… The recent warnings by traditional leaders in Kavango East and Kavango West that government-led communal land reforms threaten ancestral land and weaken customary authority deserve to be heard respectfully. …
Patience Makwele Traditional leaders from Kavango East and Kavango West say government-driven communal land reforms could weaken customary authority and increase pressure on ancestral land. …
… Mukuve during the Kavango West regional political and technocrat leadership retreat at Swakopmund on Friday said the list of projects for 2026/27 is largely a “wish list” because the council has not yet secured full funding. …
… A young German intern working at the piggery of agriculturalist Winni Metzger at Kanyikama village in the Kavango West region says pig farming is a good business and she would like to see many Namibians venturing into it. …
The Mutjimagumwe Woodwork Cooperative’s school furniture repair project in the Kavango West region is facing material shortages and funding pressure, its chairperson, Johnny Kaleyi, says. …
A young woman from the Kavango West region has called on people in the region to harvest more seeds from the mangetti tree so that they can be pressed to produce cooking oil.The seeds are bought by the by the the … from the villagers. …
… During the budget debate on Monday, parliamentarian Laurentius Mukoya said deteriorating roads, especially in the Kavango East and Kavango West regions, are affecting service delivery and damaging vehicles. …
… According to Namwandi, the university now has campuses in the Ohangwena, Erongo, Khomas, Kavango West and Oshana regions, with a student population of 28 500 this academic year. …
MTC told parliament's ICT committee that government should subsidise smartphones before 2G and 3G networks are phased out, to prevent customers being left without compatible devices as the frequencies are reassigned to 4G and 5G.
MTC told parliament's ICT committee that government should subsidise smartphones before 2G and 3G networks are phased out, to prevent customers being left without compatible devices as the frequencies are reassigned to 4G and 5G.
Pupils from rural areas make up about 66% of teenage pregnancies in Namibia, and rural young mothers are significantly less likely to return to school than their urban peers, according to a Ministry of Education report. Pupil pregnancy rates declined from 1.97% in 2022 to 1.34% in 2024, while the proportion of pupil mothers returning to school rose to 53.9% in 2024.
The Namibia Sport Commission has launched a regional capacity-building initiative running from 17 to 29 August across five regions, beginning in Katima Mulilo, to strengthen sports structures, develop coaches, and expand sporting opportunities. The tour involves engagement with regional sport officers, coaches, federation representatives, and athletes to address regional challenges and align development strategies with national standards.
Members of Parliament have backed Namibia's proposed Mental Health Bill 2025 but warned that its reforms could fail without adequate funding, specialised staff, infrastructure, and services reaching rural communities. MPs called for mental health units at regional hospitals and trained staff at district facilities, citing that services remain concentrated in Windhoek while regions struggle to access specialised care.
The Palms for Life Fund, partnering with the President's office division of marginalized communities, has launched the Healthy Communities Programme, which invites community-based youth groups to submit proposals for projects combining environmental improvement with activities promoting healthy lifestyles and sobriety. The initiative will support 10 community projects and use community service to encourage young people to engage in improving their surroundings while creating alternatives to harmful alcohol use.
Reconnaissance Energy Africa has acquired additional pumps, a swabbing unit, and other equipment in the United States for testing at the Kavango West 1X well in northeastern Namibia. The equipment will support a planned horizontal test to assess the production potential of the Huttenberg reservoir, following the recent flow of natural gas and potential liquids to surface from the formation.
The Kavango West education directorate has recorded four child marriage cases over the past two years, including a 2024 attempt by a mother to remove a girl from school to marry an older man. Education director Pontianus Musore said schools are regularly sensitised on child marriage and encouraged to report cases to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, though some cases go unreported due to cultural practices and poverty.
Residents of Maporeza informal location in Nkurenkuru, Kavango West, have petitioned the councillor for more boreholes to serve their growing population of about 3,000. A water pump station with three tanks has recently been installed, but residents say additional boreholes are still needed, and the area also requires electricity installation promised by September.
Namibia is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with Cuba on water harvesting and distribution, with technical expertise to develop canals, tunnels and other infrastructure to move floodwater from regions prone to flooding to water-scarce areas across nine regions.
Cleaners at Tondoro Health Centre in Kavango West have been assigned to construct an administrative building while continuing their normal duties, with no agreement on additional payment. The Ministry of Health and Social Services confirmed staff were asked to assist with construction due to lack of funds to hire a contractor.
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) established a Universal Service Fund in March 2025 with approximately N$135 million allocated over three years to enhance digital connectivity by subsidising radio access network infrastructure. The fund supports the National Broadband Policy's goal of bringing internet speeds of at least 2 Mbps to 80% of the population, beginning with public spaces including schools, libraries, hospitals, and clinics.
Namibia's headline annual inflation rate in July was 4.4%, with core inflation at 3.7%. Transport costs saw a notable increase, recording an annual inflation rate of 9.3% in July compared to a deflation of 1.2% in July 2025.
