… Reflecting on development in the southern region, Witbooi said //Kharas has recorded significant progress across key sectors, including the expansion of export-oriented agriculture along the Orange River, particularly grape production in Aussenkehr, as well as agro-processing lin …
… He says the designated FMD control area encompasses a band covering two adjacent farms or extending 10 kilometres south of the Mata Mata border post to the Orange River, as well as a band covering two adjacent farms or extending 10 kilometres north of the Orange River. …
… She said this at the 36th Independence Day celebration at Karasburg on Saturday. Witbooi said the region has recorded significant progress across key sectors. “This includes expansion of export-orientated agriculture along the Orange River, table grape production, agri-processin …
… Meanwhile, the Orange River in the south has seen a slight decline. According to the Hydrological Services of Namibia, the Orange River at Blouputs dropped from 2.61 metres on Wednesday to 2.59 metres on Thursday, while the Orange River at Sendelingsdrift maintained a water level …
… The declaration, published in Government Gazette No. 8866 on 17 March 2026 and signed by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani, establishes a controlled zone along the southern border near the Mata Mata Border Post and the Orange River, extending …
… People from Kavango are growing grapes at the Orange River, people from Kunene are working in newly developed mines and small traders from the frontier moved to bigger centres to sell food, crafts and offer their services as labourers wherever hard work is needed. …
When pioneers crossed the Orange River into Namibia in the 1700s and 1800s, their journals often recorded encounters with black rhino roaming the vast southern landscape. …
… Flood-prone areas in Namibia include the Cuvelai–Etosha Basin, the Okavango River and its banks, the Zambezi River banks and eastern Zambezi floodplains, the lower Kuiseb catchment, the Hardap–Mariental area, the lower Orange River, and the Kunene River,” the Hydrological Service …
The government says fruit flies are becoming a growing threat to Namibia’s horticultural sector, particularly the country’s export-driven table grape industry along the Orange River. …
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.
Why it matters
Koryx's grid agreement advances a major copper project essential to Namibia's economic diversification and mining sector growth.
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.
The Livestock Producers' Organisation says no country can fight foot-and-mouth disease in isolation, warning that Namibia's internationally recognised FMD-free status requires cooperation between governments, veterinary authorities, farmers and regional partners. Maintaining the status is critical to protecting the livestock industry and international beef export market access.
The Oranjemund Town Council has prohibited access to the Orange River and nearby flooded areas due to rising water levels and strong currents. The council cited hazardous conditions including unstable ground and debris, and advised residents and visitors to avoid the river, river mouth, and beach to prevent drowning incidents.
The Roads Authority has temporarily closed the C13 gravel road between Rosh Pinah and Aussenkehr after flooding from the Orange River submerged part of the route approximately 12 kilometres from the Sendelingsdrift Border Post. Motorists are warned against attempting to cross flooded sections and advised to use alternative routes.
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.
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.
NamWater is pursuing environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to build water infrastructure, including a large-scale off-channel storage dam, to supply Koryx Copper's proposed Haib copper mining project in the ||Kharas region with around 20 million cubic metres of water annually from the Orange River. The project is expected to create up to 3,500 jobs during construction and around 1,350 during operations.
Heavy Saturday rains flooded Okahandja Park informal settlement in Windhoek, destroying household items and displacing families. Residents say the flooding, worsened by proximity to a riverbed, was unusually intense, with water reaching knee height inside shacks, and more rainfall is forecast for the week.
The Namibian Meteorological Institute forecasts widespread rainfall across most of the country this week, excluding the Namib Desert stretch and parts of Omaheke, with conditions persisting into the weekend with regional variations.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi commemorated Namibia's 36th independence anniversary in Karasburg under the theme "Beyond 36: For a Prosperous Future," calling for unity and action to build on the country's foundations and accelerate socio-economic transformation. She highlighted government priorities including agriculture, youth empowerment, education, and green hydrogen initiatives, while acknowledging structural challenges in the IIKharas region and ongoing development projects aimed at inclusive growth.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi says //Kharas has evolved from a historically marginalised area into a dynamic economic hub through government's commitment to inclusive development, with progress in agriculture, mining, fisheries, tourism, and infrastructure. She noted the region faces ongoing challenges in value addition, water, sanitation and housing, and is positioned to benefit from large-scale renewable energy and green hydrogen initiatives.
The Ministry of Agriculture has established a foot-and-mouth disease control area in the ||Kharas region as a precautionary measure to prevent disease spread from neighbouring countries and safeguard Namibia's FMD-free status and international export market access. The declaration does not indicate an outbreak in Namibia.
