National News

Renthia Kaimbi The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Namibia has launched an urgent petition opposing a proposal by the Namibian Defence Force to permanently close a large section of civilian airspace in the Erongo region. The proposal involves reclassifying FYM-401, a military operations area currently used by both civilian and military aircraft, into permanently prohibited airspace. The area covers a 30-nautical-mile radius around the Erongo Mountains and includes the towns of Omaruru, Karibib and Usakos. According to AOPA Namibia, the airspace covers about one million hectares and stretches from ground level to 25 000 feet. The association says the…

Justicia Shipena  Environment, Forestry and Tourism minister Indileni Daniel says Namibia will continue to oppose international pressure from anti-hunting groups calling for a ban on trophy hunting.  Daniel said such campaigns threaten the country’s conservation model and communal conservancy programme. Daniel made the remarks in Parliament while responding to questions from Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament Diederick Vries on the role of trophy hunting in Namibia’s economy and conservation system. Daniel said the pressure from international groups conflicts with Namibia’s philosophy of sustainable use of wildlife and could undermine conservation efforts if not addressed. The international hunting community…

Allexer Namundjembo The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) has approved new telecommunications tariffs and amended spectrum licence regulations. The decisions were published in the government gazette on 27 February.  Cran announced amendments to regulations governing fees for spectrum licences, certificates and examinations.  The changes update provisions contained in the regulations setting out fees for spectrum licences, certificates and examinations first published in 2020 and later amended in 2023. According to a notice signed by Cran board chairperson Tulimevava Mufeti, the amendments include changes to licence validity provisions and the introduction of a new radio frequency band. “The regulations are…

Allexer Namundjembo Vice president Lucia Witbooi has urged African parliaments to strengthen oversight and accountability.She said strong and independent parliaments are key to safeguarding democracy and supporting development across the continent. Witbooi made the remarks on Thursday while officially opening the 90th executive committee meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Africa Region in Swakopmund.The meeting brought together speakers of parliament, lawmakers and delegates from across Africa to discuss parliamentary governance and cooperation. Witbooi said parliaments must expand their role beyond passing laws and actively hold governments accountable.“For a country to be stable and grow in a way that lasts, it…

Patience Makwele  A young Windhoek-based hairdresser and founder of Hair by Mulombe, Teressa Mulombe Mupalu, says braiding the hair of 31 children for free before the start of the school term taught her lessons about patience, service and the value of helping others. Mupalu organised an outreach in January to provide free braiding and haircuts to schoolchildren in Goreangab.  She said she wanted to use her hairdressing skills to support children from disadvantaged households before they returned to school. She said the experience changed how she views community work after seeing children arrive early in the morning and wait for…

Patience Makwele  Nurse and entrepreneur Lucia Muatale is working to improve access to specialised healthcare services in northern Namibia through the establishment of Knickerbock Sub-Acute & Hospital Care in Ongwediva. At 39, Muatale established the facility to reduce the need for patients to travel to Windhoek for specialised recovery and oncology treatment. Her journey into healthcare entrepreneurship grew from both personal experience and professional observation. Muatale grew up in a single-parent household after losing her father at the age of 12.  She says her mother’s determination shaped her outlook on life. “My mother became my greatest role model. Watching her…

Patience Makwele  For many teenagers, spending time in the kitchen may feel like a chore. But for Windhoek entrepreneur Oubasen Naris Valery, it marked the start of a journey that would shape her career. The Katutura-born mother of two says her interest in cooking began when she was about 15 years old while watching her mother prepare meals at home. “I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother,” Valery recalled. “Watching her cook inspired me to try new things and add my own touch to meals.” What began as a curiosity slowly developed into…

Justicia Shipena  Political analyst Ben Mulongeni says the conduct of National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) member of parliament Vetaruhe Kandorozu in the National Assembly on Wednesday appears to be an attempt to gain popularity. During the session, chaos erupted in the chamber after Kandorozu refused to withdraw comments questioning the citizenship of deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Dino Ballotti. “Now he is trying to wake up when the fight is over. That fight is over; that era is over. I think he’s trying to be popular,” Mulongeni said in an interview with the Windhoek Observer. …