National News – Windhoek Observer

26 May

Telecom on thin ice over network failures

Main, National News

Patience Makwele Telecom Namibia says it will comply fully with a summons from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran). This follows repeated nationwide broadband disruptions that have affected businesses, institutions and households. Cran summoned the state-owned telecommunications company for an urgent briefing amid growing concerns over recurring network instability and service quality failures. The regulator said the repeated disruptions to Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband network are affecting communication, financial transactions, education and daily operations across the country. Telecom Namibia said it is cooperating with Cran and will provide a full briefing on the technical causes of the disruptions and…

26 May

Chiefs fear loss of ancestral land in land reforms

National News

Patience Makwele Traditional leaders from Kavango East and Kavango West say government-driven communal land reforms could weaken customary authority and increase pressure on ancestral land. The concerns were raised during consultations between the Chiefs’ Council and the parliamentary standing committee on urban and rural development and land reform. Traditional leaders said growing pressure on communal land, illegal fencing, weak enforcement and delays in land administration are creating uncertainty in rural communities already affected by population growth and shrinking grazing areas. They also warned that formal land registration could lead to increased land sales and leave future generations without access to…

26 May

Windhoek mayor’s Azerbaijan trip raises eyebrows

National News

Allexer Namundjebo Windhoek activist Sem David has called on the City of Windhoek and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to release full details of Windhoek mayor Sackarias Uunona’s trip to the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan. David said residents were not informed in advance about the trip or its purpose. “Residents were never informed that he would be travelling, nor were we told the purpose of the trip,” he said. He said he only became aware of the visit through a Facebook post. David questioned why the municipality sent the mayor instead of technical officials from departments…

26 May

Journalists’ union vows to tackle exploitation

National News

Allexer Namundjebo The newly elected Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu) president, Shelleygan Petersen, has pledged to defend the rights of media workers and ensure employers comply with labour laws. Responding to questions from the Windhoek Observer on Saturday, Petersen said all media organisations must follow the Labour Act when employing staff. “Media professionals have been exploited for far too long. We are engaging international partners for support on issues affecting freelancers and exploitation in the industry," she said. Petersen said her leadership plans were to establish union branches at media organisations across the country and organise the union’s first congress.…

26 May

Kamwi to lead Africa’s AIDS and public health body

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Former minister of health and social services Dr Richard Kamwi has been appointed president of the Society for AIDS in Africa following a leadership handover ceremony and executive board transition meeting held from 14 to 15 May in Accra, Ghana. The event took place at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel and marked a leadership transition for the organisation, which focuses on strengthening Africa’s response to HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, emerging infectious diseases and broader public health issues. The handover was conducted under the constitution of the Society for AIDS in Africa and overseen by the Board of Trustees, which is…

26 May

Namibians visit uranium mine in Russia

National News

Allexer Namundjembo A delegation of Namibian farmers, a journalist and employees from Headspring Investments, a subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom mining group, recently visited the Dalur in-situ uranium mine in Russia to learn more about its operations and extraction methods. The delegation visited the Dalur mine in Yekaterinburg, where the director general of Dalur JSC, Dinis Ezhurov, explained the in-situ leaching method used to extract uranium. The method dissolves uranium underground and pumps the solution to the surface, removing the need for open-pit mining or underground tunnelling. “There is no ore mass subsidence or damage, and therefore no rock dumps or…

22 May

High Court rejects NCIS boss’ bid for secret hearing

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The High Court has dismissed an urgent application by Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) director general Sinsy Nghipandua to have a defamation case heard entirely behind closed doors. High Court deputy judge president Shafimana Ueitele ruled on 19 May that broad claims about national security were not enough to justify secrecy in court proceedings. The matter stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by senior public servant Fiina Elago against the NCIS and the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security. Elago claims an NCIS official falsely stated in a March 2024 letter that her security vetting “could…

22 May

Meatco cranks Liebenberg lawsuit up to N$7.5m …claims Liebenberg ran a cash cow scheme at Meatco

Main, National News

Justicia Shipena The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) wants to increase its civil claim against former executive for livestock production and procurement Patrick Liebenberg from N$6.1 million to more than N$7.5 million. Meatco accuses Liebenberg of fraud, theft and misappropriation of company funds. According to a notice of intention to amend particulars of claim filed by Meatco’s legal representatives, Tjombe Incorporated, on Wednesday, the state-owned meat producer wants to expand its case before the High Court by adding new allegations and increasing the amount being claimed. In the amendment, Meatco says its claim is based mainly on breach of contract…

22 May

Navy crackdown leads to 22 foreigners arrested for illegal fishing

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibian Navy has intercepted a foreign-flagged fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing inside Namibia’s waters. The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs confirmed that the Namibian Navy flagship, NS Elephant, intercepted the vessel FU YUAN YU 9878 with visual call sign BZTV on 17 May during a routine patrol near Namibia’s northern maritime border with Angola. The vessel was intercepted within Namibia’s contiguous zone and territorial waters at coordinates 17°14.98’ S, 011°32.42’ E. According to the ministry, the vessel was found carrying a full net of unreported fish species and did not have a valid harvesting permit…

22 May

Namibia still imports nearly half its mahangu

National News

Justicia Shipena The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says Namibia still imports nearly half of its pearl millet, locally known as mahangu, despite the crop being the country’s main staple food, prompting a new effort to improve production and strengthen the value chain. FAO representative in Namibia Patrice Talla said Mahangu remains central to food security, especially in northern communal areas where families have depended on it for generations. “Mahangu is the primary cereal for more than 60% of Namibians,” Talla said during the launch of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative in Oshakati…