National News

Allexer Namundjembo Opposition members of parliament have questioned  the Ministry of Works and Transport over government spending on luxury vehicles and ballooning office rental costs.  They also raised concern about the absence of a complete asset register to track state properties and vehicles. On Wednesday, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader  McHenry Venaani criticized the procurement of luxury vehicles such as Toyota Prados while the country faces fiscal constraints.  In March, the ministry confirmed spending N$20 million to procure 20 Toyota Prados to supplement the vehicle fleet.  Earlier this month, it announced plans to auction 1 500 government vehicles that have…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Road safety activist Felix Tjozongoro says government neglect of safe pedestrian infrastructure is costing lives.  His comments follow the death of a 20-year-old man who was struck by a vehicle on the Western Bypass on Tuesday morning while attempting to cross the B1 highway at the bridge from Hakahana Service Station to China Town.  The man succumbed to his injuries instantly. Three passengers in the vehicle were injured.  The Windhoek City Police confirmed the incident and said investigations are ongoing. The identity of the deceased has not been released, pending notification of his family. Tjozongoro said the tragedy…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Charcoal activities are suspected to have caused a wildfire that broke out in Etosha National Park this week.  The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) confirmed yesterday that the fire likely started with nearby charcoal production before spreading into the park. According to the ministry, the blaze began outside the park on Monday evening and moved into the south-western parts of Etosha, pushed by strong winds and dry vegetation. MEFT spokesperson Ndeshipanda Hamunyela said firefighting teams are struggling to contain the fire.  “Despite efforts, the blaze remains difficult to contain and is advancing rapidly in several directions,”…

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has filed a N$1 million lawsuit against Eagle FM in the Windhoek High Court, accusing the radio station of using its transmitter sites without paying. Court documents seen by the Windhoek Observer state that Eagle FM operated on NBC sites at Signalberg, Rossing, Okongo, Katima Mulilo, Arandis and Oshakati. “During 2022, while the plaintiff was conducting a site audit on various transmitter sites, the plaintiff became aware that the defendant has been occupying and operating on the above sites,” the documents read. In August 2024, NBC, represented by Tuuliki Shipanga, and Eagle FM,…

Allexer Namundjembo  The government will offer policy and financial incentives to attract investors to the planned Namibia Film and Creative City. The senior manager for marketing, branding and communications at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), Catherine Shipushu, said the project will provide land within a special economic zone (SEZ), fast-tracked permits and visas, and one-stop investor services. She made the announcement on Tuesday, confirming the official call for expressions of interest (EOI). The project, worth billions, will be developed under a public–private partnership model and will include world-class film production studios, casting agencies, accommodation, and hospitality services. …

Justicia Shipena  Finance minister Ericah Shafudah says amendments to the Public Enterprises Governance Act (PEGA) will soon be tabled in Parliament.  She said the amendments will shift oversight functions from central government to line ministries. “This process has advanced very, very well, and soon we are going to see the tabling of the amended public enterprises governance bill in parliament,” Shafudah said on Monday during a cabinet briefing at the Government Information Centre. PEGA, passed in 2019, provides rules for the governance, restructuring, and monitoring of state-owned enterprises.  It was initially administered by the Ministry of Public Enterprises, which was…

Renthia Kaimbi The United Democratic Front (UDF) regional candidate for the Daures constituency, Amingo Honeb, has denied making tribal remarks after a screenshot of a conversation attributed to him surfaced online. The screenshot shows Honeb responding to criticism that  “Tatamutsi in its current form is a total mess. Erongo Regional Council failed to properly demarcate plots.”  Honeb, who is the chief administrative officer at the Erongo Regional Council’s settlement office in Uis, responded that the council was in an “advanced stage with the formalisation of Tatamutsi” and that a company had been appointed to begin the process. He allegedly added,…

Renthia Kaimbi “Shared prosperity and progress remain a dream for the majority of Namibians,” said Harald Hecht, chairman of the Forum of German-Speaking Namibians.  Hecht made the remarks at a public dialogue on Namibia’s business competitiveness, where he contrasted the country’s “world-famous and well-respected constitution” and reputation as an “oasis of calmness” for foreign investors with the economic struggles faced by citizens. He noted that Namibia’s ease of doing business ranking has dropped from 54th globally in 2008 to 104th today, which he described as a clear sign of decline. The forum hosted the dialogue to promote Namibia as a…

Justicia Shipena President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said Namibia’s biggest challenge in advancing gender equality is the economic exclusion of women, particularly those in rural areas. “There are areas where there is room for improvement. In our national context, this is mainly in the area of the economic inclusion of women, especially rural women who still remain on the margins of economic activity,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the High-Level Meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in New York this week. She said economic challenges continue to limit access to credit, land, and markets, with 70% of…

Justicia Shipena  Namibia has not ratified the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which prohibits governments from supporting illegal fishing and the overexploitation of fish stocks.  The agreement was adopted at  the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022 and officially entered into force last week after two-thirds of members deposited instruments of acceptance. Namibia has not done so yet.  Speaking to the Windhoek Observer in Geneva, Switzerland, commercial counsellor Jeanthea Tjitaura from Namibia's Geneva mission said her office has written to the ministry of international relations and trade (MIRT) to facilitate ratification.  “Our office has written to…