National News

Justicia Shipena  Former finance minister Calle Schlettwein has called on the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) to explain the money lost in its investment in the South African-based Signal Structured Finance Fund (SSFF). Last week, it came to light that a tax claim by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) led to a major impairment in one of its offshore investment vehicles.  The fund said the claim created “significant uncertainty” over its ability to recover the full value of its assets.  The claim resulted in an impairment of N$815 million in its 2025 financial statements. GIPF chief executive officer Martin…

Justicia Shipena  Calling off an election in a constituency or local authority can only happen when a candidate dies or becomes incapacitated. This is according to Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) chief electoral officer Peter Shaama, who was responding to the situation in the Ogongo Constituency, Omusati region, where a candidate withdrew, leaving only one person in the race. Shaama said reports suggesting the regional council election in Ogongo could be postponed were incorrect.  On Friday, Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) candidate Ndalikutya Arkeleus Shonena withdrew from the race, leaving Swapo’s Daniel Iilende as the only remaining candidate. Shonena said…

Renthia Kaimbi Justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel said an urgent court order and declarator is the only way to stop and fix the harm caused by the magistrates’ strike. Immanuel on Tuesday filed an urgent application case to compel the country’s magistrates to return to work, describing the strike as illegal and unlawful. He said the strike is causing serious and lasting harm to the justice system and is denying people their right to access justice. The application names the Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association of Namibia (MJAN) as the first respondent, along with the Magistrates Commission, the…

Justicia Shipena  “As you know, any person is not guilty until proven by the court of law.”  These were the words of Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) chief executive officer Peter Shaama when asked by the Windhoek Observer about the arrest of a candidate in Omaruru ahead of the upcoming elections. The Windhoek Observer sought clarity from the ECN on how it would respond to a situation involving a candidate implicated in a criminal matter weeks before an election. This week, Swapo candidate for the Omaruru Constituency and former mayor Hendrina Magano Gebhardt was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). …

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Post Limited (Nampost) will release a report on the case of 82-year-old pensioner Petrina Shikela from Katutura in Windhoek, who lost thousands of dollars after a “Ben 10” was listed as her husband and beneficiary.  “Ben 10” is a slang term used to describe a young man in a romantic relationship with an older woman. According to Windhoek social justice activist Shaun Gariseb, the young man allegedly withdrew money from her account without her permission. Gariseb told the Windhoek Observer that a meeting with Nampost management and the chief executive officer will take place on Thursday…

Renthia Kaimbi The race for seats on the Walvis Bay Local Authority has taken a personal turn, with Sharon Roodt, a candidate for the Joint Walvis Bay Residents Association (JWBRA), facing questions over her military background. Roodt has denied allegations linking her to the Koevoet counterinsurgency unit, describing the claims as a political witch-hunt aimed at discrediting her.  She confirmed that she served in the South African Defence Force (SADF) and later applied to join the Namibian Defence Force but said she was never part of Koevoet. Koevoet was a paramilitary police unit that operated during South Africa’s illegal occupation…

Renthia Kaimbi The Desert Foxes Football Club, a team of teenagers from Walvis Bay, are gearing up for the FNB Women Super League playoffs. They earned their spot after finishing an unbeaten run to win the 2024/2025 NamPort Erongo Women Football League title. Founded and funded by coach Baron Brown, the team finished their season without a single loss, winning 16 of their 18 matches and drawing two. They scored 95 goals, collected 50 points, and ended with a goal difference of +94. Their defence, led by goalkeeper Albertina Mbuka Amoonga, was key to their dominance.  Amoonga conceded only one…

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) celebrated its partners and clients on Saturday during the Annual Port Users and Stakeholders Dinner in Walvis Bay under the theme “Collaborate to Elevate”. The event recognised top-performing companies and small businesses for their contributions to port operations and growth. In the revenue-based category, awards went to Woker Freight Services (Pty) Ltd, Logistics Support Services (Pty) Ltd, Sturrock Grindrod Maritime (Pty) Ltd, Trade Ocean Shipping (Pty) Ltd, and Mediterranean Shipping Co. Namibia. For volume-based performance, Walvis Bay Salt Refiners (Pty) Ltd, Puma Energy Namibia (Pty) Ltd, Woker Freight Services (Pty) Ltd, Walvis Bay…

Allexer Namundjembo A Swapo party candidate who recently publicly said she was “not a corrupt person” now finds herself entangled in a corruption scandal.  The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of former Omaruru mayor and current Swapo candidate for the Omaruru Constituency, Hendrina Magano Gebhardt. She was charged for allegedly using her position in 2012 to secure a municipal job for her brother. ACC's interim spokesperson Marina Matundu said Gebhardt violated the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003 by instructing the then chief executive officer of the Omaruru municipality to appoint her brother.  “Our investigation established that Ms Gebhardt…

Allexer Namundjembo Affirmative Repositioning (AR) member of parliament George Kambala has called on the minister of education Sanet Steenkamp to take action against the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS) following recent racial incidents that sparked national outrage. In a notice of question tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kambala called on the minister to consider deregistering the school.  Section 79(1)(a) of the 2020 Basic Education Act empowers the minister to revoke a private school's registration if it engages in racial, ethnic or religious discrimination. “It is unacceptable that an educational institution operating under Namibian law continues to be associated…