Featured – Page 9 – Windhoek Observer

07 Aug

YOUNG OBSERVER | Oshana Open breaks chess participation record

Featured, Latest

Eugenia Moche The Oshana Open has set a new benchmark for Namibian chess in the ninth leg of the 2026 Bank Windhoek Grand Prix Series, attracting a record 89 players to Oshana Gymnasium in Ongwediva last week Saturday, 1 August 2026. The turnout at the Oshana Open became the Bank Windhoek Grand Prix's largest event in the competition's history, surpassing previous participation figures recorded at the Swakopmund Open with 76 players, the Keetmanshoop Open with 66 players, and the Walvis Bay Open with 52 players. The milestone reflects the growing appeal of chess across the country, particularly in the northern…

06 Aug

OBSERVER COASTAL | Coastal trio secure spots in Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off finale

Featured, Latest

Staff Writer Three women from Namibia’s coastal region have cooked their way into the grand finale of the 2026 Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off competition, following a fiercely contested preliminary round held in Swakopmund on 1 August. Asnath Vetamunisa, Laura Egumbo and Meameno Ntinda emerged from a field of 31 contestants to claim their places at the final event, where they will compete for a prize package that includes a fully equipped mobile kapana kitchen valued at N$10,000, and a Bakpro voucher worth N$5,000. The competition, now in its twelfth year, takes grilled meat sold from informal stands across Namibia’s townships and…

06 Aug

OBSERVER COASTAL | Swakop Uranium Foundation injects N$500k into Gobabis care facilities

Featured, Latest

Staff Writer The Swakop Uranium Foundation has invested approximately N$500 000 to upgrade the Epako Old Age Home and the Light of the Children Kindergarten in Gobabis to boost community welfare in the Omaheke region. The official handover took place during a ceremony on 3 August 2026, attended by the governor of the Omaheke region, Pijoo Nganate, along with regional councillors, Swakop Uranium vice president John Moody, and Foundation chairperson Percy McCallum. The investment, which is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to sustainable development, has been channeled into critical infrastructure and equipment improvements aimed at enhancing the dignity and…

04 Aug

Leadership then and now: Are we moving in the right direction?

Featured, Opinions

This is the first article in the Heroes Dialogue series, a platform intended to provoke thoughtful national conversations rather than provide easy answers. Every nation benefits when its citizens are willing to ask difficult questions. Great countries are not built by agreement alone; they are built by debate, reflection and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. Every generation believes it stands at the most important crossroads in history.Namibia’s generation is no different. Thirty-six years after independence, the country finds itself confronting a question that is both uncomfortable and unavoidable: Are we building the Namibia we want? It is a question that demands more…

31 Jul

YOUNG OBSERVER | From hookah to hospital …young Namibian’s vaping addiction mirrors growing national concern

Featured

Patience Makwele What began as an innocent pastime during the Covid-19 lockdown became a dangerous addiction that a 27-year-old Namibian says almost claimed his life. For years, Petersen Timothy believed vaping was harmless. Today, after repeated hospital admissions and a serious lung condition, he is sharing his story in the hope that other young people will not follow the same path. The Young Observer has changed Petersen’s name to protect his identity. Petersen, who has lived with asthma since the age of six, said his introduction to smoking came in 2020 when Covid-19 restrictions left him spending most of his…

31 Jul

YOUNG OBSERVER | Digital classroom opens new learning opportunities for Okakarara learners

Featured

Patience Makwele Learners at Coblenz Combined School in the Okakarara Constituency have gained access to digital learning tools following the establishment of a smart classroom aimed at improving access to technology-driven education in rural Namibia . The facility, introduced through a partnership between B2Gold Namibia and EduVision, includes digital learning equipment and an online-access smart board valued at nearly N$300 000. B2Gold Namibia managing director John Roos said the investment is intended to expose learners to research tools, interactive lessons and virtual learning platforms that can place them on equal footing with learners in more technologically advanced schools. Roos challenged…

31 Jul

YOUNG OBSERVER | Youth lead renewed pride in Mayeyi culture ahead of Batsara festival

Featured, Uncategorised

Patience Makwele Youths have expressed renewed pride in their Mayeyi heritage, saying the annual Batsara Cultural Festival provides an opportunity for a younger generation to reconnect with ancestral traditions, preserve their language and celebrate an identity they fear could be weakened by changing lifestyles. With the annual celebration set for 2 August in Sangwali, young Mayeyi people say the festival has evolved beyond a cultural gathering into a platform where they can embrace their roots while giving their traditions a modern voice. Among those eagerly awaiting the festival is Namakaliza Libonina, who said preparations are already underway, with many young…

30 Jul

Katima’s sewage crisis is becoming Namibia’s national embarrassment

Editorial, Featured

There are municipal failures, and then there are national failures. The sewage crisis engulfing Katima Mulilo has crossed that line. What may once have been viewed as a local infrastructure problem has now evolved into a public health emergency, an economic threat and a reputational risk for Namibia as a whole. The reported contamination of maize stored at the Kamunu depot with sewage water should serve as the final wake-up call. It is one thing for roads to develop potholes or for streetlights to malfunction. It is quite another when raw sewage threatens the country’s food supply. Once food safety…

30 Jul

OBSERVER COASTAL | Navachab increases Half Marathon sponsorship to N$1.5 million

Featured, National News

Renthia Kaimbi QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine has increased its sponsorship of this year's Navachab Half Marathon to N$1.5 million as it seeks to grow the event into an international competition. The 12th edition of the race is scheduled for 19 September at the Usab Sports Field, with organisers targeting approximately 2 000 entries, up from 1 275 participants in 2025. Speaking at the official launch in Windhoek, Navachab spokesperson Mclyn Kasale confirmed that the allocation for medals, trophies and prize money has risen from N$345 000 in 2025 to N$530 000 this year. He emphasised that while the mine…

30 Jul

OBSERVER COASTAL | Erongo governor pushes business formalisation to grow women-owned enterprises

Featured, National News

Patience Makwele Erongo Governor Natalia /Goagoses has urged women entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses and take advantage of government support programmes aimed at helping small enterprises expand and create jobs. The call came during a Women and Youth Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Business Engagement Meeting in Swakopmund, where 18 entrepreneurs operating in sectors including tailoring, beauty and wellness, cultural crafts and other small businesses met with the governor to discuss challenges and opportunities facing their enterprises. The engagement provided a platform for the entrepreneurs to share their experiences while exploring government support mechanisms such as business registration, access…