National News

Niël Terblanché Swakopmund resident and professional big game hunter, Gert Andres Jacobus (Kudu) van der Walt, lost his life during an elephant attack in the Kambangula grazing area of the Tsandi Constituency on Monday afternoon. The 46-year-old was trampled by an elephant while trophy hunting in the company of international guests in the Omusati Region. According to police reports, Van der Walt was hunting an elephant bull that had been officially designated as a problematic animal. Accompanied by a group of international visitors and guides from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Van der Walt was involved in a…

Niël Terblanché Namibia’s economy is expected to experience a slowdown in growth this year, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projected to increase by only 3.7 percent. This deceleration is attributed to a combination of factors, including persistent drought conditions and weak global demand for minerals, which have adversely affected the country's export-driven sectors. However, recovery is on the horizon, with GDP growth forecasted to rebound to 4.1 percent in 2025. The Bank of Namibia's (BoN) Governor, Johannes !Gawaxab provided an update on the domestic and global economic outlook to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration last…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has asked the Ministry of Justice and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to fast-track the implementation and operationalisation of the Whistle-Blowers Protection Act, 2017. The law aims to protect public members who wish to report corruption and provide evidence. The committee's report to the National Assembly last week recommended that the Office of the President and Office of the Prime Minister, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, and Public Enterprises, should provide the ACC with legal tools to effectively combat corruption. The committee has also directed…

Niël Terblanché The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for a united and coordinated effort to tackle the increasing impacts of chronic droughts and intense flash floods that are exacerbating land degradation across the region. Boemo Sekgoma, Secretary-General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, stressed the critical role that members of Parliament must play in addressing these urgent environmental issues. Delivering her message under the theme "United for Land: Our Legacy. Our Future," Sekgoma outlined SADC's strategic plan, which underscores the commitment of regional parliaments to develop measures for tracking and assessing vulnerability to drought. The plan aims to strengthen…

Erasmus Shailhaxwe National Assembly secretary, Lydia Kandetu has extended an invitation to social justice activist Michael Amushelelo to attend a meeting with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs to discuss a petition demanding the creation of the Unemployment Fund. On Monday, Kandetu wrote to Amushelelo to inform him that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs had taken his petition into consideration during its meeting on 13 June. The committee decided to invite him to a consultative meeting to learn more. According to Kandetu, the meeting, which is scheduled for 20 June at the Parliament…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Pijoo Nganate, the Governor of Omaheke Region has highlighted a rise in malnutrition cases among children, with recent reports revealing an increase. According to Nganate, the region recorded 300 cases of malnutrition from January to June 2024 which led to 263 hospitalisations, 26 deaths, and 9 readmissions. Malnutrition claimed the lives of 45 children last year, with 132 cases reported. Speaking at a high-level meeting addressing uranium mining impacts in the Stampriet transboundary aquifer system on Monday, Nganate stressed the urgency of addressing malnutrition in Namibia. “More needs to be done to address malnutrition issues. For an independent…