Despite the critical role agriculture plays and the persistence to continuously develop the sector in Namibia, it still contributes only about 6% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). This is while more than 70% of the population relies on it for their livelihoods. The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA)’s provisional census results announced recently show...
National
Zambezi freezer victims laid to rest
KATIMA MULILO – The adage ‘No parent should have to bury their child’ truly reflected the sombre and heart-wrenching mood during the memorial and burial of the four minors who recently tragically died in Katima Mulilo. Maureen Simataa (3), Variety Lubilo (6), Mwaka Muzimisa (4) and Chimbo Matengu (3) died last week after they suffocated...
Ipinge: I never left the party
WALVIS BAY – In a surprising move, Knowledge Ndunge Ipinge, an influential young politicianfrom Walvis Bay, has rejoined the Swapo Party. He previously ran as an independent candidate during the 2020 elections, and represented the Walvis Bay Rural constituency. In an interview with New Era, he said he has always remained affiliated with the party....
Redforce: Katutura residents demand answers
Rudolf Gaiseb Disgruntled members of the Katutura Residents Committee who were accompanied by Khomasdal activists, went to the Government Office Park on Wednesday morning, to demand an explanation regarding municipal debt write-offs and the removal of Redforce as a municipal debt-collector. Their demands, contained in letters delivered to the ministry, included the end of using...
Mbakera packs her bags for parliament…it was a leap of faith
Lahja Nashuuta When Marlayn Mbakera resigned from a well-paying job to stand as councillor in a by-election, eight months before the election, those close to her thought she had lost it. But she won the by-election. And she keeps on winning, with a seat in the next parliament a distinct possibility, as she rapidly rises through...
Illegal fences lock poor Omaheke farmers out
Zebaldt Ngaruka EPUKIRO – The chairperson of the Omaheke land board, Elias Tutu Muundjua, has said most of the region’s communal grazing areas are fenced off illegally by community members. He made these remarks in an interview with New Era during the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform’s visit to the region recently. Land...
Stop n Shop vendors ordered to clean up
To shape the future of vending activities in the Tukondjeni market, well-known as Stop n Shop, the City of Windhoek engaged the vending operators in that area regarding their operations. The City has instructed the vendors to clean the marketplace by next Sunday. The meeting aimed to find solutions for locating the vendors. It addressed...
Know your civil servants – Making the arts work for government
Lahja Nashuuta It is not every day that one gets to encounter a jack of all trades with enough intellectual fortitude to have mastered them all. And even when you do, the corridors of a government ministry are the last place that you will expect to run into such multi-talented individuals. Not because the government...
Opinion – Digital literacy for creative entrepreneurship
Namibia, a nation of breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural tapestry, is on the cusp of a digital revolution. At the heart of this transformation is the creative industry, a sector brimming with potential to drive economic growth and social change. To harness this potential, Namibian creatives must embrace the twin pillars of artificial intelligence (AI)...
Opinion – Intellectual side of Joseph Diescho
Joseph Diescho is a Namibian political scientist. He is an emeritus professor at the University of Bonn in Germany. Today, the name Joseph Diescho resonates with wisdom, knowledge or a commitment to intellectual pursuit. On the other hand, the name brings out controversies such as a self-imposed exiled Namibian, someone at loggerheads with the...