National News

Allexer Namundjebo The first-ever Commonwealth Business Summit opened this week in Windhoek, drawing government officials, trade ministers, investors, and business leaders to discuss ways to strengthen trade and investment across the Commonwealth. The summit runs alongside the 2025 Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting, marking the first time the ministerial gathering is held outside the United Kingdom. Commonwealth secretary general Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, delivering the keynote address, said the Commonwealth bloc holds a unique position in global trade. “We have a market of 2.7 billion people, shared legal systems, and a 21% cost saving on intra-Commonwealth trade,” she said. Botchwey urged for…

Niël Terblanché The deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture, Dino Ballotti, officially inaugurated the 7th Namibia Library and Information Council (NLIC) during a ceremony on Thursday. Balloti acted on behalf of minister Sanet Steenkamp. He commended the new council members for their expertise and urged them to steer the sector into a new chapter shaped by digital innovation and equitable access to information. The newly appointed council will serve a three-year term until 2027. Ballotti noted that the recent call for expressions of interest attracted wide interest from the public and institutions alike. “The nomination process…

Niël Terblanché Prime Minister Elijah Tjitunga Ngurare has thanked the governments of Japan and the European Union (EU) for donating more than N$32 million to support the country's drought relief efforts. Speaking in Windhoek on Wednesday, Ngurare described drought as a slow-onset crisis that weakens food security, damages livelihoods, and threatens health and dignity. He said the current drought is among the worst Namibia has faced in recent years, with subsistence farmers the hardest hit.  “The 2024/25 Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister revealed that over 1.26 million people – about 41% of…

Erastus Ngaruka Rangeland productivity is affected by several factors, including rainfall, soil condition, fire, herbivory, and other ecological forces such as plant competition. In addition, human activities can have a significant effect on rangeland conditions. Ultimately, the adverse influence of these factors can disturb the normal ecological processes, leading to rangeland degradation. One of the recurrent factors that shape rangeland ecosystems is fire (commonly known as veld fires' or 'wildfires'), which can occur naturally or can be manmade. Many farmers have negative perceptions about veld fires due to their dangerous and destructive nature. However, natural veld fire events serve a…

Justicia Shipena  A legal battle over the limits of artistic freedom and corporate accountability is underway at the High Court of Justice in London, where Icelandic artist Odee Friðriksson is appealing a ruling in favour of the Icelandic fishing giant Samherji.  The hearing, which began on Wednesday and will end on Friday, deals with concerns about Friðriksson's conceptual art piece We’re Sorry, which draws directly from the Fishrot Files corruption scandal that implicated Samherji in Namibia. The court is conducting a rolled-up appeal, which means it will first consider whether to grant permission to appeal and, if so, proceed immediately…

Allexer Namundjebo The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement wants the voting age lowered from 18 to 16.  AR parliamentarian Tuhafeni Kalola on Wednesday gave notice that he would table a motion on the matter next month. Kalola said the motion is based on the fact that 16-year-olds in Namibia are already permitted by law to make several significant life decisions.  He said this includes giving legal consent to sexual activity, acquiring a national ID card, opening a bank account, making a will, and applying for a learner’s driving licence. Article 20(3) of the Namibian Constitution also allows 16-year-olds to decide whether…

Justicia Shipena A renewed agreement between the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) will establish specialised training in pathology through a Master of Medicine programme.  It will also create advanced training opportunities for medical technologists and scientists. On Tuesday, NIP and Unam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Windhoek to strengthen cooperation in pathology education, specialised training, and medical research.  The agreement was signed by NIP chief executive officer Kapena Tjombonde and Unam vice chancellor Kenneth Matengu. The agreement includes joint curriculum development, internships for medical students, joint research projects, technology upgrades, and expert…

Niël Terblanché The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched a three-week aeronautical surveying and data management training course to improve aviation data systems and align operations with international safety standards. The training began on Monday at the NCAA headquarters in Windhoek.  It is being held in partnership with United Aviation Technology Services (United ATS), whose instructors travelled from Egypt to conduct the sessions. NCAA executive director Toska Sem said the programme is critical as Namibia’s aviation sector continues to evolve.  She stressed the importance of accurate and timely data for safe and efficient air navigation. “This training comes at…

Allexer Namundjembo A new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found that widespread disinformation posed a serious threat to the integrity of Namibia’s 2024 national elections.  The report highlights the role of social media platforms, foreign influence, and artificial intelligence in spreading false information. Released on Monday, the report states that election-related mis- and disinformation campaigns were active throughout the year, spiking during the voting period and continuing afterwards.  WhatsApp was identified as the most widely used platform for spreading false content.  TikTok, for the first time, emerged as a major source of viral election-related material.…

Niël Terblanché Sixteen young Namibians have been selected to participate in the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The fellowship, part of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), brings together around 650 participants from across Sub-Saharan Africa for a six-week academic and leadership programme in the United States. The United States Embassy in Namibia said the programme aims to build leadership skills, support innovation, and offer hands-on learning through academic study, training, and professional networking. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Alexis Haftvani said this year’s Namibian cohort includes professionals from Omaheke, Kavango West, Khomas, and Omusati…