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The legal battle over Namibia’s N$314 million diamond heist has entered a new phase, with Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) and security company G4S Secure Solutions Namibia locked in a dispute over access to evidence that could influence the outcome of the case. The civil claim, in which Namdia is seeking damages from G4S over alleged negligence, has stalled after the two parties disagreed over the disclosure of documents and records that G4S says are necessary for its defence. According to a joint status report filed on 27 July 2026, the matter was postponed for the court to determine the further…

Patience Makwele Katima Mulilo’s sewage crisis has reached breaking point, with residents, businesses and analysts warning that years of failing sanitation infrastructure are threatening public health, food safety, investment and the town’s economic future. The latest alarm comes after sewage allegedly contaminated 64 bags of maize valued at N$27,648 while the grain was awaiting delivery to Kamunu depot, intensifying concerns over the impact of the town’s recurring sewer failures on businesses and livelihoods. The incident has renewed calls for urgent intervention from authorities, with residents accusing leaders of allowing a problem that has existed for years to spiral out of…

Sostenus Wilherm The City of Windhoek will resume collecting outstanding municipal debts internally after its debt collection contract with RedForce comes to an end on 31 July, with residents urged to prioritise paying for essential municipal services such as water, electricity, rates and taxes. The development comes after the /Khomas Rate Payers and Residents Association (IKRRA) warned residents not to make any new payment arrangements with RedForce, saying the company's authority to collect municipal debts on behalf of the City of Windhoek is coming to an end. The association said RedForce's debt management services contract concluded following the expiry of…

Staff Writer Questions are being raised about the effectiveness of Namibia’s annual State of the Region Addresses (SORAs), as concerns grow over whether the speeches translate into tangible development or remain largely ceremonial exercises. Each year, regional governors across the country use the platform to outline achievements, highlight ongoing projects and set priorities for the year ahead. While the addresses have become a fixed feature in the governance calendar, analysts say their true value should be measured by results on the ground rather than promises made in speeches. In recent addresses, governors have consistently emphasised development planning, service delivery and…

Analysts urge transparency, local participation and safeguards as government defends strategic partnership Patience Makwele The government’s decision to award a N$39.5 million (US$2.4 million) artificial intelligence-powered agricultural monitoring contract to American technology company 6th Grain Corporation has sparked growing calls for greater transparency, with analysts questioning whether sufficient safeguards are in place to protect Namibia’s strategic interests and ensure local participation. The one-year agreement, signed between the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform and the United States-based company, will introduce satellite imagery, remote sensing, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence to monitor Namibia’s staple crops, including mahangu, maize, sorghum,…

Sostenus Wilherm Parents of learners at Ebenezer Royal Primary School in the Omuthiya Circuit have been instructed to remove their children from the institution on Tuesday after the ministry of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture ordered its immediate closure, saying the school had been operating without registration since 2022. The closure comes just days after the school's former administrator, 42-year-old Franz Johannes, appeared in the Omuthiya Magistrate's Court on seven counts of rape involving children aged between five and 10 years. Education and gender ministry officials met parents on Tuesday, informing them that the school was operating illegally…

Renthia Kaimbi Chief executive officer of the Otjiwarongo municipality, Mberipura Hifitikeko is facing allegations of unlawfully receiving a housing allowance while simultaneously residing in a council-owned property, a practice that violates government policy and may constitute a criminal offence under Namibian law. The “double-dipping” practice is expressly forbidden by government housing policy, which prohibits any individual from receiving a housing subsidy while occupying a state-owned house. Under the council’s staff regulations on housing benefits, every staff member is entitled to a housing allowance only if they own and occupy a house or lease and occupy a house, unless that staff…

Renthia Kaimbi The Kunene Regional Council is refusing to remove acting chief regional officer George Kamseb despite a second High Court ruling declaring his appointment unlawful. The standoff with urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa now threatens a complete administrative shutdown. Sankwasa has frozen government funding to the council, demanding the appointment of an acting chief regional officer who would be legally qualified to account for state funds. The minister has warned that without a properly appointed accounting officer, public money cannot be disbursed to the region. Council chairperson Western Muharukua told the Windhoek Observer that Kamseb cannot be…

Renthia Kaimbi Urban and Rural Development minister James Sankwasa has labelled the Henties Bay municipality’s acting chief executive officer (CEO), Ignasia Neis the “poorest of poor performers” and warned the council to act before he is forced to intervene. The minister’s remarks come in light of a deepening governance crisis in the coastal town, where residents have been left unable to purchase prepaid water after the service provider suspended the vending system in June over an alleged contractual dispute. Sankwasa, who has been locked in a tense standoff with the municipality over its administration, said Neis had overstayed her welcome…