Patience Makwele

Also known as: Roide David

2026-04-302026-08-21

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

June 2026
17 JunWindhoek Observer
Patience Makwele has warned Namibia faces a defining test as the country moves closer to oil production
Source
“Patience Makwele Oil industry executives have warned that Namibia faces a defining test as the country moves closer to oil production, arguing that discoveries and foreign investment alone will mean little unless the sector translates into jobs, skills and economic opportunities for ordinary Namibians.”
Oil industry experts warn Namibia must prepare for boom
4 JunWindhoek Observer
Patience Makwele has no substantive information in article
Source
“Patience Makwele A leadership dispute within the SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL) in Kavango East has escalated after the regional executive committee suspended a senior youth leader pending an investigation”
Leadership succession battle rocks SPYL Kavango East

Mining & Energy

Cabinet approves Namibia's upstream petroleum local content policy

The News

Namibia's Cabinet has approved the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy, designed to increase Namibian participation across the petroleum value chain through local business development, employment, skills transfer, and procurement access. The government aims to move from exploration to production between 2026 and 2030, prioritising local employment, suppliers, and skills development.

22 hours ago · Windhoek Observer →

Yesterday

Cabinet approves Namibia's upstream petroleum local content policy
Namibia's Cabinet has approved the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy, designed to increase Namibian participation across the petroleum value chain through local business development, employment, skills transfer, and procurement access. The government aims to move from exploration to production between 2026 and 2030, prioritising local employment, suppliers, and skills development.
22 hours ago · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 19 August

Government cancels N$39.5m agriculture AI system deal
The government has cancelled its agreement with US-based 6th Grain Corporation for an AI and satellite imagery-driven crop monitoring system. The agriculture ministry said the review found the agreement did not meet required legal and procedural requirements.
19 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Ministry to consult on driving school and instructor regulations
The ministry of works and transport will conduct nationwide stakeholder consultations from August 2026 to March 2027 on proposed regulations for driving schools and instructors aimed at improving driver training quality and road safety. The framework will address instructor certification and competence, standardised training, consumer protection, and requirements for training vehicles and facilities.
19 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Windhoek court provisionally withdraws N$4m Zambezi corruption case
Prosecutors have provisionally withdrawn a long-running corruption case against six Zambezi Regional Council officials at the Windhoek High Court, following a previous withdrawal in October 2024. The case concerns alleged corruption involving more than N$4 million in capital projects in the Kongola constituency.
19 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia revises procurement thresholds, expands entity participation
More than 80 public entities gain broader procurement authority under Namibia's revised regulations effective August 4, 2026, aimed at reducing administrative delays, decongesting central procurement, and expanding supplier opportunities. The changes raise procurement thresholds to reflect current economic conditions including inflation and currency depreciation.
19 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
MPs warn Mental Health Bill needs resources, rural access
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.
19 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 18 August

Namibia launches N$17.5m creative sector plan for 470 jobs
Namibia's government has formalised a N$17.5 million Local Content Plan expected to create approximately 470 direct jobs and support film production across all 14 regions through a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture and information and communication technology. The funding will finance a national soap opera, two limited television series, 14 regional short films, and a film production equipment access programme, as part of a broader N$50 million government allocation to creative industries programmes.
18 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Monday 17 August

Cabinet approves PAMA to manage commercial public assets
Namibia's Cabinet has approved the establishment of the Public Assets Management Agency of Namibia (PAMA), a state-owned company intended to strengthen transparent and efficient management of the country's commercial public assets. The government's immovable assets are valued at about N$47.4 billion, comprising approximately 9,640 properties including land, housing, clinics, prisons, hospitals, and schools.
17 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Saturday 15 August

Namibia launches digital learning platform for rural youth
The Namibia Learning Passport, launched by the ministry of education in partnership with UNICEF, provides digital and offline access to learning materials for young people in rural and underserved communities to develop skills relevant to education, employment and entrepreneurship.
15 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Youths urged to engage actively in community development
During International Youth Day commemorations in Keetmanshoop, youth leaders called on young people to take active roles in shaping their communities and preparing for opportunities in technology, innovation and new industries. Officials emphasised that youth outside major centres should have access to platforms for participating in Namibia's development.
15 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Friday 14 August

Namibia raises N$700,000 for Cuba, renews embargo opposition
Namibian people and organisations have raised over N$700,000 through a humanitarian campaign to support Cuba, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah renewing calls for the complete and unconditional lifting of the US economic embargo against the Caribbean nation. The funds will be used to deliver medical supplies and solar-panel kits for electricity generation to Cuba.
14 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
High Court rules NAC must allow Puma to resume airport fuelling
The Windhoek High Court has clarified that an earlier order restoring Puma Energy Namibia's possession of airport facilities at Eros and Andimba Toivo ya Toivo airports also required the Namibia Airports Company to allow Puma to resume its aviation fuelling business. Acting judge James Devittie found that restoring physical possession alone was insufficient, and that the April order covered both corporeal possession of the premises and the incorporeal aspect of operating the fuelling business.
14 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Thursday 13 August

Police intensify enforcement on B1, B2 during holiday period
Namibian Police have launched an integrated road safety operation running from 12 August to 10 September, focusing on the B1 and B2 national road corridors following 279 deaths in 1,747 road crashes between January and August 2026. The operation will deploy twenty dedicated Traffic Law Enforcement Officers and target speeding, drunk driving, reckless driving, and vehicle safety violations.
13 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 11 August

