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23 Apr

Politicians call for presidential debate

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Erasmus Shalihaxwe Maximillian Katjimune, a Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament added his voice to the call for a public debate between candidates in the presidential race that will stand in the November presidential and national assembly elections. The call was initially made by Panduleni Itula, the leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) on his X account last week. “I'm all set to debate with candidates who are duly registered. Let's bring our A-game to the table!’ he wrote under the #ReadyToDebate tagline in his social media post. Katjimune said the debate will allow presidential candidates to…

23 Apr

12 arrested in corruption-related cases in six months

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Stefanus Nashama In the last six months, 12 people have been arrested in corruption-related cases. This was announced by ACC spokesperson Josefina Nghituwamata in a statement on Monday. A number of the cases involve civil servants. The most recent case involves Kefas Kalitheni Amutenya (46), an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reform, who was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of N$600 from a community member at Onankali last month. Amutenya, a Workhand official under the Directorate of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination, was taken into custody by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on 13 April. He…

22 Apr

Fishrot accused not in danger

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Ester Mbathera Deputy Commissioner Veikko Armas, the warden of the Windhoek correctional facility said the Fishrot accused's lives are in no danger. This comes after allegations made by the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEEF) commissar for economic development, Michael Amushelelo that there are plans to kill all the Fishrot accused in the prison’s trial awaiting cells. He made the remarks on Monday on his social media platforms. “The suspects are currently being held at C Section in the Windhoek Correctional Facility, however, all of them will be taken to a section called Echo on Tuesday. At Echo Section, there are…

22 Apr

Regions prepare to expand constituencies

info_e12wt4csMainRegions prepare to expand constituencies

Hertta-maria Amutenja Kavango East Regional Council chairperson and Mukwe constituency councillor, Damian Maghambayi, said the region is considering the expansion of constituencies to address evolving demographic needs and enhance representation. This is in anticipation of the upcoming assessment of regional boundaries by the Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission under the direction of President Nangolo Mbumba. During an interview with Windhoek Observer on Monday, Maghambayi highlighted the significance of the exercise, particularly in light of past challenges in demarcating constituencies. "This exercise is very significant, especially for us in the regions. During the last commission visit, we could not demarcate some…

22 Apr

CoW clarifies delay in completion of N$20 million road project

info_e12wt4csMainCity of Windhoek (CoW), Sem David

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement has told the City of Windhoek (CoW) management to fast-track and complete the road between the Hakahana and Havana informal settlements which is still under construction. The road is supposed to be upgraded from gravel to tar. Work started in June last year but came to a standstill late last year and to date is still stalled. Earlier this month, the AR’s Khomas Regional Chairperson Sem David wrote a letter to CoW chief executive officer, Moses Matyayi and minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni, seeking answers on why the road is…

21 Apr

N$27 million for former governors and councillors leave payout

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Ester Mbathera Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) issued a notice last week to chief regional officers to commence payment of leave credit days and leave gratuities to all former governors, chairpersons, and regional councillors. The payout of leave days for former officials is projected to cost the government N$27 million. Daniel Nghidinua, the executive director of the ministry explained in the letter that the payout applies to all those who served from December 1992 to December 2020. He said the payment is capped at a total payment of one-third (1/3) of the 25 days per year of service.…

21 Apr

Namibia eases visa access to boost tourism and trade

info_e12wt4csMainMinistry of Home Affairs Executive Director Etienne Maritz

Niël Terblanché In order to strategically enhance its position as a gateway for tourism and trade, the Namibian government has initiated a new visa policy that allows travellers to obtain visas upon arrival at Walvis Bay harbour and other major entry points across the country. The new policy came into effect last Thursday and aims to streamline the entry process and make Namibia a more accessible and appealing destination for international visitors. Etienne Maritz, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, announced the policy shift and added that it aims to simplify travel logistics…

19 Apr

Namibia to become the energy capital of Africa

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Martin Endjala The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, says, that given the evolving energy landscape, Namibia is strategically positioning to become a sustainable energy capital in Africa. Alweendo said this on 18 April at the Global Africa Green Hydrogen Summit held in Windhoek. The summit is themed “From Ambition to Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution”, "It comes at a time during which Namibia in particular has availed large portions of land, adapting legislative frameworks, engaging global captains of industries and raising billions of dollars to pioneer low-carbon industrialisation at scale. Something that has never been done before…

18 Apr

Xinfeng’s N$600 million lithium processing plant ready for commissioning

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Ester Mbathera Xinfeng Investments has announced the commissioning of its lithium processing plant nine months after the government banned the export of unprocessed crushed lithium ore, cobalt, manganese, graphite, and rare earth metals and elements. Aqisha Jooste, the company spokesperson, confirmed this to the Windhoek Observer on Thursday. The plant is expected to start operations in June. “The plant promises to significantly enhance the lithium supply chain and bolster economic growth within the region. The new facility boasts a substantial processing capacity of 1 million tonnes of concentrated lithium annually. This marks a significant step in meeting the growing global…

18 Apr

Mbumba tells new NDF recruits to be ready to maintain peace during elections

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Julia Heita President Nangolo Mbumba, said he expects the new Namibian Defence Force (NDF) members to be ready to maintain peace and order during this year's upcoming elections. Mbumba was speaking during the graduation parade and commissioning ceremony of the 10th regular commissioning course at the 261 motorised infantry battalion on 18 April 2024 at Rundu in the Kavango-east region. He told the graduates that they would continue to protect and preserve Namibia’s hard-won freedom and peace. Emphasising that people may try to seize the cover of election campaigns to engage in nefarious and criminal activities. “There are some few…