Namibia's Pan-African Parliament delegation, led by Deputy Speaker Phillipus Katamelo, has commenced Permanent Committee sittings ahead of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Parliament, scheduled to begin on 27 July 2026 in Midrand, South Africa. The committee meetings, running until 25 July, form part of preparations to review matters under the various PAP committees' mandates.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia's Pan-African Parliament delegation, led by Deputy Speaker Phillipus Katamelo, has commenced Permanent Committee sittings ahead of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Parliament, scheduled to begin on 27 July 2026 in Midrand, South Africa. The committee meetings, running until 25 July, form part of preparations to review matters under the various PAP committees' mandates.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare, speaking after the UN Alliance of Civilizations Summit in Angola, called for Africa to achieve economic liberation so that the continent's resources create jobs and opportunities for its people, particularly youth. He stressed that lasting peace is the foundation for economic growth and that young Africans must lead efforts to transform the continent's economies.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The CEO of Otjiwarongo municipality is facing allegations of unlawfully receiving a housing allowance while residing in a council-owned property, a practice that violates government housing policy and may constitute a criminal offence under Namibian law. Government policy and council staff regulations explicitly prohibit simultaneous receipt of a housing subsidy and occupation of state-owned accommodation.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Landless People's Movement senior member Vendjihimisa Kandetu has resigned from the party, citing personal convictions and professional aspirations that require a new direction. Kandetu stepped down as an LPM member, central committee member, and gazetted parliamentary candidate with immediate effect, though she declined to disclose her next political move.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
National Planning Commission director general Kaire Mbuende says slower-than-expected economic growth and lower government revenue have reduced funding available for development projects across Namibia. He told local authority heads at an Oshakati engagement that revenue fell short due to weaker economic performance and delayed oil and gas projects, and that ministries—not the NPC—decide how to distribute allocated funds to regions and towns.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Andrea Johnson, head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the National Prosecuting Authority is deciding whether to prosecute her over accusations that she leaked information to Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Former Anti-Corruption Commission director general Paulus Noa has advised his successor, Bryan Eiseb, to uphold the rule of law and resist public and political pressure, cautioning that public opinion should never dictate investigative decisions and warning against entertaining personal, material, or political agendas.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has identified limited institutional capacity, inadequate funding, and weak coordination between government levels as key obstacles to Namibia's decentralisation reforms under NDP6. The committee is holding a five-day workshop in Gobabis to examine whether the country's legal, institutional, and financial frameworks are sufficient to support decentralisation objectives.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
High Court judge Hannelie Prinsloo has deferred a judgment on the State's application for a closed-door hearing in the trial of Jona Hangula, a 32-year-old accused of working with ISIS and Boko Haram to allegedly overthrow the Namibian government. The in-camera application will be decided by the trial judge once assigned to the case; the matter was postponed to 20 August 2026 pending translation of Arabic-language evidence documents.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
Swapo members in Grootfontein district remain deadlocked over disputed meetings and quorum requirements, with the district coordinator and information officer warning that branch conferences must be held soon or the district will be unable to elect new leadership before terms expire next month.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and Swakop Uranium have agreed to explore partnerships to advance digital development, focusing on expanding connectivity, improving infrastructure, and promoting digital inclusion. The discussions highlight the government's challenges in deploying telecommunications infrastructure in areas without reliable electricity supply.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia Air (Pty) Ltd has proposed one-way ticket prices below N$2,000 on regional routes, with Windhoek-Johannesburg flights estimated at N$1,881.88 and Windhoek-Cape Town at approximately N$1,939.08, excluding airport taxes and security charges. The carrier is seeking Transport Commission approval to operate scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services, with actual fares to vary by demand, booking periods, and operational factors under a dynamic pricing model.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
NamWater defended its pricing model, stating that its tariffs have remained unchanged since 2019 despite rising operational costs, and argued that increases on household municipal accounts are largely the responsibility of local authorities rather than the state-owned utility. The corporation warned that supplying water below cost indefinitely would threaten its financial sustainability.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The High Court has ordered NSFAF and former chief executive Hilya Nghiwete to file a joint case management report by 4 August 2026 ahead of a case management conference on 11 August 2026. NSFAF is seeking to recover N$4,301,277.36 paid to Nghiwete under an arbitration award that lost its legal basis following a Supreme Court ruling upholding her dismissal.