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Niël Terblanché The OvaHerero peoples of Kaokoland, who live in areas spanning both Namibia and Angola, celebrated a historic milestone this week with the launch of their first written Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP). The document, unveiled in Opuwo, captures the rich history, cultural practices, and traditions of the OvaHerero community, marking a significant step towards preserving and protecting their heritage. More than 200 community members from the Kunene region in Namibia and the Cunene region in Angola gathered in Opuwo on Tuesday to commemorate the occasion. The BCP is the result of four years of extensive community engagement and collaboration,…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja. A nine-month-old baby from Tsumeb died on 30 May due to malnutrition. The family, living in a household with more than eight children, faces financial difficulties. Both parents are unemployed, and none of the children receive any government grants or assistance. Family spokesperson Belinda Gawases stated that the baby's mother had been seeking drought relief from the Tsumeb constituency council office since December last year. “The baby has been sick since December last year, and since then, the mother and I have been going to ask for assistance from the Tsumeb constituency council office for drought relief, but…

Martin Endjala Residents in Tsumeb town are demanding the arrest of the Tsumeb constituency councillor, Gottlieb Ndjendjela. They are claiming he is involved in the theft of drought relief, as several community members accused him of selling it to them. Johannes Johannes, an activist for Affirmative Repositioning (AR), also called for Ndjendjela's removal from the regional council on behalf of a resident concern group. “With all this evidence presented by the community, why is Gotty not being arrested like others? What is the police waiting for?” he questioned. Last month, a farmer was arrested for purchasing the stolen drought aid…

Martin Endjala The Oshigambo High School in the Oshikoto Region will not tolerate a student who violates other students' rights by waking them up at night to chase illusional ghosts around the school hostel. The school principal, Pinehas Ekongo, said this following recent accusations of religious discrimination, segregation, and psychosocial torture against the learners at the school by the Body of Christ Party of Namibia (BCP), a faith-based political organisation’s president, Bishop Festus Thomas. “To the best of my knowledge, no parent has ever pledged to send us a learner - a pastor - to chase around ghosts at the…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Former Landless Peoples’ Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Edson Isaacks said he is currently enjoying his freedom and will ignore the statement made by the party. On Tuesday, Isaacks resigned from the party and parliament along with founding member, Henny Seibeb. “Ignore that statement. They are fighting because we took a principled decision. I don't even need to respond to it. I don't want it to get muddy,” he said. He added that their record of their years in parliament speaks for itself. “I don't need to explain myself to somebody at that level. I am not going to that…

Martin Endjala The new Banking Institutions Act, 2023 (Act No. 13 of 2023) sets aside 25% for Namibian investors and reduces foreign ownership in banking institutions from 100% to a set requirement of 75%. The Act applies to all banking institutions, whether Namibian-owned or not. According to Kazembire Zemburuka, the BoN’s spokesperson, this requirement aims to align banking institutions with national aspirations expressed in national development plans by fostering a blend of foreign and local ownership and enhancing local empowerment. “This ownership requirement in banking institutions applies to all new banking institutions, irrespective of whether the applicant originates from the…

Stefanus Nashama and Niël Terblanché Political and traditional leaders braved the cold weather on Monday to go and register for voter cards for the presidential and national assembly elections set for the end of November. President Nangolo Mbumba, accompanied by First Lady Sustjie Mbumba, marked the beginning by registering for 2024. They received their voter cards this morning at the MTC building in Olympia, Windhoek. President Mbumba urged all eligible citizens, aged 18 and older, to register and exercise their constitutional right to vote in November. “Elections do not give you the right to destroy your country because your country…

Martin Endjala The Swapo councillor of Tsumeb, Gottlieb Ndjendjela, says allegations levelled against him that he had a hand in the stolen drought food aid worth an estimated N$100 000 is politically motivated. Ndjendjela faces accusations of remaining silent during instances of theft in his constituency. This follows the arrest of two staff members from his office last week in connection with the theft of the drought aid. “Whether I am involved in the theft of the food is nonsense, to say the least. I am receiving a decent salary, and often, I am the one feeding the affected communities…