National News

Renthia Kaimbi President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says she is concerned about rising criminal acts against tourists.  Nandi-Ndaitwah said the trend threatens the country's tourism sector and the country’s international standing. She raised the issue while addressing the opening of the Legal Year at the Supreme Court yesterday.  She said reports of crimes against visitors and tourists have led some countries to classify Namibia as an unsafe destination, placing jobs and economic growth at risk. Tourism, she said, remains a major contributor to gross domestic product and employment. "I am also concerned by recent reports of increasing criminal acts against visitors and…

Justicia Shipena  National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) interim managing director Maureen Hinda-Mbuende says corruption in the extractive sector is mostly driven by the private sector, not the government.  She warned that failing to address this could threaten Namibia’s future oil and gas development. Hinda-Mbuende made the remarks in Windhoek on Thursday during a high-level dialogue on Namibia’s possible participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). She said corruption in extractive industries often begins in the private sector, where most beneficiation takes place, yet public debate and reporting tend to place the burden on government alone. “It is important…

Allexer Namundjembo Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula says Parliament should be judged by the quality of its work and its impact on people’s lives, not by how many bills it passes. He responded to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s address at this week's official opening of Parliament on Thursday.  Itula welcomed the President’s emphasis on participatory democracy, inclusive development and anti-corruption.  However, he said these goals can only be achieved if Parliament exercises strong oversight and operates transparently. He said Parliament’s role is not to rush legislation but to carefully examine bills, consider public input and ensure safeguards that…

Justicia Shipena  The High Court has ruled that the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust was properly served with procurement review papers by email and failed to prove that it did not receive them. The court this week dismissed a procurement review application by the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust.  The application relates to a procurement process for consultancy services advertised by the Trust.  In June 2025, the Review Panel selected Gamal Rifai Architects as the successful bidder.  Several unsuccessful bidders then applied for reconsideration, as allowed under the Public Procurement Act. The Trust dismissed those reconsideration applications on 27 June…

Allexer Namundjembo The City of Windhoek council is set to rename Rand street in Khomasdal after veteran liberation figure and diplomat Joshua //Hoebeb.  A proposal tabled before council on Thursday during its first meeting for the year recommends that the 2.06-kilometre road linking Khomasdal and Katutura be renamed ambassador Joshua //Hoebeb Street.  This is in recognition of his role in Namibia’s liberation struggle, diplomacy and public service. //Hoebeb served as Namibia’s first high commissioner to South Africa and took part in the negotiations that led to the reintegration of Walvis Bay into Namibia in 1994.  He later served as high…

Justicia Shipena  The minister of international relations and trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, urged members of the Namibia Association of Former Ambassadors (NAFA) to closely analyse global developments and advise the ministry on issues of strategic importance.  Ashipala-Musavyi made the call on Thursday in Windhoek during a NAFA meeting. She said the experience and insight of former ambassadors remain critical to advancing Namibia’s foreign policy and economic interests. NAFA was established 12 years ago as a think tank and advisory body to the ministry, drawing on the knowledge, experience and networks of retired diplomats. She said this role has become more important…

In the history of nations, certain dates are inscribed into the collective consciousness, not merely as markers of time, but as anchors of identity. For Namibia, the first week of February has become such a period. It is a week that begins with the quiet sunset of the third president, Dr Hage G. Geingob (February 4), and ends with the final rest of the founding president, Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma (February 8). The Young Observer dedicates this edition to these two towering figures. To the youth of Namibia, they were more than names on a ballot; they were the storytellers…

For a long time, the word 'cancer' felt like something that happened to other people. People in distant countries, or people much older than ourselves. It lived in statistics, in whispered family stories, or in hospital corridors far removed from everyday youth life. Recent events in Namibia, however, have drawn this reality closer to home. Cancer is no longer a distant threat. It is a present and personal one. Among young people, conversations about cancer are often avoided because they feel frightening or irrelevant. We focus on careers, friendships, ambitions, and fitness, quietly assuming that serious illness belongs to some…