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Hertta-Maria Amutenja Rehoboth Town Council is facing the auction of its property to settle a N$1.8 million payout to former employee Bertha Drotsky, following a High Court ruling delivered in June. Councillor Jackie Jackson ‡Khariseb confirmed the ruling, saying, “The matter was agitated in favour of Bertha to a value of N$1.8 million, the council applied for an appeal under the judgement in June. The court held that whilst the appeal is granted, the order must be upheld and the N$1.8 million be paid out.” The council attempted to comply with the court order while safeguarding funds during the appeal…

Renthia Kaimbi Documents obtained by the Windhoek Observer reveal that cash-based payment data for 2013 and 2019 went missing from the USB drive Namibia Post Ltd (NamPost) provided to the government. On Friday it emerged that the ministry of gender equality and child welfare (MGECW) allegedly found that about N$65 million in cash-based grant funds handled by NamPost was unaccounted for and owed back to the state. The unreturned funds relate to the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2019, excluding the missing data from 2013 and 2019.  The documents indicate that payments were made “over the counter”…

Allexer Namundjembo The High Court has introduced a rule that allows deputy sheriffs to stop a person from bidding at a property auction if they do not pay a deposit upfront.  This means anyone who wants to bid on property at a sale in execution must first put down a deposit, or they will not be allowed to take part.  The rule is aimed at keeping auctions fair and preventing bidders who are not serious. The change is part of new High Court amendments published in a government gazette of 22 August 2025. The rules, which came into effect immediately,…

Renthia Kaimbi Fishrot accused Tamson “Fitty” Hatuikulipi has been hospitalised in Windhoek since last week following a suspected case of food poisoning. Associates of Hatuikulipi claimed toxicology tests showed he reacted to “excessive substances”, though they did not specify which substances.  They said he and his co-accused, former Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) chief executive officer Mike Nghipunya, allegedly bought food from the correctional facility cafeteria shortly before the incident.  Reports indicate they have not been allowed to receive food from outside the facility. Hatuikulipi’s lawyer, Mbanga Siyomunji, confirmed that inmates have not been permitted to receive outside food since…

Renthia Kaimbi Lawyer Norman Tjombe says Namibia cannot extradite former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila because the DRC has indicated it will seek the death penalty against him. “Namibia places a very high premium on the right to life, and the Constitution outlaws the death penalty. The Extradition Act unambiguously prohibits Namibia from extraditing anyone to a country where that person will receive the death penalty. DRC has made it known that it intends to impose the death penalty on its former president,” Tjombe said. He added that Namibia’s laws also bar  extradition in cases where trials…

Allexer Namundjembo The newly appointed acting managing director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, has appealed for support as she assumes leadership of the troubled state-owned oil company. Namcor announced her appointment over the weekend. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday, Hinda-Mbuenda said her success would depend on collective effort, stressing that the company’s challenges cannot be resolved in isolation. “I am grateful for the appointment. I am ready for the task, and I will need to conduct a thorough analysis to familiarise myself with the institution,” she said.  She added that engaging widely and…

Renthia Kaimbi Swapo leaders assigned to the Zambezi region will meet in Katima Mulilo this weekend to reset candidate nominations for the local authority elections.  The meeting follows the recent dissolution of the Katima Mulilo Town Council by minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa. The dissolution, announced this week, nullified the participation of former councillors on the party’s established candidate list.  Under party rules, sitting councillors who have not been recalled usually receive automatic entry onto the candidate list.  “The dissolution breaks the chain of continuity. The council no longer exists in its previous form, so the mechanism…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja   The government will begin naming and shaming fishing companies that break bycatch rules, agriculture, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani has warned.  She stated that the government will enforce stricter penalties, such as licence revocation, quota cuts, and vessel confiscation, against habitual offenders.  Earlier this month, the government reduced the bycatch limit from 5% to 2% and increased penalty fees from 15% to 50% in an effort to curb illegal landings and protect marine resources. However, this week the Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations appealed to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to consult the industry…

Renthia Kaimbi The Henties Bay chief executive officer Elizabeth Coetzee’s one-year and nine-month suspension ended without a hearing when her employment contract expired on 31 July 2025.  She now plans to take legal action against the council. A leaked report detailed several serious allegations that led to Coetzee’s suspension in October 2023. What was meant to be a six-month investigation stretched into one year and four months, sparking ministerial intervention and public criticism. Charges served to Coetzee in December 2024 included duplicating travel claims from Henties Bay and Gobabis municipalities for N$11 725, awarding a contract to RedForce Debt Management…