Namibia Minute.
Thursday, 23 July 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Thursday, 23 July 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Namibian press · Person

Irma van Rooyen

Also known as: Quinton van Rooyen · B van Rooyen · Quinton Z van Rooyen · QZ van Rooyen · Dr Quinton van Rooyen · Q van Rooyen · Nadia Elizabeth Van Rooyen

Veteran Namibian open-water swimmer who completed a double Robben Island crossing in 2026.

2022-11-092026-07-23

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. March 2026
  2. The Namibian

    Irma van Rooyen completed a double Robben Island crossing in under six hours

    Source

    Veteran Namibian swimmer Irma van Rooyen this week completed a double Robben Island crossing in Cape Town in under six hours, braving cold water and strong currents.

    Van Rooyen completes double Robben Island swim
  3. The Namibian

    Irma van Rooyen completed a single Robben Island crossing in 2024

    Source

    Van Rooyen previously completed a single Robben Island crossing in 2024 and the UltraSwim 33.3km event in Croatia in 2025.

    Van Rooyen completes double Robben Island swim
  4. February 2026
  5. Informanté

    Quinton Z van Rooyen is Deputy Group CEO of Trustco

    Source

    PICTURED: Deputy Group CEO of Trustco, Quinton Z van Rooyen

    Ecobank Backs Meya Mining with USD 25 Million Facility
Business

Namdeb seeks taxation of legal costs in rental dispute

The News

Namdeb Diamond Corporation is pursuing the taxation stage of a legal dispute with former tenant Nadia Elizabeth Van Rooyen over a residential property in Oranjemund, with the High Court set to determine legal costs on 13 July. Namdeb initiated proceedings in 2023 seeking cancellation of the lease, payment of N$83,844.48 in outstanding rental, interest, eviction, and legal costs.

13 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer

Monday 13 July

  1. Namdeb seeks taxation of legal costs in rental dispute

    Namdeb Diamond Corporation is pursuing the taxation stage of a legal dispute with former tenant Nadia Elizabeth Van Rooyen over a residential property in Oranjemund, with the High Court set to determine legal costs on 13 July. Namdeb initiated proceedings in 2023 seeking cancellation of the lease, payment of N$83,844.48 in outstanding rental, interest, eviction, and legal costs.

    13 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer

Wednesday 17 June

  1. Trustco faces shareholder demand for new board appointment

    Trustco Group Holdings has received a formal demand from major shareholder Riskowitz Capital Management LLC to convene a shareholders' meeting to appoint a new board. This follows a contentious February shareholder meeting where a majority voted to remove the current board, but the outcome was invalidated by board chairman Raymond Heathcote on procedural grounds.

    17 June 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 10 June

  1. Third national enduro championship leg tests riders in Omaruru

    The third leg of the national enduro championship took place in Omaruru on soft, sandy terrain with savannah and grasslands, featuring an 85km track with about 1,000 turns and an optional obstacle course with a 20-minute penalty for avoidance. Several riders fell in the river section, though no serious incidents were reported.

    10 June 2026 · The Namibian

Monday 8 June

  1. Omaruru hosts National Enduro Championship Round 3

    Omaruru hosted Round 3 of the Namibian Enduro Championship with competitors completing courses across multiple classes. QZ van Rooyen won Class 2 Pro Open in 3 hours, 18 minutes and 43 seconds, while Jorn Greiter claimed Class 5 Senior Pro gold and Duard Wiese took Class 7 Intermediate Gold.

    8 June 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 19 March

  1. Namibian swimmer van Rooyen completes double Robben Island crossing

    Veteran Namibian swimmer Irma van Rooyen completed a double Robben Island crossing in Cape Town in under six hours without a wetsuit, braving cold water of approximately 13°C and strong currents. The achievement forms the first leg of the Cape Triple Crown of open water swimming.

    19 March 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 11 March

  1. Record 64 entries for first leg National Enduro Championships

    The 2026 National Enduro Championships' first leg attracted 64 entries—the highest in three years—with riders competing across eight classes over varied terrain. Winner Quinton van Rooyen and organiser Ruan de Lange noted the sport is gaining momentum, with the second leg scheduled for Etumba on 11 April.

    11 March 2026 · The Namibian

Monday 9 March

  1. Namibia has too few employers to support job seekers, CEO warns

    Trustco CEO Quinton van Rooyen warned that Namibia faces a job-creation crisis, with only about 15,228 employers supporting a population of three million, meaning each employer must create opportunities for nearly 200 people. He described the shortage as a structural economic challenge requiring more investment and business creation.

    9 March 2026 · Informanté

Saturday 7 March

  1. Bank of Namibia withdraws winding-up case against Trustco Bank

    The Bank of Namibia has withdrawn its High Court application to wind up Trustco Bank Namibia, a former Trustco Group subsidiary. Trustco confirms the bank remains solvent and states that all depositors have been fully repaid with no losses.

