Also known as: Orange River at Blouputs · Orange River at Sendelingsdrift · Orange River Irrigation Project
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Orange River
Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Namibian
… According to weather data compiled using Meteologix Icon model charts, widespread rainfall is expected this week in most regions, including the Khomas region, although the Namib Desert stretch between Walvis Bay and the Orange River, as well as parts of the Omaheke region, may re …
‘We don’t even know where to start’The Namibian
Widespread rainfall is expected across the country this week, excluding the stretch of Namib Desert between Walvis Bay and the Orange River, and parts of the Omaheke region. …
Widespread rainfall expectedThe Namibian
… The region has recorded significant progress across key sectors, including the expansion of export-oriented agriculture along the Orange River, most notably table grape production in Aussenkehr, and agri-processing linked to the Naute and Neckartal dam projects, alongside continu …
Lucia Witbooi marks Independence Day commemoration in KarasburgNew Era
… 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 …
//Kharas has immense potential — VPThe Namibian
… 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. …
FMD control area established in ||KharasThe Namibian
… 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 …
Vice president hails ||Kharas region for economic growthInformanté
… Photos: Vice President of Namibia Witbooi also praised the progress made in the //Kharas Region, citing developments such as the Keetmanshoop Vocational Training Centre, the expansion of agriculture along the Orange River, and infrastructure projects improving water, sanitation, …
Vice President Witbooi calls for unity and inclusive development on Namibia’s 36th Independence DayInformanté
… 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 …
North-eastern rivers continue to riseInformanté
… 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 …
Foot-and-mouth disease control area declared to protect beef exportsInformanté
… 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. …
CELEBRATIONS UNUSUALOfficials say the Orange River veterinary cordon fence will be continuously maintained and patrolled by veterinary personnel and law enforcement agencies.
20 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Officials say the Orange River veterinary cordon fence will be continuously maintained and patrolled by veterinary personnel and law enforcement agencies.
20 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Namibia has begun clearing work on a 155 km veterinary cordon fence along the Orange River from Homerevier to Velloorsdrift, part of a wider emergency procurement project estimated at N$122 million intended to contain a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the ǁKharas Region. Construction is expected to take four months, though rugged terrain and potential land loss to farmers present challenges.
15 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani visited Karasburg Veterinary District to inspect Foot-and-Mouth Disease control efforts, commending teams working at roadblocks and calling for additional support and night enforcement. The ministry confirmed construction of a veterinary cordon fence along the Orange River has commenced with completion expected in four months, and containment-zone fence work expected to begin this week.
13 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Two men drowned in the Orange River at Noordoewer while travelling by canoe; one body was recovered on the South African side and is being repatriated to Namibia, while the other remains missing. The incident sparked community unrest, including violence against the survivor and damage to state property.
13 October 2026 · The Namibian →
The High Court reprimanded the Central Procurement Board of Namibia for failing to provide proper reasons for cancelling a veterinary cordon fence tender, dismissing an urgent application to stop construction. The ruling came as Namibia confirmed a new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak at Kalala Island in the Zambezi Region, with all 12 cattle samples tested positive on 7 October.
12 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Construction of a veterinary cordon fence along the Orange River in ||Kharas has started to control a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that has affected 17 farms since last month; the fence is expected to be completed within four months, and a separate containment zone fence construction is expected to begin this week.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Commercial farmer Adriaan Louw has rejected social media allegations linking him to Namibia's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, saying the claims are "entirely false and without factual basis." He denied smuggling infected animals, illegal vaccination, or introducing the disease, noting that the first positive case was detected on his mother's farm during a routine inspection and that positive cases have since been identified across a wide geographical area.
11 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Adriaan Louw, a commercial farmer whose mother's farm at Graswater in ||Kharas was the first to detect foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) last month, denies allegations that he smuggled livestock into Namibia or illegally vaccinated animals. The outbreak is Namibia's first in the primary commercial livestock zone in 60 years, and as of 5 October had reached 127 cases across 15 farms.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's High Court has approved the government's emergency procurement process for a veterinary cordon fence on the southern border intended to protect against foot-and-mouth disease, while criticising the Central Procurement Board's handling of the original tender that was abruptly switched to a new contractor in September.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani confirmed the government will vaccinate rather than cull cattle affected by foot-and-mouth disease, as the effective window for culling (24 to 48 hours after detection) has passed. The response will involve cordoning the affected area and a vaccination campaign, with 100,000 doses already available.
8 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani told Parliament that Cabinet will vaccinate cattle affected by the Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak in Karasburg rather than cull them, citing scientific advice that culling is most effective within 24 to 48 hours of detection. About 100,000 vaccine doses are available, with officials arranging cold storage closer to the affected area.
7 October 2026 · Informanté →
Opposition leader Panduleni Itula has called on the government to publish a fully costed recovery plan for the Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak, including funding details, fencing milestones, and emergency contracts. The call follows a procurement dispute over a veterinary cordon fence along the South African border, with the estimated containment requirement at N$190.2 million.
