Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Organization

Office of the President

Office of the President — government entity overseeing upstream oil and gas regulation under proposed petroleum amendments, subject to parliamentary debate over concentration of executive power.

Opinion

Petroleum Bill risks weakening oversight by shifting power to Presidency

The News

An opinion piece argues that the proposed Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill, which would move upstream oil governance from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to the Office of the President, poses constitutional and accountability risks by concentrating discretion outside parliamentary scrutiny and historical safeguards. The author proposes instead creating an independent, specialised upstream regulator outside the Presidency, strengthening conflict-of-interest rules, operationalising dormant accountability laws, and equipping Parliament with resources to oversee the sector.

27 February 2026 · New Era →

Friday 27 February

  1. Petroleum Bill risks weakening oversight by shifting power to Presidency

    An opinion piece argues that the proposed Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill, which would move upstream oil governance from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to the Office of the President, poses constitutional and accountability risks by concentrating discretion outside parliamentary scrutiny and historical safeguards. The author proposes instead creating an independent, specialised upstream regulator outside the Presidency, strengthening conflict-of-interest rules, operationalising dormant accountability laws, and equipping Parliament with resources to oversee the sector.

    27 February 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 19 February

  1. Parliamentary debate on presidential power over petroleum industry bill

    The Petroleum Amendment Bill, which would vest petroleum sector oversight powers in the Office of the President rather than the Ministry of Mines and Energy, faced mixed scrutiny in the National Assembly. Critics including Bernadus Swartbooi raised concerns about the legal doctrine of functus officio limiting presidential review powers and complicating court challenges, while others questioned whether oil advisors at State House are already performing duties that legally belong to the ministry.

    19 February 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 18 February

  1. Namibia to honour former defence minister Nghimtina with military funeral

    Erkki Nghimtina, a liberation struggle icon who served as defence minister and member of Parliament, has died at age 77. His burial will take place at the Eenhana Shrine on Saturday, with a military funeral confirmed and senior government officials expected to attend.

    18 February 2026 · New Era →

  2. Swartbooi proposes petroleum unit as monitoring body, not presidential power

    Landless People's Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi told Parliament that instead of placing a petroleum products upstream unit under the president's office, it should be converted into a monitoring and evaluation component, citing concerns about recentralisation of power, accountability loopholes, and the inability to review presidential decisions without court involvement.

    18 February 2026 · The Namibian →

  3. Minister Amutse asserts continued control of petroleum sector

    Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse clarified on Tuesday that his ministry retains control of the petroleum sector despite plans to move it to the Office of the President, and said he will continue regulating it until the law is changed. The statement followed questioning from Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda about decision-making authority in the petroleum sector and local content engagements amid ongoing National Assembly debates on the petroleum amendment bill.

    18 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 13 February

  1. Proposed Petroleum Act amendments shift regulatory power to presidency

    The proposed amendments to Namibia's Petroleum Act would establish a new Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President and transfer certain regulatory functions from the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy to this new body. The changes aim to create a streamlined, specialist regulator with direct presidential oversight to improve decision-making efficiency and investor confidence amid multiple large-scale oil and gas projects.

    13 February 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. Opposition parties unite against bill shifting oil powers to presidency

    Multiple opposition parties have objected to a petroleum amendment bill that would transfer oil and gas regulatory authority from the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Energy to the Presidency, warning it could enable political interference, corruption, and undermine parliamentary oversight. The bill requires support from all 51 Swapo parliamentarians to pass in the 96-seat National Assembly.

    13 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 11 February

  1. TotalEnergies and Petrobras challenge Namibia's oil approval process

    International oil giants TotalEnergies and Petrobras announced the acquisition of a stake in oil block PEL104 without prior ministerial approval, prompting the Namibian government to declare the move unlawful. Both companies have since denied wrongdoing and said the transaction remains subject to regulatory approval from the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy.

    11 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 10 February

  1. Government criticises TotalEnergies–Petrobras deal approval process

    The Namibian government has challenged a TotalEnergies–Petrobras agreement to acquire controlling stakes in Petroleum Exploration Licence 104 offshore, stating it was informed only minutes before the public announcement and was not formally consulted despite legal requirements for ministerial approval. The ministry stressed that all petroleum transactions require prior approval under Namibian law and reaffirmed its commitment to regulatory compliance and transparency as the country's oil sector develops.

    10 February 2026 · New Era →

Friday 6 February

  1. Opposition warns new oil bill risks concentration of power

    Opposition parties have raised concerns that Namibia's new petroleum amendment bill, which would place the Upstream Petroleum Unit under the Office of the President, could lead to unchecked executive power and corruption similar to the Fishrot scandal in the fishing sector. They point to cautionary examples from Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, and Russia, where energy sector governance failures and political manipulation resulted from poor institutional oversight.

    6 February 2026 · The Namibian →

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