… According to the 2023 census, women in the Kavango West region can expect to have 5.5 children over their lifetimes, double that of the 2.7 women in the Khomas region can expect. …
… tructure, transport shortages, poor sanitation and weak contractor oversight.The parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, health and social welfare made the findings after visiting health facilities in ǁKharas, Hardap, Omaheke, Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena, Kavango West …
… The figure shows that women are no longer waiting to get married before having children. ||Kharas recorded the highest share of never-married women who are mothers, at 61.6%, while Kavango West had the lowest rate at 46%. …
Staff Reporter RETIRED members of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) from the Kavango East and Kavango West regions are set to gather in Rundu on Saturday, 3 October 2026, for the third Fellowship Day hosted by the Defence Force Foundation (DFF). …
… The operator was awarded N$32.3 million under phase 2 of the fund to deploy nine network solutions comprising 10 towers in the ||Kharas, Kavango West,Kunene, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions. …
… Similarly, two more pensioners were hacked to death by their grandson in the Kavango West region on 11 July last year after he accused them of witchcraft. …
… The DVS said there was currently no evidence from the traceability system indicating a risk of transmission to areas north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence, including Kunene, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi. …
A man has been arrested in the Kavango West region after police intercepted a bakkie transporting slaughtered cattle, which are suspected to have been stolen. …
Secondary census data from the Namibia Statistics Agency show vast regional and rural-urban differences in fertility, infant mortality, and life expectancy. Women in Kavango West expect 5.5 children over their lifetimes compared to 2.7 in Khomas; under-five mortality ranges from 26.8 per 1,000 live births in Khomas to 61.4 in Omaheke; and life expectancy at birth varies by 12 years between Khomas (72.4 years) and Omaheke (60.3 years).
Secondary census data from the Namibia Statistics Agency show vast regional and rural-urban differences in fertility, infant mortality, and life expectancy. Women in Kavango West expect 5.5 children over their lifetimes compared to 2.7 in Khomas; under-five mortality ranges from 26.8 per 1,000 live births in Khomas to 61.4 in Omaheke; and life expectancy at birth varies by 12 years between Khomas (72.4 years) and Omaheke (60.3 years).
Churches have called for greater responsibility from fathers and stronger support for unmarried mothers after the Namibia Statistics Agency found that 53.4% of never-married women in Namibia had already given birth, according to the 2023 Population and Housing Census Fertility Report.
A parliamentary oversight investigation across 10 regions found Namibia's public health system under severe strain, with patients treated in tents and homes, unfinished hospital projects, medical waste in public spaces, and inadequate emergency transport. The standing committee on gender equality, health and social welfare conducted visits between July and August 2025, with the report tabled in parliament this week.
The 2023 Population and Housing Census Fertility Report found that 53.4% of never-married women in Namibia have given birth, with a total fertility rate of 3.5 children. The share varies by region, with Kharas at 61.6% and Kavango West at 46%, and fertility among this group has risen since 2011 when the rate was 3.1 children.
Retired members of the Namibian Defence Force from Kavango East and Kavango West regions will gather in Rundu on 3 October 2026 for the third Fellowship Day hosted by the Defence Force Foundation, bringing together serving and former soldiers to reconnect and strengthen bonds formed through military service.
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has approximately N$300 million available for housing construction, but must distribute it among 59 local authorities as budget constraints limit the government's response to growing housing demand. The ministry identified mushrooming informal settlements as a technical challenge, while research is underway to assess the housing market and identify affordable construction methods.
Mobile Telecommunications Limited has connected Grootfontein, Mariental, Okahandja, Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb to its 5G network in the second phase of its rollout, which includes 19 new sites across nine regions and additional capacity in Windhoek and Walvis Bay. The expansion is part of MTC's strategy to increase network capacity and reliability as demand for mobile connectivity grows, with funding also being deployed via the Communications Regulatory Authority's Universal Service Fund to extend coverage to underserved areas.
Two elderly couples were killed—one in Oshikoto in November and another in Kavango West in July—after being accused of witchcraft. The ombudsman reports at least nine elderly people have been killed over witchcraft claims in Namibia between 2006 and 2025, noting that the elderly and poor are vulnerable to such accusations that damage reputations.
The Ministry of Agriculture has partially lifted Foot-and-Mouth Disease restrictions, allowing movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence. The Directorate of Veterinary Services said preliminary findings show the outbreak remains localised in //Kharas Region, and livestock traced to Otjozondjupa tested negative for FMD.
Police arrested one man during Operation Basadi in Bunya after intercepting a bakkie carrying four men and slaughtered cattle suspected to be stolen; in a separate incident in Otjozondjupa, two men are accused of slaughtering a sheep valued at N$600 from a grazing field without the owner's consent.
