National News

Patience Makwele A medical specialist has called for greater emphasis on informed consent and open communication between doctors and patients, warning that many medical-legal disputes arise not necessarily from poor treatment but from misunderstandings, unmet expectations and breakdowns in communication. The issue comes amid growing attention on medical negligence claims in Namibia. Records indicate that the ministry of health and social services paid compensation in 45 medical negligence claims between 2019 and 2024 with the payouts amounting to almost N$14.7 million.   While the figures do not capture all complaints or disputes involving private healthcare providers, they highlight the financial and…

Sostenus Wilherm The High Court has postponed judgment in the Road Fund Administration’s (RFA) appeal against an arbitration award that ordered the reinstatement of two dismissed employees and awarded them more than N$1.47 million in compensation. Justice Michael Mtambo on Wednesday postponed the matter to 11 September 2026, stating that the judgment was not ready. The appeal was argued between the Road Fund Administration and former employees Winfred Kabunga and Naomi Mathews, with Immanuel Heita, who acted as the labour arbitrator, cited as the third respondent. The RFA is seeking to overturn an arbitration award issued by the Office of…

Sostenus Wilherm The Government of Namibia has agreed to settle a long-running payment dispute with consulting engineer Farhad Nadimi, trading as Bona Consulting Engineers, over unpaid professional fees related to the construction of the Katima Magistrate’s Court. The settlement agreement, filed in the High Court of Namibia on Tuesday, will see the government pay Nadimi a revised amount of N$767,457.92, inclusive of VAT, together with interest calculated at 20 percent per annum from 28 February 2022 until the date of final payment. The settlement ended a legal battle in which Nadimi initially claimed N$900,776.15 from the government, alleging that he…

Patience Makwele President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Wednesday pledged to accelerate government investment in sports infrastructure across all 14 regions as she officially handed the national flag to Team Namibia ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, describing sport as a key pillar of national development rather than simply competition. During her keynote address at State House, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the Eighth Administration has elevated sport to one of government’s top development priorities, with 28 sites already identified for the construction and upgrading of sports facilities countrywide. “We continue to invest in the improvement of sports infrastructure across all sports codes…

Allexer Namundjembo  The marginalized communities continue to face significant challenges in education, employment, housing and access to basic services despite making up an important part of the country's cultural diversity, according to a new report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Wednesday.  The report, presented by statistician-general and NSA chief executive officer Alex Shimuafeni, provides the first comprehensive statistical profile of the San, Ovatue/Ovatwa and Ovatjimba communities based on data from the 2023 Population and Housing Census. According to the report, the three marginalized communities comprise 75 569 people, representing 2.5% of Namibia's total population.  The San account…

Allexer Namundjembo  The City of Windhoek has denied allegations that the office of the chief executive officer instructed officials to stop issuing new informal trading permits, maintaining that applications continue to be processed in accordance with existing regulations. The clarification follows concerns raised by Councillor Maitjituavi Kavetu, who on 6 July wrote to chief executive officer Moses Matyayi requesting information on enforcement measures affecting informal traders in Dorado Park. In his memorandum, Kavetu said he had received numerous complaints from residents and traders alleging that City Police officers had prevented informal traders from operating after the City allegedly refused to…

Allexer Namundjembo Affirmative Repositioning and National Assembly member Job Amupanda has welcomed the release of the full High Court judgment in his case against the Speaker of the National Assembly and 19 other respondents, arguing that the ruling confirms his concerns about transparency in the appointment process of Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) commissioners. Amupanda, who had sought to stop Parliament from proceeding with the approval of ECN nominees until key documents relating to the selection process were disclosed, said the judgment was not a rejection of his arguments on the substance of transparency and accountability. In a statement following…

Sostenus Wilherm The High Court has referred the N$2.2 million lawsuit brought by the grandmother of murdered schoolgirl Ingrid Maasdorp against the government to mediation, in a bid to determine whether the parties can settle the matter before it proceeds to trial. Justice Hannelie Ueitele on Monday ordered the parties to attend a mediation referral hearing on 28 July 2026, unless they submit a draft mediation referral order by 24 July 2026. The order marks the latest development in the civil lawsuit arising from the death of Ingrid Maasdorp, a Grade 0 learner at K W von Maree Combined School…

Patience Makwele Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate has defended the region’s development record, pointing to gains in agriculture, healthcare, housing and infrastructure while arguing that mining could become a pathway out of poverty for thousands of residents. However, community members say many rural areas continue to see little change despite decades of government promises, warning that development remains concentrated around Gobabis while communal areas continue to lag behind. Delivering his State of the Region Address (SORA) in Gobabis on Tuesday under the theme Unlocking Omaheke’s Industrial Potential through Mining and Manufacturing, Nganate said agriculture remains the backbone of the regional economy…