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Allexer Namundjembo and Ester Mbathera Political analysts and party leaders are calling for the removal or reform of the controversial veterinary cordon fence, also known as the Red Line, arguing that it hinders economic opportunities, perpetuates poverty, and restricts market access for farmers in the northern regions.  The leader of the Affirmative Repositioning party, Job Amupanda is currently in the courts fighting for the removal of the line. Political analyst Joseph Diescho criticised the continued existence of the Red Line 35 years after independence.  “It should have been sorted a long time ago,” he said. Diescho questioned the morality of…

Ester Mbathera  The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) has loosened its grip on regulating bycatch, allowing large fishing companies, particularly horse mackerel freezer trawler operators, to exploit the country’s marine resources unchecked. This shift follows the removal of explicit bycatch limits in quota allocation letters, which previously included a 5% bycatch limit by weight of total landings in 2017. That year, the ministry had also mandated observers on vessels, enforced area closures when bycatch limits were exceeded, and promoted collaborative research with Angola to manage shared stocks.  These regulatory safeguards are now absent, leaving fishing companies with significantly…

Allexer Namundjembo A power and water crisis at Windhoek Central Hospital has impacted critical services, leaving patients and staff in dire conditions.  The problem started when rainwater damaged electrical terminals that were connected to the distribution box in the basement. This caused power cuts to several floors in the west wing and disrupted the water supply to the east wing. The hospital’s ninth floor, which houses the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and other critical care wards, has been heavily affected.  Sources at the hospital told the Windhoek Observer on Saturday that these services are now consolidated on the ninth…

Allexer Namundjembo and Ester Mbathera  The recent diamond heist at Namdia’s ‘Eumbo’ office in Windhoek, which resulted in the deaths of Namdia’s security chief, Francis Eiseb, and suspect Max Endjala, has reignited concerns over the security and management of Namibia’s diamond resources. Almost a week after the heist, Namdia has chosen to remain silent, postponing a media briefing that was initially anticipated to provide clarity on the incident. Namdia’s Chief Executive Officer, Alisa Amupolo announced on Wednesday that the company had delayed the briefing due to ongoing investigations.  “We will then be in a better position to provide you with…

Martin Endjala Namwater has identified poor performance by some local contractors as a key challenge in awarding capital projects, forcing the national water utility to consider alternatives. The head of corporate communications, Lot Ndamanomhata in a statement on Wednesday said NamWater awarded numerous projects to Namibian companies in line with its mandate to promote local participation and development. “Local contractors are given preference wherever they meet the required technical and financial criteria for project execution,” he said. Ndamanomhata was responding to claims by the Namibia Local Business Association (NALOBA) that local companies are being sidelined in tenders by Namwater. NALOBA…

Martin Endjala The City of Windhoek is in the hands of women after the election of Ndeshihafela Laranja of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) as the mayor, while PDM councillor Clemencia Hanases was chosen as the deputy mayor.  Ilse Keister, an Affirmative Repositioning (AR) councillor, was elected as the chairperson of the management committee. Laranja secured nine out of 12 votes during the elections held on Tuesday, defeating Swapo councillor Austin Kwenani, who received three votes.  Laranja, in her acceptance speech, pledged to serve with integrity and work collaboratively with all councillors to prioritise essential services like water supply…

Allexer Namundjembo Trustco Group’s decision to fly its company flag at half-mast for five days in honour of Max Endjala, a long-serving employee who died during the NAMDIA diamond heist, has sparked public criticism. The company announced the gesture on Monday saying that it is a long-standing tradition to lower the flag when an employee passes awayTrustco spokesperson Neville Basson on Monday explained that flying the company flags at half-mast is a longstanding tradition within the organisation. “For five days, we will be flying our company flag at half-mast, which is our tradition when the group loses an employee,” he…

Allexer Namundjembo National squash player and local financial firm auditor Max Endjala was found wounded at the scene of the violent diamond heist at Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) on Saturday. Endjala, Namibia's number-one men's squash player for several years, later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Endjala represented Namibia at the South African Country Districts squash tournament in Limpopo, South Africa, in May last year. According to authorities, Endjala is suspected to have attempted suicide as law enforcement moved in to apprehend suspected robbers involved in the heist. His connection to the robbery remains under investigation, and police are…

Ester Mbathera Over the years the residents of Tsumeb have complained about several illnesses that they blamed on exposure to arsenic, fumes and dust coming from the copper smelter operated on by Weatherly and later Dundee Precious Metals. Before Dundee’s departure in 2024, the community of Tsumeb asked for assurance that the environment was safe and that there would be no health-related consequences. Former deputy minister of information and communication technology and a resident of Tsumeb, Engel Nawatiseb, is among those who made the request. “We asked them to give us assurance that we are in safe hands and our…

CHAMWE KAIRA Namibia’s quest to become an oil producer has suffered another setback. Sintana Energy Inc. has announced that it has been notified by Chevron that while operations reached total depth 25% ahead of plan at its offshore Namibia exploration, the well did not find commercial hydrocarbons. This is the second setback suffered by Namibia in its quest to become an oil producer following the recent announcement by Shell that it will write down around US$400 million over an oil discovery offshore Namibia that it deemed commercially unviable. Shell said the oil and gas resources in offshore block PEL39 in…