National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Municipality of Otjiwarongo has warned residents against obstructing stormwater drainage systems, saying such actions can lead to property damage and public safety risks. According to the municipality's chief executive officer, Mberipura Hifitikeko, some residents have built barriers or structures that block the natural flow of stormwater, increasing the risk of flooding, especially in low-lying areas. The notice comes amid rising concern about the impact of blocked drains on municipal infrastructure. “It has come to our attention that there have been instances where stormwater drainage systems have been obstructed, leading to potential risks of property damage and endangerment…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Health and Social Services is hosting a week-long strategic planning workshop in Otjiwarongo.  The meeting started on Tuesday and is aimed at charting an enhanced course for public healthcare in Namibia over the next five years. The health ministry’s executive director, Ben Nangombe, said the task requires urgency and full participation from all attendees during the opening of the workshop. “We are here to plan, to analyse and to produce cogent documents that will guide our Ministry to deliver more, to deliver better, to deliver consistently, and to deliver effectively,” he said. The workshop comes…

Allexer Namundjembo Members of opposition parties have indicated their willingness to take up governor roles if appointed by the president. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is expected to appoint new regional governors in the coming weeks as their terms come to an end. The current governors were appointed by late President Hage Geingob in 2020. Regional governors are direct representatives of the president in the regions and are accountable to the president through the minister in the presidency, as per Article 1 of the Constitution. Their mandate is to ensure effective service delivery and adhere to strong, honest and principled leadership.  They…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Namibia Association of Local Authority Officials (NALAO) has renewed its call for increased funding to maintain urban road infrastructure, warning that current financial support is not enough to meet the growing needs of towns and cities across the country. NALAO president Moses Matyayi said the concerns raised in their 2022 submission to the Road Fund Administration (RFA) remain relevant, especially following recent heavy rains that have worsened road conditions. “Our 2022 submission to RFA as NALAO on road and street maintenance funding which content remains relevant, especially with the current torrential rains that exposed the fatigue of…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The new minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi says the government will use emergency procurement to repair the damaged bridge between Windhoek and Rehoboth. He said this on Monday during a visit to the bridge, which was damaged by flooding in the aftermath of heavy rain last week. An emergency route was cleared overnight to allow traffic to pass. Nekundi said he instructed officials in the ministry and the Roads Authority to begin emergency procurement processes immediately, as the situation cannot follow the usual procurement timeline. “For national interest, we cannot go through the normal method of…

Niël Terblanché Cancer patients will henceforth have access to a newly upgraded Cobalt-60 radiotherapy unit at Windhoek Central Hospital, following a N$16 million investment by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The modernised facility, which includes a new cobalt source and a simulator designed to improve the precision of cancer treatment, was officially inaugurated last week. According to the former health minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, the revamped system marks a major step forward in Namibia’s cancer care capacity. “As the newly refurbished Cobalt-60 radiotherapy system is set into use, it represents a substantial leap forward in cancer radiotherapy treatment…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Police will recruit 2 000 cadet constables during the 2025/2026 financial year, with the interview process for selected applicants already completed. This was confirmed by the inspector general of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, during a farewell ceremony for former minister of home affairs, immigration, safety, and security, Albert Kawana, held in Windhoek last week. Shikongo noted that NamPol has successfully secured funding from the central government for officer recruitment over three consecutive years. “In the financial year 2023/2024, a total of 1 063 officers were recruited, while 1 782 cadet constables are currently…

Niël Terblanché Water supply interruptions in Walvis Bay have continued into this week, with the national utility NamWater confirming a third power outage in the Kuiseb area on Sunday afternoon. In a statement issued on Monday, NamWater’s spokesperson, Lot Ndamanomhata said the latest disruption was due to a broken power cable near High Dune. “Erongo RED isolated the affected section and rerouted power from another substation, restoring electricity to the area at 20:30,” he said. According to Ndamanomhata, once electricity was restored, efforts began to restart the boreholes near High Dune. He, however, added that not all boreholes could be…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has praised President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, for becoming the country’s first female head of state.  Hassan said Nandi-Ndaitwah’s leadership marks a milestone for women in Africa. Speaking at the inauguration and Namibia’s 35th Independence celebrations at State House on 21 March, Hassan highlighted the significance of the moment for gender equality. “Your resounding victory is a moment of pride for the continent, but more so for the people of Tanzania, your home during the most formative years. We are happy to see the daughter we nurtured and raised with love and compassion now rise…

Niël Terblanché The country  is currently grappling with a surge in malaria cases, with the Ministry of Health and Social Services reporting a total of 20 135 cases as of 9 March 2025. Dr Kalumbi Shangula, the former Minister of Health and Social Services, said last week that 3 890 of these cases were recorded in the first few days of March alone. He added that the outbreak, declared in December 2024, has resulted in 44 fatalities so far. “The most affected health districts include Katima Mulilo, Andara, Nkurenkuru, Outapi, Engela, Eenhana, Okongo, and Nyangana,” he said. Shangula said that…