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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,”…

Renthia Kaimbi  The appointment of Isaskar “Ou Issy” Taurob as acting chief has deepened long-running divisions within the Dâure Daman community.  Taurob, a senior traditional councillor, was appointed on Tuesday following the degazetting of former chief Zacharias Seibeb last month. His appointment is meant to restore stability, but it follows months of disputes over leadership and legitimacy. In the election, Taurob received 403 votes; Ephraim Gaseb received six, and David Areseb received one.  The result was decisive, yet it remains contested.  According to customary law, the authority had 21 days after Seibeb’s removal to appoint an acting chief.  Taurob will…

Justicia Shipena President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has launched three national task forces to speed up economic recovery, improve the health system and expand access to housing and serviced land. She announced the teams on Monday, saying Namibia continues to face rising living costs, slow job creation, uneven service delivery, housing shortages and pressure on the health system. She said the private sector is also struggling with global uncertainty and domestic barriers. Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia can no longer work in isolation if it wants to move faster. She said the country needs a space where government, business, labour, civil society, communities, academia…

Allexer Namundjembo A total of 9 458 ballots were rejected in the 2025 regional and local authority elections. Of these, 5 946 were rejected in the regional council election and 3 512 in the local authority election. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) completed the release of verified results for all 120 constituencies in the regional council elections over the weekend. Out of 1.49 million registered voters, only 609 013 cast their ballots. For the 59 local authority elections, 752 043 voters were registered and 272 942 voted. The ECN said it will review the high number of rejected ballots…