Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is projected to moderate in 2024, primarily due to subdued global demand, coupled with drought conditions. In its latest economic outlook, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) forecasts the domestic economy is projected to grow by 3.5% in 2024, a slowdown from the 4.2% growth recorded in 2023. “This projection,...
Year: 2024
Opinion – US’s persistence of global inequality
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has long faced criticism for its inequitable structure, particularly its concentration of power among the permanent five (P5) members: the United States (US), Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom (UK). Namibia, like many other nations from the Global South, has called for significant reforms to address this imbalance....
Opinion – Lessons from Namibiaís elections and anti-corruption efforts
Namibia’s recent elections, held on 27 November 2024, brought key issues to the forefront – not just logistical delays and extended voting hours, but deeper challenges tied to trust in institutions. Voters queued for hours, frustrations ran high, and questions arose about the effectiveness and robustness of our systems. While the Electoral Commission of Namibia...
Unfriendly polling stations irk disabled voters
Lahja Nashuuta AMINIUS – Various voters with disabilities have taken a swipe at the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) over alleged unfriendly polling stations for their special needs. Several people with disabilities who spoke to this publication said it was a nightmare for them to access voting centres and cast their votes. This is because...
Drought drives Kunene voters to polls
KUNENE RIVER MOUTH – Persistent drought has become a critical factor which drove voters in the Kunene region to participate in this year’s elections. Many residents, particularly at the Kunene River Mouth and Opuwo Rural constituency, cited the ongoing food insecurity as their primary motivation to vote. Hitezeza Tjambiru, a farmer from Okakora, admitted that...
Amupanda: Elections not free and fair
Namibians across the country cast their votes in the general elections from 27 to 30 November, with partial results already being released. However, the aftermath has been marred by dissatisfaction from several political parties, including the Affirmative Repositioning (AR), led by Job Amupanda. At a media briefing yesterday, he expressed concern over the transparency and...
Angula replaces Smuts on Supreme Court bench
Iuze Mukube Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula was officially sworn in to serve as a judge of the Supreme Court yesterday. He replaces retired Supreme Court jurist Justice Dave Smuts. Chief Justice Peter Shivute officiated at the ceremony. “Justice Angula joins the Supreme Court bench after an impressive tenure at the High Court, where he...
Nishimaki, FAO visit Musese agricultural project
Sawi Hausiku NKURENKURU – Japanese ambassador to Namibia, Hisao Nishimaki and Food and Agriculture Organisation Country Representative Qingyun Diao visited vulnerable households at Musese village in the Kavango West Region on Friday. Nishimaki revisited one of the beneficiary households he visited two years ago, where that time he identified the necessity of assisting the family....
San communities armed with rights
Lahja Nashuuta GOBABIS – The San community residing in the Omaheke region’s Gobabis and Vergenoeg this weekend received training on justice and human rights-related matters. The five-day training that commenced on Friday to Sunday was delivered by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), in collaboration with the European Union. Corinna van Wyk, the lead project coordinator...
SADC PF calls for rights-based approach
Moses Magadza The secretary general of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) Boemo Sekgoma has underscored the need for a rights-based approach in the global response to HIV and AIDS. In a statement released as the world commemorated World AIDS Day under the theme, ‘Take the rights path: my health, my right!’ she expressed the...