National News

Renthia Kaimbi Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) denies that it received substandard fuel imported through the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor). This follows reports which stated that BOL had raised concerns about the quality of ULP95 purchased from Namibia.  Emails seen by The Namibian indicated that Botswana Oil notified Namcor on 11 January that seven trucks loaded at the Namcor terminal in Walvis Bay on 5 and 7 January “do not meet product specification".  Routine tests reportedly showed the fuel fell outside acceptable limits for octane rating (RON). In a statement circulated on social media on Thursday, Botswana Oil said…

Allexer Namundjembo Student advocate Gabriel Mandume has urged young people to take technical and vocational education and Training (TVET) seriously, saying it should be seen as “a path to jobs and not a backup plan”. Mandume said many learners still treat TVET as a second option and “only something to consider if university places do not materialise”. He said this mindset weakens efforts to tackle youth unemployment. Mandume referred to the latest labour force figures from the Namibia Statistics Agency, which show that the unemployment rate rose to 36.9% in 2023 from 33.4% in 2018. “This means that more than…

Renthia Kaimbi The Sam Nujoma Foundation says United States sanctions on Cuba are pushing the island toward a humanitarian crisis and has called on the international community to act. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Foundation described the decades-long embargo as a “silent and genocidal” campaign that is driving Cuba toward collapse. It said recent measures by Washington have worsened an already fragile situation. The Foundation, led by chairperson Nahas Angula, said the latest actions have intensified what it called a suffocating oil blockade, adding pressure to the embargo first imposed in 1962. “This cannot and should not be…

Staff Writer Namibia has made progress in addressing concerns raised by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after it was placed on the FATF grey list. The government said in an update that the country continues to implement reforms to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework in line with FATF recommendations. Finance Intelligence Centre (FIC) director Bryan Eiseb said Namibia remains under increased monitoring while it works to complete its agreed action plan. Namibia was greylisted by the FATF Plenary on 23 February 2024 due to concerns about gaps in the effective implementation of international anti-money laundering, combating…

Allexer Namundjembo Eighteen inmates at the Windhoek Correctional Facility have filed an urgent application in the High Court to challenge a decision by the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) to reduce their weekday study time from six hours to two. The urgent case was filed last week. The applicants are long-term inmates enrolled with various tertiary institutions. They are represented by Ujama Tjingee. In their founding affidavit, the inmates state that they enrolled at tertiary institutions while serving their sentences with permission from prison authorities. “Whilst serving our respective sentences, we undertook to enrol with various institutions of tertiary education for…

Allexer Namundjembo Student representative bodies have raised concern over the continued practice by institutions of higher learning of withholding students’ academic records, transcripts and qualifications due to outstanding fees. They argue that the policy blocks graduates from entering the job market and repaying their debts. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday, Student Union of Namibia (SUN) secretary for information and publicity Johannes Malapi said the practice traps thousands of graduates in a cycle of poverty and exclusion. He said while institutions face financial pressure and must recover outstanding fees, graduates are left with no way to repay their debts…

Justicia Shipena “The end of a life of a mine or a change in its production model should not result in job losses or job insecurity,” speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said as she called for stronger efforts to promote decent work in Namibia’s mining sector. She made the remarks on Monday at Droombos in Windhoek while opening a public dialogue on advancing decent work in Namibia’s mining sector. The parliamentary standing committee on poverty eradication, labour and industrial relations, with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), convened the dialogue. “Mining continues to be a strategic pillar of Namibia’s…

Justicia Shipena  Beifang Mining Services (BMTS) and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) have suspended two branch executive committee members at the Husab Project and withdrawn recognition of them as union representatives. In a joint memorandum dated 13 February seen by the Windhoek Observer and addressed to all BMTS employees at the Husab Project, the company said Gebhard Shikongo and Elia Katupose have been suspended from work.  The two previously served as BEC members. The matter was communicated to both national and regional union leadership. The memorandum states that Shikongo, described as interim chairman, had been spreading claims about officials…

Allexer Namundjembo The Ministry of Health has introduced three handheld sonar probes into the public healthcare system to improve diagnosis in clinics and rural areas. Health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao said the move is about changing how healthcare is delivered, not just adding new tools. “The ministry is not merely adding equipment. We are redesigning how care is delivered,” she said. The three devices were funded by the Capricorn Foundation after discussions with the ministry late last year. “Late last year, as we advanced our vision to decentralise healthcare and empower regions, we approached the Capricorn Foundation knowing their track…