National News

Niël Terblanché The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration is embarking on an initiative with a series of oversight visits across the northern parts of the country’s communal farming areas, aimed at revitalising the livestock sector, which is a cornerstone of the local economy. This initiative comes in response to increasing concerns over the current state and future viability of livestock marketing in these regions. The visits, scheduled to occur from 12 to 24 May, will assess facilities and market conditions and engage with a variety of stakeholders, including government officials, farmers' unions, and traditional leaders. The goal…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu said Namibia is advocating for the establishment of a nexus between the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) According to Iipumbu, combining the two trade initiatives will be a game changer in terms of increasing the size of the market for African countries by creating an attractive environment for investment and allowing the continent to industrialise. The minister was speaking at the Invest in Namibia session at the 16th US – Africa business summit that took place on Wednesday in Dallas, Texas in…

Niël Terblanché On the occasion of International Nurses' Day, celebrated globally, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing, Namibia's health sector leaders took the opportunity to commend the nation's nurses for their dedication and pivotal role in healthcare. Ben Nangombe, the executive director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, praised nurses as historical angels of the health sector, urging them to maintain their reputation through love, diligence, and care in their daily responsibilities. During the event, which included a touching candle-lighting ceremony symbolising the nurses' commitment to their profession, Nangombe pointed to the essential role…

Ester Mbathera Beifang Mining Technology Services (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd. says it is committed to ethical business practices and employee well-being. The statement comes after the Windhoek Observer’s article in which the employees accused their employer of not adhering to labour laws and subjecting them to bad working conditions. Anthony Wilson, the Human Resources Manager at Beifang, said in a statement that the company is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of corporate citizenship. “Beifang values its employees as its most critical asset, as they remain and are the bedrock upon which our success over the years is founded. We are…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Competition Commission fined Johannes !Gawaxab, the Governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN), and two others for failing to properly notify relevant authorities about a business transaction that violated the country's merger control regulations. The penalty, amounting to N$1 million, also shed light on !Gawaxab’s prior business dealings have continued to attract scrutiny after his ascent to one of the country's top financial posts. Before his appointment in 2020, !Gawaxab was a distinguished figure in the business sector, known for his roles across various African countries with Old Mutual and as CEO of EOS Capital, a…

Stefanus Nashama In just three months, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security has received a total of 34,000 applications through the mass civic registration program countrywide. Services on offer during the outreach program include national documents such as birth registration for persons of all ages, applications for duplicate birth certificates, applications for identity documents, and applications for duplication of identity documents. The outreach registration program began on 5 February and will run until 30 July. Margaret Kalo, the ministry's public relations officer, said that applications for the mass civic registration outreach program will be accepted from 5…

Martin Endjala Combating wildlife trafficking in Africa should not be the responsibility of one country but rather the collective responsibility of all African countries. This was said by NamRA’s commissioner, Sam Shivute, during the conclusion of the first operation that focused on wildlife trafficking targeting Africa in coordination with other customs authorities, held on Tuesday in Windhoek. “When you are fighting wildlife trafficking or international organised crimes, it does not make sense for one jurisdiction to be doing better while other jurisdictions are not doing as well as they are supposed to. It will only help us if we all,…