National News

Allexer Namundjembo Residents of the ||Khomani Traditional Authority handed over a petition on Monday calling for a vote of no confidence against chief Juliane Gawanas and her council. The group gathered at Dolam in Katutura, led by community activist Shaun Gariseb. They accuse the leadership of selling land meant for local residents to business people within the ||Khomani area. The petition follows a community meeting held on 31 January at A.I. Steenkamp Primary School, where more than 750 people supported a vote of no confidence against the chief and the council. The process forms part of steps taken by the…

Staff Writer  Attorney general Festus Mbandeka says stronger legal compliance across state institutions and state-owned enterprises will reduce court cases and improve governance. He made the remarks during a stakeholder engagement session hosted by his office in the Erongo region on Monday. Mbandeka said government entities must follow laws and improve how they work to avoid costly litigation. “Together, we can foster a culture of legal compliance within state institutions and SOE entities by promoting voluntary compliance and using best practices to streamline processes and reduce litigation costs,” he said. The session forms part of a nationwide programme to strengthen…

Patience Makwele  Farmers in the Zambezi region are rushing to harvest crops as floodwaters spread across fields.  They say government support has not reached them in time. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has deployed tractors to move harvested crops to higher ground in areas such as Kabbe South, Kabbe North and Sibbinda. The ministry's deputy director of public relations and spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the intervention has helped 14 farmers so far, with more than 50 tonnes of crops moved. “We have loaded about 75 tonnes of maize so far,” Muyunda said.  He said the operation…

Allexer Namundjembo President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the government remains open to the Cape Fria project, but only if credible investors are secured. She made the remarks while responding to a question from National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) member of parliament Vetoruhe Kandovazu during her recent state of the nation address (Sona).  “I would like to see the development of a smart city during my time as president, but when you look at some of these investors, they are questionable,” she said. Nandi-Ndaitwah said the idea of developing Cape Fria dates back to the era of the then president Sam Nujoma. …

Staff Writer  Political considerations and internal decisions prevented the late former member of parliament James Uerikua from being appointed as a Cabinet minister, according to Association of Localised Interests president Josef Kauandenge. Kauandenge questioned why Uerikua was never elevated to Cabinet despite being widely praised after his death. “If late Hon James was such an exceptional being, intelligent and gifted like they are praising him now, what then prevented the appointing authority to bring him into the fold of Cabinet as a full Minister,” he said. Uerikua and his son died in a car accident during the Easter weekend between…

Allexer Namundjembo Youth leaders say the latest youth and sport budget must deliver real jobs and make training programmes more useful. Sean Mapowe, a youth leader from Okatope village in Onyaanya Constituency, said he hopes funding for the National Youth Service (NYS) will improve the quality of training and lead to jobs. “We have more people who went to study there; some of them studied horticulture and other courses, but they have never had any job offers due to their qualifications they obtained there,” he said. Mapowe said the government should make use of the skills gained through training programmes.…

Allexer Namundjembo  Swapo says it is not in a hurry to fill the National Assembly seat left by its late member James Uerikua.  The party said it is still in mourning. Swapo party spokesperson Hilma Nicanor told the Windhoek Observer this week that it would be inappropriate to prioritise succession discussions at this stage, adding that the focus remains on honouring Uerikua. “I feel this isn’t a matter of urgency, and as such it would be advisable that you give the Party that chance to mourn and give a befitting send-off to our departed comrade. Let’s wait for the appropriate…

Renthia Kaimbi At least 15 foreign crew members, mostly Russian nationals, say they have been stuck at sea for months on the Venus 1 fishing vessel. The crew shared a video on social media, asserting their inability to leave the vessel and the confiscation of their passports.  In the video, they appealed to the Russian Embassy in Namibia for help. “We have been hostages of the current situation for five months: the ship-owner Hodago Fishing, which issued the employment contracts, actually lied to us,” read a loose translation of the video. The claims have raised concern about the welfare of…