National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Katima Mulilo Urban Constituency councillor, Kennedy Simasiku said the Zambezi Regional Council is on autopilot because the leadership has gone awol. He said that the council urgently needs to address various challenges faced by the community. In a notice of questions dated 9 May seen by the Windhoek Observer, Simasiku planned to ask Council Management Committee chairperson, Matengu Simushi why the council in 2023 only had four meetings out of 12. Simasiku claims that the trend continued into this year, as there has only been one meeting so far. He accused the chairperson and his deputy of neglecting…

Niël Terblanché Calm has returned to the Ondangwa National Youth Centre after a tense situation involving a group of 73 Angolan nationals, primarily women and children. These individuals, who are part of a semi-nomadic tribe related to the Ovihamba in Namibia have been displaced by severe drought conditions in Angola and since last week have been staying at the centre, managed by Namibia’s National Youth Service. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, Lucia Witbooi, addressed the group, which led to their decision to start leaving the centre. Security officials were prompted to lock the gates of the…

Stefanus Nashama Residents of the Havana informal settlement in Windhoek heckled the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the five high mast lights project on Tuesday. Uutoni was the keynote speaker at the event. “We're not happy. We also want free wifi. We want the network. When will you also bring these services?” the residents shouted. While the crowd shouted these questions, Uutoni demanded that the people listen to him. “Wait, I am speaking. You have been here, you did not call us for a meeting. We called you here to celebrate. Listen…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Namibia Association of Local Authority Officials (NALAO) has expressed concerns over the persistent issue of local authorities operating without Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). Moses Matyayi, President of NALAO, highlighted the implications of the absence of CEOs in municipalities, town councils, and village councils. Matyayi explained that the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development had delegated the matter to the Deputy Minister, who then collaborated with NALAO to travel across the country and meet the affected local authorities. “The intervention was meant to understand the challenges and their implications. We highlighted many implications for legal understanding,” he noted.…

Martin Endjala Nandiuasora Mazeingo, the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation’s (OGF) chairman, rejected the declaration of Genocide Remembrance Day by the cabinet on Tuesday, labelling it as part of the government's denial agenda of recognising the actual events of the genocide. Mazeingo's response follows the minister of information, communication, and technology, Emma Theofelus's announcement that from next year onwards 28 May will be a public holiday. This decision was made at the 7th cabinet decision meeting recently, following a letter submitted on 18 March by the National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi. The chairman argued that the genocide of the Nama and Ovaherero…

Ester Mbathera Namibia will chair the SADC Fisheries Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) for the next two years. The SADC Ministers of Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries, and Aquaculture confirmed Stanley Ndara as the MCSCC board chairperson last week. The board will be driving the process to operationalize the MCSCC and ensure that we improve regional efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Ndara is also chairperson of the SADC Fisheries Regional Technical Team for the MCSCC's establishment. “Having a Namibian as the chairperson of an important regional technical team within SADC showcases Namibia's expertise and leadership…

Niël Terblanché The ministers of fisheries and marine resources and labour, industrial relations, and employment creation have announced a review of the Government Employment Redress Programme (GERD). The programme, launched in 2020, was intended to secure approximately 2 500 jobs for fishermen who had lost their employment for various reasons. Fisheries Minister Derek Klazen explained that the GERD will be re-negotiated to ensure fishermen can find active work on vessels. This decision followed a consultation meeting with ex-fishermen and their employers on Thursday. Klazen noted that many fishermen prefer working on vessels due to their higher earning potential compared to…

Martin Endjala The Hardap Regional Police crime investigation coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Eric Clay, says the police are waiting for Aranos council officials to return from sports games in Gobabis to interrogate them about the 20 litres of diesel that were stolen from a standstill truck at the Aranos Town Council workshop last week. Commissioner Clay said that investigations are proceeding well in the matter, but no arrests have been made so far and they are still gathering information. “No arrests have been made at this point, but we are aware that the Aranos council is attending local authorities' sports in…