Namibia Minute.
Friday, 26 June 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 26 June 2026
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Namibian press · Person

Kalimbo Iipumbu

Kalimbo Iipumbu — NEFF deputy president and parliamentarian, vocal on petroleum governance and fiscal accountability.

2023-06-212026-06-26

What’s been said

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

  1. June 2026
  2. Informanté

    NEFF MP Kalimbo Iipumbu alleged RCC partnership with Nantong Sanjian gave N$2 billion to Chinese company

    Source

    The 2018 partnership with Nantong Sanjian is especially troubling – N$2 billion of the N$4.1 billion in tenders went to this Chinese company, leaving Namibians with scraps and subcontracts.

    Nekundi dismisses claims for audit requirement in granting of tenders to foreign nationals
  3. April 2026
  4. The Namibian

    Kalimbo Iipumbu raised issue in National Assembly on Tuesday about officials being reassigned instead of suspended pending investigations

    Source

    NEFF deputy president Kalimbo Iipumbu raised the issue in the National Assembly on Tuesday, following the Ministry of Health and Social Services' internal investigation into alleged fraud involving the country's pharmaceutical supply chain.

    NEFF slams ministry for ‘protecting’ medicine theft suspects
  5. New Era

    Kalimbo Iipumbu described Malema's case as politically driven and influenced by powerful interests

    Source

    Iipumbu described the case as "politically driven" and influenced by powerful interests.

    ‘Malema sentence politically motivated’
  6. New Era

    Kalimbo Iipumbu argued the outcome was meant to send a warning rather than enforce justice

    Source

    Iipumbu echoed similar sentiments, arguing that the outcome was meant to send a warning rather than enforce justice.

    ‘Malema sentence politically motivated’
  7. The Namibian

    Kalimbo Iipumbu criticised the government for allowing Namibians to be exploited by foreign companies

    Source

    Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters vice president Kalimbo Iipumbu has criticised the government for allowing Namibians to be exploited by foreign companies, earning peanuts and having no contracts.

    President clarifies 500 000 jobs pledge, opposition criticises slow progress
  8. March 2026
  9. New Era

    Iipumbu described the meeting as constructive

    Source

    Iipumbu described the meeting as constructive and said the platform allowed political parties to bring the concerns of citizens directly to the head of state.

    NEFF meets NNN at State House … pushes labour reforms, oil transparency
  10. February 2026
  11. New Era

    Kalimbo Iipumbu said he is unapologetically behind the decision to give President petroleum power

    Source

    In the ongoing parliamentary debates on giving the President power over some key functions of the petroleum sector, NEFF parliamentarian Kalimbo Iipumbu last week said he is "unapologetically" behind the decision.

    NEFF backs Petroleum Amendment Bill
  12. New Era

    Kalimbo Iipumbu noted NEFF emphasised all petroleum approvals must originate from Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy

    Source

    Iipumbu, however, noted that the NEFF emphasised a critical revolutionary condition that all petroleum approvals must originate from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (Namibia), which must remain the primary technical and regulatory body.

    NEFF backs Petroleum Amendment Bill
  13. October 2024
  14. The Namibian

    Kalimbo Iipumbu called for the tender to be revoked and a transparent public bidding process to be reinstated

    Source

    Iipumbu called for the tender to be revoked and a transparent public bidding process to be reinstated.

    NEFF wants elections postponed amid tender-corruption allegations
  15. The Namibian

    NEFF deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu says Amushelelo's rejoining signifies renewed energy in the party's mission

    Source

    NEFF deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu says Amushelelo's rejoining signifies a renewed energy in the party's mission to fight for economic justice and land redistribution.

    Michael Amushelelo rejects ‘political prostitute' label as he rejoins Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters
Politics

Minister dismisses audit claim over foreign tender awards

The News

Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi rejected calls for a forensic audit into tender awards to foreign nationals, saying a 10-year audit cannot be completed in 6 months and that audits are expensive. NEFF MP Kalimbo Iipumbu had argued that Namibian businesses are excluded from capital projects and cited the Roads Contractor Company's 2018 partnership with a Chinese firm, which received N$2 billion of N$4.1 billion in tenders.

Why it matters

Minister's dismissal of forensic audit calls raises accountability questions over foreign tender awards and market access for Namibian contractors.

19 June 2026 · Informanté

Friday 19 June

  1. Minister dismisses audit claim over foreign tender awards

    Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi rejected calls for a forensic audit into tender awards to foreign nationals, saying a 10-year audit cannot be completed in 6 months and that audits are expensive. NEFF MP Kalimbo Iipumbu had argued that Namibian businesses are excluded from capital projects and cited the Roads Contractor Company's 2018 partnership with a Chinese firm, which received N$2 billion of N$4.1 billion in tenders.

    19 June 2026 · Informanté

Tuesday 21 April

  1. NEFF demands suspension of officials in pharmaceutical theft probe

    The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters has challenged the health ministry's decision to transfer rather than suspend officials allegedly involved in pharmaceutical theft and stock record manipulation. Health minister Esperance Luvindao said due process and Public Service Commission regulations must be followed before suspensions can occur.

    21 April 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 17 April

  1. NEFF deputy disputes Julius Malema's South Africa sentencing

    Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Kalimbo Iipumbu has described the sentencing of EFF leader Julius Malema in South Africa as politically driven and designed to intimidate. Malema was sentenced to five years imprisonment for unlawful firearm possession in connection with a 2018 incident, though he has been granted leave to appeal the sentence.

    17 April 2026 · New Era

Sunday 12 April

  1. President addresses parliament on oil, land, wealth fund

    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.

    12 April 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 10 April

  1. President clarifies 500,000 jobs will come from private sector growth

    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.

    10 April 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 6 March

  1. NEFF meets President, pushes labour and oil sector reforms

    The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters met President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to raise concerns about labour hire practices, transparency in the emerging oil and gas sector, healthcare investment, and agricultural production. The party called for direct employment of workers instead of third-party labour hire, strong governance in oil development, and increased spending on hospitals and medical infrastructure.

    6 March 2026 · New Era

Monday 23 February

  1. NEFF backs President authority over petroleum decisions

    The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters supports the Petroleum Amendment Bill, which would transfer core upstream petroleum powers from the responsible minister to the President. NEFF parliamentarian Kalimbo Iipumbu said the President must have final approval authority over petroleum sector decisions to protect the industry from regulatory capture and ensure it serves the people, though the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy should remain the primary technical and regulatory body.

    23 February 2026 · New Era

Tuesday 27 January

  1. Government spending outpaces revenue, economists warn of debt risks

    Namibia's government is spending faster than it generates revenue, with analysis showing the apparent healthy cash position was largely due to sinking fund reserves rather than actual revenue collection. Experts warn that without improved tax collection and controlled spending, the country risks increasing reliance on borrowing, potential social spending cuts, and possible delayed creditor payments.

    27 January 2026 · The Namibian

Kalimbo Iipumbu — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute