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School grant policy finalised

School grant policy finalised

Allexer Namundjembo The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has finalised the School Grant Policy. Education Minister Anna Nghipondoka presented the policy in parliament on Tuesday. Nghipondoka said the ministry conducted national and regional consultations between December 2019 and February 2020 to inform the public on the development of a funding model.  “This consultation process resulted in the development of the School Grant Policy, the aim of which is to reduce existing inequities through an efficient and equitable funding mechanism that ensures that schools and their learners, from different socio-economic backgrounds, access the adequate resources required to participate fully in…
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Defence ministry prepares for Nujoma’s funeral

Defence ministry prepares for Nujoma’s funeral

Allexer Namundjembo and Stefanus Nashama  The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs has announced its preparedness to conduct the funeral proceedings for the late Founding President, Sam Nujoma, without seeking assistance from neighbouring countries. Defence minister, Frans Kapofi said this with reference to the funeral last year of President Hage Geingob during an interview with One Africa TV on Monday. “We don’t foresee making the same request as last year with regard to seeking assistance from neighbouring countries. I think we should be able to do it within the means we have. We will not approach people to help us…
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Flood observed in Oshana and Omusati regions

Flood observed in Oshana and Omusati regions

Stefanus Nashama Floodwaters have been detected in parts of the Oshana and Omusati regions, particularly in the western Cuvelai areas.  Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango confirmed this on Tuesday, attributing the flows to heavy rainfall. "The active flows of water are observed at the Western part of the Cuvelai in Onekehe, Okalongo, Onembamba, Okanwa, Epoko of the Ogongo stream, and Onelago of the Western Outapi. This indicates flooding, and people are fishing in those areas,” he said. Despite the flooding in these areas, Hango noted that the Oshigambo River, Engela, Shanalumono, and Ohaingu streams are not currently experiencing active water flows.…
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Children venture into entrepreneurship to fund school activities

Children venture into entrepreneurship to fund school activities

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Learners are increasingly creating their own small business ventures to raise funds for their school activities. Some of these children offer services such as cleaning to meet their financial needs. In Swakopmund, 14-year-old Charlton Stefanus from Swakopmund has taken an entrepreneurial approach to raise funds for his school’s Entrepreneurship Day by offering dustbin cleaning services to the community.  His mother, Justina Nauyoma, expressed pride in his determination. “The fact that he is thinking of that at his age and decided to continue even after he reached his target for the entrepreneur task from school makes me extremely proud.…
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Experts call for enactment of Cybercrime Bill

Experts call for enactment of Cybercrime Bill

Ester Mbathera  In 2024, Namibia experienced approximately 1.1 million cyber attack incidents, notably a significant breach at Telecom Namibia, where 626GB of sensitive data was exposed. A fraud examiner, Melanie Meiring from SoA Growth & Integrity Consulting, in a statement shared recently, said cyber threats are no longer a distant concern for the country.  “They are happening right now, and at an alarming rate,” she said.  These cyber incidents target businesses, government entities, and individuals, and they involve fraud, phishing scams, and ransomware attacks. Despite the rising threats, Namibia has yet to enact the Cybercrime Bill or the Data Protection…
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Speaker calls for economic self-sufficiency as SADC PF trade training gets underway

Speaker calls for economic self-sufficiency as SADC PF trade training gets underway

Moses Magadza The Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has urged African nations to move towards economic self-sufficiency by leveraging the continent’s vast natural and human resources. Keorapetse, Southern Africa’s youngest ever Speaker at the age of 42, made the call at the official opening of an online training workshop on trade-related issues, jointly organised by the Trade and Law Centre (TRALAC) and the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with support from SIDA. He stressed the importance of regional integration and intra-African trade. Hon Keorapetse said Africa had untapped economic potential and urged SADC member states to fully…
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Namibia host Trialogue to address challenges with invasive alien species

Namibia host Trialogue to address challenges with invasive alien species

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT brought together biodiversity policymakers, scientists, and Indigenous community representatives from six countries to address the pressing challenges of invasive alien species (IAS) and sustainable wildlife use (SU). The ministry is currently hosting the BES-Net Regional Trialogue for East and Southern Africa. The environment ministry’s executive director, Teofilus Nghitila, during the official opening of the Trialogue in Windhoek, stressed the importance of proactive intervention in tackling invasive species. “Invasive alien species are among the top drivers of biodiversity loss globally, with wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human well-being. At the…
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Tura Magic Netball Club seeks new talent

Tura Magic Netball Club seeks new talent

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Tura Magic Netball Club is looking for netball players who wish to join the team to attend trials at the Eros Primary School in Windhoek. The club’s head coach, Klaudia Mbeeli, said the team is preparing for the upcoming season and wishes to recruit 15 new and old netball players to achieve its goal of competing at the high level. The team is currently competing in the Khomas second division, where they finished fifth in the last season.  “We aim to achieve 1st or 2nd position so that we are promoted to 1st division and then proceed to…
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NAMCOR strikes more hydrocarbons offshore

NAMCOR strikes more hydrocarbons offshore

Niël Terblanché The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) announced the presence of hydrocarbons in the Sagittarius-1X exploration well, drilled offshore in the Orange Basin. In a statement, issued on Monday, NAMCOR’s executive for upstream exploration, Victoria Sibeya said the Drilling operations commenced on 18 December 2024, in partnership with Rhino Resources (42.5%, operator), Azule Energy (42.5%), NAMCOR (10%), and Korres (5%). Using the Noble Venturer drillship, the well reached its final depth on 6 February. She indicated that the drilling was targeting upper cretaceous reservoirs. “The well successfully encountered a hydrocarbon-bearing formation with no observed water contact,” she said…
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Analysts question SWAPO’s democratic commitment

Analysts question SWAPO’s democratic commitment

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Swapo’s decision to endorse Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the sole candidate for the party presidency while freezing the vice president position until 2027 has raised concerns about internal democracy and leadership succession. Analysts argue that the move suggests a controlled leadership process rather than an open contest, questioning the party’s commitment to democratic principles. Former Swapo Think Tank member and political commentator, Ben Mulongeni criticised the decision, saying it contradicts the principles of democracy.  “Endorsement is not a democratic thing. People know what the constitution says, and the rules state that there must be elections because positions…
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