National News

Niël Terblanché In an effort to address historical land injustices and improve living conditions for marginalised communities, the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has announced the establishment of communal land in the Khomas region. This development, aimed at correcting the legacy of colonial-era land dispossession, was detailed by Minister Calle Schlettwein in a speech delivered to the National Assembly. Schlettwein stressed the importance of this initiative, highlighting that the Khomas region, despite being central to Namibia, is the only region without designated communal land. According to the minister, this has left many residents, particularly those from the…

Chamwe Kaira Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite internet company, has applied for a licence to enter the Namibian market, Chief Executive Officer of the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) Emilia Nghikembua said in an interview. “Starlink has submitted an application for licences to the Authority, and the application is being processed and considered in terms of the provisions of the Communications Act (No. 8 of 2009) and relevant regulations,” she said. Last month, Botswana granted an operating licence to Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX, three weeks after a government delegation met with the SpaceX team in the US.…

Stefanus Nashama The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) is proposing that military personnel vote on the same day as the rest of the country to avoid victimisation. The LPM, in a letter to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) dated 20 June and signed by the party’s representative, Ivan Skrywer, also requested that the military personnel vote at public polling stations. “Our military personnel have on many occasions complained about the way they are expected to cast their votes. Given the nature of their service, the commission has over the years made efforts to place the voting stations uniquely at the…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Social justice activist, Michael Amushelelo has warned that if the government fails to address the unemployment situation on time, unemployed people, especially the youth, will make things uncomfortable. Amushelelo was addressing the parliamentary committee on constitutional and legal affairs during a consultative meeting at parliament on Thursday. “Crime is a result of people not having an income, and if we keep ignoring unemployment, we will face serious danger. You should bear in mind that unemployed people have nothing to lose; you as members of Parliament and politicians, have your nice cars and live a comfortable life with your…

Martin Endjala Auasblick, the State House's neighbourhood, has become a hub for crimes such as robbery and hijacking. Many health enthusiasts use the area for exercise because of the hills and lack of traffic. The latest crime incident involved Matthias Ngwangwama, the managing director of Namibia Wildlife Resorts. On Wednesday night, robbers stole Ngwangwama's car and cell phone. Alfred Hengari, the spokesperson of State House, said that there is an investigation into the matter and assured the public that the presidential residence is secured and its safety has not been compromised. “I can assure you that the precinct of the…

Niël Terblanché The Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa has dismissed an appeal by Trustco Group Holdings Limited. The ruling confirmed the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) authority to mandate the restatement of financial statements to ensure compliance with international standards. This decision marks a crucial step in upholding financial transparency and accountability in the South African financial markets. The appeal, brought by Trustco against the JSE and the Financial Services Tribunal, challenged the directive to restate its financial statements for the year ending March 2019. Trustco argued that the JSE lacked the authority to enforce such directives and questioned…

Niël Terblanché The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has decided to maintain the repo rate at 7.75 percent, following its bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on June 17-18. According to Johannes !Gawaxab, the Governor of the Bank of Namibia, this decision aims to support the domestic economy while preserving the peg between the Namibia Dollar and the South African Rand. "The committee's stance reflects a cautious approach to balancing economic growth with inflation control," !Gawaxab said while announcing the decision. He said that Namibia's economy demonstrated significant growth in the first four months of 2024, particularly in the mining, electricity…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The current voter registration process has elicited mixed reactions across various regions. While some areas report smooth operations, others are experiencing significant delays. Otjozondjupa governor, James Uerikua has noted the slow pace of the voter registration process. "We have noticed that the process is slow. However, registration is ongoing, and we are excited to see many youths come out to register. We are urging more young people to register as voters," said Uerikua. In Grootfontein, the municipality’s acting chief executive officer Indileni Lungameni also described the process as very slow, with long lines and technical glitches being common…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus has urged government offices, ministries, regional councils, local authorities, and public enterprises to exhibit their services with openness and transparency when serving the public. The minister was speaking at the public sector information sharing session at Opuwo in the Kunene region on Wednesday. She said the session is an opportunity to showcase their initiatives, to engage directly with the community, and to listen to their needs and concerns. “I urge you to provide as much information as possible and to interact with the public with an open mind and a…