Five health facilities in Kavango West—Kapako Clinic, Mburu-Uru Clinic, Nzinze Clinic, Sharukwe Clinic and Mupini Health Centre—have received newly constructed sanitation facilities under the N$3.3 billion Namibia Water Sector Support Programme, funded by the African Development Bank and the Namibian Government.
The Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency says the N$40 million currently allocated for grain procurement is insufficient to absorb the large quantities farmers have available to sell following this season's harvest, particularly mahangu and maize in the northern regions.
Namibia recorded 48 deaths and 211 injuries from 112 truck-involved crashes nationwide by 16 September 2026, with Erongo and Otjozondjupa accounting for approximately 60% of fatalities. Collisions were the dominant crash type, representing about 77% of all injuries and fatalities.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has filled only 23 of 55 social worker positions targeted for recruitment during the 2025/2026 financial year, despite an allocation of over N$19 million. The shortage stems from limited availability of qualified social work graduates and the preference of available social workers for urban placements, leaving rural areas underserved.
Parents have withdrawn pupils from Kavango West's Nyege Junior Primary School over dilapidated tent classrooms, reducing enrollment to 15 children. The school, moved closer to the road near Nkurenkuru in 2022 to escape elephant threats, has lacked proper classrooms since the relocation and allegedly had about 30 pupils over recent years.
The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations recorded progress in employment services and labour-law enforcement in the first quarter of 2026/27, registering 3,487 jobseekers, reporting 706 vacancies, and making 257 job placements. During the quarter, 759 workplaces were inspected with 70% found compliant, while four cases of child labour were identified and five non-fatal workplace accidents were reported.
Namibia's headline annual inflation rate for August reached 5%, up from 3.2% in August 2025, with monthly inflation at 0.6%, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency. Zone 2 (Khomas Region) recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 5.9%, while Zone 1 recorded the lowest at 4%.
Afropop artist Tate Buti has defended his participation in an upcoming "Night of Worship" gospel show in Kavango West, as religious leaders and the public debate whether non-gospel musicians should perform on church stages. The September event will feature both gospel artists and secular performers including Gazza and Tequila, prompting social media criticism about whether the gathering is meant for spiritual worship or entertainment.
Kapako constituency councillor Augustinus Kupembona has criticised a lack of government action on census data that accurately portrays Kavango West's widespread poverty.
Canadian oil and gas company ReconAfrica has increased its public offering to C$19 million (about N$220.4 million) to fund a horizontal sidetrack and production testing programme at the Kavango West 1X well in Namibia. The underwriters will purchase 26,028,000 units at C$0.73 per unit.
Kavango West health director Fransiska Hamutenya says the directorate spends between N$2 million and N$3 million annually on office rentals, with no budget allocation in the current year for a permanent regional office despite urgent infrastructure needs. The regional and district teams are accommodated at high cost in rented space at the Matukuchila complex, while the region also lacks a proper district hospital and has infrastructure backlogs.
Namibia has recorded 122 malaria deaths and 122,612 confirmed cases so far this year, with the government preparing to spray 1.2 million households in malaria-prone regions. The health minister announced that 99,078 cases were contracted locally while 23,354 were imported, and Kavango East region accounts for 30.6% of cases.
Kavango East governor Julius Hambyuka says government-run green schemes in the region are showing signs of improved production, with some now fully operational, though several still lack enough equipment and farming implements. The region's six green schemes currently receive central funding, and the Ministry of Agriculture acknowledges equipment shortages due to budget constraints and is prioritising purchasing more supplies.
Livestock roaming on public roads has emerged as the biggest road-safety threat in Kavango West this year, accounting for nearly 51% of recorded crashes.
The Namibian Police arrested five suspects over the weekend on allegations of livestock theft in Nkurenkuru, Gochas and Otjiwarongo. Seven donkeys valued at N$8,400 and two sheep valued at N$3,200 were stolen in separate incidents; most of the animals were slaughtered and meat or remains recovered.
Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare has called on Regional Governors to use newly available resources to address practical community needs and produce visible improvements to people's lives, emphasizing that governors serve as a critical link between central government and communities and must have sufficient human and financial resources to respond to local challenges.
The Prime Minister announced N$40 million in government funding to purchase grains directly from local millers through the Agricultural Marketing and Trading Agency, addressing post-harvest losses and market access challenges faced by Namibian grain farmers.
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.
NamPost officially opened its Nkurenkuru Post Office in Kavango West, one of 12 additional service points that brings the institution's total service points nationwide to 148. The postal operator also donated computers, printers and mobile internet subscriptions valued at N$250,000 to community learning centres and libraries in the region.
Kavango West remains Namibia's poorest region with a multidimensional poverty rate of 79.6%, the highest in the country. The region faces additional challenges including an unemployment rate of 52.8% and youth unemployment of 58.1%, alongside rapid population growth.