National News

Sostenus Wilherm Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has revealed that NSFAF received 56 075 applications this year, with 38 419 approved for funding, while 17 586 others remain at different stages of the validation process or have been unsuccessful. The figures were presented by Steenkamp in the National Assembly on Thursday to provide the clearest indication yet of the volume of applications being handled by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), as students continue to raise concerns over delayed financial assistance, particularly non-tuition payments. Steenkamp was responding to IPC member of parliament Bertha Nghifikwa, who questioned the continued delays in…

Patience Makwele The government has spent more than N$80 million over the past five years referring more than 4 000 state patients to private facilities for MRI scans, highlighting the cost of Namibia’s long-standing lack of public MRI services. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah revealed the figures on Thursday during the inauguration of the country’s first government-owned and operated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility at Windhoek Central Hospital. The new facility represents a shift from relying heavily on private providers for specialised imaging, with the government having invested N$49.8 million in the MRI machine, accessories and infrastructure upgrades required to house and…

Patience Makwele Twenty-five micro-business owners from Windhoek’s informal settlements have been selected to receive seed funding and mentorship after more than 400 applications were submitted for the support programme. The beneficiaries, who are parents and caregivers of children attending Development Workshop Namibia (DWN)-supported early childhood development (ECD) centres, were selected from the Samora Machel, Moses Garoeb and Tobias Hainyeko constituencies. DWN, with funding from the Embassy of Finland, on Thursday held financial literacy and business management training for the selected beneficiaries at the Tabitha Conference Centre in Khomasdal. The businesses include poultry and livestock ventures, catering, tailoring, retail, food trailers,…

Patience Makwele  Three out of four Namibian children are not considered ready for school, according to a national early childhood development (ECD) study cited by Development Workshop Namibia (DWN), raising concerns about the foundations being laid before children enter formal education. The finding was highlighted by Letta Muleka, Community Outreach and Partnership Coordinator at DWN, during the launch of Capricorn Group’s 2026 Social Value Report in Windhoek on Wednesday. Muleka said the organisation’s ECD project, which began in 2023, is working to improve the quality of early learning in informal settlements, where centres often operate with limited resources, inadequate infrastructure…

Sostenus Wilherm The Arandis Town Council has agreed to pay businessman Simon Shaninga N$95,292.81 to settle a High Court dispute over money he paid to the local authority in connection with a contested property lease. The settlement follows a dispute over N$74,375.40 paid by Shaninga to the council on 4 December 2024, after he believed he had been allowed to take over the rights and obligations attached to a property leased to Hans Pieter Somaeb. Under the settlement agreement signed by Shaninga and the Arandis Town Council, the council will pay Shaninga N$74,375.40 in full and final settlement of his…

Patience Makwele  Information and communication technology Minister Emma Theofelus has urged government institutions to communicate with one voice, saying Namibians do not experience government as separate ministries and agencies but as one state. Theofelus made the remarks on Wednesday at NIPAM in Windhoek during the launch of the Harmonised Government Communication Strategy 2026–2030, the Government Corporate Brand Identity Manual and the Government Communicators Forum of Namibia. She said her experience as government spokesperson showed how citizens view the state. “I can tell you as government spokesperson, I get all the questions under the sun,” Theofelus said, citing questions ranging from…

Sostenus Wilherm Rehoboth’s newly launched Mayoral Youth Development Fund has secured N$180 000 in cash pledges, alongside training opportunities and a commitment from the Social Security Commission to become its founding partner for more than three years. The commitments were announced during a gala dinner in Rehoboth, where the council officially launched the fund as a practical intervention aimed at moving young people from unemployment and dependency towards entrepreneurship, skills development and economic participation. The fund, established through the office of the mayor following the “Reho Let’s Talk” campaign, is intended to turn discussions about youth challenges into tangible opportunities.…

Patience Makwele Teachers in the Omusati region say they are tired of teaching in makeshift “shacks” (classrooms), with some schools still struggling with basic sanitation, administrative space and facilities needed for practical subjects. The concerns were raised during an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) validation workshop in the region on Tuesday, where several teachers and other participants described school infrastructure challenges that they say continue to affect teaching and learning. “We are tired of shacks,” one participant said. Another teacher described the reality behind the formal appearance of educators attending the workshop, saying: “As I’m wearing a suit, I was…