Namibia Minute.
24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Person

Sanet Steenkamp

Also known as: minister Sanet Steenkamp · minister · minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture · Mmamoloko Kubayi · Kubayi · Gwede Mantashe · Mantashe · Mmamoloko T Kubayi · Minister Kubayi · Minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp · Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Steenkamp · Education minister Steenkamp · Minister Steenkamp · Minister of Education · Dr. Sanet L. Steenkamp · Education Minister · Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture · the Minister of Education · Minister of Education Sanet Steenkamp · the honorable minister · Education minister Sanet Steenkamp · Sport minister Sanet Steenkamp · Dr Steenkamp · Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture · the education minister · Sport minister Steenkamp · ANC Chair

Education minister addressing exam improvements, creative sector development, university funding, NSFAF integration, and governance across education and sports sectors.

Politics

ANC demands members choose between party, SACP

The News

The ANC has given its members who also belong to the SACP a 10-day deadline to declare which party they will campaign for in local elections, after the SACP announced it would contest independently. The move highlights tensions within the historically intertwined alliance and poses practical complications for senior figures like SACP chairperson Blade Nzimande and ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe, both of whom hold ministerial positions.

17 hours ago · The Namibian →

Yesterday

  1. ANC demands members choose between party, SACP

    The ANC has given its members who also belong to the SACP a 10-day deadline to declare which party they will campaign for in local elections, after the SACP announced it would contest independently. The move highlights tensions within the historically intertwined alliance and poses practical complications for senior figures like SACP chairperson Blade Nzimande and ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe, both of whom hold ministerial positions.

    17 hours ago · The Namibian →

  2. Namibian ministers meet IOC president in Switzerland

    Sport minister Sanet Steenkamp and deputy minister Dino Ballotti met International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry in Lausanne to discuss strengthening Namibia's sport infrastructure, athlete empowerment, and Olympic collaboration with the Namibia National Olympic Committee.

    18 hours ago · The Namibian →

Tuesday 21 April

  1. Government plans N$5 million sports facility for Rehoboth

    Government will build a N$5 million sports facility in Rehoboth with a gravel athletics track, ablution facilities, and a pavilion seating approximately 350 spectators as part of the Basic Constituency Sport Infrastructure Facilities programme allocating N$10 million per region for 28 facilities nationwide. Residents have raised concerns about the location near an oxidation pond and cemetery, and questioned why a new facility is being pursued while an older stadium remains incomplete.

    21 April 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 15 April

  1. Education minister vows crackdown on recruitment corruption

    Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp has pledged to eliminate unfair and corrupt recruitment practices within her ministry, citing persistent complaints about favouritism, bias and lack of transparency. She stressed that all appointments must be fair, transparent and competitive, and called on senior managers to ensure hiring processes comply with established policies and ethical standards.

    15 April 2026 · New Era →

  2. Deputy minister presents youth, sports budget for 2026/27

    Deputy Minister Dino Ballotti presented the N$35.104 million youth and sports budget for the 2026/2027 financial year to the National Assembly, framing it as a strategic investment in Namibia's future given that 71.1% of the population is under 35. The budget allocates funds for youth skills training and entrepreneurship, the National Youth Service, sports development and infrastructure including N$140 million for basic sporting facilities across regions.

    15 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 12 April

  1. Ministry should recognise and reward Namibian writers

    A reader appeals to Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp to acknowledge and support Namibian writers working in fiction and non-fiction to preserve the country's culture and history, and suggests the government learn from how other nations reward their authors.

    12 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 3 April

  1. Government allocates N$2.53 billion to Unam and Nust universities

    The government has allocated N$2.53 billion to Namibia's two public universities for the 2026/27 financial year, with Unam receiving N$1.9 billion and Nust N$631 million, representing a 31% increase aimed at sustaining the rollout of subsidised tertiary education. The funding is intended to maintain affordability, expand higher education access through new campuses and hybrid learning, and support infrastructure projects including student accommodation and science facilities.

    3 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 2 April

  1. Zambezi floods displace households, strain services, worsen human-wildlife conflict

    Rising water levels in the Zambezi River during March displaced residents, caused loss of income, and isolated communities from schools and healthcare. The flooding has also intensified human-wildlife conflict as animals compete for reduced available land, with elephants damaging crop fields in some areas.

    2 April 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 1 April

  1. Minister calls for individual-based flood relief distribution model

    Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has urged the government to rethink flood relief distribution, arguing that assistance should be allocated based on the actual number of people affected rather than households, since "people don't eat as a household; they eat individually." He stressed that relief must include food security measures beyond clothing and temporary parcels and sustain communities until the next farming season, particularly given the severe crop losses affecting the Zambezi Region.

    1 April 2026 · New Era →

  2. Namibian universities launch EU-backed exchange programme

    Namibia's government has supported the SHINE programme, an international exchange initiative involving six local universities and two European partners in Germany and Spain, aimed at improving education quality, graduate employability, and research opportunities. The EU-funded project, running from January 2026 to December 2028, seeks to modernise higher education and position Namibia as a hub of academic excellence in southern Africa.

    1 April 2026 · New Era →

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