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24 Apr

No tuition, no registration fees from 2026

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Allexer Namundjembo From 2026, students enrolling at public universities and technical and vocational education centres will no longer have to pay tuition or registration fees. This was announced by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Thursday when she delivered her maiden state of the nation address (SONA) in the National Assembly. “We have heard your cries, ‘the fees have fallen’,” she said. She said this will be a gradual, phased-in approach and added that students’ contributions will be towards accommodation and other related costs only. This move, Nandi-Ndaitwah said, is a “specific message to our youth”. “That is the golden opportunity accorded…

23 Apr

PDM seeks clarity on state’s policy for offices of ex-presidents

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja The death of Founding President Sam Nujoma has sparked renewed questions over the long-term use of state-funded offices allocated to former heads of state. The Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani, on Wednesday submitted a series of questions to Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, seeking clarification on the future use and policy governing these facilities. The office used by Nujoma since his retirement in 2005 is located in Klein Windhoek suburb at the corner of Schweringsburg Street and Robert Mugabe Avenue. With both Nujoma and Geingob now deceased, Venaani questioned whether the government plans to revisit policies on…

22 Apr

Parents call for national boycott over Khoekhoegowab language removal

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja A group of parents and community members are planning a nationwide boycott on 5 May 2025 in protest against the removal of Khoekhoegowab as a subject at Auas Primary School in Windhoek. The announcement came on Tuesday during the delivery of a petition to the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture. The petition alleges that Khoekhoegowab, an indigenous language, has been sidelined at the school, in violation of the Basic Education Act and Namibia’s national language policy. “We are asking all parents, community members and stakeholders to mobilise themselves to inform the police in your…

21 Apr

Pope Francis remembered for compassion and justice

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Ester Mbathera Namibians have joined millions of people around the world in mourning the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 after a battle with pneumonia. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah extended her condolences to the Vatican, describing the late pontiff as "an extraordinary leader of faith who led with compassion, courage and integrity until his last breath." She noted his focus on global socioeconomic issues and his concern for the developing world. “We shall forever recall his simplicity and the wise spiritual guidance he emphasised in addressing the challenges facing humanity. On behalf of…

16 Apr

VP urges forgiveness for genocide pain

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Ester Mbathera Vice President Lucia Witbooi has called on the nation to embrace forgiveness as a path to healing and unity in the aftermath of the 1904–1908 Nama and Herero genocide. She made the remarks on Tuesday during the high-level panel hosted by Open Society Foundations and Action Coalition-Namibia on the topic: Women’s leadership and the reparations agenda – past, present and future prospects for acknowledgement, solidarity and justice. “I believe when we forgive each other, then we will get even. We’ll close this chapter of genocide, and we will benefit much more from Germany,” she said. Her remarks come…

15 Apr

‘Laws alone won’t end GBV’- Pickering

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Ester Mbathera The executive director in the Office of the Prime Minister, Gladice Pickering, says laws alone are not enough to deal with the root causes of gender-based violence, rape, and domestic assault. Pickering said this on Monday at a high-level panel hosted by Open Society Foundations and Action Coalition-Namibia, under the theme “The Land of the Brave”. Her comments come after a series of disturbing, violent crimes reported across the country recently. “If we don't dig deep into the root causes and we are brutally honest with ourselves and each other, we are not going to win this fight…

14 Apr

Opposition demands answers about N$100 million Angolan petroleum deal

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Allexer Namundjembo Opposition political parties are demanding full public disclosure and accountability over the unexplained disappearance of N$100 million linked to a controversial oil and gas project, known as "the Transaction", in Angola Block 15/06. The project involves the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) and other partners. More than a year after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation, no official report has been made public. The Landless People’s Movement (LPM), through its spokesperson, Lifalaza Simataa, describes the situation as a pattern of state-owned entities mishandling public funds without consequences. “Large sums of money suspiciously not being recovered, going…

13 Apr

Lüderitz port dispute sparks heritage concerns

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Allexer Namundjembo The proposed expansion of the Lüderitz port has reignited deep-rooted tensions over Namibia’s colonial past, with traditional leaders raising concerns about potential disruption to sacred heritage sites around Shark Island. Shark Island, located near the port, was used as a concentration camp during the 1904–1908 genocide under German colonial rule. Thousands of Nama and Ovaherero people were imprisoned and died there under brutal conditions. Today, the site is seen by many as a national symbol of trauma and remembrance. Some traditional leaders from the affected communities have warned that the planned construction could desecrate unmarked graves and disturb…

09 Apr

Etunda Green Scheme boosts maize output

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Niël Terblanché The Etunda Green Scheme in the Omusati region has seen a rise in maize yields this year, with production increasing from an average of 7 tonnes per hectare to as much as 11 tonnes per hectare on some fields irrigated by pivot systems. According to acting farm manager Sackey Shilyomunhu, the outstanding turnaround follows much-needed repairs and replacement of equipment that had previously hampered operations. “The transformation is evident across the 450 hectares now allocated to commercial farming and 220 hectares for small-scale farmers—more than double the area under cultivation compared to last year,” he said. “This year,…

08 Apr

Surgeries cancelled due to shortage of general anaesthesia

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Hertta-maria Amutenja Elective surgeries at Katutura Intermediate Hospital have been cancelled due to a shortage of both depolarising and nondepolarising muscle relaxants needed for general anaesthesia. In a letter dated 7 April, addressed to heads of surgical departments, the acting head of anaesthesia, Linea Manyalo-Nashima, informed colleagues that the hospital had run out of essential drugs such as suxamethonium, atracurium, and rocuronium. These drugs are critical for muscle relaxation during procedures involving tracheal intubation. “Effective 8 April, all elective cases requiring muscle paralysis would not be carried out until the issue has been resolved,” she said. According to the letter,…