Vice president Lucia Witbooi praised ||Kharas region for transforming into an economic hub with significant progress in agriculture, agri-processing, mining, fisheries and tourism. She acknowledged ongoing challenges in industrial activity, water, sanitation and housing while noting government efforts through development projects at Noordoewer and Auas.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi called for collective responsibility and socio-economic transformation as Namibia marked its 36th Independence Day, emphasizing government priorities under the Sixth National Development Plan including agriculture, youth empowerment, education, and renewable energy, while acknowledging remaining challenges in housing, water, and sanitation.
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.
Namibia has declared a foot-and-mouth disease control area in the //Kharas Region near the southern border to maintain its disease-free status and safeguard access to international beef markets. The zone imposes strict controls on livestock movement, requiring veterinary permits, 30-day isolation periods, and biosecurity measures for visitors.
An opinion piece praises the 36th Namibian Independence Day celebrations held in all regions as a significant moment for national unity and a counter to factionalism and tribalism, noting that regional events reflect Namibian sovereignty and the freedom of movement that citizens have exercised since 1990.
The Gondwana ERP Black Rhino Sanctuary has achieved a major conservation milestone with the recent birth of a rhino calf, signalling that decades of ecological restoration and wildlife reintroduction efforts are succeeding. The sanctuary, envisioned as one of the world's largest black rhino reserves, now operates a fully functional anti-poaching unit and plans to offer guided rhino tracking experiences to guests.
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.
The government warns that invasive fruit fly species, particularly the oriental fruit fly, pose a growing threat to Namibia's horticultural sector and table grape exports along the Orange River. A workshop organised by the EU-funded Stosar II programme brought together stakeholders to strengthen pest surveillance, identification and control systems to meet international phytosanitary requirements and protect market access.
The Uis community is demanding N$300 million in compensation from Xinfeng, a Chinese-majority lithium mining company that operated illegally until operations were halted in November 2024. The community cites damage to ancestral graves and cultural heritage, environmental harm, and lack of community consent, and calls for transparent benefit-sharing, local employment, and legally binding safeguards before mining resumes.
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo reached 6.75 metres on 12 March 2026, significantly higher than the same date in previous years, with water overflowing banks into eastern floodplains. Namibia's Hydrological Services urged communities to remain on high alert and activate flood preparedness measures across multiple flood-prone regions.
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.
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo rose 3.05 metres in a week to reach 6.68m by Monday, March 9, 2026, significantly higher than the 2.06m recorded on the same date last year. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has warned surrounding communities to be cautious as the river overflows its banks into the eastern Zambezi floodplains.
The Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo is overflowing with water levels near 5 metres, a significant rise from levels recorded in February. The Hydrological Services of Namibia has called for intensified flood preparedness efforts in flood-prone areas including the Zambezi, Kavango, Kunene, and Orange River regions.
The National Plant Protection Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization held a capacity-building workshop in Aussenkehr to train horticultural farmers, especially table grape growers, on managing the Oriental Fruit Fly, which threatens Namibia's table grape industry along the Orange River and limits access to international markets. The workshop aimed to strengthen compliance with international phytosanitary standards and enhance export competitiveness through practical training and farm profiling.
Recent showers have revived southern Namibian rivers including the Orange River and Löwen River, with water levels forecast to rise further in coming days. The Hydrological Services warns communities along the Lower Orange River to remain cautious and take flood prevention measures, while some southern dams have also recorded slight increases in capacity.
A new book by historians Bernard Moore and Luregn Lenggenhager titled 'Space is the Ultimate Luxury' explores the competing interests of private conservation schemes, international capitalism, and ancestral land claims of the Bondelswarts Nama community in southern Namibia. The authors argue that modern conservation efforts, intended to rewild endangered species for wealthy tourism, continue a pattern of land dispossession that has constrained indigenous communities since colonial times.
According to Namibia's Hydrological Services Flood Bulletin, the country's rivers experienced minimal changes between 27 January and 3 February 2026, with some gaining water levels—including the Zambezi at Katima Mulilo (up 0.18m) and Kunene at Ruacana—while others declined, such as the Kwando and Kavango at Rundu.
Namibia has refused to approve Phase 2 of the South Africa-Lesotho Highlands Water Project, citing concerns about reduced downstream water flows on the Orange River and potential damage to its irrigation schemes, mining, and power projects. The ministry says the blockade will stand until South Africa commits to jointly developing the Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift Dam as a mitigation measure.