Namibia Minute

Saturday, 19 September 2026

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Saturday, 19 September 2026

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Politics

PM warns lawyers against using law to harass people

The News

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has urged members of the legal fraternity to apply "legal common sense" and avoid using legal processes to harass people. Speaking at a three-day State of Justice in Namibia conference in Windhoek, Ngurare called for stronger institutional collaboration, improved access to justice, and integrated information and communication technology systems in justice institutions.

19 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Politics

PM warns lawyers against using law to harass people
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has urged members of the legal fraternity to apply "legal common sense" and avoid using legal processes to harass people. Speaking at a three-day State of Justice in Namibia conference in Windhoek, Ngurare called for stronger institutional collaboration, improved access to justice, and integrated information and communication technology systems in justice institutions.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Chief Justice urges coordinated approach to justice system delays
Chief Justice Peter Shivute told the State of Justice Conference that delays, case backlogs, and resource constraints require effective collaboration across all justice sector institutions rather than single-institution solutions, as delays in investigation, prosecution, or courts ripple across the system and erode public confidence in the whole apparatus.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →

Business

Pilchard quota auction attracts only two bids, allocates 3 500MT
The government's pilchard fishing quota auction on 4 September received only two bids, with 3 500 metric tonnes allocated at a weighted average price of N$3 962.86 per MT—above the reserve price of N$2 700 per MT—leaving 1 500MT unallocated and generating N$13.87 million in total revenue.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Capricorn share price rises 30% despite profit decline
Capricorn Group's share price rose nearly 30% to N$28.12 in the year to June 2026, lifting market capitalisation to N$15 billion, even as annual profit fell 6.4% to N$1.87 billion. The group's price-to-earnings ratio increased from 5.9 times to 8.2 times.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Entrepo Finance's loan book shrinks by N$500 million
Entrepo Finance's loan book fell from N$2.2 billion in 2025 to N$1.7 billion by June 2026 after the government ended its contract with payroll deduction administrator Avril Payment Solutions, disrupting the microlender's ability to issue new loans to civil servants. Despite the decline, Entrepo increased profit by 6% and contributed 14% of parent company Capricorn Group's total profit after tax.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Agriculture & Land

Agriculture ministry highlights Namibia's heavy food import reliance
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ruthy Masake revealed that Namibia imports nearly all domestically consumed fruit, over half of maize, wheat and pearl millet requirements, and significant shares of vegetables and potatoes during the 2025/2026 season, framing increased domestic production as both a food security and economic priority.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →

Society

Namibia recorded 966 suicide cases in two financial years
Namibian Police disclosed that Namibia recorded 966 suicide cases over the past two financial years—480 in 2024/25 and 486 in 2025/26, with adult men accounting for the overwhelming majority in both years. An opinion piece argues that Namibia must move beyond annual prevention messages to address systemic barriers and make mental health a priority in public policy.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Minister launches Operation Basadi, women-led gender violence initiative
Home Affairs Minister Lucia Iipumbu has launched Operation Basadi, a bi-annual women-led law enforcement initiative by NamPol and security cluster members to combat gender-based violence and related crimes. She called for proactive, visible, intelligence-driven policing and emphasised that success should be measured by lives protected and communities made safer, not just arrests and fines.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →
NAMPOL warns of fraudulent traffic fine payment website scam
The Namibian Police Force has warned the public about a phishing scam using a fake website circulated via SMS, WhatsApp and social media claiming to collect traffic fine payments during an ongoing amnesty. The fraudulent link is designed to steal banking information, card details and one-time passwords; NAMPOL does not use such links or the .sbs domain for payment collection.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →
Cybersecurity team confirms ransomware attack on Defence Ministry
Namibia's national cybersecurity team confirmed that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs was hit by a cyberattack linked to RansomHouse, an international ransomware group known for double-extortion attacks. The team is investigating the breach and working to restore the ministry's systems.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
New domicile certificates for foreign spouses begin issuing Monday
The home affairs ministry will begin issuing certificates of domicile to foreign nationals married in good faith to Namibian citizens from 21 September, replacing previous certificates of identity. Applicants must submit documentation including application forms, affidavits, passports, marriage certificates, police clearances, and proof of residence, and may be required to attend interviews to verify the marriage is bona fide.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Rehoboth boy's murder accused held without bail
Dickson Karomuine, accused of murdering 11-year-old Gephardt Doëseb, will remain in custody after his first court appearance. The case was postponed to 26 November pending further investigations.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Home Affairs Minister warns of identity impersonation scam
Fraudsters are using the identity of home affairs minister Lucia Iipumbu to send scam messages from a South African number. Iipumbu has warned the public not to respond to or act on suspicious messages claiming to be from her, and to verify communications through official channels.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Safety ministry launches Operation Basadi crime-fighting initiative
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security officially launched Operation Basadi on Friday, with minister Lucia Iipumbu calling for a proactive, intelligence-driven approach to crime that emphasizes prevention, community cooperation, and adherence to constitutional and human-rights standards rather than reactive policing focused solely on arrests and fines.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
RansomHouse ransomware attack confirmed in Defence Ministry network
Namibia's cyber security incident response team has confirmed unauthorised activity in the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs network linked to the RansomHouse ransomware group, which uses encryption and double-extortion tactics threatening to disclose stolen information.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →

