Blog

Presidency, ACC, Health Ministry worst at customer service

Presidency, ACC, Health Ministry worst at customer service

Renthia Kaimbi A customer service charter audit has placed the Office of the President, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services among the lowest-performing institutions in the 2024/2025 financial year. The audit, compiled by the Office of the Prime Minister, assessed 18 offices, ministries and agencies (OMAs) on customer service standards.  According to the document seen by the Windhoek Observer, only six institutions scored above 50%. The Ministry of Health and Social Services ranked last at 18th with 22%.  The Office of the President followed in 17th position with 25%.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries,…
Read More
Swapo at 66: Leaders warn of growing rifts

Swapo at 66: Leaders warn of growing rifts

Patience Makwele Swapo leaders say growing divisions could affect unity and preparations for the 2027 elective congress. The warning comes as the party marked its 66th anniversary on Sunday.  President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the party must focus on delivering results to meet public expectations. “The times have changed and so have the expectations of our people,” she said. She pointed to jobs, land, housing, healthcare and education as key priorities and urged the party to remain “alert, forward-looking and grounded in service delivery".  Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba urged unity and discipline within the party. “You must work in harmony and…
Read More
APRM Council to focus on youth and reforms

APRM Council to focus on youth and reforms

Justicia Shipena  Ambassador Wilfried Emvula will continue as chairperson of the National Governing Council of the African Peer Review Mechanism following the appointment of a new council in Namibia. The third National Governing Council was inaugurated at State House on Monday by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.  The council will serve a four-year term from February 2026 to January 2030. The council includes ambassador Elia Kaiyamo, Dr Betty Schroder, Professor Esau Kaakunga, Dr Roseta Nawases, Naita Hishoono, Rosemary Nalisa, Uhuru Dempers, Hakusembe Hakusembe and Salomo Hei. It will oversee governance processes, monitor standards and coordinate national programmes under the APRM.  It will also…
Read More
Telecom teams up with police to stop copper theft

Telecom teams up with police to stop copper theft

Allexer Namundjembo Telecom Namibia will work with the police to curb copper cable theft.  Telecom said copper theft has disrupted services across the country. Telecom chief executive officer Stanley Shanapinda said on Monday the company has launched the Penduka Project to increase patrols in high-risk areas such as Dorado and Wanaheda in Windhoek.  “We have received full commitment from the Office of the Inspector General in this regard. The root cause of copper theft is the scrap yards that are buying illegal copper and it must stop,” Shanapinda said. He said Telecom Namibia will support law enforcement efforts. “We know…
Read More
Lawyer questions if law benefits ordinary Namibians

Lawyer questions if law benefits ordinary Namibians

Staff Writer  South African advocate and senior counsel Muzi Sikhakhane has questioned whether ordinary Namibians are benefiting from the country’s legal and economic systems. Speaking at a public lecture in Windhoek last week, Sikhakhane said law cannot be treated as neutral or separate from politics, history and society.  He said justice must be understood within Africa’s history, especially the legacy of colonialism and apartheid. “A lawyer or judge emerges from a particular political history of the territory in which he or she practices,” Sikhakhane said. He said colonialism shaped legal systems across Africa and influenced how law is taught and…
Read More
Ministry dismisses ‘foreign truck driver’ recruitment claims

Ministry dismisses ‘foreign truck driver’ recruitment claims

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has dismissed social media claims that it plans to recruit foreign truck drivers.  On Friday, the ministry's executive director, Nghidinua Daniel, in a notice rejected a WhatsApp voice message claiming the ministry intended to hire 39 truck drivers from Zimbabwe and invite applications from Namibians. “The ministry categorically states that these allegations are entirely false, unfounded, and without any official basis,” said Daniel.  “At no point now or in the future does the ministry intend to recruit foreign nationals as truck drivers.” Daniel said the message is misleading and…
Read More
Fossil fuels driving up costs worldwide

Fossil fuels driving up costs worldwide

Allexer Namundjembo  United Nations (UN) climate change executive secretary Simon Stiell says global reliance on fossil fuels is driving rising costs and economic instability. He said dependence on oil and gas is exposing economies to repeated shocks. “Fossil fuels are driving a cost crisis for households, businesses and nations. Clean energy is the cure,” Stiell said on Monday.  He pointed to conflict in the Middle East as an example of the risks, saying it is disrupting energy markets and pushing up prices. “War in the Middle East has exposed a brutal truth: fossil fuel dependency undermines countries’ sovereignty and security,…
Read More

Swapo at 66: A liberation giant adrift without a compass

At 66, the Swapo Party should be basking in the confidence of a movement that not only delivered independence but also successfully reinvented itself into a modern, ideologically coherent political force. Instead, what we see is something far more troubling: a party that appears to have lost its intellectual compass, its ideological clarity, and, perhaps most dangerously, its sense of purpose. This is not a casual observation. It is a diagnosis. The anniversary message delivered by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is, on the surface, everything one would expect: reverent, reflective, and heavy with historical gratitude. It pays homage to giants like…
Read More
Andrada secures N$200 million to drive expansion 

Andrada secures N$200 million to drive expansion 

Chamwe Kaira  Andrada Mining Limited has raised about US$11 million (approximately N$200 million) through a private placement to support its expansion plans in Namibia. The company, listed on the Namibian Securities Exchange (NSX) under the code ATM, issued well over 226 million new ordinary shares at 3.6 pence per share to investors. Zeus Capital Limited and H&P Advisory Limited acted as joint bookrunners for the transaction. Andrada, which operates in Uis in the Erongo region, said the funding comes as it moves to expand operations and take advantage of current commodity prices. Andrada chief executive officer Anthony Viljoen said the…
Read More
Feasibility study for Trans-Kalahari Railway on track

Feasibility study for Trans-Kalahari Railway on track

Chamwe Kaira  The feasibility study for the Trans-Kalahari Railway is expected to be completed by June 2026. The construction of the railway is planned to start around 2027. In December last year, Namibia and Botswana extended the completion timeline for the Trans-Kalahari Railway feasibility study by two months.  They said the project remains on track and is central to regional trade and logistics ambitions. The Trans-Kalahari Railway is a proposed 1 500-kilometre line linking coalfields and mineral areas in Botswana, including Mmamabula, to the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia.  The project is estimated to cost more than US$16 billion.…
Read More
No widgets found. Go to Widget page and add the widget in Offcanvas Sidebar Widget Area.