… On 18 March, The Namibian highlighted issues at Gibeon, where pupils reportedly insult teachers, skip classes, and show growing disrespect, with social and family instability cited as contributing factors. …
… Other indebted town and village councils are those of Maltahöhe (N$36.6 million), Gibeon (N$25.8 million), Bethanie (N$22.1 million), Keetmanshoop ( N$28.5 million), and Lüderitz (N$18.2 million). …
Staff Reporter VICE President Lucia Witbooi has called on Namibians to preserve unity, uphold the values of the liberation struggle, and recommit to building an inclusive and prosperous nation, as she addressed the Cassinga Day commemoration and candlelight vigil held in Gibeon. …
Residents suffer Gibeon’s sewerage mess “You can’t open your front door because of the mess outside.” Katrina Holstead says she has had to endure a terrible stench and an eyesore in her yard for the past few years. …
Bondelswarts Traditional Authority offices at Gibeon and Warmbad have been closed for over two years, delaying communal land services and affecting residents’ livelihoods. …
In the quiet village of Gibeon, some 100km south of Hardap’s regional capital, Mariental, survival for most elderly residents rests squarely on the monthly old-age pension grant. …
Dalene Kooper KEETMANSHOOP – Gibeon residents in Hardap region are grappling with increasing numbers of high unemployment and lack of economic opportunities, forcing them to solely rely on social grants. …
… Young Uushona was posted to Gibeon, south west of Mariental in the southern part of the country, to start his elementary education at the AMEPS Private School in the late 80s. …
Iuze Mukube There were no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence linking Adam Isaack to the murder of Eldin Fransman seven years ago at Gibeon in Mariental, according to Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen. …
… Key historical sites where memorial monuments could be established include Ohamakari, Gibeon, Vaalgras, Ouparakane, Seeis, Swaartfontein, Kanus, Gochas and so on. …
An opinion piece expresses concern about rising misconduct in Namibian schools, citing recent incidents including substance abuse, violence, and disrespect toward teachers, and argues that current disciplinary measures are inadequate and teacher authority has been weakened.
An opinion piece expresses concern about rising misconduct in Namibian schools, citing recent incidents including substance abuse, violence, and disrespect toward teachers, and argues that current disciplinary measures are inadequate and teacher authority has been weakened.
Namibia Power Corporation has asked the Electricity Control Board to intervene in efforts to recover N$1 billion owed by local state entities and Angola's power utility for electricity. NamPower says 14 local authorities have breached repayment arrangements totalling about N$635.3 million, and prolonged non-payment could undermine the security of the country's electricity supply.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi addressed a Cassinga Day commemoration and candlelight vigil in Gibeon, calling on Namibians to preserve unity and uphold values of the liberation struggle. She paid tribute to victims of the 1978 Cassinga Massacre, emphasizing the need to address socio-economic challenges and prevent division.
Residents of Gibeon in the Hardap region say they continue to suffer from the village's inadequate sewerage infrastructure. The sewerage system overflowed about a month ago, with faeces spilling into residents' yards and streets, making the area inaccessible and forcing residents to find alternative routes, while children walk through faeces to get to school.
Bondelswarts Traditional Authority offices at Gibeon and Warmbad have been closed for over two years and more than eight years respectively, delaying communal land services and affecting residents' ability to obtain land rights certification. The closures stem from a chieftainship succession dispute and ongoing High Court case challenging the October 2025 inauguration of chief Denzyl Christians.
In Gibeon, a remote village 100km south of Mariental, elderly residents like Welhimina Boois depend entirely on the government old-age pension grant (currently N$1 700 per month) to survive, often supporting extended family members as well. Over 250 000 elderly Namibians rely on this social grant as their primary income source, though many face severe hardship including food insecurity and inadequate housing.
Gibeon residents in Hardap region face high unemployment and lack of economic opportunities, with youth depending on social grants. The local village council plans to address this through brickmaking machinery, infrastructure upgrades, and skills exchange programmes to transition youth from grant dependency to economic emancipation.
Uushona Hiskia, a former Tigers fullback and member of the club's golden generation, left professional football while still in his prime to pursue a career in media, working 13 years at Namibia Press Agency and 21 years at NBC before retiring to livestock farming. He expressed concern about Tigers' current relegation struggles, lamenting the decline of the historic club.
Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen acquitted Adam Isaack of murdering Eldin Fransman in 2019, finding the State's case rife with contradictions and unreliable witness testimony, with no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence linking him to the fatal stabbing. The judge noted that another State witness, Beneg Jossop, who owned the knife used in the killing, had provided inconsistent accounts of his location during the incident.
The article argues that Namibia, 36 years after independence, lacks a comprehensive genocide memorialisation regime and sets out foundational pillars including a Remembrance Day (inaugurated on 28 May in 2025), curriculum integration, monuments, museums, a legal framework, and a dedicated Genocide Memorial Authority to honour victims and advance reparatory justice.
