National News

Niël Terblanché Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) and the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) have successfully concluded a wage agreement. The agreement, effective from 1 July 2024, includes a 2.5% wage increase for all bargaining unit employees from July to December 2024 and a 6% increase from January to December 2025. NAFAU’s Regional Coordinator, Lister Tawana, stressed that collective bargaining is a cornerstone of trade unionism, highlighting the importance of addressing economic challenges, particularly housing, through such agreements. He described the deal as a win-win situation for both parties, encouraging NAFAU members to enhance productivity. Peter Simons, the Managing…

Niël Terblanché During his visit to Namibia, Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, the secretary general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), stressed the importance of voter registration to the country's youth. Casas-Zamora reminded young people that registering to vote is a crucial step in ensuring their voices are heard and in choosing their leaders. Casas-Zamora visited various registration points in Windhoek, noting that the process took about five to six minutes per individual. He applauded those who had already registered, stating they should be proud of their participation in Namibia's democratic process. While speaking at the "Global…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The City of Windhoek’s (CoW) debt relief initiative for pensioners has not yet resulted in the promised debt write-off. Shaun Gariseb, an activist representing the Katutura Residents Committee (KRC), criticised the implementation of the programme. "They asked the pensioners to apply for debt write-offs, which they started to do in March. They wrote off the debts and people got into the same debt again. In some instances, they reconnected the water, creating the same problem all over and putting people into the same debt again," said Gariseb. Gariseb pointed out that the CoW set conditions requiring residents to…

Martin Endjala The Chamber of Mines of Namibia has called for a scientific decision in response to the possible use of in-situ leaching to extract uranium in the Stampriet area. The chamber’s chief executive officer, Veston Malango, said on Wednesday that whatever decision is made must be scientifically proven. He added that, whatever the outcome, the Chamber will respect such a decision because it is based on evidence and in accordance with the country's laws. “We obviously want to develop the industry to develop our economy, but in doing so, we need to follow the laws of the country, and…

Niël Terblanché The Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, expressed gratitude to the Russian Federation for strengthening bilateral relations with Namibia through recent parliamentary exchanges. Katjavivi shared his views on cooperation between the two countries during a courtesy visit by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to the Namibian Parliament. In a meeting with the Federation Council's delegation, led by Yelena Perminova, Chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs, Professor Katjavivi stressed the importance of innovative approaches to advance political cooperation. He praised the Federation Council's commitment to maintaining cooperation and noted the substantial…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The new chief whip of the Landless Peoples’ Movement (LPM), Utaara Mootu has called for immediate reforms to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs). On Wednesday, Mootu said this while tabling a motion in parliament aimed at addressing youth entrepreneurship funding. She said that despite numerous initiatives and substantial budget allocations, support for young entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises remains inadequate, marred by inefficiency, corruption, and a lack of transparency. “Therefore, this motion demands immediate action to rectify the shortcomings and proposes dynamic solutions for fostering a thriving entrepreneurial landscape for the youth of Namibia,” she said.…

Niël Terblanché The government has given the go-ahead to construct a second desalination plant in the Erongo Region, with a production capacity between 20 and 25 million cubic meters. This development was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, during the Land Development conference in Henties Bay on Wednesday. Schlettwein stated that this monumental initiative in Henties Bay aims to transform the country's maritime and industrial landscape. "The project represents a pivotal step towards positioning Namibia at the forefront of the global ocean economy," he said. He added that the regional leadership was leading the…

Stefanus Nashama Namibia's property market has witnessed minimal growth since the onset of the economic downturn in 2015/16. This is according to Adrian Gläser, an equity associate at Curris Capital. According to Gläser, the national rental index, which reflects the average rent charges, has remained stagnant since 2016 and has subsequently fluctuated around minimal growth levels. “When adjusted for inflation, this indicates that the real value of average rents decreased to about 68 percent of their 2016 levels,” he said. Gläser further stated that the national housing index, which tracks average house sale values, performed slightly better. “It stands only…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security of Namibia has successfully achieved its target in the national mass registration campaign by registering more than 50,000 Namibians for birth certificates and identity documents. In a statement issued by Etienne Maritz, the ministry’s executive director, a total of 50 833 citizens have been documented by 24 June, marking an important step in the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure comprehensive birth registration and identification across the country. Launched on 5 February, the campaign has seen extensive participation from all 14 regions of Namibia. Maritz said that the initiative aims…