Also known as: Supreme Court in Angola · US Supreme Court · Supreme Court of the Republic of Namibia · Supreme Court in Windhoek · Supreme Court of the United States
Namibia's highest court, which hears appeals on constitutional, criminal, and administrative matters affecting the nation.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Supreme Court
Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
New Era
Supreme Court ruled against a swath of Trump's global duties
“Fresh US tariffs on imported goods came into effect yesterday, as president Donald Trump moved to rebuild his trade agenda after the Supreme Court ruled against a swath of his global duties.”
New US tariffs take effect … new duty only lasts for 150 days unless extended by CongressNew Era
Supreme Court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in using a 1977 law to impose sudden tariffs on individual countries
“The conservative-majority court ruled six to three that Trump had exceeded his authority in using a 1977 law to impose sudden tariffs on individual countries.”
New US tariffs take effect … new duty only lasts for 150 days unless extended by CongressThe Namibian
Supreme Court issued decision striking down many of Trump's previously imposed tariff duties
“He also pledged to continue to push ahead with his broad tariff regime, even in the face of last Friday's Supreme Court decision striking down many of the duties he had previously imposed.”
Analysis: Trump issues patriotic rallying cry as he faces tough political headwindsNew Era
Supreme Court ruled much of Trump's tariff policy illegal in a 6-3 decision
“President Donald Trump raised the global duty on imports into the United States to 15% on Saturday, doubling down on his promise to maintain his aggressive tariff policy a day after the Supreme Court ruled much of it illegal.”
Trump hikes US global tariff rate to 15%The Namibian
Supreme Court received petition for expedited hearing on unpaid severance dispute
“Former Air Namibia employees petitioned the Supreme Court yesterday, requesting an expedited hearing in a dispute over unpaid severance payments that have been pending for almost five years, following the airline's liquidation.”
Former Air Namibia employees remain unpaidNew Era
Supreme Court received a petition from former employees requesting to either expedite or dismiss an appeal application by airline liquidators
“Former employees of Air Namibia, which ceased operations and was liquidated in 2021, handed a petition to the Supreme Court yesterday.”
Ex-Air Namibia employees petition Supreme CourtThe Namibian
US Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a case questioning the president's legal authority to impose the levies
“Separately, Trump's tariffs are also facing legal scrutiny as the US Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a case questioning the president's legal authority to impose the levies.”
US House votes to overturn Trump's tariffs on CanadaThe Namibian
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Namibia was formally opened in 1990
“Through his visionary leadership, Article 78 of the Namibian Constitution enshrined the independence of the judiciary, and in 1990, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Namibia was formally opened.”
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at the Opening of the 2026 Legal YearInformanté
Supreme Court bid farewell to two judges through retirement
“This, Shivute said, is exacerbated by the retirement of two Supreme Court judges, whilst the High Court also bid farewell to two judges.”
Namibian judges buckling under the caseloadThe Namibian
Supreme Court ruled Namibian Competition Commission acted unlawfully by delegating power to start price-fixing investigation to its secretary
“The Supreme Court has ruled that the Namibian Competition Commission acted unlawfully by delegating its power to start a price-fixing investigation in the pharmaceutical sector to its secretary.”
Supreme Court slams NaCC for unlawful delegation in PSN pharmacy price‑fixing sagaThe Namibian corrects that Turki Nghipondoka, third respondent in a Development Bank of Namibia Supreme Court appeal, is the sister of businessman Vaino Nghipondoka, not his wife.
20 October 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibian corrects that Turki Nghipondoka, third respondent in a Development Bank of Namibia Supreme Court appeal, is the sister of businessman Vaino Nghipondoka, not his wife.
20 October 2026 · The Namibian →
The Development Bank of Namibia has secured a Supreme Court appeal judgment against businessman Vaino Nghipondoka and his sister Turki for N$26.48 million. The court found that a July 2023 settlement between DBN and two of Nghipondoka's companies did not release him and his sister from liability for a N$15.9 million property finance loan obtained by Growmax Agri-Fertilizer in May 2017, for which they had entered into written suretyship agreements.