Namibia celebrated its 36th Independence Day while marking Vice President Lucia Witbooi's 64th birthday, with tributes recognising her leadership, service to nation-building, and advocacy for women's empowerment and social inclusion.
Six pupils from Captain Reverend Dr Hendrik Witbooi Primary School in Gibeon broke windows at Dr WM Jod Junior Primary School. The school principal resolved the matter with the pupils and parents, who will cover damages, while the Hardap education director plans to address discipline issues during an upcoming visit.
Pupils at Captain Reverend Dr Hendrik Witbooi Primary School in Hardap are increasingly disruptive, insulting teachers and skipping classes. School officials and regional education authorities attribute the behaviour to broken homes and lack of parental involvement, urging parents to reinforce moral values and collaborate with the school.
The Johanna Jacobs Vocational Training Centre at Gibeon is proposing a biodiversity and restoration programme to remove invasive prosopis (makarakasha) trees that consume large quantities of water and damage infrastructure. The centre plans to harvest timber for productive use and introduce fish farming and superfruit orchards to transform the area into an agricultural hub.
Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has warned councillors to uphold proper governance standards and settle outstanding local authority bills, or face personal liability and account disconnections. He called on them to prioritize service delivery over party politics and work collectively for the benefit of residents.
Filmmaker Alexander Honisch has completed an 82-minute documentary on Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi after nearly a decade of research, which will be screened on 14 March 2026 at Namibia University of Science and Technology. The film, titled 'God from Heaven Has Now Broken the Treaty', examines Witbooi's spiritual conviction, political foresight and armed resistance to German colonial expansion, and has been selected for 12 international film festivals and won three awards.
A Mariental resident, Adam Isaack (29), is on trial in the Windhoek High Court for the June 2019 stabbing death of Eldin Sylwester Fransman. The state advocate urged the court to find Isaack guilty of murder and attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances, arguing that evidence including eyewitness testimony, the accused's own admission to police, and his presence at the scene prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Adam Isaack (29) pleaded not guilty to murdering Eldin Sylwester Fransman near Gibeon in June 2019, claiming another man, Beneg Jossop, was the actual stabber and has maliciously influenced witnesses to testify against him. Jossop, testifying for the State, countered that Isaack demanded his knife to rob the group of alcohol, resulting in the fatal stabbing.
Namibian artists Jyz Yorke, Yung Kavin, and Kidd Mario released love songs around Valentine's Day, with several featuring local languages like Khoekhoegowab and Nyemba to celebrate Namibian culture and promote local music globally.
The Capricorn Foundation has committed N$1.6 million to three education initiatives: Amos Meerkat Syllabus (N$600,000), EduVision Online Learning (N$609,744), and Karstveld Academy (N$423,330). The projects support early childhood development, online lessons in secondary schools, and student bursaries, with a focus on closing education gaps between rural and urban areas.
The Capricorn Foundation has committed N$1.6 million across three education initiatives to provide learning materials and improve infrastructure for early childhood development centres. The funds support the Amos Meerkat Syllabus, EduVision Online Learning for remote schools in the Hardap region, and Karstveld Academy bursaries for Grade 12 pupils.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has signed a Service Level Agreement with Sored to electrify 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and //Kharas regions, with an initial N$12 million allocation that the ministry intends to increase to at least N$20 million. The project will benefit communities in towns including Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, Hoachanas, Gibeon, Aroab, Bethanie, Berseba, Aus, Grünau and Warmbad.
The government has allocated N$12 million to provide electricity to 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and //Kharas regions, with plans to scale up the programme as part of efforts to improve service delivery in communities where infrastructure development has lagged population growth.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has allocated N$12 million to electrify 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and ǁKharas regions in towns including Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, and others, with work already underway in some areas and contractors appointed for others. The ministry aims to use grid extensions where feasible and solar systems where more practical or cost-effective, with plans to increase the electrification allocation to at least N$20 million.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy launched a service level agreement with the Southern Regional Electricity Distributor (Sored) to electrify 969 peri-urban households across Hardap and ǁKharas regions with an initial allocation of N$12 million, with plans to increase funding to at least N$20 million. The programme will benefit communities in Rehoboth, Mariental, Aranos, Hoachanas, Gibeon, Aroab, Bethanie, Berseba, Aus, Grünau and Warmbad, with implementation already underway in some areas.
The Gondwana Care Trust distributed 3,748 back-to-school bags, refurbished computers and tablets, adopted three schools for online learning support, and provided medical outreach and food aid to communities across Namibia in 2025. The trust also funded leadership camps, improved conditions at boarding hostels, and collaborated with international partners on various welfare initiatives.
Police reported multiple criminal incidents over the weekend, including armed robbery in Gobabis, housebreaking and theft in six locations, drug-related arrests in three towns, and a fraud case in which a pensioner lost over N$170,000. Two lightning-related incidents in Nkurenkuru also resulted in one death and one injury.