National News

Allexer Namundjembo  Convicted Namibians serving prison sentences in other Southern African countries may soon be transferred home to complete their jail terms, following the gazetting of an amended SADC protocol on prisoner transfers. The amendment, published in Government Notice no. 177 of 2026 and seen by the Windhoek Observer, updates Namibia's ratification of the SADC Protocol on Inter-State Transfer of Sentenced Offenders. It was signed by home affairs minister Lucia Iipumbu on 29 January and appeared in the Government Gazette of 5 June 2026. The notice states that, under subsection 20(3) of the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Act of 2005,…

Allexer Namundjembo Social justice activist Michael Amushelelo has filed an urgent application in the High Court seeking the immediate removal of speed humps installed on the B1 Western Bypass, arguing they are unlawful and pose a public hazard. The matter is set to be heard before the High Court today, according to a Notice of Motion dated 11 June 2026 and seen by the Windhoek Observer. Amushelelo is expected to appear in person. The case lists the minister of works and transport as the first respondent, while the Roads Authority (RA) and Attorney-General are listed as the second and third…

Renthia Kaimbi Nearly two years after a technical committee reached an agreement, the formalisation of the long-disputed Orange River border between Namibia and South Africa remains unresolved, with the matter still looming over bilateral relations. The dispute, which has been ongoing since Namibia’s independence in 1990, boils down to a fundamental disagreement over where the international boundary lies along the Orange River, spanning roughly 600 kilometers of the shared border. Pretoria’s claim relied on the colonial 1890 Helgoland-Zanzibar Treaty between Great Britain and Imperial Germany, which demarcated the boundary along the high-water mark of the northern bank of the river.…

Patience Makwele  The United States Department of State says it has dismantled multiple birth tourism networks operating across Africa and Europe, in a global crackdown that has led to the revocation of hundreds of visas. The action targets foreign nationals accused of abusing the U.S. immigration system by travelling on visitor visas with the primary aim of giving birth in the United States to secure citizenship for their children. According to the State Department, the operations form part of broader efforts to tighten visa scrutiny worldwide and curb fraudulent use of U.S. travel documentation. “Under President Trump, the State Department…

Renthia Kaimbi The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has been forced to restart the search for the next Prosecutor-General after none of the eight shortlisted candidates passed a written assessment, raising fresh questions about the depth of senior prosecutorial talent in the country. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commission revealed that the highest score among the applicants was just 49%, with the lowest at 30% out of a possible 100 marks. Candidates required at least 50% to pass the assessment. The assessment, which took place on 8 May 2026, was designed to test legal knowledge, analytical ability, legal reasoning…

By Patience Makwele The High Court has ordered suspended Inspector-General of the Namibian Police Joseph Shikongo and the ministry of home affairs, immigration, safety and security to compensate activists Michael Amushelelo and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma for their arrests, detention, and prosecution following an anti-unemployment protest in 2023. In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, the court awarded Amushelelo N$300,000 in damages and Nauyoma N$80,000. The government was also ordered to pay their legal costs. The case stems from the pair's arrests during a planned protest against unemployment in Windhoek on 21 March 2023, which coincided with Namibia's Independence Day celebrations. The demonstration…

Patience Makwele Health Minister Esperance Luvindao has acknowledged growing public frustration over conditions in Namibia's public health system, including allegations of negligence, poor communication, discrimination, and the unauthorised sharing of patient information. The admission came as the ministry unveiled a new complaints management system aimed at improving accountability. Speaking at the launch of the ministry’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Management of Complaints in Windhoek on Wednesday, Luvindao said the ministry could no longer ignore concerns repeatedly raised by patients and their families. “For too long, the headlines in our national media have painted a distressed picture of our…

Allexer Namundjembo Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Member of Parliament Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo has submitted questions to the minister in the Presidency, Charles Mubita, regarding the monitoring and delivery of projects announced during State of the Region Addresses (SORAs). In her notice of question, set for Thursday next week, Mbinge-Tjeundo noted that the addresses were originally intended to provide Namibians with a transparent account of development progress and improvements in regional quality of life. However, she argued that they have increasingly become platforms for announcing ambitious projects without proper mechanisms to measure delivery, evaluate impact, or hold authorities accountable. She further stated…