Observer

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Swakopmund municipality has announced a donation of five erven, collectively valued at N$338 000, to first-time homeowners listed on the town’s Master Waiting List. The council decided to provide residents with affordable land under the 40/40 (Credit-Link) Housing Project on October 8. The erven are located in Extensions 6 and 7 of Matutura and collectively cover 1 877 square metres, with individual values ranging from N$64 000 to N$70 000. Linda Mupupa, a spokesperson for Swakopmund, explained that the original servicing of these units with government funds under the Mass Housing Project made the donation possible. “The…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), McHenry Venaani has pledged to construct desalination plants along Namibia's coast if his party is voted into power. Speaking at a rally in Walvis Bay over the weekend, Venaani emphasised the urgency of addressing the country’s water crisis, which was exacerbated by the recent suspension of water extraction from the Hardap Dam due to drought. “This is a crisis that demands urgent action. I have seen the everyday hard-working Namibians at the forefront of being impacted by severe water shortages as I travel throughout Namibia. Communities are fighting to survive.…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ending 30 June 2023 flagged multiple financial irregularities at the Ondangwa Town Council. The report, presented by Auditor-General Junias Kandjeke, highlights several breaches of the Local Authorities Act and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Kandjeke noted that the council implemented a Subsistence and Travel Allowance Policy in September 2022 without the required approval from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, breaching the Local Authorities Act. According to the report, the council spent N$1.2 million on travel and accommodation between September 2022 and June 2023, without the requisite ministerial endorsement.…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Police detained a 24-year-old woman in Swakopmund on Thursday evening in connection with the death of a three-month-old baby. Ashley Mudimu, a Zimbabwean national, was wanted by the police following the discovery of her baby’s body, buried in a shallow grave near the naval base in Walvis Bay last week. She was arrested by undercover police officers, from whom she requested a lift to either Otjiwarongo or Windhoek, as she did not have money to pay for the journey. She was subsequently taken into custody. Mudimu’s apprehension came shortly after this appeal by the authorities to…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Swapo presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has dismissed comparisons between Namibia and Botswana's political landscapes. She made this statement over the weekend on her social media platforms, reassuring Swapo supporters not to be alarmed by the election results in neighbouring Botswana, where the opposition won by a significant margin. “The opposition in Botswana built a coalition aligned with the former President Ian Khama. The fight was between Masisi and Khama. None of that will happen in Namibia,’’ she said. According to Nandi-Ndaitwah, the opposition political parties in Namibia are fragmented like the wind of Alaska. In Botswana, the Umbrella…

Niël Terblanché The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Eenhana Town Council, launched a landmark project aimed at enhancing food security and urban greening. Through the Green Cities Initiative, the FAO handed over a nursery facility to the town council complete with gardening tools, 900 fruit tree seedlings, 490 forestry seedlings, and other essential resources valued at N$633134 on Friday. The Green Cities Initiative, introduced by the FAO in 2020, focuses on transforming urban and peri-urban areas worldwide into greener, healthier, and more resilient spaces. At the handover event, FAO Representative Dr Qingyun…