National News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Siemens Energy's keen interest in exploring opportunities to assemble electrolyzers in Namibia signals a monumental stride towards catapulting the country’s green hydrogen sector into prominence. The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, recently embarked on a tour of Siemens Energy's gigawatt factory in Berlin, where cutting-edge electrolyzer production technologies were showcased, setting the stage for a partnership. Green Hydrogen Commissioner James Mnyupe, said the visionary move by Siemens Energy aligns seamlessly with Namibia's burgeoning green hydrogen sector. “Siemens Energy expressed interest in exploring opportunities to assemble electrolysers in Namibia, aligning with the nation's rapidly growing green hydrogen…

Niël Terblanché The Chief Executive Officer of the Swakopmund Municipality, Alfeus Benjamin, announced that it is yet to approve a controversial rezoning request by Namaquanum Investments CC. The company aims to utilize Erf 3954 along Einstein Street in the coastal town's Industrial Area for the storage of radioactive materials. The proposal has sparked a wave of discontent among the residents of Swakopmund. This development came to light following a February advertisement by the property owners, which indicated their intention to store harmful materials on the premises, leaving the Swakopmund community unsettled. Erf 3954, located in Swakopmund Extension 10 (Industrial Area),…

Martin Endjala In an ongoing quest for sustainable energy solutions, Fothermo Photovoltaic (PV) water boilers (also referred to as PV boilers) have emerged as a beacon of innovation and environmental responsibility. This is the opinion of a Mechanical Engineer and a Renewable Energy Consultant at FurnTech Agency, a consumer electronics distribution company based in Windhoek that specialises in photovoltaic systems in Windhoek, Lilongeni Unoovene. He said the PV boilers offer a myriad of benefits that not only address the pressing need for clean energy but also revolutionise the way people think about residential PV solar water heating solutions. From reducing…

Niël Terblanché The Oshakati Town Council took another giant stride towards addressing housing by availing more residential land to people in dire need. This initiative has culminated in the handover of 291 serviced plots to ultra-low-income earners at the Onawa proper residential area, marking a significant milestone in the community's journey towards accessible homeownership and enhanced social stability. The recent allocation event also saw 31 beneficiaries, who had fulfilled their financial obligations to the local authority, receive plots ranging in size from 300 to 400 square meters, each priced at a modest N$14,730. According to the local authority, by recognizing…

Niël Terblanché In order to bolster security along Namibia’s perennial waterways, the deployment of the Namibian Navy on the Zambezi, Chobe, and Kavango rivers has markedly diminished security challenges that have long plagued the region. The Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Frans Kapofi, said that the deployment of sailors in troubled areas is clear evidence of the Navy's successful efforts in curtailing illegal border crossings, unregulated fishing, poaching, and drug smuggling. The transformative impact of this deployment was underscored during the ceremonial renaming of the Naval Base Impalila to Naval Base Lieutenant General John Sinvula Mutwa, in honour of…

Niël Terblanché NamPower has successfully restored electricity to Okahandja and its surrounding areas after a disruptive outage that began on the morning of Tuesday. The power cut, which plunged the town and surrounding areas into darkness for almost two days, was traced back to vandalism at the Okahandja Substation which is a critical juncture in the area's electricity supply network. Collin Klein, NamPower’s Area Manager for the Central Region, revealed that the outage was the result of intentional damage to a transformer component, inflicted by vandals at the CENORED Okahandja Intake Station. He said a cable on one of the…