19 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's financial regulator NAMFISA recorded a comprehensive deficit of N$31.3 million for the year ended 31 March 2026, reversing a prior surplus of N$46.5 million, primarily due to an N$83.6 million legal charge arising from the Van Straten Supreme Court judgment. The authority recorded total income of N$343.1 million against expenditure of N$371.5 million during the year.
14 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah praised the late former Chief Justice Gert Johannes Cornelius Strydom for helping build an independent judiciary and strengthen Namibia's constitutional institutions during the formative years of independence. Strydom's contributions to the administration of justice and upholding of the rule of law shaped the country's legal system, with speakers at his State funeral on Friday honouring his lasting legacy.
12 October 2026 · New Era →
The Windhoek High Court has set aside the mining licence granted to Chinese-owned Xinfeng Investment in September 2022, finding that the company's licence application contained misleading information that materially affected the former mines minister's decision. The court referred the application back for reconsideration, but the company has instructed its lawyers to appeal to the Supreme Court.
7 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Retired chief justice Johan Strydom, who died at age 88, provided indispensible leadership that helped shape Namibia's judiciary after independence in 1990, Chief Justice Peter Shivute said at a valedictory court session. Strydom, the first judge president of the High Court after independence and the country's third chief justice, helped transform the legal system from one built to repress into one built to protect.
1 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Former Chief Justice Johan Strydom, who died on 25 September 2026 at age 88, was honoured at a valedictory court session for his role in establishing post-independence judicial principles of dignity, equality, access to justice, and administrative fairness during his nearly four-decade career.
1 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Supreme Court refused a petition to hear an appeal by driver Jandré Dippenaar against his murder convictions and 15-year prison sentence for a fatal collision near Henties Bay in December 2014 that killed six people. The conviction was Namibia's first murder prosecution for a road accident rather than culpable homicide.
28 September 2026 · The Namibian →
A decades-long land dispute involving four families in the Zambezi region has reignited, with the Masubia tribal court warning that renewed confrontations could result in injuries or death. The traditional authority, saying the matter has moved beyond its jurisdiction, summoned the families with police and security present in September 2026, but the meeting became confrontational.
22 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Justice and labour relations minister Wise Immanuel told parliament that same-sex couples cannot legally marry under Namibian law. He clarified that a May 2023 Supreme Court judgment allows recognition of same-sex marriages concluded outside Namibia for immigration purposes only, and does not legalise same-sex marriage within the country. Parliament passed legislation in 2024 defining marriage, though it has not yet been operationalised.
16 September 2026 · The Namibian →
A WhatsApp message circulating on social media falsely claimed the High Court had ruled in favour of same-sex marriage in Namibia. The office of the judiciary and the ministry of justice and labour relations have clarified that same-sex marriage remains illegal in Namibia.
16 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Justice Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel clarified that same-sex marriage is not currently legal in Namibia, following National Assembly comments suggesting a court ruling had legalized it. He explained that a May 2023 Supreme Court judgment concerned recognition of same-sex marriages concluded outside Namibia for immigration purposes only, and that the Marriage Act No. 14 of 2024 defines marriage as a union between persons of opposite sex, though it has not yet been operationalized.
15 September 2026 · Informanté →
The US Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump's plan to restrict mail-in voting before the midterm elections, upholding a federal judge's order temporarily blocking new US Postal Service requirements for postal ballots. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the ruling but signaled he might later rule in Trump's favour as the case continues.
15 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Central Procurement Board of Namibia cancelled a competitive tender for a veterinary cordon fence to combat foot-and-mouth disease two weeks after awarding it, then hand-picked the second-place bidder a week later. The Namibian editorial warns that such abrupt cancellations undermine transparency, expose the state to costly litigation, and raise questions about accountability in government procurement.
13 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Six former Members of Parliament have sued the Popular Democratic Movement, National Assembly and Electoral Commission of Namibia, claiming N$1.5 million each in lost salaries, allowances and other benefits after they were allegedly unlawfully excluded from Parliament in 2020. The group, known as PDM6, argues they were duly nominated and elected to the National Assembly but were subsequently removed.
