National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The 28-year-old Doctor Mbeheva was arrested on Tuesday for giving his minor daughter a hookah pipe, also known as a hubbly bubbly, to smoke. The incident took place on Saturday, 14 June 2025, at an unknown time at a residence in Otjomuise’s 8ste de Laan, Windhoek.  The Namibian Police’s spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, confirmed the arrest and said Mbeheva unlawfully and intentionally induced the child to use a tobacco product or another harmful substance. He was arrested for violating Section 230(1)(b) of the Child Care and Protection Act, 2015 (Act No. 3 of 2015), and Section 18(1)…

Justicia Shipena Six exclusive prospecting licences (EPLs) held by gold mining companies exceeded the legal seven-year renewal limit without ministerial approval.  This is one of several violations uncovered by a government audit released by the Office of the Auditor General. The audit reviewed the licenses and operations of QKR Namibia, Navachab Gold Mine, B2Gold Namibia, and Osino Gold Exploration and Mining.  It assessed their compliance with mineral licensing laws between the 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 financial years. Auditor general Junias Kandjeke said some companies failed to reduce their exploration areas during renewal as required.  The audit also found weak enforcement of…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Landless People’s Movement (LPM) councillor Ivan Skrywer says opposition-led councils will not be forced to implement Swapo’s manifesto or its ideologies. Skrywer, who serves on the City of Windhoek council, was addressing the media on Tuesday when he made this remark.  He was responding to a meeting held last week by urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa, which the LPM described as intimidation under the guise of consultation. During that meeting, Sankwasa criticised opposition councillors for taking key decisions without ministry approval.  He warned them against working independently, saying he would enforce the law if necessary. Sankwasa…

Niël Terblanché The ministry of health and social services has confirmed a new suspected cholera case in Opuwo’s Orokapare location. The patient, a 13-year-old boy, was admitted on 20 June with acute watery diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain.  According to the ministry, he had no known contact with previous cholera cases and was discharged on Sunday in stable condition.  Health officials visited his household on Monday and found all family members in good health. The ongoing recording of new cases has renewed focus on the outbreak in the Kunene region, which has already claimed one life and infected several others.…

Niël Terblanché The ministry of health and social services convened its annual National Pharmaceutical Services Forum for 2025, focusing on better governance at regional levels and improving procurement systems to increase access to essential medicines across Namibia. The forum, hosted by the directorate of pharmaceutical services and the national medicines policy coordination division, was officially opened by the ministry’s executive director, Penda Ithindi, on behalf of health minister Esperance Luvindao. Ithindi said the forum comes at a time when there is renewed pressure to deliver the ministry’s core mandate more visibly.  He said the pharmaceutical sector and its value chains…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi says unemployed graduates with master’s and PhD qualifications are now forced to apply for jobs in the police force, correctional service, and defence force. Swartbooi made these remarks on Tuesday during a press conference, where he addressed what he called poor decisions by the current administration over the past few months. He criticised prime minister Elijah Ngurare for saying the government is addressing youth unemployment by recruiting young people for law enforcement agencies.  A few weeks ago, Ngurare announced that 4,310 young people were being recruited across all 14 regions for…

Lydia Sageus The University of Namibia (Unam) library has received 131 books through the Read Japan Project, an initiative of the Nippon Foundation facilitated by the Embassy of Japan in Namibia.  The official handover ceremony took place recently at Unam in Windhoek. Speaking at the event, the Unam pro-vice chancellor for academic affairs, Frednard Gideon, described libraries as “fundamental to human development and the advancement of society.”  He thanked the Japanese delegation and Ambassador Shinichi Asazuma for their continued support of Namibian education. “Your presence here reflects the enduring partnership and mutual respect between our two nations. This event celebrates…

Allexer Namundjebo The Palms For Life campaign on Tuesday received 20 seedlings donated by the Nyae-Nyae Development Foundation to support its greening efforts in Tsumkwe. The campaign thanked the foundation for its support and confirmed that full cleaning operations will resume next week.  The new seedlings will be included in upcoming tree-planting activities. Gabriel Hipandulwa, manager of the Nyae-Nyae Development Foundation, said he is willing to continue supporting the initiative with more seedlings.  Paulus Ndara, head of Palms For Life, said the tree-planting effort aims to beautify the area using indigenous species and raise awareness about reforestation. Four seedlings have…

Justicia Shipena The Ministry of International Relations says it has not received any reports of Namibian nationals currently in Iran or struggling to leave the country.  The ministry's executive director, Ambassador Penda Naanda, said no individuals or families have come forward to notify the ministry regarding people stuck in Iran. “We are not aware of Namibians in Iran because nobody has come to us to tell us they are in Iran,” Naanda said in an interview with Windhoek Observer when asked about contingency plans in the event of stranded nationals. This follows U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, Fordow,…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The City of Windhoek has confirmed that its contract with RedForce Debt Management remains valid under the original agreement until July 2025, with a one-year exit clause allowing the service to continue until July 2026.  The City confirmed that they did not grant any new extension beyond these terms. “The RedForce contract is valid until July 2025, as per the terms of the initial agreement. Additionally, the contract includes a one-year exit clause,” said city spokesperson Lydia Amutenya. This comes amid continued public concern about debt recovery processes, disconnections despite payments, and questions over procurement procedures. Amutenya said…