National News

Niël Terblanché Grindrod, a prominent logistics company based in Walvis Bay, has strengthened its commitment to education in the Erongo region in a gesture of community support. The company hosted handover ceremonies at Da-Palm Senior Secondary School and Okombahe and Gaob Dr Justus Garoeb High School, donating crucial technological resources to improve the learning environment. The donations included laptops, projectors, printers, boxes of paper, and projector screens, tools designed to enhance the educational experience for both students and teachers. Johny Smith, the chief executive officer of Grindrod’s Rail division, reiterated the company’s dedication to initiatives that empower education. “These resources…

Ester Mbathera The City of Windhoek (CoW) has not received objections regarding the sale of the land designated for the Windhoek District Hospital. Harold Akwenye, the spokesperson, confirmed this on Tuesday and added the land measuring 151 hectares on Farm 508 Havana had been sold to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) for N$18.9 million by way of a private treaty. “We remain committed to addressing any concerns from the community transparently and ensuring that this development benefits the public,” he said. A notice for the land sale for the hospital was made public last month. Although the…

Mallex Shipanga Adrianus Vugs, an expert in the financial sector, has also voiced his opposition to government funding for green hydrogen projects. “Our government should not participate in funding any of these green hydrogen projects,” Vugs advised on his LinkedIn status on Tuesday. Vugs said that he prefers donors or the private sector to fund the green hydrogen projects. “I suspect that this is the start of a long list of "green hydrogen" failures,” Vugs said. His comment follows the Dâures Green Hydrogen Village project's request for additional funding from the German government, despite already spending N$232 million on the…

Niël Terblanché Residents and businesses in Swakopmund have been warned of an unforeseen water supply disruption due to a substantial pipe break in the Omdel-Swakopmund water supply system. The situation, late on Tuesday evening, was described as an emergency by NamWater spokesperson Lot Ndamanhomhata. The break has left the town facing the risk of a complete water outage. According to Ndamanhomhata, the rupture occurred on the Omdel line, halting water flow from that source entirely. “This comes at a particularly inopportune time, as the Orano desalination plant, another vital water source for the area, is currently offline for scheduled maintenance,”…

Ester Mbathera With just seven days to go before the National Assembly and Presidential elections, the leader of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Bernadus Swartbooi, has called on party members to participate in a four-day-long fasting and prayer session. In a letter addressed to party members, Swartbooi announced that the prayer session would take place from 24 to 27 November. “This prayer session is meant to pray for a peaceful election. Above all else, we should pray that the Divine Will of the Lord Jesus Christ will prevail in Namibia,” he said. He said the party has never been shy…

Niël Terblanché Namibia has made yet another resounding plea for climate justice at the ongoing 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29). Addressing the High-Level Segment of the conference, Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, delivered the country’s national statement, during which he urged developed nations to fulfil their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC framework. Shifeta highlighted the severe impacts of climate change already felt in Namibia, which this year declared a national state of emergency due to unprecedented drought. “If Namibia is in such a state of emergency, what about other parts…

Niël Terblanché A deadly exchange of gunfire during which three suspected poachers were killed occurred over the weekend in the Etosha National Park. According to the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo the fatal exchange of gunfire followed a routine patrol by members of the Anti-Poaching Unit. “The confrontation began on Friday evening when anti-poaching officers, during their routine patrols along the park’s perimeter, discovered suspicious shoeprints indicating an illegal entry through the fence. The member of the unit immediately initiated a search operation,” he said. Shikongo said the incident occurred as law enforcement officials intensified…

Mallex Shipanga The National Pension Scheme (NPS) payout for the elderly for November and December has been paid earlier this month. Pensioners received a total payout of N$2 800, which was supposed to sustain them until the next payout at the beginning of January 2025. Many complained that they had already spent the money, leaving them with nothing for the festive season. Ndeuomono Shikonda (77) from Walvis Bay is one of the many pensioners affected by the combined pension payout. “It (the pension) is already finished,” she said. She spent the majority of her pension money on electricity and water…

Niël Terblanché Calle Schlettwein, Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, is currently attending the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Board's Second Regular Session in Rome. An essential agenda item is the presentation and anticipated approval of Namibia's Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for the 2025–2029 period. The CSP outlines Namibia's roadmap to eradicate poverty and hunger, aligning with the nation's Vision 2030 and the Fifth National Development Plan (NDP5). It emphasizes strengthening systems governing food security, social protection, and emergency preparedness. The plan aims to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive effective support, building upon past achievements in…

Niël Terblanché The Office of the Judiciary has dismissed claims regarding an alleged investigation into the regional demographics of magistrates qualified for appointment to Namibia's High Court. The clarification issued by the acting deputy director, Delila Salatiel, follows misinformation stemming from a media statement urging the Minister of Justice to release findings of a purported probe. The debate originated from a statistic cited in response to a media query. According to Salaltiel, the Office of the Judiciary did address allegations in an anonymous WhatsApp message, falsely claiming that 90% of High Court-qualified magistrates hailed from the Zambezi region. In a…