National News

Justicia Shipena  The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia’s (EIF) proposal to establish a Green Industrial Zone is close to securing final approval.  The project is being considered for €25 million (approximately N$625 million) in funding under the Mitigation Action Facility (MAF). The proposal, submitted in July 2025, has advanced to the final stage after being shortlisted among the top 20 from more than 500 global submissions.  EIF spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the proposal underwent a virtual assessment in August, with a final board decision expected in October.  If approved, the funding will drive low-carbon industrialisation, create green jobs, and strengthen…

Allexer Namundjembo Renowned ophthalmologist Helena Ndume has called for investigations into the Central Medical Store (CMS), saying inefficiencies and corruption are blocking access to essential medicines. She made the call at Onandjokwe Hospital in Oniipa on Thursday, where she is leading a campaign to restore sight to 500 patients. CMS serves as Namibia’s main warehouse and distribution hub for medicines and related supplies to public health facilities across the country. “I am putting my head on the chopping board, but I have to say this. Something has to be done at the Central Medical Store. Investigations have to be done.…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Namibian authorities say police and military firearms are now tightly controlled, following past incidents of missing weapons and concerns over smuggling to neighbouring countries. This comes as the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime said Namibian firearms have been smuggled into South Africa and used by gangs. In November 2021, the police reported that 96 firearms, mainly AK47 rifles, were missing from the central depot in Windhoek. After a verification process, the number was revised to 83.  A criminal case led to the arrest of six police officers and two civilians. All six officers were working for the…

Justicia Shipena  Former mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo has warned that Africa’s green hydrogen industry will face pressure points in the next three to five years, particularly in safety, electrolyser commissioning and maintenance, clean-fuel handling at ports, high-voltage grid integration, and certification for export standards. Speaking at the Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek this week, Alweendo said skills must be treated as core infrastructure.  “Skills are infrastructure. Without capable teams, megawatts and clean fuels do not move,” he said. He explained that Africa may have world-class resources, but the real challenge is building and keeping the people who…

Justicia Shipena  The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has urged companies to support local procurement as a way to grow industries and strengthen the economy.  NCCI chief executive officer Titus Nampala said value lies not only in exports but also in supply chains and participation. He was speaking at the China–Namibia Investment & Trade Fair at the Windhoek Country Club this week, which brought together government, industry, and business leaders for exhibitions, networking, and matchmaking sessions aimed at building partnerships across key sectors.  “Value is not found in exports alone; it is found in supply chains, in procurement,…

Justicia Shipena  The data collected through Hyphen Hydrogen Energy’s newly launched Green Hydrogen Skills Census will guide training programmes.  The data will also align education with industry demand to ensure Namibians benefit directly from the country’s green energy transition. Hyphen officially launched the Census on Thursday at its head office in Windhoek.  The initiative is a core part of the company’s baseline studies and National Skills Audit under the feasibility and implementation agreement with the government.  The census is designed to capture existing skills across the country and match them with the skills needed for Hyphen’s green hydrogen project during…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Former National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) executive Cedric Willemse told the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that his involvement in the fuel supply agreement between Namcor and Enercon Namibia was limited to an advisory role and that he was warned not to make decisions on the transaction.  Willemse testified on Wednesday during his bail application before Magistrate Olga Muharukua. He explained that the project owners of the Enercon deal were Namcor's sales and marketing team.  “The project owners of this deal between Enercon and Namcor were the sales and marketing team. I was guiding the team if…

Allexer Namundjembo The Ondonga Traditional Authority leader, king Fillemon Nangolo Shuumbwa, has dismissed claims that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) kings supported Muammar Gaddafi’s proposal to be recognised as Africa’s “king of kings”. Speaking at a Council of Traditional Authorities meeting  in Ondangwa this week, Shuumbwa responded to remarks by Professor Joseph Diescho, who suggested some leaders backed Gaddafi’s idea in 2008.  Shuumbwa said none of the kings or chiefs from the region agreed to the plan. He explained that he was part of a delegation invited to Libya by the Libyan Embassy in Namibia after the late king…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Namibian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) is calling on parliamentarians and the ministry of education to urgently act on the motion to recognise Namibian Sign Language (NSL) as a national language. The national executive director of NNAD,Paul Nanyeni, said the parliamentary standing committee on constitutional and legal affairs has already acknowledged that communication is a human right and confirmed that NSL is a legitimate language with its own grammar and structure. “We want to express our profound thanks to the committee who has made all the possible recommendations. However, it is time they follow up with…

Justicia Shipena  Namibia is preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Finland to strengthen cooperation in water management.  The agreement will build on the work of the Finland–Namibia Twinning Project, which ended with a final workshop in Windhoek this week.  The three-year project, launched in 2023, supported Namibia’s accession to the United Nations Water Convention, formally known as the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.  Namibia became a party to the convention on 8 June 2023, joining a global framework that promotes cooperation and sustainable management of shared water resources. Speaking on…