Also known as: PDM
Opposition party in Namibia whose president McHenry Venaani has advocated on policy matters including natural resource beneficiation and uranium regulation.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
The Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement offered catchy slogan 'one constituency, one factory' explaining nothing
“The Popular Democratic Movement's catchy slogan of 'one constituency, one factory' explains nothing and is hardly a serious solution for unemployment.”
Should Namibians Vote?The Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) promises to build six mental health and rehabilitation facilities
“Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) says the party plans to establish 500 mobile healthcare clinics, while the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) promises to build six mental health and rehabilitation facilities.”
Namibia's election manifestos focus on universal healthcare, post-sexual trauma care, rehabilitation and mental healthThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe says the trend does not constitute vote buying
“Popular Democratic Movement secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe says the trend does not constitute vote buying.”
Electoral law prohibits food bribery: Political parties clash over enforcement ahead of electionsThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement says it would enforce a 'One Namibian, One Plot' policy if elected
“The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) says it would enforce a 'One Namibian, One Plot' policy if elected to power.”
Recycled promisesThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement plans to reform the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund
“Venaani said PDM plans to reform the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to provide these grants.”
Promises made at presidential debateThe Namibian
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) promised to build ten multi-purpose sport centres across the country by 2030
“PDM promised to build ten multi-purpose sport centres in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Keetmanshoop, Oshakati, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Opuwo, Otjiwarongo, Gobabis and Mariental by 2030.”
PDM, Swapo promises state-of-the-art sport facilities if voted into powerThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement promises to construct six rehabilitation and mental health facilities across six regions if voted into power
“Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani says the party wants to construct six rehabilitation and mental health facilities across six regions, if voted into power.”
PDM promises to build 6 rehab, mental health facilitiesThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement aims to reduce Swapo's influence in parliament to 40%
“He emphasised the party's aim of reducing Swapo's influence in parliament to 40%.”
‘It is time to kick Swapo out’ – VenaaniThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement held an elective congress where top six leaders retained positions following an elective congress held over the weekend at Katima Mulilo
“The top six leaders of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) have all retained their positions following an elective congress held over the weekend at Katima Mulilo.”
PDM’s top six retain leadership positionsThe Namibian
Popular Democratic Movement promised to tackle high unemployment rate by creating manufacturing factories
“Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani says they will tackle the high unemployment rate in the country.”
PDM manifesto promises manufacturing factories, green schemesThe resignation of former Popular Democratic Movement Khomas regional coordinator Joel Mutorua has sparked debate over whether Namibia's fragmented opposition can effectively challenge the ruling party.
7 hours ago · Namibian Sun →
The resignation of former Popular Democratic Movement Khomas regional coordinator Joel Mutorua has sparked debate over whether Namibia's fragmented opposition can effectively challenge the ruling party.
7 hours ago · Namibian Sun →
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 →
PDM president McHenry Venaani has endorsed the draft Nuclear Bill, arguing that Namibia should use its uranium resources to drive economic growth and value addition rather than export raw minerals. The government has concluded nationwide public consultations on the proposed legislation, which seeks to modernise the nuclear regulatory framework and establish three specialised institutions to oversee the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
20 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
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 →
PDM president McHenry Venaani has called on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to procure 1,000 high-yield dairy cattle and launch a comprehensive national dairy revitalisation programme centred on the Vhungu Vhungu Dairy Farm in Kavango East, citing food security, reduced import dependence, and job creation as aims.
15 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Members of Parliament have challenged the incoming Anti-Corruption Commission leadership to demonstrate independence and impartiality, with lawmakers warning that the institution's credibility depends on investigating corruption without fear or favour. Swapo MP Tobie Aupindi criticized the outgoing ACC leadership and alleged the commission had been weaponized to settle political scores and applied investigations selectively.
14 July 2026 · New Era →
The National Assembly unanimously approved Bryan Eiseb as director general of the Anti-Corruption Commission while lawmakers across parties warned the institution must pursue corruption without political interference and shed its reputation for allowing politically connected cases to go unpunished.
13 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Several opposition parties are refusing to approve Gerson Sindano's appointment as Electoral Commission of Namibia chairperson until parliament provides all documentation on his nomination, including interview minutes and selection committee recommendations. Opposition leaders also raised concerns that Sindano's previous role as a personal assistant to Swapo's secretary general could undermine the commission's independence.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Electoral Commission of Namibia leadership appointments have sparked a constitutional debate over Parliament's oversight powers. Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda demanded postponement of the vote on the President's ECN nominees until lawmakers are provided with recruitment, interview, and selection committee records, arguing MPs cannot exercise informed judgment without them.
10 July 2026 · New Era →
Health training institutions have called for a streamlined, harmonised accreditation system to reduce duplicate inspections and regulatory overlap. They cite long approval processes and a shortage of clinical training sites as obstacles to training health professionals.
6 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Nursing students at the University of Namibia are being turned away from some clinics because student numbers are growing faster than the capacity of health facilities to supervise clinical placements. Unam's executive dean told Parliament that overcrowding has become one of the university's biggest challenges.
4 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Lucia Iipumbu said the government has dispatched two teams to South Africa and identified safety shelters as xenophobic violence rises and about 100 Namibians seek repatriation from the Namibian High Commission in Pretoria.
