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Mallex Shipanga The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is facing criticism for its lack of communication with the public following the recent elections. The commission has called on the nation to report any irregularities around the election and the ongoing ballot counting, but there does seem to be an avenue to direct such issues. Calls to the ECN's office at contact number +264 61 376 200 frequently go unanswered. Questions sent to the ECN’s spokesperson Dewet Silika also remain unanswered. The Windhoek Observer wanted to know if the ECN has a hotline number where the public can direct its complaints…

Allexer Namundjembo and Martin Endjala Several opposition political parties in Namibia have raised concerns about the credibility of recent elections, alleging irregularities and accusing the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) of failing to ensure a free and fair process. However, many are holding back on decisive actions until after the official announcement of results. National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Martin Lukato stated that his party’s course of action will depend on the announcement of the final election results. “We cannot tell if we will accept the results now, as we are waiting for the official announcement of the election outcome.…

Moses Magadza and Hertta-Maria Amutenya The secretary general of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) has underscored the need for a rights-based approach in the global response to HIV and AIDS. As the world celebrated World AIDS Day on 1 December, Boemo Sekgoma, the secretary general of SADC PF, released a statement with the theme, "Take the rights path: my health, my right!" SADC PF Secretary-General Boemo Sekgoma reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to advocating for the rights of people living with HIV. Sekgoma stressed the urgency of addressing the inequalities faced by vulnerable populations, including sex workers,…

Corruption Watch Have you ever heard of the notion that “Corruption is a victimless crime”? This is something that corrupt people, and their supporters, would like us to believe. Even our own Jacob Zuma is reported to have said it. The truth, however, is that the victims of corruption are TNTC – a microbiological term meaning too numerous to count. They are ordinary people, vulnerable people, many of them driven to poverty or kept in poverty because of eroded quality of life, poor service delivery, human rights violations, lack of development, no employment, absence of the rule of law, and…

Martin Endjala & Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)'s decision to maintain radio silence amid a crisis of their own making has compounded fears of a sham election. Since Tuesday, the ECN has been unresponsive to questions from political parties and the media about logistics around the elections. On Thursday, opposition political parties, led by Christine !Aochamus, the national secretary general of the Independent Patriots of Change (IPC), held a media conference at the ECN headquarters to express their frustration with the ECN's silence regarding the issues on the ground. “Why is ECN not speaking to us? Why…

Martin Endjala The Namibia Competition Commission (NACC) has fined Choppies Supermarket Namibia Pty Ltd N$2.2 million for implementing a merger without its approval. According to an investigation by NaCC, Choppies entered into a settlement agreement with Johannes Jacobus De Jager trading as Grootfontein Supermarket and Grootfontein Bottle Store a transaction amounting to a merger without the prior approval. Choppies and Grootfontein Supermarket and Grootfontein Bottle Store entered into a memorandum of agreement on 12 May 2022 and 19 May 2022. Dina //Gowases, the NaCC corporate communications practitioner, confirmed this on Thursday in a statement. “The merger falls within the prescribed…

Niël Terblanché The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) on Thursday announced the disbursement of over N$118 million in tax refunds. According to Martin Inkumbi, the chief executive officer of the fund, the payments at the end of this month aim to benefit 24 173 qualifying annuitants, including pensioners, spousal and child beneficiaries. Inkumbi stated that the refunds are the result of recalculations based on revised tax tables. He added that these recalculations compare the tax members paid throughout the year with what they would owe under the updated structure. “The difference has enabled refunds ranging from less than N$1 to…