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

Also known as: South African market · South African · that country · Proteas · South Africans · South African rule · South Africa women's national football team

World & Region

Zambia government takes possession of ex-president Lungu's body

The News

Zambia's government has taken possession of former president Edgar Lungu's body, who died in South Africa in June, overriding his family's wishes for a private burial. A South African court previously ruled the government could repatriate the body for a state funeral, and the family's appeal has now lapsed, though they dispute this and have sought an urgent high court order to return it to the funeral home.

18 hours ago · The Namibian

Yesterday

  1. Zambia government takes possession of ex-president Lungu's body

    Zambia's government has taken possession of former president Edgar Lungu's body, who died in South Africa in June, overriding his family's wishes for a private burial. A South African court previously ruled the government could repatriate the body for a state funeral, and the family's appeal has now lapsed, though they dispute this and have sought an urgent high court order to return it to the funeral home.

    18 hours ago · The Namibian

  2. Zambia's government takes body of ex-president Lungu

    Zambia's government has taken possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa 10 months ago, despite the family's wishes for a private burial. A South African court last August ruled the government could repatriate the body for a state funeral, and the family's appeal attempt has lapsed.

    18 hours ago · The Namibian

Wednesday 22 April

  1. South African apartheid-era beauty queen and actress dies at 76

    Cynthia Shange, the first black woman to represent South Africa at Miss World in 1972, has died aged 76 following an illness. A trailblazer during apartheid and later a prominent film and television actress, she was honoured with a Life Time Achiever award in 2024.

    22 April 2026 · The Namibian

  2. Namibian cyclist Drikus Coetzee wins inaugural ultra-race

    Ultra-endurance cyclist Drikus Coetzee won the inaugural Race Across South Africa, a 2,000km event, in seven days, 12 hours and 3 minutes, setting a benchmark for the event. Despite the dominant victory in challenging conditions, Coetzee said he did not race at full capacity and plans to pursue the longer Rhino Run in October rather than defend his title.

    22 April 2026 · New Era

  3. SWAPO leader says armed struggle was only option available

    SWAPO Party's Ohangwena regional coordinator Fillemon Joshua said the Namibian people chose armed liberation struggle in the 1960s as a last resort after South Africa refused to grant independence and intensified repression of unarmed Namibians. Joshua spoke at a foundation-laying ceremony in Okongo on Monday, a day after SWAPO's 66th anniversary, describing the 23-year armed conflict that ended with independence in March 1990.

    22 April 2026 · Informanté

Tuesday 21 April

  1. Swapo marks 66 years; leaders warn history cannot secure future

    On Swapo's 66th anniversary, party leader Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that while the party's liberation struggle history is important, it alone cannot carry the party forward as people now expect tangible improvements in jobs, housing, healthcare, and education. Political analysts noted Swapo's waning electoral support over recent elections due to corruption and declining leadership quality, though the party remains the country's strongest with functional regional structures.

    21 April 2026 · New Era

Monday 20 April

  1. Telecom Namibia CEO apologizes for April network outages

    Telecom Namibia CEO Dr Stanley Shanapinda apologized for extended fixed and mobile internet service outages on 15–16 April 2026, caused by failure of two high-capacity international links to South Africa. He attributed the extended recovery time to structural vulnerabilities where legacy and modern network systems intersect, and announced plans to accelerate modernization programmes and upgrade border routing infrastructure.

    20 April 2026 · Informanté

  2. Gunners defeat Desert Foxes 7-1 in women's league

    The FNB Women's Super League showcased competitive football this weekend in Windhoek, with NDF Mighty Gunners FC defeating Desert Foxes FC 7-1. Despite the victory, coach Salome Iyambo expressed disappointment with execution, stating the team did not follow game plan and must improve positional discipline and purposeful movement.

    20 April 2026 · New Era

Saturday 18 April

  1. South African EFF leader Malema sentenced to five years imprisonment

    Julius Malema, leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters party, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the KuGombo Regional Court for unlawfully discharging a firearm at a 2018 public gathering in Mdantsane Stadium, with additional concurrent sentences on related charges. The prosecution argued the act was premeditated and posed serious danger to the 20,000 people present, while the defence contended the state misread evidence and that Malema should be treated equally under the law rather than receiving harsher punishment due to his public status.

    18 April 2026 · The Namibian

  2. Namibian mining towns struggle with economic diversification

    Towns like Oranjemund, Uis, and Kombat built around mining activity face the challenge of creating sustainable economies as mineral extraction ends. Studies have proposed tourism, agriculture, and garment manufacturing as alternatives, but limited community involvement and stakeholder alignment have weakened implementation efforts, requiring more inclusive approaches to secure long-term viability.

    18 April 2026 · The Namibian

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