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Renthia Kaimbi Residents of Keetmanshoop have accused a recently appointed adviser to the minister of urban and rural development, James Sankwasa, of benefiting from an alleged irregular municipal contract.  This is part of claims of governance failure at the Keetmanshoop Municipality. The allegations are contained in a formal petition submitted by the Concerned Residents of Keetmanshoop and addressed to newly elected mayor Melody Swartbooi.  The petition, dated 9 December 2025 and seen by the Windhoek Observer, calls for urgent intervention into what residents describe as deep-rooted problems within the municipality. The petition has also been copied to Sankwasa, //Kharas Regional…

Renthia Kaimbi The Supreme Court has authorised fugitive lawyer Marén de Klerk to testify via video link in the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) and Sea Flower Pelagic matter.  This would enable the hearing of his testimony regarding an allegedly corrupt 50 000 metric-tonne fishing quota. The ruling overturns a 2022 High Court decision that refused the request and settles a dispute over the use of courtroom technology.  It allows testimony that Fishcor says is critical to its case against Seaflower Pelagic Processing and others. The case centres on a commercial arrangement in which Fishcor, a state-owned enterprise, agreed…

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Finance will reduce loan repayment deductions from civil servants’ salaries by 2%, with the change taking effect this Friday for teachers and police officers. Windhoek Observer understands that the adjustment follows a new government position that the 2% surcharge previously deducted from employees’ salaries should not have been carried by workers.  The ministry now intends to recover the charge directly from deduction code holders, such as microlenders. The development comes as the High Court on Monday dismissed an urgent application to hold finance minister Ericah Shafudah in contempt of court. High Court judge Lotta Ambunda…

Renthia Kaimbi A teacher accused of sexually assaulting boys at Wilhelm Nortier Primary School in Grootfontein has resigned while in police custody, the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture has confirmed. In a statement released yesterday, the ministry condemned the alleged sexual assault and said it wo uld cooperatefully with law enforcement while providing support to the affected learners.  Education executive director Erastus Haitengela said the ministry will work with authorities to ensure those responsible are held accountable. He said the case is now before the courts, but stressed that the ministry is treating the matter with…

Renthia Kaimbi Finance minister Ericah Shafudah has denied being in contempt of court, saying the High Court order on the government’s payroll deduction system is unclear and difficult to implement. She also argues that serious data problems from a microlender have delayed the system’s transition. Shafudah filed her defence last Thursday in a case brought by Entrepo Finance (Pty) Ltd, which centres on the Payroll Deduction Management System (PDMS).  The system allows civil servants to repay loans directly from their salaries. The Ministry of Finance decided to take over management of the PDMS after its contract with private service provider…

Renthia Kaimbi A male teacher at Wilhelm Nortier Primary School in Grootfontein was arrested last month after being accused of sexually molesting boys in the school’s hostel.  The arrest of Alexis Awaseb came only after he attempted suicide, amid a case that has exposed serious concerns about child safety and institutional accountability. According to sources familiar with the incident, the alleged assault occurred on the night of 14 November 2025, during a widespread power outage in Grootfontein that lasted until after the learners' bedtime. It is alleged that Awaseb sneaked into the bed of a 13-year-old Grade 7 learner and…

Allexer Namundjembo More than 100 qualified dentists remain unable to secure work in either the public or private sector.  This is despite them completing their studies and internships under the Ministry of Health and Social Services.  Many say they have been unemployed for more than three years while waiting for government placement. The graduates said they have repeatedly written to the ministry, engaged with human resources and contacted national leadership but have not received answers.  “It has now been over three years since our graduation. Many of us remain unemployed while awaiting government placement,” a letter sent by the graduates…

Renthia Kaimbi The minister of education, Sanet Steenkamp, has warned universities and vocational centres not to over-enrol students as the government prepares to roll out fully subsidised tertiary education next year. Steenkamp issued the caution yesterday during the launch of the new funding model, which fulfills a commitment made by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in her April state of the nation address. Starting in the 2026 academic year, the government will pay 100% of registration and tuition fees for first-time undergraduate students at public and private universities and for trainees in primary trades at vocational training centres. Students will still be…

Renthia Kaimbi National Youth Council director Calista Schwartz-Gowases is demanding that her name be cleared and her legal fees repaid as her term ends this month. She says unproven misconduct allegations have damaged her reputation and wants an independent mediator to resolve the dispute. Schwartz-Gowases made the request through her lawyers, Shipindo & Associates, in a letter to interim board chairperson Kennedy Kariseb on Monday last week. “Our client essentially wants her name cleared from all such allegations before the parties part ways. We request for the Board Resolution and minutes of the meeting that gave effect to such action,”…

Allexer Namundjembo President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has granted four state-sponsored funerals since Cabinet introduced a moratorium on official funerals earlier this year. The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology’s spokesperson, Ngaevarue Katjangua, confirmed the figures. She also said the moratorium, which took effect on 16 June 2025, does not limit the President’s constitutional authority to confer national honours in exceptional cases. “Since the 11th Cabinet meeting of 2025, which resolved the moratorium on the granting of official funerals, the Cabinet further noted that the decision does not infringe on the constitutional powers of the President to confer national honours on citizens,”…