Blog – Page 5 – Windhoek Observer

19 Nov

Venaani reveals ‘secret’ Caprivi treason amnesty talks with Geingob

Main

Allexer Namundjembo Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani says he once petitioned former president Hage Geingob for the government to consider dropping charges against those convicted in the Caprivi treason case. He said he tried to open back-channel talks through Frans Kapofi when he was minister of presidential affairs to negotiate an amnesty, but the state did not show interest. Kapofi served as the minister of presidential affairs under Geingob’s administration from 2015 to 2018. “I attempted to initiate direct, silent talks between the government and former MP Geoffrey Mwilima. I spoke to president Geingob via the then-minister of…

19 Nov

!Gawaxab plans early exit from Bank of Namibia

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN), Johannes !Gawaxab, is allegedly planning to step down from his role. The Windhoek Observer understands that !Gawaxab informed vice president Lucia Witbooi and finance minister Ericah Shafudah that he intends to resign next month. The Windhoek Observer has learnt that !Gawaxab signalled his departure in recent days, but the exact reason for his decision remains unknown. He is set to resign a year before his contract ends. !Gawaxab was appointed in 2020 by former late president Hage Geingob. !Gawaxab was then reappointed in December 2021 for a second five-year term. …

19 Nov

Namfisa rejects claims of taking sides in Entrepo dispute

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) says it is not opposing Entrepo Finance’s court application and only stepped into the case to help the High Court understand the legal framework it oversees. The regulator made this point in its written submissions in the ongoing dispute between Entrepo and the minister of finance, Ericah Shafudah, over consumer protection rules in the microlending sector. Entrepo accused Namfisa of siding with the minister after the regulator filed an explanatory affidavit. Entrepo claimed that Namfisa was acting in support of the minister in its case against the company, but Namfisa dismissed…

19 Nov

Mine workers to buy Namitvest shares through salary deductions

National News

Justicia Shipena Mine workers at Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation will now be able to buy Namitvest shares through salary deductions. This follows the signing of a Payroll Deduction Agreement between the company and Namitvest this week. The deal allows Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN) members employed at the mine to purchase shares at a 50% discount and repay the cost through interest-free installments over 60 months. Workers will keep full ownership of the shares they have paid off even if they leave the mine. The agreement aims to enhance worker participation and expand access to investment opportunities in the…

19 Nov

High Court blocks bid to add Germany to genocide challenge

National News

Justicia Shipena The High Court ruled on Tuesday that Germany will not be joined as a respondent in the case challenging the 2021 joint declaration between Namibia and Germany on the 1904 to 1908 Ovaherero and Nama genocide. The court also rejected a request to serve Namibian court documents on Germany in Germany, saying it has no jurisdiction to do so. The Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, ten Nama traditional authorities, and the LPM are challenging the case. They argue that the declaration violates the rights of genocide descendants and ignores a 2006 parliamentary…

19 Nov

New committee to oversee seal management and trade

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Namibia has launched the seals subsector technical committee to guide the development of an ethical and sustainable seal industry. The move follows a theft of seal genitals valued at N$1 million at a Henties Bay processing factory that exposed the strong demand for seal products. Thieves stole 696 pieces of bull seal genitals and 2 225 smaller pieces were taken. The new committee will operate for three years under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform. Its task is to build a responsible seal subsector that supports economic growth. The ministry's executive director, Teofilus Nghitila, said…

19 Nov

Africa bears brunt of rising conflict-driven hunger, FAO warns

National News

Justicia Shipena Africa is bearing the greatest burden of conflict-driven hunger, the United Nations (UN) Security Council heard at its high-level debate on food insecurity in New York on Monday. FAO chief economist Máximo Torero said the continent accounts for nearly half of the world’s undernourished population and is at the centre of a worsening hunger-conflict crisis. Torero said 307 million Africans lack sufficient food out of 673 million hungry people globally. He said these numbers represent children whose growth is stunted, families forced to leave their homes and countries under strain. He told the council that hunger has become…

19 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | GIPF: It’s déjà vu all over again

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Once again, Namibia finds itself staring into a familiar abyss, an abyss carved by misjudged investments, blurred oversight, and a dangerous institutional culture of “explanations without consequences”. The revelation that the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has impaired a staggering N$815 million through its exposure to the South African-based Signal Structured Finance Fund (SSFF) is not just another line item in an audit report. It is a reminder of past failures, a warning of present vulnerabilities, and a test of our collective commitment to accountability. For many Namibians, particularly pensioners whose livelihoods depend on the prudent stewardship of their savings,…

19 Nov

New SA inflation target expected to lower prices in Namibia

Uncategorised

Chamwe Kaira The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has welcomed South Africa’s new inflation target, announced on 12 November, which lowers the previous 3 to 6% range to 3% with a 1% tolerance band. Director of strategic communications and international relations, Kazembire Zemburuka, said the decision will affect Namibia as a member of the common monetary area (CMA). He said the lower target is expected to lead to lower inflation and a reduction in interest rates in South Africa over the medium to long term. He said BoN's analysis shows that a 3% target in South Africa will result in low…

19 Nov

Nedbank names new energy leader to its board

Energy, Observer Money

Staff Writer Nedbank Group has appointed energy executive George Njenga to the boards of Nedbank Group and Nedbank Limited as an independent non-executive director, effective 1 December 2025. He will also join the bank’s Sustainability and Climate Resilience Committee. Njenga has more than 30 years of experience in renewable energy, power generation, and large infrastructure projects across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He is the executive chairman of Lake Turkana Wind Power, Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest wind energy project. He has also served as CEO of A.P. Moller Capital’s East Africa platform and led GE Renewable Energy’s Grid and Hydro…