Blog – Page 62 – Windhoek Observer

11 Sep

Paratus Group expands operations into East Africa

Observer Money

Staff Writer Paratus Group has completed its expansion into East Africa. The move is part of the company’s plan to connect businesses and communities across sub-Equatorial Africa with reliable digital infrastructure. Paratus Kenya has been operational since November 2024 as a licensed internet service provider and authorised Starlink reseller. Rwanda and Uganda have also launched as ISPs, with Rwanda offering Starlink services. In 2025, Tanzania joined the network, delivering ISP services to enterprise and wholesale customers nationwide. The company now supports sectors including retail, transport and logistics, education, health, and tourism across all four countries. The expansion is underpinned by…

11 Sep

FNB Namibia brings banking to Osire

Observer Money

Staff Writer The Osire Refugee Camp, home to about 5000 refugees, has long struggled with access to banking services. More than 3000 adults in the camp have never been banked by any financial institution in Namibia, even though some hold IDs and passports. Until now, the only way for residents to access money was to travel more than 200 kilometres to Otjiwarongo. The journey was costly, time-consuming, and dangerous. Many refugees reported being robbed and losing their money during these trips. Despite these challenges, Osire is a hub of small businesses that serve both the camp and nearby farms. These…

11 Sep

National Literary Festival aims to open markets for authors

Featured, National News

Julia Heita The National Literary Festival will return in October 2025 with a focus on strengthening the role of Namibian literature in education and creating greater market access for local authors. The two-day event will take place at the National Library of Namibia in Windhoek. Organised by the National Arts Council of Namibia through its literature committee, the festival will run under the theme “Open a Book”. Writers, publishers, educators, and literature enthusiasts are expected to gather for panel discussions, workshops, book exhibitions, author signings, and a “Read Corner” aimed at promoting a reading culture among both children and adults.…

11 Sep

BOOK REVIEW | A symbol of a people’s determination: THE WINDHOEK OLD LOCATION by Henning Melber and Dieter Hinrichs

Featured, Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Indeed there could be no more befitting title than A Symbol of People's Determination, a book about the history of the Old Location, the residential area of the indigenous Africans in the then Apartheid South West Africa. Before their forceful removal in the late 1960s from the Old Location, present-day Hochland Park residential area in Windhoek. Befitting title in the sense that indeed the Old Location gave genesis to present-day Katutura. Not as it is today when it has sprawled all over. But then only a small conclave of brick houses spread over a radius of eight (8)…

11 Sep

OBSERVER DAILY | An inconvenient truth: Namibia’s silent suicide crisis

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia is facing an inconvenient truth, one we have been too timid to confront head-on: suicide is claiming lives at an alarming rate. Among those who have chosen this tragic path are not only men and women buckling under social and economic strain, but children, our children. Every report of a life cut short is not merely a statistic, but a devastating rupture in families, communities, and the nation’s future. And yet, as the suicide rate climbs, our national response remains timid, fragmented, and inadequate. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was correct to express concern about suicides in her recent address. But…

10 Sep

Willemse denies fortune built on oil money

Main

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Former National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) executive Kornelius 'Cedric' Willemse told the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that his wealth was built from personal investments and not from funds derived from the oil company. He made the statement during his bail application before Magistrate Olga Muharukua, saying that although he held senior positions at Namcor, his assets and businesses did not originate from the company. Willemse outlined his current financial situation, stating that before his arrest he earned about N$250 000 a month, plus N$95 000 from businesses in South Africa and his Namcor salary. “Since my detention I…

10 Sep

Congolese fuel supplier says Malima owes N$5.5m

National News

Justicia Shipena Congolese fuel supplier Orion Energy SARL may apply for default judgement if Eco Fuel Investment fails to file its plea by 17 October. This deadline follows a case management order issued by High Court judge Beatrix de Jager in the Windhoek High Court. Orion filed a lawsuit against Eco Fuel and its owner, fugitive businessman Victor "Chris" Malima. The order states that if Eco Fuel does not respond, Orion can move for default judgement on 27 October, with a hearing set for 29 October. Both sides must also exchange documents and make discovery by 21 November, while a…

10 Sep

Omuthiya road build marred by worker exploitation claims

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Workers on the Omuthiya–Elambo road project say are facing unsafe conditions and low pay. The 59 km road, launched in August 2025, is expected to take two years to complete with funding from the Namibian government and external partners, including German entities. The workers clearing land in Okakoko village for Borromean Contractors on Wednesday said they are not given protective equipment. A site visit by the Windhoek Observer found labourers cutting trees and clearing thorny bushes without gloves. Workers say they are earning N$108 per day, with no transport provided, forcing some to walk more than 20 km…

10 Sep

Amupanda seeks law to stop secret salaries in hiring

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda has called for the legislation compelling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies to disclose salary scales in job advertisements. He said this practice undermines transparency and goes against Article 23 of the constitution. In a notice to Parliament yesterday, Amupanda recalled that Article 23, titled “Apartheid and Affirmative Action”, was included by the Constitution’s framers to outlaw apartheid-era racial discrimination. He added that it was also meant to empower laws addressing social, educational, and economic disadvantages. Parliament later passed the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act No. 29 of 1998, which created the Employment Equity…

10 Sep

OPCW training focuses on preventing return of chemical weapons

National News

Justicia Shipena The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has started a week-long training course in Swakopmund to strengthen Africa’s ability to respond to chemical incidents. The course, which opened on Monday, brings together participants from English-speaking States Parties across the continent. Deputy minister of industries, mines and energy, Gaudentia Kröhne, said the destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles in 2023 was a landmark achievement. “This historic achievement underscores the commitment of the international community to disarmament and reminds us of what can be accomplished through cooperation,” she said. Kröhne stressed that while the elimination of stockpiles…