National News

Patience Makwele Parliament has approved a N$535 million budget for the Office of the Prime Minister, while funding for disaster risk management has dropped to N$47 million. The Disaster Risk Management Programme allocation has fallen from N$1.6 billion two years ago. This has raised concern among lawmakers as floods hit the Zambezi region and drought persists in other areas. Some communities in the region have been displaced, with homes and crops affected.  Lawmakers warned that recent rains could also increase the risk of veld fires. Members of parliament questioned whether the country is prepared to respond to emergencies. Swapo member…

Justicia Shipena  An engineering and construction company, Radial Truss Industries, has taken the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) and other parties to court in a bid to stop the termination of a construction contract at Tubusis Primary School in the Erongo region. The tender on renovation and upgrading of the school was awarded in 2021.  In an urgent application set down for hearing in the High Court on Monday, Radial Truss Industries is asking the court to review and set aside a termination notice issued on 6 February 2026. …

Allexer Namundjembo The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs overspent its 2025/2026 budget by 3.67%.  This was driven by high personnel costs. During the 2025/2026 financial year, defence was allocated N$7.49 billion.  The Ministry of Finance later suspended N$11 million from the development budget, reducing the allocation to N$7.48 billion. More than 60% of the budget went to personnel expenditure, while goods and services accounted for 22%. Spending on capital assets and infrastructure increased to 18%, aimed at upgrading facilities. The ministry expects a budget execution rate of 99.8% and reported six consecutive years of clean audit outcomes. Defence and…

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NPHA) has rejected claims that individuals or groups were excluded from participating in events related to the hunting sector. NAPHA President Hannes du Plessis said recent commentary has raised concerns about participation, representation and access. He stated that set rules govern participation at international events like the Dallas Safari Club. “Participation at such shows is governed by strict international rules, and only registered exhibitors who have paid for stand space may market or sell services,” Du Plessis said on Friday.  He said these rules are not set by NAPHA and apply to all…

Allexer Namundjembo Chief of the ||Khomani Traditional Authority Julianne Gawanas is facing a no-confidence process following allegations linked to land allocation in the traditional district. The Landless |Khomani Association and the Land Access Movement of Namibia have initiated steps toward her possible removal.  In a notice dated 27 March 2026, the organisations said they will institute proceedings in terms of Section 8(1) of the Traditional Authorities Act of 2000. The move follows a resolution adopted at a community meeting held on 31 January at A.I. Steenkamp Primary School, where more than 750 community members reportedly passed a vote of no…

Justicia Shipena Information obtained during a cyberattack on the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has been released on the dark web. NAC confirmed this on Saturday.  NAC said early findings show the leaked data includes files for the airport permit system, parking management records, engineering and project documents, financial records and internal reports. The company said it is still verifying the full extent of the breach and assessing whether sensitive or personal information has been affected. NAC said it acted after detecting the incident and has since strengthened its cybersecurity systems.  It said airport operations, safety and security remain unaffected. The…

Justicia Shipena Former acting chief executive officer of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), Kennedy Kandume chose not to join the team reintegrated into the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture. The ministry said Kandume was among three staff members out of 91 who opted out of transferring to the ministry in a personal capacity during the reintegration process. The ministry's executive director Mbumba Erasmus Haitengela said the decision was made by Kandume and is respected. “We appreciate Mr Kandume’s contributions and dedication during his tenure as acting CEO. His leadership and commitment to advancing NSFAF’s…

Renthia Kaimbi Youth structures in Oshana and Zambezi have rejected the National Youth Council of Namibia (NYC) interim board’s claim of a peaceful leadership handover.  They cited a High Court ruling that nullified the restructuring process. The rejection follows a media statement issued by the NYC board on 18 March, which said regional offices had been handed over and that preparations for a General Assembly in June were on track. The interim board is led by Patience Masua, deputised by Iyaloo Shiimi, with members Unombuiro Kauteza, Malwa Francisco, Jamie Theron, Ester Shitana, Donna Gamatham and Almandro Jansen. The board’s term…

The government has handed over new and upgraded infrastructure in Etosha National Park and other protected areas to improve visitor experience and strengthen conservation. The environment, forestry and tourism minister, Indileni Daniel officiated the handover at Ombika on Friday.  She said the upgrades are aimed at improving tourism while strengthening wildlife protection and park management. The projects, worth about N$166 million, cover Etosha, Hardap National Park and Bwabwata National Park. They were funded by the Namibian government and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW Development Bank. Upgrades in Etosha include improvements at Ombika, Namutoni and…