National News

Niël Terblanché The Nambaza Shopping Centre in Onankali is expected to employ up to 200 people once fully operational.  So far, it has created about 70 permanent and 15 temporary jobs. The centre officially opened on Thursday and will serve residents, nearby villages, and travellers along the B1 road. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industries, Mines, and Energy, Natangue Ithete, praised the locally owned project at the inauguration.  He said it adds value to the community and creates jobs. “This shopping mall, owned by Namibians, is evidence that Namibia is a country that has a lot to offer…

Justicia Shipena A 90-year-old woman in Damaraland's Kunene region needs approximately N$45 000 to install an electric fence around her garden.  Known as Ouma Elsie, she has cared for her garden for over 70 years.  She settled on her homestead at the age of 20 and has grown vegetables and fruits like spinach, tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, beetroot, and strawberries. In 2020, the Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA), a Namibian non-profit, built a stone wall around her garden to keep elephants out.  The wall helped for a while, but elephants eventually broke through. Damaraland is home to…

Justicia Shipena  Residents of Otjivero–Omitara say their lives have worsened since the Basic Income Grant (BIG) pilot program ended.  They report increased hunger, crime, and school dropouts in the settlement. These concerns appear in a new report by the National Council's Standing Committee on Health, Social Welfare, and Labour Affairs.  The committee, chaired by Emma Muteka, held consultations with community members and other stakeholders.  They conducted door-to-door interviews to hear directly from beneficiaries and assess the long-term impact of the BIG pilot. Before the BIG, the community relied mainly on old-age pensions and child grants.  The majority of the residents…

Allexer Namundjebo The Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, urged the public to report police officers who are drunk or misbehaving. Speaking on a local radio station, Shikongo said he has received many complaints about officers suspected of being drunk. “The calls to implement mandatory breathalyser tests at police stations are many, but at the moment, there are no resources to implement such measures. We have many police stations, and that might not be possible to implement,” he said. Shikongo warned officers who show up drunk at work to stop this behaviour. “They have the responsibility…

Niël Terblanché The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, called for stronger regional cooperation and unity in managing the Zambezi River Basin.  She made the call during the 12th Council of Ministers Meeting of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) held in Windhoek on Thursday. Zaamwani welcomed ministers and delegates from Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to Namibia’s capital.  She thanked them for their commitment to working together on transboundary water governance. She described this cooperation as “not optional—it is essential,” pointing to the shared nature of Namibia’s perennial rivers and the country’s position…

Niël Terblanché The Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has responded to concerns from Katima Mulilo residents about brownish discolouration in their tap water.  NamWater spokesperson Lot Ndamanomhata said the water is microbiologically safe to drink, despite its colour. He explained that the Katima Water Treatment Plant is operating beyond its design capacity during peak demand, putting extra strain on the plant’s sand filtration system.  “This strain has affected the water’s appearance,” he said. Ndamanomhata added that seasonal increases in the Zambezi River’s flow have raised iron and manganese levels in the raw water.  He said that while this affects the water’s…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services has admitted that stockouts of chronic medication remain an ongoing issue despite efforts to deliver supplies to regional facilities through the Central Medical Stores. Spokesperson Walters Kamaya said the ministry has been actively dispatching medication in response to reported shortages. “Last week, we were actively engaged in delivering supplies through our Central Medical Stores (CMS).through our Central Medical Stores (CMS). We were dispatched to the regions. The issue of stockouts has been ongoing, but we have tried to resolve it,” he said. Kamaya explained that some delays result from coordination challenges…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  The Ministry of International Relations and Trade (MIRT) has rejected claims in the Windhoek Observer on 15 May that diplomatic missions, including the High Commission in London, had not displayed the official portrait of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Executive director Penda Naanda said the article was "inaccurate and misleading" and confirmed the portrait is displayed at the London mission. "Upon consultation with the Mission, it was confirmed that the official portrait has indeed been displayed at the High Commission in London, contrary to the impression created in the article that no official portrait has been displayed," Naanda said. The…

Niël Terblanché A two-day training session hosted in Windhoek earlier this week has equipped Namibian agricultural technicians with practical skills in soil sampling, a critical element in sustainable farming and land use.  The program, organised under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), aims to enhance the country’s approach to improving food security by combining international expertise with local knowledge. The session also aimed to improve food security by combining international expertise with local knowledge.  It forms part of the second phase of the China–FAO–Namibia South-South Cooperation project to boost Namibia’s agricultural productivity. The…