Blog

Niël Terblanché Namibia has committed to deepening its trade relations with Nigeria, focusing on niche markets and products that offer mutual benefits. This intent was reaffirmed by Ambassador Penda Naanda, Executive Director of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, during the opening of the Senior Officials Meeting of the Fifth Session of the Namibia-Nigeria Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPCC) in Windhoek last week. “This Fifth Session of the JPCC is of great significance, as this is the first time in 14 years that Namibia and Nigeria are hosting the JPCC. The last session was held in 2010—an injustice…

Niël Terblanché A newly established catering company SolFood is taking its business beyond the kitchen by integrating social responsibility into its core operations to address food insecurity in Walvis Bay. During a courtesy visit last week, the founder of SolFood, Anya Kovaleva, met with Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes to discuss the company’s ongoing efforts to provide nutritious meals to children in need. Kovaleva shared the origins of the initiative, explaining how a simple act of giving away surplus food evolved into a full-fledged project to support the community. “We gave the surplus of our catered food away to children…

Niël Terblanché Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has called on Executive Directors (EDs) in the public service to step up their efforts in implementing government priorities for the upcoming financial year. During a meeting held in Windhoek on Friday with all EDs, the Prime Minister outlined key focus areas, stressing accountability, timely execution of Cabinet decisions, and effective resource management. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also reiterated the importance of timely evaluation and implementation of Cabinet decisions, highlighting the need for measurable outcomes and value for money. "It is important that Cabinet decisions are implemented timely and that their impacts are evaluated to ensure that…

 Niël Terblanché The country is grappling with a significant challenge where young people face increasing vulnerability to human trafficking. Desperation for employment opportunities, domestically and abroad, often leads individuals into precarious situations. Traffickers exploit this desperation, luring victims with promises of legitimate work, only to subject them to forced labour, sexual exploitation, or other forms of abuse. The recently released 2023 Labour Force Survey compiled by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) revealed an unemployment rate of 36.9%, the highest within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This statistic translates to approximately 320 450  people without employment, with young people disproportionately…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Employees of Project Hope Namibia, Society for Family Health (SFH), TCE, and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that receive funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been left in uncertainty following the implementation of a 90-day Stop Work Order issued. Despite the immediate order to cease operations, workers at these NGOs are still required to report for duty without performing any tasks. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Project Hope employee claimed that a WhatsApp message informed workers of the directive. “They only communicated with us through WhatsApp, saying we must adhere to the order that…