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

I-Ben Nashandi

Also known as: Iikokola village headman · Nashandi · Executive Director of the National Planning Commission · Headman Nashandi · Patrick Nashandi · I-Ben Natangwe Nashandi

National Planning Commission Executive Director who was shot and seriously wounded during a January 2026 land dispute meeting in Oshikoto Region.

Mining & Energy

Hyphen secures EUR 600,000 for Namibian green hydrogen supplier development

The News

Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, partnering with Enertrag and GIZ, will sign a cooperation agreement under the International Hydrogen Ramp-up Programme to strengthen Namibian supplier capacity in the green hydrogen sector. The initiative, funded by EUR 300,000 from H2UPPP and EUR 300,000 from Hyphen, will implement an Enterprise and Supplier Development Programme to build capability and competitiveness of Namibian enterprises.

20 April 2026 · Informanté →

Monday 20 April

  1. Hyphen secures EUR 600,000 for Namibian green hydrogen supplier development

    Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, partnering with Enertrag and GIZ, will sign a cooperation agreement under the International Hydrogen Ramp-up Programme to strengthen Namibian supplier capacity in the green hydrogen sector. The initiative, funded by EUR 300,000 from H2UPPP and EUR 300,000 from Hyphen, will implement an Enterprise and Supplier Development Programme to build capability and competitiveness of Namibian enterprises.

    20 April 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 16 April

  1. Driving instructor offers free lessons to unemployed coastal youth

    Adolf Kaure Hilaria Erastus, owner of Hilaria's Driving Academy, has partnered with Serenity and Nashville Investments to provide free driving training to young people along the Namibian coast, particularly in Walvis Bay, helping them gain practical skills and confidence to pass learners' tests and improve employment prospects.

    16 April 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 19 February

  1. Ohangwena begins removal of illegally erected fences

    The Ohangwena Communal Land Board has begun dismantling illegally erected fences in the region, deploying 40 National Youth Service trainees to remove approximately 20 illegal fences identified in Okongo Constituency. The operation, which started on 17 February and is expected to last until Sunday, aims to restore communal grazing land and is part of a broader government effort to address a persistent problem across Namibia's Northern regions.

    19 February 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 11 February

  1. Attacks on judicial officers escalate from 2007 firebombing

    A 2007 petrol-bombing of a magistrate's house in Oshakati was the first in a pattern of intimidation and violence against judicial officers in Namibia. Recent incidents include the death of state prosecutor Justine Shiweda following an October attack, shootings of village headmen over land disputes, and threats against a Grootfontein prosecutor.

    11 February 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 21 January

  1. Land Reform Ministry condemns illegal fencing and land violence

    Namibia's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has condemned rising cases of land grabbing, illegal fencing, and uncoordinated land allocation in communal areas, including a January 2 shooting in Oshikoto Region that killed a village headman. The ministry urged adherence to communal land laws and said it is introducing punitive measures in a Land Bill before Parliament to address these violations.

    21 January 2026 · Informanté →

  2. Traditional leaders serve rural areas from Windhoek despite legal residency rules

    Several Namibian traditional leaders, including chiefs and headmen, are governing their rural communities while residing in Windhoek, contrary to the Traditional Authorities Act No. 25 of 2000, which requires them to live within their communal areas. They justify this practice by citing the effectiveness of deputies and local committees, though legal scholars note such violations may warrant removal from office.

    21 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 20 January

  1. National Planning Commission director discharged after shooting injury

    I-Ben Nashandi, executive director of the National Planning Commission, has been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home after being shot on 2 January during a land dispute meeting in Oshikoto. His assistant, Sam Pendapala Nepando, was killed in the same incident; the accused remains in custody pending trial on 18 June.

    20 January 2026 · New Era →

Monday 12 January

  1. Assistant headman killed in land dispute shooting laid to rest

    Sem Pendapala Nepando, assistant headman of Iikokola village in Oshikoto region, was shot and killed on 2 January 2026 during a community meeting over a land dispute. Thousands of mourners attended his funeral at Onamutene cemetery on Saturday, with local leaders praising his commitment to peace and service; the accused remains in custody pending trial.

    12 January 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 11 January

  1. Oshikoto village headman buried after fatal shooting

    Sam Pendapala Nepando, headman of Onelago village, was shot and killed on 2 January while attempting to resolve a land dispute with another village headman. He was laid to rest on Saturday, survived by his wife and five children, while the other headman remains hospitalized in stable condition.

    11 January 2026 · Informanté →

  2. Land disputes rooted in tribal authority mismanagement

    An opinion piece argues that the shooting deaths and injuries of two village headmen over a land fencing dispute in Oshikoto reflect broader problems with communal land management under tribal authorities, where elites and the wealthy illegally appropriate land while the poor are excluded, and calls for a unified national land management system to replace the current fragmented approach.

    11 January 2026 · The Namibian →

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