Also known as: the Kavango River · Kavango River at Rundu · Kavango River at Divundu
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Kavango River
Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Namibian
A girl (14) died at Rundu after reportedly being swept away by strong currents in the Kavango River near Mabiye in the Kavango East region on Saturday. …
Teenager (14) drowns in river while fishing at RunduNamibian Sun
A 14-year-old girl drowned in the Kavango River at Mabiye, near Rundu, on Saturday after being swept away by strong currents while fishing with five other girls.Kavango East regional crime coordinator Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho said the five girls managed to reach the shore …
BREAKING: Drowning in Kavango RiverThe Namibian
… es after a group, Concerned Local Guides, wrote to deputy environment minister Anslem Murungu complaining about alleged unfair treatment in the park. “The ministry, through the office of the regional deputy director, has instructed staff to close all roads along the Kavango River …
Ministry denies closing Bwabwata game drive routesThe Namibian
… The project was developed in response to concerns about disposable nappy waste at Kamutjonga and surrounding areas, including communities and environments connected to the Kavango River. …
90 mothers join nappy waste fightThe Namibian
The search for two children who allegedly drowned in the Kavango River has raised questions about whether communities living along rivers have an effective emergency-response system. …
Kavango drownings expose emergency response gapsThe Namibian
Governor questions if project will benefit community The Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE) has urged the government to abandon plans to draw water from the Kavango River to supplement water supplies to Windhoek and central areas. …
Govt urged to ditch Kavango water link projectThe Namibian
… He also refers to the deaths of two Namibia Water Corporation employees who were electrocuted while repairing a water pump at the Kavango River after it allegedly re-energised automatically. …
Nudo demands probe into power utility electrocution deathsInformanté
… Located on the Kavango River in the Kavango East Region, KIFI serves as Namibia’s leading freshwater research and aquaculture development facility, supporting efforts to understand and sustainably manage inland fisheries. …
KIFI safeguards Namibia’s inland fisheries through research and conservationThe Namibian
… A visitor records a group of people performing traditional music on the banks of the Kavango River, cleans it up and licenses it for a well-funded Nat Geo Wild documentary. …
The Silent Extraction: Who Owns Our Ancestral Soundtrack?Namibian Sun
NamWater says water will only be extracted from the Kavango River during the wet season under the proposed Kavango Link Project, insisting the approach will safeguard the river's l... …
Seasonal extraction will protect Kavango River – NamWaterA Grade 12 learner from Max Makushe Senior Secondary School in Kavango East is in intensive care in Windhoek with severe head and spinal cord injuries following a dive into the Kavango River.
13 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →
A Grade 12 learner from Max Makushe Senior Secondary School in Kavango East is in intensive care in Windhoek with severe head and spinal cord injuries following a dive into the Kavango River.
13 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →
A 14-year-old girl, Salome Nanonge, died after being swept away by strong currents in the Kavango River near Mabiye on Saturday while fishing with five friends. Her body was found floating in the river about 500m from the incident site on Sunday morning; five other girls in her group were rescued.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →
A 14-year-old girl drowned in the Kavango River at Mabiye near Rundu on Saturday after being swept away by strong currents while fishing with five other girls. Her body was recovered approximately 500 metres downstream on the Angolan side near the old crossing bridge to Calai and taken to Rundu State Hospital mortuary.
11 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism says it has only closed illegal routes at Bwabwata Game Park, while approved roads remain open. Tour guides represented by a group called Concerned Local Guides have complained that closures of roads along the Kavango River, where most wildlife viewing occurs, have effectively closed the park for tourism.
10 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Ninety mothers and caregivers in Kamutjonga village near Divundu have received reusable cloth nappy starter kits through the Kavango Cares Reusable Cloth Nappy Project, which aims to reduce disposable nappy waste and household costs while protecting the environment.
4 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Two children—a Grade 1 pupil and a 15-year-old—drowned in the Kavango River at Divundu after a canoe capsized in a strong current. Residents say police did not respond until Saturday, a day after the Friday incident, raising questions about emergency-response systems in communities along rivers.
25 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibian Chamber of Environment has urged the government to abandon the Kavango Link project, a decades-old plan to transfer water from the Kavango River to Windhoek and central areas, arguing it is environmentally unsustainable and could strain relations with Botswana. The chamber's chief executive Chris Brown warned that the river is already exploited by unmonitored green schemes and farms.
19 August 2026 · The Namibian →
A National Unity Democratic Organisation MP has called for an independent audit into a series of fatal electrocution incidents in the electricity sector, citing repeated workplace deaths at regional distributors and claiming eight fatalities have occurred in the sector over the past four years.
7 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute, located on the Kavango River in Kavango East Region, conducts scientific research, fish population monitoring and aquaculture development to ensure sustainable management of Namibia's freshwater resources. The institute, established in 2008 and now part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, focuses on freshwater fish communities, conservation and fisheries ecology to benefit current and future generations.
1 August 2026 · Informanté →
The Namibian reports that Namibia's traditional music communities are systematically excluded from commercial benefits when their ancestral songs and rituals are recorded and licensed by outsiders, receiving minimal compensation while those with recording equipment profit from their heritage.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
NamWater says water will be extracted from the Kavango River only during the wet season under the proposed Kavango Link Project, to safeguard the river.
23 June 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Kavango East and West traditional leaders and community members are opposing NamWater's proposed N$7-billion pipeline to Windhoek, demanding an audit of the Kavango River first and citing inadequate consultation during the planning stages.
22 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Leaders and residents from Kavango East have rejected NamWater's proposed Kavango Link Project, accusing the utility of reviving plans to divert water from the Kavango River.
