Blog – Page 34 – Windhoek Observer

24 Feb

Beyond the budget statement

Observer Money

Mally Likukela Minister of Finance, Hon. Erica Shafuda announced last week that she will present the national Budget 2026-27 on Thursday, February 26. Understanding the budget speech First and foremost, citizens must understand that the budget statement is not “The Budget” as is commonly known, but it is just one of the documents in a set of several other documents that the Minister presents (or tables) to Parliament. The Budget Speech together with other documents is aimed to explain the Government’s plan for revenue, spending, borrowing and taxation down to the last dollar. Structure of the budget speech To be…

24 Feb

Old Mutual appoints Pieter Moller to lead broker distribution

Observer Money

Staff Writer Old Mutual has appointed Pieter Moller as head of broker distribution within its personal finance business. His appointment takes effect on 1 March 2026. Moller has experience across the financial services sector. His career includes roles in distribution leadership, business development, strategic partnerships and operations. He previously held senior positions at Old Mutual, including head of distribution: retail mass market, chief operating officer and head of business development at Old Mutual Investment Group Namibia, and retail advice centre manager. He holds a BA (Law), an LLB and an MBA. He has also completed executive programmes in management and…

24 Feb

SPAR faces larger SAP claim as sales rise 2.1%

Observer Money

Staff Writer SPAR Group Limited has confirmed it has been served with a summons linked to alleged claims arising from the SAP implementation at its KwaZulu-Natal distribution centre. The amount claimed now exceeds the initial R5 million. The group said most affected KZN retailers have reached amicable settlements, and service levels at the distribution centre have stabilised. SPAR has revised its SAP rollout strategy. It will now focus on capability enablement instead of distribution centre integration. During the current financial year, the finance function will move to a single SAP environment with one unified chart of accounts. For the 18…

23 Feb

Steenkamp probes former NYC director over N$125k debt

Main, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp has intervened in a dispute involving former National Youth Council (NYC) director Calista Schwartz-Gowases over an alleged debt of more than N$125 000. The Windhoek Observer understands that the matter relates to transactions dating back to 2021 and forms part of a broader review of the office of the director. Schwartz-Gowases’ contract ended on 13 December 2025 after she was informed in July that it would not be renewed. Before her departure, concerns had already been raised about approved international trips and a planned trip that overlapped…

23 Feb

Court directs Sankwasa to revisit Outjo CEO appointment

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The High Court has set aside former minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni’s refusal to approve Tiofilia Jentzsch’s appointment as chief executive officer of the municipality of Outjo. The court then ordered his [Uutoni’s] successor, James Sankwasa, to reconsider the matter within 60 days. On 18 February, High Court judge Andrew Corbett ruled that Uutoni’s decision made in March 2024 was not properly handled and did not follow the correct procedures. He said the decision was not reasonable, had no proper justification, and failed to meet the constitutional requirements for fair administrative action. Jentzsch, who served…

23 Feb

IG tells police officers to patrol on foot

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Inspector general Joseph Shikongo has ordered police officers in Katima Mulilo and across the Zambezi region to respond to community callouts on foot even when no vehicles are available. Shikongo said the shortage of vehicles must no longer be used as a reason for failing to attend to public complaints. “Seventy vehicles should be available to assist. The issue of telling the community that there are no cars must come to an end. I do not want to hear about it again,” Shikongo said while addressing police officers in Katima Mulilo last week. However, he acknowledged that 27…

23 Feb

Govt confident RCC can recover within five years

National News

Justicia Shipena Government says it remains confident that the Roads Contractor Company (RCC) can recover and become a strong national asset within the next three to five years. Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi said this in Parliament on Thursday while responding to questions from Independence Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Nelson Kalangula on RCC’s operational mandate and financial health. Nekundi said the government has reviewed the company’s turnaround strategy and believes the plan can work. "The government is still confident that there is hope to turn around the company within the next three to five years. It…

23 Feb

ACC hunts three more suspects in NDF corruption scheme

National News

A corruption scheme within the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) resulted in a financial loss of approximately N$179 508.91. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) revealed this after it arrested Michael Nehemia and Fransiskus Ndatoolewe Sheehama, both members of the NDF who are currently on suspension. The arrests relate to alleged corrupt activities that took place between November 2019 and February 2020. According to the ACC’s interim spokesperson Marina Matundu on Friday, the scheme involved fraudulent payments to a civilian company, Lifeline Body Workshop and Car Sales, for vehicle repairs and services that were never carried out. The ACC also alleges that inflated…

23 Feb

IPC’s moral posturing meets the test of power.

Editorial, Featured

Namibians deserve consistency from those who seek to lead them. They deserve principle anchored in action, not rhetoric that evaporates at the first touch of reality. The unfolding controversy around the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and its newly installed leader of the official opposition, Immanuel “Imms” Nashinge, is not merely about a vehicle. It is about credibility. It is about whether populist indignation survives contact with responsibility. For years, IPC leader Dr Panduleni Itula has built political capital on righteous outrage. He has lambasted presidential salaries as excessive. He has condemned parliamentary salary increases as unjustifiable in a country…

23 Feb

Tourism revenue expected to stay above N$3.5 billion

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Tourism revenue is expected to remain above N$3.5 billion in 2026 as Namibia strengthens its premium, experience-driven positioning in global travel markets, according to the Simonis Storm economic outlook for 2026. The report says the services sector continues to provide stability, with growth of around 4%, supported in part by the resilience of tourism. Namibia’s economy is entering 2026 in a different position from the immediate post-shock recovery years. The focus has shifted from rebound to consolidation, as policymakers and investors navigate a more stable but constrained growth environment. Headline projections from the Bank of Namibia, the IMF…