National News

Moses Magadza As the world celebrates International Youth Day on August 12, the SADC Parliamentary Forum secretary general, Boemo Sekgoma, has highlighted the intersection of digital access and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people. This year’s theme is “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” In a statement, Sekgoma noted that the intersection is also outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasised in the recently adopted Gaborone Declaration. Recent data indicates that in 2022, three-quarters of individuals aged 15–24 globally utilised the internet—a figure that signifies the significant role young people…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The deputy minister of labour, industrial relations, and employment creation, Hafeni Ndemula, has presented a proposal to adopt and implement the International Labour Organisation (ILO) law to allow breastfeeding women to have a daily break or reduction of hours. During the presentation in parliament on Wednesday, Ndemula emphasised the ratification of ILO Convention No. 183 of 2000 on maternity protection. He said the proposal will enable women to continue breastfeeding upon return to work after maternity leave, which is in the best health interests of mother and child and is also in line with the World Health Organisation's…

Niël Terblanché A full bench of justices of the High Court of Namibia dismissed the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters' (NEFF) case against the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) on Thursday. The NEFF had challenged the ECN's decision to deregister the party, alleging procedural and substantive irregularities. The judgment was delivered by Judges Hosea Angula, Orben Sibeya, and Beatrix de Jager, who found that the Electoral Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. The bench concluded that the NEFF's application did not raise an electoral issue as defined under Section 168(1)(e) of the Electoral Act, which limits the court's review jurisdiction…