… Informanté also discovered that, in order to avoid detection, fuel smugglers in urban centres such as Eenhana, Oshakati, Outapi, Ongwediva and Ondangwa only attend to their old, trusted customers or those referred by them. …
… Photo: Contributed POLITICAL differences must never be allowed to stand in the way of service delivery, said Ohangwena Regional Governor Kadiva Hamutumwa while addressing councillors and officials at Eenhana on Wednesday morning. …
… Addressing newly elected councillors at Eenhana on Tuesday, Land Reform Deputy Director Paulus Amaambo said that a total of 22 illegal fences have been identified in the Ohangwena Region and are expected to be removed shortly. …
Staff Reporter A SERIES of housebreaking and theft incidents were reported in different parts of the country over the festive period, with criminals targeting homes in Aranos, Katutura and Eenhana. …
Penomwaameni Natangwe (23) is using her experience with mental illness to lead national initiatives, promote mental health awareness, and establish a youth-focused recovery clinic at Eenhana. …
Residents of Ohandjombali village in Ohangwena region have lacked access to running water since June, forcing them to buy expensive water supplies from Eenhana 20km away or rely on wells that dry up. A 20-litre container costs N$2–N$3, and households pay N$5 weekly for a truck delivery costing N$300 total, leaving families unable to afford adequate water for bathing, laundry, and meals.
Residents of Ohandjombali village in Ohangwena region have lacked access to running water since June, forcing them to buy expensive water supplies from Eenhana 20km away or rely on wells that dry up. A 20-litre container costs N$2–N$3, and households pay N$5 weekly for a truck delivery costing N$300 total, leaving families unable to afford adequate water for bathing, laundry, and meals.
Paratus Namibia will open a new shop at Yetu Mall in Oshakati to provide customers with connectivity services, product information, SIMs, and devices. The expansion is part of the company's growth across northern Namibia, complementing existing outlets in Ondangwa, Eenhana, and Outapi.
The Outapi Abattoir is about 90% complete but will not become operational until the Ongwediva meat processing facility is fully operational and at full capacity, Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani said during a visit to Omusati Region. The abattoir forms part of an integrated meat value chain that includes quarantine facilities and abattoirs intended to supply the Ongwediva facility.
Onandjokwe Intermediate Hospital has been equipped with specialised medical equipment worth approximately N$4 million, including a C-Arm imaging machine and orthopaedic tools, to strengthen its capacity to handle trauma and orthopaedic cases locally. The regional health director urged the facility to treat eligible trauma patients on-site rather than transferring them to other providers.
The National Assembly's public accounts committee has called on Eenhana Town Council to account for and repay millions in interest wrongly charged to residents. Auditor general findings showed the council recorded more than N$3.32 million in interest against an expected N$493 995, a difference of about N$2.8 million, which the council says it will credit to affected residents' accounts.
Police are investigating three apparent suicides by hanging reported on Friday in Eenhana, Rehoboth, and Okahandja, with no foul play suspected. The victims included a 54-year-old woman in Eenhana, a 32-year-old man in Rehoboth, and a 48-year-old man in Okahandja; two suicide notes were recovered.
Ohangwena recorded about 1,750 school dropouts in 2025, with boys accounting for the majority, prompting the First Gentleman to call for coordinated community action. The region recorded the highest number of school dropouts among all regions visited during the First Gentleman's national consultations on the boy-child.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ruthy Masake has called on young people in Ohangwena to embrace climate-smart farming, agribusiness and innovation, urging them to become active producers and leaders rather than programme beneficiaries. She stressed the integration of climate action, water security and sustainable agriculture to strengthen food security and rural development in response to climate impacts including changing rainfall patterns and prolonged dry spells.
The Ohangwena Region has unveiled a strategic investment map and action plan to attract investment and position local entrepreneurs and businesses as drivers of regional development. The roadmap identifies priority opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, creative economy, health, tourism and hospitality, supported by enabling sectors including water, energy, logistics and housing.
Ohangwena Regional Governor Kadiva Hamutumwa announced an invitation for entrepreneurs, investors and businesses to submit project proposals aligned with the Ohangwena Regional Investment Map and Action Plan 2025–2030, which identifies opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, creative economy, health, tourism, hospitality, water, energy, logistics and housing. The expression of interest process will run from 11 August to 23 September.
Prime Minister Dr Elijah Ngurare has called for greater investment in youth-led businesses, saying entrepreneurship and support for small enterprises are critical to expanding economic opportunities for young Namibians. He urged financial institutions and established businesses to invest in youth-led enterprises through financing and mentorship.
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare urged government, the private sector, and communities to prioritise investment in young people as drivers of Namibia's economic future at the opening of the 16th Eenhana Expo, which is being held from 27 July to 1 August with about 100 local and international exhibitors.
