National News

Martin Endjala The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has identified non-compliance with the government’s procurement system as a major problem in Namibia. The IPPR released a report on Thursday in which it indicated that there are about 173 public entities with a procurement function. Frederico Links, an IPPR research associate, did the study with financial support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). “All of these entities have to submit an annual procurement plan to the Procurement Policy Unit (PPU), which then publishes the plan on the e-procurement portal,” he pointed out. According to Links, public entities operating outside of…

Martin Endjala A Judea Lyaboloma Constituency councillor accused the urban and rural development minister, Erastus Uutoni, of failing to intervene in the issues of the Zambezi Regional Council. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer this week, Humphrey Divai said the minister has only been attending to the matters of other regions and some local authorities. “I do not know why the minister is not intervening in the Zambezi matter. This is a serious issue. What is he afraid of? It seems like he is protecting his Swapo comrade Simushi,” said Divai. He added that the Zambezi Regional Council has…

Stefanus Nashama The British High Commission in Namibia has refuted allegations that a London-based entity funded the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC). The British High Commissioner, Charles Moore, wrote a letter addressed to IPC’s leader, Panduleni Itula on Wednesday. Moore clarified that Sarah Champion MP (UK) was not the author of the letters circulating on social media platforms. “The letters were not written or circulated by Ms Champion or any other official within the International Development Committee(IDC). The content was entirely fabricated by third parties with the intent to misinform and discredit. The United Kingdom does not and would not…

Stefanus Nashama According to estimates, 733 million people, or one in eleven people worldwide and one in five in Africa, experienced hunger in 2023. This is according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report that was released this week. “Despite some progress in specific areas such as stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, an alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023 - approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when considering…

Martin Endjala Swakop Uranium which owns the Husab Mine in the Erongo region, has launched an investigation into an incident involving an employee of Beifang Mining Services, a company that provides contracting services at the mine. The employee was involved in an incident with a haul truck owned and operated by Beifang Mining Services that fell to the bottom of a pit on Wednesday while attempting to offload its load. Irvinne Simataa, Swakop Uranium's executive vice president, confirmed that Beifang Mining Services is the mining contractor at Husab Mine. “Operations were halted, and an investigation into the incident is currently…

Niël Terblanché Namibia and Angola have announced the commencement of key components of the bi-national Baynes hydroelectric power project. This development follows recent decisions by the Namibian Cabinet, which approved measures to mobilize funding and expedite the construction of critical infrastructure for the project. This project is expected to be a game-changer in the region, reducing reliance on electricity imports and fostering greater cooperation between Namibia and Angola. The Cabinet in its latest decisions, published on Thursday, directed the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises to commence mobilizing funding for Namibia's obligation in constructing the Baynes regulating dam as well…

Niël Terblanché The United States government-funded Reach Namibia project has recently launched the Adolescent and Youth Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship Accelerator (ALIVE) Hub in Rundu, the capital of the Kavango East Region. This initiative aims to equip young Namibians with the entrepreneurial skills necessary to establish sustainable businesses, thereby addressing the high unemployment rates among the youth. In collaboration with the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Services (MSYNS), regional and local governments, and private sector partners, an additional ALIVE Hub will be established in Nkurenkuru, Kavango West Region. These hubs will provide entrepreneurial starter packs and help youth ventures scale.…

Stefanus Nashama Prominent South African legal practitioner, Advocate Dali Mpofu and his colleague Advocate Lerato Moela were denied work permits this week by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security. The two arrived in Namibia to represent the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) in a deregistration hearing in the Windhoek High Court on Tuesday. The ministry’s executive director, Etienne Maritz, said on Tuesday the lawyers were denied work visas after failing to submit all required documents in their applications as required under Section 85, Subsection 2, of the Legal Practitioners Act (Act No. 15 of 1995). “The decision…