National News

Ester Mbathera  The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) have renewed calls for urgent reforms to the cybercrime and data protection laws. This trend is following a rise in cyberattacks and data breaches affecting both the public and private sectors. The MICT’s spokesperson, Ngaevarue Heuva, said the Data Protection Bill has been finalised and submitted to the Cabinet committee on legislation for review. The Cybercrime Bill, though redrafted, still requires further refinement. “During the third Cabinet decision-making meeting for 2025, Cabinet directed the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to urgently…

Allexer Namundjembo NamWater has received a positive response from local authorities as it works to recover the N$2.4 billion owed to the corporation. Lot Ndamanomhata, NamWater's spokesperson, on Monday, told the Windhoek Observer that most local authorities approached for payment have shown a willingness to settle their debts. “We are pleased with the overwhelmingly positive responses we've received from local authorities so far. We will continue to approach other local authorities with outstanding debts and encourage them to meet their financial commitments,” he said. This positive turn comes after a report earlier this month revealed that local authorities were responsible…

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…