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Renthia Kaimbi A potential conflict of interest is facing health minister  Esperance Luvindao after revelations that her brother recently sought details on the ministry’s pharmaceutical procurement plans while representing a registered government vendor. In May, Jonathan Luvindao, managing director of Atlantic Pharmaceutical, emailed the ministry requesting information on its medicine purchasing requirements.  The company is owned by his wife, Ebba Uppindi, and has been listed as a vendor with the Central Medical Stores for more than two years, before  Luvindao’s appointment as minister in March 2025. Although Atlantic Pharmaceutical has never won a contract with the ministry, Jonathan’s direct approach…

Allexer Namundjembo More than 4,000 Namibians have sued each other for defamation of character in cases linked to social media. The inspector general, Joseph Shikongo, revealed the figures during the launch of the Ethical Use of Social Media Campaign on Wednesday at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust). Between April 2022 and April 2025, the police recorded 4 835 defamation cases, many involving public figures and social media influencers.  Defamation cases have been on the rise.  One of the current cases before court involves the chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), Martin Kambulu Pinehas, who is suing…

Renthia Kaimbi Human rights activist Phil ya Nangolo has called on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah not to grant former Namibia Defence Force (NDF) chief Solomon ‘Jesus’ Hawala a state funeral or any official honours.  Hawala died on Monday, 11 August 2025 at the age of 89. Nangolo, who leads NamRights, said Nandi-Ndaitwah should “refrain from according ‘Jesus’ a state or any official funeral at all.”  He pointed to unresolved allegations from the liberation struggle era, saying NamRights has lodged a submission with the International Criminal Court to investigate Hawala and others over the disappearance of hundreds of Namibians during exile.  He…

Justicia Shipena  Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Paulus Noa confirmed that antiretroviral medicines seized six years ago are now expired.  The medicine has been stored in a Chinese container confiscated by the ACC since 2019. “We cannot dispose of that container before the case is finalised,”Noa told the Windhoek Observer  He added the matter is still with the office of the prosecutor general, awaiting a decision.  Noa confirmed it is the same container confiscated in 2019.  “It can only be that one because we only have one container in relation to medicine. That is the only case we have still…

Justicia Shipena Fugitive Victor Malima paid a deposit of just over N$900,000 in 2023 for the luxury Audi Q8 he allegedly bought for former National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) managing director Immanuel Mulunga, the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court heard on Friday.  The payment was made before the vehicle was collected in August 2023, months after Mulunga was suspended in April 2023. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chief investigator Oberty Inambao revealed this information.   Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Francois Bangamwabo, Inambao said the car was financed through a hire purchase agreement in Malima’s name.  He confirmed that in such arrangements, the bank…

Justicia Shipena  Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chief investigator Orberty Inambao says the plot to defraud the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) may have started before 2022. Testifying during the bail hearing of the accused in the N$53 million Namcor asset purchase case, Inambao told the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that ACC records point to discussions predating 10 May 2022. Court documents show that by that date, Namcor had already begun preparing to acquire Enercon’s infrastructure.  The deal was signed by former Namcor managing director Immanuel Mulunga on 18 July 2022.  The state alleges the deal bypassed Namcor’s procurement and finance committees.…

Chamwe Kaira  Nedbank Group’s results for the six months ending June 30 revealed a 77% increase in impairments, totalling N$184 million.  This rise was driven by write-offs in Namibia’s retail home loan portfolio, impairment reviews in Eswatini, and a downgrade in Mozambique’s sovereign debt ratings. Nedbank also extended its intelligent depositor device rollout across Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, now offering cash recycling capabilities.  Terence Sibiya, Nedbank’s group managing executive for Africa Regions, emphasised that the future of the bank’s growth lies in Africa.  The Nedbank Africa Regions (NAR) cluster, which includes Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, along with…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chief investigating officer Oberty Inambao told the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that the former managing director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), Immanuel Mulunga, was tricked into making a N$53 million offer to acquire fuel storage facilities.  He said Namcor, through Mulunga, had made an offer to acquire storage facilities.  However, this offer was never executed. “Mulunga represented Namcor, and he was misled on the 15th of July 2022. Those storage facilities have never been acquired by Namcor, even though the asset purchase agreement was signed on that day,” said Inambao during…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The government is exploring ways to ensure 51% local ownership in new mining ventures. This will be done through a new policy aimed at promoting local empowerment and long-term sustainability.Deputy prime minister and minister of industries, mines and energy, Natangue Ithete announced the plan on Tuesday during the opening of the 2025 Mining Expo in Windhoek. “We are actively consulting with industry stakeholders on mechanisms that will promote 51% Namibian ownership in new mining ventures,” said Ithete. He said local empowerment is not only a matter of social justice but also a cornerstone for long-term stability and sustainability…

Justicia Shipena More than 1.6 million Namibians cannot afford a healthy diet.  This is according to the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI 2025) report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).  With Namibia’s population at approximately 3 million, this means just 46.7% of citizens can afford the minimum nutritional requirements for a healthy lifestyle. The figures in the SOFI 2025 indicated an increase from last year’s estimated figures of 1.5 million people.  Between 2021 and 2023, the cost of a healthy diet in Namibia rose by over 19%. In 2023 alone, food and…