National News – Windhoek Observer

06 Nov

Mariental mourns Valery Rooi

National News

Desmarius Hansen The murder of 34-year-old Valery Rooi has renewed concerns over gender-based violence in the Hardap Region, with the governor calling on law enforcement and the Judiciary to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice and victims are protected. The Hardap Region has been plunged into mourning following the brutal killing of 34-year-old Valery Rooi, whose alleged murder by her boyfriend has reignited concerns over gender-based violence and the safety of women in the region. Rooi was allegedly stabbed to death during the early hours of Saturday (31st October) at Plot 11 in the Mariental district, following an argument with…

06 Nov

Shanghala takes PG and deputy to Law Society over recording

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Former justice minister Sakeus Shanghala has lodged a formal complaint with the Law Society of Namibia against acting Prosecutor-General Olivia Imalwa and deputy Prosecutor-General Edmund Marondedze, accusing the two senior prosecutors of conduct that could amount to professional misconduct. In a sworn complaint dated 5 November 2026, Shanghala asks the Law Society’s Disciplinary Committee to investigate a widely circulated audio recording allegedly capturing Marondedze making disparaging remarks about High Court and Supreme Court judges, discussing his influence over court proceedings and recounting how Imalwa allegedly instructed him to prosecute Shanghala. The complaint, lodged under section 35(1) of the…

06 Nov

How govt bureaucracy costs Namibia major investments

National News

From Pohamba to Geingob and now Nandi-Ndaitwah, successive presidents have warned about red tape, stalled projects and weak implementation. The near-loss of a N$41.1 billion Dangote investment raises fresh questions about why bureaucratic delays persist and what they are costing Namibia's economy. Elvis Mboya President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's revelation that Namibia came close to losing a multibillion-dollar investment because of bureaucratic delays has brought renewed attention to a problem that has confronted successive administrations for nearly two decades. At the launch of the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project at Farm 58, outside Walvis Bay, on Wednesday, 4 November…

06 Nov

Who will make money from Namibia’s oil boom?

National News

Billions of dollars are being committed to offshore exploration, but the question of how much Namibian businesses will earn from the industry remains largely unanswered. Elvis Mboya Namibia is preparing for an oil industry that could change the country's economy. International companies are spending millions of dollars on exploration. The government is putting policies in place to ensure that Namibians benefit when commercial production begins. But there is a question that deserves more attention: who will actually make money from the oil boom? The business opportunities will extend well beyond drilling. Oil companies need ships, transport, engineering services, equipment, construction,…

06 Nov

Cabinet approves draft anti-corruption policy …as ministries directed to strengthen accountability and implementation

National News

Staff Writer Information and communication technology minister Emma Theofelus has announced Cabinet’s approval of a draft National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Policy, while government institutions have also been directed to strengthen the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of Cabinet decisions. Theofelus announced the decisions during a briefing on Wednesday, covering outcomes of the 34th and 35th Cabinet meetings held on 13 and 27 October. She said the draft policy seeks to eliminate corruption through transparency, accountability and ethical practices at all levels of society. “Cabinet approved the draft National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Policy to eliminate corruption by achieving full transparency, accountability, and…

06 Nov

TransNamib CEO, engineering exec suspended over railway failures

Main, National News

Renthia Kaimbi TransNamib’s chief executive officer Desmond Van Jaarsveld and executive for Engineering and Technical Services Bertus Eksteen have been placed on precautionary leave pending an independent investigation, amid mounting concerns over the deteriorating condition of the national railway network, railway fatalities and alleged irregularities in the procurement of spare parts. The Windhoek Observer understands that the suspensions follow what sources close to the matter described as “serious accountability issues” relating to the management and maintenance of the state-owned railway operator’s infrastructure. The concerns reportedly include the failure to maintain and inspect the railway network, the fatal Rovos luxury train…

05 Nov

‘Air ambulance not for every patient’ – Luvindao

National News

Patience Makwele Health minister Esperance Luvindao has clarified that Namibia’s newly launched state-owned air ambulance service will not evacuate every patient. She said access will be determined by the severity of medical conditions and whether road transportation poses a clinical risk. She made the clarification on Wednesday during the official launch of the country’s first state-owned air ambulance service in Windhoek, which is intended to improve access to emergency medical care for patients in remote communities. Luvindao said the service would specifically target patients whose clinical conditions and transfer circumstances justify aeromedical transportation. “Not every single patient that’s qualified. We…

05 Nov

‘I urged Dangote to stay’ – NNN

National News

President admits bureaucracy nearly cost Namibia strategic investment Desmarius Hansen President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has revealed that she personally pleaded with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote not to abandon his planned investment in Namibia after government bureaucracy and administrative delays frustrated his team. Speaking at the official launch of the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project at Farm 58 in Walvis Bay on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah apologised to the billionaire for the delays, admitting that Namibia could have lost the strategic investment without her direct intervention. “We could have lost this project had there not been direct communication between you and…

05 Nov

MIRT procures 13 vehicles for visiting diplomats

National News

…as cost and procurement details remain undisclosed Patience Makwele The ministry of international relations and trade has procured 13 vehicles to transport visiting diplomats, but the total cost, supplier and procurement method have not been disclosed. Deputy minister Jenelly Matundu announced the purchase in Parliament during debate on the 2026/27 Mid-Year Budget Review, saying the vehicles were acquired to complement the ministry’s ministerial fleet and address challenges in providing appropriate transport for foreign dignitaries. Matundu defended the decision on the grounds of diplomatic reciprocity, arguing that Namibia should extend the same courtesies to foreign officials that its own representatives receive…

05 Nov

FMD outbreak: How much is Namibia’s beef industry really losing?

National News

Namibia's FMD crisis is testing more than its veterinary controls. It is exposing the cost of depending on uninterrupted export access without sufficient financial buffers across the agricultural value chain. Elvis Mboya Namibia’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak could cost the livestock industry an estimated N$2.4 billion over six months, exposing the financial vulnerability of an export-dependent sector whose disruption extends from cattle farms to processing plants, transport operators and financial institutions. The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) estimates that the outbreak is costing the agricultural value chain approximately N$13 million daily, or nearly N$400 million monthly. Presenting the figures at the…