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Justicia Shipena The new N$1 coin, which has not yet entered public circulation, is already facing criticism over its informal reference as the ‘Outere Dollar.’  The backlash stems from a Facebook post by the Bank of Namibia (BoN), which acknowledged the public’s nickname for the coin and referenced the word “Outere”, a Khoekhoegowab term loosely translated as “give me.” Some argue the word carries derogatory connotations The central bank on Friday had shared a Facebook post that read, “So they're calling it the ‘Outere Dollar?’ We see you, Namibia! Yes, that new N$1 coin with the two hands might look…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The City of Windhoek has rejected demands for an unconditional write-off of debts owed by pensioners, citing financial risks and current council policy. This follows a petition from the Khomas Ratepayers and Residents Association, which called on the municipality to cancel all pensioner debts and address ongoing concerns about land servicing and water access. City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya said debt cancellations must follow the framework approved by the council in 2023.  “Granting an unconditional write-off of pensioner debt is not permissible under current council resolutions. It would compromise our ability to honour payments to critical service providers such…

Allexer Namundjembo Political leaders have expressed mixed reactions to the government’s decision to appoint Namibia Post Limited (NamPost) as the official distributor of social grants. Last week, the ministry of finance announced that NamPost would take over the distribution of all social grants across Namibia, replacing private contractors as part of efforts to centralise public service delivery through state-owned entities. The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement welcomed the appointment.  AR spokesperson George Kambala called it a progressive and strategic move that aligns with the movement’s goal of returning control of essential services to public institutions.  “This shift provides an opportunity to…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has accused the United States of fabricating a jihadist threat along the Namibian-Angolan border to justify foreign military involvement and destabilise the country. The party claims the alleged threat serves U.S. interests under the guise of providing security support. IPC member of parliament and shadow minister of defence and veteran affairs, Aloisius Kangulu, dismissed the claims of a jihadist threat as false.  “The narrative of a ‘Jihadist’ threat between Namibia and Angola is a dangerous and fabricated lie. America cannot be allowed to play cowboy policeman of the world when there are…

Justicia Shipena The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) today begins supplementary voter registration ahead of the regional council and local authority elections set for 26 November. The registration period will run from 4 to 19 August in all regions.  Over the weekend, the ECN announced it had deployed voter registration teams across the country in preparation for the 2025 elections.  According to a media release issued on Saturday, registration will take place from Monday to Saturday, between 08h00 and 19h00. The ECN has established 4 233 registration points across all constituencies and local authorities.  These include schools, community centres, and…