National News

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has firmly denied recent allegations circulating on social media regarding the purported sale of fishing quotas to the Angolan government. Annely Haiphene, the executive director of the fisheries ministry said in a statement that the baseless claims, initially made by social justice activist, Michael Amushelelo on a social media platform, have been dismissed as unfounded and misleading. Haiphene clarified that Namibia’s allocation of fishing quotas is strictly governed by the Marine Resources Act (Act 27 of 2000, as amended). She said that under this Act, specifically section 33, commercial fishing quotas…

Niël Terblanché The Fifth Session of the Namibia-Ghana Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), held in Swakopmund, reinforced the enduring commitment of both countries to foster collaboration across multiple sectors. According to a joint communiqué issued at the end of the session, discussions encompassed a broad spectrum of areas, including foreign service training, agriculture, mining, health, transport, energy, education, youth development, and regional and local government administration. One of the significant outcomes of the session was the expressed desire to elevate the PJCC to a bi-national commission, which would be co-chaired by the heads of state of both countries. This…

Martin Endjala The Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCNA), has warned aspiring health professionals not to enrol in courses offered by the Divine Health Institute. The HPCNA stated that the institute's courses have not received approval. The HPCNA established the Divine Health Institute, which has been inviting candidates to enrol in several courses, including nursing, pharmacy, and emergency care. “The HPCNA hereby warns the public that none of the courses in nursing, pharmacy, or emergency care being offered by Divine Health Institute have been approved by the HPCNA,” read the public notice. According to the HPCNA, graduates from the institution…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform has issued a public notification regarding an outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in the Otjituuo and Okamatapati areas of the Okakarara State Veterinary District, Otjozondjupa Region. Dr Johannes Shoopala, Acting Chief Veterinary Officer, at the ministry, said in the notification that eight cattle from various villages have been affected by this vector-borne disease. Lumpy Skin Disease is an infectious and occasionally fatal disease of cattle, characterized by nodules on the skin and other parts of the body. It is typically transmitted through insect bites. Farmers in the affected areas…

Niël Terblanché During a recent meeting of the Namibia Agricultural Union's (NAU) Executive Council in Windhoek, key discussions revolved around the complexities of trade agreements signed by Namibia over the past two years. The council underscored the critical importance of these agreements in shaping the journey of products to consumers' tables, often involving intricate processes. Anton Faul, Senior Trade Advisor at the Agricultural Trade Forum, said during a presentation that the reciprocal nature of trade, which benefits both exporting and importing nations is very important. “Achieving a balance between these interests is essential and typically involves negotiations conducted behind closed…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Prominent lawyer Sisa Namandje said the case in which Friedel Dausab, challenged the two colonial-era laws that criminalized same-sex acts between men should have been dismissed. Namandje made these remarks on Saturday during a public lecture under the theme ‘Can there be a Constitutional Court-made law or principle having no roots in the language and scheme of the Namibian Constitution? A critical look at the recent judgment of the High Court of Namibia on the crime of sodomy.’ “The High Court’s undue emphasis on the question of rationality and its dismissive approach on the societal majority views and…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Minister of Trade and Industrialisation, Lucia Iipumbu has advised Namibian intellectual property holders to voluntarily register for copyright, as this can be used as collateral to secure loans or engage with direct foreign investors. Iipumbu shared this advice on Wednesday while presenting the Kampala Protocol on the voluntary registration of copyright and related rights in the National Assembly. She emphasized that voluntary registration of copyright and related rights reassures the business community and opens doors for rights holders, enabling effective coordination among copyright offices, collective management organizations, rights holders, and users worldwide. "The voluntary registration of Copyright…

Stefanus Nashama Following the retraction of the electricity tariff increase by the Electricity Control Board (ECB), the planned protest against the electricity hike has been postponed until further notice. The protest organiser, social activist Michael Amushelelo, confirmed this with the Windhoek Observer on Thursday. “This will give us enough time to organise the biggest protest for the removal of the regional electricity distributors and for the ECB to be a department in the Ministry of Mines and Energy. This is to ensure only Nampower will be supplying electricity, and the ministry revises the tariff like what it did this fuel…