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Patience Makwele  Former and current members of the Windhoek council say some improvements were made in land servicing and municipal reforms, but the demand for housing continues to outpace supply. Windhoek’s population is estimated at about 486 186 residents. About 224 000 people live in informal settlements, placing pressure on housing and land delivery in the capital. Joseph Uapingene, a former councillor who served from 2020 to 2025, representing the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), said the council made progress in servicing land and facilitating housing development. According to Uapingene, the municipality serviced about 1,200 urban plots and about 800…

Justicia Shipena  Bringing railway maintenance back to TransNamib Holdings Limited could help save the struggling state-owned enterprise, according to Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Nelson Kalangula. Kalangula made the remarks while contributing to the budget debate in the National Assembly on Tuesday. He said TransNamib is facing operational and financial challenges, including an ageing fleet, limited operational capacity and rising debt. “Bringing railway maintenance back to TransNamib could potentially save the enterprise by consolidating resources, ensuring direct oversight, and aligning maintenance schedules with long-term goals,” he said. Kalangula said TransNamib operates depots in more than 18 towns…

Justicia Shipena  Swapo member of parliament Tobie Aupindi has proposed that Namibia consider receiving dividends from its mineral resources in physical commodities such as gold, uranium and lithium instead of only cash payments. Aupindi made the proposal while contributing to the national budget debate in parliament on Tuesday. He said Namibia should explore building strategic commodity reserves as part of a new approach to managing national wealth. “I am calling for the commodity dividend model. Instead of the state receiving its dividends in Namibian dollars or United States dollars, we should explore taking dividends in physical commodities, be it gold,…

Allexer Namundjembo The family of a seven-year-old learner at Bet-El Primary School in Windhoek plans to open a police case after the child was allegedly assaulted on the school premises last week. The pupil was allegedly attacked by the father of another learner at the school. According to the child’s parent, Magano Iikwambi, the incident occurred on Thursday while the boy was playing with other children at the school. Iikwambi said her child sustained injuries to his private parts and experienced swelling in the genital area after the alleged assault. She said her child was taken to hospital for treatment…

Staff Writer  Paragon Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd has formally expressed interest in acquiring the 10.2% equity stake in Rössing Uranium Limited currently held by the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC), a move analysts say marks a significant milestone for the company and for Namibia’s growing role in strategic mineral ownership. The IDC, one of the founding shareholders of Rössing Uranium since the 1970s, recently issued a call for expressions of interest (EOI) from potential buyers for its 10.2% equity stake. According to the IDC, the sale is part of its normal investment cycle, having reached its investment horizon…

Justicia Shipena The government is engaging the office of the attorney general on what legal route to take to hold e-hailing companies accountable for allowing illegal operators on their platforms. Works and Transport minister Veikko Nekundi revealed this in the National Assembly on Thursday while responding to questions from Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Nelson Kalangula about compliance by e-hailing drivers with Namibian transport laws. Nekundi said the Ministry of Works and Transport conducted inspections at the Windhoek offices of Yango to determine whether drivers on the platform comply with Namibian regulations. “It follows that the Ministry…

Renthia Kaimbi Allegations of disrespect from the interim executive chairperson and board have forced the acting director of the National Youth Council (NYC) to resign after just 25 days in the role. The Windhoek Observer has learnt that Mzingisi Gqwede, who was appointed acting director on 3 February 2026, resigned on Friday. His departure has deepened instability at the youth institution. NYC’s programmes manager, Sircca Nghitila, was appointed acting director yesterday. Sources inside the institution say tensions escalated when Gqwede refused to approve sitting fees for the board’s fourth and fifth extraordinary meetings. The dispute centred on whether the meetings…

Renthia Kaimbi The appointment of Oscar Capelao as executive director of the Ministry of Finance has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, as he continues to serve on the board of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor). Capelao was appointed executive director in December 2025, a role that places him at the centre of government oversight of public enterprises, including Namcor. He has served as a Namcor board member since July 2024. His dual position has drawn scrutiny from governance expert Johannes Coetzee, who cautioned that the arrangement presents structural risks. “If the same person is on the…

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR) has confirmed that the official coordinates of Namibia’s 200-metre isobath restricted fishing zone have never been formally gazetted. The 200-metre isobath restriction has been in place since 1990. It prohibits trawling and longlining in shallow waters along Namibia’s coast. The measure protects juvenile hake and horse mackerel, limits sardine bycatch, and preserves bottom habitats that serve as biodiversity hotspots. Unlike formally declared protected areas such as the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area (NIMPA), established through detailed coordinates in Government Gazette No. 4210 of 16 February 2009, the isobath…

Renthia Kaimbi Interim managing director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, says her removal is linked to her resistance to push to sell public assets. She claims she was removed for standing in the way of a plan to privatise 18 Namcor service stations. According to her, the proposed sale stems from a 2022 decision taken by the Cabinet committee on economic affairs, under former finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi. She argues that the committee was misled by incorrect data regarding the performance of the service stations. On Sunday, Namcor announced the end of Hinda-Mbuende’s tenure and…