National News

Renthia Kaimbi Workers at Beifang Mining Technology Services at the Husab Project are challenging a bonus policy that links sick leave to incentive payments. The dispute follows the company’s introduction of a new shift roster on 3 February.  The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations has confirmed the roster's lawfulness and compliance with Namibia's Labour Act, according to management. The change triggered unrest among workers. Soon after the new roster took effect, the company recorded a rise in sick leave.  An internal memorandum shows that between 3 and 22 February, employees recorded 322 sick leave days. Management described the figure…

Renthia Kaimbi As Namibia continues to battle illegal fishing in its Exclusive Economic Zone, chief executive officer of the Fisheries Observer Agency, Stanley Ndara, says the country must adopt artificial intelligence to strengthen monitoring, but he warns against losing control over critical systems. Ndara said AI can play a key role in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. He stressed that technology alone is not enough without strong governance. “However, there is a caveat to this, and it relates to AI governance and trust,” Ndara warned in an interview with the Windhoek Observer. Namibia currently uses monitoring, control, and surveillance…

Renthia Kaimbi On 7 March, runners will gather in Swakopmund for the Rössing National Marathon.  This year’s race marks 35 consecutive years of partnership between Rössing Uranium and the Swakop Striders Running Club. Organisers expect about 4,500 runners to take part. The partnership began in 1991. A group of Rössing employees who shared a love for running formed the Swakop Striders Running Club. They approached the mine with a proposal to host a marathon. That decision laid the foundation for what has become one of the longest-running sporting collaborations in Namibia. Swakop Striders Secretary Frank Slabbert has been involved in…

Renthia Kaimbi Senior managers of the Namibian Correctional Service met in Swakopmund this week for a biannual management retreat aimed at strengthening leadership and improving service delivery. The retreat took place at the Swakopmund Mile 4 Hotel. It started on Monday, 23 February 2026 and ended on Wednesday. NSC commissioner general Raphael Tuhafeni Hamunyela led the gathering. He described it as a space for reflection and strategic focus. He said the goal was to create time for reflection, renewal, and refocusing so that leaders could provide quality service to the Namibian people. Hamunyela stressed the importance of leadership development and…

Allexer Namundjembo Independence Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula insists that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s family has interests in the oil and gas sector. He says the country must confront what he calls a conflict at the centre of government as the National Assembly debates the oil bill. “It is not speculation. What I am about to present to you is a diagnosis of capture,” Itula said during a press conference at the party’s office in Windhoek on Tuesday. At the same time, Itula said he was presenting evidence, not making allegations. He described what he called “a capture of…

Allexer Namundjembo Outapi mayor Victorina Neingo says stalled stormwater projects are holding the town back as drainage problems resurface with each rainy season. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Monday after heavy weekend rains, Neingo said the town has an approved stormwater master plan but lacks funds to implement it. “The Outapi Town Council has an approved stormwater master plan in place to systematically address stormwater drainage challenges within the town. However, implementation of the identified projects remains constrained due to budgetary limitations,” Neingo said. The recent rainfall led to temporary water accumulation in low-lying areas. Some buildings became difficult…

Renthia Kaimbi Government officials, scientists, industry leaders and community representatives gathered in Swakopmund last week to confront gaps in marine research and address growing pressure on the country’s ocean resources during the two-day Ocean in Focus Symposium. The two-day Ocean in Focus Symposium, held from 18 to 19 February, aimed to identify knowledge gaps and guide research, policy and investment in Namibia’s coastal and marine areas. The event was facilitated by the Namibia Nature Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform through the Namibia Islands and Marine Protected Areas Project (NIMPA+). Donor support came…

Staff Writer The deputy minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform, Ruthy Masake, says Namibia must expand beyond traditional fishing and invest in large-scale aquaculture. She identified salmon farming as a new driver of industrial growth. She was speaking at the “Unlocking Namibia’s Salmon Industry: An Opportunity for Industrialisation” seminar at the Avani Hotel on Monday. Masake said the country needs to shift from harvest-based fishing to farming-based production of high-value species such as Atlantic salmon. She said this move would strengthen agro-processing and aquaculture value chains while supporting economic diversification. Masake noted that salmon ranks among the most…