National News

Allexer Namundjembo and Ester Mbathera Some parts of the country received good rains over the past few days, bringing much-needed relief but also posing challenges for communities. Some of the challenges include property damage and the disruption of people’s daily lives. Despite these short-term difficulties, experts and advocates have said this is an opportunity for the people to harness the water from rain for sustainable growth and development. Wayambekange Hamufenhu, a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate, explained the dual impact of the rain. “Water is one of the most precious natural resources, and despite the short-term destruction, it brings life,…

Ester Mbathera The process of doing cross-border payments across the Common Monetary Area (CMA) of South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini has been described as cumbersome. The new cross-border payments came into effect in September last year, and all payment flows between these countries will be done via foreign exchange and will no longer be processed via electronic funds transfer rails. This is despite these countries’ currencies being pegged to the South African rand. Financial sector expert Adrianus Vugs argued sending money to the CMA has proven to be almost impossible since. “If we have a CMA, why are we…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has raised concerns about misleading advertisements for health products, including aloe vera juice, that claim to cure ailments such as ulcers, gastritis, and acidity. However, the lack of specific regulations governing such advertisements in Namibia has left a gap in consumer protection. The health ministry’s executive director, Ben Nangombe expressed alarm over the unverified claims made by health product advertisers. "If consumers are not well-informed, such claims can mislead them and potentially harm public health," he said. He acknowledged that Namibia currently lacks regulations specifically addressing the advertising of health…

Allexer Namundjembo The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has adjusted the boundaries of Rehoboth’s local authority area, incorporating several portions of land from the Khomas Region. Minister Erastus Uutoni announced the when it was published in a government gazette No. 8520. “I give notice that I have altered the boundaries of the local authority area of Rehoboth by adding—(a) Portion 14, a portion of Portion 2 of Portion A, of the Farm Dordabis No. 98 situated in Registration Division 'K', Khomas Region, represented by the Cadastral Diagram No. A252/67," said Uutoni. The minister also listed more parts that are…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja A forensic report into the fatal accident that led to the death of Romario Tony Pienaar, which involved a Sea Pride Foods truck, has revealed issues with the heavy vehicle’s braking system. The incident, which occurred on 14 November 2024 at the intersection of Robert Mugabe Avenue and Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Street in Windhoek, resulted in the death of the motorcyclist. According to the report, the truck’s service braking system was found to be inefficient, requiring multiple pumps on the brake pedal to stop the moving vehicle. The investigation also found that previous maintenance checks had overlooked…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian police in the Erongo region are investigating a case of the illegal discharge of a firearm in a municipal area. A video clip scene by the Windhoek Observer shows two men fighting outside the Salt nightclub in Swakopmund over the weekend where one of the participants fired several shots with a handgun, revealing the seedy underbelly of Swakopmund at night. According to the police report, three unknown German-speaking men approached the woman and began assaulting her, with fists and kicking her until she collapsed. “When her husband and a friend attempted to intervene, the assailants turned…

Allexer Namundjembo Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah has described two brothers contesting in the Guinas Regional Council by-election as a beautiful reflection of our democracy and its maturity, noting that siblings can freely belong to different political parties and even contest against each other. Moses Khumub’s campaign focuses on promoting unity in diversity, youth empowerment, and advocating for natural resource beneficiation to ensure sustainable development. On the other hand, Fransiskus Khumub’s platform focuses on education, healthcare, and infrastructure development to uplift the community. “This unique situation highlights the growing maturity of the nation’s political landscape, where even family members can freely…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja An open letter from social justice activists has sparked a backlash over the government’s recent handover of 8 132 hectares of land to the |Khomanin Traditional Authority. The handover, which took place in November 2024, involved the transfer of Farm Groot Korasieplaats and Portion 1 of the farm, purchased by the government for N$33.9 million. In his open letter, Shaun Gariseb accuses the minister of agriculture, water and land reform, Calle Schlettwein, of deceiving the |Khomanin community regarding the suitability of the land. Gariseb, in his letter, highlights the farm's severe water shortage, noting that the farm has…

Stefanus Nashama The City of Windhoek (CoW) plans to relocate people of approximately 100 households affected by flash floods that destroyed many shacks in the capital to Farm 508 in the Goreangab area over the past weekend. City councillor Ivan Skrywer confirmed this on Monday. “The city will host up to 100 households on farm 508 behind Okapale,” he said. One of the affected residents, Lukas Ihuhwa, welcomed the news of the relocation but expressed deep concern about the irreparable losses caused by the flood. “We are not just concerned about shelter, mattresses, or food. We are deeply distressed by…

Ester Mbathera After retiring in 2023, Heroldt Murangi was appointed as the executive director of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam) for the next three years. Murangi went from retirement in November 2023 to newly employed on 01 January this year. He is taking up the role after his predecessor Maria Nangolo’s term ended in 2023 and no substantive head was appointed since. Murangi, who is over 60 years old, retired from his position as chief executive officer of the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) after he took up the role in 2007. In a press…