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Namibian banking sector remained well capitalised, profitable and liquid in the first quarter of 2026, with total assets increasing by 3.8% to N$195.1 billion, driven mainly by growth in net loans and advances. Credit risk improved as the non-performing loan ratio declined to 4.2%, while the return on assets and return on equity both decreased.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Windhoek-based DJ and digital solutions analyst Mercy Shoombe, known as DJ Kandy, has launched Kandy Beauty, a new brand that debuted with a range of lip products. She plans to expand the product range over the next three years while building her customer base.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Five years after Air Namibia's collapse, Namibia Air has filed aviation licence applications to operate passenger and cargo services domestically, regionally and internationally, with the government aiming to launch the fully operational joint airline with Botswana by the end of 2026 and Ethiopian Airlines as the strategic operating partner.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the latest CLA 200 model, a coupe-sedan featuring advanced technology, a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with mild-hybrid technology, Dynamic Select modes for customisable driving performance, and fuel economy of 5.1 litres per 100km.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Chronic stress from financial threat impairs the prefrontal cortex responsible for planning and risk assessment, while activating the brain's alarm system. Recent research identifies managerial and strategic failure as a core reason businesses collapse, and the article argues sustained financial stress on founders' brains contributes to Namibia's high small-business failure rate.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Hospitality Association of Namibia says hotels set their own prices under free-market principles, following public complaints about beverage costs—with Appletisers ranging from N$60 to N$70 at some establishments. The association argues that demand and supply determine pricing, and that hotel prices reflect additional operational costs beyond supermarket shelf prices.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Bank of Namibia's Macroprudential Oversight Committee concluded that Namibia's financial system remains sound and stable following an assessment of systemic risks and vulnerabilities. Real GDP grew by 2.0% in the first quarter of 2026, rebounding from 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025, with growth projected to reach 2.6% in 2026, though the outlook faces downside risks from geopolitical tensions, weaker global demand, and water supply constraints.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
A delegation from the 4th Namibia Oil & Gas Conference met with the Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President to brief officials on conference preparations and expected participation. The conference is scheduled for 18–20 August 2026 in Windhoek under the theme "From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia's Oil Work for Namibians."
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Deep Yellow has awarded N$392.6 million in construction contracts to two 100% Namibian-owned firms for its Tumas Uranium Project, with mobilisation scheduled for August and expected to generate roughly 500 local jobs.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibian contract workers on TotalEnergies' offshore oil project say they were handed new employment terms on a 'take-it-or-leave-it' basis with no room to negotiate, citing concerns about no pension, limited medical aid, and years without salary increases. TotalEnergies and recruitment firm Apos deny wrongdoing, saying the new terms improve pay and benefits.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's community seed banks will accept only traditional seeds to preserve indigenous crops and plants, according to the chief forester at the National Plant Genetic Resources Centre. Indigenous seeds are better suited to local conditions and resilient to climate challenges, while genetically modified seeds will be excluded because they deplete soil nutrients.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Rice farmers in Namibia cite shortages of machinery, irrigation equipment, fencing, and market access as barriers to scaling production. Manual planting, harvesting, and threshing operations, plus livestock damage to unfenced gardens, remain key challenges.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Gobabis Municipality plans to sell 100 residential plots worth more than N$8.8 million to Mbatjiua Construction CC to address the town's housing backlog. Over 13.4 hectares in Extension 6 have been earmarked for construction, with the municipality accepting public objections until 10 August.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Livestock farmers will receive cattle ear tags with nine-digit identification numbers later this year, as the current supply of eight-digit numbers nears exhaustion. Existing tags will remain valid; only new tags will carry the additional digit.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Magdalena Jose, 30, is continuing her grandmother Joakina Andreas's vegetable farming work on a one-hectare plot in Kaisosi, Kavango East, which Andreas began in 1985. Despite water shortages and ageing infrastructure, the two grow cabbages, spinach, onions, tomatoes, peppers, beetroot, watermelons, butternuts and local crops for sale.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has warned regional councils to improve project implementation and service delivery while announcing a N$10 million allocation for the Food/Cash for Work Programme to provide temporary income support to vulnerable households and strengthen rural resilience. According to the deputy minister, 50.5% of Namibia's population lives in rural areas, and while some regional councils have made progress, others struggle with poor implementation.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
NIDA oversees grape and date farming operations at Naute Farm in //Kharas Region that produce world-class products with significant potential, but the agency's financial and operational challenges constrain the farm from realising its full potential for socio-economic development and job creation.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
Street vendors in Rundu start trading early, some walking as far as eight kilometres from their homes to earn a living.
