National News

Renthia Kaimbi Justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel has proposed increasing the monthly allowance for graduate interns from N$2 357.10 to N$3 700 and extending the internship period from three to six months, as the government moves to strengthen the transition from education into the workplace. In a letter dated 4 August 2026 to Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare and seen by the Windhoek Observer, Immanuel said the proposal was aimed at making graduate internships more accessible while providing young graduates with meaningful workplace exposure. “I write to consult your good office on my Ministry’s intended proposal for the…

CHAMWE KAIRA  The 176.29-carat diamond named “Owishi” discovered by Namdeb at its Southern Coastal Mine in Oranjemund is the biggest diamond discovered in Namibia in 20 years. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah unveiled the diamond at a ceremony in Windhoek on Wednesday. The diamond was discovered in May this year.  In Oshiwambo, ‘Owishi’ refers to a rare form of honey found underground and notoriously difficult to locate. Its discovery is considered something special, making it a fitting name for a natural diamond of such exceptional rarity and significance. According to diamond industry estimates, a 176.29-carat rough diamond can fetch anywhere from US$5…

Patience Makwele Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani says Namibia is negotiating with trading partners over meat shipments caught up in the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, with authorities checking whether affected consignments can still move based on where the meat came from. “The ministry is now in the process to negotiate and facilitate trade in animal and animal products where requirements can be met,” Zaamwani said in parliament on Wednesday. Her response comes as the government investigates reports of a Namibian meat shipment being returned from Europe following the outbreak in //Kharas Region. The issue was raised in the National Assembly by…

Sostenus Wilherm Namibia’s legal fraternity has remembered former Chief Justice Emeritus Johan Strydom as one of the key architects of the country’s post-independence judiciary, with his landmark judgments helping establish principles of dignity, equality, access to justice and administrative fairness. Strydom, who died on 25 September 2026 in Swakopmund at the age of 88, was honoured on Wednesday during a valedictory court session at the Supreme Court in Windhoek, where Chief Justice Peter Shivute, the Attorney-General Festus Mbandeka and members of the Law Society of Namibia reflected on a judicial career spanning almost four decades. Shivute said Strydom’s contribution went…

Sostenus Wilherm The minister of education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture, Sanet Steenkamp, has acknowledged administrative oversight in the admission of students into NUST’s Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences programme, as the government works to find solutions for 2025 students affected by limited professional training capacity. Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Steenkamp said the situation arose after NUST admitted 150 students into the programme in 2025, the largest intake since the programme was established in 2008. She said the size of the cohort placed considerable pressure on available practical training capacity, particularly work-integrated learning placements required for…

Patience Makwele Members of parliament have questioned whether Namibia is getting meaningful returns from millions of dollars spent acquiring commercial farmland, arguing that land reform must be measured by what it delivers to beneficiaries, not simply by the number of hectares purchased. The concerns emerged during the National Assembly’s Tuesday’s debate on the appointment of four nominees to the Land Reform Advisory Commission (LRAC), with MPs calling for greater accountability, better post-settlement support and clear measures to establish whether redistributed land is improving livelihoods. Figures from the ministry of agriculture’s 2024/25 statistics show that 41 291.5681 hectares were acquired through…

Patience Makwele Regional councillors are facing renewed scrutiny over limited decision-making powers, inadequate funding and delays in transferring government functions, raising concerns that continue to raise questions about whether the system is delivering on its promises nearly three decades after Namibia adopted its decentralisation policy. The concerns formed the backdrop to the Third National Council and Regional Councils Consultative Conference, which opened in Otjiwarongo on Tuesday, with delegates expected to discuss the progress of decentralisation, regional development and the responsibilities of political office-bearers and administrators. The parliamentary standing committee on urban and rural development and land reform was informed in…

Sostenus Wilherm Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) shadow minister of works and transport Nelson Kalangula is demanding clarity on the legal authority, cost and mandate of the proposed Public Assets Management Agency (PAMA), questioning whether the new entity could duplicate functions already performed by the government institutions. Kalangula tabled notice of the questions on Tuesday and is set to raise the matter in the national assembly on Thursday, when he will ask the prime minister a series of questions on the government's steps towards operationalising PAMA. Kalangula's questions come as the government seeks to establish PAMA as a mechanism for…

Sostenus Wilherm Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in the Namibian market, with its national trade promotion body preparing to bring exporters from key sectors to Windhoek next month in a push to secure new buyers, distributors and commercial partners. ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s national trade development and promotion organisation, will conduct a three-day Outward Trade Mission from 7 to 9 October 2026, targeting opportunities for Zimbabwean products and selected services in Namibia. The mission comes after ZimTrade’s participation in the Windhoek Agricultural and Commercial Show over the past three years, engagements which the organisation says have highlighted further…