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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…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The planned protest by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has been described as premature given that the electoral court is still processing the case. The IPC planned to stage a protest on 15 January against the irregularities in the November 2024 presidential and National Assembly election process. The Supreme Court has scheduled the case's status hearing for 3 February. Political analyst Sacky Johannes expressed concerns about the timing of the protest, suggesting that it is premature given that the electoral court is still processing the case. “Why are they demonstrating while we have no results on something…

Martin Endjala The Bank of Namibia (BonN) has announced the granting of provisional authorisations to four entities to provide payment services and virtual asset services. Provisional authorisation to operate as a virtual asset service provider was granted to Mindex Virtual Asset Exchange (Pty) Ltd. and Landifa Bitcoin Trade CC for a period of six months. During this period, the companies will set up shop and procure the necessary equipment and software to be able to provide services such as cryptocurrency trading, exchanges, or ATMs. Kazembire Zemburuka, the central banks’ spokesperson, said the businesses have not been given authorisation to engage…

Niël Terblanché Michel Prud'homme Nzouba, an entrepreneur from Gabon, said the departure of the oil and gas giant Shell from Namibia is not good news for the country. Last week, Shell announced a US$400 million write-down on discoveries made within the license, citing commercial unfeasibility. “When majors like Shell pull out, perceived risk increases and appetite from other players diminishes. Having said that, there may still be hope for Namibia from other players such as TotalEnergies, who are still to conclude their appraisal work,” said Nzouba on LinkedIn. According to Nzouba, as some explorers pull out, the country will inherit…

Martin Endjala Ndinelao Shuudifonya, a retail worker in Windhoek's bustling Chinatown shopping complex, finds herself in a precarious situation after her employer recently informed staff that the business might close due to their inability to pay Namibia's newly implemented national minimum wage of N$18 per hour. For Shuudifonya, who has worked at the shop for a year and a half, this revelation has brought mixed emotions. “At this point, I am prepared to face whatever comes. For far too long, these Chinese have been using us like donkeys, working from seven to seven, Monday to Sunday, with no leave and…

Ester Mbathera Seven workers from Merlus Fishing were hospitalised on Wednesday morning after inhaling ammonia gas at the company’s factory in Walvis Bay. Seventeen others received medical treatment at a local hospital and were discharged. Merlus Fishing’s management chairperson, Stanley Katzao told the Windhoek Observer that none of the affected workers were in a life-threatening condition. “We deploy best practices in occupational health and that's why we acted swiftly and decisively when we immediately became aware of the incident,” he said. Katzao explained that the ammonia gas originated from a crab vessel operated by Russian nationals, docked at Perreira Fishing,…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Supreme Court of Namibia's decision on employee sick leave and workplace discipline has raised concerns from trade unions, which argue it could infringe on workers' rights. The court ruled in November 2024 that employers are not limited to accepting medical certificates as proof of illness and may request detailed medical reports, particularly for extended absences or cases involving mental health. The judgement stemmed from the case between Hilya Nghiwete, former chief executive officer of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), and her former employer. Speaking about the ruling, the secretary general of the Mine Workers Union,…

Martin Endjala A group of people has started a fundraising initiative to assist with the relocation of the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) leader, brave Martin Lukato Lukato, to Windhoek. Lukato participated in the 2024 National Assembly elections, after which he gained a single parliamentary seat. So far the group has raised N$24 800. According to the fundraising organiser, Mchangani Chikusi, the money will cover Lukatos’ transport as well as rent of accommodation for the first month or two while the rest of the funds will be given to him to spend as he sees fit. “We as families and friends…

Ester Mbathera The Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) is facing allegations of fraud of over US$51 123.92 (N$957 909.91) in unpaid contracts with a Ghanaian digital marketing and tourism promotion firm. NTB signed two different contracts with Hype.Up Limited in 2023 for the Ghanaian company to execute awareness campaigns to enhance Namibia's tourism industry by attracting more visitors from Ghana and other African nations. This was to be done through the ‘November in Namibia’ program, which is designed to establish a network of ambitious Africans who share a passion for intra-Africa tourism, travel and trade. It encompasses a range of events,…

Ester Mbathera A customer received N$100 000 airtime fraudulently from an employee of the national telecommunications operator, the Telecom leaked document reveals. The company's internal risk audit, which examined the top 100 transactions, revealed these findings. The national telecommunications operation was hacked of 493 000 documents valued at N$5,4 billion (U$300 million). The head of internal audit and risk management, Kgomotso Hochobeb, made Telecom chief executive officer (CEO) Stanley Shanapinda aware of these fraudulent discrepancies. The N$100 000 airtime transaction could not be explained when it was picked up. “A balance of N$100 000.00 was credited to a customer’s account…