National News

Renthia Kaimbi Homeless people in Walvis Bay are turning to cemeteries for shelter, with some also  engaging in illegal activities among the graves.  The discovery was made after Landless People’s Movement councillor Ryan Gordon investigated reports of a young homeless mother and her son living in the Narraville graveyard. Gordon said he was alerted by residents concerned about the woman.  He later found that she had hidden her belongings inside a  gravestone but had since been hospitalised fter an assault. Before moving to the cemetery, she had been living near the KFC area in town. During his visit, Gordon also…

Renthia Kaimbi With the November local authority elections approaching, internal conflict in the Swapo party has delayed candidate selection and forced the postponement of the Walvis Bay and Arandis district conferences. The conferences, set for last weekend, were meant to shortlist aspirants for the Arandis, Walvis Bay Urban, and Walvis Bay Rural constituencies.  A dispute over candidate eligibility in Walvis Bay disrupted the process. Members claim they were informed only registered party delegates may stand as candidates.  The rule sparked outrage, with some saying it was not communicated at the start of nominations and accusing leadership of trying to manipulate…

Renthia Kaimbi Residents and property owners of Omdel Extension 7 in Henties Bay are are still without electricity more than a year after being promised electrification of their area. The community, which includes pensioners,  say they  face hardship and safety risks while being charged full land tax for properties they cannot use.  According to residents, the acting chief executive officer of the municipality of Henties Bay, Ignasia Neis, informed them that a tender for the electrification project had been awarded to Faraday Electrical in February 2025.  However, no visible work has taken place, and residents say they have received no…

Renthia Kaimbi Bornfree Fishing (Pty) Ltd, a youth-owned Namibian fishing company, has donated N$10 000 to the Swakopmund Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SAADA) Community Outreach.  The outreach event, held on 29 August 2025, focused on addressing substance abuse among young people in the town. Bornfree Fishing founder, Regto Ndemufayo David, said supporting SAADA was a natural decision decision for the company, which was established in 2018. David said the company’s roots as a youth-run enterprise gave it insight into the struggles of young people. “We cannot employ every young person, but we can support initiatives that keep them off…

Justicia Shipena  Congolese fuel supplier Orion Energy SARL may apply for default judgement if Eco Fuel Investment fails to file its plea by 17 October.  This deadline follows a case management order issued by High Court judge Beatrix de Jager in the Windhoek High Court. Orion filed a lawsuit against Eco Fuel and its owner, fugitive businessman Victor "Chris" Malima. The order states that if Eco Fuel does not respond, Orion can move for default judgement on 27 October, with a hearing set for 29 October.  Both sides must also exchange documents and make discovery by 21 November, while a…

Allexer Namundjembo Workers  on the Omuthiya–Elambo road project  say are facing unsafe conditions and low pay. The 59 km road, launched in August 2025, is expected to take two years to complete with funding from the Namibian government and external partners, including German entities.  The workers clearing land in Okakoko village for Borromean Contractors on Wednesday said they are not given protective equipment.  A site visit by the Windhoek Observer found labourers cutting trees and clearing thorny bushes without gloves.  Workers say they are earning N$108 per day, with no transport provided, forcing some to walk more than 20 km…

Allexer Namundjembo Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda has called for the legislation compelling  state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies  to  disclose salary scales in job advertisements.  He said this practice undermines transparency and goes against Article 23 of the constitution. In a notice to Parliament yesterday, Amupanda recalled that Article 23, titled “Apartheid and Affirmative Action”, was included by the Constitution’s framers to outlaw apartheid-era racial discrimination. He added that it was also meant to empower laws addressing social, educational, and economic disadvantages. Parliament later passed the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act No. 29 of 1998, which created the Employment Equity…

Justicia Shipena  The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has started a week-long training course in Swakopmund to strengthen Africa’s ability to respond to chemical incidents. The course, which opened on Monday, brings together participants from English-speaking States Parties across the continent. Deputy minister of industries, mines and energy, Gaudentia Kröhne, said the destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles in 2023 was a landmark achievement.  “This historic achievement underscores the commitment of the international community to disarmament and reminds us of what can be accomplished through cooperation,” she said. Kröhne stressed that while the elimination of stockpiles…

Justicia Shipena  Africa accounts for less than 2% of worldwide military expenditure even as global spending surged to a record $2.7 trillion in 2024, a new United Nations (UN) report shows. This is despite being home to nearly 20% of the world’s population and about a quarter of UN member states.  Launching The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future on Tuesday, UN secretary general António Guterres warned that excessive military spending does not guarantee peace.  "It often undermines it, fueling arms races, deepening mistrust and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability," he…