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UN questions Namibia on 2024 Tsumeb Smelter sale

UN questions Namibia on 2024 Tsumeb Smelter sale

Justicia Shipena Four United Nations human rights experts have asked the Namibian government to explain what steps it is taking to address the impact of the Tsumeb Smelter on local communities.  In a report dated 11 June 2025, the experts raised “serious concern” over environmental damage and human rights violations linked to the smelter. The facility has been in operation since 1963, producing blister copper and sulphuric acid.  Ownership has shifted over the years from Weatherly International to Dundee Precious Metals, which later sold it to the Chinese-owned Sinomine Resource Group Corporation Limited in 2024 for N$930 million (about US$49…
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Sisters and unborn twins perish in Mariental crash 

Sisters and unborn twins perish in Mariental crash 

Allexer Namundjembo A heavily pregnant woman, her unborn baby, and her sister were among 16 people who perished in the deadly head-on collision near Mariental on Saturday morning.  The accident  also claimed the lives of 12 correctional officers, two police officers, and two civilians. The collision occurred just after 07h00 on the B1 road, about seven kilometres north of Mariental. Four police officers had rushed to Withuis location to assist Diana Jagger, who had gone into labour and had no transport to hospital.  They picked up Jagger along with her sister Roseltha Higoam but never reached their destination. Inspector general…
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Rehoboth Council faces property auction over N$1.8m court payout

Rehoboth Council faces property auction over N$1.8m court payout

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Rehoboth Town Council is facing the auction of its property to settle a N$1.8 million payout to former employee Bertha Drotsky, following a High Court ruling delivered in June. Councillor Jackie Jackson ‡Khariseb confirmed the ruling, saying, “The matter was agitated in favour of Bertha to a value of N$1.8 million, the council applied for an appeal under the judgement in June. The court held that whilst the appeal is granted, the order must be upheld and the N$1.8 million be paid out.” The council attempted to comply with the court order while safeguarding funds during the appeal…
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Lost records cloud N$65m grant funds

Lost records cloud N$65m grant funds

Renthia Kaimbi Documents obtained by the Windhoek Observer reveal that cash-based payment data for 2013 and 2019 went missing from the USB drive Namibia Post Ltd (NamPost) provided to the government. On Friday it emerged that the ministry of gender equality and child welfare (MGECW) allegedly found that about N$65 million in cash-based grant funds handled by NamPost was unaccounted for and owed back to the state. The unreturned funds relate to the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2019, excluding the missing data from 2013 and 2019.  The documents indicate that payments were made “over the counter”…
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Deputy sheriffs to block bidders without deposits

Deputy sheriffs to block bidders without deposits

Allexer Namundjembo The High Court has introduced a rule that allows deputy sheriffs to stop a person from bidding at a property auction if they do not pay a deposit upfront.  This means anyone who wants to bid on property at a sale in execution must first put down a deposit, or they will not be allowed to take part.  The rule is aimed at keeping auctions fair and preventing bidders who are not serious. The change is part of new High Court amendments published in a government gazette of 22 August 2025. The rules, which came into effect immediately,…
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‘Fitty’ reportedly suffers food poisoning in prison

‘Fitty’ reportedly suffers food poisoning in prison

Renthia Kaimbi Fishrot accused Tamson “Fitty” Hatuikulipi has been hospitalised in Windhoek since last week following a suspected case of food poisoning. Associates of Hatuikulipi claimed toxicology tests showed he reacted to “excessive substances”, though they did not specify which substances.  They said he and his co-accused, former Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) chief executive officer Mike Nghipunya, allegedly bought food from the correctional facility cafeteria shortly before the incident.  Reports indicate they have not been allowed to receive food from outside the facility. Hatuikulipi’s lawyer, Mbanga Siyomunji, confirmed that inmates have not been permitted to receive outside food since…
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OBSERVER DAILY | Electricity cannot become a luxury for the rich

There was a time, not too long ago, when a twenty-dollar note could buy you enough electricity to last a few days. Today, that same N$20 barely gives you a handful of units that flicker out before you even notice the lights are on. For many Namibians, this is no longer just a minor inconvenience. It is a looming crisis that threatens to turn electricity, one of the most basic necessities of modern life, into a luxury product reserved for the wealthy. On Friday, the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) announced a 3.8% increase in tariffs for the current financial…
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Kabila extradition legally impossible from Namibia

Kabila extradition legally impossible from Namibia

Renthia Kaimbi Lawyer Norman Tjombe says Namibia cannot extradite former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila because the DRC has indicated it will seek the death penalty against him. “Namibia places a very high premium on the right to life, and the Constitution outlaws the death penalty. The Extradition Act unambiguously prohibits Namibia from extraditing anyone to a country where that person will receive the death penalty. DRC has made it known that it intends to impose the death penalty on its former president,” Tjombe said. He added that Namibia’s laws also bar  extradition in cases where trials…
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New Namcor acting MD appeals for trust in Namcor

New Namcor acting MD appeals for trust in Namcor

Allexer Namundjembo The newly appointed acting managing director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, has appealed for support as she assumes leadership of the troubled state-owned oil company. Namcor announced her appointment over the weekend. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday, Hinda-Mbuenda said her success would depend on collective effort, stressing that the company’s challenges cannot be resolved in isolation. “I am grateful for the appointment. I am ready for the task, and I will need to conduct a thorough analysis to familiarise myself with the institution,” she said.  She added that engaging widely and…
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Katima dissolution forces fresh Swapo candidate list

Katima dissolution forces fresh Swapo candidate list

Renthia Kaimbi Swapo leaders assigned to the Zambezi region will meet in Katima Mulilo this weekend to reset candidate nominations for the local authority elections.  The meeting follows the recent dissolution of the Katima Mulilo Town Council by minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa. The dissolution, announced this week, nullified the participation of former councillors on the party’s established candidate list.  Under party rules, sitting councillors who have not been recalled usually receive automatic entry onto the candidate list.  “The dissolution breaks the chain of continuity. The council no longer exists in its previous form, so the mechanism…
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