Blog – Page 60 – Windhoek Observer

17 Jul

Mbumba backs Spain-Africa strategy

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Former president Nangolo Mbumba has called for stronger ties between Africa and Spain, saying both sides can benefit from closer cooperation in economic development, migration, and security. Mbumba spoke on Thursday in Madrid at the official launch of the High-Level Advisory Council on the Spain-Africa Strategy 2025–2028. The council is a platform aimed at strengthening diplomatic, trade, and cultural relations between Spain and African nations. Mbumba attended the launch as a member of the newly formed council. “Spain and Africa share a long history dating back centuries. Given its geographical proximity to Africa, it is not surprising that…

17 Jul

SADC PF urges Namibia to set up national Women’s Parliamentary Caucus

National News

Moses Magadza The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) has called on Namibia to establish a National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to accelerate gender-responsive governance and amplify women’s voices in decision-making. Speaking at a high-level roundtable on women in politics and leadership in Swakopmund, SADC PF Secretary General Boemo Sekgoma cautioned that the journey towards gender parity in politics requires both institutional muscle and sustained commitment. She applauded Namibia’s gender milestones, including the recent election of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the country’s first female President, but stressed that political progress must be impactful. “Women make up only 40% of…

17 Jul

Global democracy body urges action on women’s political inclusion

Africa / World

Moses Magadza An intergovernmental organisation that supports sustainable democracy globally has called for sustained action to dismantle systemic barriers impeding women's full participation in political life. Gram Matenga, the regional head of programmes for Africa and West Asia at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), made the call on Wednesday at the official opening of a high-level roundtable on women in politics and decision-making roles in Namibia. Matenga commended Namibia for electing its first female president earlier this year, calling it “an extraordinary achievement that resonates across the African continent and globally.” He also paid tribute…

17 Jul

Namibia’s re-classification meaningless to workers in the context of Capitalism

Featured, Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro At last Namibia has been reclassified as a lower-middle-income economy from an upper-middle one. A reclassification that the country, especially its late third president, Dr Hage Geingob, hardly missed any international financial and economic platform to plead with players on this platform, especially the World Bank, that the country has wrongly been classified as an upper-middle economy. Late President Geingob may have had his reasons why he very much and untiringly pleaded for a re-classification. Which no doubt had anything to do with what he thought the country at large could benefit from such a re-classification. Foremost, the…

17 Jul

Fighting corruption through a transformative leadership: A new political paradigm

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) INTRODUCTION Chinua Achebe's poignant observation from 1983, "The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership," resonates with disquieting accuracy within the contemporary Namibian landscape. This enduring warning compels a critical introspection: for how long shall we, as a nation, tacitly endorse the insidious erosion of ethical standards and the systemic decay of institutions, as if such maladies were an ineluctable destiny? How long will the proverb "the goat eats where it’s tied" serve as a convenient justification for pervasive malfeasance, rather than a stark indictment of…

17 Jul

TransNamib revises locomotive procurement strategy

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira TransNamib says it is working closely with stakeholders, funders, and technical advisors to review and update its procurement strategy after the cancellation of its earlier locomotive tender. The updated approach aims to ensure compliance, value for money, and alignment with operational needs. The company has been instructed by the government to diversify its locomotive fleet. To support this, TransNamib is sourcing a rail consultant to help guide the process. A new procurement approach for acquiring 23 locomotives is currently being developed. The process is expected to be relaunched in the coming months, pending approval from financiers and governance…

17 Jul

Nasria targets growth in 2025/2026 financial year

Observer Money

The Namibia Special Risks Insurance Association (Nasria) has disclosed that during the 2024 financial year, its total assets increased to N$869 million, and its net profit exceeded N$100 million for the first In 2024, Nasria restructured its investment portfolio and appointed six new investment managers to lead a sustainable growth strategy. As a result, insurance revenue increased by 6%, rising from N$79 million in 2023 to N$84 million in 2024. The growth was driven mainly by policy renewals and new business. Nasria’s executive of marketing, Ndapona Schleberger, spoke to Observer Money about the association’s evolving role in the insurance industry.…

17 Jul

Zinc expansion at Rosh Pinah reaches 75% progress

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Rosh Pinah Zinc says its Rosh Pinah 2.0 expansion project has reached 75% completion. The construction of the paste fill and water treatment plants is finished, and both are now being commissioned. “It is anticipated that both these plants will be handed over to operations early in the first quarter of 2025,” the company said. The underground piping and boreholes needed to distribute paste to the first trial stope have been installed. Barricading for the stope is complete, and all control instruments have been connected to the new control system through SCADA. The company said earthworks and civil…

17 Jul

CDB and DBSA strengthen cooperation through credit line

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The China Development Bank (CDB) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have signed a US$293 million loan facility agreement. This marks the first financing cooperation between the two banks and will support infrastructure, energy, ICT, water, health, and manufacturing projects across Africa. “This agreement marks a new stage in our cooperation,” said CDB president Tan Jiong. Both banks are members of the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism. The agreement aims to enhance financial, economic, and trade cooperation among BRICS countries and strengthen the strategic partnership between China and South Africa. It follows the ‘Ten Major Partnership Actions’…

17 Jul

Uranium mines thirsty for water

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Water supply remains a challenge for the expanding uranium mining sector in the Erongo Region. Namibia ranks fourth globally in uranium production, after Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada. The mining industry has taken steps to address water constraints. According to the Chamber of Mines of Namibia's 2024 annual report, efforts include the commissioning of a bypass connection and the rehabilitation of a 34-kilometre pipeline from Omdel to the Orano desalination plant. This upgrade has boosted the water supply by an additional 400 to 500 cubic metres per hour. The Orano plant’s capacity was further enhanced in December 2024 with…