Windhoek Observer

Renthia Kaimbi The High Court has directed finance minister Ericah Shafudah not to interfere with the loading of new deductions onto the government’s payroll deductions management system (PDMS).  The order, issued by High Court deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo on Friday, blocks the ministry’s plan to stop all new deductions on the system. Prinsloo granted permission for the PDMS to continue its operations until the hearing of the review application on 6 March 2026. The decision does not prevent the government from taking over the system later. The finance ministry plans to discontinue the use of deduction codes that allow…

Justicia Shipena The opposition parties needed just one more seat to regain control of the Windhoek Municipal Council.  Instead, Swapo’s majority has closed the door on any chance of an opposition-led coalition for the next term. Swapo secured eight seats in the 2025 local authority elections, giving the party a clear majority and the power to steer the council without relying on other parties. Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) won three seats, while Affirmative Repositioning (AR), Landless People's Movement (LPM), Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and United Democratic Front (UDF) each secured one seat. Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah said the numbers…

Renthia Kaimbi A series of painful events has struck the office of urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa, ending in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of his designated driver and bodyguard. The chain of events began last month when Sankwasa’s official vehicle was broken into and his mobile phones were stolen. The incident raised concerns about security around Sankwasa. Soon after, grief hit his personal assistant, whose son died by suicide. The child was buried last weekend. The most severe tragedy occurred on Friday evening. After dropping Sankwasa at his residence, his driver, 50-year-old Lukas Nangolo, and…

Renthia Kaimbi Kelp Blue Namibia’s managing director, Fabian Shaanika, will leave the company at the end of this month.  His departure comes as the company continues its legal battle to register its seaweed-based fertiliser for sale in Namibia, a process that has been delayed since 2021. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) refused to register the product, citing missing documents such as a certificate of analysis from an accredited lab and a safety data sheet.  Kelp Blue has challenged this decision in court, arguing that the ministry’s refusal is “unlawful, irrational and a breach of the…

Justicia Shipena Namibia has called for the crimes of colonialism in Africa to be formally recognised under international law.  The government says justice and reparations are long overdue. The appeal was delivered by international relations and trade minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi during the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa on Sunday. The conference is taking place in Algiers, Algeria, under the theme Towards Redressing Historical Injustices Through the Criminalisation of Colonialism.  Ashipala-Musavyi said the meeting carries symbolic significance because Algeria has long been a pillar of anti-colonial solidarity. She said Namibia’s own history of resistance to colonial rule…