Windhoek Observer – Page 3 – Windhoek Observer

11 Dec

A nation at the threshold: Why Namibia’s eighth administration must turn intention into impact

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Namibia enters the close of 2025 with a sobering national truth: the age of endless planning has run its course. Citizens across the country, from Epukiro to Lüderitz, from Katutura to Arandis, have grown impatient with strategies that promise more than they deliver. For many, the question is no longer what the government intends to do, but when Namibians will finally feel the results. Against this backdrop, the two-day first cabinet retreat of the eighth Administration, which was held at NIPAM under the theme “Enhancing Policy Coordination, Governance and Service…

11 Dec

Women’s rights are human rights.

Editorial

On this year’s Human Rights Day, Namibians were reminded once again that the struggle for dignity, justice and equality remains unfinished. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah used her national address to place an uncompromising spotlight on one of the gravest human rights violations facing our society today: gender-based violence, especially violence against women. Her message was clear, emphatic and long overdue; Namibia cannot claim to uphold human rights while half its population lives under the daily shadow of fear. We applaud the President for her moral clarity. In choosing to frame Human Rights Day around the safety, dignity and liberation of women,…

09 Dec

Speaker’s husband loses bid to claim 50% share in Ondangwa property

National News

Justicia Shipena The Supreme Court says the property on which Oshoto Pension Hotel operates was never for northern businessman and husband to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Onesmus “Tona” Amadhila, to claim. The court ruled on Thursday that any rights to the land belonged to a close corporation (CC) and not to Amadhila. The ruling ends his attempt to undo the 2017 transfer of the erf to the son of his former business partner. The dispute dates back to an oral agreement Amadhila said he made with Tobias Mundjele in 2007. He said they agreed that erf 1784, extension…

09 Dec

NNN tasks ambassadors to secure investment for Namibia

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Seven newly appointed ambassadors have been tasked with securing the investments needed to advance the country's Vision 2030 targets in the remaining four years. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told them on Monday that their deployment is strategic and that their performance will be measured by clear gains in national development. The envoys are former Ohangwena governor Walde Natangwe Ndevashiya to Nigeria, former presidential press secretary Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari to Belgium, deputy auditor general Goms Menette to Zambia, agriculture ministry executive director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata to Ghana, former Swakopmund mayor Rosina //Hoabes to Japan, former member of parliament Weich Murcle Uapendura…

09 Dec

Former NYC board members drag Steenkamp to court

Uncategorised

Renthia Kaimbi Four former interim board members of the National Youth Council (NYC) have taken minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp to court, claiming she breached a settlement agreement by appointing a new interim board. The urgent application was filed last month and seeks to overturn the minister’s decision. The applicants, Hendrik Pandulomwene Theofilus, Vistoria Iita, Curtis Andrew and Serron Nghoshi, filed the case against 19 respondents, including the ministers of education and finance, the NYC and several former and current board members. They were appointed as interim board members by former minister of Sport,…

09 Dec

WBCG project manager quits after claiming toxic work environment

National News

Justicia Shipena Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) project officer Verna Tjivera has resigned after accusing senior management of sexual harassment, bullying and forcing her into constructive dismissal. In a letter dated 1 December 2025, seen by the Windhoek Observer and written by her lawyer Richard Metcalfe to acting chief executive officer Edward Shivute of WBCG, Tjivera detailed her allegations. She said she faced sexual harassment and “disgusting chauvinistic behaviour” from former CEO Hippy Tjivikua and logistics manager Gilbert Boois, creating an “odious toxic environment” that made it impossible for her to work. Tjivera said she first raised a formal grievance…

09 Dec

Family beach day outing ends in tragedy at Swakopmund

National News

Allexer Namundjembo A family day at the beach ended in tragedy on Sunday when one 12-year-old girl drowned at Platz am Meer beach in Swakopmund. Another 12-year-old girl nearly drowned and is recovering in hospital. Erongo regional police said the incident happened between 13h00 and 14h00 on Sunday. The police report for the weekend stated that the family had travelled from Walvis Bay to spend the day at the coast. “Preliminary information indicates that the two girls were in the company of their parents around the mall area before they proceeded to the beach. They were reportedly playing in the…

09 Dec

Labour Law course builds worker confidence

National News

Allexer Namundjembo The deputy executive director of the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, Aune Mudjanima, told labour law graduates that their qualifications strengthen workers’ ability to defend their rights and negotiate fair conditions in the workplace. She told graduates in Windhoek that a certificate in labour law equips them to take on meaningful roles in collective bargaining and worker representation. “This is a blueprint to progress, accredited at Level 4 by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA). You have been empowered to do collective bargaining and to advocate for workers’ rights. An educated worker is a stronger negotiator who ensures…

09 Dec

Tribute to Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, a pan-African legacy of courage, leadership and feminine strength

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) With solemn respect and heartfelt sorrow, we stand with the people of Ghana, with the Rawlings family, and with all Africans whose lives were touched by the extraordinary legacy of Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Her passing marks not only the departure of a former First Lady but also the transition of a woman whose presence redefined service, transformed communities, and left an imprint on the very trajectory of African social and political progress. As Ghana grants her the honour of a state funeral, our reflections extend far beyond her…

09 Dec

Namibia’s diplomacy must serve the nation, not factional interests

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s commissioning of seven new heads of mission signals an important moment for Namibia’s diplomatic future. The appointments, to Nigeria, Belgium, Zambia, Ghana, Japan, Egypt, and Zimbabwe, arrive at a time when the nation is recalibrating its foreign policy to centre economic diplomacy, investment attraction, and strategic global partnerships. The President’s message was clear and firm: these envoys must prioritise national development interests and project a credible Namibian profile to the world. The newly appointed ambassadors deserve sincere congratulations. Walde Natangwe Ndevashiya, Alfredo Tjirimo Hengari, Goms Menette, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, Rosina //Hoabes, Weich Murcle Uapendura Mupya, and David Thomas…