Windhoek Observer

Staff Writer  The Cuvelai Special Housing Scheme Fund was launched on 21 November 2025 in Keetmanshoop, marking the start of one of Namibia’s largest housing programmes.  The fund aims to build 100 000 affordable homes across the country within five years. The first phase targets 10 000 units, including 2 142 homes planned for Keetmanshoop. The scheme was created to help reduce the national housing backlog, estimated at between 300 000 and 500 000 units. It focuses on providing affordable homes to armed forces members, teachers, nurses, civil servants and informal sector workers. The deputy minister of urban and rural…

Renthia Kaimbi A raw water pump valued at about N$800 000 has disappeared from the raw water sewerage plant in Swakopmund.  The theft was discovered in August 2024 and remains under investigation after the council’s insurance claim was rejected. A report submitted to the management committee states that the stolen Grundfos pump weighed 1 490 kilograms and was removed from the plant at the corner of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Rakotoka Street.  Its size suggests that several people, using a crane and a truck, may have been involved. Triple One Investments CC, the contractor responsible for 24-hour security at the…

Justicia Shipena  The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it has done its part to educate voters to vote in the regional and local authority elections.  ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua said the commission carried out extensive civic and voter education in all constituencies ahead of the polls.  This comes after observations from Wednesday’s regional and local authority elections showed low voter turnout. “So I can say with confidence that we have done our part,” she said. Nghikembua said each constituency had a voter education officer working daily with communities. She said the Commission started with broader civic education and later…

Justicia Shipena The Office of the Ombudsman says Namibia has made little progress in tackling discrimination, tribalism and racism, despite clear recommendations made almost eight years ago.  The chief of office at the Ombudsman, Ingrid Husselmann, said public hearings held in 2017 produced a detailed report that outlined steps ministries should take to address discrimination and tribalism.  She said most of those steps remain untouched. “Unfortunately, not very many of those recommendations have been implemented,” Husselmann told the Windhoek Observer.  One of the key proposals was the development of legislation that would give people simple and informal access to remedies…

Renthia Kaimbi The government says it is ready to resume talks with the Magistrates and Judges Association of Namibia (MJAN) but will not simply accept the new demands made by magistrates. Justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel on Thursday said the magistrates have shifted from an agreement reached earlier. Immanuel said the government was close to implementing allowance adjustments approved by former finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi in October 2023 when the industrial action began.  He said the dispute arose after the MJAN introduced new demands that the government believes are completely out of line with the 2023 agreement.…

Justicia Shipena  A new agreement will see the office of the judiciary move its entire digital infrastructure onto Mobile Telecommunications Company's (MTC) cloud platform.  The agreement was signed on Thursday in Windhoek. This partnership positions MTC as the judiciary’s official digital partner for cloud hosting services. The agreement follows a procurement process that awarded MTC the contract to provide a comprehensive enterprise-grade cloud service to the judiciary.  The package includes virtual machines, cloud resources and an integrated digital environment designed to support the judiciary's growing operational needs. Speaking at the signing ceremony, deputy executive director in the office of the…