Windhoek Observer

Niël Terblanché The current chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), President João Lourenço of Angola, launched a regional humanitarian appeal of at least US$5.5 billion aimed at supporting more than 61 million people affected by the El Niño-induced droughts and floods across the region. The appeal seeks to mobilise resources from national, regional, and international partners in response to the devastating impacts of the El Niño phenomenon. The plan was unveiled during an extraordinary virtual summit of Heads of State and Government, targeting the augmentation of domestic resources in the affected SADC Member States. In his statement, Lourenço…

Niël Terblanché The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has firmly denied claims circulating on social media regarding alleged corruption in the recruitment process for registration and polling officials for the 2024 General Registration of Voters (GRV) and the upcoming November elections. Peter Shaama, the ECN’s Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer, in a statement, addressed the allegations He stressed that the recruitment process adheres strictly to established policies and procedures, in line with the 2024 Electoral Calendar. "The Commission refutes misleading social media posts by a political activist alleging corruption in the recruitment process of registration and polling officials for the…

Niël Terblanché In a significant move that promises financial relief for Namibian citizens and businesses, the government is nearing the implementation of the tax reduction and refund measures announced during the tabling of the 2024–2025 National Budget. These measures are currently with the legal drafters and are expected to become law by October. During his presentation of the National Budget in Parliament at the end of February, the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi, revealed that salary earners would soon pay less tax. During a discussion at the Government Information Centre on Monday, Shiimi provided further updates, stressing…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Veiko Nekundi said the article published by a local daily newspaper quoting him that he wants to see the political graves of opposition leaders is a cooked story. Nekundi is reported to have said that he wants to see the democratic burial of the Independent Patriots for Change’s leader, Panduleni Itula and that of the Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani. He was speaking during a Swapo rally at the Emono village in the Oshana Region, where he allegedly informed the crowd that they should ensure that when the November…

Martin Endjala The professional and danger allowances of aircraft technicians serving in the Namibian Airforce have been stopped without any justification. For lower-ranking airforce technicians, professional allowances start at N$1,800, and danger allowances start at N$1,090. The cessation of allowance payments has affected many members, especially those with houses and vehicles purchased with the aid of bank loans. On Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Lieutenant Colonel Petrus Shilumbu confirmed that the payment of allowances was stopped for some members. “The deduction was done automatically by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises. The Ministry…

Niël Terblanché Calle Schlettwein, Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, called for a change in priority setting for funding to address the world's water and sanitation challenges He addressed the 10th World Water Forum, highlighting Africa's commitment to water supply and sanitation amid severe drought challenges. The minister stressed the continent's alignment with continental and global agreements, such as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), despite facing significant implementation challenges. During the High-Level Panel discussion on Water Investment for Africa, Minister Schlettwein raised concerns about Namibia's severe drought situation. He said that the current water…

Niël Terblanché Namibia's Drought Relief Programme has a shortfall of approximately N$482 million and will need help from outside the borders to bridge the funding gap. President Nangolo Mbumba, in his address to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit, which was convened virtually on Monday to discuss the El Niño-induced drought and floods affecting member states, appealed for assistance from member states, bilateral, and international stakeholders to bridge the gap. According to the president, Namibia's drought relief program will cost a total of about N$1.3 billion. “So far, the government has allocated N$825 million, leaving a considerable deficit,”…

Stefanus Nashama The Office of the Prime Minister has noted a sharp increase in the number of households registered to benefit from the drought relief food programme. According to I-Ben Nashandi, the executive director at the Office of the Prime Minister, the drought relief food programme, based on the vulnerability assessment, was originally intended for 172,252 households. “The estimated number of households as per the vulnerability assessment was 172,252 households. But currently, registered beneficiaries' households are over 331,009,” he said. He stated that all 14 regions are entitled to benefit from the drought relief food programme. Nashandi explained that the…