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Renthia Kaimbi The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has issued a formal summons to a member of the ministry of health and social services’ Bid Evaluation Committee, compelling the official to appear for questioning over allegations of widespread procurement manipulation, systemic supply chain fraud, and the theft of pharmaceutical medicines from state warehouses. The summons, seen by the Windhoek Observer, demands that the committee member appear before ACC investigator Frans Ndjai on 18 August 2026 at the commission’s headquarters in Windhoek, where they will be questioned under oath and required to produce a range of sensitive internal documents. The identity of the…

Allexer Namundjembo The Fuel and Franchise Association (FAFA) has accused Nasan Energies of failing to deliver fuel paid for upfront and for not honouring agreements made with divested retailers. In a letter dated 4 June 2026, FAFA chairperson Michael Ludeke said Nasan launched a ‘Bring the Cash Incentive’ on 2 June, offering a 50-cent per litre rebate for full truck orders of 40,000 litres paid 24 hours before loading. The written offer stated that payments cleared before 12h00 would be loaded the next working day. At a meeting the same day, FAFA says Nasan directors agreed the incentive would run…

Renthia Kaimbi The National Youth Service (NYS) has been operating with only four board members for more than a year, falling below the statutory minimum of seven prescribed by the NYS Act 6 of 2005. A governance expert has warned that while decisions may not be automatically void, the arrangement creates a credible concern about compliance and heightens governance risks. The current board comprises three members co-opted from the Namibian Police, Namibia Defence Force and Namibian Correctional Services, and one from the youth ministry, following the expiry of the previous board’s term in June 2025. Sources have expressed fears that…

Renthia Kaimbi Namibian spouses can no longer be forced to prove adultery, cruelty or desertion to end their marriage, according to a guidance note issued by Judge President Petrus Damaseb to the public on the new divorce dispensation. The guidance note, dated 2 June 2026, explains that the long-awaited Dissolution of Marriages Act, 2024 (DoMA) comes into effect on 3 June 2026 (today), abolishing a fault-based system that had previously governed divorce, thereby replacing it with a single ground of “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.” According to the document, the DoMA represents one of the most significant reforms in the…

Renthia Kaimbi An anonymous whistleblower complaint reportedly submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has raised allegations of corruption, nepotism, favouritism and governance irregularities at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) during the tenure of former chief executive officer Nangula Uaandja. The complaint, dated 5 May 2026 and seen by this publication, contains a series of allegations relating to recruitment, procurement, promotions and management decisions at the institution between 2021 and 2025. The allegations have not been independently verified and no findings have been made by the ACC or any court. According to the complaint, Uaandja, who left NIPDB…

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has directed all fuel companies in Namibia to source their bulk petrol and diesel exclusively from Vitol between July and September 2026.  This decision has raised questions about procurement transparency and potential conflicts of interest. In a letter dated 21 May 2026 and addressed to the Namibian Oil Industry Association (NOIA), industries, mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse informed industry players that the government had made what it described as emergency arrangements with Vitol, making the global commodity trader the sole supplier of fuel to Namibia for three months. He instructed…

Justicia Shipena  President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah did not attend the official Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration held in Eenhana on Thursday.  Her absence raised eyebrows after she attended the Omaludi Agricultural Festival the previous day in the same region.  Namibia marked the day in memory of the tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908 in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the twentieth century. Cabinet declared 28 May as Genocide Remembrance Day and approved it as a public holiday in 2024.  The first official commemoration took place last year…

Renthia Kaimbi Two senior TransNamib Holdings Limited (TransNamib) executives suspended earlier this year over allegations of property mismanagement and statutory breaches returned to work on Tuesday.  This followed a directive from works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi. Webster Gonzo, executive for human capital and Alynsia Platt, executive for properties, resumed their duties after the newly appointed TransNamib board was instructed to facilitate their return. Nekundi had previously raised concern over the continued payment of full salaries to suspended executives who were not performing duties for the company. Nekundi confirmed their return to the Windhoek Observer yesterday. “They are back at…

Patience Makwele Telecom Namibia says it will comply fully with a summons from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran). This follows repeated nationwide broadband disruptions that have affected businesses, institutions and households. Cran summoned the state-owned telecommunications company for an urgent briefing amid growing concerns over recurring network instability and service quality failures. The regulator said the repeated disruptions to Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband network are affecting communication, financial transactions, education and daily operations across the country. Telecom Namibia said it is cooperating with Cran and will provide a full briefing on the technical causes of the disruptions and…