11 September 2026 · New Era →
Spanish intelligence alerted Moroccan and Ceuta authorities on 29 July of social media calls for a mass migrant crossing the next day, according to declassified government documents. The revelations contradict Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's claim that tens of thousands of migrants entering on 30–31 July were unpredictable, though opposition parties say the government misled Spaniards about the scope of the warning.
10 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Supreme Court has ordered Air Namibia's liquidators to recalculate amounts owed to 81 former employees for accumulated leave, annual bonuses, severance pay, and notice period pay, and to pay the difference between recalculated amounts and payments already made in December 2022. The court upheld the liquidators' appeal regarding the interpretation of "remuneration" under employment agreements.
7 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the Central Procurement Board and Ministry of Education, upholding a High Court decision that set aside a multimillion-dollar tender for supplying food to government school hostels. The court found the procurement process unlawful because the board continued proceedings after the 180-day bid validity period had expired.
6 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Supreme Court upheld a High Court judgment canceling a multimillion-dollar school hostel food supply tender for government schools across Namibia's 14 regions after the Central Procurement Board and Ministry of Education appealed the decision. The tender was found to have irregularities, including the exclusion of a bidder for failing to provide an English translation of an Afrikaans-language supporting document.
4 September 2026 · Informanté →
Chief Justice Peter Shivute said professional demands on judicial officers must not come at the cost of their health, and emphasized a close relationship between judicial well-being and proper administration of justice. His remarks came at an event marking the UN-proclaimed International Day for Judicial Well-being on 25 July.
25 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Chief Justice Peter Shivute has called for greater institutional responsibility for the well-being of judicial officers and support staff, warning that individual resilience cannot indefinitely compensate for heavy workloads, inadequate support and demanding working conditions. He stressed that judicial stress should not be stigmatised and that the well-being of judicial officers is closely linked to the proper administration of justice.
24 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was moved back to prison on Friday after doctors at an Islamabad hospital deemed him "medically fit" following an examination ordered by the Supreme Court. Khan was examined by a team of qualified doctors including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician; the court order also allowed him to see his family, including his sister who visited him in prison.
21 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Kunene Regional Council's 2026/27 budget has remained frozen since March due to a legal dispute over the reinstatement of chief regional officer George Kamseb, leaving the council unable to pay utilities and halting operational and capital projects. The council is only managing to pay staff salaries through a monthly arrangement involving two finance officials travelling to Windhoek, and is awaiting the Supreme Court's pronouncement on the matter.
18 August 2026 · The Namibian →
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 →
The Windhoek High Court has ordered the Namibia Airports Company to reinstate PUMA Energy on the premises of Eros and Ondangwa airports so it may resume aviation fuelling services, following NAC's alleged lockout of PUMA employees in March 2026.
13 August 2026 · Informanté →
Entrépo Finance, a microlender that relied on government payroll deductions for civil servants, has stopped granting new loans after the Ministry of Finance ended its payroll deduction management system in November. The company, 55.5% owned by Capricorn Group, has retrenched close to 20 employees and has not approved a new loan in more than six months, according to sources.
6 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb has been nominated to serve on a Tanzanian presidential commission of inquiry investigating violence that followed Tanzania's October 2025 general elections, following a request from Tanzanian authorities for a Namibian High Court judge to join the commission.
5 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Petrus Damaseb, Namibia's deputy chief justice, has been nominated to serve on a Tanzanian presidential commission of inquiry investigating post-election violence following Tanzania's 2025 general elections. The Judicial Service Commission said Damaseb's judicial and administrative experience made him suitable for the sensitive role, and arrangements will be made to ensure his Namibian judicial duties continue without disruption.
5 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Twenty-five US states have sued the Trump administration over tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, including the UK, China, and the European Union, imposed in July citing forced labour concerns. The coalition of Democratic states argues the tariffs are "arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law," while the White House defends the duties as lawful action against unreasonable trade practices.
4 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia was not included among 60 economies investigated by the United States over concerns about forced labour in imports, according to a US presidential memorandum issued on 23 July. The exclusion means Namibia faces neither the proposed 12.5% ad valorem tariff nor the lower 10% tariff rate that apply to investigated nations.
28 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →