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Renthia Kaimbi The National Youth Service (NYS) has been operating with only four board members for more than a year, falling below the statutory minimum of seven prescribed by the NYS Act 6 of 2005. A governance expert has warned that while decisions may not be automatically void, the arrangement creates a credible concern about compliance and heightens governance risks. The current board comprises three members co-opted from the Namibian Police, Namibia Defence Force and Namibian Correctional Services, and one from the youth ministry, following the expiry of the previous board’s term in June 2025. Sources have expressed fears that…

Renthia Kaimbi Namibian spouses can no longer be forced to prove adultery, cruelty or desertion to end their marriage, according to a guidance note issued by Judge President Petrus Damaseb to the public on the new divorce dispensation. The guidance note, dated 2 June 2026, explains that the long-awaited Dissolution of Marriages Act, 2024 (DoMA) comes into effect on 3 June 2026 (today), abolishing a fault-based system that had previously governed divorce, thereby replacing it with a single ground of “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.” According to the document, the DoMA represents one of the most significant reforms in the…

Renthia Kaimbi An anonymous whistleblower complaint reportedly submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has raised allegations of corruption, nepotism, favouritism and governance irregularities at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) during the tenure of former chief executive officer Nangula Uaandja. The complaint, dated 5 May 2026 and seen by this publication, contains a series of allegations relating to recruitment, procurement, promotions and management decisions at the institution between 2021 and 2025. The allegations have not been independently verified and no findings have been made by the ACC or any court. According to the complaint, Uaandja, who left NIPDB…

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has directed all fuel companies in Namibia to source their bulk petrol and diesel exclusively from Vitol between July and September 2026.  This decision has raised questions about procurement transparency and potential conflicts of interest. In a letter dated 21 May 2026 and addressed to the Namibian Oil Industry Association (NOIA), industries, mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse informed industry players that the government had made what it described as emergency arrangements with Vitol, making the global commodity trader the sole supplier of fuel to Namibia for three months. He instructed…

Justicia Shipena  President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah did not attend the official Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration held in Eenhana on Thursday.  Her absence raised eyebrows after she attended the Omaludi Agricultural Festival the previous day in the same region.  Namibia marked the day in memory of the tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908 in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the twentieth century. Cabinet declared 28 May as Genocide Remembrance Day and approved it as a public holiday in 2024.  The first official commemoration took place last year…

Renthia Kaimbi Two senior TransNamib Holdings Limited (TransNamib) executives suspended earlier this year over allegations of property mismanagement and statutory breaches returned to work on Tuesday.  This followed a directive from works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi. Webster Gonzo, executive for human capital and Alynsia Platt, executive for properties, resumed their duties after the newly appointed TransNamib board was instructed to facilitate their return. Nekundi had previously raised concern over the continued payment of full salaries to suspended executives who were not performing duties for the company. Nekundi confirmed their return to the Windhoek Observer yesterday. “They are back at…

Patience Makwele Telecom Namibia says it will comply fully with a summons from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran). This follows repeated nationwide broadband disruptions that have affected businesses, institutions and households. Cran summoned the state-owned telecommunications company for an urgent briefing amid growing concerns over recurring network instability and service quality failures. The regulator said the repeated disruptions to Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband network are affecting communication, financial transactions, education and daily operations across the country. Telecom Namibia said it is cooperating with Cran and will provide a full briefing on the technical causes of the disruptions and…

Justicia Shipena  The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) wants to increase its civil claim against former executive for livestock production and procurement Patrick Liebenberg from N$6.1 million to more than N$7.5 million.  Meatco accuses Liebenberg of fraud, theft and misappropriation of company funds. According to a notice of intention to amend particulars of claim filed by Meatco’s legal representatives, Tjombe Incorporated, on Wednesday, the state-owned meat producer wants to expand its case before the High Court by adding new allegations and increasing the amount being claimed. In the amendment, Meatco says its claim is based mainly on breach of contract…

Justicia Shipena  Medicine shortages in public hospitals are keeping President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah awake at night.  Nandi-Ndaitwah said the continued shortage of medicines remains one of the biggest burdens on her administration. “If there is one of the things that gives me sleepless nights, in all sincerity, it is when I'm hearing no medicines in our hospitals,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said during her visit to the FabuPharm pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Otjiwarongo on Wednesday.  Her remarks come at a time when public hospitals and clinics across the country continue running low on essential medicines.  This week, the Ministry of Health and Social Services…

Justicia Shipena  Prime minister Elijah Ngurare says President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah should be allowed to serve her full two terms in office without distractions from early succession debates. Ngurare’s remarks come as succession discussions intensify less than two years into Nandi-Ndaitwah’s first term.  Ngurare said Namibia’s presidents since independence have all served two constitutional terms and argued that Nandi-Ndaitwah deserves the same political space. “Since independence in 1990, our successive presidents have uninterruptedly served their two terms as the Constitution dictates. Her Excellency Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Swapo Party and Namibia, will serve her two terms, too,” he said…