info_e12wt4cs – News Stand

27 Mar

Shafudah targets youth, food security in 2025/26 budget

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Chamwe Kaira and Allexer Namundjembo Finance Minister Erica Shafudah has placed youth empowerment and food security at the centre of the country’s N$106.3 billion 2025/26 national budget, unveiled in Parliament on Thursday. Presenting the budget under the theme “Beyond 35: For a Prosperous Future”, Shafudah said the government is prioritising development spending that directly addresses economic challenges facing young people and vulnerable communities. “We have also made specific provisions to address youth empowerment programmes and capacity enhancement activities,” Shafudah told Members of Parliament. She added that the budget made allocations to various initiatives to promote food production and stimulate agricultural…

27 Mar

Amupanda headed for the Supreme Court after Red Line defeat

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Allexer Namundjembo and Niël Terblanché High Court Judge Shafimana Ueitele said he was placed in a difficult position when making his ruling in the Red Line case, following public statements made by Job Amupanda, who brought the case that challenged the legality of the veterinary cordon fence. The Red Line case was concluded in the High Court on Thursday. Uitele dismissed and struck the matter off the roll. He said Amupanda’s remarks left him uncertain about how the ruling might be perceived. “The pronouncements by Mr Amupanda and the events that followed have placed me in a dilemma, making me…

27 Mar

Nandi-Ndaitwah renews call for German genocide reparations

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has repeated the government’s call for Germany to take full responsibility for the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama people during the colonial period. In an interview with the BBC, she outlined three key demands from the Namibian government. “Our parliament discussed the German genocide against the Namibian people. One: Germany must accept that it committed genocide in Namibia. Two: Germany must apologise. Three: Germany must provide reparations,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said. She said Germany’s offer of €1.1 billion remains inadequate in the eyes of the Namibian government. “Our parliament felt that it was nothing, and…

27 Mar

Walvis Bay residents reject 12% Shack Levy

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Allexer Namundjembo Walvis Bay residents have rejected a proposed 12% "shack levy" suggested by the municipality recently. The idea was met with criticism from community leaders, who argue the levy targets the poor and fails to address the root causes of the town’s housing crisis. Former Walvis Bay urban regional councillor, Knowledge Iipinge, described the proposal as an act of class warfare. In a letter addressed to the municipality and seen by Windhoek Observer, Iipinge criticised the council’s plan to tax informal housing structures. “Instead of dismantling the systemic violence of housing apartheid, you seek to criminalise poverty and legitimatise…

27 Mar

Dr Luvindao’s surprise visit exposes reality at Katutura health center

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Niël Terblanché Dr Esperance Luvindao, the minister of health and social services, made an unannounced visit to the Katutura Health Centre on Thursday morning. In a video clip posted on the social media platforms of the health ministry, the minister said that the visit was aimed at gaining a clear view of conditions on the ground. Luvindao added that the purpose of the visit was to engage directly with patients and healthcare staff. “The goal was to come without prior notice. We want to hear what people are saying on the ground. There is no need to provide prior notice…

27 Mar

Fuel shortages persist at tourist destinations run by NWR

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Niël Terblanché While Erica Shafudah, the finance minister, delivered her maiden national budget speech in the National Assembly, visitors to some of the country’s premier tourist destinations continued to face fuel shortages that have remained unresolved at several sites run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). Nelson Ashipala, the spokesperson for NWR, in a statement on Thursday, confirmed that the situation at Halali Camp in Etosha National Park remains unchanged. “As for now, all booked-in clients will be accommodated at Okaukuejo and Namutoni until the situation is resolved,” he said. He added that no additional costs would be incurred by affected…

27 Mar

Media and civil society to drive green economy oversight

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Herrta-Maria Amutenya Media and civil society will play a key role in monitoring Namibia’s transition to a green economy under a new initiative called the Eco Dialogue Collective. The project, funded by the European Union and German Development Cooperation, will run from 2025 to 2027. It aims to improve transparency and accountability in managing natural resources such as green hydrogen, oil, and gas. Peter Limbourg, Director General of Deutsche Welle (DW), said the project goes beyond sharing facts. “Namibia has an abundance of natural resources and precious ecosystems that need protection. But it also faces the effects of climate change…

27 Mar

CoW gears up for AUSC Region 5 Youth Games

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Erasmus Shalihaxwe The City of Windhoek (CoW) is preparing to host the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games in July 2025, with organisers ensuring that all stadiums and training venues will be ready in time for the event. Ndeulipulua Hamutumwa, Chairperson of the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games Organising Committee, said on Wednesday that Namibia is on track with preparations to welcome more than 2,500 athletes and officials from 10 countries. The games will take place from 4 to 13 July 2025. Participating countries include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.…

27 Mar

GIPF addresses gaps in investment landscape

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Niël Terblanché The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) convened a two-day Private Markets Investment Industry Workshop in Windhoek from 24 to 25 March 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s unlisted investment landscape by addressing key gaps in capacity and execution. The event brought together participants from legal and audit firms, the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA), fund managers, board members from the GIPF and other pension funds, directors of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), institutional investors, and representatives from the local investor community. Sara Mezui-Engo, the manager of alternative investments at the GIPF, said in a statement on Thursday that…

27 Mar

Like two phoenixes rising from the ashes, president Nandi-Ndaitwah And Prime Minister Ngurare’s new beginning and mantra of “It Will Not Be Business As Usual” and “To Make Namibia The Best Place For One To Live In”

info_e12wt4csOpinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE In one of my articles published online in the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday, 18 March 2025, I attempted to advise President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to adopt a three-pronged strategy in order to achieve economic transformation. In that article I said the key priorities should be: 1- Restructuring and reducing the Cabinet to enhance operational efficiency and accountability; 2-Prioritizing quality over quantity by selecting competent, results-driven individuals for leadership positions and 3- Eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies to ensure that decision-making and implementation processes are streamlined. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wasted no time in stamping her authority on the country’s Executive branch…