Page 26 – Windhoek Observer

21 Aug

High Court struggles to attract qualified judges

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Chief justice Peter Shivute says the High Court is facing a shortage of judges due to the retirement of experienced members and a growing caseload. He noted that although there has been interest from prospective candidates, recruiting suitably qualified judges remains difficult, particularly in the civil stream. He explained that many potential candidates lack exposure to High Court civil practice and procedure. Shivute’s remarks were delivered on Wednesday by deputy chief justice Petrus Damaseb at the opening of the 2025 High Court aspirant judges training programme in Windhoek. The two-week training programme was introduced to bridge this gap.…

21 Aug

Govt taking steps to stop misuse of vehicles

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi says his ministry is developing policies to ensure government vehicles are used properly. He explained that technology will play a role in enforcing accountability. “We are planning on how technology can be of assistance. We also aim to implement a technological system that can detect reckless brake application. We are on it, and this will be implemented soon,” he said. Nekundi said there is that tendency of officials misusing government vehicles. "Just look at how people misuse their relative’s cars when left in their care. There are those government officials who do…

21 Aug

Havana family appeals for help after shack fire

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe A family of eight in Windhoek’s Havana informal settlement is appealing for assitance after losing everything in a shack fire in the early hours of Monday morning. Stercianna Yoleni, speaking on behalf of her family, said the blaze destroyed three shacks built close to each other. While neighbouring families were also affected, her family lost almost all their belongings. Among the items destroyed were a fridge, a television, a laptop, two beds, school uniforms, and other valuables. Yoleni said the shack belonged to her aunt, who shared it with her children and extended family. Among the eight people…

21 Aug

Tsumkwe youth drive cleaning effort

National News

Allexer Namundjembo A group of young people in Tsumkwe have joined a cleaning campaign in Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa Region and say the initiative is changing both their surroundings and their lives. One of the participants, Erastus Kampasi Mukonda, said the project has made him more responsible. “It took me off the streets and made me a responsible citizen. I now feel motivated to focus on positive things,” he said. Another, Sophia Goreses, described the campaign as life-changing. “Before, we used to roam around the streets, but now we are cleaning them. Tsumkwe looks much better, and we feel proud…

21 Aug

Municipal services: are citizens being served or penalised?

Opinions

Ester Shafashike Article 18 of the Namibian Constitution guarantees individuals the right to a hearing whenever administrative officials act unfairly. Furthermore, Article 95(e) obligates the government to ensure that all citizens have fair and reasonable access to public facilities and services. Despite these constitutional guarantees, it appears that such rights are either unknown or deliberately ignored by some local authority practitioners and town council members. Admittedly, the Local Authorities Act grants local councils the discretion to formulate by-laws aimed at sustaining and maintaining towns and villages. However, I am of the opinion that these bylaws should not disadvantage residents or…

21 Aug

Trans-Kalahari Railway too big to fail – Salakae

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Botswana’s minister of transport and infrastructure and co-chair of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) of the Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) project, Noah Salakae, says the railway is too important to fail. He made the remarks during the recent Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in Maun. “If the feasibility numbers do not immediately convince financiers, we must not fold our arms. We must innovate, adapt, and build the partnerships that will make it happen,” said Salakae. The governments of Namibia and Botswana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2010 to develop the Trans-Kalahari Railway. In 2014, they signed a bilateral…

21 Aug

Namibia to showcase green hydrogen ambitions in South Korea

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia will take part in the ‘Financing a Clean and Equitable Industry Decarbonisation’ dialogue next week in Busan, South Korea. The head of the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGHP2), James Mnyupe, will represent the country. The NGHP2 said the dialogue set to take place on 25 August comes at an important time following Namibia’s recent success in securing Climate Investment Funds (CIF) support under the Industry Decarbonisation Programme. With this backing, Namibia is now developing a sectoral transformation investment plan to drive green industrialisation and decarbonisation. So far, Namibia has attracted about N$2.08 billion in investment for green…

21 Aug

Walvis Bay to host corporate football tourney

Sports

Allexer Namundjembo Thirty-three companies are set to take part in the inaugural Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) 7-A-Side Corporate Soccer Tournament. Namport launched the tourney on Wednesday at the Walvis Bay Municipality Civic Centre. The launch included the official draw of fixtures. Matches will be played every Friday and Saturday starting 22 August, with the grand final scheduled for 26 September. Namport executive for commercial Elias Mwenyo said the tournament is designed to go beyond football.“Wellness interventions of this nature should no longer be seen as voluntary acts but as an essential part of sustainable business operations. At Namport, we believe…

21 Aug

Brave Warriors fans travelling to Botswana to sign indemnity forms

Featured, Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has directed that all supporters travelling to Botswana to back the Brave Warriors must sign an indemnity form before boarding government-sponsored buses. NFA interim secretary general Cassius Moetie made the announcement on Wednesday during a press briefing at Soccer House in Windhoek. He said the measure is to protect both the government and the NFA from liability during the trip. “Very, very important for every Namibian going there… Before you get in the bus, you will sign an indemnity form that will indemnify the NFA and the government for any unforeseen circumstances and…

21 Aug

OBSERVER DAILY | WHO IS CHECKING THE CHECKERS?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia has always prided itself on being a nation rooted in law and democratic values. We boast a Constitution that is admired across the continent, and institutions that, at least in principle, should safeguard our democracy from the kind of arbitrary governance that has destabilised so many of our neighbours. Yet, every so often, we are reminded that even in Namibia, leaders sometimes forget that power is borrowed, not owned, and that authority must be exercised within the guardrails of law. The latest controversy surrounding Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa is a case in point. On 15 August, a…