National News

Patience Makwele  Newly appointed Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) chairperson Gerson Sindano says the commission will push for changes to electoral laws to address challenges experienced during previous elections. Sindano, who formally took office last week, said the ECN is currently working on electoral amendment bills which will be consolidated before being taken to political parties and other stakeholders for further input. “The only way we can deal with those challenges is if we review some of the existing laws and make sure that they speak to our current needs and our current operation,” Sindano said. He said the process…

Staff Writer President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for a woman to be elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations for the first time in the organisation’s history, placing gender equality and women’s leadership at the centre of her address to the 81st UN General Assembly. Speaking in New York last night under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation”, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the international community should seize the opportunity to advance women’s representation at the highest level of global governance as it considers the succession to outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres. She reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to gender equality and the implementation of UN…

Sostenus Wilherm Namibia risks losing parts of its cultural identity if communities fail to actively protect indigenous languages, traditions and knowledge, according to minister of justice and labour relations Fillemon Wise Immanuel. He said students and institutions should move beyond cultural preservation and explore ways of turning heritage into economic opportunities. Speaking at the opening of the University of Namibia (Unam) Ogongo Cultural Festival on Wednesday, Immanuel said culture should not be reduced to traditional clothing, food and dancing, arguing that it forms the foundation of a community’s identity, history and way of life. “Culture is about how we see…

Patience Makwele Defence and veterans affairs Minister Frans Kapofi has warned that further delays in inaugurating the Cassinga Memorial could see the completed facility deteriorate and increase costs for both Namibia and Angola. The warning comes as the joint Namibia-Angola project has reached about 99% completion, nearly nine years after construction began. Kapofi made the remarks on Wednesday in Lubango, Angola, following a joint inspection of the Cassinga Memorial Park and a six-day meeting of the Namibia-Angola Joint High-Level Committee. “Further delays in the inauguration of the memorial could result in deterioration of the already completed facility which in essence…

Sostenus Wilherm Five health facilities in Kavango West have received newly constructed sanitation facilities under a N$3.3 billion national water and sanitation programme, in a move the government says will improve conditions for patients, health workers and surrounding communities. The facilities, handed over by the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform (MAFWLR) on Wednesday, are located at Kapako Clinic, Mburu-Uru Clinic, Nzinze Clinic, Sharukwe Clinic and Mupini Health Centre. The projects were implemented through the Namibia Water Sector Support Programme (NWSSP), which is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Namibian Government. The NWSSP carries a…

Sostenus Wilherm The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) has warned employers, education institutions and professional bodies against accepting fraudulent or misrepresented qualifications, saying fake credentials can undermine public safety, unfairly displace qualified candidates and erode trust in Namibia’s education and training system. Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Windhoek on Tuesday under the theme “Quality, Standards and Credibility,” NQA executive for qualification, Joseph Amunyela, said qualification verification should be treated as a key part of recruitment, admission, promotion and professional registration rather than an administrative formality. Amunyela said the NQA’s role is to establish whether qualifications are authentic, recognised and comparable…

Sostenus Wilherm The Revolutionary Union has completed two classrooms at Limbadungila Combined School in the Ohangwena Region after finding learners being taught in makeshift structures built from sticks, with rainwater entering the classrooms and electricity connected to the unsafe buildings. The project started in 2025, has seen the union spend between N$300 000 and N$350 000 on the construction of the two classrooms, which are now fully completed and awaiting an official handover date. The project covered construction work, roofing, plastering, painting, ceilings and electricity and is expected to benefit between 70 and 80 learners. Revolutionary Union central secretary Julius…

Patience Makwele President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for a stronger African voice in shaping the international financial system, saying the continent must have a greater say in decisions affecting its development. Nandi-Ndaitwah made the call in New York on Tuesday at a high-level side event on implementation of the Pact for the Future in Africa, held on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. She said African countries must take greater ownership of their development while collectively pushing for reforms to the international financial architecture. “Illicit financial flows still remain a challenge for Namibia and…