Local authorities are owed over N$162 million by government ministries, institutions, and businesses, prompting the government to direct municipalities to disconnect water and electricity services to defaulting entities. The urban and rural development minister last month directed all local authorities to cut off services from ministries with outstanding debts failing to settle accounts by 5 June.
Why it matters
Councils owed N$162 million by government is forcing service disconnections and exposing cash-flow crisis in public finances.
Local authorities are owed over N$162 million by government ministries, institutions, and businesses, prompting the government to direct municipalities to disconnect water and electricity services to defaulting entities. The urban and rural development minister last month directed all local authorities to cut off services from ministries with outstanding debts failing to settle accounts by 5 June.
IPC president Panduleni Itula has raised questions about a proposed N$612 million solar power project linked to the Tsumeb smelter, alleging involvement of companies associated with President Nandi-Ndaitwah's sons and calling for full public disclosure of the project's documentation. Itula stated the issue is not whether the President's family may legally participate in business ventures, but whether sufficient transparency exists when politically connected individuals are linked to projects involving public institutions.
Koryx Copper has signed a memorandum of understanding with NamPower for bulk electricity supply to its Haib Copper Project in southern Namibia and is advancing water supply plans from the Orange River. The project will use a hybrid power system combining national grid electricity, solar generation, and potential battery storage, designed to meet an estimated peak demand of 152 MVA and annual consumption of about 1,131 GWh, with a pre-feasibility study expected later this year.
NamWater has rescheduled a planned water supply interruption at Von Bach Treatment Plant to Friday, 05 June 2026, from 07:00 to 18:00, at NamPower's request to accommodate a scheduled power outage. The interruption will affect the City of Windhoek, Okahandja Municipality, and multiple other customers, as pump stations will be unable to transfer water while the 11kV and 66kV busbar are extended to a mobile substation.
Fitch Ratings says Namibia Power Corporation has stronger liquidity and leverage metrics than South Africa's Eskom, which relies heavily on government support. NamPower holds a 'BB-/Stable' rating with a 'bb-' standalone credit profile, while Eskom is rated 'B' with a 'ccc+' standalone profile.
Namibia consumed 440GWh of electricity in February 2026, up 13% from 390GWh a year earlier. Imports supplied 56% of demand, with Ruacana hydroelectric station producing 156GWh domestically, while independent power producers contributed 34GWh.
NamWater has postponed a planned 24-hour water supply interruption from Friday to 5 June following a request from NamPower. The outage will affect the City of Windhoek, Okahandja municipality and surrounding areas due to a scheduled NamPower power outage at the Von Bach treatment plant.
The Namibia Water Corporation has announced planned power outages on 21 May 2026 (08:30–17:30) and 1 June 2026 (08:00–17:00) due to NamPower maintenance work on the Ruby 11kV network and Sekelduin 2 line, which will suspend water supply operations at the Ruby Intake Station for approximately eight hours each day. NamWater and Walvis Bay Municipality are working to keep reservoirs at full supply to mitigate the impact, and residents are urged to use water sparingly.
Erongo Red has announced planned power outages on 21 May (08H30–17H30) and 1 June (08H00–17H00) affecting the Ruby 11kV network in areas including Namwater, the airport, Rooibank, NDF Military Base, Dune 7, and Clean Energy to allow NamPower to conduct infrastructure maintenance.
Namibia Power Corporation has asked the Electricity Control Board to intervene in efforts to recover N$1 billion owed by local state entities and Angola's power utility for electricity. NamPower says 14 local authorities have breached repayment arrangements totalling about N$635.3 million, and prolonged non-payment could undermine the security of the country's electricity supply.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, utility-scale solar and onshore wind power now cost about US$40 per megawatt-hour globally in 2025, less than half the cost of new gas turbine plants at over US$100 per megawatt-hour, as renewable costs have fallen and fossil fuel prices have risen.
NamPower has scheduled a planned power outage at the Von Bach Base substation on 22 May 2026 from 07:00 to 18:00 to extend busbar connections to a mobile substation. The outage will temporarily disrupt water supply operations at the NamWater Von Bach Treatment Plant and affect customers in Windhoek, Okahandja, and surrounding areas including Hosea Kutako International Airport.
NamPower will conduct a planned power outage on 13 May from 08:00 to 16:00 affecting Rehoboth and surrounding areas including farms, to perform maintenance on high-voltage equipment and power lines at the Rehoboth and Oanob substations.
Residents of Rehoboth and surrounding areas will experience a planned power outage next Wednesday from 08h00 to 16h00 due to maintenance work on the Klein Aub 66-kilovolt power line. The outage affects multiple areas including farms, Rietoog, Hochanas, Dornfontein, Kalkrand, and others, during which NamPower will service high-voltage equipment at the station.
