National News

Hendrina Kudhingililwa is a youth leader whose work centres on building organised, intentional spaces for young people to participate meaningfully in civic and community life. As president of the Tukwatha Youth Organization, she is focused on strengthening youth leadership through coordination, mentorship, and community-based engagement. Her leadership reflects a growing recognition among young leaders that impact is sustained not by visibility alone, but by structure, accountability, and continuity.  Through her work, Hendrina contributes to shaping a generation of young people who understand leadership as service, responsibility, and long-term commitment. Young Observer caught up with her to learn more about who…

The recent leadership changes within the National Youth Council  have once again drawn public attention to a long-standing tension in Namibia’s youth sector: the uneasy relationship between youth politics and youth development. The resignation of an interim chairperson and the appointment of a successor are not, on their own, extraordinary developments. Leadership transitions occur in all institutions. What warrants reflection, however, is not the change itself but what such moments repeatedly reveal about the structure, culture, and purpose of youth governance in Namibia. For many young people, the National Youth Council is increasingly perceived less as a responsive development institution…

Ba James Sankwasa  This week, we recognise the Minister of Urban and Rural Development as our Fighter of the Week. His recent public engagements and firm positions on urban governance and service delivery have sparked renewed debate on accountability, local leadership, and the pace of development. Whether one agrees with every position or not, leadership that provokes conversation, scrutiny, and public engagement is vital in a democratic society. For young people watching governance closely, these moments matter, as they demonstrate that public office carries both authority and responsibility. Share your fighter of the week (and why) with us via WhatsApp…

Justicia Shipena The Supreme Court has ruled that the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) acted outside the law when it allowed its secretary to start and run an investigation into alleged price-fixing in the pharmaceutical sector. On Wednesday, the court dismissed NaCC’s appeal against an earlier High Court decision and found that the commission unlawfully delegated its investigative powers when it launched a probe into a long-standing 50% medicine mark-up applied by pharmacies linked to the Pharmaceutical Society of Namibia (PSN). Deputy chief justice Petrus Damaseb said the Competition Act makes it clear that only the commission itself has the authority…

Justicia Shipena The High Court has ordered Northcote Private School and its former board chairperson, Benedict Mulife, to each pay N$10 000 in damages after finding that they defamed each other. The judgement was delivered on Monday by High Court judge David Munsu in a defamation case that arose from disputes at the Ondangwa-based private school in mid-2022. Northcote Private School filed the lawsuit in May 2023, accusing Mulife of damaging its reputation through false allegations contained in a petition and through claims allegedly shared with the media and on WhatsApp.  Mulife denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim, arguing…

Renthia Kaimbi Namibia is now home to about 54 Japanese companies. Minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi revealed this during high-level talks in Tokyo, Japan.  She said their presence reflects the growing economic ties between Namibia and Japan.  Ashipala-Musavyi met Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, on Wednesday. The two discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen economic cooperation, and support Namibia’s industrialisation drive.  The talks focused on aligning Japanese investment with Namibia’s current national priorities under the leadership of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. "The presence of around 54 Japanese companies in Namibia is a clear testament to the country’s…

Justicia Shipena The government plans to build more school hostels in the Hardap region to improve access to education for learners from remote communities.  Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture minister Sanet Steenkamp said hostel development is a priority to address long distances to schools, learner dropouts and growing pressure on rural education systems. She spoke on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Namaqua Kalahari Children’s Hope Hostel in Gochas. She described the facility as a model for future education infrastructure in sparsely populated regions. “The vastness of the region and the spreading of communities into small villages place…

Renthia Kaimbi Erongo governor Natalia |Goagoses has urged regional councillors in Erongo to place the improvement of basic services at the centre of their work. Goagoses made the call on Wednesday during the opening of the Internal Induction Workshop for regional councillors, hosted by the Erongo Regional Council at the Seaside Hotel in Swakopmund. The workshop brought together newly elected councillors and senior officials to align political leadership with the council’s administrative work. She said regional councillors carry heavy responsibility as the level of government closest to communities. “Regional councils are not abstract institutions. When communities experience progress, stability, and…