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Patience Makwele Members of parliament have urged Namibia’s youth to take charge of the next phase of development.  They warned that without jobs and opportunities, independence risks losing its meaning. The remarks were made during Independence Day celebrations over the weekend in the Zambezi and Kavango West regions by members of parliament, including Charles Mubita, Martin Lukato and speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. Mubita, who also serves as deputy minister of defence and veteran affairs, said Namibia must confront the realities many citizens still face.  “We cannot claim to be independent on an empty stomach. We now need…

Teachers protest approved Schools to remain open President to deliver midnight address Justicia Shipena  Namibia marks its 36th independence anniversary with a mix of protest and celebration. In Windhoek, a teachers’ protest, a public march and official ceremonies are taking place on the same day. The Namibian Police Force in the Khomas region has approved a planned demonstration by the Teachers’ Union of Namibia (TUN) scheduled for today.  In a notice issued by Khomas regional commander Johanna Ngondo yesterday, the police said they have no objection to the protest after reviewing the union’s submission dated 16 March. Ngondo said the…

Patience Makwele  The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) has denied auctioning counterfeit goods, saying all such items are destroyed in line with the law. The response follows concerns from traders and the public over goods being sold through auctions conducted by Aucor Auctioneers. Questions grew after an auction notice titled “NamRA warehouse clearance auction” was shared online. The notice stated that goods would be auctioned from 18 to 20 March at the Brendan Simbwaye Complex in Rundu. NamRA said there has been no change in policy. “All counterfeit goods confiscated are disposed of strictly through destruction. These goods are not eligible…

Patience Makwele  The Medical Association of Namibia (MAN) says it was not consulted on the government’s plan to require senior officials to use public health facilities from 1 April. The directive, known as Vision April 2026, will see about 294 senior government officials move to public healthcare in its first phase. Health minister Esperance Luvindao last week said the arrangement is “not complicated” and officials will still be allowed to consult private doctors. However, the association’s chief executive officer, Dr Armid Azadeh, said doctors were not formally engaged before the announcement. He said this raises questions about how the policy…

Allexer Namundjembo As Namibia prepares to mark another year of independence, debates have emerged over who will take the stage at this year’s celebrations across the country. This year’s Independence Day commemorations will take place simultaneously in all 14 regions for the first time.  The decentralised format aims to allow communities to celebrate within their own constituencies rather than gathering in a single location. However, the lineup of keynote speakers has drawn criticism from opposition politicians and analysts who say the programme appears dominated by members of the ruling Swapo. Posters circulated ahead of the celebrations list current and former…

Allexer Namundjembo The City of Windhoek has ordered the demolition of a house built in Havana location in Windhoek after it found that construction took place without municipal approval. City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya stated that the construction of the structure did not adhere to municipal building regulations, which mandate the submission and approval of building plans. “City officials discovered that a brick structure was being erected on the erf and instructed the individual to stop construction because the area is still under incremental development and no approval had been granted,” Amutenya said in response to questions by the Windhoek Observer…

Patience Makwele  Former and current members of the Windhoek council say some improvements were made in land servicing and municipal reforms, but the demand for housing continues to outpace supply. Windhoek’s population is estimated at about 486 186 residents. About 224 000 people live in informal settlements, placing pressure on housing and land delivery in the capital. Joseph Uapingene, a former councillor who served from 2020 to 2025, representing the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), said the council made progress in servicing land and facilitating housing development. According to Uapingene, the municipality serviced about 1,200 urban plots and about 800…

Justicia Shipena  Bringing railway maintenance back to TransNamib Holdings Limited could help save the struggling state-owned enterprise, according to Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Nelson Kalangula. Kalangula made the remarks while contributing to the budget debate in the National Assembly on Tuesday. He said TransNamib is facing operational and financial challenges, including an ageing fleet, limited operational capacity and rising debt. “Bringing railway maintenance back to TransNamib could potentially save the enterprise by consolidating resources, ensuring direct oversight, and aligning maintenance schedules with long-term goals,” he said. Kalangula said TransNamib operates depots in more than 18 towns…

Justicia Shipena  Swapo member of parliament Tobie Aupindi has proposed that Namibia consider receiving dividends from its mineral resources in physical commodities such as gold, uranium and lithium instead of only cash payments. Aupindi made the proposal while contributing to the national budget debate in parliament on Tuesday. He said Namibia should explore building strategic commodity reserves as part of a new approach to managing national wealth. “I am calling for the commodity dividend model. Instead of the state receiving its dividends in Namibian dollars or United States dollars, we should explore taking dividends in physical commodities, be it gold,…

Allexer Namundjembo The family of a seven-year-old learner at Bet-El Primary School in Windhoek plans to open a police case after the child was allegedly assaulted on the school premises last week. The pupil was allegedly attacked by the father of another learner at the school. According to the child’s parent, Magano Iikwambi, the incident occurred on Thursday while the boy was playing with other children at the school. Iikwambi said her child sustained injuries to his private parts and experienced swelling in the genital area after the alleged assault. She said her child was taken to hospital for treatment…