Ohangwena region aims to install desalination plants at least 10 boreholes to treat saline water that has made many government-drilled boreholes unusable. Governor Kadiva Hamutumwa said a contractor was appointed in April by NamPower, with implementation expected within four months, as part of broader interventions to improve water security across the region.
NamPower and Nored will conduct planned maintenance on electricity infrastructure in Kavango West and East regions on 17 May, with power switched off from 07h00 to 19h00. The work includes repairing a broken conductor at Mururani road crossing, maintaining the Otjikoto–Rundu line, and replacing wooden crossarms on Mahango and Mpasi feeders; the outage will also affect parts of Angola and Shakawe in Botswana.
The Public Service Commission retained 16 officials over the age of 60 due to their specialised skills, citing legal provisions for critical expertise gaps, but the decision has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition over potential political patronage and youth unemployment.
Oshakati residents and businesses lost electricity from around 07h00 on Monday due to a technical fault at the Namibia Power Corporation's Omatando Substation; the outage marked the second prolonged power cut in the town this month, following a 30-hour outage two weeks prior.
A five-day power outage in Otjinene disrupted healthcare, water, education, and telecoms; electricity was restored Wednesday but remains unstable. The councillor called for coordinated action by Cenored, NamPower, and NamWater on infrastructure and contingency planning, citing significant economic losses and public safety threats.
A Lüderitz resident argues that wind energy development and tourism can coexist, citing electricity security needs as InnoVent's Diaz wind farm—comprising 11 turbines generating 44 megawatts—begins testing near Kolmanskop. The farm is expected to produce over 230 gigawatt hours annually and supply about 5 to 6% of Namibia's electricity under a 25-year agreement with NamPower.
NamPower has apologised to Otjinene residents for a two-day power cut and says it is deploying additional staff to restore electricity to the affected area.
The Kunene River at Ruacana recorded 1,386.10 m³/s on Monday, 20 April, declining slightly from 1,561.20 m³/s on Sunday but remaining significantly higher than the previous week. Heavy rainfall in southern Angola has prompted NamPower to open floodgates, and communities downstream are warned to remain vigilant for potential localised flooding.
Flooding along the Kunene River has destroyed crops in 17 Epupa villages and cut off clean water supply to Otjimuhaka Primary School, which serves about 300 pupils now forced to fetch water from the river. The constituency councillor said assessment is ongoing and a report will be sent to the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Namibian and Angolan governments have finalised a N$4-billion agreement to build the Angola-Namibia Interconnector, a 160km transmission line linking Angola to the Southern African Power Pool for the first time. Namibia is solely financing the project through its National Energy Fund and expects to receive 300MW of firm power.
Nedbank Namibia and Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking have partnered with NamPower to develop a Sustainable Finance Fundraising Framework designed to align future funding with Namibia's energy security, sustainability and socioeconomic development goals. The framework has been independently reviewed by S&P Global and provides a structure for raising green, social and sustainable funding for projects including new generation capacity, transmission infrastructure upgrades and energy storage solutions.
Namibia Power Corporation has successfully listed a N$5 billion Domestic Medium-Term Note Programme on the Namibia Securities Exchange, enabling the utility to raise funding through various debt instruments aligned with strategic projects and sustainability goals. The listing follows a two-year preparation process and provides NamPower with flexible, cost-effective access to capital markets while supporting Namibia's energy sector expansion.
A technical delegation comprising representatives from the Namibia Power Corporation, Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy is in China to study advanced renewable energy technologies, including wind energy, solar solutions, and battery storage, with engagements centered on scaling Namibia's infrastructure and supporting the country's goal to increase renewable energy's share in the national energy mix from 54% to 70% by 2040.
The Namibia Power Corporation has urged residents in low-lying areas along the Kunene River to evacuate immediately as rising water levels threaten severe flooding downstream of Ruacana. The utility announced it will open a second floodgate at Ruacana Power Station, expected to increase river flow to over 1 800 cubic metres per second, and instructed residents to move livestock and equipment to higher ground and avoid riverbanks.
The Namibia Power Corporation successfully listed its N$5-billion domestic medium-term note programme on the Namibia Securities Exchange, in partnership with Cirrus Securities and Nedbank Namibia. The programme allows NamPower to issue a range of notes, including green and sustainable notes, to fund strategic projects while contributing to Namibia's financial sector development.
Officials assessed flood damage in Otjimuhaka village along the Kunene River after residents received early warning and evacuated to higher ground. About 20 households were affected, with crops destroyed, though no lives were lost and the health ministry provided aid including mosquito nets and water purification tablets.