National News

Martin Endjala Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the government will not interfere with the more than one billion Euros in genocide funds from the German government intended for genocide-affected communities. She said the government's sole role is to facilitate and guarantee the money is used for its intended purpose. She said this during the meeting of the chiefs forum of the affected communities of the 1904–1908 genocide, held on Thursday at the Gateway Conference Centre in Khomasdal. “At this point, let me assure you once more that the government of the Republic of Namibia will not interfere with the endowment…

Ester Mbathera Lawyers representing Swapo in a legal dispute to invalidate the decision made by the party's central committee to postpone the extraordinary congress to 19 April 2025, have demanded security of costs from the applicants. The applicants, Joshua Vaino Martins, Petrus Ndeshipanda Shituula, Aina Kalimba Angula, Reinhold Nghihepavali Shipwikineni, and Erich Chrismann Shivute, filed a Notice of Motion with the High Court of Namibia on 13 June. Gilroy Kasper, representing MKK Incorporated law firm, expressed concern over the applicants' ability to satisfy potential cost orders issued by the High Court. “This is, amongst others, informed by past litigation involving…

Martin Endjala Veston Malango, the chief executive officer of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia believes good times are ahead for the country, given the resurging uranium market. According to Malango, the uranium market largely determines Namibia's mining sector's future. He made this statement on Wednesday at the announcement of the 2024 Mining Expo and Conference, set for August 7 and 8 at the Windhoek Showgrounds. “Langer Heinrich Mining is now back in operation. We are now talking about three uranium mines in operation. Rössing and Husab and now the restart of production at Langer Heinrich last year in November…

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.…