National News

Renthia Kaimbi Fifty young boys in Walvis Bay received free back-to-school haircuts yesterday after a local barber opened his doors to give back to the community. The gesture came from the owner of El Shaddai Barbershop, 27-year-old Lumardo Mouton said the act was part of repairing harm he caused in the past. “I destroyed so many people in my community from smuggling drugs. So this was part of how I am paying back,” he said. Mouton shared that from the age of 12 until two years ago, he was involved in dealing drugs. He said his entry into crime began…

Justicia Shipena The removal of illegal fences in the Ohangwena region is expected to cost N$500 000.  The deputy director of land reform, Paulus Amaambo, revealed this during a presentation at a regional councillors’ orientation workshop held in Eenhana on Tuesday. Amaambo said the full amount is to be recovered from those who erected them. He said at least 22 illegal fences put up by communal farmers without the consent of the Communal Land Board will be removed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform. Amaambo said contractors have already been appointed and will begin the work after…

Allexer Namundjembo Namibians have reacted with anger after American YouTuber Darren Watkins Jr, popularly known as IShowSpeed could not land in Namibia on the planned date after required aviation permits were not submitted on time. Watkins was expected to include Namibia as part of his “Speed Does Africa” tour, a 28-day live-streaming journey across several African countries. Namibia was scheduled to be the second stop. Namibians critiqued the outcome, describing it as a missed opportunity for tourism and global exposure. Landless People's Movement (LPM) youth leader Duminga Ndala said the government must improve how it manages red tape and bureaucratic…

Renthia Kaimbi The price of addiction, award-winning Namibian hip-hop artist Jericho Gawanab says, goes beyond money.  He says it is seen in possessions sold, dignity lost and long hours spent chasing the next fix. In an open account shared with the Windhoek Observer, Jericho spoke about his struggle with drugs and alcohol and how it nearly destroyed his career.  He said his addiction turned hard-earned success into near ruin. Jericho recalled selling his first professional music studio, bought for N$45 000 using his Namibian Music Awards (Namas) winnings, for just N$7 000 to buy drugs. The money, he said, was…

Renthia Kaimbi Swapo has described the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as an unlawful abduction and a violation of international law.  Swapo condemned the United States for what it called unjustifiable aggression against a sovereign state. Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa delivered the party’s position yesterday, saying the detention of a sitting head of state breaches international norms and the principles of the United Nations Charter. “As a political organisation born out of the crucibles of anti-colonialism and apartheid, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and mutual respect among nations,” the statement said. Shaningwa said…

Renthia Kaimbi Zambezi regional councillors involved in an unauthorised trip to Botswana and Zambia have fully repaid N$136 000 in subsistence and travel allowances (S&T), the Windhoek Observer has learnt. Sources close to the matter confirmed that those who repaid the money include former chairperson of the management committee Matengu Simushi, who is the husband of Zambezi governor Dorothy Kabula. Other councillors involved were Humphrey Divai, Kennedy Simasiku and Ivene Kabunga.  Of the four, only Simasiku currently serves on the new council. Kabula was also part of the trip but obtained separate authorisation from the Presidency. The repayments follow an…

Justicia Shipena Security service provider G4S Secure Solutions (Namibia) has withdrawn its legal exception in the High Court, which challenged the legal sufficiency of Namibia Desert Diamonds’ (Namdia) lawsuit, according to court documents seen by the Windhoek Observer. This means G4S has dropped its court objection in the lawsuit.  The withdrawal followed Namdia's filing of a rule 52 notice together with amended particulars of claim on 1 December 2025.  G4S lodged the exception on October 24, 2025, but confirmed in a joint status report filed on December 11, 2025, that it would no longer pursue it while reserving its rights. …

Renthia Kaimbi American YouTube star IShowSpeed has been forced to cancel his visit to Namibia after aviation authorities denied permits for his private flight and drone operations due to applications submitted mere hours before arrival. The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the denial, saying there was no time to process the requests. NCAA manager for stakeholder relations and communications Nelson Ashipala said in a media statement released yesterday that a foreign operator permit for a Kenyan-registered private aircraft scheduled to land in Namibia on 30 December 2025 could not be issued. Ashipala said the application was received at 16h34…