Windhoek Observer – Windhoek Observer

26 Jan

Street children, border gaps and a focus on financial and immigration legislation

Opinions

Ian Coffee By late 2025, Namibia faced a visible surge of Angolan minors on city streets and in northern towns, selling wooden curios and begging. Advocates described it as a humanitarian disaster in plain sight. The presence was not confined to border regions. It stretched along the Oshikango to Windhoek corridor and pooled at intersections where tourism is thick and oversight thin. Is this a question of compassion alone, or is it a test of whether our immigration and child protection systems can hold under pressure? The facts are plain. There was a marked increase between August and October. Local…

26 Jan

Omaruru local authority council must be people-centered

Featured, Opinions

Serron NghoshiIt is quite obvious that moments of excitement in local governance are inevitable. The swearing-in of councillors and public announcements on land delivery, housing lists, or infrastructure plans often raise hope among residents, not only for Omaruru but everywhere. However, history has shown that excitement alone does not improve the lives of residents. What truly matters is the work that follows the excitement has passed. For many residents of Omaruru, particularly those in informal settlements and low-income areas, the daily realities remain unchanged; access to serviced land continues to be a major challenge year after year, lists are announced,…

26 Jan

The biggest lie being sold: A reflection on the vilification of black enterprise

Featured, Opinions

“Do you know who the biggest thieves in the country are? It’s black businesspeople. And do you know why you are not successful and why your life is miserable? It’s those same thieving, corrupt black empowerment elites and tenderpreneurs in this country.” That statement, delivered casually in conversation, captures a dangerous narrative quietly normalized in Namibia’s public discourse. It is not merely an opinion; it is the product of a sustained ideological campaign that frames black entrepreneurship, particularly participation in public procurement, as inherently corrupt, morally suspect, and economically parasitic. As a black entrepreneur who has built a business through…

26 Jan

When the uniform becomes a threat: A nation must confront the growing crisis within its armed services

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia woke up once again to the grim reality of gender-based violence intersecting with firearms and authority. In Khomasdal, a man believed to be a serving police officer allegedly shot his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself. The woman has reportedly survived and is receiving medical treatment. The man died at the scene. Police have confirmed the incident but have yet to release a full report. These bare facts are disturbing enough. But beyond the tragedy of two lives violently altered lies a deeper and more troubling question: How did we arrive at a point where those entrusted to…

23 Jan

Oil rush or national ruin: discipline must guide Namibia’s offshore future

Editorial, Featured, Latest, Opinions

In a recent OpEd published in this newspaper titled “Discovery Is the Easy Part: Why Capital Discipline Determines Frontier Offshore Success”, Fernando Sylvester delivers a sobering reminder to nations and investors alike: the true test of offshore resource development does not lie in discovery, but in the discipline that follows it. His argument is both timely and urgent for our country, as we are now standing at the threshold of potentially transformative offshore hydrocarbon wealth. Sylvester notes that frontier offshore discoveries have an outsized effect on perception. Markets react in hours. Governments issue triumphant statements. Partners congratulate one another. Value…

23 Jan

Omuthiya Build It under provisional liquidation over N$95m debt

National News

Justicia Shipena The High Court has placed Omuthiya Classic Investment CC, trading as Omuthiya Build It, under provisional liquidation after finding that the business cannot pay its debts as they fall due. The ruling, delivered on 16 January, follows an application by The Spar Group Limited, which asked the court to wind up the Omuthiya-based retailer. Spar and Omuthiya Build It began a commercial relationship in 2015. Under several agreements, Spar supplied building materials and related services to the retailer on credit through warehouse and drop-ship transactions. Ownership of the goods remained with Spar until full payment. Omuthiya Build It’s…

23 Jan

Trustco to pay state’s legal fees after failing to end case

National News

Justicia Shipena The High Court has ruled that Trustco Bank Namibia Ltd knew as early as August 2023 that its review application challenging a Bank of Namibia (BoN) directive to remove its board, halt deposits and lending, and pave the way for liquidation had lost its purpose but failed to act. High Court judge Lotta Ambunda on 16 January ordered Trustco and its holding company to pay the state’s legal costs from 1 September 2023. The ruling relates to a review application filed in September 2022 by Trustco Bank Namibia Ltd and Trustco Group Holdings against the BoN, the attorney…

23 Jan

Man sues to stop reopening of divorce case

National News

Renthia Kaimbi A Windhoek-based accountant has approached the High Court of Namibia to stop the OvaMbanderu Community Court from hearing a divorce-related claim brought by his ex-wife. He argues that their marriage was already legally and finally dissolved by the High Court almost three years ago. Zikamisee Justice Mbuende (39) filed an urgent review application in December 2025 against the clerk of the OvaMbanderu Community Court, his ex-wife Komao Lydia Ndjarakana, and the OvaMbanderu Traditional Authority. He is asking the court to declare the community court’s decision to hear the matter “invalid and of no force or effect.” In his…

23 Jan

Cran issues new licences for mobile and broadcasting

National News

Allexer Namundjembo The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) has awarded nine new spectrum and broadcasting licences. The licences cover mobile, fixed and satellite services. They form part of Cran’s efforts to improve telecommunications and broadcasting coverage across Namibia. QTEL (Pty) Ltd received two licences. One allows the company to provide mobile international mobile telecommunications services in the 3300–3350 MHz frequency band. The coverage includes Khomas, Erongo (excluding Walvis Bay), Otjozondjupa, Oshana, Kavango East, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Hardap and parts of the ||Kharas region. The second licence allows QTEL to provide fixed services in the same areas using several additional…

23 Jan

Stakeholder feedback to guide WBCG’s next five years

National News

Staff Writer Feedback from high-level stakeholder engagements at Walvis Bay will help finalise the Walvis Bay Corridor Group's (WBCG) five-year strategic plan for 2026–2031. The three-day engagement mission, led by its acting chief executive officer Edward Shivute, took place from 19 to 21 January 2026. The consultations focused on gathering direct input from transport and logistics partners operating along Namibia’s strategic trade corridors. The engagement aimed to identify operational bottlenecks that affect efficiency and to align the group’s future strategy with the needs of industry players and regulators. Shivute said the new strategy will build on Namibia’s transport and logistics…