    7 March 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 4 March

  1. KTM Namibia renews partnership with four-time enduro champion van Rooyen

    KTM Namibia has renewed its sponsorship of Namibian Enduro champion Quinton Z van Rooyen for the 2026 racing season following his dominant 2025 campaign in which he won every round of the national championship. Van Rooyen will continue competing on the KTM 300 EXC Six Days and aims to defend his title and compete in regional races including the Roof of Africa and selected European events.

    4 March 2026 · Informanté

  2. National enduro championships kick off at Yellowstone Trials

    The first leg of Namibia's national enduro motorcycle championships begins this weekend at Yellowstone Trials west of Windhoek. Enduro demands stamina, mental and physical fitness, and bike maintenance skills rather than pure speed, with riders across multiple classes competing on a technical course featuring rocks, steep terrain, and river beds.

    4 March 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 24 February

  1. Trustco board removal vote ruled invalid over notice period

    Trustco shareholders voted by 43.75% to remove the current board, but chairman Raymond Heathcote invalidated the meeting on the grounds that it lacked the required 21-day notice period under the Companies Act. The Riskowitz Value Fund, which proposed five replacement directors, says it will take the matter to court.

    24 February 2026 · The Namibian

Saturday 21 February

  1. Trustco unwinds share deal after RVF takeover bid fails

    Trustco Group Holdings is returning 400 million shares to treasury or suspension following a failed takeover bid by its largest minority shareholder, Riskowitz Value Fund, which held 23% of shares and attempted to fire the board. The reversal of the Legal Shield Holdings transaction, originally approved in December 2024, restores capital structure and reduces total shares in issue to approximately 992.2 million.

    21 February 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 20 February

  1. Trustco ends ADR programme, plans direct US stock listing

    Trustco Group Holdings is winding down its American Depositary Receipt programme with Bank of New York Mellon, effective March 23, 2026, as the company pursues a direct listing on a US stock exchange. The Namibian holding company launched its ADR programme in 2014 and traded on OTCQX since 2019, but says growing international investor interest in Namibia and shifts in its own shareholder base support the move to a primary US listing.

    20 February 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 19 February

  1. Trustco unwinds NAD 468 million LSH deal after RVF takeover bid fails

    Trustco Group Holdings has confirmed the full unwinding of its Legal Shield Holdings transaction following a failed hostile takeover attempt by Riskowitz Value Fund LP, which had received 400 million shares under an agreement that expressly prohibited a change of control but then used those shares to attempt exactly that. Approximately 400 million shares are being returned to treasury, restoring Trustco's shareholder structure and reducing RVF's voting rights to approximately 22%, with Trustco reserving all rights to pursue damages and restitutionary remedies.

    19 February 2026 · Informanté

Tuesday 17 February

  1. Trustco rejects hostile takeover bid by foreign fund on procedural grounds

    Trustco Group Holdings rejected a hostile takeover bid by Riskowitz Value Fund LP at a shareholders' general meeting. The Chairman ruled the meeting illegally convened under Namibian law, a condonation vote to cure the defect failed to achieve the required majority, and even on the substance of the proposal, the fund could not secure board reconstitution support.

    17 February 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 12 February

  1. Meya Mining secures N$400m funding for Sierra Leone diamond production

    Trustco Group Holdings' subsidiary Meya Mining Limited has secured a N$400-million financing facility from Ecobank to support the move towards full commercial diamond production under a 25-year licence in Sierra Leone's Kono District. The funding will support equipment, mining vehicles, and infrastructure, with expectations to create over 400 direct jobs, mostly filled locally.

    12 February 2026 · The Namibian

  2. Ecobank provides USD 25 million financing to Meya Mining

    Ecobank Sierra Leone has approved a USD 25 million financing facility for Meya Mining Limited, a diamond mining company operating under a 25-year exclusive license in Sierra Leone's Kono District, in which Trustco Group Holdings holds a minority interest. The funding will support advanced processing equipment, mining vehicles, and infrastructure as Meya advances toward full commercial production, with expectations to create over 400 direct jobs and stimulate local supply chains.

    12 February 2026 · Informanté

Wednesday 28 January

  1. Trustco minority shareholder calls February vote to remove board

    Riskowitz Value Fund, a 23% shareholder in Trustco Group Holdings, has called a general meeting for 16 February to elect five new directors and remove founder Quinton van Rooyen and the current board after they refused to convene the meeting. The board claims the requisition is invalid and accuses the proposed directors of value destruction, but Section 189 of the Namibian Companies Act allows members holding at least 5% of voting shares to require such a meeting.

    28 January 2026 · The Namibian

Irma van Rooyen — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute