namibia, Thorsten Hutter, was also present at the ceremony. Shafudah described the loan as a crucial addition to national budget efforts to secure the country’s water supply. “This agreement will complement our budgetary resources in ensuring the rehabilitation and expansion of…

Justicia Shipena  Technical experts and policymakers met in Windhoek this week to explore ways to work together to improve Namibia’s biosafety management system.  The meeting marked the start of a national training workshop on Namibia’s biosafety, institutional, and administrative systems during the week at the Hilton Hotel, organised by the National Commission on Research, Science, and Technology (NCRST). The event was part of the regional Strengthening the Implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks in Southern Africa (SINBF) Project, delivered in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and RAEIN-Africa. The SINBF project, funded by UNEP and GEF, aims to strengthen biosafety…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has renewed its call for government to introduce five-year contracts for senior civil servants, saying the proposal aims to improve accountability and service delivery, not threaten job security. LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said the party leader, Bernadus Swartbooi, raised the matter last week during a meeting with the Public Service Commission in Swakopmund.  Simataa said some members of the public misunderstood the suggestion and assumed it targeted civil servants unfairly. “Firstly, it is important to correct the misinformation circulating. The proposal does not aim to establish a universal policy for all public sector…