National News

Allexer Namundjebo Private emergency service providers say they are ready to teach Namibians how to swim to prevent drowning cases. Sean Naude, a licensed lifeguard and founder of the Namibia Marshall Rangers, said he is willing to partner with the government to offer swimming lessons across the country. “Water safety is our priority. I have assisted in more than 18 drowning incidents in Erongo, and if we can do it there, we can expand swimming education to benefit communities across the country," Naude said. Naude said he is also ready to visit schools, especially in flood-prone regions, to teach water…

Niël Terblanché The Swakopmund Municipality has introduced new land allocation procedures to improve transparency and ensure fair access to development opportunities. Swakopmund deputy mayor Suama Kautondokwa announced the changes during a council briefing this week. She said all land made available for sale or lease will now be publicly advertised.  “To rectify this, and in alignment with the town's Urban Development Strategy, the Council has resolved to adopt a more structured, transparent, and strategic approach to land allocation,” Kautondokwa said. She said the municipality had received a flood of unsolicited land applications in recent years.  While this showed strong interest…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Namibia’s Ministry of Finance and the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) have not responded to questions about delays in establishing the Katima Mulilo One Stop Border Post (OSBP), a key trade project with Zambia. This follows renewed commitments by both governments this week to fast-track the project and complete it within 18 months. A Joint Steering Committee meeting in Livingstone, Zambia, brought together technical teams from both countries to adopt a new implementation roadmap. NamRA Commissioner Sam Shivute, who led the Namibian delegation, acknowledged the project’s delays and called for increased effort. “Zambia brings valuable experience to this project,…

Niël Terblanché President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to environmental sustainability. She also urged all Namibians to take action against plastic pollution, as the country joined the international community in commemorating World Environment Day on Wednesday. In a special message, Nandi-Ndaitwah warned that plastic waste presents a growing threat to ecosystems, marine life, public health, and long-term development. “Namibia, as a proud member of the international community, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to combat plastic pollution and accelerate our transition to a cleaner and more resilient environment,” she said. This year’s commemoration, held under the theme “Putting an End to…

Niël Terblanché During the national commemoration of World Environment Day in Swakopmund, Namibians were called upon to confront the growing challenge of plastic pollution with urgency and collective action. Caroline Gaorus-Oas, the Deputy Environmental Commissioner, said plastic pollution is everywhere, from the deepest ocean trench to the highest mountain peak.  “We see this pollution. We feel its climate impacts. We live with the sheer waste of taking a versatile, durable material and making it disposable,” she said during her address at Mondesa Community Hall on Thursday The theme for this year’s commemoration, “End Plastic Pollution,” emphasises a global push to…

Niël Terblanché As Namibia joined the global commemoration of World Environment Day, the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing environmental protection through strategic financing and community-driven initiatives. The EIF has mobilised more than N$4 billion in environmental and climate funding to support resilience, clean technologies, and biodiversity conservation across the country. In a statement for the occasion, the EIF highlighted its role in introducing environmental levies under the Customs and Excise Act No. 20 of 1998, working with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism.   These levies generate about N$90 million annually and are reinvested in sustainability…

Allexer Namundjebo The education ministry plans to address overcrowded classrooms, mainly in urban schools.  The ministry's executive director, Mbumba Haitengela, said the ministry identified schools with teacher-to-learner ratios above the norm.  The ministry is conducting a provision norm audit to develop a three-year regional decongestion plan.  “Schools identified will be addressed in the envisaged plan. This means all schools identified will be addressed,” he said. The ministry’s formal education circular four outlines the steps towards decongestion, including short, medium, and long-term actions, with overcrowded classrooms a priority.  Haitengela explained that the platoon system currently operates two schools on one premises. …

Niël Terblanché A new campaign to stop gender-based violence in the country, the #EndGBVNamibia campaign, was launched in Windhoek on Wednesday.  The initiative aims to tackle gender-based violence through prevention, support, and public education. At the launch, the minister of gender equality and child welfare, Emma Kantema, reaffirmed the government’s stance on the issue.  “The Namibian government has taken a zero-tolerance stance against gender-based violence,” she said.  The zero-tolerance position, first declared by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during her State of the Nation Address in April, forms the foundation of the campaign.  “We gather not just to launch a campaign, but…

Niël Terblanché Efforts to reshape mineral export routes in Southern Africa have advanced with the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) developing a new logistics corridor linking the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the port of Walvis Bay.  The North-Western Corridor will connect Kolwezi, a major copper mining area in the DRC, with Walvis Bay. The corridor will run through Solwezi and Mongu in Zambia, then continue southwest to Katima Mulilo before reaching Walvis Bay.  WBCG chief executive officer Mbahupu Hippy Tjivikua said the project will include new roads and a border crossing between the DRC and Zambia. A concession…

Niël Terblanché Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has called on newly graduated Namibia Correctional Service (NCS) officers to uphold the values of humanity, dignity, and national service. Delivering a message on behalf of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at the 31st basic training graduation ceremony in Omaruru on Wednesday, Ngurare urged the graduates to treat inmates with respect. “Treat all inmates with humanity and dignity, in accordance with international protocols and standards. Your legal duty is to guide and support inmates in recognising and accepting their past mistakes, thereby aiding their reform and enabling them to become productive and law-abiding citizens,” he said.…