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CHAMWE KAIRA  The United States has imposed a 21% import tariff on Namibian goods, a move expected to affect key exports such as diamonds, uranium, fish, and beef.  U.S. President Donald Trump, in his announcement, cited the long-term decline in U.S. manufacturing as justification. “From 1997 to 2024, the United States lost around five million manufacturing jobs and experienced one of the largest drops in manufacturing employment in history,” he said. Namibia joins a list of African countries now facing higher tariffs on exports to the U.S. These include Lesotho at 50%, Madagascar 47%, Mauritius 40%, Botswana 37%, South Africa…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts, and culture, Sanet Steenkamp, says the recent merger of two ministries aims to eliminate inefficiencies and improve service delivery by creating a more cohesive and agile institution. Speaking during a meet-and-greet session with staff in Windhoek on Tuesday, Steenkamp said the merger provides a chance to align various sectors under one unified vision while reducing wastage. “The merging of the two ministries has created a synergetic framework with an opportunity to eliminate inefficiencies and wastages,” she said. Steenkamp stressed that successful integration requires deliberate coordination and cooperation across departments and…

Ester Mbathera  Esja Investment (Pty) Ltd has reached a settlement of N$1.8 million with 23 former fishermen who lost their jobs in December 2018. The settlement was finalised in the High Court on 1 April. According to the fishermen’s lawyer, Norman Tjombe, the settlement excludes the 20% annual interest that has accumulated since 2021, amounting to over N$1.7 million. “Esja obviously does not have money, but we will see what we can do,” Tjombe said. As part of the agreement, Esja will pay an initial N$115,000 on or before 1 April, with the remaining N$1.7 million due by 30 April.…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has generated N$19 million in less than a month through electronic visas on arrival from foreign travellers who entered Namibia last month. The ministry’s executive director, Etienne Maritz, shared the figures on Monday during a ceremony at the ministry’s head office to bid farewell to outgoing minister Albert Kawana and welcome the new minister, Lucia Iipumbu. He said 12 562 travellers applied for and were granted visas on arrival, paying administrative fees that amounted to N$19 million. Maritz said the system behind the electronic visas and visas on arrival…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Emergency medical services in the Omusati region have been severely affected by the poor condition of the Okahao-Amwaanda gravel road, especially the 15-kilometre stretch between Okahao and the Indira Gandhi Clinic. Health officials have confirmed that ambulance response times are significantly delayed. In some cases, pregnant women have been forced to deliver at home due to the impassable state of the road. Senior medical officer Okahao district hospital  Nghishikushitya Mutilifa, confirmed that the road’s condition has caused dangerous delays in emergency response efforts. “The ambulance cannot go there, and other off-road vehicles have to move at a very…

Chamwe Kaira and Allexer Namundjembo  Finance Minister Erica Shafudah has placed youth empowerment and food security at the centre of the country’s N$106.3 billion 2025/26 national budget, unveiled in Parliament on Thursday.  Presenting the budget under the theme “Beyond 35: For a Prosperous Future”, Shafudah said the government is prioritising development spending that directly addresses economic challenges facing young people and vulnerable communities. “We have also made specific provisions to address youth empowerment programmes and capacity enhancement activities,” Shafudah told Members of Parliament.  She added that the budget made allocations to various initiatives to promote food production and stimulate agricultural…

Ester Mbathera  Former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen and his former personal assistant, Leevy Lee Abrahams, have denied allegations of corruption in the system for allocating fishing quotas. The accusations were made on social media by August Maletzky, director of the African Labour & Human Rights Centre, who claimed Abrahams demanded payments from fishing rights holders in exchange for access to marine resources. Klazen confirmed he was aware of the allegations. “I am also aware of the same allegations against myself and many staff members of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, not only recently, but…

Ester Mbathera President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has remained silent amid growing public outcry over the appointment of Dr Esperance Luvindao to parliament and subsequently as minister of health and social services. Allegations surfaced about irregularities in the vetting process and questions surrounding her nationality. Luvindao has been open about her parents' nationality on numerous occasions, of which proof is available on the internet. In 2023, at the Africa Women's Summit 2023 in Rwanda, Kigali, where she was a guest speaker, she again confirmed it. “My parents are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, so I speak Lingala, I speak Swahili and…

Allexer Namundjembo Namibia has become the first country in Africa where women hold the top three government positions. This followed the swearing-in of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on 21 March as the country’s first female president. She previously served as Namibia’s first female vice president, a role she assumed in February 2024 after Nangolo Mbumba became president following the death of Hage Geingob. Alongside her are Vice President Lucia Witbooi and Speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is the first woman to serve as Speaker, while Witbooi is the second woman to become Vice President. Nandi-Ndaitwah has long supported…