Page 46 – Windhoek Observer

31 Jul

Stars replace Tanzanian club with Maniema Union

Featured, Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe African Stars Football Club, reigning Namibia Premier League champions, will host a four-team pre-season tournament at Independence Stadium in Windhoek from 24 to 26 August 2025. The tournament will prepare the club for its participation in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League. On Thursday, African Stars announced that Young African Football Club from Tanzania had withdrawn from the tournament and will be replaced by AS Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo. “African Stars FC would like to inform our fans and stakeholders that Young Africans FC from Tanzania has withdrawn from the upcoming Pre-Season…

31 Jul

De Sousa wins gold for Namibia in Algeria

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Namibian swimmer Victoria de Sousa won a gold medal for Namibia in the 100m freestyle at the African Schools Games in Algeria on Wednesday. Earlier in the week, she secured a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle and followed it up with a silver in the 400m individual medley, making her one of the top-performing athletes at the event. Namibia Aquatics Sports Federation president Riaan Steyn praised her success. “Beating Egypt and Algeria at the African School Games. What a performance from our rising star; let’s celebrate this golden moment for Team Namibia,” he said. Rodney Feris and…

31 Jul

Do Liberation Movements (LMs) pass their sell-by?

Opinions

Kae Matundu Tjiparuro Have the Southern African Liberation Movements (LMs) now passed their sell-by dates, run their course, served their purposes, and are no more relevant and/or of any consequence to their countries next phase? These are pertinent questions, as these movements, most of them years after the political independence of their countries, have now just been running on the crest of their so-called liberation exploits, their claim to having brought, through the nominal political independence of their respective countries, albeit not singularly and solely, it must be said. But at best, having been to a great degree instrumental thereto. …

31 Jul

The former liberation movements: The imperative of pan-African refoundation and amílcar cabral’s thoughts of the battle against our own weakness

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Abstract This article critically examines the contemporary relevance and challenges facing Southern Africa’s former liberation movements, specifically in the context of the LIBERATION MOVEMENTS SUMMIT 2025: The three-day indaba, which began last Friday and concluded on Sunday with the Summit of Heads of State and Leaders of Liberation Movements, ran under the theme “Defending the Liberation Gains, Advancing Integrated Socio-Economic Development, Strengthening Solidarity for a Better Africa.” The summit brought together six former liberation movements—the ANC of South Africa (host and outgoing chair), Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe), MPLA (Angola), SWAPO (Namibia), Frelimo…

31 Jul

Health procurement issues ‘fuel’ ED transfers

Main

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The recent reshuffle of executive directors, involving officials previously linked to the ministry of health, has raised concerns about corruption and instability in the public service. Ben Nangombe who served as executive directors at the health ministry is among those affected by the latest transfers. Nangombe served as the executive director of the health ministry from 2018 until March this year, before being transferred to the ministry of industries, mines, and energy. The office of the prime minister announced the changes on Thursday, with effect from 1 August. This marks the second round of reshuffles in just over…

31 Jul

Fuelgate: Austin’s five-month bribe spree at Namcor

National News

Justicia Shipena The seventeenth accused in the Namcor fuel corruption case, Austin Elindi is alleged to have paid over N$2.36 million in bribes to former Namcor employees in five months. The bribes were paid between July and December 2022. Court documents show the payments were channelled through Namcor Petroleum Trading and Distribution (Pty) Ltd, the state-owned company responsible for fuel trading and distribution. The company also operates the National Oil Storage Facility in Walvis Bay and supplies fuel to sectors such as mining, construction, and public enterprises. The state alleges the payments included N$500,000 to Jennifer Hamukwaya, N$350,000 to Cornelius…

31 Jul

Six Namibians trafficked to Asia

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Six Namibian nationals were repatriated from Southeast Asia after being trafficked between June 2024 and June 2025. The victims, five from Myanmar and one from Laos, were returned to Namibia through coordination between Namibian authorities and international partners. The minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, shared this on Wednesday during the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons commemoration held in Rundu, Kavango East region. “These are not just statistics. Each represents a case in which a person’s rights and dignity were violated. Our collective response must be rooted in justice,” she said. Ashipala-Musavyi also confirmed that…

31 Jul

Eco Fuel fights Engen over summons delivery

National News

Justicia Shipena Eco Fuel Investment CC has asked the High Court to set aside a N$5.46 million default judgment granted in favour of Engen Namibia (Pty) Ltd, arguing that the summons was not properly served. The company, co-owned by Namcor corruption accused Austin Elindi and fugitive Victor Malima, filed an urgent rescission application on Wednesday. Eco Fuel claims that Engen delivered the combined summons to an outdated address, Buffalo Signs on Werner List Street, despite having been notified on 16 April 2024 that the company’s new address was on Julius Nyerere Street in Windhoek. In court documents seen by the…

31 Jul

Presidency, defence warned to reconsider U.S. jihadists military help

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The office of the President and the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs have been warned against accepting military assistance from the United States to counter alleged jihadist groups near Namibia’s border with Angola. Social commentator Ben Mulongeni urged President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and defence minister Frans Kapofi to be cautious, arguing that U.S. involvement often leads to destabilisation rather than peace. Muloheni claimed that the U.S. has a track record of creating or supporting rebel groups in countries with valuable resources to secure access for its own interests. His comments follow reports that Minister Kapofi recently met with…

31 Jul

NHE rejects ceremony cost claims

National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has dismissed reports that it spends up to N$500,000 on site and house handover ceremonies, following the circulation of an internal memo that raised concerns about expenditure and financial management. In a media statement issued on 30 July 2025, NHE stated that, “no site handover has ever cost the enormous figures quoted in the memo and sensationally reported by the media.” This follows media reports based on an internal memo that raised concerns about high expenditure and financial management. In a statement issued on Thursday, NHE said, “No site handover has ever cost…