Robben Island political prisoners' remains to be repatriated to Namibia
The remains of Festus Nehale and Simon Petrus Niilenge, former Robben Island political prisoners, are set to be exhumed in Cape Town this week, more than 50 years after their deaths. They are among 84 other Namibian human remains identified in South Africa for repatriation to Namibia, with South Africa's sport minister formally handing them over to Namibia's education minister.
11 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Minister's warning on foreign cultural influence divides analysts
Minister James Sankwasa warned against foreign cultural influence in Africa, questioning the adoption of trends like Brazilian hairstyles and artificial nails at the Olufuko Cultural Festival gala dinner. Analysts remain split: one supports his concerns about globalisation weakening local practices, while another cautions against framing cultural identity as a binary choice between "African" and "foreign."
11 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Monday 10 August

Nine-month-old found dead in shrubs near Omitara home
A nine-month-old girl disappeared from her home in Omitara, Omaheke region, early Saturday morning while her mother briefly left the house. The baby was later found dead in shrubs about 30 minutes' walk from the house, with a cloth tied around her mouth and wrapped in heavy clothing; police investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.
10 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 9 August

Police investigate N$60 900 unauthorized bank transfer in Tsumeb
Tsumeb police are investigating a suspected fraud case after N$60 900 was allegedly transferred from a complainant's FNB account without permission while he slept on the night of 6–7 August. The complainant reported receiving no requests for banking details, card numbers, or one-time passwords.
9 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Friday 7 August

IPC queries legal basis of ACC chief's two-month extension
Opposition politician Imms Nashinge has questioned the legality of outgoing Anti-Corruption Commission Director-General Paulus Noa's reported two-month tenure extension, arguing it bypassed Parliament and may constitute executive overreach. Nashinge says Parliament approved Bryan Eiseb as Noa's replacement and a one-year extension for deputy director general Erna van der Merwe in July 2026, but Noa's additional time was granted during parliamentary recess without parliamentary involvement as required by the Constitution and Anti-Corruption Act.
7 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibian data scientist publishes debut memoir to inspire youth
Monica Tangeni-Omua, a Namibian philanthropist and data scientist, has published her debut book, A Village Girl with a Mighty God, a memoir drawing from her experiences growing up in Omundi village in northern Namibia amid poverty and loss. The book, launching at Avani Windhoek Hotel on 15 August with sold-out tickets, aims to encourage young people to persevere through life's challenges by reflecting how faith, resilience and personal growth shaped her journey to a corporate career.
7 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Young Namibians urged to sustain Geingob's governance legacy
At the inaugural Dr Hage Geingob Town Hall Conversation at the University of Namibia, speakers called on young Namibians to become custodians of late President Geingob's governance legacy by strengthening institutions, defending constitutional values, and demanding accountable leadership. The newly established Dr Hage Geingob Presidential Centre aims to preserve Geingob's ideas through research, documentation, and public dialogue.
7 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Three Namibian boxers win medals at Glasgow Commonwealth Games
Namibia's boxing team delivered medal success at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Tryagain Morning Ndevelo winning silver and Mischa Monique Araes and Philip Pumulo Mutakela Haoseb each claiming bronze. The athletes received a heroes' welcome at Hosea Kutako International Airport and were recognised with monetary rewards totalling N$195 000 under the government's sports reward policy.
7 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Thursday 6 August

Namibia Air receives five-year operating licence
Namibia Air has received its Air Operating Licences valid for five years from 6 August 2026, enabling the national carrier to acquire aircraft and begin operations. The airline's first commercial flight is expected during the first week of December.
6 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Woman denied bail in Angolan domestic worker murder case
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.
6 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
HPV linked to 98% of cervical cancer cases in Namibia
An estimated 98% of cervical cancer cases in Namibia are linked to persistent HPV infection. The Cancer Association of Namibia calls for greater uptake of HPV vaccination and routine cervical screening, noting that Namibia records about 453 new cervical cancer cases annually—nearly three times the global average—and that cervical cancer remains the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among Namibian women despite being largely preventable.
6 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
N$132m hostel project aims to solve Grootfontein school placement crisis
A N$132 million hostel under construction at Otjiwanda Secondary School in Grootfontein is intended to ease secondary school placement pressure by providing accommodation for learners from remote communities. The facility, expected to be completed in 2028, will include separate boys' and girls' hostels, staff houses, a kitchen and dining hall, and sports facilities to address the challenge of learners securing school places but lacking suitable accommodation.
6 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 5 August

Judge rejects recusal bid in girlfriend murder trial
High Court judge Dinah Usiku ruled that Roger Beeth (36), accused of murdering his girlfriend Bertha Witbooi in March 2023 and obstructing justice, had failed to establish reasonable apprehension of bias against her. The judge found no grounds to recuse herself from the trial and allowed proceedings to continue.
5 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 4 August

Aging sewer system exceeds capacity in Katima Mulilo
Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa says Katima Mulilo's sewage crisis stems from an aging sewer system designed decades ago for 10,000–15,000 people that has not kept pace with the town's growth. The overflowing infrastructure threatens public health and the town's tourism ambitions ahead of the Zambezi Bream Festival.
4 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Government launches breastfeeding reforms amid low exclusive rates
Namibia's Health Ministry has announced a nationwide rollout of the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" across health facilities after a 2024 survey found that only 49% of infants aged zero to five months are exclusively breastfed and early weaning onto inadequate foods is driving malnutrition and childhood illness.
4 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Monday 3 August

Driver killed, 90 cattle die in Western Bypass crash
A truck carrying cattle overturned on Windhoek's Western Bypass in the early hours of Monday, killing the driver and about 90 cattle. A second truck carrying juice also overturned nearby, injuring at least one person.
3 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Friday 31 July

Young Namibian describes vaping addiction leading to serious lung condition
A 27-year-old Namibian man shares his story of vaping addiction that began during Covid-19 lockdown and progressed to repeated hospital admissions and a serious lung condition, despite warnings from doctors about the dangers, particularly given his pre-existing asthma.
31 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →