National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Veterans of the liberation struggle, represented by the Former Refugees Repatriation Association Namibia, have urged parliament to remove defence and veterans affairs minister Frans Kapofi and his deputy, Hilma Nikanor, from their positions. The group, led by Matheus Nangolo, addressed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs last week, expressing their dissatisfaction with the duo. Nangolo claimed that Kapofi and Nikanor have failed to address the veterans' concerns since their appointments, leading to a worsening situation. ‘’Honourable Frans Kapofi and Hilma Nikanor should be removed from dealing with veterans’ issues, together with Mr Thaddeus Erago. He…

Martin Endjala In the event that a political party fails to lodge its audited accounts with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), the electoral body has no power to de-register such a party. According to Kadhila Amoomo, the lawyer representing the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), the ECN unlawfully deregistered and cancelled the party’s registration certificate on Monday. “To deregister a political party before exercising these powers is not only premature, but it is unreasonable, unfair, and irrational to want compliance with the Electoral Act,” he argued. On 17 June, the ECN notified NEFF deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu about the…

Niël Terblanché The Swakopmund Regional Court postponed Jandre Dippenaar's sentencing procedure until the third week of August after finding him guilty on six counts of murder last week. Dippenaar also received a conviction on Thursday last week for reckless and negligent driving as well as for operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license. The charges stem from a car crash between a Ford Ranger and a Toyota FJ Cruiser near Henties Bay on 29 December 2014. The crash claimed the lives of German nationals Walter Helmut Joschko, Stephanie Dorothea Schemick Joschko, and Alexandra Marlene Joschko, who were passengers in…

Niél Terblanché In an encouraging gesture of community support, Capricorn Group employees, known as Changemakers, hosted a winter warmer event for elderly residents of the Katutura Old Age Home and the Khomasdal Old Age Home on Friday. The event saw the donation of winter items worth N$20,000, bringing much-needed warmth and comfort to the pensioners. Capricorn Group organized a company-wide appeal to collect the donated items, which included knee blankets, socks, gloves, beanies, scarves, and toiletries. The generous response from employees demonstrated the organisation's commitment to positively impacting the lives of vulnerable community members. “At Capricorn Group, we believe that…

Stefanus Nashama The Namibian Police Force in the Khomas region has urged Windhoek residents, especially those in informal settlements, to collaborate with the police and report crimes promptly. In recent weeks, community members have noticed an increase in crime in the Goreangab and Havana informal settlements. Chief Inspector Katrina Naukushu, head of community policing in Khomas, while speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Monday, appealed to the community to collaborate with the police in fighting crimes. “The police are part of the community, and the community is part of the police. We should all work together to fight crime,” she…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Khomas Regional Council has rescheduled the consultations on boundary delimitation and demarcation, originally scheduled for 13 and 14 June, to 27 June. Khomas Chief Regional Officer, Clement Mafwila announced on Monday that the meeting would be postponed to allow for further consultations with residents. He said that the regional leadership received a proposal that included input and recommendations from residents who participated in the initial consultations in various constituencies. According to Mafwila, the proposal included requests to expand, divide, and demarcate specific constituencies in order to enhance service delivery and access. “The expansion of the existing boundaries…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Opposition party leaders have expressed disappointment that most Namibians don't mind a dominant-party system as long as elections are free and fair. This reaction follows an Afrobarometer study, which revealed that a majority of Namibians believe it does not matter if one political party always wins elections and continuously governs the country, provided the elections are free and fair. Joseph Kauandenge, the secretary general of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO), bemoaned the indoctrination that has led people to view a one-party state as innocuous. “I thought by now they had embraced democracy as a better system of…

Stefanus Nashama Joseph Kauandenge, the secretary general of NUDO, has refuted allegations that he received payment to withdraw from the party presidential contest. Kauandenge said this in an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Monday. “I stated my reasons for opting out of the race for the presidency at the media briefing I had, where I expanded in detail on them, and they are still valid today. And no one paid me to fade out of the race. I really don't know who would want me not to run. To achieve what objective?” he said. He explained that he does…

Martin Endjala The Gibeon Village Council is conducting a valuation of rateable properties for the entire village. The primary goal of the on-site inspection is to collect information that the valuers will use to determine the value of each property. The Council issued a notice dated 17 June, appointing BNK Investment CC as their valuer in terms of Section 67(1) of the Local Authority Act No. 23 of 1992, as amended. During the valuation process, the appointed valuer will conduct an onsite inspection of every property in Gibeon. Data collectors will visit houses between 8:00 and 19:00 from Monday to…

Martin Endjala The Omaruru municipality and MTC signed a memorandum of understanding to address challenges with the town’s service delivery by creating an avenue for the use of smart meters via the communication service provider’s network. Sindonga Valentinus, the municipality's Chief Executive Officer, announced the revolutionary use of technology to improve service delivery. “As you all know, MTC is nationwide. Everybody is using MTC SIM cards. Now the challenge that we have in our town is that. If the SIM card has a problem, you must travel as far as Otjiwarongo or Swakopmund. Just to have a SIM card replacement.…