Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Person

Bernadus Swartbooi

Also known as: Swartbooi · Juvani Swartbooi · applicant · Johanna Swartbooi · Miss Namibia 2025 · Sixtus Swartbooi · Bernardus Swartbooi · Bernadus Clinton Swartbooi · Hannelie Swartbooi

Bernadus Swartbooi — leader of the Landless People's Movement, advocating budget reallocation toward agriculture and labor export policies.

Politics

LPM demands SOEs end reliance on government bailouts

The News

The Landless People's Movement is calling for state-owned enterprises to become financially independent and end their dependence on public funds, arguing that since 1999 most SOEs have underperformed and failed to innovate. LPM leaders attribute poor performance to politically motivated appointments and said limited public resources should instead address urgent socio-economic needs.

Why it matters

LPM demands SOE financial independence after decades of underperformance, raising accountability and resource allocation concerns across the state.

11 hours ago · The Namibian →

Yesterday

  1. LPM demands SOEs end reliance on government bailouts

    The Landless People's Movement is calling for state-owned enterprises to become financially independent and end their dependence on public funds, arguing that since 1999 most SOEs have underperformed and failed to innovate. LPM leaders attribute poor performance to politically motivated appointments and said limited public resources should instead address urgent socio-economic needs.

    11 hours ago · The Namibian →

Sunday 19 April

  1. LPM internal divisions deepen amid leadership and suspension disputes

    The Landless People's Movement faces growing internal tensions, with former councillor Joseph Isaacks accusing leader Bernadus Swartbooi of running the party dictatorially and the party suspending former mayor McDonald Hanse over alleged involvement in forming a new political party. The LPM's spokesperson denies disunity claims and says the party operates within constitutional rules, while Hanse contests his suspension and disputes the allegations against him.

    19 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 14 April

  1. MPs warn persistent agriculture ministry underfunding threatens food security

    Members of parliament have expressed concern over the continued underfunding of the agriculture ministry, with lawmakers warning that declining allocations for land distribution, drought support, and veterinary services risk compromising national food security and employment. The ministry received N$1.8 billion for the current financial year, with over N$1.4 billion allocated to operations and over N$300 million to development.

    14 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 March

  1. Karasburg rape case postponed to July 2026

    A man accused of raping a 14-year-old girl between September 2020 and March 2021 in Karasburg has had his case postponed again, this time to 14 July 2026, due to the absence of the regional court prosecutor. The accused, Sixtus Swartbooi, faces three rape charges under the Combating of Rape Act and remains out on N$5,000 bail.

    25 March 2026 · New Era →

Tuesday 17 March

  1. LPM leader criticises budget's security focus over development

    Landless People's Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi has criticised the 2026/27 national budget for prioritising security sector recruitment over infrastructure development and agricultural investment, saying the government is hiring for security jobs to meet political demands because there is insufficient money for real job creation. He argued that increasing operational budgets while declining development budgets keeps the country in a cycle of poverty and unemployment, and that rural development through agriculture should be non-negotiable.

    17 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 16 March

  1. Mariental council chair prioritises accountability and service delivery

    Hermanus Isaaks, 28-year-old chairperson of Mariental's council management committee, says his leadership focuses on accountability, service delivery and formalising informal settlements. The town is emerging as a hub for young political leadership, including William Minnie, 23, Namibia's youngest elected councillor.

    16 March 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. LPM proposes labour export to address Namibia's unemployment crisis

    Landless People's Movement leader Bernardus Swartbooi has called on the government to consider exporting labour to address Namibia's 36.9% unemployment rate, citing examples from Kenya, Uganda and Ghana that place workers in Gulf Cooperation Council states. He criticised the government's emphasis on education without corresponding job creation and argued that investment in productive sectors like agriculture and energy should be prioritised over social spending.

    16 March 2026 · New Era →

Friday 13 March

  1. LPM leader proposes labour export to tackle unemployment

    Bernadus Swartbooi, leader of the Landless People's Movement, has proposed that Namibia explore exporting qualified workers abroad to generate remittances, citing examples from Nigeria and South Africa. He argued the government overemphasises education spending relative to job creation, leaving about 130,000 skilled young Namibians without employment opportunities.

    13 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 21 February

  1. Editorial warns against excessive presidential power concentration

    The Namibian's opinion piece supports Swartbooi's concerns about presidential oversight of the petroleum bill, but cautions that concentrating all executive power in State House risks undermining democracy and institutional checks—citing Hage Geingob's academic warning against presidentialism as the concentration of political power in individual hands.

    21 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 20 February

  1. Critics warn petroleum bill and regional changes centralise power to presidency

    Political analysts and opposition figures say proposed legislative changes—transferring petroleum sector control to the presidency and restructuring regional councils to report through governors to the president—could concentrate executive authority and undermine democratic checks and balances. Defenders including a Swapo MP argue the measures are necessary to manage Namibia's emerging oil industry, but critics warn the pattern signals democratic backsliding and erosion of decentralisation.

    20 February 2026 · The Namibian →

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