National News

Ester Mabthera The horse mackerel fishing sector is less enthusiastic about the second auction of fishing quotas for horse mackerel. Earlier in the year, the government put 26 384 metric tons of horse mackerel on auction to the highest bidder at a minimum price set for the freezer quota is N$3 500 per metric ton, while the wet fish quota is set at N$1 000 per metric ton. Last week, the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises announced the auction of 13 584 metric tonnes of horse mackerel governmental objective quotas. Robert Shimooshili, a director at Cavema Fishing, said going…

Niël Terblanché Saara Kuukongelwa-Amadhila, the Prime Minister of Namibia, has stressed the need for the insurance industry to adopt innovative strategies to cope with the increasing incidence of natural disasters across Africa. Speaking at the 50th Conference and Annual General Assembly of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO) in Windhoek, she highlighted the critical role of local insurance institutions in mitigating the impacts of climate-related catastrophes. Kuukongelwa-Amadhila emphasised the importance of building the capacity of local insurance markets to handle risks internally rather than relying excessively on foreign insurance placements. She advocated for the development and import of specialised insurance coverage…

Niël Terblanché The University of Namibia (UNAM), through its Dr Sam Nujoma Campus Mariculture Facility, has officially applied for an aquaculture license to farm a variety of marine and freshwater species. This application, as per section 12 (4) of the Aquaculture Act No. 18 of 2002, was made public for the information of all interested and affected parties. The campus plans to cultivate an array of species including Dusky Kob, Silver Kob, European oyster, Abalone, various types of seaweed, Tilapia, and Catfish. In its application, UNAM stated that the aquaculture activities will occupy approximately 94.6 hectare of land situated in…

Martin Endjala Trade unionists and labour experts are of the opinion that the national minimum wage, which was announced on Sunday by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation, is not enough given the current high unemployment rate in the country. On Sunday, the cabinet endorsed MLIREC to introduce a national minimum wage of N$18 per hour, effective January 2025. According to labour expert Herbert Jauch, the proposed wage is equivalent to N$3000 per month if a worker completes 40 hours, which he said is an improvement compared to the N$2500 that many workers are receiving. He said…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises has announced the appointment of a new board of directors for the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), effective from 1 July 2024. Iipumbu Shiimi announced the appointment of the new board on Friday. In his announcement, Shiimi stated that the new board is expected to bring stability and strategic direction to the company, which has recently been embroiled in multiple controversies and financial investigations. The minister said that the new board is tasked with navigating these complexities and restoring confidence in NAMCOR. The newly appointed board members are Florentia Amuenje,…

Niël Terblanché Namibia hosted a business and investment forum in Windhoek, during which enhanced trade and investment opportunities were discussed with Tanzania. Sectors identified for potential trade and investment included tourism, mining, infrastructure, finance, agriculture, and fisheries. The agricultural and fisheries sectors were particularly highlighted as promising areas for investment. The special forum is viewed as a substantial step in strengthening the economic ties between the two nations, with a long-shared history dating back to Namibia's liberation struggle. The forum highlighted the importance of fostering economic collaboration, with Namibia currently importing a range of products from Tanzania, including maize, rice,…

Martin Endjala The Swapo party secretary for information, Hilma Nicanor, says the party wants a landslide victory in the upcoming elections. Nicanor called on all party members, supporters and sympathisers to go out in numbers and register for voter cards, for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections. In a statement dated 30 May, Nicanor directed party structures at all levels, in the regions, districts, branches, affiliates and wings to ensure they mobilise the members by encouraging them to go register from 3 June to 1 August. "Our collective and primary objective is to ensure a landslide victory for the…

Martin Endjala The Independent Patriots for Change’s (IPC) leader, Panduleni Itula, says that he does not want people to leave their political parties, but they should rather vote for change. He made these remarks during the launch campaign, titled "Go out and register to vote," over the weekend at Walvis Bay. “As I went through Okakarara, they asked me, Do you want us to leave our political parties and join the IPC? and I said no. Stay in the political party that you are; many of you have been there for many years. But go into that booth and vote…

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,…