National News

Niël Terblanché Finance minister, Erica Shafudah has defended the structure and priorities of the national budget for the 2025/26 financial year during her official response to parliamentary debate, acknowledging economic constraints on Wednesday. The minister assured Members of Parliament that the government is balancing development goals with fiscal responsibility. Responding during the second reading of the Appropriation Bill, Shafudah said the budget had been crafted under careful consideration of both global uncertainties and Namibia’s domestic challenges, including unemployment, poverty, housing and inequality. “We cannot do everything at the same time,” she told MPs while calling for a unified approach to…

Niël Terblanché The Municipal Council of Swakopmund announced the temporary closure of two popular beaches to allow urgent maintenance and coastal protection works while colder weather prevails. The municipality’s spokesperson, Linda Mupupa, said the beach closures form part of broader coastal management efforts to address increasing erosion caused by high seas and wave action. She said access to the affected beaches north of the Jetty along Molenweg in the Central Business District, as well as the general beach area near the public parking at Mile 4, will be restricted until at least 30 May. “At the CBD beach north of…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Political analyst Sackaria Johannes believes the resignation of the National Unity Democratic Organisation’s (NUDO) secretary general, Joseph Kauandenge, is closely tied to the party’s disappointing performance in the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Kauandenge announced his resignation on Wednesday ahead of the party’s national executive committee meeting that will be held on Saturday in Windhoek. “It has become a norm in Namibian politics now that once individual interests are no longer served, then they jump to something else or to another party. But it is difficult to tell at this point what led to Kauandenge’s resignation until…

Niël Terblanché Windhoek’s bulk water supply was severely disrupted on Wednesday following a pipe burst on the main transfer line between Von Bach Booster 2 and the Windhoek Terminal Reservoir. In a public notice issued by the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), the state’s water utility confirmed that repair teams had already been dispatched to the site to initiate emergency repair operations. By sunset yesterday, the team working on replacing the damaged pipe segments was well on their way to restoring the capital city’s water supply. The affected supply line is critical to the delivery of water to the City of…

Niël Terblanché The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, visited several recently renovated hostels in Outjo during the Easter weekend. Her inspections included stops at Jöel Heroldt Primary School, Outjo Primary School, and Urib Project School, where she assessed the upgrades. The hostel upgrades were coincidentally finished in time to host participants in the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup over the past long weekend. During her visit, Steenkamp said that the ministry invested N$11 million to improve accommodation facilities for learners. According to Steenkamp, the renovations were designed to improve basic infrastructure and living conditions for…

Ester Mbathera  New analysis has revealed that average meat consumption in Namibia has declined from a high of 8kg per capita to just under 6kg in recent years. This is according to a study by Liaan Burger from Cirrus Capital. The shift stands in contrast to neighbouring South Africa, which has seen a significant increase in overall meat consumption during the same period. “Namibia and South Africa are known not for vegetarian cuisine but rather for their rich tradition of meat-based dishes. Overall meat consumption in South Africa has risen steadily over the past three decades, increasing from around 6.7kg…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced the commencement of the long-awaited upgrade of the road between Okaukuejo and King Nehale Gate in Etosha National Park. The project aims to transform the heavily used gravel route into a low-volume sealed road, enhancing access and safety for visitors to the iconic wildlife sanctuary. According to a statement released by the Ministry on Tuesday, the initial phase of the upgrade will focus on the first 20 kilometres from Okaukuejo, with construction scheduled from 23 April to 30 November. During this period, traffic between Okaukuejo and Halali will be redirected…

Allexer Namundjembo The Land Acquisition and Development Fund has come under scrutiny after the Auditor General, Junias Kandjeke, flagged a series of financial and operational shortcomings in its 2022 financial statements, revealing a concerning pattern of mismanagement. According to a report tabled in Parliament last week, the fund failed to submit a complete set of financial statements as required by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), including the omission of a statement of changes in net assets or equity. Discrepancies were also identified between the fund’s financial records and tax information from the valuation roll, with gaps of N$29.5…