National News

Niël Terblanché Walvis Bay continues to expand its role as a logistics hub in regional and global markets, while also focusing on the enhancement of port facilities and operational efficiencies to leverage Namibia's geographical and infrastructural advantages. As a result, Namibia's principal maritime gateway has successfully handled imports valued at N$5.1 billion, which is evidence of its critical role in the nation's trade infrastructure. According to a recent report by Simonis Storm Securities, Namibia's unique position as a nation free from load shedding, which enables uninterrupted operations and the smooth transition of goods through its facilities, magnifies the port's strategic…

Niël Terblanché The Shadikongoro Green Scheme Irrigation Project in Namibia has reported an income of N$7 million from the latest cropping season. Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, announced the achievement earlier this week. While on a visit to the project, Nghituwamata, along with other top ministry officials and a representative from the United Nations World Food Programme, shared exciting plans for the local processing of sunflower seeds into cooking oil. In 2010, the Shadikongoro project, located approximately 180 kilometres east of Rundu in the Mukwe Constituency of the Kavango East Region,…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Swapo party member, Stephanus Pombili said the legal interpretation by the party’s prominent lawyer, who is a non-voting member of both the Politburo and central committee and is also not the party’s legal affairs secretary, was flawed and illegitimate. In a letter to all Swapo members on Tuesday, he called on them to support a court case that Reinhold Shipwikineni, Peter Shituula, and Joshua-Vaino Martins had initiated. The trio is urging the party to hold an extraordinary congress in order to elect a party president before the November elections. Pombili stated that since the constitution is clear and…

Niël Terblanché The strategic marketing of livestock remains a critical part of Namibia’s agricultural resilience and reflects a proactive approach to the severe drought conditions experienced nationwide. As a result, there has been a sharp rise in livestock marketing activities, with record-breaking numbers reported for March 2024. According to a detailed quarterly livestock report from Simonis Storm Securities, the month saw the highest monthly figure since August 2023 with the marketing of 34,196 cattle. This surge in livestock movement includes 12,709 cattle slaughtered domestically and 21,487 exported live, mainly to South Africa. The broader livestock sector, encompassing cattle, sheep, goats,…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) has warned the Namibian transport and logistics industry of the recent hijacking incidents targeting truck drivers that have become prevalent in South Africa. On Tuesday, WBCG chief executive officer, Mbahupu Tjivikua warned the drivers and urged them to be extra vigilant. He referred to a recent incident that took place on the N4 route around the Rustenburg and Mafikeng areas on the Trans Kalahari Corridor. He warned travellers to and from South Africa to be on the lookout for hijackers, who are now targeting the entire truck and its consignment, putting truck…

Niël Terblanché The National Youth Service (NYS) in Rietfontein, in an inspiring stride towards sustainable agriculture and youth empowerment, is celebrating the harvest of its inaugural batch of potatoes. This milestone follows the reception of substantial funding in 2021 from the Namibia Training Authority, aimed at nurturing youth skills and fostering income-generating opportunities. Under the innovative guidance of NYS Executive for Skills, Training, and Production, Joy Mamili, and Horticulture Consultant Tjizauru Toromba, the potato cultivation has been successfully implemented using a center pivot irrigation system. This irrigation technology has proven globally and locally that it is essential, especially as it…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The prison authority has accused Pius Mwatelulo, one of the suspects in the fishrot case, of having an illegal and unauthorised internet connection in his prison cell. Deputy Commissioner Veikko Armas, the officer in charge of the Windhoek correctional facility, issued a stern warning to Mwatelulo in a letter dated 18 April 2024. According to Armas, following the section's lock-up from March to April 15, Mwatelulo, an inmate awaiting trial, illegally connected his laptop to the internet from within his prison cell at the C-section of the Windhoek Correctional Facility. He achieved this by wiring a cable across…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja On Monday, the Katutura Magistrate's Court denied bail to two murder suspects arrested in connection with the death of Christof Frederick (30). The state opposed bail, citing concerns about potential interference with investigations, the severity of the case, and public interest. Namwandi Nandomba (19) and Mervin Beukes (18) faced charges of murder, defeating the course of justice, and violating a dead body. The case has been postponed to July 31 for further investigation. The two young men are incarcerated at the Windhoek Correctional Facility. Frederick’s relatives and sympathisers gathered at the court to demand justice. The arrests followed…