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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…

 Justicia Shipena Swapo is leading the verified local authority results released so far, securing the most seats in the first 23 councils announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua released the results on Thursday. With the first 23 local authorities, Swapo secured 78 seats, giving it representation in every council announced so far. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) followed with 21 seats, while the United Democratic Front (UDF) won 14 seats. The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) took 9 seats, the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has 6 seats, and other parties and associations won seats…

Allexer Namundjembo  If the government does not respond to magistrates’ demands and the nationwide strike continues, the swearing-in of office bearers who will emerge victorious from the regional and local authority elections may be delayed or halted. In a letter to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Affirmative Repositioning leader and member of parliament Job Shipululo Amupanda says the absence of magistrates will stop newly elected leaders from assuming office. This week, the Magistrates and Judges Association of Namibia (MJA) issued a formal strike notice to finance minister Ericah Shafudah, justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel, the Magistrates Commission and the…

Renthia Kaimbi Former Landless People’s Movement (LPM) member and independent candidate in Keetmanshoop Vernon Coleman says the confrontation with LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi began after Swartbooi insulted him. Coleman told the Windhoek Observer that Swartbooi called him a ‘c*nt’, which led him to confront him [Swartbooi]. He said he spat on Swartbooi and reacted because Swartbooi had repeatedly referred to him as a drug dealer at campaign rallies. The incident took place in Keetmanshoop yesterday. Two years ago, LPM terminated Coleman’s membership with immediate effect, hours after he led a protest against LPM Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency councillor Joseph Isaack. The…

Renthia Kaimbi Walvis Bay Urban Constituency councillor Deriou Benson raised concerns about the Independent Patriots for Change's (IPC) requirement that office bearers contribute 10% of their salary to the party before leaving the party to join Swapo.  His move took place yesterday during a Swapo door-to-door campaign in Narraville, Walvis Bay.  Benson’s move comes only days before Wednesday’s local and regional elections.  It happened one day after the IPC held a campaign event in Walvis Bay with party president Panduleni Itula on Saturday. Sources say his exit is a major setback for the IPC in Walvis Bay. They claim he…

Justicia Shipena  Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi says he plans to appeal directly to United States President Donald Trump for help, arguing that LPM members are facing political persecution in Namibia. At a press conference in Keetmanshoop on Thursday, he announced that he intends to write to Trump, urging him to intervene and assist the party as its members endure what he described as torture, inhumane treatment and severe distress. Swartbooi further claimed that LPM members are living under constant pressure and fear and accused Namibian security forces of behaving like occupying forces. “We have no choice but…

Renthia Kaimbi The ghosts of the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) fine may have been among the pressures that pushed Bank of Namibia (BoN) governor Johannes !Gawaxab to take an early resignation, one year before his term ends.  In May last year, the NaCC issued a N$1 million fine against !Gawaxab, Ismael Gei-Khoibeb and Gamma Investments for carrying out a merger without the commission’s approval. The penalty followed reports that !Gawaxab was facing allegations of selling businesses and shareholdings in a major insurance company to family and friends, despite publicly claiming he had disposed of those interests to “unrelated parties". That…

Allexer Namundjembo Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani says he once petitioned former president Hage Geingob for the government to consider dropping charges against those convicted in the Caprivi treason case.  He said he tried to open back-channel talks through Frans Kapofi when he was minister of presidential affairs to negotiate an amnesty, but the state did not show interest.  Kapofi served as the minister of presidential affairs under Geingob’s administration from 2015 to 2018.  “I attempted to initiate direct, silent talks between the government and former MP Geoffrey Mwilima. I spoke to president Geingob via the then-minister of…