National News

Niël Terblanché The dual celebration of Human Rights Day and Namibia’s Women’s Day will go down in history not only because serves as a reminder of the progress made in the country’s journey toward justice and equality and the ongoing collective effort needed to secure a brighter future for all, but also because the nation elected its first female head of state. On Tuesday, Namibia joined the global community In commemoration of International Human Rights Day under the theme “Our Right, Our Future, Right Now”. President Nangolo Mbumba in a special message to the nation reflected on the strides made…

Niël Terblanché Namibia is poised to make history as it will for the first time ever host the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) representatives, known as Sherpas while the world struggles to find solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, marine pollution, and overfishing. The event in Walvis Bay starts today and it will also be the first time the gathering of the Sherpas will take place on African soil. The Ocean Panel, established in 2018, comprises 19 world leaders committed to sustainably managing 100% of the ocean areas under national jurisdiction. Representing countries…

Niël Terblanché Namibia strengthened its role as a global leader in biodiversity conservation, setting the stage for transformative action to protect the planet for generations to come while it welcomed delegates from across the globe for the 11th Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in Windhoek on Tuesday. The gathering is aimed at addressing the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecosystem degradation while launching two landmark reports that promise to shape the global conservation agenda. Pohamba Shifeta, Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, explained the importance of the Nexus Assessment…

Allexer Namundjembo The launch of Fly Etosha Airways, initially slated for last year, has encountered significant delays due to a combination of geopolitical tensions and financial challenges. While the airline had been poised to fill the void left by the closure of Air Namibia, unforeseen global events and complex negotiations have pushed back its launch timeline. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer, captain William Ekandjo, the founder of Fly Etosha Airways, said the beginning of last year saw promising developments, fuelling optimism for the airline’s imminent launch. However, the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, coupled with ongoing conflicts in…

Niël Terblanché Through its rigorous training and focus on real-world application, the Gondwana Collection’s Go4Gold Academy lived up to its reputation as a trailblazer in leadership development. The spirit of leadership and innovation took centre stage in Windhoke recently when Gondwana celebrated the accomplishments of its 2024 Go4Gold Academy participants. The event was the culmination of a transformative year-long leadership development journey for 11 rising leaders within the organisation. Programme leader Ume Goldbeck said the Go4Gold Academy is an intensive initiative aimed at equipping participants with the skills to navigate complex challenges and drive meaningful change. According to Goldbeck, the…

Martin Endjala Entrepreneurs in Omaruru are looking forward to the completion of the construction of new stalls in the mini marketplace for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Omaruru municipality’s chief executive officer, Sindongo Valentinus told the Windhoek Observer last week that the construction was already 80% complete. He said the stalls will house different small business operators that will enable the community to trade efficiently, effectively, and safely. “At the moment, vendors are selling along the road, which can be dangerous for them. Although few vendors are operating on the side of the market, the majority are opting to…

Martin Endjala Dr Bernard Haufiku, the former minister of health has dismissed reports suggesting that the president-elect, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, collapsed during election campaign rallies. Haufiku told the Windhoek Observer on Sunday that Nandi-Ndaitwah experienced fatigue and a mild flu during the rally at Otjiwarongo while addressing party members. “After an extremely busy schedule before that and having picked up a mild flu (this is why she was wearing a face mask), she displayed signs of tiredness and near-exhaustion. As a result, she double-read some of the text in her statements. This is where her security apparatus stepped in and asked…

Martin Endjala Leaders and residents of the Kavango East region have called on Swapo to reciprocate the loyalty they demonstrated during elections over the years. Mukwe Constituency Councillor, Damian Maghambayi took to social media to criticise the party for neglecting the Kavango East and Kavango West regions, despite consistent electoral support by residents. He also urged for reforms to ensure equitable development. “Our region has shown consistent loyalty to the governing party, and it is now time for that loyalty to be reciprocated. We urge the government to recognise and address our needs and aspirations,” he said. Maghambayi criticised internal…

Stefanus Nashama The Popular Democratic Movement's (PDM) failure to secure its official opposition position in the National Assembly is due to the party’s history, rather than being a self-made political entity. Political commentator, Ben Mulongeni said this in an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Sunday. "The PDM is not a self-made party; it was formed to fight the liberation movement, Swapo, not to bring communism but democracy. After democracy, the party has nothing to offer," he said. In the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the PDM dropped from 16 parliamentary seats to five. The newly established Independent Patriots…

Allexer Namundjembo Namibia and Qatar are engaging in discussions to enhance bilateral ties across key sectors, including trade, mining, agriculture, and tourism. The talks coincide with President Nangolo Mbumba's visit to Doha. Mbumba travelled to Qatar before the weekend to attend the 22nd Doha Forum, which took place on Saturday and Sunday. Press Secretary of the Namibian Presidency, Alfredo Hengari on Saturday told the Windhoek Observer that the government is exploring options for exporting meat products to the State of Qatar, specifically lamb and mutton. "Qatar has expressed interest in collaborating with Namibia in the areas of mining, agriculture, and…