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Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services is engaging the US Embassy regarding a waiver following the US government’s decision to freeze foreign aid, affecting US-funded non-governmental organisations. The ministry’s executive director, Ben Nangombe confirmed that discussions are ongoing with the embassy to determine the status of aid-dependent programmes.  “We are engaging the US Embassy on the waiver,” he said. The freeze was implemented by US President Donald Trump’s executive order on foreign aid, which led to a 90-day suspension of the USG President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded HIV/AIDS treatment across the African continent. PEPFAR…

Ester Mbathera  Namibia’s former First Lady, Monica Geingos has extended her thoughts and prayers to the Nujoma family as they face a difficult time. Founding President Sam Nujoma has been hospitalised at Lady Pohamba Private Hospital since last week.  Speaking at the remembrance service of her late husband, President Hage Geingob, at State House on Tuesday, she expressed her empathy and solidarity.  “My heart and empathy are with the Nujoma family right now as they grapple with a lot of what we had to grapple with and we pray for them and we pray for the founding father,” she said.…

Allexer Namundjembo The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism is struggling to find markets for crocodile by-products due to the absence of a well-established value chain.  This was confirmed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda in an interview with the Windhoek Observer last week. “What do you do with them?” he asked. Several communities, particularly along the Okavango River, have on several occasions requested quotas for crocodile consumption.  Muyunda explained that the ministry is only interested in working with those who intend to farm crocodiles, not those seeking to consume them. Regarding crocodile population management, he said that continuous monitoring…

Allexer Namundjembo Trigon Metals has temporarily paused operations at its Kombat Mine to conduct unplanned maintenance on its dewatering systems. The company announced this on Saturday, citing the need to ensure the long-term stability and efficiency of the mine’s infrastructure. The pause follows the failure of both primary dewatering pumps at the site last month, which suspended underground mining operations.  Trigon Metals anticipates potential flooding in the coming days. Jed Richardson, CEO and executive chairman of Trigon Metals, acknowledged the challenges posed by the situation but emphasised its necessity. "While this temporary pause is not the outcome we envisioned, it…

Allexer Namundjembo The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) said it values the recently released delimitation report, as it will aid in planning for the regional council and local authority elections scheduled for November this year. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday, the ECN’s spokesperson, De Wet Siluka explained that the report, which was presented to President Nangolo Mbumba by the Delimitation and Demarcation Commission, provides essential information on constituency boundaries, allowing the Commission to begin preparations. "The significance of the report is that, as a commission, the information includes the boundaries of constituencies, and we need to…

Stefanus Nashama Economists and political figures have expressed concern about the accuracy of the data presented in the Labour Force Thematic Report. On Wednesday, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) released a report indicating that the overall unemployment rate is 36.9% for individuals aged 15 and older. “The unemployment rate stood at 36.9% with a youth unemployment rate of 44.4%. This indicates an increase in the overall unemployment rate of 3.5% from 33.4% in 2018 to 36.9% in 2023,” says the report. According to the report, this translates to 320 442 unemployed people and 546 805 employed out of a working-age…

Allexer Namundjembo and Ester Mbathera Political analysts and party leaders are calling for the removal or reform of the controversial veterinary cordon fence, also known as the Red Line, arguing that it hinders economic opportunities, perpetuates poverty, and restricts market access for farmers in the northern regions.  The leader of the Affirmative Repositioning party, Job Amupanda is currently in the courts fighting for the removal of the line. Political analyst Joseph Diescho criticised the continued existence of the Red Line 35 years after independence.  “It should have been sorted a long time ago,” he said. Diescho questioned the morality of…

Ester Mbathera  The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) has loosened its grip on regulating bycatch, allowing large fishing companies, particularly horse mackerel freezer trawler operators, to exploit the country’s marine resources unchecked. This shift follows the removal of explicit bycatch limits in quota allocation letters, which previously included a 5% bycatch limit by weight of total landings in 2017. That year, the ministry had also mandated observers on vessels, enforced area closures when bycatch limits were exceeded, and promoted collaborative research with Angola to manage shared stocks.  These regulatory safeguards are now absent, leaving fishing companies with significantly…

Allexer Namundjembo A power and water crisis at Windhoek Central Hospital has impacted critical services, leaving patients and staff in dire conditions.  The problem started when rainwater damaged electrical terminals that were connected to the distribution box in the basement. This caused power cuts to several floors in the west wing and disrupted the water supply to the east wing. The hospital’s ninth floor, which houses the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and other critical care wards, has been heavily affected.  Sources at the hospital told the Windhoek Observer on Saturday that these services are now consolidated on the ninth…

Allexer Namundjembo and Ester Mbathera  The recent diamond heist at Namdia’s ‘Eumbo’ office in Windhoek, which resulted in the deaths of Namdia’s security chief, Francis Eiseb, and suspect Max Endjala, has reignited concerns over the security and management of Namibia’s diamond resources. Almost a week after the heist, Namdia has chosen to remain silent, postponing a media briefing that was initially anticipated to provide clarity on the incident. Namdia’s Chief Executive Officer, Alisa Amupolo announced on Wednesday that the company had delayed the briefing due to ongoing investigations.  “We will then be in a better position to provide you with…