National News

Justicia Shipena  Technical experts and policymakers met in Windhoek this week to explore ways to work together to improve Namibia’s biosafety management system.  The meeting marked the start of a national training workshop on Namibia’s biosafety, institutional, and administrative systems during the week at the Hilton Hotel, organised by the National Commission on Research, Science, and Technology (NCRST). The event was part of the regional Strengthening the Implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks in Southern Africa (SINBF) Project, delivered in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and RAEIN-Africa. The SINBF project, funded by UNEP and GEF, aims to strengthen biosafety…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has renewed its call for government to introduce five-year contracts for senior civil servants, saying the proposal aims to improve accountability and service delivery, not threaten job security. LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said the party leader, Bernadus Swartbooi, raised the matter last week during a meeting with the Public Service Commission in Swakopmund.  Simataa said some members of the public misunderstood the suggestion and assumed it targeted civil servants unfairly. “Firstly, it is important to correct the misinformation circulating. The proposal does not aim to establish a universal policy for all public sector…

Niël Terblanché President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, while on a working visit to Tanzania earlier this week, delivered a lecture at the University of Dar es Salaam, where she called on young African women to pursue leadership positions with focus and self-belief. Speaking under the theme “Inspiring Women to Break Barriers in Leadership Positions: A Personal Experience from Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah”, the Head of State recounted her journey from a quiet rural girl to Namibia’s first female president. “Leadership skills are not determined by gender,” she told attendees, insisting that both men and women are capable of contributing equally to national development.…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Katutura Residents Committee (KRC) and women’s rights activists have called for urgent safety interventions, including improved street lighting and CCTV cameras, following the death of a woman found in a riverbed in Windhoek's Damara location on Thursday. Women's rights activist Rosa Namises, speaking in the wake of the incident, said the death reflects a deeper crisis facing women in unsafe and neglected areas of Windhoek. “This is not just a mysterious or unknown death of a woman in our midst. It is part of the violence against women in our country. It shows how unsafe and insecure our…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  The Association of Diplomatic Spouses (ADS), representing spouses of accredited diplomats stationed in Namibia, is reaching out to the City of Windhoek to help identify education-focused projects and organisations that could benefit from funds raised through its recent charity initiatives. During a courtesy visit on Tuesday, ADS president Matthias Geisler and former president Lamia Lotfy met with Windhoek mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja to discuss collaboration on distributing proceeds from the 2025 International Day Diplomatic Charity Bazaar.  The event, held in April, raised over N$200,000, with a maximum of N$50,000 allocated per beneficiary. Geisler explained that the ADS was established…

Niël Terblanché The mayor of Walvis Bay, Trevino Forbes, has appealed to the public and members of the municipal council and management to abandon what he described as a “blame game” and concentrate on resolving the town’s challenges through cooperation and accountability. Speaking during a special briefing on Tuesday, Forbes addressed recent tensions that arose following his earlier statements alleging sabotage of municipal functions by certain staff and councillors. His remarks were met with resistance, particularly from the current chief executive officer, Victoria Kapenda, prompting the need for the mayor to publicly explain his position. During a meeting of the…

Allexer Namundjebo The Ministry of Health and Social Services says no payments have been made for the procurement of anti-malaria medication, which Job Amupanda criticised on social media.  The ministry released a statement on Tuesday responding to claims made by Amupanda through his investigative platform, Eagle 25. Amupanda alleged that the government paid N$1,500 per pack for 300 packs of malaria tablets, totalling N$450,000.  He claimed the original supplier charged only R580 (about N$696) per pack.  He questioned the price difference and suggested corruption.  “Assuming the transportation cost was N$50,000, a crazy figure, the middlemen still scored N$225,000 just for…

Niël Terblanché The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, said the country’s digital transformation hinges on close collaboration with private sector partners, robust infrastructure, and a digitally skilled population. Speaking at the Huawei Partner Connect Gala Dinner in Windhoek on Tuesday evening, she described the recently launched Namibia LEAP Digital Talent Programme as a turning point in efforts to empower young Namibians. The programme, which is the result of an agreement signed between the ministry and Huawei Technologies Namibia in August 2024, is designed to equip young Namibians with the skills needed to participate meaningfully in the global…

Niël Terblanché The country’s national minimum broadband speed could soon increase tenfold, if proposals under discussion at a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology come to fruition. The executive director, Audrin Mathe, spoke at the gathering in Windhoek on Wednesday, where he outlined the rationale for raising the country’s standard download speed from 2 Megabits per second (Mbps) to 25 Mbps and upload speed to 3 Mbps. “The question before us is not whether these technologies can deliver the required performance, but rather how we can deploy them efficiently, equitably and affordably,” he said. He…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Project Never Walk Alone (PNWA) says it is satisfied with the impact of its efforts to provide footwear to vulnerable children across Namibia, citing improved school attendance, academic performance, and confidence levels among beneficiaries. The project, launched by Tim Ekandjo in August 2021, aims to restore the dignity of barefooted Namibian children by providing them with access to new pairs of shoes. Since its inception, the initiative has distributed over 12,200 pairs of shoes across eight regions, having travelled more than 9,500 kilometres nationwide. According to the project, a recently concluded impact survey conducted in eight regions has…