Windhoek Observer

Moses Magadza The Second Meeting of the Southern Africa Regional Parliamentarians’ Forum on Climate Change ended last week in Namibia with calls for stronger climate action and accountability. The meeting brought together chairpersons and members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Environment, Climate Change, Agriculture, and Natural Resources from 12 Southern African countries from July 31 to August 2, 2024. The theme was “Strengthening Oversights in Climate Action Accountability and Reporting.” Building upon the outcomes of the first meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana, in September 2023, it gathered parliamentarians to solidify their commitment to climate action through enhanced oversight, accountability,…

Herrta- Maria Amutenya The High Court of Namibia dismissed a civil case brought by a former employee of Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) against 14 respondents. Joseph Nakalemo filed the case on 26 May 2023. The case involved allegations of conspiracy, criminal charges, and claims of corruption and misconduct against the respondents. Nakalemo in his 81-page heads of argument named various respondents, including two MTC employees, Tim Ekandjo and Maria Kavari. He also named two legal practitioners, Florian Beukes and Jefta Tjitemisa, the police Inspector General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikong, Nampol Investigation Officer David Shavuka, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration,…

Niël Terblanché Neville Andre, the Governor of the Erongo Region, stressed the critical role of the media in the fight against corruption. During a briefing on the inner workings of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Swakopmund on Monday, he said that in a world where corruption is rampant and the unequal distribution of basic needs is the norm, the media can demand accountability and transparency from both the public and private sectors. “The media, particularly investigative journalism, plays a pivotal role in exposing corruption to public scrutiny and combating impunity,” he said. He cited the 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe A total of 1 065 applications were received and processed after the Khomas regional council office advertised that 14 farms with a total of twenty-four farming units were made available to the National Resettlement Programme. This was announced by Khomas regional governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua on Monday during a State of the Region address. “Out of the applications received, only two applicants were successfully allotted farming units for resettlement purposes,” she said. The regional council has also managed to acquire another farm during the 2023/2024 financial year for resettlement purposes. The farm is not yet advertised for allocation to…

Martin Endjala The Luderitz Town Council plans to construct an additional water reservoir to address the water demands of the town's inhabitants. The town’s mayor, Phillipus Balhao, said this on Monday during a telephone interview with the Windhoek Observer. Balhao said that the current water reservoir lacks the capacity to deal with the demand load, hence the need to construct an additional reservoir. This comes after the council received N$91 million from the central government via the national planning committee to upgrade and develop the town's infrastructure. “Basically, with that fund, our ambition is to prepare as much of the…

Niël Terblanché The United Nations has issued a strong appeal to the international community to assist Namibia, as nearly half of the country's population faces the devastating effects of the ongoing drought. The UN's call was reinforced during a recent visit to Namibia by Reena Ghelani, the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Climate Crisis Coordinator, who witnessed firsthand the harsh realities faced by communities in drought-stricken regions. According to a statement published by the UN, Ghelani described the situation as "deeply alarming" during her tour of Namibia. She observed that the drought has decimated crops and threatens livestock due to the…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Albert Kawana, has introduced the Regularisation of Status of Certain Residents of Namibia, their Descendants, and Foreign Spouses Bill. On Monday, the minister introduced the bill in the National Assembly with the goal of regulating the status of holders of South West Africa Identification Documents (SWA IDs), their descendants, and their foreign spouses who are unable to obtain Namibian citizenship under the current legislative framework. According to the minister, the bill provides for a process for these categories of people to acquire Namibian citizenship. “The Bill provides that SWA…