National News

Sostenus Wilherm Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani has rejected the government’s midterm budget review, accusing it of failing to address the cost of living, housing shortages, agricultural challenges and sluggish economic growth. Speaking in parliament on Thursday during finance minister Erica Shafudah’s presentation of the midterm budget review, Venaani said the government was prioritising the wrong areas while ordinary Namibians continued to struggle with basic necessities. “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty,” Venaani said, repeating the statement as he argued that the budget did not respond adequately to the country’s socio-economic challenges. He questioned how the…

Sostenus Wilherm Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament and shadow minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security Lucia Mbuti has demanded answers over the unsolved rape and murder of 80-year-old Elina Samuel at Omainda village near Omuthiya in December 2022. In questions submitted to home affairs minister Lucia Ipumbu on Thursday in the national assembly, Mbuti seeks clarity on the investigation, forensic evidence and alleged lack of communication between police and the victim’s family. Mbuti asked what specific forensic and investigative resources the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) had deployed in the Oshikoto Region to process evidence collected…

Patience Makwele The Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO) in the Zambezi Region says a lack of government support is hampering its efforts to address students’ concerns and implement resolutions adopted at its 19th national congress. The regional representatives raised the concerns during a panel discussion hosted by the ministry of information and communication technology’s (MICT) Zambezi Regional Office on Wednesday, under the theme “19th Nanso Congress Resolutions: Turning Students’ Voice Into Action in Zambezi Region”. The representatives cited difficulties in securing assistance from government offices, including transport and logistical support for activities, saying stronger collaboration was needed to translate students’…

Staff Writer A bitter struggle has emerged within the Swapo Party’s Otjozondjupa region, with regional leadership and a national leader assigned to the region clashing over the legitimacy of Grootfontein’s mandate renewal process and the tenure of its district office bearers. The dispute has exposed divisions over the interpretation of the party’s constitution, the authority of leaders assigned to regions and the validity of a 2025 mandate renewal exercise. The conflict intensified this week after Hofni Iipinge, chairperson of leaders assigned to Otjozondjupa, instructed regional coordinator Immanuel Namaseb to halt ongoing section mandate renewals in Grootfontein, arguing that the process…

Sostenus Wilherm The High Court has dismissed former ministry of health and social services senior accountant Ricardo Hitikua’s appeal against his dismissal for allegedly being absent from work for more than 30 consecutive days. Acting judge David Mangota ruled on Wednesday that weekends and public holidays count towards the statutory period of absence under the Public Service Act. “The arbitrator’s interpretation of the deeming provision is without fault,” Mangota said in his judgment. Hitikua, who worked at the Khomas Health Directorate before his dismissal in August 2019, argued that the period should only include days on which he was contractually…

Renthia Kaimbi The High Court has ruled that urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa did not direct the municipality of Walvis Bay to terminate its RedForce Debt Management contract by 30 September, striking the company’s urgent application from the roll after finding that it had failed to establish urgency. In a judgment delivered on 20 October, acting judge James Devittie said Sankwasa’s letter of 10 September instructed the council to act in accordance with the Attorney General’s legal opinion by the end of September, but did not expressly require the immediate cancellation of the five-year debt collection agreement. The…

Sostenus Wilherm Justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel has clarified that people entering civil marriages must disclose existing customary spouses, following questions in Parliament on Wednesday about bigamy and the recognition of customary marriages. Immanuel made the clarification while responding to an urgent oral question from Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Member of Parliament Tuhafeni Kalola, who raised concerns following reports of a woman allegedly married to three men. Kalola asked the minister to explain how civil and customary marriages are treated under Namibian law, saying the issue had left some young people confused about what is legally permitted. “Last…

Patience Makwele Private tertiary students could still face tuition shortfalls under the government’s subsidised tertiary education funding model, with education minister Sanet Steenkamp telling parliament that parents would have to cover the difference between government contributions and actual course fees. Responding to Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) MP Abed Hishoono in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Steenkamp said the government’s initial instruction was to focus on public universities and colleges before a task force considered how students at private institutions could also benefit. Under the proposed arrangement, the government would pay private institutions a predetermined amount towards students’ course costs,…