Main – Page 10 – Windhoek Observer

11 Jun

/Goagoses slams 10 protesters calling her “root of all evil”

Main, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Erongo Governor Nathalia /Goagoses has condemned a petition calling her the “root of all evil”, describing it as a defamatory personal attack rather than a legitimate governance complaint. Speaking at a press conference in Swakopmund yesterday, the governor said she was petitioned by a group of 10 people led by one Stanislaus Napuka, who claimed to speak on behalf of the Daure Daman traditional community. The petition titled 'Petition for Governor’s Removal’, dated 1 June 2026 and addressed to the Office of the Governor, accused /Goagoses of dishonourably disrespecting the Council of Elders by creating a position that…

10 Jun

Steenkamp accused of irregular appointment of her ‘special advisor’ …as legal framework exclusively vests appointing authority in President

Main, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture minister, Sanet Steenkamp has been accused of irregularly appointing Uhuru Dempers as her “special advisor on youth matters”, with sources claiming he is being paid by the ministry without following proper recruitment procedures. Sources say Dempers has been attending meetings with and on behalf of Steenkamp since October 2025, while referring to himself as her special advisor. An internal source said while Dempers’ role at the National Youth Council (NYC) is unclear, his involvement is allegedly intrusive rather than constructive. During last month’s representative council meeting in Gobabis, he allegedly lobbied…

09 Jun

ACC summons tender official in ‘health rot’ probe

Main, National News

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…

08 Jun

Fuel retailers accuse Nasan of breaking supply promises

Main, National News

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…

05 Jun

‘Whites choose careers, blacks beg for work’ – Sisa Namandje

Main

Renthia Kaimbi Legal practitioner Sisa Namandje says black Namibians beg for work while white Namibians choose careers, arguing that almost 37 years after independence, a “deep happiness deficit” persists among the country's black majority. Delivering the inaugural John Akapandi Endjala Memorial Lecture in Windhoek yesterday on what would have been the late businessman's 63rd birthday, Namandje, who identified himself as a direct beneficiary of Endjala's mentorship, delivered the indictment of Namibia's post-independence economic transformation record. He argued that black Namibians remain unable to pursue the happiness promised in the Constitution's preamble due to a lack of meaningful legislative and policy…

04 Jun

NYS operates with four board members for over a year …falling below statutory limit of at least seven members

Main, National News

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…

03 Jun

Adultery no longer grounds for divorce…as ‘no-fault’ divorce law takes effect today

Main, National News

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…

02 Jun

Whistleblower alleges corruption at NIPDB

Main, National News

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…

01 Jun

Amutse puts all fuel eggs in Vitol’s basket …Govt burns through N$1bn to keep fuel prices down

Main, National News

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…

29 May

President skips genocide event

Main, National News

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…