National News

Niël Terblanché As Namibia prepares for its presidential and national assembly elections, the top command structure of the police has been urged to ensure that law and order are maintained during this crucial process. Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, made this call to action during the Senior Command Conference's closing ceremony last week in Ongwediva. Shikongo stressed the importance of neutrality and professionalism, warning officers against engaging in political activities. "Our duty is to maintain law and order and to ensure that the electoral process is conducted in a safe and secure environment. It…

Niël Terblanché The project to rehabilitate and widen Auas Road, a major road traffic artery in Windhoek, will commence soon. The announcement was made during a groundbreaking ceremony by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa on Thursday. The Auas Road, which leads south to Rehoboth and serves as the main route into the central business district from the densely populated southern neighbourhoods of Windhoek. According to Mutorwa, the road has long been plagued by heavy traffic, congestion, and frequent accidents. "Once this project is completed, road safety will undoubtedly be improved because of the…

Martin Endjala The National Petroleum Corporation (Namcor) suspended the terminal manager at the National Oil Storage Facility in Walvis Bay due to a loss of stock and commercial documentation at the facility. Ellis Egumbo's suspension became effective on 24 July, and it was announced in a statement released on Friday. The corporation intends to use the suspension to facilitate a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter. “Namcor reiterated its steadfast commitment to upholding the highest commercial transparency and ethics standards in all its interactions with stakeholders,” read the statement. The petroleum corporation discovered earlier this year that the suspected…

Martin Endjala Twenty young people from the Leonardville village in the Omaheke region will receive artisan training through a partnership between Headspring Investments (PTY) Ltd. and the Namibia Institute of Mining Technology (NIMT). The cooperation agreement, valued at over N$500 000 for the 2024/2025 year, covers tuition and accommodation fees for the trainees. The agreement was signed recently and aimed at providing ongoing support for skill development in the community. Kirill Egorov-Kirillov, director of Headspring Investments, said the initiative is proof that the company is ready to contribute to Namibia's economic landscape. “Even though we are only in the exploration…

Niël Terblanché In a substantial effort to improve passenger safety at the various airports across Namibia, 49 newly qualified Airport Rescue and Firefighting trainees graduated on Friday after six months of rigorous training. The graduates who were trained by the Namibia Airports Company (NAC), will henceforth be stationed at various airports throughout the country, enhancing emergency response capabilities at these key facilities. The graduation ceremony, held at the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM), was a key moment for safety in Namibia's aviation sector. Bisey Uirab, the Chief Executive Officer of NAC while addressing the graduates, stressed the…

Niël Terblanché Project Never Walk Alone (PNWA) spent nearly N$900 000 over the past weekend to provide shoes and tracksuits to children in the Zambezi region. This latest effort saw the distribution of more than 1 700 pairs of shoes to children. At a ceremony held on Friday, Ann Singer, speaking on behalf of PNWA, announced that the project has donated over 10 500 pairs of shoes to young people in need since its inception. "This weekend's handover has increased the number of beneficiaries to 12 200," she said while focusing attention on the project's extensive reach and dedication. PNWA,…

Niël Terblanché The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) has intensified efforts to combat deliberate tax evasion within the fishing industry. Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze, NamRA’s spokesperson, said in a statement issued on Thursday that targeted actions have been initiated to halt revenue leakage in this sector and ensure offenders are held accountable. Ndorokaze added that over the years, the fishing industry has been among the lowest contributors to the national fiscus. “Fees paid to directors and other members often go undeclared and untaxed. Ongoing investigations are focusing on the sale of fishing quotas by rights holders,” he said. According to Ndorokaze, the analysis…

Martin Endjala The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has identified non-compliance with the government’s procurement system as a major problem in Namibia. The IPPR released a report on Thursday in which it indicated that there are about 173 public entities with a procurement function. Frederico Links, an IPPR research associate, did the study with financial support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). “All of these entities have to submit an annual procurement plan to the Procurement Policy Unit (PPU), which then publishes the plan on the e-procurement portal,” he pointed out. According to Links, public entities operating outside of…

Martin Endjala A Judea Lyaboloma Constituency councillor accused the urban and rural development minister, Erastus Uutoni, of failing to intervene in the issues of the Zambezi Regional Council. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer this week, Humphrey Divai said the minister has only been attending to the matters of other regions and some local authorities. “I do not know why the minister is not intervening in the Zambezi matter. This is a serious issue. What is he afraid of? It seems like he is protecting his Swapo comrade Simushi,” said Divai. He added that the Zambezi Regional Council has…

Stefanus Nashama The British High Commission in Namibia has refuted allegations that a London-based entity funded the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC). The British High Commissioner, Charles Moore, wrote a letter addressed to IPC’s leader, Panduleni Itula on Wednesday. Moore clarified that Sarah Champion MP (UK) was not the author of the letters circulating on social media platforms. “The letters were not written or circulated by Ms Champion or any other official within the International Development Committee(IDC). The content was entirely fabricated by third parties with the intent to misinform and discredit. The United Kingdom does not and would not…