Blog – Page 49 – Windhoek Observer

16 Oct

SA lists three new government bonds

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira South Africa, where Namibian asset managers and pension funds have major investments, has listed three new government bonds. The National Treasury announced the listing of the R010, R187, and R188 fixed-rate bonds on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) following the decision to split the R186 bond into three separate maturities. The listing took effect on 15 October 2025. It is part of the Split Option first announced on 8 February 2024, which allows holders of the R186 (10.50%) 2025/26/27 bond to voluntarily divide their holdings into three shorter-term instruments until 11 December 2025, before the first maturity date…

16 Oct

Vision without action is a mirage

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

General (Rtd) Denga Ndaitwah’s recent public lecture at the University of Namibia’s School of Military Science was not just a reflection on leadership; it was a sober call to national reality. With characteristic clarity and discipline, Namibia’s First Gentleman and former Chief of the Namibian Defence Force reminded us of an uncomfortable truth: Vision 2030 risks becoming a beautiful but empty academic document unless its ambitions are grounded in the lived realities of our people and implemented with unwavering commitment. A vision without a compass Vision 2030, unveiled two decades ago, remains one of the most aspirational national blueprints in…

15 Oct

ECN gives ballot printing tender to SA company again

Main

Allexer Namundjembo The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) will again pay a South African company, Uniprint Global, N$4.9 million to print ballot papers for the upcoming regional and local authorities elections. This comes after no local companies made it to the final bidding stage. The elections are scheduled for 26 November 2025. During the bidding process, ECN said seven local and five international companies purchased bid documents, but only four international companies submitted final bids. The bids ranged between N$4.9 million and N$8.3 million, including delivery costs. The open international bidding process started on 16 June and closed on 28…

15 Oct

Health workers face N$100k fine or jail for hiding mental patient abuse

National News

Justicia Shipena Health workers who do not report suspected abuse of mentally ill patients could be fined up to N$100 000 or jailed for two years under the new Mental Health Bill. Health minister Esperance Luvindao presented the Bill in Parliament on Tuesday. It makes it a crime for any mental health worker who sees or suspects abuse and fails to report it to their supervisor, the head of the facility, and the review board. It seeks to regulate mental health care in Namibia and promote dignity, autonomy, and the human rights of people with mental health conditions. The bill…

15 Oct

‘It’s time to wake up’ on hydrogen dream — Alweendo

National News

Justicia Shipena Former mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo says RWE’s withdrawal from a non-binding offtake memorandum of understanding (MoU) should serve as a wake-up call for Namibia to re-evaluate its green hydrogen strategy. He said the exit by the German energy company highlights the need for Namibia to rebuild its hydrogen programme on firmer ground, focusing on domestic use before pursuing large-scale exports. “The global market is soft, timelines are slipping, and only a few projects worldwide are reaching final investment decisions. That tells us this is not the time for bravado, it’s time for phasing and bankability,” Alweendo…

15 Oct

Namport defends Walvis Bay port’s poor global ranking

National News

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has defended the performance of the Port of Walvis Bay after it ranked 376th out of 405 ports worldwide in the 2024 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI). The CPPI, published by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, measures how efficiently ports handle container vessels. Namport acknowledged the findings but said the results were influenced by global and regional challenges beyond its control. “While Namport acknowledges the findings of the report, it is important to note that the 2024 CPPI results were guided by global and regional factors that had a direct…

15 Oct

Namcor Trading sued Dunaiski months after her exit

National News

Staff Writer Namcor Trading and Distribution (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), sued its former commercial manager, Olivia Dunaiski, six months after she resigned, over an unpaid education loan of N$152,460.27. Court documents seen by the Windhoek Observer show that Namcor approached the High Court of Namibia to cancel the education loan agreement for financial assistance and recover the outstanding amount, with interest at 10.25% per annum from 10 October 2023, plus legal costs. The matter has since been settled. Dunaiski admitted owing the amount and agreed to repay it in monthly instalments of…

15 Oct

A quarter century of UNSCR 1325

Featured, Opinions

Selma Ashipala-Musavyi I remember vividly the corridors of the United Nations in October 2000. During Namibia’s leadership of the Security Council in October, I carried with me the conviction that the world needed to view conflict differently. We had emerged from our own liberation struggle, a struggle during which women were not only victims but also fighting side by side with our male combatants, leaders and even mediators. It was inconceivable to my colleagues and I, that women should remain marginalised in the Council's deliberations on peace and security. When Namibia proposed that women must be recognised not just as…

15 Oct

Langer Heinrich sold uranium worth N$635m in Q3

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Paladin Energy’s Langer Heinrich Mine sold 533 789 pounds of uranium oxide during the quarter ending 30 September at an average price of US$67.4 per pound. The sales generated about US$35.98 million, equivalent to roughly N$635 million. The company reported that a shipping delay affected sales volumes, resulting in a customer delivery after the quarter's end. It added that sales and prices depend on contract terms, payment conditions, and the timing of deliveries, which vary from quarter to quarter based on customer requirements. Mining activities at Langer Heinrich continued to ramp up during the period, focusing on drilling,…

15 Oct

Canal+ completes takeover of MultiChoice

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira French media company Groupe Canal+ has completed its takeover of MultiChoice Group Limited, marking the largest deal in the company's history. The merger creates one of the world’s biggest media and entertainment groups, with over 40 million subscribers across nearly 70 countries. The offer by Canal+ to acquire all outstanding shares in MultiChoice closed on 10 October, with 92.54% of shareholders accepting the N$125 per share cash offer. Combined with shares already held by Canal+, the company now owns 94.39% of MultiChoice’s total issued ordinary shares. Following the strong shareholder response, Canal+ announced that it will use section…