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

Hifikepunye Pohamba

Also known as: former President Hifikepunye Pohamba · former president Pohamba · Pohamba · Namibia's second president · President Pohamba · former President Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba · Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba · President Hifikepunye Pohamba · Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba · 2nd President · Second President Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba · the statesman · then VP

Former president who declared national days of prayer during past challenges and served as adviser to liberation heroes, characterizing the 1988 Oshakati bombing as politically motivated.

Politics

State House reviews mansions granted to retired presidents

The News

President Nandi-Ndaitwah is reportedly pushing to end the practice of allocating state-funded mansions to former presidents, preferring instead to accept a portion of benefits for her own retirement home. The review of the Former Presidents' Pension and Other Benefits Act will also examine extending benefits to vice presidents, amid criticism that such perks are excessive given widespread hardship among ordinary Namibians.

27 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 27 February

  1. State House reviews mansions granted to retired presidents

    President Nandi-Ndaitwah is reportedly pushing to end the practice of allocating state-funded mansions to former presidents, preferring instead to accept a portion of benefits for her own retirement home. The review of the Former Presidents' Pension and Other Benefits Act will also examine extending benefits to vice presidents, amid criticism that such perks are excessive given widespread hardship among ordinary Namibians.

    27 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 February

  1. Survivor claims South African army orchestrated 1988 Oshakati bombing

    Ben Zaaruka, a survivor of the February 1988 Barclays Bank bombing in Oshakati that killed 27 people and injured 70, says the attack was an act of revenge by the South African army intended to terrorise Namibians. The perpetrators were never identified or convicted, though former president Hifikepunye Pohamba has characterised the attack as politically motivated.

    25 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 February

  1. Former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina laid to rest

    Liberation hero and former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina was buried at Eenhana Memorial Shrine on Saturday, with Vice President Lucia Witbooi, Cabinet ministers and senior government officials in attendance. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah praised him as a courageous cadre who served the nation with selfless dedication.

    24 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 23 February

  1. Liberation struggle veteran Erkki Nghimtina laid to rest

    Former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina, aged 78, was buried at the Eenhana memorial shrine on Saturday after passing away on 8 February. Political leaders praised him as a disciplined, loyal servant of Namibia who served in government from 1997 to 2020.

    23 February 2026 · New Era →

Saturday 21 February

  1. Editorial: State-funded presidential mansions amid poverty are indefensible

    The Namibian argues that Namibia's practice of awarding mansions worth millions to retiring presidents — including cases where former presidents received both cash payouts and homes — is indefensible when 36.9% of citizens are unemployed and thousands face hunger. The editorial calls on President Nandi-Ndaitwah to end the scheme, citing examples from Sri Lanka, Cyprus, and France where governments have moved to curtail such perks.

    21 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 20 February

  1. VP Witbooi to lead tributes at Nghimtina memorial service

    Vice President Lucia Witbooi will represent President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and deliver a tribute at the military memorial service of former minister Erkki Dineinge Nghidipohamba Nghimtina on Friday in Ohangwena Region, joined by former presidents Nangolo Mbumba and Hifikepunye Pohamba. Nghimtina, a liberation struggle veteran who served as parliamentarian and minister for close to three decades, died earlier this month aged 78, with his burial scheduled for Saturday at Eenhana Memorial Shrine.

    20 February 2026 · Informanté →

  2. 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 →

Wednesday 18 February

  1. Namibian MPs push to review former presidents' retirement benefits

    Members of parliament have called for a review of benefits provided to former presidents under the 2004 Former Presidents' Pension and Other Benefits Act, citing concerns over wealth accumulation and state-funded property renovations amid high poverty levels. Lawmakers and analysts debate whether the current law reasonably balances the need to secure former heads of state's living standards against public interests.

    18 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 10 February

  1. Former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina dies at 78

    Erkki Nghimtina, a former Cabinet minister who served in the National Assembly from 1995 to 2020 and held various ministerial portfolios including mines and energy, works and transport, and labour, died on Sunday. He played a significant role in Namibia's independence struggle and military history before transitioning to politics after retiring from active military service in 1995.

    10 February 2026 · New Era →

  2. Windhoek renames Rand Street to honour Joshua //Hoëbeb

    The City of Windhoek Council has approved renaming Khomasdal's Rand Street to Joshua //Hoëbeb Street in honour of the 90-year-old former ambassador and politician. //Hoëbeb is recognized for his roles as an anti-apartheid activist, educator, diplomat, and regional governor, including serving as Namibia's first high commissioner to South Africa and playing a key role in Walvis Bay's reintegration into Namibian sovereignty in 1994.

    10 February 2026 · New Era →

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