National News

Justicia Shipena Health workers who do not report suspected abuse of mentally ill patients could be fined up to N$100 000 or jailed for two years under the new Mental Health Bill. Health minister Esperance Luvindao presented the Bill in Parliament on Tuesday.  It makes it a crime for any mental health worker who sees or suspects abuse and fails to report it to their supervisor, the head of the facility, and the review board. It seeks to regulate mental health care in Namibia and promote dignity, autonomy, and the human rights of people with mental health conditions.  The bill…

Justicia Shipena Former mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo says RWE’s withdrawal from a non-binding offtake memorandum of understanding (MoU) should serve as a wake-up call for Namibia to re-evaluate its green hydrogen strategy. He said the exit by the German energy company highlights the need for Namibia to rebuild its hydrogen programme on firmer ground, focusing on domestic use before pursuing large-scale exports. “The global market is soft, timelines are slipping, and only a few projects worldwide are reaching final investment decisions. That tells us this is not the time for bravado, it’s time for phasing and bankability,” Alweendo…

Allexer Namundjembo  The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has defended the performance of the Port of Walvis Bay after it ranked 376th out of 405 ports worldwide in the 2024 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI). The CPPI, published by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, measures how efficiently ports handle container vessels. Namport acknowledged the findings but said the results were influenced by global and regional challenges beyond its control.  “While Namport acknowledges the findings of the report, it is important to note that the 2024 CPPI results were guided by global and regional factors that had a direct…

Staff Writer  Namcor Trading and Distribution (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), sued its former commercial manager, Olivia Dunaiski, six months after she resigned, over an unpaid education loan of N$152,460.27. Court documents seen by the Windhoek Observer show that Namcor approached the High Court of Namibia to cancel the education loan agreement for financial assistance and recover the outstanding amount, with interest at 10.25% per annum from 10 October 2023, plus legal costs. The matter has since been settled. Dunaiski admitted owing the amount and agreed to repay it in monthly instalments of…

Justicia Shipena The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) says the number of missing cattle at one of its contracted feedlots is expected to rise as investigations continue. Meatco’s interim chief executive officer, Albertus Aochamub, said this in a statement on Monday. He also confirmed that Meatco has filed a criminal complaint with the Namibian Police after uncovering irregularities in livestock management. Reports first emerged in July about the disappearance of around 400 cattle worth N$7 million from a feedlot linked to a suspected drug dealer.  According to The Namibian newspaper, the animals were allegedly stolen by businessman David van der…

Justicia Shipena Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani has warned that the proposed Public Enterprises Governance Amendment Bill threatens good governance, accountability, and investor confidence in Namibia. The warning follows the tabling of the bill by prime minister Elijah Ngurare in Parliament last week.  The amendment seeks to revise the 2019 Public Enterprises Governance Act (PEGA) by centralising oversight of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under the prime minister’s office. Under the proposed changes, the prime minister will gain broad authority over the appointment and removal of SOE board members and executives, as well as the approval of financial and strategic…

Justicia Shipena Prime minister Elijah Ngurare has told the interim Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) Council that he will not interfere in its internal affairs.  This was confirmed by Nust council chairperson, Leake Hangala, who told the Windhoek Observer that Ngurare met with the council delegation this last week to be briefed on recent developments at the institution. “It was a cordial, open, and transparent meeting, and he made it very clear that he is not interfering in the affairs of the Council,” Hangala said. He explained that the discussion centred on governance and procedure.  “The prime minister…

Justicia Shipena The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says the country's public procurement system is at risk of becoming a breeding ground for corruption and misuse of state resources if proposed legal changes expanding ministerial exemptions are passed. According to IPPR research associate Frederico Links, the proposed Public Procurement Amendment Bill of 2025 could weaken transparency and accountability by allowing ministries to bypass open bidding processes and award contracts directly. Last month, Jafet Nelongo, director for professionalisation and capacity strengthening in the Ministry of Finance, stated that the bill 2025 is expected to be tabled in parliament this month. …

Justicia Shipena Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) chief executive officer Benedict Libanda has called for urgent and coordinated action to strengthen the country's resilience to climate-induced disasters.  He warned that the country faces some of the most severe climate vulnerabilities in the world. Libanda said Namibia’s arid conditions and fragile ecosystems make it highly vulnerable to rising global temperatures. “Cereal and livestock production could decline by at least ten percent, and the number of extremely hot days will increase by an additional twenty-one each year,” Libanda warned during the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction commemoration in Windhoek on Monday.  He…

Allexer Namundjembo Sean Naude of the Namibian Marshall Rangers has accused the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) of showing poor leadership and weak crisis management following the killing of a bull elephant near Onawa village in the Omusati region on Friday. Naude said the decision to put down the elephant, which had escaped from Etosha National Park after wildfires spread into the north-central regions, was not conservation but cowardice.  “Killing an elephant that is already traumatised is not conservation; it is cowardice. A bullet is cheaper than doing the right thing. It was due to negligence that the…