National News

Ester Mbathera Thirteen Namibian workers were dismissed from the Santorini oil drilling ship on Friday, just two weeks after starting work with Connect Catering Services (CCS). CCS is subcontracted by Pellegrini Catering Overseas, which is contracted by Galp Energia, the Portuguese oil company with a majority stake in the Orange Basin's Petroleum Exploration Licence 83. Attempts to get a comment from Hugo Lopes, the operations director of CCS, proved futile, as he did not respond to questions sent to him via WhatsApp. The Windhoek Observer wanted to understand the rationale behind the decision to replace Namibian employees. This publication also…

Niël Terblanché Major General Anne-Marie Nainda, Deputy Inspector General of the Namibian Police, narrowly missed securing the position of Interpol Vice President for Africa during the 92nd Interpol General Assembly held in Glasgow, Scotland, this week. "Unfortunately, Namibia did not secure enough votes to bring the victory home. Morocco won, and we congratulate them. We thank those member states who rallied behind and trusted General Nainda," deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, head of the Namibian Police's public relations division, who also attended the assembly, said in a short statement. She added that the election was a closely contested race among Namibia,…

Allexer Namundjembo The Lüderitz Waterfront Development Company faces allegations of awarding tenders and hiring workers without following transparent procedures. According to sources, the replacement of renovation contractor Nexus with Nawa Nawa without an advertised tender demonstrates the practice of granting tenders without public announcements and avoiding competitive bidding. Additionally, workers, especially cleaners, are reportedly hired without interviews or public vacancy announcements, with many coming from outside Lüderitz. This has raised concerns about favouritism and unfair hiring practices. “The security company has been there for 15 years. What contract is that that lasts for 15 years? If you go there today,…

Martin Endjala The Oshikoto Regional Governor, Penda Ya Ndakolo, has raised concerns about the slow collection of fodder donated to the regional council for farmers affected by drought. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer, Ya Ndakolo said upon seeing a video circulating on social media by one of the animal fodder beneficiaries calling on others to come and collect the fodder, he spoke with the regional council chairperson, who assured him that all 11 constituency councils are well informed. The Windhoek Observer received a tip that the recently donated animal fodder to the region by the vice president's office…

Niël Terblanché Namibia’s political prowess and commitment to parliamentary excellence are shining bright at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC), which is currently underway in Sydney, Australia. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, chairperson of Namibia’s National Council, has taken up his role as a newly appointed Member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) international executive committee, representing the Southern Africa Sub-region of the CPA Africa Region. According to a statement, Muha’s new role is a big step forward for Namibia. Muha previously served as the vice-chairperson of the CPA Africa Region Executive Committee for three years. During this year’s event, the CPA…

Niël Terblanché Africa has to step forward in its collective effort to address the continent’s water challenges, with a specific focus on strategic planning, resource optimisation, and collaborative action to ensure sustainable water access for all its people. On Wednesday, Calle Schlettwein, Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, at the 24th African Water Facility (AWF) Governing Council Meeting in Abidjan, Ghana, stressed the critical need for prioritising and optimising funding to enhance access to water across Africa. Schlettwein, in his role as the Chairperson of the AWF Governing Council, opened the session by highlighting the pressing global issues…

Martin Endjala According to the Namibia Consumer Price Index released this week by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), Namibia’s inflation rate currently stands at 3.0%, recorded during the month of October. The core inflation rate stood at 4.0% while the headline inflation rate was at 3.0%, compared to 6.0% registered in October 2023. On a monthly basis, the inflation rate witnessed an increase of 0.4% compared to a deflation of 0.2% recorded a month ago. Core inflation refers to a measure of inflation that excludes certain volatile elements from the overall inflation calculation. These volatile elements, according to NSA chief…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Revolutionary Transport Union (Naretu) has issued a stern warning to truck drivers, advising them to avoid crossing into Mozambique due to escalating post-election violence currently underway in the East African country. Naretu’s president, Petersen Kambinda reported that on Wednesday at least one Namibian truck was torched at the Lebombo border crossing by looters targeting cargo vehicles entering and exiting Mozambique. "One of our drivers was forced out of his truck during the early hours of this morning and was only allowed to remove his personal documents and belongings before the looters set the vehicle on fire,"…

Martin Endjala On Wednesday, the Office of the President announced the postponement of the Chief Hosea Kutako Memorial Shrine's inauguration in Toasis, Aminius Constituency to 10 December. According to the Office of the President’s statement issued on Wednesday, President Nangolo Mbumba was set to unveil the shrine at the inauguration ceremony on Friday. The Presidency stated that the postponement is because President Mbumba will be visiting Botswana to attend the swearing-in ceremony of that country’s president-elect, Duma Boko on Friday, 8 November. “The Presidency wishes to apologise for any inconvenience the change of dates for the inauguration of the Chief…

Martin Endjala The diamond mining company Namdeb has put its private hospital in Oranjemund up for sale or is seeking to outsource its operations to service providers. The company recently issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) notice to registered authorities, who will evaluate it and shortlist those who meet the criteria. “Namdeb is seeking experienced and reputable healthcare service providers to express their interest in the sale or outsourcing of the Namdeb Private Hospital in Oranjemund,” read the notice seen by the Windhoek Observer. Compulsory virtual information sessions were held on 12 November, with the submission deadline set for 20…