Zambezi regional commander Julia Sakuwa-Neo has declared the 10-day phase two of Operation Zakawe, a joint police initiative spanning three regions, a success. During the August 3–12 operation involving multiple law enforcement entities, 1,454 illicit items were confiscated in the Zambezi region and traffic fines valued at N$59,500 were issued.
The Musese Green Scheme in Kavango West has launched animal feed production using crop residue, producing green chops, silage, and hay from grass, oats, maize, and mahangu stalks. Currently only chicken feed is sold publicly, while other feeds are used to fatten cattle at the scheme.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah addressed boys in Kavango West, urging them not to abandon education despite peer pressure, embarrassment and financial hardship. Education director Pontianus Musore reported that 650 pupils dropped out of school during the first semester this year, with boys making up the majority, citing economic hardship, child-headed households, poor parental involvement, limited supervision and limited hostel facilities as factors.
Minister of gender equality and child welfare Emma Kantema said Namibia cannot afford to leave boys behind, and that investing in boys leads to stronger families, safer communities and a brighter future for the country. She was speaking at an engagement session in Nkurenkuru themed on empowering the boy child and creating responsible men.
A total of 650 pupils in Kavango West dropped out of school during the first semester of the academic year, comprising 342 boys and 308 girls. The education director attributed dropouts to economic hardships, with boys leaving to engage in temporary work, and cited contributing factors including child-headed households, limited hostel facilities, long distances to schools, and poor parental involvement.
A 41-year-old woman accused of murdering her 22-year-old Angolan domestic worker and setting fire to conceal the crime has been denied bail. She faces charges of murder, arson and defeating or obstructing the course of justice in connection with the death at Mile 30 village in Kavango West.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has intensified a nationwide campaign to remove illegal fences erected on communal land, with operations underway in multiple regions since 2025. Since the start of 2025, twelve illegal fences covering approximately 6,914 hectares have been removed across Kavango East, Kavango West, and Omaheke regions, with further removals expected in Oshikoto and other communal areas.
The ministry of agriculture has expanded nationwide operations to dismantle illegal and unauthorised fences on communal land in collaboration with regional councils and traditional authorities, aiming to protect communal land rights and ensure equal access to grazing areas. The programme, underway in Omaheke, Kavango East, Kavango West, and Oshikoto, has removed several illegal fences, including five in Kavango East covering approximately 4,000.72 hectares.
The Office of the Judiciary has begun assessing temporary premises in Nkurenkuru that could be converted into a magistrate's court as it establishes a permanent judicial presence in the region.
The Namibian Police Force recorded two murder cases over the weekend of 31 July to 2 August. In Kavango West, a 41-year-old woman was arrested after a 22-year-old Angolan domestic worker was found dead in her room, allegedly killed and the room set on fire to destroy evidence; in Swakopmund, a 37-year-old man was found fatally stabbed, and a suspect has been detained.
The United Nations Population Fund reports that 19% of women aged 15–19 in Namibia have begun childbearing, with teenage pregnancy responsible for 12% of female school dropouts. Stakeholders warn that addressing the issue requires coordinated action from government, families, schools, communities and development partners to prevent Namibia from losing its youth dividend.
Namibia's Namibia Child Care and Protection Statistics report 2014–2023 reveals that only 524 children were adopted nationwide over the past decade, highlighting persistently low adoption rates as a key challenge despite improvements in other child protection services.
A 2023 Namibia Statistics Agency report shows that over 80% of members of Namibia's marginalised communities have received birth certificates, marking progress in legal identity access. However, gaps remain in national identification, education, employment, technology access, and household living conditions, with the report based on the 2023 Population and Housing Census identifying 75,569 marginalised community members (2.5% of the population).
Community leaders in Mururani village say an abandoned mobile clinic container has left residents without healthcare for six years, forcing expectant women, children, and the elderly to travel long distances to distant clinics at significant cost. Village headman and local councillor say lack of permanent nursing staff and transport barriers are delaying care.
Kavango West has made progress implementing inclusive education but remains one of the least-served regions for learners with special educational needs, relying on one inclusive school and one resource unit to serve 17 learners with intellectual impairments and 164 with learning difficulties, according to the Education Director.
Kavango West has progressed in implementing inclusive education but remains one of the country's least-served regions for learners with special educational needs, relying on one inclusive school and one resource unit to serve 17 learners with intellectual impairments and 164 with learning difficulties, according to the region's education director.
The Namibia Statistics Agency released a report based on the 2023 Population and Housing Census showing that marginalized communities—comprising San, Ovatue/Ovatwa, and Ovatjimba peoples (75,569 people, 2.5% of Namibia's population)—face significant challenges in education, employment, housing, and access to basic services. The data aims to support evidence-based planning and policy formulation to address inequalities.
Kavango West recorded an increase in enrolment of pupils with special educational needs to 181 this year from 107 in 2025, with two schools operating specialised support units despite resource constraints and space limitations.