22 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Donatus Secondary School in Otjiwarongo told lawmakers that disposable vaping devices, commonly called "choefs," are an increasing problem in schools.
22 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →
A 32-year-old tailor in Gam, Tsumkwe constituency, runs a small tailoring business that supports her family, built through UNFPA support.
22 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →
The Katima Mulilo Town Council has launched a verification exercise to identify qualifying pensioners and persons with disabilities for a possible municipal debt write-off.
22 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Namibia has been following the search for Erwin Bezuidenhout's body for three weeks after the 15-year-old drowned following a jump into the sea.
22 July 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Namibia's housing shortage has grown to approximately 300,000 units from about 80,000 in 2007, with rapid urbanisation and rising construction costs straining supply. Windhoek's population expands at 3.1% annually while informal settlements grow at 6.1%, with approximately 11,000 new informal dwellings added yearly against formal housing demand of 15,000 units annually.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has allocated N$10 million towards a Food/Cash-for-Work Programme for the current financial year to provide temporary income support to vulnerable households and create community assets, in response to Namibia's unemployment rate of 36.9% and youth unemployment of 44.1%.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
The Zambezi regional police commander has proposed increasing fines for driving under the influence to N$8 000, citing a surge in arrests—93 drivers arrested in the 2026/27 financial year compared to 26 in the previous year. She recommended additional measures including licence suspension for repeat offenders and improved road infrastructure.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Dr Frans Aupa Indongo Open Market in Oshakati has banned open-air urination and imposed N$100 fines for violators, with private security guards enforcing the rule. However, clashes have occurred as some vendors and customers avoid the facility due to its poor condition or the N$3 toilet access fee.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
The 064 Motorcycle Club delivered food parcels to 10 elderly residents in Arandis and donated groceries and essential items to Tears of Hope Children's Home in Mondesa, Swakopmund, recognising the mobility challenges faced by vulnerable community members.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
The Namibian Police Force is appealing for public assistance to locate two suspects wanted in connection with criminal cases in Windhoek: Aubrey !Nobangu Geiseb, wanted in connection with alleged theft under false pretence involving N$180,000, and Martina Astopher, wanted in connection with theft of a motor vehicle.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
Namibian Police are appealing for help finding Leonard Itete Keib, 43, who went missing from Mondesa on Saturday 19 July. He was last seen at Swakopmund State Hospital at around 18h00 wearing a black jacket with red stripes and black track pants with white stripes.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia recorded more than half a million cyber vulnerabilities between April and June, representing a 39.8% increase from the previous quarter, according to the Namibia Cyber Security Incident Response Team. The Communication Regulatory Authority chief executive urged organisations to tighten cybersecurity measures, implement national incident management guidelines, and report incidents early.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Gabriel Nambahu, a pharmacy owner in Oshakati, was arrested and appeared in court after being accused of raping a journalist who became unconscious after drinking at his home in early June. He is also accused of threatening the victim's cousin with a firearm after she informed him of a resulting pregnancy.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
A South African citizen's bail appeal was refused in the Windhoek High Court after a cannabis plantation valued at N$52 million was discovered at a farm in the Okahandja district. Judge Claudia Claasen found that the magistrate's earlier decision to deny bail was not wrong.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
A nurse at Okahandja hospital pleaded guilty to assaulting a baby's mother and paid an admission of guilt fine of N$300; the nurse claimed she was not briefed on how to react in such instances. University of Namibia says nursing training explicitly forbids physical aggression and includes conflict-handling modules and protocols for reporting difficult interactions through proper clinical channels.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Chief Operations Officer of the Government Institutions Pension Fund emphasized that basic water provision in rural areas should take priority before investing in artificial intelligence for water management. He argued that foundational infrastructure like rainwater harvesting and earth dams should be established first, noting that current AI technologies for water systems are primarily available in urban areas while rural communities lack basic access.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
Social justice activists and China Town vendors will march to the City of Windhoek to demand clarity on a verbal directive used to evict them from trading spaces and seek the City to honour previous commitments made during a deputation.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