7 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
OvaHerero and Nama descendants in South Africa have petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa and the German Embassy, seeking inclusion in negotiations over the 1904–1908 genocide and discussions of reparations and historical redress, arguing the genocide's effects extend beyond Namibia's borders.
6 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
OvaHerero descendants in South Africa have petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa to support their calls for justice and reparations over genocides committed by Imperial Germany between 1904 and 1908, citing ongoing land dispossession, forced displacement, economic marginalisation, and cultural disruption.
3 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Simonis Storm estimates the Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak could result in approximately 12,000 job losses across 2026 and 2027, reduce real GDP growth to 2.0% in 2026, and add up to 0.29 percentage points to inflation in the fourth quarter of 2026. The outbreak could cost government about N$1.80 billion in 2026 and 2027, with severe consequences for rural Namibia and agricultural communities.
28 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
A nationwide suspension of livestock movement, trade and slaughtering following Foot-and-Mouth Disease detection in the //Kharas Region has left kapana vendors and families preparing customary events uncertain about cattle slaughter for lobola and funerals. Lawyers representing Affirmative Repositioning's Job Amupanda have demanded clarification from the acting agriculture minister on the scope and legal basis of the restrictions.
25 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Central Procurement Board of Namibia has been accused of using the threat of foot-and-mouth disease as justification for abandoning the competitive tender process and awarding a N$122.08 million veterinary cordon fence project to Punchu Trading CC through emergency procurement instead of the original awardee, Homefin; CPBN says the disease situation in South Africa was deteriorating faster than anticipated and required urgent action.
17 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
China Jiangxi International (Namibia) in joint venture with Homefin Properties CC, originally ranked first for a N$123 million veterinary cordon fence tender, has launched a High Court challenge against the Central Procurement Board's decision to cancel the tender and award it to a rival bidder, alleging irregular and potentially corrupt conduct.
14 September 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Experts question the Central Procurement Board of Namibia's decision to cancel a competitive tender for a N$122-million veterinary cordon fencing project that attracted 23 bids, then award it via emergency procurement to a different contractor. A political analyst says the cancellation could expose the board to legal challenges and create the impression of bias toward a particular bidder.
13 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Central Procurement Board of Namibia cancelled a N$127 million tender for veterinary cordon fences along the South Africa border and awarded the contract via emergency procurement to a company that had failed in the competitive bidding process, raising concerns about transparency and procurement integrity.
9 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia imports approximately 96% of the fruit consumed within its borders, almost entirely from South Africa, representing lost jobs, taxes, and processing opportunities that could benefit the domestic economy rather than neighbouring nations.
27 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Informanté's Flipside column argues that Namibia's constitution affirms the middle of the Orange River as the border with South Africa, and that while the two countries have been negotiating the boundary since 1991, no South African government has been willing to sign the agreement promised at Independence. The writer calls for Namibian unity in defending this sovereignty.
23 July 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia and South Africa failed to resolve their decades-old dispute over the Orange River boundary during the fourth Binational Commission in Pretoria. Namibia contends the border should run through the middle of the river under modern international law, while South Africa maintains it follows the northern bank under the 1890 Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty; President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the matter will now be handled directly with South African President Ramaphosa.
20 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Presidents Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Cyril Ramaphosa concluded the Fourth Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission, ordering officials to move from treating agreements as paperwork to delivering tangible projects. The countries agreed to introduce a digital balance scorecard system to track implementation, with defined timelines and accountability measures.
20 July 2026 · New Era →
Namibia and South Africa have advanced efforts to resolve their long-standing Orange River boundary dispute, with a joint committee of experts' report submitted to the fourth session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission. President Nandi-Ndaitwah described the report as an important milestone on a matter unresolved for more than three decades.
17 July 2026 · The Namibian →
PDM leader McHenry Venaani has urged President Nandi-Ndaitwah to use her visit to South Africa to push for resolution of the long-standing Orange River boundary dispute with South Africa. Venaani says the dispute has remained unresolved since independence and requires urgent political attention, and that he has tabled a motion in the National Assembly calling for the matter to be debated.
17 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The long-standing Orange River boundary dispute between Namibia and South Africa remains unresolved despite renewed commitments and bilateral engagement. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed hope the issue will be resolved urgently to provide legal certainty for future generations at the closing of the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission in Pretoria.
17 July 2026 · Informanté →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called for deeper economic cooperation between Namibia and South Africa in energy, trade and regional development while opening the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission Summit in Pretoria, and urged resolution of the long-standing Orange River boundary issue.
17 July 2026 · Informanté →
The government is rolling out a N$1.5-billion fencing project in the ||Kharas region to protect Namibia's foot-and-mouth disease-free status as outbreaks spread in South Africa and Botswana. The veterinary fencing aims to strengthen FMD defences, create buffer zones, and protect beef exports to markets like the European Union and China.
12 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to construct a veterinary cordon fence along the Namibia–South Africa border to safeguard the livestock sector and prevent the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, with contractors invited to bid by 14 July 2026. The fence is intended to control livestock movement across the border and reduce the risk of transboundary animal diseases that could have serious economic implications for Namibia's livestock industry.
10 July 2026 · Informanté →