National News

Niël Terblanché Namibia's public procurement system is currently hampered by significant challenges, primarily due to a lack of accurate and accessible data. The Institute of Public Procurement Research (IPPR) revealed this issue during the launch of the latest edition of the procurement tracker, titled "Data Deficits Undermine Governance and Oversight." Frederico Links, an IPPR Research Associate, said that the existing system does not provide adequate data, mainly because the procurement policy unit lacks the necessary resources to effectively monitor and enforce compliance. He said research found that the absence of precise data is a major obstacle to ensuring transparency, accountability,…

Niël Terblanché Despite significant strides in financial inclusion, an estimated 78 percent of the Namibian population is now covered, but the benefits of these efforts have yet to reach many, particularly in rural areas. The Governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN), Johannes !Gawaxab, highlighted this disparity at a recent symposium held at the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s campus in Eenhana. !Gawaxab pointed out that approximately 62 percent of Namibians, especially those in rural regions, still rely predominantly on cash for their income and payments. “This reliance often necessitates long and costly journeys to the nearest financial institution…

Niël Terblanché Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services plans to amend the Tobacco Act to include rules on nicotine products used for vaping. This legislative move aims to curb the growing use of electronic cigarettes and water pipes (hookahs) across the country. The amendment will also facilitate the development of a comprehensive tobacco strategic plan scheduled for launch later this month. Deputy Minister Dr. Ester Muinjangue stressed the urgency of regulating vaping products, despite existing legal frameworks to combat tobacco use in Namibia. "There is no safe form of tobacco smoke," Muinjangue said while emphasising the necessity of these…

Niël Terblanché In a new development, the country has received an offer of assistance from Iran to help mitigate the impacts of the severe drought following a recently declared state of emergency. The offer was made during a courtesy call by Dr. Seyed Ali Sharifi Sadati, the Ambassador of Iran to Namibia, to President Nangolo Mbumba at State House on Wednesday. Ambassador Sadati highlighted Iran’s advanced technologies in water infrastructure and earth dam construction, expressing readiness to support Namibia's efforts in these areas. This comes at a critical time as Namibia and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) region…

Niël Terblanché In a move towards enhancing bilateral relations, Namibia and Zimbabwe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster cooperation in both the judicial and correctional service sectors. The agreements, signed earlier this month, stress the commitment of both nations to improve service delivery and uphold the rule of law. A week ago, Chief Justice Peter Shivute of Namibia and Chief Justice Luke Malaba of Zimbabwe formalised the judicial MoU, which aims to facilitate extensive collaboration between the two countries' judicial systems. This week, a separate MoU was signed between the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) and the Zimbabwe…

Niël Terblanché The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is gearing up to register more than 1.7 million eligible voters during its General Registration of Voters exercise, set to commence next week. This extensive registration effort is an exercise that is conducted every ten years and is aimed at ensuring that the electoral roll is up-to-date for the upcoming elections. The ECN's Director of Operations, Zenia Klazen, said that the commission undertook regional council consultations throughout 2022 and 2023 as part of the establishment of registration systems and polling venues. Klazen, however, expressed disappointment, noting that only three out of fourteen…

Stefanus Nashama The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) expects the Occupational Safety and Health Bill to include stringent measures to address various health and safety issues that will protect employees of mining companies. George Ampweya, the MUN Secretary-General on Tuesday said that, although they are still acquainting themselves with the bill, they expect it to prioritise the safety and health of the employees. “We are still reviewing the bill to make sure that it reflects the interests of the employees and addresses the real issues they face in the workplace every day,” he said. Ampweya’s comment comes after the Ministry…

Niël Terblanché Crowds of people have flocked to the beaches in and around Swakopmund to collect large quantities of dead fish and crustaceans that washed ashore overnight. According to Uaripi Katjiukua, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, scientists employed by the ministry said that this phenomenon is attributed to a significant upwelling of an algal bloom, commonly known as a red tide. She said that the ministry’s scientists explained that the algal bloom emerged during the recent calm sea conditions, which were influenced by the east wind weather patterns experienced along the Namibian coast over the…