Culture

Visual artist Nghipandulwa exhibits mixed media on recycled road signs
Artist and civil engineer Ndako Nghipandulwa's 'Signs Of The Times' exhibition at Windhoek's The Project Room uses discarded road signs as canvases to depict construction workers, Namibian children, and critiques of authority. The work explores themes of childhood naivety, life's unpredictability, and generational hope through pieces like 'Winding Road' and 'We Could Never Fly, Maybe You Can'.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Mutjanga Bena steps solo in Namibian oviritje music
Mutjangatjike Ben Muundjua, known as 'Mutjanga Bena' and called the crown prince of oviritje, has left the Upambians group to pursue a solo career in the traditional Otjiherero-speaking music genre. He emphasizes authenticity and developing a distinctive sound that sets him apart from other oviritje artists.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Sport

Mourinho warns Real Madrid lacks match control ahead of derby
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho acknowledged his team cannot control matches before Sunday's La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid, citing defensive vulnerabilities despite attacking dynamism. Madrid trail Barcelona by three points after five wins and one loss in six opening games.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Evenepoel favourite to win fourth consecutive time-trial world title
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel is the overwhelming favourite to win the time-trial at the World Championships in Montreal beginning Sunday, which would be a record fourth-consecutive world title. Evenepoel, a double Olympic champion, also hopes to become the first man to win both the road race and time-trial at the same championships.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Monica Shapwa resigns from women's football leadership posts
Monica Shapwa has resigned as FNB Women Super League and FC Ongos Ladies chairperson, citing her belief that the decision is in the best interest of football's development and equity. She notes the league's achievements include professionalisation, player contracts, FNB sponsorship renewal, and monthly club grants.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Tourism & Environment

Intern becomes permanent staff at Gondwana Collection Namibia
Jacky Kaputu, a tourism innovation and development student, completed an internship in reservations at Gondwana Collection Namibia and was hired as a permanent team member after six months, drawn by the company's values around sustainability and responsible tourism.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Rhino conservationist Jaco Muller dies in gyrocopter crash
Jaco Muller, founder of the Rhino Momma Project, one of Namibia's largest privately managed white rhino conservation programmes, died in a gyrocopter accident while monitoring rhinos and potential wildfires near Outjo in the Kunene Region. The project has bred 197 rhinos since 2013.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →
August 2026 ranked Namibia's second-warmest in 15 years
Namibia Meteorological Services reported August 2026 as the second-warmest August in the past 15 years, with an average surface air temperature of 18.1 °C, which was 1.3 °C above the 1991–2020 long-term average. Exceptional warming of more than 4°C above the long-term average was recorded at several stations including Rooisand, Koichab Pan, Khorixas, Windhoek and Karios, with Khorixas recording the highest mean temperature of 24.8°C.
19 September 2026 · Informanté →

Opinion

Youth leaders push compulsory national service bill
An opinion column criticizes a proposed compulsory national service policy for post-puberty citizens, questioning whether it is driven by genuine patriotism or merely control, and warns against conflating patriotism with uncritical obedience to state leadership based on examples from other African countries.
19 September 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Namibian micro and small enterprises doing much with little
An opinion piece describes how entrepreneurs across northern Namibia, particularly carpenters and welders, are producing remarkable work with rudimentary equipment and basic tools, with very little support.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Long-term thinking beats short-term focus for wealth building
Building wealth requires thinking beyond the next few months, with long-term decisions sometimes requiring short-term discomfort. Before making important financial decisions, consider how they will affect you in one, five, and ten years to shift focus from immediate rewards to long-term financial growth.
19 September 2026 · The Namibian →