National News

Niël Terblanché In a bold move to strengthen regional energy security and cooperation, Namibia and Angola are set to commence the much-anticipated Baynes hydroelectric project this year. The announcement follows a bilateral meeting between Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, and his Angolan counterpart, João Baptista Borges, held at the Lauca Hydroelectric Dam on 3 June. The 881MW Baynes Binational Hydro Power Project, strategically located on the Lower Kunene River along the Namibia-Angola border, represents a breakthrough in regional energy collaboration. The meeting between the two energy ministers builds on discussions from a virtual meeting held on 20…

Niël Terblanché Residents of Swakopmund will see an increase in service-related tariffs for the current fiscal year. The chairperson of the town council’s management committee, Blasius Goraseb, presented the municipal budget for 2024–2025 at this week's ordinary council meeting, detailing a five percent increase in tariffs. Goraseb, however, reiterated that senior citizens residing in Swakopmund will be exempt from this increase. The council also approved a capital budget of N$111 766 000 and a balanced operational budget of N$578 282 000 for the 2024–2025 financial year. Goraseb, during his presentation of the budget, said that a significant portion of the…

Tsumeb and Oshakati are gearing up to host the 3rd and 4th rounds of the Nedbank for Good Series, set to kick off on June 8, 2024, in Tsumeb and then make its way to Oshakati on June 22, 2024. After a monthlong break, the series is back. Dan Zwiebel, the coordinator of the Nedbank for Good Series, expressed his satisfaction with the preparations for the upcoming tour of the northern region. Last year saw an impressive turnout, with Tsumeb attracting 80 players and Oshakati hosting 25 players. Zwiebel is hopeful that this year's numbers will match or even surpass…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Among the top five export products in April, diamonds topped the list, accounting for 17.3 percent of the total export of goods, of which 4.3 were re-exports and were predominantly destined for Botswana, the United Arab Emirates, and Belgium. The Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin for April 2024, released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Tuesday, indicates that uranium came in second on the list, accounting for 13.4 percent of the total exports, and was mostly destined for China. Fish took third place, contributing 13.2 percent, and it was mainly destined for Spain, Zambia, and Mozambique.…

Niël Terblanché The High Court of Namibia in Windhoek set aside the Bank of Namibia's (BoN) decision to block the bank accounts of six wholesale and retail businesses. The landmark ruling delivered on 31 May 31 by Judge Shafimane Ueitele, scrutinised and found the actions of the Bank of Namibia and its Acting Director of Exchange Control and Legal Services, Penelao Kapenda, unlawful. The case, brought forward by Nemi Investments 104 CC, Nemi Investments 105 CC, Rani Traders CC, Rundu Cash and Carry CC, Dharani Traders CC, and Oshana Cash and Carry CC, revolved around the acceptance and handling of…

Niël Terblanché The Tsumeb Municipality requested cooperation from all residents and business owners within the town's boundaries for an ongoing survey that aims to count the number of ablution facilities on all residential and business premises. The municipality's chief executive officer, Victoria Kapenda, ssaid that this initiative, which started with door-to-door inspections in August 2023 as part of a resolution the town council approved. Kapenda lamented the fact that the municipality encountered difficulties accessing some premises during the survey. According to her, some properties were inaccessible either because there was no one on the premises or because residents denied enumerators…

Martin Endjala The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has granted all political parties permission to observe the nationwide voter registration. The Landless People's Movement (LPM) is among the first parties to be granted this permission In a letter dated 31 May, seen by this publication, the ECN chief electoral referenda officer, Petrus Shaama said that, in accordance with the commission's values, there is no objection to granting registered political parties or organisations access to registration venues to observe the voter registration process. “This access is contingent upon submitting a request through the Office of the Chief and management via an…

Stefanus Nashama Student bodies have distanced themselves from a protest action to take place this Thursday as announced by social justice activist Michael Amushelelo. Amushelelo informed the Namibian Police Force on Monday about the intended protest action, stating that many students have sought assistance from his political party, the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), to intervene in the matter. “The beneficiaries of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), of whom a majority are students, have called upon the assistance and guidance of NEFF to champion their genuine demands. It is not correct that NSFAF has given our people false…

Martin Endjala Residents of the Ongaaka village in the Omuthiya Constituency in the Oshikoto Region are facing a shortage of water as the wells have run dry. Emilia Tobias, a concerned community member, told the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday that the village has been facing the same issue for many years. According to Tobias, the situation caused the closure of the Kandume Combined School. “The school has no water, and learners who are in the hostel are sometimes sent back home because of the shortage of water. Most of the houses here have tap water, but most of the time…

Ester Mbathera The ownership of the Henties Bay Seal Products Factory is again being disputed after the company failed in its bid to reclaim 501 boxes of seized seal products The bid to reclaim the products was dismissed in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court recently. Seal Products is harvesting and processing a seal quota in their Henties Bay and Lüderitz factories. The controversy began on 10 January when the Namibian Revenue Agency (NAMRA) conducted a coordinated intervention at a warehouse in Sun Industrial Park, Windhoek, shared by Seal Products and Golden Lion Investment CC. Inspector Felix Ndikoma, a member of the…