National News

Patience Makwele  Vice president Lucia Witbooi has called on French businesses to invest in Namibia.  Speaking during a meeting with French businesses and the MEDEF International delegation in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday, Witbooi promoted Namibia as a stable investment destination with opportunities in oil and gas, technology, tourism and creative industries. The engagement forms part of government efforts to attract foreign direct investment as Namibia faces growing pressure to address unemployment, especially among young people. Witbooi said the government is prioritising investment in agriculture, youth empowerment, sports, creative industries, education, healthcare, housing and sanitation to drive economic growth and create…

Allexer Namundjembo The chief-in-command of the Namibian Revolutionary Transport Union (Naretu), Petersen Kambinda, has criticised the long delays faced by truck drivers at border posts.  He blamed the situation on slow processes within the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA). Kambinda said truck drivers are spending long hours in queues because of system inefficiencies at border entry points. “It is extremely disappointing that we have people in authority who disregard other human beings,” he told the Windhoek Observer on Monday.  Kambinda said contingency plans should be introduced whenever NamRA systems are down or operating slowly. “Truck drivers are our unsung heroes; they…

Patience Makwele The Namibia Health Plan (NHP) says it remains committed to complying with the Financial Institutions and Markets Act (Fima) while stabilising operations following challenges linked to its transition to a new managed care service provider. Fima came into operation at the beginning of this month.  NHP hosted two virtual engagement sessions on Monday with members and healthcare providers to address concerns surrounding the transition, which started on 1 April 2026. The sessions brought together the board of trustees, members and healthcare practitioners to discuss service delivery challenges and measures being introduced to improve operations. The transition has resulted…

Patience Makwele The scaling down of operations by the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) at the Katima Mulilo abattoir has left farmers in the Zambezi region uncertain about the future of cattle marketing and the stability of the local livestock sector. Zambezi livestock farmer Kwenani Matengu said the development has created uncertainty among producers, although he was not entirely surprised by Meatco’s decision. “There is uncertainty, but for me it is not entirely new. I understand that Meatco was operating under a contract, so at some point it was going to come to an end,” he said. Matengu said farmers…

 Allexer Namundjembo  The recent announcement by the City of Windhoek (CoW) that its debt has been reduced from N$888 million to N$869 million has sparked criticism from residents, who say the municipality spends more money on salaries while service delivery remains poor. The reduction means CoW has lowered its debt by N$19 million, with N$869 million still outstanding. Windhoek mayor Sackaria Uunona announced the figures on Thursday during an ordinary council meeting. “These figures demonstrate gradual but meaningful progress in strengthening financial discipline, improving revenue management and restoring the municipality’s fiscal sustainability,” Uunona said. Reacting to the announcement, Windhoek resident…

Patience Makwele  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform is moving to revive the long-dormant Rundu Technology Centre.  The N$36 million facility has struggled to fulfil its mandate since its establishment more than a decade ago. The ministry recently held stakeholder consultations in Rundu to map out a recovery plan for the centre, which was originally created to support agricultural mechanisation for green scheme irrigation projects and subsistence farmers across Namibia. The centre is expected to reopen in the next three months. Speaking during the engagement, director of agricultural production Ben Haraseb said the ministry is reassessing the…

Staff Writer  President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the country must take the issue of the boy child seriously to strengthen social and economic development. She raised concern over the low number of male graduates at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust).  Speaking at the Nust May 2026 graduation ceremony in Windhoek on Friday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the university’s graduation figures do not reflect the country’s population ratio between men and women. “In total, 2,962 graduates are being conferred across disciplines, comprising of 1 187 males and 1 775 females,” she said. The graduating class included 164 master’s degree candidates, made…

Justicia Shipena The legal cost linked to the dispute over the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) paramount chieftaincy has reached an estimated N$10 million. This comes as the Herero chief of Ovitoto, Vipuira Kapuuo, continues his court challenge against professor Mutjinde Katjiua’s claim to the position of paramount chief. “The teams acknowledged the substantial financial costs associated with the ongoing legal battles. It is estimated that the collective legal expenditure has reached approximately N$10 million,” a joint statement issued on Thursday said. Kapuuo argues that under Ovaherero customary law, tradition and protocol, the chairperson of the Chief’s Council automatically becomes acting…

Justicia Shipena  Refuelling into containers, drums and fuel cans is prohibited across the country for the next three months.  Industries, mines and energy minister, Modestus Amutse, announced the temporary restriction during a media briefing at the Government Information Centre in Windhoek on Thursday. Amutse said the move aims to stop panic buying and fuel hoarding following another sharp increase in fuel prices. “To support the continued availability of fuel across the country, service stations are directed, for the next three months, to only refuel directly into the customers’ vehicles. The filling of additional drums, cans, or other containers will not…