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Erasmus Shalihaxwe The minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi, has instructed state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to stop awarding high-value contracts solely to foreign companies, saying local businesses must be part of tenders worth N$100 million and above. Speaking in Walvis Bay on Monday during the visit of Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare to Namport, Nekundi said government institutions must ensure that local companies benefit from major contracts to retain capital in the country and create jobs. “It will not be business as usual. I will not take it anymore that you award contracts to foreign companies only. This thing of issuing…

Niël Terblanché The Windhoek High Court sentenced the 29-year-old farmworker Rodney Hoxobeb to 25 years' imprisonment for the 2022 murder of his employer, Christof Mberitjiua Mungunda. Mungunda was a respected farmer from Tallismanus in the Omaheke region. At the time of his brutal death, he was 66 years old. The verdict, delivered by Judge Philanda Christiaan, has been met with approval from various quarters, including the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU). The murder occurred on 16 September 2022 at Mungunda's farm. According to court proceedings, an argument erupted between Hoxobeb and Mungunda after the latter refused Hoxobeb's request for food. The…

Niël Terblanché NamWater is besieged by water supply challenges across the northern regions following heavy rains that have disrupted operations at key treatment and supply facilities. Since the weekend, according to NamWater spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata, the Oshakati Water Treatment Plant has been battling both water quality and quantity issues caused by runoff from the oshanas in Ogongo and Oshikuku entering the Calueque–Oshakati Canal. He said the raw water quality has deteriorated, prompting changes to the plant’s usual treatment process. “Our conventional treatment process is now using extra coagulants and more frequent desludging of sedimentation tanks,” Ndamanomhata said. These necessary adjustments…

Niël Terblanché A locust outbreak in the Zambezi region has prompted the intervention from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, with the deputy minister, Ruth Maseka, visiting affected areas to assess the situation and coordinate a response. The visit formed part of a regional familiarisation tour, during which Maseka met with local leaders and officials to discuss the challenges facing the region’s agricultural sector. At a courtesy meeting with the Zambezi regional governor, Lawrence Sampofu, Maseka was briefed on the locust infestation and other pressing issues, including water supply concerns. The locust outbreak has affected crops and…