National News

Justicia Shipena Former National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) executive Jennifer Hamukwaya says a magistrate wrongly concluded that she contradicted herself during testimony.  She stated that the magistrate's finding is a key element of her appeal against the decision that denied her bail. Magistrate Linus Samunzala denied bail to Hamukwaya and her co-accused in September last year. In his ruling, Samunzala said five of the six people accused in the N$480 million Namcor corruption and fraud case lied during their bail testimonies. Samunzala said this finding was one of the reasons he refused to grant bail to the six accused.…

Allexer Namundjembo The Kavango West governor's office has refuted claims of money theft during a break-in at the governor's home. The response follows a report by the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) on Tuesday that a 22-year-old man, Andreas Muyongo, was denied bail in Rundu after allegedly breaking into the home of governor Verna Sinimbo and stealing perfumes and funds meant for a borehole project. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the governor’s office said no funds were stolen. “It is correct that a criminal break-in occurred at the governor’s parents’ homestead, where the governor also resides when in the village.…

Renthia Kaimbi Nash Serenity Foundation has partnered with a local driving school to help tackle youth unemployment by offering 20 regular soup kitchen attendees a fully funded opportunity to obtain their learner’s licences. The Mondesa Youth Licence Empowerment Programme will launch its first intake next weekend. The foundation is also calling on the community to support the initiative. Founder Patrick Nashandi said the idea followed research showing major challenges faced by young people trying to obtain licences. “A survey showed that 90% of youth fail their learner’s licence more than four times, and most never reach the driver’s licence stage.…

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Post Limited (Nampost) will deploy additional mobile payment teams at selected post offices to ease congestion during the January social grant payment period. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Nampost and the Ministry of Finance said the move follows long queues at several post offices.  The congestion was linked to beneficiaries accessing payments outside the approved in-branch payment schedule.  The statement said more than 37 000 social grant recipients were paid on the first day of the cycle, compared to an expected 28 000, placing pressure on in-branch services and leading to overcrowding at several…

Allexer Namundjembo States must follow diplomatic procedures to avoid misunderstandings, international relations analyst Marius Kudumo told the Windhoek Observer on Monday.  This comes amid reports of a disagreement between Ghana and Namibia over the accreditation of a head of mission. Kudumo said diplomacy requires strict adherence to established rules and clear communication between states.  “Diplomacy is built on consent and trust. If the receiving state has not formally agreed to an appointment, announcing it publicly can create unnecessary tension,” Kudumo said.  Kudumo said the situation underlines the need for governments to be meticulous in interstate relations.  He explained that the…

Justicia Shipena The deputy minister of education, Dino Ballotti, has assured parents that no learner will be left without a school.  On Monday schools across the country opened for the 2026 academic year.  The start of the school year was marked with an outcry of school placements by parents.  Ballotti gave the assurance on Monday while addressing parents at Otjomuise Primary School, where placement pressures remain a concern.  He said the ministry is aware of challenges in areas where schools are far apart and acknowledged that Otjomuise Primary School is the closest option for many families.  Ballotti stated that the…

Justicia Shipena  Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse says securing binding off-take agreements remains the biggest hurdle to turning Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions into bankable projects.  Amutse was speaking at a ministerial roundtable on green industrialisation held on the sidelines of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) Assembly in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. He said large-scale green hydrogen and derivative projects require long-term, binding off-take agreements to secure predictable revenues and justify multi-billion-dollar investments, especially for first-of-a-kind developments. Under the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), the green hydrogen economy is expected to support up to 30 000 jobs…

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has denied claims that it secretly reduced fishing quotas.  The ministry said the process was transparent and guided by science. In a press release issued yesterday, the ministry said the management of Namibia’s horse mackerel stock follows clear legal procedures and relies on scientific advice. The clarification follows the setting of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the 2026 horse mackerel season. The ministry confirmed that the Cabinet approved a TAC of 197 000 metric tonnes, a 5% reduction from the 208 000 metric tonnes allowed in 2025. The…