The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) is unclear about who among its 20 elected officials will occupy the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition next week. Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani is the current leader of the official opposition. It was natural for him to lead the opposition as the president...
The National Assembly has adopted a report from the Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration that urges government to expand social protection systems to safeguard informal traders. The report, which stemmed from a motion that was tabled in 2019 by Member of Parliament Agnes Kafula, seeks policy interventions to shield thousands of workers in...
Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) CEO John Steytler resigned yesterday, but dismissed any assertions that he may have left the position under duress. Steytler said he decided to step down with immediate effect after serving as the bank’s top executive for a year and six months. “On record, I was not forced,” he told New...
In less than a fortnight, both Namibia and the ruling Swapo Party will have a female captain – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. This will effectively consolidate both party and State power into the hands of Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is affectionately known by the moniker ‘NNN’ among Swapo supporters. Vice President Nandi-Ndaitwah will be sworn in as President –...
Outgoing leader of the official opposition in parliament and Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani said those writing his party off are in for a rude awakening. “It has become a trend in our country that every 10 years, there is a new official opposition (in Parliament),” Venaani said, referencing the years when DTA...
Legislators Veikko Nekundi and Tjekero Tweya have voiced concerns about the proposed Ombudsman Bill’s definition of human rights, which in the current form could serve a sinister agenda, they claim. Nekundi warned that without an explicit definition aligned with Article 144 of the Namibian Constitution, the bill could be exploited to advocate LGBTQ+ rights, questioning...
The Office of the President has come under scrutiny after the National Assembly Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts flagged irregularities in its financial management for the 2019/20 financial year. The committee’s report, tabled in the National Assembly recently, pointed to a range of financial discrepancies, including unaccounted-for expenditure and unauthorised budget overruns. The report...
Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab said the government is accelerating efforts to increase the number of courts in the country. She said the Office of the Judiciary has requested additional resources to improve magistrates’ conditions of service, and appoint more magistrates to enhance efficiency and access to justice. Dausab’s remarks are in response to concerns raised...
The longest-serving Ombudsman and legal expert John Walters is thrilled to witness the motivation of the Ombudsman Bill in Parliament, which seeks to grant autonomy to the office. It is a legislative reform he had fought for in over 17 years while leading that institution. “That was the most wonderful news I have heard in...
A contentious debate is set to unfold in the National Assembly following a bold motion by Landless People’s Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Utaara Mootu. It calls for the expropriation of land from foreign absentee landlords without compensation. Mootu’s motion challenges the principles of property rights protected under Article 16 of the Namibian Constitution, which guarantees people...