3 July 2026 · Informanté →
PDM Member of Parliament Inna Hengari has raised concerns about the implementation and accountability of the Northern Communal Areas Price Equalisation Fund for farmers, calling for clear timelines, oversight mechanisms and structural safeguards. She submitted formal questions to the minister of agriculture on Wednesday regarding long-standing inequalities affecting northern farmers, including lower cattle prices and limited market access.
2 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Former finance minister Calle Schlettwein has warned that a new 11-member task force appointed to review state-owned enterprise salaries over three months will fail without strict implementation and broader structural reforms. He cited previous attempts that failed because SOEs regraded themselves to higher categories and a commission recommendation that was approved but never implemented.
1 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has apologised to Kunene Region public servants over delayed salary payments and rejected claims by PDM leader McHenry Venaani that the delay was politically motivated. Venaani alleged that the Minister of Urban and Rural Development had stopped regional employees' salaries over a dispute with the former Chief Regional Officer, questioning the legal basis for withholding public servants' pay.
1 July 2026 · Informanté →
PDM leader McHenry Venaani accused Swapo of political retaliation over delayed salary payments to 94 employees of the Kunene Regional Council, including four councillors, whose June salaries were blocked following intervention by the urban and rural development minister. Prime minister Elijah Ngurare denied deliberate withholding and attributed the delays to administrative and technical issues.
30 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The City of Windhoek says it may seek legislative amendments to the Local Authorities Act after the Supreme Court ruled the municipality lacks legal authority to provide telecommunications services. The city views fibre commercialisation as essential to its smart city ambitions.
25 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The Popular Democratic Movement has challenged the government to move beyond policy statements and deliver concrete progress on its natural resource beneficiation programme, with defined targets and evidence of economic impact. PDM MP Diederik Vries questioned the minister in the Presidency in Parliament, citing a lack of clarity on the strategy's real-world implementation and benefit to Namibians.
25 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare responded to opposition criticism about unhoused Angolan children visible at traffic lights across Namibia, stating the government has capacity to resolve the issue and noting that bilateral discussions are underway with the Angolan government.
24 June 2026 · Informanté →
Youth leaders and political commentators are calling for the National Youth Council to abandon candidate endorsements, following violence at a general assembly in Swakopmund that led to postponement of elections and resignation of the electoral committee.
23 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Violent clashes at National Youth Council leadership elections in Swakopmund on Saturday left nine young people injured and forced the suspension of the election. The violence, which broke out over disputes regarding delegate verification and the electoral process, prompted the resignation of the electoral committee and an estimated N$2 million in wasted public funds spent on transportation, accommodation, meals, and venue costs.
22 June 2026 · Namibian Sun →
The national assembly adjourned Wednesday after opposition parliamentarians clashed with speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila over her authorisation of the finance minister to speak on behalf of the prime minister. The editorial argues that repeated parliamentary disruptions reflect a failure of political leadership across parties and have prevented debate on critical legislation, including the petroleum bill.
21 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Opposition parliamentarians from the PDM, AR, and IPC challenged speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila on Wednesday over the manner in which she was conducting proceedings, with members arguing she was dismissing points of order without allowing them to be heard. The confrontation erupted after finance minister Ericah Shafudah was authorised to table and read a debate speech on behalf of prime minister Elijah Ngurare, a move strongly opposed by opposition parties.
17 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Environmental health practitioners and assistants across Namibia have petitioned the ministry of health and social services to review and upgrade their profession's grading structure, arguing that their qualifications and responsibilities are not adequately reflected in the current public service framework. The practitioners, who hold honours degrees and diplomas respectively, perform essential public health functions including food safety, water quality monitoring, sanitation, waste management, vector control, and disease surveillance.
16 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Churches and analysts have welcomed Namibia's proposed housing state of emergency, but caution that declarations alone will not address a backlog of over 300,000 homes. The Council of Churches in Namibia says the move must be accompanied by concrete measures, adequate resources, and clear implementation timelines, and calls for faster implementation of free residential plots and increased investment in land servicing.
15 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Members of parliament have called for stricter controls on microlenders' direct access to civil servants' salaries, arguing that such deductions worsen financial strain on public servants. The parliamentary economics committee heard concerns about excessive deductions and their effects on disposable income and mental health, with plans to meet with the Microlenders Association next week.
13 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The Minister of Agriculture has expressed concern over non-response from Joachim Rust, owner of Okamuru Farm in Waterberg, who is allegedly harassing and threatening to evict fifth-generation farm workers. The farm workers, whose history on the land predates the colonial period, report facing pressure including livestock confiscation and restricted movement since the farm's sale from the previous Schneider family.
11 June 2026 · Informanté →
Martha Imalwa, the acting prosecutor general, says she is looking forward to leaving office at the end of the year. The Judicial Service Commission has restarted recruitment for a substantive prosecutor general after none of the eight shortlisted candidates met the required standard in a written assessment.
11 June 2026 · The Namibian →
PDM MP Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo has submitted parliamentary questions to the minister in the Presidency regarding how State of the Region Address commitments are monitored and delivered. She argues that these addresses have become platforms for announcing ambitious projects without proper mechanisms to measure delivery or hold authorities accountable, and that many communities continue to face the same developmental challenges despite repeated promises of roads, schools, clinics, water infrastructure, and jobs.
11 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
People convicted of minor offences in Namibia are calling for amendments to laws allowing petty convictions to be removed from criminal records, arguing that permanent criminal histories prevent them from rebuilding their lives. The current Criminal Procedure Act of 1997 makes no statutory provision for expungement, leaving individuals barred from decent employment unless directly pardoned by the president.
10 June 2026 · The Namibian →