National News

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Post Limited (Nampost) will release a report on the case of 82-year-old pensioner Petrina Shikela from Katutura in Windhoek, who lost thousands of dollars after a “Ben 10” was listed as her husband and beneficiary.  “Ben 10” is a slang term used to describe a young man in a romantic relationship with an older woman. According to Windhoek social justice activist Shaun Gariseb, the young man allegedly withdrew money from her account without her permission. Gariseb told the Windhoek Observer that a meeting with Nampost management and the chief executive officer will take place on Thursday…

Renthia Kaimbi The race for seats on the Walvis Bay Local Authority has taken a personal turn, with Sharon Roodt, a candidate for the Joint Walvis Bay Residents Association (JWBRA), facing questions over her military background. Roodt has denied allegations linking her to the Koevoet counterinsurgency unit, describing the claims as a political witch-hunt aimed at discrediting her.  She confirmed that she served in the South African Defence Force (SADF) and later applied to join the Namibian Defence Force but said she was never part of Koevoet. Koevoet was a paramilitary police unit that operated during South Africa’s illegal occupation…

Renthia Kaimbi The Desert Foxes Football Club, a team of teenagers from Walvis Bay, are gearing up for the FNB Women Super League playoffs. They earned their spot after finishing an unbeaten run to win the 2024/2025 NamPort Erongo Women Football League title. Founded and funded by coach Baron Brown, the team finished their season without a single loss, winning 16 of their 18 matches and drawing two. They scored 95 goals, collected 50 points, and ended with a goal difference of +94. Their defence, led by goalkeeper Albertina Mbuka Amoonga, was key to their dominance.  Amoonga conceded only one…

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) celebrated its partners and clients on Saturday during the Annual Port Users and Stakeholders Dinner in Walvis Bay under the theme “Collaborate to Elevate”. The event recognised top-performing companies and small businesses for their contributions to port operations and growth. In the revenue-based category, awards went to Woker Freight Services (Pty) Ltd, Logistics Support Services (Pty) Ltd, Sturrock Grindrod Maritime (Pty) Ltd, Trade Ocean Shipping (Pty) Ltd, and Mediterranean Shipping Co. Namibia. For volume-based performance, Walvis Bay Salt Refiners (Pty) Ltd, Puma Energy Namibia (Pty) Ltd, Woker Freight Services (Pty) Ltd, Walvis Bay…

Allexer Namundjembo A Swapo party candidate who recently publicly said she was “not a corrupt person” now finds herself entangled in a corruption scandal.  The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of former Omaruru mayor and current Swapo candidate for the Omaruru Constituency, Hendrina Magano Gebhardt. She was charged for allegedly using her position in 2012 to secure a municipal job for her brother. ACC's interim spokesperson Marina Matundu said Gebhardt violated the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003 by instructing the then chief executive officer of the Omaruru municipality to appoint her brother.  “Our investigation established that Ms Gebhardt…

Allexer Namundjembo Affirmative Repositioning (AR) member of parliament George Kambala has called on the minister of education Sanet Steenkamp to take action against the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS) following recent racial incidents that sparked national outrage. In a notice of question tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kambala called on the minister to consider deregistering the school.  Section 79(1)(a) of the 2020 Basic Education Act empowers the minister to revoke a private school's registration if it engages in racial, ethnic or religious discrimination. “It is unacceptable that an educational institution operating under Namibian law continues to be associated…

Renthia Kaimbi Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa has defended the nationwide rollout of prepaid water meters. He said the move is necessary as local authorities owe NamWater about N$3.5 billion. Sankwasa told the Windhoek Observer that he fully supports local authorities installing prepaid meters as part of efforts to settle the growing water debt.  His comments follow rising anger in Henties Bay, where the compulsory installation of 3 500 prepaid meters has triggered protests. “Any local authority that goes to put water meters now has my full support. Because we have to pay the N$3.5 billion debt to…

Justicia Shipena The overlap between the Access to Information (ATI) Act and the Public Procurement Act (PPA) could improve transparency and accountability in government spending.  This is according to the latest edition of the procurement tracker report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). As the government prepares to appoint an information commissioner, which will mark the start of fully implementing the ATI law, the report said the framework could reshape how information is managed in the public sector.  This includes procurement systems that have long faced issues of secrecy and non-compliance. Both laws mandate the release of key…

Renthia Kaimbi Magistrates have defied a return-to-work directive issued by justice and labour relations minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel.  Immanuel, on Sunday, in a letter to Magistrates’ Commission chairperson Boas Uusiku, acknowledged the frustrations of magistrates over the delayed housing and vehicle allowances but maintained that the nationwide strike had no legal basis.  He then instructed all magistrates to return to their duty stations and resume work, warning that failure to comply would lead to serious consequences. Despite his [Immanuel's] order, magistrates have continued their 'go-slow' industrial action, bringing civil trials, criminal proceedings and bail applications to a halt.  The magistrates…

Renthia Kaimbi Electricity costs take up about 35% of the total revenue of Namibia’s green scheme projects.  The executive director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, revealed this during a national workshop on green schemes in Rundu on Monday.  She said each project spends close to N$1 million per month on electricity. “Each green scheme project spends close to N$1 million per month on electricity alone, representing roughly 35% of its total revenue, a burden that severely impacts profitability and long-term operational viability,” she said. Nghituwamata said high power tariffs have become a major…