National News

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…

Allexer Namundjembo The chief-in-command of the Namibian Revolutionary Transport Union (Naretu), Petersen Kambinda, has criticised the long delays faced by truck drivers at border posts.  He blamed the situation on slow processes within the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA). Kambinda said truck drivers are spending long hours in queues because of system inefficiencies at border entry points. “It is extremely disappointing that we have people in authority who disregard other human beings,” he told the Windhoek Observer on Monday.  Kambinda said contingency plans should be introduced whenever NamRA systems are down or operating slowly. “Truck drivers are our unsung heroes; they…

Patience Makwele The Namibia Health Plan (NHP) says it remains committed to complying with the Financial Institutions and Markets Act (Fima) while stabilising operations following challenges linked to its transition to a new managed care service provider. Fima came into operation at the beginning of this month.  NHP hosted two virtual engagement sessions on Monday with members and healthcare providers to address concerns surrounding the transition, which started on 1 April 2026. The sessions brought together the board of trustees, members and healthcare practitioners to discuss service delivery challenges and measures being introduced to improve operations. The transition has resulted…

Patience Makwele The scaling down of operations by the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) at the Katima Mulilo abattoir has left farmers in the Zambezi region uncertain about the future of cattle marketing and the stability of the local livestock sector. Zambezi livestock farmer Kwenani Matengu said the development has created uncertainty among producers, although he was not entirely surprised by Meatco’s decision. “There is uncertainty, but for me it is not entirely new. I understand that Meatco was operating under a contract, so at some point it was going to come to an end,” he said. Matengu said farmers…