National News

Allexer Namundjembo A special parliamentary committee has raised concerns that the Affirmative Repositioning’s (AR) Land Bill of 2015 could harm foreign direct investment (FDI) and conflict with Namibia’s legal framework. Tjekero Tweya, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources, presented a report analysing the bill, which aims to regulate land ownership by non-Namibian citizens. He said the bill may impact certain constitutional rights, particularly those in Chapter 3, which guarantees equality. “The proposed bill will have an impact on certain rights and freedoms, particularly the fundamental rights and freedoms contained in Chapter 3 of the Namibian Constitution, the…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe A parliamentary standing committee on constitutional and legal affairs has recommended that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Ministry of Justice, review the Veterans Act No. 2 of 2008.  The committee wants amendments to include all children who were in exile during the liberation struggle. A report released by Parliament on Monday states that when the Veterans Act was enacted in 2008, it excluded those below 18 years old.  At the time, they were considered children and dependent on their veteran parents. “The concern is that the Act automatically excludes those above 18…

Niël Terblanché Namibia has taken a decisive step in enhancing its capacity to respond to health emergencies with the launch of the National Multi-Hazard Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan on Monday. The initiative, which was unveiled in Windhoek by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), also includes the introduction of a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Handbook, a Digital Learning Platform, and the distribution of 80 electronic tablets for Community Health Workers. Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said the new measures reflect Namibia’s commitment to being prepared for public…

Niël Terblanché The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement’s leadership in the Otjozondjupa Region has expressed outrage over the discovery of spoiled maize meal being collected by desperate residents in Otavi. Disturbing videos circulating on social media show people collecting sealed bags of maize meal that were dumped in an area easily accessible to the public, raising serious concerns about the handling of drought relief provisions. According to AR activist Jay Jay, the maize, intended as part of food aid efforts, was discarded in a manner that allowed hungry residents to retrieve and consume it despite it being unfit for human consumption.…

Allexer Namundjembo The Minister of Sport, Youth, and National Service has revoked the suspension of Namibia National Youth Council (NYC) director Calista Schwartz-Gowases. The NYC board had suspended her last year over allegations of serious misconduct. In a letter to the executive chairperson of the interim board, minister Agnes Tjongarero lifted the suspension with immediate effect. Tjongarero cited clarification from Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi, who said that he was not involved in executing the investigation committee’s recommendations and did not delay any NYC-related matters. A media statement from the Finance Ministry, issued by the spokesperson Wilson Ashikoto, said the reports…

Niël Terblanché The minister of agriculture, water and land reform, Calle Schlettwein, has introduced the long-anticipated Land Bill that seeks to ban foreign nationals from acquiring communal and commercial land in Namibia.  Schlettwein tabled the bill last week saying it aims to address long-standing land ownership imbalances and streamline land administration in the country. “Foreign nationals do not have any customs being practised in Namibia traditionally, hence this prohibition,” Schlettwein stated. The bill proposes fines of up to N$50 000 or imprisonment for up to ten years for those who violate this provision.  Foreign investors would, however, be allowed to…

Ester Mbathera  Whale Rock Cement, the controlling entity of Cheetah Cement, has filed a notice to acquire Schwenk Namibia, which holds a majority stake in Ohorongo Cement.  If approved, the transaction, filed with the Namibian Competition Commission (NCC) on 17 February, would give Whale Rock Cement complete control over cement production in Namibia. The deal involves Whale Rock Cement acquiring the entire issued share capital of Schwenk Namibia from SCHWENK Zement International GmbH & Co. KG.  Schwenk Namibia currently holds a 69.83% stake in Ohorongo Cement, with the remaining shares held by Industrial Corporation South Africa (14.27%), Development Bank of…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Minister of Higher Education, Innovation and Technology Itah Kandji-Murangi wants the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to revert to the higher education ministry’s control. According to the minister, the separation of the two entities has led to challenges, including a bloated and costly executive structure. Speaking in Parliament last week while motivating the NSFAF amendment bill, she said the move aims to improve administration.  She acknowledged NSFAF’s achievements since operating independently but noted that it also brought complications, such as an automated application process and financial accountability issues. “Problems of financial accountability through formal audits recur, exponential…

Niël Terblanché The Office of the Prime Minister has warned the public against retrieving and consuming spoiled maize meal bags marked “DROUGHT RELIEF AID, GRN – OPM”, which were disposed of at a dump site in northern Namibia. The warning comes after a video clip, depicting villagers from the Omusati region gathering bags of maize meal on a dumpsite, was spreading on social media platforms. The narrator of the video claims that the people in the area of the dumpsite saw four truckloads of the bags of maize meal being discarded. The woman says on the video that when the…