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Renthia Kaimbi Okahandja community members are questioning why police did not detect the alleged conduct of murder suspect Muundjua Karinambande earlier after he was accused of cutting cables connected to CCTV cameras installed at K W von Maree Combined School in September 2025. Various community members told the Windhoek Observer that the school discovered Karinambande was allegedly responsible for damaging the cables of CCTV cameras donated following the double murders of Ingrid Maasdorp and Roswinds Fabianu. The incident reportedly led to his suspension from the school. “A criminal case was opened against him and two others. He was suspended in…

…as autopsy revealed Maasdorp’s face had been skinned and hips broken Renthia Kaimbi An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl in Okahandja and has allegedly confessed to kidnapping, raping and murdering Ingrid Maasdorp and Roswinds Fabianu in March last year. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was reportedly apprehended on Saturday, 10 October 2026, after allegedly accosting two girls walking from a plot to Nau-Aib location. According to information provided by the Namibian Police in the weekend crime report, the suspect allegedly grabbed the 10-year-old girl, produced a knife…

CHAMWE KAIRA The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) recovered just N$21.5 million in student loans during the 2024/25 financial year, representing less than 1% of its total student debtors, while its loan book carried an expected credit loss allowance of N$5.3 billion. Auditor-General Junias Kandjeke raised concerns about the fund’s loan recovery processes, accounting practices and record-keeping in a qualified audit opinion on its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. The report found that many student loan accounts remained in long-standing arrears, with no documentary evidence demonstrating that NSFAF consistently undertook effective recovery actions or traced…

Renthia Kaimbi The High Court has reprimanded the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) for failing to provide proper reasons for cancelling a veterinary cordon fence tender, while construction of the disputed project continues amid a fresh foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak confirmed in the Zambezi Region. In a judgment delivered on 8 October, judge Boas Usiku dismissed an urgent application by China Jiangxi International (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd joint venture with Homefin Properties CC to stop Punchu Trading CC joint venture China State Construction Engineering Co. Southern Africa from implementing the contract to construct veterinary cordon fencing along Namibia’s border with…

Renthia Kaimbi A video circulating widely on social media showing religious leaders in Namibia burning wigs and cosmetic products they describe as evil has sparked debate over Christian teachings on personal appearance, the interpretation of scripture and the authority of religious leaders to pronounce certain practices sinful. The footage has raised questions about whether wigs, makeup and other cosmetic products are inherently sinful or whether their use is a matter of personal conviction and denominational teaching, as church leaders express differing views on modesty and acceptable appearance among believers. The debate also comes amid concerns raised by theologians about the…

Renthia Kaimbi The Walvis Bay Municipal Council is set to vote on the termination of its controversial RedForce Debt Management contract after councillors were granted an extension to decide on the matter until today. Internal sources told the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday that an extraordinary council meeting is scheduled for 10:00 today at the municipal chambers, where councillors are expected to deliberate and vote on the future of the debt collection agreement. The meeting follows renewed pressure from urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa, who has directed the municipality to halt the contract, recover funds allegedly wasted through the…

Renthia Kaimbi OvaHerero and Nama descendants living in South Africa have taken their demands for greater involvement in negotiations over the 1904-1908 genocide to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on Pretoria to support their inclusion in discussions on reparations and historical redress. The descendants, through the OvaHerero Traditional Authority (OTA) South Africa Office of the Chief, submitted a petition to the South African Presidency on 2 October 2026, arguing that the effects of the genocide extend beyond Namibia’s borders and continue to affect communities in South Africa and other parts of Southern Africa. A parallel petition was submitted to…

Renthia Kaimbi Farmers in the //Kharas Region have been warned against independently vaccinating livestock or carrying out other disease-control measures as the government intensifies efforts to contain the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, which has so far recorded 79 positive samples across 11 farms. Agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani said vaccination of eligible livestock would be introduced within the designated containment zone, alongside targeted culling, intensified surveillance and strict movement controls. The outbreak was first detected on 22 September during routine clinical surveillance at a farm in the Graswater area, with laboratory investigations confirming the presence of…

…bank lends over N$250m annually as treasury support averages just N$99m Patience Makwele Agribank is facing a funding squeeze, with the agricultural lender advancing more than N$250 million in new loans each year while receiving an average of only about N$99 million annually from the national treasury. The figures, disclosed in parliament on Thursday, reveal a gap of approximately N$151 million between the bank’s annual lending activity and direct treasury support, forcing Agribank to rely heavily on other funding channels to keep its lending programme going. Agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani revealed the figures while responding…