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Allexer Namundjembo The education directorate of the Kavango East region has resorted to renting halls as examination venues, citing an inability to accommodate the rising number of students at existing school facilities. The decision to rent external spaces follows refusals from churches in the past to allow the use of their buildings for exams. Christine Shilima, Kavango East’s regional education director, confirmed that the region faces a critical shortage of exam venues due to a lack of school halls. “Schools were built without halls, and we have more learners who can’t fit in classrooms. Due to the rules of exams,…

Ester Mbathera Intensive preparations are underway to complete the dismantling of Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings (NPTH) by December. The company confirmed this in its 2022/23 financial report, released on Tuesday. “In the next financial year, NPTH will progress towards the successful dismantling of the holdings company, which we anticipate will be concluded by December 2024, as per the approved dismantling plan,” reads the report. This process was initiated following a Cabinet decision in July 2014. The Dismantling Act (Act No. 7 of 2020), passed and gazetted in August 2020, formalised the process. This Act required the NPTH Board to…

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGH2P) and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) have defended their participation in a recent SWAPO event, clarifying their roles and rejecting allegations of political bias. NGH2P’s spokesperson, Jona Musheko explained that their attendance was aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of green hydrogen for youth, entrepreneurs, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), without any political endorsement. According to Musheko, the engagement was nonpolitical and focused on informing the public about the potential of green hydrogen. “The invitation to participate at this rally presented a valuable opportunity to address a broad…

Allexer Namundjembo At its lowest level ever, 6.3%, Hardap Dam can no longer supply irrigation water for crops being farmed below the dam wall. Calle Schlettwein, the minister of agriculture and water, made this statement last week, just hours before the Hardap Dam water supply valves were closed for the first time in history. “Water supply for domestic usage and livestock will be available until February 2026 (with no inflow this season). Drought is showing its drastic effect,” said Schlettwein. Schlettwein said the past rainy season produced the lowest runoff in the past 100 years, which is why dams had…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja and Ester Mbathera The High Court has postponed the legal proceedings initiated by Swapo member Reinhold Shipwikineni and four other applicants against the Swapo Party and its presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to 13 November. Judge Boas Usiku presided over this decision's court session on 30 October 30. The court recorded that the parties have not filed any joint case management report. Shipwikineni’s legal practitioner, Richard Metcalfe, submitted a notice of withdrawal on the same day. Gilroy Kasper, the party's lawyer, was not present in court, so Sisa Namandje represented Swapo. Shipwiikineni, along with Joshua Vaino Martins, Petrus Ndeshipanda…

Allexer Namundjembo Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi has proposed expenditure adjustments to address the most pressing emergencies facing the nation. During his mid-term budget review address on Wednesday, Shiimi announced that these measures would be implemented by reallocating additional revenues and funds from projects with low execution rates. Shiimi emphasised that the proposed adjustments in the FY2024/25 Mid-Year Budget Review would help mitigate potential risks and maintain macroeconomic stability while supporting social sectors. “In the recently released World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects global economic activities to grow by 3.2 percent in both 2024 and 2025, a mild…

Ester Mbathera Outspoken thought leader, Joshua Maponga has urged Swapo leaders to take immediate action on land reform, calling for a strategic approach to reclaim land from white ownership. Maponga to Swapo members during the public discussion of the party’s manifesto on Monday in Windhoek. “Swapo, hear me well. Stop acting like an opposition party. You are a ruling party; you are not an opposition party. Set the agenda items loud and clear and let the rest of the nation follow your agenda,” he said. He criticises the party for what he perceives as a lack of urgency in addressing…

Ester Mbathera The leader of the Affirmative Repositioning movement (AR), Job Amupanda, has questioned the credibility of the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), accusing the government of influencing and manipulating statistical data for political purposes. In a statement released on social media on Monday, Amupanda claimed that the NSA had completed the Labour Force Survey and was prepared to release the findings but was halted after the NSA briefed the government. “How can we trust even you guys that are in the Namibia Statistics Agency? How can you be used like that? How can you be used by politicians on important…

Martin Endjala and Ester Mbathera The Khwe and !Xun people, who reside in the Bwabwata National Park, shared by the Zambezi and Kavango East regions, often face the challenge of keeping their deceased loved ones in the villages for days. This is because there are concerns that if burials take place without official notification, authorities might demand the exhumation of the bodies. David Musamba, a San activist, highlighted how modern burial practices are threatening their cultural norms. “We are told not to bury people without coffins anymore. The officials from the government told us that we will have to dig…

Stefanus Nashama The Rundu Town Council has donated land, measuring 93 717 square metres, to the Namibia Football Association (NFA). The donated land will be used for the construction of a sports facility that will serve as the football centre in the Kavango East region. The decision was made in line with council resolution SCM 005/27/06/2024 by way of a private treaty. The council called for public objection to the donation to be done on or before 30 October. NFA spokesperson Isack Hamata welcomed the news. “It is indeed true that NFA engaged the leadership of the Rundu Town Council…