National News

Allexer Namundjembo  Refusing to accept the five-cent coin as payment is illegal, the Bank of Namibia has warned. This follows complaints from consumers about retailers rejecting the small denomination. Sencia Kaizemi-Rukata, director of banking services at the BoN, confirmed that the five-cent coin remains legal tender despite no longer being minted since 2018. “The five-cent coin is still legal tender. Retailers are obligated to accept it as a means of payment. The fact that we no longer mint the coin does not alter its legal standing,” she said. The central bank stopped producing the coin in 2018 due to the…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Sirka Bonifacius, a first-time mother, was shocked when the nurses at Windhoek Central Hospital told her that the hepatitis B vaccine for her newborn was unavailable. She had delivered her baby two weeks ago and was told she would have to go to Rhino Park Private Hospital to get the vaccine.  "I was only told after three days, but the baby was supposed to get the vaccine within 24 hours after birth. The nurse who told me to get it from Rhino Park said it was only N$30, but when I got there, I was told it was…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and Affirmative Repositioning (AR) have expressed frustration over the abrupt postponement of the national budget debate, which was set for Tuesday. The postponement was announced by National Assembly acting secretary Oscar Muyatwa, who informed chief whips that Parliament would now resume on 8 April 2025. No reason was provided in the official notice. “The National Assembly appreciates the public's patience and understanding as it upholds principles of accountability and transparency in the budgetary process,” he said. He added that it will be made through the official parliament website and social media platforms.…

Niël Terblanché The Swakop River has once again reached the Atlantic Ocean, drawing hundreds of residents of both Swakopmund and Walvis Bay to its banks to witness this rare natural event. Sustained rainfall over Namibia's interior replenished the river and its tributaries, enabling the flow to extend to the sea. The last occurrence of this phenomenon was on 16 February 2022, when the river flowed into the ocean after an 11-year pause. At that time, residents celebrated by gathering at the river mouth, with some assisting the flow by digging channels in the sand. The Swakop River, an ephemeral watercourse,…

Niël Terblanché A project aimed at enhancing the living conditions of residents in the Wagdaar area has commenced with an official launch by the Swakopmund Municipality. On Monday, the municipal council handed over the site to Zero Six Five Trading JV Mawila Technical Services to begin infrastructure development in Extension 42, covering 310 erven. Wagdaar, situated northeast of Swakopmund and adjacent to the Democratic Resettlement Community (DRC), has historically lacked essential municipal and electrical infrastructure. While some community facilities have benefited from basic services such as streetlights and communal taps, the area remains largely unserviced. Municipality spokesperson Linda Mupupa said…

Over 250 unemployed youths from the Erongo, Hardap, Omaheke, and Zambezi regions have applied for the 2025 edition of the MTC 4Life Project, which offers specialised business training and seed capital to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The MTC 4Life Project, launched in 2023, is a youth empowerment initiative aimed at tackling unemployment by equipping young Namibians with business and practical skills. So far, 91 youth have been trained through the programme, with a total investment of N$3.5 million over the past two years. For this year’s round, MTC has allocated N$1.5 million from its Corporate Social Investment (CSI)…

Allexer Namundjembo Taxi drivers in Windhoek say pothole-riddled streets are wearing down their tyres, and they are calling on the City of Windhoek’s traffic law enforcement division to stop issuing fines for tyre conditions they believe are caused by poor infrastructure. Heavy rains have damaged many roads across the city, making driving conditions difficult and expensive for public transport operators. Frans Natangwe, a taxi driver, said he has replaced his tyres five times since the rainy season began. “To be honest, we want the roads fixed, but we understand that it’s difficult to repair them right now due to the…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Senior citizens across the country have not received their pension grants as expected on 1 April, raising concern over delays in the disbursement of monthly social support. The Ministry of Finance and Social Grants Management says payments were processed on time, but the reason the funds have not reached recipients remains unclear. The finance ministry’s spokesperson, Wilson Shikoto, said the government had fulfilled its payment responsibilities. “The payment was done. So, whatever happened between us and NamPost, we cannot explain. But all we can say is that the payment is done. We are sure that the payment is…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Former Hartlief Corporation Ltd employees who were dismissed in December 2022 say they are frustrated by delays in receiving an arbitration ruling from the Office of the Labour Commissioner, more than two years after their case was heard. The case was heard in February 2024 by arbitrator Louise Likando, and closing arguments were submitted in April. Since then, the workers say they have made repeated follow-ups but have not received a clear explanation for the delay. They were initially promised a ruling in February, then again in early March, and now by 31 March, but none of these…