National News

Justicia Shipena The Supreme Court has ruled that the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) acted outside the law when it allowed its secretary to start and run an investigation into alleged price-fixing in the pharmaceutical sector. On Wednesday, the court dismissed NaCC’s appeal against an earlier High Court decision and found that the commission unlawfully delegated its investigative powers when it launched a probe into a long-standing 50% medicine mark-up applied by pharmacies linked to the Pharmaceutical Society of Namibia (PSN). Deputy chief justice Petrus Damaseb said the Competition Act makes it clear that only the commission itself has the authority…

Justicia Shipena The High Court has ordered Northcote Private School and its former board chairperson, Benedict Mulife, to each pay N$10 000 in damages after finding that they defamed each other. The judgement was delivered on Monday by High Court judge David Munsu in a defamation case that arose from disputes at the Ondangwa-based private school in mid-2022. Northcote Private School filed the lawsuit in May 2023, accusing Mulife of damaging its reputation through false allegations contained in a petition and through claims allegedly shared with the media and on WhatsApp.  Mulife denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim, arguing…

Renthia Kaimbi Namibia is now home to about 54 Japanese companies. Minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi revealed this during high-level talks in Tokyo, Japan.  She said their presence reflects the growing economic ties between Namibia and Japan.  Ashipala-Musavyi met Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, on Wednesday. The two discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen economic cooperation, and support Namibia’s industrialisation drive.  The talks focused on aligning Japanese investment with Namibia’s current national priorities under the leadership of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. "The presence of around 54 Japanese companies in Namibia is a clear testament to the country’s…

Justicia Shipena The government plans to build more school hostels in the Hardap region to improve access to education for learners from remote communities.  Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture minister Sanet Steenkamp said hostel development is a priority to address long distances to schools, learner dropouts and growing pressure on rural education systems. She spoke on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Namaqua Kalahari Children’s Hope Hostel in Gochas. She described the facility as a model for future education infrastructure in sparsely populated regions. “The vastness of the region and the spreading of communities into small villages place…

Renthia Kaimbi Erongo governor Natalia |Goagoses has urged regional councillors in Erongo to place the improvement of basic services at the centre of their work. Goagoses made the call on Wednesday during the opening of the Internal Induction Workshop for regional councillors, hosted by the Erongo Regional Council at the Seaside Hotel in Swakopmund. The workshop brought together newly elected councillors and senior officials to align political leadership with the council’s administrative work. She said regional councillors carry heavy responsibility as the level of government closest to communities. “Regional councils are not abstract institutions. When communities experience progress, stability, and…

Renthia Kaimbi Stepping Stone Special Education School has opened its new campus in Ocean View, Swakopmund.  The school, the country’s first registered private institution for neurodivergent and visually impaired children, has moved into a purpose-built facility designed to support learners with specialised needs.  The relocation allows the school to expand its services and respond to a growing waiting list. Founded in 2015 by Almarie Mostert, the school has grown steadily from a small initiative into a key learning space for children who require specialised support.  The new campus creates room for this growth and improves access to tailored education. A…

Allexer Namundjembo The burial arrangements of late liberation struggle veteran Kanana Matias Hishoono have sparked debate over how Namibia treats its war veterans, particularly after death. Whether those who played a key role in the country's independence receive the dignity they deserve has been a subject of debate. Hishoono, who died earlier this month, was a respected freedom fighter and a founding member of the Ovambo People’s Organisation, the precursor to Swapo.  He later served in senior advisory roles within the ruling party and was known for issuing and signing membership cards for prominent figures, including the late president Hage…

Allexer Namundjembo The City of Windhoek says the lack of dedicated national funding remains the main barrier to expanding and improving municipal bus services.  The municipality raised concerns over transport shortages and damaged bus stop shelters. Responding to questions from the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday, city spokesperson Lydia Amutenya said public transport is an essential social service but operates without support from the national social budget. “While public transport is widely recognised as an essential social service, it is currently still not supported by any dedicated funding allocation from the national social budget as should be the case,” Amutenya said. …

Justicia Shipena A High Court review case in which the fishrot accused are challenging the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) investigations remains delayed.  This comes as the court is still waiting for a review record needed for the matter to move forward. The delay has prevented respondents from filing their answering affidavits and has stalled further progress in the case.  The issue came before deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo during a status hearing on Tuesday, following a joint status report dated 16 December 2025. In the report, the accused and several state institutions and private entities told the court that only some…

Justicia Shipena  Seventeen borehole sites across Namibia have been equipped with water softening and treatment systems, improving access to safe drinking water for rural communities. This is through a programme that rolled out the systems in several regions affected by high groundwater salinity by the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform.  EIF on Tuesday announced that it has completed the four-year programme.  The programme began in January 2023 to address long-standing water quality problems in Namibia’s arid and semi-arid areas. It grew from an EIF-led innovation and pilot…