National News

As the final pages of the 2025 calendar begin to turn, a familiar, frantic energy tends to grip the professional world. In the high-pressure corridors of our modern workspaces, we have been conditioned to believe that December is a "sprint to the finish line". This period is traditionally characterised by pulled-forward deadlines, back-to-back "final" strategy sessions, and an unspoken, heavy pressure to resolve every outstanding issue before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. We have been taught that the only way to end a year successfully is to exhaust ourselves in the process, collapsing into the holiday season like…

Justicia Shipena  Town councils recorded the highest increase in unpaid water bills as the Namibia Water Corporation's (NamWater) outstanding debt climbed to N$2.8 billion. NamWater said total outstanding water debt stood at about N$2.8 billion as of 30 November 2025.  This marks an increase of roughly N$387 million or 15.9%, from about N$2.4 billion recorded in February 2025. Debt owed by town councils rose by N$150.8 million over the period, making them the largest contributors to the growth in arrears.  Rural water communities followed with an increase of N$107 million, while municipalities added N$42.4 million. Debt from mines rose sharply…

Justicia Shipena  The High Court has dismissed a N$300 000 damages claim brought by inmate Ndozi Ndozi against prosecutor general Martha Imalwa and senior police officials, finding that there was no malicious prosecution in his case. Ndozi sued the Imalwa, the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security and the inspector general of the Namibian police, arguing that he was wrongly and maliciously prosecuted on a charge of escaping from lawful custody.  He claimed the state continued with the prosecution despite knowing there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction and that this violated his constitutional rights. The…

Allexer Namundjebo Zambezi regional governor Dorothy Kabula on Wednesday refused to accept a petition calling for the secession of the Zambezi region after a protest by a group linked to the banned United Democratic Party (UDP). The protesters attempted to hand over the petition following a demonstration held in the region.  Kabula said on Wednesday that she was not prepared to receive it, citing her right as governor to decline. “I’m ready to not receive any petition because our elders have said they want peace, unity and development for this region for their grandchildren and children of the Zambezi region,”…

Renthia Kaimbi A 23-year-old man is due to appear in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court today after his arrest for making a false statement under oath and attempting to defraud an insurance company. Erongo police said the arrest serves as a warning against the deliberate misreporting of crimes. The case dates back to Saturday at about 16h51, when the man reported to the Mondesa Police Station.  According to police, he made a sworn statement before a Commissioner of Oaths, alleging unknown suspects had broken into his house. In his statement, he reported the theft of a refrigerator, a four-plate stove, an…

Renthia Kaimbi Walvis Bay mayor Johannes Shimbilinga last week led a delegation of councillors on a tour of the municipality’s Traffic and Fire Brigade departments. The visit aimed to give councillors a clearer view of the daily work and challenges faced by essential service providers responsible for public safety and emergency response in the town. Councillors received guided tours of both departments and observed operations firsthand. The visits focused on service readiness ahead of the busy festive season. At the traffic department, acting chief traffic officer Clifton Jacobs outlined key operational challenges. These include limited resources and rising service demands. …

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) closed its operational year with two events over the weekend that reflected its focus on port operations and community support.  The activities took place in Lüderitz and Henties Bay. On Friday evening, Namport hosted its annual port users and stakeholders dinner at the port of Lüderitz.  Held under the theme “Collaborate to Elevate”, the event recognised the role of clients and service providers in the port’s performance and growth.  Senior Namport management and officials attended and engaged with members of the port community. The dinner featured an awards ceremony that recognised clients based…

Renthia Kaimbi Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) has announced partnerships with two summer events along the coast.  The company will serve as the official transport partner for the Savanna Sound of Summer Festival and as a headline sponsor of the Camp Out Dune Fest. MTC’s first partnership marks the 10th anniversary of the Savanna Sound of Summer Festival.  Eight MTC-branded buses, each with 65 seats, will run daily between Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and the Long Beach festival grounds.  The buses will operate in two shifts, from 10h00 to 16h00 and from 22h00 to 02h00. The shuttle service is expected to transport…

Renthia Kaimbi Over 900 visas were issued to people who attended Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events in Namibia. The visas have been issued since June, generating N$1.5 million in revenue to date. This comes as Namibia moves to position itself in the global business events market with the launch of the Namibia Convention Bureau (NCB). Chief immigration officer Tulimeke Munyika said the issuance of MICE visas reflects growing inbound business travel.  Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Indileni Daniel on Tuesday launched the NCB and its website.  She described the move as a step aimed at diversifying the…

Chamwe Kaira The government has welcomed the approval of its Country Strategy Paper for the period 2025 to 2030 by the board of directors of the African Development Bank Group, which opens an investment approval window of US$1.78 billion (approximately N$33.8 billion) for Namibia. The country strategy paper sets out Namibia’s five-year framework of engagement with the AfDB.  It outlines priority areas to support the national development agenda through grants, concessional and market-based loans and technical assistance.  Under the framework, Namibia will submit priority projects for financing over the five-year period. The strategy is built around two main pillars: infrastructure…