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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…

Allexer Namundjebo Zambezi regional leadership says they are unaware of the directive by urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa dissolving the Katima Mulilo Town Council. Katima Mulilo Town Council chief executive officer Raphael Liswaniso said he had not received any official communication.  “As far as I am concerned, I did not receive anything. No official communication to that effect,” he told Windhoek Observer. Liswaniso explained that Sankwasa had invited councillors and staff to meetings this week, including one with the community on Thursday.  “He sent us invitations to several meetings. There is also an invitation to meet staff management,…

Renthia Kaimbi Senior officials at the National Youth Service (NYS) are accused of ignoring allegations of trainee sexual exploitation, violent assaults and shielding perpetrators from accountability, according to a whistleblowing complaint seen by the Windhoek Observer. The complaint, signed by “Disgruntled Staff Members”, states: “We are not able to remain silent anymore. Enough is enough.” At least 10 cases of inappropriate staff-trainee sexual relationships have been reported.  Some officials allegedly fathered children with trainees, forced them to have abortions, and knowingly infected them with HIV.  Staff members accuse NYS of failing to act, allowing favouritism and leaving trainees unprotected. NYS…