National News

Allexer Namundjembo Policy analyst Lazarus Kwedhi has questioned whether the proposed N$1.43 million salary package for the information commissioner is justified.  He said the role does not generate revenue.  In a telephonic interview with the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday, Kwedhi said the advertised remuneration package is excessive. “The position is not a monetary performance-based one. We should look at how much will be generated through the position. It must be measured. It is a waste of resources. In terms of revenue, what will it contribute? We already have the Minister of Information and the executive director in the ministry. It…

Staff Writer  Nasan Energies is in the final stages of acquiring the 52 divestiture businesses operated by Vivo Energy and Engen Namibia.  The announcement follows a stakeholder engagement hosted by the Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC) in Windhoek on Monday.  The public meeting formed part of the NaCC's review of the proposed transaction, where members of the public were invited to engage with the deal.  In September 2025, Nasan Energies and Vivo Energy Namibia underwent an evaluation process assessing technical expertise and financial proposals. Nasan was selected as the preferred bidder. The chief executive officer of NaCC, Vitalis Ndalikokule, said the…

Renthia Kaimbi Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) denies that it received substandard fuel imported through the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor). This follows reports which stated that BOL had raised concerns about the quality of ULP95 purchased from Namibia.  Emails seen by The Namibian indicated that Botswana Oil notified Namcor on 11 January that seven trucks loaded at the Namcor terminal in Walvis Bay on 5 and 7 January “do not meet product specification".  Routine tests reportedly showed the fuel fell outside acceptable limits for octane rating (RON). In a statement circulated on social media on Thursday, Botswana Oil said…

Allexer Namundjembo Student advocate Gabriel Mandume has urged young people to take technical and vocational education and Training (TVET) seriously, saying it should be seen as “a path to jobs and not a backup plan”. Mandume said many learners still treat TVET as a second option and “only something to consider if university places do not materialise”. He said this mindset weakens efforts to tackle youth unemployment. Mandume referred to the latest labour force figures from the Namibia Statistics Agency, which show that the unemployment rate rose to 36.9% in 2023 from 33.4% in 2018. “This means that more than…

Renthia Kaimbi The Sam Nujoma Foundation says United States sanctions on Cuba are pushing the island toward a humanitarian crisis and has called on the international community to act. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Foundation described the decades-long embargo as a “silent and genocidal” campaign that is driving Cuba toward collapse. It said recent measures by Washington have worsened an already fragile situation. The Foundation, led by chairperson Nahas Angula, said the latest actions have intensified what it called a suffocating oil blockade, adding pressure to the embargo first imposed in 1962. “This cannot and should not be…

Staff Writer Namibia has made progress in addressing concerns raised by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after it was placed on the FATF grey list. The government said in an update that the country continues to implement reforms to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework in line with FATF recommendations. Finance Intelligence Centre (FIC) director Bryan Eiseb said Namibia remains under increased monitoring while it works to complete its agreed action plan. Namibia was greylisted by the FATF Plenary on 23 February 2024 due to concerns about gaps in the effective implementation of international anti-money laundering, combating…

Allexer Namundjembo Eighteen inmates at the Windhoek Correctional Facility have filed an urgent application in the High Court to challenge a decision by the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) to reduce their weekday study time from six hours to two. The urgent case was filed last week. The applicants are long-term inmates enrolled with various tertiary institutions. They are represented by Ujama Tjingee. In their founding affidavit, the inmates state that they enrolled at tertiary institutions while serving their sentences with permission from prison authorities. “Whilst serving our respective sentences, we undertook to enrol with various institutions of tertiary education for…

Allexer Namundjembo Student representative bodies have raised concern over the continued practice by institutions of higher learning of withholding students’ academic records, transcripts and qualifications due to outstanding fees. They argue that the policy blocks graduates from entering the job market and repaying their debts. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday, Student Union of Namibia (SUN) secretary for information and publicity Johannes Malapi said the practice traps thousands of graduates in a cycle of poverty and exclusion. He said while institutions face financial pressure and must recover outstanding fees, graduates are left with no way to repay their debts…

Justicia Shipena “The end of a life of a mine or a change in its production model should not result in job losses or job insecurity,” speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said as she called for stronger efforts to promote decent work in Namibia’s mining sector. She made the remarks on Monday at Droombos in Windhoek while opening a public dialogue on advancing decent work in Namibia’s mining sector. The parliamentary standing committee on poverty eradication, labour and industrial relations, with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), convened the dialogue. “Mining continues to be a strategic pillar of Namibia’s…