National News

Niël Terblanché After a tumultuous elective congress that ended in the early hours of Monday morning, the United Democratic Front (UDF) eventually elected a new Central Committee which includes a new president and a secretary general. Hendrick Gaobaeb managed to focus the majority of the elective congress’s votes on him and will serve as the new president of the UDF. Nico Somaeb was elected as the party’s new vice president while Daniel Tsaneb and Davey van Wyk will respectively serve as the party’s new secretary general and vice secretary general. Seriane Mukuta, who will serve as the party’s national treasurer…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja In a legal battle at the Windhoek High Court, Kassian Mukuve Mbathera, an inmate serving a 19-year sentence for murder, is pursuing a claim against Commissioner General of Namibian Correctional Service Raphael Hamunyela and five other defendants for damages and relief under common law. Mbathera’s total claim amounts to N$2.5 million, addressing alleged violations of his rights during an incident that transpired in May 2021 and subsequent events. He contends that the defendants, including Hamunyela and other government officials, engaged in wrongful, unlawful, and unconstitutional conduct against him. The inmate’s particulars of claim state that he suffered cruel,…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Chinese Embassy in Namibia has denied allegations of worker exploitation and underpayment raised by social activist Michael Amushelelo. In a statement released following a Facebook post by Amushelelo, the embassy defended its employment practices and addressed the concerns raised. According to the embassy’s spokesperson, all local employees are hired under legally compliant contracts adhering to Namibian laws. The statement refutes claims made by Amushelelo, stating that allegations of low pay, forced work, lack of overtime compensation, no provision for injury compensation, and mistreatment are entirely false and baseless. “In addition to complying with the laws of the…

Niël Terblanché The Former Chief Executive Officer of the Walvis Bay Municipality, Muronga Haingura, has taken legal action against the Walvis Bay town council, former regional councillor Knowledge Ipinge, and municipal employee relations officer Gertrude Usiku, alleging defamation and demanding N$1.5 million in compensation. The lawsuit stems from accusations that Haingura misappropriated N$24 million intended for a government-funded mass land servicing project. In a recent development, the legal representatives of the municipal council have proposed a mediation process to explore the possibility of settling with the plaintiff and the first respondents. The mediation date has been set for Friday, 26…