On 1 August, Sicilia's Restaurant will host Suzi Eises, Big Ben, and South African singer Emil Struwig for Spotlight Night, featuring live performances combining saxophone, strings, and vocals.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Jasper Philipsen won stage 17 of the Tour de France on Wednesday, ending what he described as a "horrible" run of near misses at the race. The 28-year-old won his 11th Tour stage victory overall, and has now won at least one stage in each of the last five editions of the Tour.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The government distributed N$774 000 to athletes and coaches for medal-winning performances in the first quarter of 2026 across athletics, wrestling, full contact, inline hockey and Special Olympics Namibia. The Namibia Sports Commission said rewards are distributed under a Cabinet-approved 2018 policy based on defined criteria, replacing an ad hoc system that existed before 2018.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
National swimming coach Jean-Michael Leitner says the Namibian swimmers selected for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games have earned their places through hard work and consistent results, and believes they are capable of reaching finals and competing for medals if they deliver their best performances.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Shanghai committee has donated 1,000 pairs of running shoes to the Namibia National Olympic Committee as a symbol of growing friendship and to support youth sport cooperation, following President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's recent state visit to China.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Two national title fights will take place at Swakopmund on Friday night. In the main bout, Joiy Nangolo will defend his national bantamweight title against Fabian Lameck over 10 rounds, while Fredrick Nghutenanye takes on Paulus Shonena for the vacant national junior lightweight title.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Joy Nangolo will headline the 'Local is Lekker' Boxing Bonanza this Friday at Swakopmund's Multipurpose Centre, facing Fabian Lameck in the main bout for the national bantamweight title. The event will feature nine all-local bouts and fighters from five regions.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
The Namibia Sports Commission held a reward ceremony recognizing athletes who won medals at international sporting events, distributing N$774,000 to Athletics Namibia, the Namibia Wrestling Federation, the Namibia Full-contact Martial Arts Federation and the Namibia Inline Hockey Federation in accordance with the 2018 NSC Reward Policy.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
Cecil Koorts Jr set a new track record of 35.19 seconds in the Junior Max class, and Rocco van Eeden set a new mark of 39.88 seconds in the Mini Rok class at the fifth leg of the national karting championships. The event featured a reversed track layout at the Tony Rust Raceway circuit to increase difficulty.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibia Sports Commission has awarded a combined N$774,000 to five national sports federations in recognition of medal-winning performances by Namibian athletes at African and international competitions in the first quarter of 2026. The beneficiaries are Athletics Namibia, the Namibia Wrestling Federation, Namibia Full Contact Martial Arts, Namibia Inline Hockey and Special Olympics Namibia, with individual athletes receiving up to N$40,000 depending on medal type.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
The World Health Organisation reports that more than 300,000 people die from drowning annually, with children and young people disproportionately affected. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where people are exposed to water hazards through daily activities including collecting water, fishing, farming and travel.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Somalia's Communications and Technology Minister told the BBC that WhatsApp's planned feature allowing users to chat via usernames rather than phone numbers could pose a security risk and make it harder to counter criminals and militants. The government has approached Meta about its concerns, citing Somalia's reliance on mobile money and the risk of financial fraud and scams, particularly given al-Shabab's use of WhatsApp for extortion and propaganda.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia has been chosen to host the headquarters of the inter-continental Global Water Partnership Organisation after an 18-month competitive selection process. The country's water management expertise, political stability, infrastructure, and decades of experience managing water in one of the world's driest regions set it apart, with the relocation from Stockholm to Windhoek positioning Namibia as a global centre for water dialogue, innovation and knowledge sharing.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
African football boss Patrice Motsepe defended FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday, praising his commitment to football and support for Africa, despite growing criticism over Infantino's handling of issues including a suspension decision and tournament format changes.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah signed a book of condolences at the Zambian High Commission in Windhoek on behalf of Namibia, honouring former Zambian Vice President Dr Guy Scott and reaffirming the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
22 July 2026 · Informanté →
An editorial argues that allegations that Otjiwarongo Municipality CEO Mberipura Hifitikeko received a housing allowance while occupying government accommodation must be transparently and independently investigated, not treated as administrative matters, since government policy bars officials from receiving both benefits simultaneously.
22 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →