National News

Niël Terblanché The government has commenced the distribution of a substantial rice donation from China in a determined effort to alleviate the severe hunger crisis precipitated by the current unprecedented drought. The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) began dispatching the consignment to the Oshikoto region on Monday, aiming to reach 27 000 registered households under the drought relief programme. The Chinese government donated 27 200 bags of rice which arrived by sea at the port of Walvis Bay earlier this week. The OPM said in a social media post that the intervention responds to the acute food insecurity affecting…

Ester Mbathera  Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab urged lawmakers to support the Ombudsman Bill, arguing that it will strengthen the office’s independence and improve governance.  She said this during her motivation for the Ombudsman Bill in the National Assembly on Wednesday. According to her, the bill aligns with international standards and ensures the Ombudsman operates without political influence. "The bill now before this house seeks to give effect to these reforms and ensure that the Office of the Ombudsman operates with the independence and authority required to effectively fulfil its mandate," Dausab said.  She said the proposed changes will give the…

Allexer Namundjembo Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi's submission on Rule Amendment Five, which limits pension benefits for young MPs, was criticised by the Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) member of parliament, Hidipo Hamata. Hamata called it discriminatory against those under the age of 55 or those who served less than five years. In his questions to Shiimi in parliament on Tuesday, Hamata expressed concern that young parliamentarians, who did not serve a full term, would not be treated equally, solely because of their age. ‘’When will you address the concerns raised by the current pension structure and ensure that younger Members of…

Niël Terblanché The Hydrological Services of Namibia have issued urgent recommendations for infrastructure repairs following severe flooding in Windhoek since the start of the year.  A comprehensive hydrological assessment conducted on 13 February by a team led by Fillemon Shatipamba identified several areas of concern across the capital city. The assessment revealed significant structural damage and safety hazards at multiple water crossing points. At the Gammams Bridge near the Gammams Service Station, high water flows had swept side rails into the stream, and debris on the road surface indicated that water had overflowed the road, reaching an estimated height of…

Allexer Namundjembo The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has finalised the School Grant Policy. Education Minister Anna Nghipondoka presented the policy in parliament on Tuesday. Nghipondoka said the ministry conducted national and regional consultations between December 2019 and February 2020 to inform the public on the development of a funding model.  “This consultation process resulted in the development of the School Grant Policy, the aim of which is to reduce existing inequities through an efficient and equitable funding mechanism that ensures that schools and their learners, from different socio-economic backgrounds, access the adequate resources required to participate fully in…

Stefanus Nashama Floodwaters have been detected in parts of the Oshana and Omusati regions, particularly in the western Cuvelai areas.  Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango confirmed this on Tuesday, attributing the flows to heavy rainfall. "The active flows of water are observed at the Western part of the Cuvelai in Onekehe, Okalongo, Onembamba, Okanwa, Epoko of the Ogongo stream, and Onelago of the Western Outapi. This indicates flooding, and people are fishing in those areas,” he said. Despite the flooding in these areas, Hango noted that the Oshigambo River, Engela, Shanalumono, and Ohaingu streams are not currently experiencing active water flows.…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Learners are increasingly creating their own small business ventures to raise funds for their school activities. Some of these children offer services such as cleaning to meet their financial needs. In Swakopmund, 14-year-old Charlton Stefanus from Swakopmund has taken an entrepreneurial approach to raise funds for his school’s Entrepreneurship Day by offering dustbin cleaning services to the community.  His mother, Justina Nauyoma, expressed pride in his determination. “The fact that he is thinking of that at his age and decided to continue even after he reached his target for the entrepreneur task from school makes me extremely proud.…

Ester Mbathera  In 2024, Namibia experienced approximately 1.1 million cyber attack incidents, notably a significant breach at Telecom Namibia, where 626GB of sensitive data was exposed. A fraud examiner, Melanie Meiring from SoA Growth & Integrity Consulting, in a statement shared recently, said cyber threats are no longer a distant concern for the country.  “They are happening right now, and at an alarming rate,” she said.  These cyber incidents target businesses, government entities, and individuals, and they involve fraud, phishing scams, and ransomware attacks. Despite the rising threats, Namibia has yet to enact the Cybercrime Bill or the Data Protection…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT brought together biodiversity policymakers, scientists, and Indigenous community representatives from six countries to address the pressing challenges of invasive alien species (IAS) and sustainable wildlife use (SU). The ministry is currently hosting the BES-Net Regional Trialogue for East and Southern Africa. The environment ministry’s executive director, Teofilus Nghitila, during the official opening of the Trialogue in Windhoek, stressed the importance of proactive intervention in tackling invasive species. “Invasive alien species are among the top drivers of biodiversity loss globally, with wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human well-being. At the…

Ester Mbathera  Namibia has a high number of congenital heart disease (CHD) cases, exceeding the global average of one in 100 births. Windhoek Central Hospital sees about 2 000 patients with heart defects each year. Many children need early diagnosis and treatment, but access to specialised care remains limited. This is according to Dr Fenny Shidhika, a paediatric cardiologist at the Windhoek Central Hospital, as the world observes Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week, which started from 7 to 14 February. “The incidence has a direct linear relationship with an increasing birth rate and prevalence, with population density across different regions,”…