National News

Stefanus Nashama Poor political performance, not economic failure, as some may believe, undermines Africa's commitment to democracy. This was revealed by the Afrobarometer inaugural flagship report last week. “The rising of corruption in local government, poor-quality elections, and a lack of presidential accountability undermine the faith in democracy,” stated the report. Afrobarometer provides data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. It found out that Africans remain strongly committed to democracy, its norms, and institutions, but there are also causes for concern. According to the report, over the past decade, popular support for democracy has…

Martin Endjala Gibeon village council has resolved to address the issues of vandalism of graves in the village cemetery. The council indicated that vandals damaged many gravestones in the village two weeks ago. On Tuesday, the Gibeon village council chairperson, Sharon Bezuidenhoud informed the Windhoek Observer that the council would be deploying a clean-up group to the cemetery. “I was unaware of such vandalism until Mr. Ignatius called me to tell me about it. I have invited him to come to my office to discuss the matter, but we couldn’t meet due to other equally important matters he had to…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Directorate of Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has issued an urgent notification to farmers regarding an outbreak of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), commonly known as lungsickness, in Okapundja village, located in the Opuwo Urban Constituency of the Kunene Region. Dr Johannes Shoopala, the Acting Chief Veterinary Officer, said in the statement on Tuesday that the disease was detected at the beginning of July and that it is currently affecting only one herd of 30 cattle Shoopala stated that so far eight animals from the herd tested positive for lungsickness and that…

Niël Terblanché This year marks the 10th and 20th anniversaries of the creation of American Corners in public facilities in Ongwediva and Walvis Bay. These anniversaries demonstrate the enduring collaboration between the United States of America’s Embassy in Windhoek and the local authorities of Ongwedivaand and Walvis Bay. According to Tifanny Miller, the public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Namibia, the establishment of the various American Corners has been promoting learning, creativity, and community development in Namibia. Since its establishment in 2004, the American Corner in Walvis Bay has served as a cornerstone of knowledge and a catalyst…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe No Namibian has been detained in Zimbabwe following reports that 50 men were arrested inside a military camp in that country. An online publication going by the name GhanaWeb last week reported that the 50 men were undergoing military training and were recruited by the Independent Patriots for Change’s Zambezi regional chairperson, Elvis Lizazi. According to the news report the men were being prepared for the November election outcome. Lizazi on Monday told the Windhoek Observer that the article is worrisome and cheap propaganda because he has nothing to do with the alleged recruitment. “I visited the Katima…

Niël Terblanché Namibia has welcomed the landmark advisory opinion delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 19 July in which the court addresses the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The ICJ confirmed that Israel’s occupation and related policies are illegal, discriminatory, and violate the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. Peya Mushelenga, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, in a statement on Monday, stressed Namibia’s unique perspective on this issue, driven by its own history of racial discrimination and apartheid. He said that Namibia’s involvement in the case…

Stefanus Nashama Swapo’s leadership in the Moses Garoeb constituency is gathering voter statistics to verify the party members' readiness for elections. This was said by the party's constituency district coordinator, Eliser Tangi, in an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Monday. “Swapo is surveying its members to determine how many have registered for voter cards,” he said. Tangi further explained that registering the party members' voting card details is a requirement for the organisation’s statistics. “We have three types of members: those with membership cards, followers, and sympathizers. The program aims to educate our members about the importance of registering…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Police's top command structure has gathered in Ongwediva to review the implementation of the 2022 conference resolutions, identify new challenges, and strategise on improving policing services. The workshop is timely given the upcoming national elections, which stress the need for enhanced measures to guarantee public order and safety. Dr. Albert Kawana, the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety, and security, opened the workshop by highlighting the importance of planning in ensuring organisational efficiency. According to Kawana, failure to plan is equivalent to planning to fail. "This workshop is a prime opportunity for the Senior Commanders to…

Martin Endjala The Outjo Municipality has resolved to re-advertise the position for chief executive officer following meetings between the council and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. This occurred one month after the council missed the ministry's March deadline. At the time, the ministry issued a directive to the council concerning complaints of irregularities in the recruitment of the CEO, Mahne Kruger. As such, the Outjo council was directed to cancel the process and re-advertise the position. The ministry also mandated that the short-listing, interviewing, and vacancy-filling processes be completed within three months. Outjo has been without a substantive…

Stefanus Nashama The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture has maintained that the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) disrupted the opening of Minna Sachs Primary School at Keetmanshoop in the Kharas region on Monday. This is according to the education ministry’s executive director, Sanet Steenkamp. “They can’t deny that, and I am not accusing them,” she reiterated. The disruption follows Wilika Mutotwa's appointment as the school's principal. According to Steenkamp, all due processes to appoint Mutotwa for the principal post were followed. “After a successful engagement with the respective school board management, parents, teachers, and learners on 18 and 19 July,…