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

Also known as: Ballotti · Deputy minister Dino Ballotti · deputy minister · Deputy of minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture · Deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture · Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture · the Deputy Minister · Deputy Minister Ballotti · Honourable Dino Ballotti · Steenkamp's deputy, Dino Ballotti · Deputy Minister of Sport Dino Ballotti · Education Deputy Minister Dino Ballotti · Linda Mbwale · Deputy education minister Dino Ballotti · Deputy Minister of Sport, Dino Ballotti · Deputy sport minister Dino Ballotti

Deputy minister in Namibia's youth and sports portfolio, presented the 2026/27 budget to National Assembly.

Sport

24th Nedbank Newspaper Cup launched for 2026

The News

The Deputy Minister of Education has officially launched the 24th edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, a youth football and netball tournament established in 2001 that provides opportunities for young athletes from all 14 regions to showcase their talent. The 2026 tournament will be hosted in the ǁKharas Region from 3 to 6 April in Keetmanshoop.

11 March 2026 · Informanté

Wednesday 11 March

  1. 24th Nedbank Newspaper Cup launched for 2026

    The Deputy Minister of Education has officially launched the 24th edition of the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, a youth football and netball tournament established in 2001 that provides opportunities for young athletes from all 14 regions to showcase their talent. The 2026 tournament will be hosted in the ǁKharas Region from 3 to 6 April in Keetmanshoop.

    11 March 2026 · Informanté

Tuesday 10 March

  1. 24th Nedbank Newspaper Cup launches for April in Keetmanshoop

    The Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, a national football and netball tournament that has run since 2001, was launched yesterday and will take place from 3–5 April in Keetmanshoop with all 14 regions participating. Officials including Deputy Minister of Sport Dino Ballotti and Netball Namibia President Juanita Witbeen praised the event for promoting youth sports development and discovering talent for national teams.

    10 March 2026 · New Era

  2. 24th Nedbank Newspaper Cup kicks off April 3–6 in Keetmanshoop

    The youth football and netball tournament brings together under-20 teams from all 14 regions of Namibia to develop emerging talent and foster regional sports development. Kunene defends the 2025 football title while Kavango East defends the netball crown, with group draws revealed at the official launch in Windhoek.

    10 March 2026 · The Namibian

Monday 9 March

  1. NTA warns unregistered vocational training providers will be shut down

    The Namibia Training Authority CEO warned unregistered TVET training providers that they face closure, noting that non-compliance and disregard for the country's laws persist in the sector. Currently 71 training providers are registered, with TVET enrolment at approximately 13,500 trainees at the start of the 2026 calendar year.

    9 March 2026 · New Era

  2. Opinion: Parliament must reject personal attacks, focus on nation-building

    A Namibian scholar argues that recent parliamentary debate has shifted toward personal attacks on Deputy Minister Dino Ballotti rather than substantive policy engagement, undermining democratic institutions and diverting attention from urgent socio-economic challenges like unemployment and economic strain that demand genuine legislative focus.

    9 March 2026 · New Era

Saturday 7 March

  1. Swapo youth league demands apology from Kandorozu over Ballotti remarks

    Swapo Party Youth League secretary general Ephraim Nekongo has called on National Unity Democratic Organisation parliamentarian Vetaruhe Kandorozu to apologize and withdraw comments made to education deputy minister Dino Ballotti during National Assembly proceedings, citing the need for respectful parliamentary conduct and saying personal attacks undermine the Namibian Constitution.

    7 March 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 6 March

  1. Nudo MP refuses to apologize for remarks against deputy minister

    Nudo lawmaker Vetaruhe Kandorozu has remained defiant after making tribal and racial remarks against deputy education minister Dino Ballotti in Parliament, telling him to "go back to Italy." The party's acting president Peter Kazongominja said Kandorozu will face disciplinary action, emphasizing that Nudo is founded on principles of unity and the remarks do not represent the party.

    6 March 2026 · New Era

  2. MTC rewards Brave Gladiators N$300,000 for Cosafa Championship victory

    Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) has announced N$300,000 to be shared among players and technical staff of the Brave Gladiators following their 2-1 defeat of South Africa to win the 2025 Cosafa Women's Championship. Corporate sponsors and government officials have called for professionalization of women's football and greater corporate investment in the sport.

    6 March 2026 · The Namibian

  3. MP's race comments spark parliamentary chaos and public debate call

    Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp condemned remarks by National Unity Democratic Organisation MP Vetaruhe Kandorozu, who told deputy education minister Dino Ballotti that he is from Italy and that Namibians do not look like him, calling for the matter to be addressed at the highest level. Kandorozu initially refused to apologize, saying his comments were meant as a joke, though he later withdrew them; Steenkamp said the incident dehumanised Namibians and argued that Namibia belongs to all its people.

    6 March 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 5 March

  1. NUDO parliamentarian withdraws inflammatory remarks toward deputy minister

    NUDO's Vetaruhe Kandorozu told Education Deputy Minister Dino Ballotti to "go back to Italy" and made comments about white people not being Namibian in the National Assembly on Wednesday, forcing Deputy Speaker Phillipus Katamelo to adjourn the session; Kandorozu later withdrew his remarks after being told they were "unparliamentary" and not in the interest of building the nation.

    5 March 2026 · The Namibian

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