Windhoek Observer – Windhoek Observer

21 Nov

Swartbooi to ask Trump for refuge lifeline …says Ovaherero, Damara, Basters and White Namibians live in fear

Main

Justicia Shipena Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi says he plans to appeal directly to United States President Donald Trump for help, arguing that LPM members are facing political persecution in Namibia. At a press conference in Keetmanshoop on Thursday, he announced that he intends to write to Trump, urging him to intervene and assist the party as its members endure what he described as torture, inhumane treatment and severe distress. Swartbooi further claimed that LPM members are living under constant pressure and fear and accused Namibian security forces of behaving like occupying forces. “We have no choice but…

21 Nov

Namibia and Angola to track and share illicit assets worth N$3.3m

National News

Justicia Shipena Namibia and Angola will jointly recover unlawfully acquired assets worth about N$3.3 million. The two governments will share the assets under a newly signed asset-sharing agreement. The agreement was formally signed on Thursday by Namibia’s minister of justice and labour relations, Filemon Wise Immanuel, and Angola’s auditor general, Hélder Fernando Pitta Grós. The recovered assets will be handled under chapter V of the UN Convention Against Corruption.This chapter focuses entirely on asset recovery and helps countries address the damage caused by corruption, while making it clear that officials cannot hide stolen assets anywhere. Namibia signed the convention on…

21 Nov

Namibian delegation safe after COP30 fire in Brazil

National News

Justicia Shipena The Namibian delegation to the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) escaped unharmed after a fire broke out at the conference venue on Thursday afternoon. Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) spokesperson Romeo Muyunda confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that all Namibian delegates were safely evacuated and accounted for. “No one from the Namibian team was affected by the fire. We all came out in time and unharmed,” he said. The climate conference organisers halted all pavilion activities, including Namibia’s, while emergency teams responded. COP30, which is taking place in Belém, Brazil, enters its final day today. Muyunda said the Namibian…

21 Nov

Repeat offender linked to N$387k Govt fraud

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested a repeat corruption suspect and a government hydrologist for their roles in an alleged scheme that cost the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform N$387 397. ACC interim spokesperson Marina Matundu confirmed the arrests, saying the commission views the matter as a serious breach of public trust. She said the case involves clear allegations of fraudulent payments for goods that were never delivered. The suspects, Liam Mbako (40), a hydrologist technician, and Godfried Uiseb (35), owner of MacGodmen Trading CC, were taken into custody on 18 November. They appeared in…

21 Nov

Digital skills key to closing the divide, says Theofelus

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Empowering citizens with skills to participate in the digital economy is central to the government’s plan to close the digital divide, minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus said on Thursday. Speaking at the high-level ICT stakeholders’ engagement in Eenhana, she said improved digital access must go hand in hand with digital literacy. “We must empower citizens with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy,” she said. She added that connectivity without capability is not progress. Theofelus said the country is entering a new phase of its mission to expand digital inclusion, with rural communities…

21 Nov

Nawases-Taeyele blames bureaucracy for blocking housing progress

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The deputy minister of urban and rural development Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele says government efforts to build affordable homes are being slowed by bureaucratic delays in land delivery. She said housing projects cannot move at the required pace if government entities block each other. “It won't make sense when a housing entity of government like National Housing Enterprise (NHE) struggles to acquire land from another government entity such as the local authorities due to affordability,” she said at the handover of 34 new houses in Mariental by NHE on Thursday. She called the situation “uncalled for” and undermined the public.…

21 Nov

Over 200 children graduate from ECD centres

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Laughter, small gowns, and proud parents filled ten early childhood development centres this week, as 231 children graduated on World Children’s Day. Of the group, 121 were boys and just over 110 were girls. For many families, the day marked a rare milestone for children who come from communities where early education is not always guaranteed. Palms for Life spokesperson Gabriel Tomas said the graduation speaks to what is possible when support reaches children early. “It is wonderful to witness children from vulnerable communities reach such a milestone,” he said. He explained that placing kindergartens next to primary…

21 Nov

Advocates demand community action to stop child marriage

Africa / World

Moses Magadza Participants at the inaugural public lecture honouring the late chief Theresa Kachindamoto of Malawi have called for stronger collaboration, greater community engagement and intensified sensitisation efforts to end child marriage across Zambia and the SADC region. The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with funding from Sweden and in collaboration with the National Assembly of Zambia, the University of Zambia’s School of Law, CARE International, and other partners, convened the lecture at the University of Zambia last week. Kachindamoto was a Malawian traditional leader who annulled more than 3 500 child marriages and championed girls’ education…

21 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | Dear Honourable Bernadus Swartbooi

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia has entered the familiar, feverish stretch of the political calendar known as the “silly season”, when passions run high, rhetoric grows sharp, and politicians of all stripes test the limits of what they can say to energise their supporters. Elections are, by their very nature, noisy affairs. Positions clash, words fly, and agendas jostle for prominence. In that sense, your recent remarks about wishing for an “actual shooting war” to start in Namibia, and your call for foreign intervention from U.S. president Donald Trump, may be chalked up by some as campaign theatrics. But even in the silly season,…

21 Nov

The velvet grip of power: Why Namibians must stay vigilant as election day approaches

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) As Namibians prepare for the Regional and Local Authority Elections on 26 November 2025, a recent political confrontation in Europe has unexpectedly offered a mirror to our own democratic landscape. It came from a Dutch member of the European Parliament, who boldly challenged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reminding the world that even in the heart of Western democracy, power can slip quietly beyond the reach of the people. Her argument was unsettling yet essential: are we really being governed democratically, or merely invited to participate in a…