National News

Patience Makwele  Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa has warned against political and administrative power struggles as the government rolls out the decentralisation of youth and sporting functions to regional councils. Speaking at the official handover launch in Otjiwarongo on Wednesday, Sankwasa said tensions between governors, regional councils and decentralised staff could affect the success of the programme if reporting lines and responsibilities are not respected. “What is remaining there is their salary. Your operation, your supervisor is now the regional council,” Sankwasa said, referring to staff transferred from national ministries to regional structures. The government has officially delegated…

Patience Makwele  Travellers are reporting delays and disrupted immigration services at the Ngoma Border Post.  They are raising concerns about staffing levels and operations at one of Namibia’s key entry points into Botswana. Several travellers who spoke to the Windhoek Observer said they waited for hours without assistance during peak morning movement on Wednesday. Some described confusion at the counters and poor communication about when services would resume. “I got there just after sunrise and nothing was moving. People were just standing around, with no explanations,” said traveller Sisco Simasiku, who was travelling into Namibia from Kasane. Another traveller said…

Allexer Namundjembo The Labour Court has ruled that Trans Desert Logistics unfairly dismissed former truck driver Donovan Le Roux.  The court ordered Trans Desert Logistics to pay him more than N$58 000 in compensation and severance pay. The Labour Court delivered the arbitration award on Wednesday following hearings held on 21 August and 6 to 7 October 2025, according to documents seen by the Windhoek Observer. Le Roux referred the dispute to the labour commissioner on 24 April 2025, claiming unfair dismissal, unpaid leave days and unlawful deductions. The parties agreed that Le Roux worked as a driver from 1…

Renthia Kaimbi Former first lady Monica Geingos has been appointed as the new board chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, the world’s largest alliance focused on maternal, newborn and child health. Geingos was appointed on Wednesday and will succeed former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark when her term ends in November 2026. The alliance, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, brings together nearly 1 500 partner organisations working on maternal, child and adolescent health. Geingos accepted the appointment by pledging to prioritise the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents.…

Patience Makwele Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah has questioned whether President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s concerns about the boy child will lead to real reforms.  Kamwanyah said public discussions about the boy child have happened before without producing major policy changes. Nandi-Ndaitwah, during the Namibia University of Science and Technology graduation ceremony in Windhoek last week, said the country must take issues of the boy child seriously.  She expressed concern over the lower number of male graduates compared to women and said the figures did not reflect the female-to-male population ratio of 51.2% and 48.8%.  A total of 2 962 graduated from Nust,…

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Nurses Union (Nanu) says nurses must be supported and protected to continue delivering quality healthcare services. Nanu said nurses remain the backbone of the country's healthcare system despite facing staff shortages, burnout, unsafe working conditions and limited professional development opportunities. “We call upon all stakeholders, including the government, healthcare institutions and policymakers, to prioritise the welfare, protection, empowerment and continuous professional development of nurses,” Nanu said in a statement to mark International Nurses Day. The union marked the day under the theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives”. Meanwhile, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member…

Allexer Namundjembo Palms Life Fund is supporting 30 San learners in the Tsumkwe Constituency through a cleaning campaign project aimed at reducing school dropouts. The initiative supports primary and secondary school learners with monthly food parcels, stationery and toiletries valued at N$600 each. The fund's spokesperson Gabriel Tomas said the project aims to encourage children to remain in school. “We have embarked on motivating school learners not to drop out of school. We have also been engaging the learners and youth in sports activities such as soccer tournaments after three to four months,” Tomas told the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday.…

Renthia Kaimbi Vice president Lucia Witbooi has declared an end to the era of exporting raw marine products by 2030. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Tuesday, Witbooi addressed the roundtable on the blue economy and said African countries must move beyond exporting raw resources. She said Africa continues to lose value because many marine products are exported with little processing. Witbooi noted that the global blue economy is worth more than US$300 billion, while about 70% of African fish exports leave the continent with minimal value addition. She said Namibia is shifting towards a system where…

Staff Writer  Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and National Housing Enterprise (NHE) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving digital connectivity in housing developments across Namibia. The agreement was signed in Windhoek on Tuesday and will run for five years. Under the partnership, the two entities will work together to expand telecommunications infrastructure in current and future NHE housing projects. The agreement includes co-trenching opportunities for MTC’s Spectra Home fixed services in new housing developments identified by NHE. This means that the construction phase will include the installation of fibre and other telecommunications infrastructure, thereby reducing costs and expediting…

Patience Makwele  Vice president Lucia Witbooi has called on French businesses to invest in Namibia.  Speaking during a meeting with French businesses and the MEDEF International delegation in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday, Witbooi promoted Namibia as a stable investment destination with opportunities in oil and gas, technology, tourism and creative industries. The engagement forms part of government efforts to attract foreign direct investment as Namibia faces growing pressure to address unemployment, especially among young people. Witbooi said the government is prioritising investment in agriculture, youth empowerment, sports, creative industries, education, healthcare, housing and sanitation to drive economic growth and create…