National News

Niël Terblanché Keetmanshoop is hosting the second Namibia Regional Water Symposium (NRWS), a critical platform bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and community representatives to address the country’s pressing water security challenges. The three-day event, convened by the Department of Water Affairs under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, on Tuesday, will focus on the theme, “Water Security: A Generational Human Right for Sustainable Economic Development.” The governor of the Omaheke region, Pijoo Nganate, opened the symposium by stressing the urgent need for collaboration and commitment in securing Namibia’s water future. “Water is the single most powerful resource that…

Allexer Namundjembo The Swapo Party has no plans to host a remembrance ceremony for its former president, Hage Geingob, who passed away on 4 February last year. This was confirmed by Swapo Youth League Secretary, Ephraim Nekongo to the Windhoek Observer on Monday.  “No formal communication was issued, but those who will be hosting remembrance ceremonies are welcome to do so,” Nekongo said. Swapo’s spokesperson, Hilma Nikanor, also confirmed that she does not know about any planned events. “All I am aware of is the wreath-laying ceremony at Heroes Acre, where the gates are open to the public,” Nikanor said.…

Niël Terblanché The Mondesa Clinic in Swakopmund has been temporarily closed after a fire broke out in the early hours of Monday morning. According to Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba, head of the Namibian Police’s Community Affairs Division in the Erongo region, the cause of the fire remains unknown and an investigation has been launched to determine what started the blaze. Shapumba said that a security guard from Six Thousand Security Company, who was on duty at the clinic, reported hearing multiple explosions before a resident alerted her that the clinic was on fire. He added that it is suspected that…

Niël Terblanché Namibia and Sweden convened the tenth Session of the Namibia-Sweden Bilateral Working Group on Monday to strengthen their longstanding partnership. Jennely Matundu, Namibia's Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation; Verna Sinimbo, Deputy Minister of Industrialisation and Trade; and Håkan Jevrell, State Secretary of the Swedish Ministry for International Development Cooperation and foreign trade, co-chaired the meeting in Windhoek. The discussions encompassed a broad spectrum of bilateral, regional, and international issues. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the robust and amicable relations nurtured over the years, rooted in shared historical, political, economic, social, and cultural ties. They acknowledged the…

Niël Terblanché In an effort to promote food sustainability, Headspring Investments, a subsidiary of Rosatom, has supported schools in Leonardville, by establishing garden projects recently. These gardens aim to provide students with direct access to fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables, thereby improving their nutritional intake. At the official handover ceremony, Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele, spoke about the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing educational challenges. "The learners here will have access to homegrown fruits and vegetables directly from their own garden, meaning you will enjoy fresh meals from your garden. This is particularly important in…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  TransNamib has refuted allegations of corruption in its N$1.7 billion locomotive procurement deal, stating that the process is being handled transparently under the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) and that no funds will be received directly by the company. The company’s response follows claims by Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda, who has called for the cancellation of the deal, arguing that it lacks transparency and is being rushed before the new administration takes office in March 2025. Amupanda also accused TransNamib chief executive officer (CEO) Desmond van Jaarsveld of facilitating a last-minute corrupt deal for personal and…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Windhoek High Court has reduced the legal costs awarded against Reinhold Shipwikineni from N$382 768 to N$180 917. The court made the ruling on Monday after Shipwikineni, who represented himself in court, filed a notice of rejection against the initial bill of costs, arguing that the amount was unfair and should not be imposed on him personally when there were five applicants in the case. The legal fees stem from a case Shipwikineni and four others brought against Swapo and its presidential candidate, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.  The applicants sought to nullify Nandi-Ndaitwah’s nomination and demand an extraordinary congress…

Niël Terblanché The persistent drought in the Omaheke region has left farmers in desperate conditions, with sporadic rainfall failing to sustain agriculture and livestock. Calle Schlettwein, the minister of agriculture, water and land reform visited the region last week at the invitation of Governor Pijoo Nganate to assess the situation and explore possible interventions. In a series of video clips published by the agriculture ministry, Schlettwein described the conditions as dire, confirming that rainfall patterns have been erratic, with some areas receiving as little as 40 millimetres of rain—barely enough to make a difference. “Regarding the drought situation, we can…

Allexer Namundjembo  Kavango West Regional Chairperson and Tondoro Constituency Councillor urged the government to improve school infrastructure. Sikongo Joseph, made this call last week during a visit to Tondoro Combined School. He criticised the use of corrugated iron structures as classrooms, highlighting the challenges faced by both learners and teachers due to extreme heat. “The structures are designed with only one window, and by 11:00 AM, the heat in those classrooms is unbearable unless the learners are sent home by then. Thirty-four years after independence, the government has still not provided quality learning infrastructure, including well-built classrooms to accommodate students,”…