Also known as: official opposition leader Imms Nashinge
Opposition politician who questions executive decisions on matters including Anti-Corruption Commission tenure extensions and national youth council governance.
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April 2026
The Namibian
Imms Nashingesaidgovernment must match rhetoric with sufficient ACC funding
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“Nashinge said while corruption should be treated as treason, the government must match its rhetoric with sufficient funding to enable the ACC to operate without constraints.”
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader Imms NashingesaidUerikua was a vibrant, energetic and promising leader and powerful voice of a new generation
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“Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader in Parliament Imms Nashinge said Uerikua was a vibrant, energetic and promising leader, a powerful voice of a new generation determined to shape Namibia's future.”
IPC member of parliament Imms Nashingesays the arrangement isdeeply concerning
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“Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Imms Nashinge says the arrangement is deeply concerning since water is a public good that should remain under majority state control.”
Imms Nashingedeniedrejecting the assigned car, saying he merely questioned the temporary arrangement
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“The IPC leader denied rejecting the assigned car, saying he merely questioned the temporary arrangement officials were told to wait for the budget before procurement could start.”
Imms Nashingeserves asleader of the official opposition in parliament
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“Last year, Independent Patriots for Change president Pandulenti Itula said Imms Nashinge, who serves as leader of the official opposition in parliament, would not accept perks from the government as the position was created unconstitutionally.”
Imms Nashingesaidbenefits allowed by law may not be reasonable and the law needs revisiting
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“Independent Patriots for Change member of parliament Imms Nashinge told The Namibian yesterday that while these benefits are allowed by law, some of them may not be reasonable.”
Opposition party leader Imms NashingesupportsNamibia becoming petroleum-producing nation but stands indifferent on power transfer
Source
“Official opposition party leader Imms Nashinge supports Namibia becoming a petroleum-producing nation but stands indifferent with the administration on the matter of power transfer that "may corrupt systems".”
The Independent Patriots for Change has tabled a motion to remove National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, with opposition parties backing the bid, alleging she is ruling parliament with an "iron fist" and bias, and has repeatedly exercised powers that belong to parliament itself and failed to follow parliamentary procedures.
The Independent Patriots for Change has tabled a motion to remove National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, with opposition parties backing the bid, alleging she is ruling parliament with an "iron fist" and bias, and has repeatedly exercised powers that belong to parliament itself and failed to follow parliamentary procedures.
The Independent Patriots for Change filed a motion in the National Assembly on Wednesday seeking the removal of speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, citing her failure to uphold the rules fairly and impartially and citing two incidents this year in which parliamentary proceedings were disrupted.
Opposition leaders say Namibia should expand its national honours criteria to recognise contributions of ordinary citizens and diverse leaders beyond those from the liberation struggle, 36 years after independence.
The Swapo Party Youth League wants the Cabinet to oversee environmental clearance decisions, arguing that ministers must supervise decisions within their ministries. Critics including former Cabinet minister Helmut Angula warn that Cabinet involvement could politicise the process and that administrators should remain responsible for ECC applications.
Opposition politician Imms Nashinge has questioned the legality of outgoing Anti-Corruption Commission Director-General Paulus Noa's reported two-month tenure extension, arguing it bypassed Parliament and may constitute executive overreach. Nashinge says Parliament approved Bryan Eiseb as Noa's replacement and a one-year extension for deputy director general Erna van der Merwe in July 2026, but Noa's additional time was granted during parliamentary recess without parliamentary involvement as required by the Constitution and Anti-Corruption Act.
Civil society and MPs have called for the National Assembly to extend its sitting hours from 14h30 to 17h45 to properly debate and pass laws. Institute for Public Policy Research director Graham Hopwood said parliament currently works about 90 days a year and warned that deadlocks in passing laws will be an early warning sign for Namibia's political future.
The Independent Patriots for Change has withdrawn councillor Pieter Skeyer from the Keetmanshoop Town Council, citing alleged violations of party directives. Skeyer, who served six months, said his decisions were based on personal conviction and will now focus on his role as school principal.
Several opposition parties are refusing to approve Gerson Sindano's appointment as Electoral Commission of Namibia chairperson until parliament provides all documentation on his nomination, including interview minutes and selection committee recommendations. Opposition leaders also raised concerns that Sindano's previous role as a personal assistant to Swapo's secretary general could undermine the commission's independence.
Youth organisations and political parties have rejected parliamentarian Imms Nashinge's calls to abolish the National Youth Council chairperson position, arguing the office is necessary and was established through legislation. The debate emerges as former Nanso presidents Esther Simon and Simon Taapopi contest the NYC chairperson position in General Assembly elections at Swakopmund.
