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Martin Endjala In the quiet, isolated village of Omuntele, about 50 kilometres from Ondangwa, Joel Shikongo lives a life shrouded in the shadows of a tarnished legacy. His father, Petrus Shikongo, once a proud fisherman, lost his job in 2018 as a result of the infamous Fishrot scandal that rocked the Namibian fishing industry. “They call him Fishrot because of what he built when he was working in the fishing industry," he said. This nickname is a cruel reminder of his father's association with the Heinaste freezer horse mackerel vessel, now forever linked to corruption and deceit. "They say he…

Ester Mbathera The Municipality of Grootfontein has revived its sanitary towel distribution project by allocating N$36 000 of its operational budget towards girls' hygiene products at local schools. The project, initiated by the junior council in 2018, went dormant in 2021. Grootfontein mayor, Talitha Garises explained that the sanitary towels will be distributed among seven schools in the town. “The initiative was revived to ease the burden on the parents and to help keep the girls in school,” she said. Megameno Festus, the life skills teacher at Makalani Primary School, is one of the beneficiaries of the initiative. She explained…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The theft of car parts in garages has become a problem that affects both business owners and customers. In 2022, Tangeni Mushelenga took his vehicle to a local mechanic for service. They informed him that the engine required repair. Mushelenga collected the vehicle in the afternoon of the same day. “When I took the car to another mechanic, he informed me that it had never been serviced. In fact, they exchanged my genuine parts with old ones,” he said. Mushelenga explained that he has since learned to mark his parts whenever he takes any vehicle for service. “I…

Niël Terblanché The Heads of State of both Namibia and Botswana reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding borders and promoting peaceful co-existence. President Nangolo Mbumba during official discussions between the leadership of the two nations said that enhanced cooperation in defence and security is seen as vital for addressing transnational threats such as terrorism and organized crime. President Mbumba and President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana engaged in official talks at Swakopmund to bolster bilateral relations and cooperation on Thursday. President Masisi returned to Namibia for an official state visit for the first time since the memorial services for President Hage Geingob,…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Namibia Local Businesses Association (NALOBA) has criticised the government's reliance on foreign borrowing. NALOBA’s vice president, Peter Kanu Amadhila at the start of this week highlighted the national debt, which currently stands at N$153.8 billion, emphasising its potential impact on future generations. “It is irresponsible borrowing. Namibia is not supposed to be borrowing money from other countries,” he said. Amadhila said Namibia, which was once envisioned as a prosperous lender rather than a borrower, faces a concerning trend of prioritising borrowed funds over sustainable economic strategies. "Our country was supposed to be lending money to other countries!…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it will only register those people who are classified as male or female on their identification documentation. This comes amid concerns from activists and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and other (LGBTQI+) communities about the lack of inclusivity for non-binary and transgender individuals. The activists argued that the binary gender options in the voter registration process are not inclusive. In response to queries, ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka made reference to the Civil Registration and Identification Bill. “Please go through the Bill. If you see other genders apart from…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The University of Namibia (Unam) is reducing its intake of education students to address the oversupply of education graduates in the job market. This move, according to Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho, is part of a broader effort to align annual intakes with the teacher demand and supply model. "We have shifted focus away from oversupplied areas like lower and junior primary education and towards areas of teacher scarcity like Namibian languages," explained Namesho. He added that, in addition to reducing intakes, Unam has raised its admission requirements to improve the quality of its graduates. "For the secondary education…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is facing criticism for its lack of gender sensitivity in the voter registration process. The current system only provides options for males and females, excluding non-binary and transgender individuals. This has raised concerns among activists and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and other (LGBTQI+) communities. Transgender woman, Deyonce !Naris said she has been vocal about the issue and has been emphasising the battle for recognition beyond the binary gender options. “It’s really problematic that ECN is not accommodating inclusivity. This whole male and female thing I have been…

Political scientists and analysts say the transition of Affirmative Repositioning (AR) from a social justice movement to a fully-fledged political party has the potential to alter the dynamics of the political landscape. Ndumba Kamwanyah, a political analyst, says the AR needs to mature beyond its previous tactics. "The maturity of AR means moving past the issues of insult and dependence on cult personality. They must be prepared to speak to all Namibians, not just young people. The young people alone will not make them win the elections," Kamwanya asserts. He stresses that AR needs to learn from its past mistakes,…