Blog – Page 91 – Windhoek Observer

31 Oct

Engineering council stuck without functioning board

Main

Allexer Namundjembo The Engineering Council of Namibia's (ECN) new board members have not yet started their work, a memo issued by the council’s registrar, Charles Mukwaso, revealed on Wednesday. The members were appointed in August by works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi. In the memo, Mukwaso said key functions are still being handled by Nekundi. “The registrar is inundated with queries and enquiries into applications, particularly full registration, among other matters. I have waited long in hope that these pending matters would be expeditiously resolved, but the accumulating queries have led me to issue this,” the memo reads. Mukwaso asserted…

31 Oct

Goantagab mine snatched from the brink of auction

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Mining claims holder Timoteus Mashuna has been spared from losing his Goantagab mining claims after the mine settled N$52 950 in legal costs sought by Ultimate Safaris. The payment, which covered taxed costs and interest, stopped the deputy sheriff of Windhoek from auctioning off eight of Mashuna’s mining claims following a court-issued warrant. The warrant, dated 22 October 2025, had authorised the deputy sheriff to attach and auction the claims registered under Mashuna’s name. The execution proceedings followed a recent legal defeat for Ultimate Safaris, which had been ordered to pay Mashuna’s legal costs after its failed attempt…

31 Oct

Road safety expert calls for Christmas amnesty on traffic fines

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Road safety expert Felix Tjozongoro has proposed a road safety Christmas amnesty. He said during this time, police should write off traffic fines older than three years to promote voluntary compliance and improve road discipline. “These are not ambitious or costly reforms; they are practical, evidence-based interventions that can be implemented immediately. If we start now, we can save hundreds of lives this festive season,” Tjozongoro said. He called on the Ministry of Works and Transport to strengthen the country's highway monitoring systems and make better use of the existing CCTV network along the Arandis. Tjozongoro said the…

31 Oct

South Africa reopens border to Namibian produce

National News

Allexer Namundjembo South Africa has reopened its borders to Namibian fresh produce after a two-month suspension that disrupted exports and threatened thousands of jobs. The move comes as the Zambezi Region battles a new outbreak of African migratory locusts, posing a fresh challenge to farmers. Agriculture, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani confirmed both developments in Parliament this week, describing them as a relief and a renewed challenge for Namibia’s farming community. South Africa halted imports of Namibian tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, watermelons and squash in August. The suspension disrupted trade, caused financial strain, and endangered over 20 000 jobs.…

31 Oct

Wilderness Air applies to renew operating licence

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Wilderness Air Namibia (Pty) Ltd has applied to amend and renew its non-scheduled air services licence, according to a notice published in the latest government gazette. Wilderness' application includes updates to its aircraft fleet, tariff rates and services offered under its current licence, which was first issued in 1997 under the Air Services Act of 1949. Wilderness Air Namibia is requesting that its licence reflect its current fleet of five Cessna 210 aircraft and four Cessna 208 aircraft. The company proposes new tariffs of N$13 413.60 per hour for the Cessna 210 and N$27 615.44 per hour for…

31 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | When the Engineering Council stalls, the country pays

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

A country that is building roads, schools, clinics, airports and power lines cannot afford a docile Engineering Council. Namibia’s development agenda depends on quiet, often invisible, disciplines: design standards, competent supervision, rigorous inspections, and professional accountability for the people who sign off on the nation’s concrete, steel, electrical systems and digital infrastructure. When the Engineering Council of Namibia (ECN) is at a standstill months after its appointment, the costs are not abstract; they multiply daily through risks, delays, corner-cutting and declining public confidence. The ECN is not a ceremonial board. It exists to register engineers and technologists, set and enforce…

31 Oct

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

Parliament recently revisited the long-delayed Mental Health Bill. The minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Esperance Luvindao, confirmed that the bill is in its final stages of review and will soon be resubmitted to legal drafters. This comes after years of delays in replacing the outdated Mental Health Act of 1973, a law that no longer reflects the realities of modern mental health care in Namibia. News outlets earlier in the week reported that employers would no longer be able to discriminate against mentally ill people; of course, that caused an uproar. While the discussion may seem technical or…

31 Oct

YOUNG OBSERVER | The state of public healthcare through the eyes of the youth

National News

Public healthcare is one of those topics that touches everyone at some point in life. Whether you have visited a clinic for a minor flu or accompanied a family member to a hospital, the experience stays with you. For many young Namibians, the state of public healthcare is a reflection of the broader challenges the nation faces — from inequality to resource shortages to the quiet heroism of health workers who keep showing up. It is a system filled with contradictions: frustration and hope, neglect and compassion, struggle and survival. Healthcare does not exist in isolation. It often mirrors the…

31 Oct

YOUNG OBSERVER | How to manage debt without losing your sanity

National News

Debt is the quiet shadow that follows so many of us through adulthood. It lurks behind paydays, hides in bank statements and sometimes finds its way into our conversations with the same unease as a confession. For young Namibians especially, debt has become a shared experience. Student loans, clothing accounts, microloans, car instalments or the quiet borrowing from a friend at month's end – it is woven into how we survive, build and sometimes struggle. Yet the real question is not whether we owe money, but how to manage debt without losing our sanity in the process. The hardest part…

31 Oct

YOUNG OBSERVER | Internet access as a right and why data should be cheaper

National News

In today’s world, being connected to the internet is as essential as having electricity or water. It is how we work, study, communicate and even dream. For young Namibians, internet access is not a luxury anymore. It is a bridge to opportunity. Yet every month, the cost of data stands as a wall between that bridge and the people who need it most. This reality raises a question that is becoming louder across the world: should internet access be treated as a basic human right, and if so, why is it still so expensive for those who need it most?…