Biggs van Wyk, who sat observing Windhoek's central business district for over two decades, has died at age 83. Politicians and residents paid tribute to the figure, whom many described as a guardian angel or watchman who had become part of the city's identity.
The Namibian government is in constant contact with South African authorities following reports of xenophobic attacks, and a Namibian-operated passenger bus was hijacked in Johannesburg last Tuesday. All 14 passengers from the Mbishi Transport bus have safely returned to Namibia, and the government described the incident as a case of being "in the wrong place at the wrong time," while expressing hope that South Africa will resolve the situation swiftly.
The government awarded a three-month fuel supply arrangement worth an estimated N$7.2 billion to international energy trader Vitol, intensifying scrutiny of governance at state-owned oil company Namcor, which lacks a substantive managing director. Critics claim Namcor submitted a cheaper proposal, raising questions about confidence in the company's operational capacity, though Namcor's board chairperson denied operating in a leadership vacuum.
Martha Imalwa, the acting prosecutor general, says she is looking forward to leaving office at the end of the year. The Judicial Service Commission has restarted recruitment for a substantive prosecutor general after none of the eight shortlisted candidates met the required standard in a written assessment.
Josef Andreas, a politically connected businessman, is selling 264 plots valued at N$200 million through his company Tulaing Group, including 150 residential plots near Grootfontein. The sale has drawn scrutiny from parliament over whether the original land allocation conditions were fulfilled.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services acknowledged systemic failures at the Windhoek Central Mental Health Centre, citing inadequate infrastructure and human resource deficits that contributed to poor supervision. The admission followed a patient escaping and a fatal police shooting incident.
The Public Service Commission retained 16 officials over the age of 60 due to their specialised skills, citing legal provisions for critical expertise gaps, but the decision has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition over potential political patronage and youth unemployment.
Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi ordered an investigation into alleged tribal bias in recruitment at the Roads Authority, finding it employs about 74 people from the Zambezi region compared to more than 300 from northern Namibia. The probe has revived broader allegations of tribalism in hiring practices across Namibian state-owned enterprises and government offices.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah answered questions from opposition MPs on the Welwitschia Sovereign Wealth Fund, land delivery, Germany's genocide reparations deal, the veterinary cordon fence, and various economic and governance matters during parliament on Wednesday.
IPC president Panduleni Itula has accused the government of backtracking on its "fees must fall" promise, saying the revised approach only covers tuition and registration for eligible undergraduate students and excludes many families through reduced income thresholds and the replacement of grants with loans. Itula also raised concerns about continued suspension of postgraduate funding and infrastructure challenges at tertiary institutions.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah clarified that the government's promise to create 500,000 jobs by 2030 will be achieved through economic growth and private sector expansion rather than direct government hiring, but opposition leaders and labour experts criticized the pace of progress, with expert Herbert Jauch noting that only around 5,000 jobs have been created and that 100,000 jobs annually are needed to meet the target.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah responded to opposition concerns about the ACC's N$109-million budget allocation by arguing that financial resources alone cannot combat corruption without a shift in mindset and individual accountability.
James Unomasa Uerikua, a Swapo member of Parliament and former governor of Otjozondjupa region, died on Friday in a car accident between Otjiwarongo and Okakarara; his 14-year-old son also died from injuries sustained in the crash. Political leaders across parties paid tribute to him as a promising young leader and voice for the voiceless.
An opinion piece criticizes Windhoek's city administration for 35 years of poor road maintenance, excessive executive salaries (N$4.4–5 million annually), lack of industrial strategy, and failure to develop infrastructure despite being Namibia's capital and face to the world. The author calls for the president and national Cabinet to intervene and demands the city leadership develop concrete plans for urban growth, industrial zones, conference facilities, and informal settlement upgrading.
Opposition MPs and activists have criticised the government's 2026/27 budget allocation, accusing it of breaking campaign promises by increasing social grants by only N$100 rather than the promised larger amounts. They argue the government has adequate resources to fund higher increases to pensioner and vulnerable children's grants to better protect citizens from inflation.
Opposition MPs and analysts have criticized the government's agreement to give China General Nuclear Power Group a 70% controlling stake in a N$3-billion coastal desalination plant while the state retains only 30%, raising concerns about water sovereignty and affordability for poor Namibians. NamWater and Swakop Uranium defended the joint venture structure as necessary to finance critical infrastructure while maintaining public sector participation.
NUDO parliamentarian Vetaruhe Kandorozu and deputy education minister Dino Ballotti have reconciled after Kandorozu made unparliamentary remarks telling Ballotti to "go back to Italy" during a National Assembly debate. The two lawmakers announced their peace on social media, with Kandorozu describing the incident as teasing and both committing to move forward.
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.
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.