National News

Niël Terblanché The Agricultural Employers' Association (AEA) has expressed strong objections to the new national minimum wage of N$18 per hour announced by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation. According to the AEA’s principal officer, Danie van Vuuren, the Ministry's announcement over the past weekend stated that the agricultural minimum wage will see a significant increase from 1 to 2025, starting at N$10 per hour plus in-kind benefits such as rations. According to the ministry's announcement, the phased implementation plan calls for raising the wage to N$14 an hour in 2026 and then to N$18 an hour…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Lifalaza Simataa, the national spokesperson for the Landless People's Movement (LPM), has refuted reports that infighting with party leader Bernadus Swartbooi led to the replacement of deputy leader Henny Seibeb as the party chief whip. Simataa said this on Tuesday while confirming the appointment of Utaara Mootu as the party's new chief whip in parliament. The party announced the appointment of Mootu on its social media platforms and congratulated her on her new appointment. “Utaara Mootu is officially the new chief whip of the Landless Peoples Movement. She is now the youngest Chief Whip in the history of…

Ester Mabthera The horse mackerel fishing sector is less enthusiastic about the second auction of fishing quotas for horse mackerel. Earlier in the year, the government put 26 384 metric tons of horse mackerel on auction to the highest bidder at a minimum price set for the freezer quota is N$3 500 per metric ton, while the wet fish quota is set at N$1 000 per metric ton. Last week, the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises announced the auction of 13 584 metric tonnes of horse mackerel governmental objective quotas. Robert Shimooshili, a director at Cavema Fishing, said going…

Niël Terblanché Saara Kuukongelwa-Amadhila, the Prime Minister of Namibia, has stressed the need for the insurance industry to adopt innovative strategies to cope with the increasing incidence of natural disasters across Africa. Speaking at the 50th Conference and Annual General Assembly of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO) in Windhoek, she highlighted the critical role of local insurance institutions in mitigating the impacts of climate-related catastrophes. Kuukongelwa-Amadhila emphasised the importance of building the capacity of local insurance markets to handle risks internally rather than relying excessively on foreign insurance placements. She advocated for the development and import of specialised insurance coverage…

Niël Terblanché The University of Namibia (UNAM), through its Dr Sam Nujoma Campus Mariculture Facility, has officially applied for an aquaculture license to farm a variety of marine and freshwater species. This application, as per section 12 (4) of the Aquaculture Act No. 18 of 2002, was made public for the information of all interested and affected parties. The campus plans to cultivate an array of species including Dusky Kob, Silver Kob, European oyster, Abalone, various types of seaweed, Tilapia, and Catfish. In its application, UNAM stated that the aquaculture activities will occupy approximately 94.6 hectare of land situated in…

Martin Endjala Trade unionists and labour experts are of the opinion that the national minimum wage, which was announced on Sunday by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation, is not enough given the current high unemployment rate in the country. On Sunday, the cabinet endorsed MLIREC to introduce a national minimum wage of N$18 per hour, effective January 2025. According to labour expert Herbert Jauch, the proposed wage is equivalent to N$3000 per month if a worker completes 40 hours, which he said is an improvement compared to the N$2500 that many workers are receiving. He said…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises has announced the appointment of a new board of directors for the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), effective from 1 July 2024. Iipumbu Shiimi announced the appointment of the new board on Friday. In his announcement, Shiimi stated that the new board is expected to bring stability and strategic direction to the company, which has recently been embroiled in multiple controversies and financial investigations. The minister said that the new board is tasked with navigating these complexities and restoring confidence in NAMCOR. The newly appointed board members are Florentia Amuenje,…