15 June 2026 · Namibian Sun →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah visited the Sikondo Green Scheme Irrigation Project in Kavango West Region to assess agricultural productivity and operational progress as part of her national familiarisation tour of Namibia's green schemes.
2 June 2026 · Informanté →
The Kunene River's discharge rose by more than 300 cubic metres per second over the past week to 894.10 m³/s, and the Kavango and Orange rivers also recorded rising water levels, according to the Hydrological Services of Namibia. In contrast, the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo declined over the same period.
13 May 2026 · Informanté →
The Kunene River's flow rate at Ruacana declined from 1,540.50 m³/s on Saturday to 1,125.50 m³/s by Monday, though still higher than the 708.10 m³/s recorded on the same date last year. The Zambezi River and other waterways have also experienced declining flows, but water levels remain significantly higher than those of last year.
28 April 2026 · Informanté →
Namibian and Angolan police are intensifying efforts to combat cross-border smuggling of fuel, cigarettes, counterfeit medicines, and other illicit goods along their 400-kilometre porous border. Despite ongoing raids and arrests, officials acknowledge there is no quick fix to the entrenched cross-border crime.
25 April 2026 · Informanté →
The Kunene River's flow rate rose from 1,543.9 m³/s on Thursday to 1,545.9 m³/s on Friday, according to Namibia's Hydrological Services, which advised communities downstream of Ruacana to remain on high alert as localised flooding remains a likely risk. The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo has declined but remains significantly higher than last year's corresponding level, prompting a flood alert for the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
24 April 2026 · Informanté →
The Kunene River's flow rate at Ruacana increased from 1,351.4 m³/s on Wednesday to 1,543.9 m³/s on Thursday, with the Hydrological Services warning communities of sustained upstream inflows and elevated levels. The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo also rose slightly, prompting flood alerts for the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
24 April 2026 · Informanté →
The Kunene River recorded a flow rate of 1,197.80 cubic metres per second on Tuesday morning, an increase from 1,058.80 m³/s a week earlier, though down from Monday's 1,386.10 m³/s. The Kavango and Zambezi rivers have seen slight declines, and the Hydrological Services of Namibia has issued a flood alert for the eastern Zambezi floodplains, urging communities to remain vigilant and activate flood preparedness measures.
22 April 2026 · Informanté →
At celebrations in Nkurenkuru, Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila commemorated Namibia's independence and the sacrifices of liberation heroes, while calling for renewed focus on socio-economic transformation, agricultural development, and inclusive growth to fulfil the vision of Vision 2030.
26 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Heavy rainfall hit multiple regions including Windhoek, the north, and north-east, causing localised flooding in the capital and rapid river rises in the Zambezi and Kavango regions. Authorities recommend activating flood contingency plans in vulnerable areas across the country.
25 March 2026 · Informanté →
The Zambezi River has overflowed into eastern floodplains, submerging villages in Kabbe South and Kabbe North, while the Kavango and Chobe rivers also record high water levels. Communities along all three rivers have been advised to remain on alert and activate flood preparedness measures.
24 March 2026 · Informanté →
Kavango East Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka called on residents to transition from celebrating political freedom to generating shared prosperity, addressing youth unemployment, water provision, and housing as critical challenges while emphasizing that independence must include access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for all families in the region.
23 March 2026 · New Era →
Water levels in Namibia's north-eastern rivers—including the Zambezi, Chobe, and Kavango—continued to rise this week, with the Zambezi at Katima Mulilo reaching 6.84 metres and the Kavango at Rundu surpassing 7 metres. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has warned the public to remain vigilant in flood-prone areas and recommended activation of flood risk mitigation and preparedness measures, particularly near the Zambezi River, where the river has overflowed its banks and floodwaters are spreading into the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
21 March 2026 · Informanté →
Kavango East is one of Namibia's 14 regions in the northeast, covering 23,983.2 km² with Rundu as its administrative centre. The region is divided into six constituencies and its population speaks multiple languages, with Rukwangali (46%), Angolan languages (21%), and Rumanyo (18%) being most common.
20 March 2026 · New Era →
Namibia's Hydrological Services warns that the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo is rising toward the 7-metre mark and nearly double last year's level, with water overflowing into eastern floodplains. Communities in flood-prone areas across Namibia are urged to activate flood preparedness measures as thundershowers are expected to continue river rises.
18 March 2026 · Informanté →
The United Democratic Front highlighted pressing challenges affecting communities in Kunene and northern regions during a consultative meeting with President Nandi-Ndaitwah, including human-wildlife conflict that is impoverishing rural households, a legal dispute involving the regional council, housing shortages, and educational inequality between rural and urban schools. The party noted that rural residents bear the costs of wildlife conservation while wild animals are regarded as national assets, and proposed dialogue-based solutions to ongoing disputes.
13 March 2026 · New Era →
SASSCAL's Namibia Programme Coordinator emphasised that Namibia's wetlands—including Etosha Pan, the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, and river systems—are critical for agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and water supply, and require protection as they face threats in the dry country. He noted that wetland protection is both an environmental and climate adaptation responsibility, and highlighted SASSCAL's WeMAST monitoring initiative while calling for inclusive science and stronger community and women's voices in water governance.
13 March 2026 · Informanté →
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo has risen to 6.76 metres, significantly higher than recent years and well above last week's 3.99m reading. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has issued a flood alert for the eastern Zambezi floodplains and recommended that communities nationwide activate flood preparedness measures, as several other rivers including the Kavango and Orange are also elevated.
12 March 2026 · Informanté →