National News

Nigel Van Wyk insists prosecution is selective

Nigel Van Wyk insists prosecution is selective

Stefanus Nashama Nigel Van Wyk, who reportedly earned a salary of over N$40 000 as an employee of disgraced former Justice Minister Sakeus Shanghala, yesterday accused the office of the Prosecutor General of being selective, biased, and executing an unfair prosecution. Van Wyk, who is charged alongside Shanghala and other Fishrot accused persons faces serious charges of classic money laundering and obstructing the course of justice. Van Wyk, through his Lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji, said prior to his arrest, he was not given time to explain himself. His bail application is before Judge David Munsu. He, alongside former Fisheries Bernard Esau…
Read More
Judiciary Defends Zimbabwean Judge’s Supreme Court Appointment

Judiciary Defends Zimbabwean Judge’s Supreme Court Appointment

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Following a backlash by opposition parties in appointing Zimbabwean judge, Rita Makarau as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of Namibia, the Judicial Service Commission yesterday justified the appointment, saying Makarau’s appointment was based on the Commission’s recommendation and her prior judicial experience in the position, having worked as a Judge President and a Judge in the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe. The Commission’s Secretary, Sakeus Akwenda reiterated that President Hage Geingob’s appointment of Makarau, who is the former Chairperson of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission was made after the recommendation. Makarau, he said, worked as a Prosecutor and…
Read More
Prisons boss unhappy with Nampol “taking up” NCS officers’ jobs at peacekeeping missions

Prisons boss unhappy with Nampol “taking up” NCS officers’ jobs at peacekeeping missions

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Deputy Commissioner General of the Namibian Correctional Services (NCS), Sam Shaalulange has expressed disappointment at the lack of representation of Correctional Officers at peacekeeping missions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN). According to him, Namibia currently only has one Correctional Service Officer deployed at the UN Mission in South Sudan. He says Police Officers, while deployed at peacekeeping missions are taking over duties intended for Correctional Officers, resulting into a lack of representation of the service at peacekeeping missions. “The Police, Defence and Correctional services all have…
Read More
New HIV medication improves the lives of over 11 000 kids

New HIV medication improves the lives of over 11 000 kids

Hertta-Maria Amutenja At least 11 700 children living with HIV in Namibia were able to improve their health while on a new treatment regimen for HIV-positive children and adolescents. The antiretroviral therapy known as the Dolutegravir-based (DTG) regimen, was introduced by the Ministry of Health and Social Services last year and is said to be more effective at suppressing HIV viral loads, less likely to cause side effects, easier to take, and is better tasting than other medicines for children. The introduction of this new medicine in Namibia was achieved through a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health’s partners…
Read More
Mbumba denies saying young people will not win elections

Mbumba denies saying young people will not win elections

Stefanus Nashama Vice President Nangolo Mbumba has disputed reports alleging that he said young people will never win elections. However, a daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Vice President said the youth are forming political parties along tribal and regional lines, and that they will never win national elections to run the country. Moreover, Mbumba also denied announcing his retirement plans without naming a specific date, as reported by the daily. According to a media statement released yesterday by Mateus Kaholongo, the Executive Director in the Office of the Vice President, the article says Mbumba remarked “People did not…
Read More
Mariental receives new emergency response centre

Mariental receives new emergency response centre

Martin Endjala The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund has opened a new Emergency Medical Response Services centre in Mariental, which is aimed at bringing equitable quality health care to communities. MVA’s Corporate Communication and Stakeholder Relations Manager, Hilaria Graig during the launch of the response centre said access to equitable quality health care, particularly in emergency medical response services for road crash victims, remains a high priority to the Fund. “This is in response to Pillar Five of the Decade of Action Plan which aims to increase responsiveness to post-crash emergencies and improve the ability of health and other systems to…
Read More

Tragedy strikes at the Iinongo Village

Niël Terblanché Pathologists will have to perform a post-mortem examination on a four-year-old boy who allegedly died while playing around a parked car at his home in the Iinongo Village near Oniipa late on Friday afternoon. According to the incident report provided by the Public Relations Division of the Namibian Police, the tragedy occurred at about 18:30 when the father of the deceased child arrived home from work and he pulled his car, a red Volkswagen Golf, into the yard of his house. “It is alleged that the little boy and his five-year-old sibling ran outside to welcome their 36-year-old…
Read More
Namibians normalizing the violation of the constitution

Namibians normalizing the violation of the constitution

Martin Endjala The Secretary to the National Council, Advocate Tousy Namiseb, says it has become a tendency for Namibians in various sectors to violate the constitution. Namiseb singled out Teachers and school Principals who send learners back home for failing to pay development funds or voluntary contributions, saying it does not make sense to have a free-education-for-all policy when learners and parents continue to suffer in that regard. He has since expressed his dismay at the manner in which the Constitution is being interpreted. Namiseb is of the opinion that the Namibian Constitution, as the fundamental law, is an inspiring…
Read More

Omaheke Regional Council accused of breaching lucrative contract

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Omaheke Regional Council is being sued to the tune of N$1.2 million, for allegedly causing financial loss to Jackson Mbaisa, a caterer who supplied food and other services to schools under a contract. According to a contract signed in 2019, the Council and Mbaisa entered into an agreement where he was to supply food and other services to Morukutu Community Hostel and Morukutu Primary School in the Epukiro Constituency. He alleges in court documents that the Council is in breach of the contract and is seeking N$1 231 918.04 for pecuniary loss occasioned as a result of…
Read More

Man killed while digging for lightning stones

Niël Terblanché The 34-year-old Fillipus Shindume Nanyemba died on Saturday after the side of a deep hole he was busy digging in the area of the Otyolo Village collapsed on top of him. According to the incident report provided by the Public Relations Division of the Namibian Police, the tragic incident occurred sometime on Saturday after Nanyemba left his house at about 06:00 to dig for lightning stones in the bush. When he did not return home, his girlfriend and one of his cousins became worried and went looking for him. According to the incident report, they followed Nanyemba’s tracks…
Read More