The Hifikepunye Pohamba Community Resource Centre at Okanghudi village in the Ondobe constituency has been nominated to become a national heritage site. The proposed declaration covers three heritage features: a historic tree, a statue of former president Hifikepunye Pohamba, and the resource centre itself, which preserves presidential records from 2005 to 2015 and serves as a community research and information hub.
A 31-year-old doctor at Onandjokwe Hospital was arrested over the weekend on allegations of raping a 26-year-old man at his room. The arrest comes three years after the Windhoek High Court acquitted the doctor of a separate rape charge involving an 18-year-old patient at Katutura Intermediate Hospital.
Police in Ohangwena recorded 6,414 criminal cases in 2025, with assault, housebreaking, domestic violence, rape and stock theft being the most prevalent offences. The region's police holding cells are also significantly overcrowded, with facilities like Oshikango Police Station holding 187 inmates in spaces designed for 70.
Pupil enrolment in Ohangwena region increased by 5,800 students from 2025 to 2026, a 4.45% rise matched by growth in the teaching workforce from 4,661 to 4,906 teachers. The governor reported expanding secondary education offerings and improved exam performance, with the region ranking fourth nationally in NSSCAS examinations with 70.76% of pupils achieving quality symbols.
Ohangwena Governor Kadiva Hamutumwa reported that 61 beneficiaries who completed the National Youth Credit Scheme's business training have not received the N$8,000 startup capital each was promised upon completion. The scheme aims to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment among young people.
The One Economy Foundation has introduced the i-BreakFree SRH Web Application, a digital platform funded by the Global Fund through the Ministry of Health and Social Services, enabling young people in Namibia to access sexual and reproductive health information, self-screening tools for HIV and STI risk assessment, and confidential support services online.
Governors of Ohangwena and Kunene regions have raised alarm about ongoing medicine shortages at public health facilities, with hospitals in Opuwo, Khorixas and elsewhere running low on medication for about three months. The shortages particularly affect chronic illness treatments including diabetes, hypertension, ARVs and tuberculosis medication, forcing patients to queue for long periods only to find prescribed drugs unavailable.
The Oukwanyama Traditional Authority has scrapped the hereditary practice of passing village headman positions through family lines, instead allowing community members to elect their own village leaders by ballot. The change preserves the monarch's position as the prerogative of the royal clan.
Mobile Telecommunications Limited is opening its first retail store in Okongo, Ohangwena Region, bringing its countrywide total to 40 stores. The new Mobile Home will offer SIM card replacements, contract applications, account payments, and other services to residents who currently travel nearly 100 kilometres to Eenhana.
Eenhana Town Council's N$119-million office building project, begun in 2018, has stalled due to delayed funding; N$9 million is urgently needed to complete the finance wing so staff and customers can use it. The council has operated from an eight-office building since 1999 despite Eenhana's population growing from 2,600 to 16,000.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah argues that the Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration is creating divisions rather than promoting unity and collective healing as intended. He says the government's approach, selection of speakers, and messages delivered are contributing more to division than unity, and warns that regional activities and speeches reflected limited knowledge of the genocide.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi called on young Namibians to learn, protect and retell the country's history during Namibia's second Genocide Remembrance Day in Eenhana, emphasizing that the 1904–1908 genocide against the Ovaherero and Nama people should serve as an educational platform. Witbooi urged continued academic research and documentation of the genocide through books, archives, museums and scholarly work, warning that history risks being forgotten without proper preservation.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah did not attend the official Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration held in Eenhana on Thursday, despite having been in the region the previous day for an agricultural festival. She released a statement reaffirming the government's commitment to continuing engagement with Germany on genocide, apology and reparations.
Vice-President Lucia Witbooi called on Namibians to reject tribalism and remain united as the country commemorated Genocide Remembrance Day in Eenhana.
A Namibian Sun editorial criticises comments questioning the hosting of Genocide Remembrance Day commemorations in places like Eenhana, arguing that remembrance should be unifying rather than divisive.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi urged Namibians to remain united in preserving the country's history, promoting justice and reconciliation during Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration in Eenhana. She described the 1904–1908 genocide against the Ovaherero and Nama people as defining moments that exposed colonial brutality while highlighting the courage and resistance that laid the foundation for Namibia's independence.
The National Housing Enterprise plans to construct 905 houses across Namibia during the 2025/2026 financial year as part of efforts to reduce the country's housing backlog. Since its establishment in 1993, NHE has constructed more than 21 545 housing units nationwide.
Thirty-six years after independence, Namibia has strong democratic institutions and laws but governance remains ineffective at local level, with power struggles in local authorities reflecting deeper failures in decentralisation and alignment of roles, according to the Windhoek Observer.