National News

Allexer Namundjembo The chairperson of the National Council Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Economy, Peter Kazongominja, revealed that the Okahao Town Council lacked financial accounting procedures, guidelines, and manuals. He made this statement during the town council's public hearing on Wednesday regarding the adverse audit opinion on their financial statements for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Kazongominja said the committee observed that the council did not adopt an appropriate financial reporting framework as per the circular from the Minister of Urban and Rural Development in preparing its financial statements. “The auditors noted a difference amounting to N$9…

Martin Endjala From 1 April to 30 September, the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) executed contract projects worth N$6.7 billion countrywide. The contracts are still ongoing in all regions, with 164 projects. This was revealed by CPBN monitoring and evaluation manager Toini Hamata during a media briefing in Windhoek for both the first and second quarters (Q1 and Q2). The largest category in terms of project value is work projects, with over 60% of the total value of N$4.1 billion, with non-consultancy services leading in the number of projects. Public entities and service providers were the most actively involved…

Niël Terblanché Hopes are high that the collective effort of Namibia’s youth will lead to tangible solutions for the nation’s climate-related challenges, ensuring that future generations inherit a more sustainable and resilient environment. In this regard the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Namibia 2024 kicked off in Windhoek this week, bringing together 50 youth delegates from all 14 regions of Namibia to find sustainable solutions for the country’s climate challenges. Presented under the theme “Youth at the Forefront: Driving National Climate Solutions,” the conference is focused on key climate issues such as adaptation, mitigation, and a just transition to renewable…

Martin Endjala The Bank of Namibia (BoN) issued an alert in which it warned the public about rising fraudulent investment schemes falsely promising financial backing for Namibia’s development initiatives. BoN cautioned that these schemes are targeting high-ranking government officials, ministries, traditional leaders, and prominent public figures, exploiting their reputations to lend credibility to deceptive offers. “Of late, the bank has observed that prominent religious and traditional leaders, as well as church elders, are also approached to advance these investment schemes to their church communities by using their influence,” said Johannes !Gawaxab, the central bank's governor. He explained that the people…

Stefanus Nashama NamWater, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture, donated textbooks valued at N$240 700 to 12 schools in the Ohangwena region. Abraham Nehemia, the chief executive officer at NamWater, announced the donation on Wednesday. The recipient schools are Oshamono Combined School, Onanona Combined School, Ndjabeka Primary School, Elakalapwa Combined School, Onamunhama Combined School, Kaupumhote Nghituwamhata Combined School, Lazarus Haufiku Combined School, Oshawapala Combined School, Okahenge Combined School, Ounyenye Combined School, Haihambo Primary School, and Amwiimbi Combined School. According to Nehemia, this contribution is part of NamWater’s broader effort to ensure that learners have the tools…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Political parties observing the printing of ballot papers for the November 2024 elections in Johannesburg have raised concerns over the transparency of the process. Imms Nashinge of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) expressed dissatisfaction, citing a lack of communication and briefing from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). According to Nashinge, the samples of the ballots were not yet approved, and the team didn’t get clarification on the logistical arrangements. “We are not satisfied with how they dealt with the whole process. There was no proper communication or briefing as to what was going to happen before…

Stefanus Nashama Political analyst Sakaria Johannes believes the release of the Labour Force Thematic Report next year, is politically motivated and election-based. The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Tuesday announced that it would only release the report on 29 January 2025. The last Labour Force Survey was done in 2018, which found the country’s unemployment rate stood at 32%. “In a nutshell, it's a politically motivated decision in general and an election-based decision, in particular,” he said. Johannes said that if the report is released before the elections, the current government will suffer at the ballot box. “Such information might…