The Namibian government is set to receive a N$1.5 billion loan from the German Development Bank (KFW) to support several water projects aimed at easing the country’s water crisis.

Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah announced the loan agreement in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Muveve Clinic, located near Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region's Musese Constituency, will soon benefit from a newly constructed ablution facility, addressing long-standing sanitation challenges.

Members of Namibia’s National Council have voiced strong concerns about the rising cost of electricity and the slow pace of rural electrification, urging that rural communities receive the same priority as urban areas and proposing the adoption of solar energy solutions.

Members of the National Council are calling for a complete ban on hubbly bubbly (also known as hookah), vapes and other similar products, citing rising usage among school children and health concerns.

National Council MP Emma Muteka has stressed the importance of continuing to train and provide learners with the necessary skills relevant for job creation starting from a young age. 
 

The Chairperson of the National Council Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT, and Youth Development says while progress has been made in creating job opportunities for young people, challenges, such as limited funding, continue to hinder youth empowerment efforts.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, acknowledged the government's progress in addressing water challenges but emphasised that urgent needs remain, particularly in rural areas.

Some Members of Parliament in the National Assembly have voiced serious concerns about illegal fishing activities in the country’s ocean waters, the lack of investment commitment by quota beneficiaries, and the failure of local communities to benefit adequately from marine resources. 

Several Members of Parliament have criticised the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism for what they describe as discriminatory hunting regulations, a failure to combat poaching effectively, and a lack of local beneficiation.

Deputy Prime Minister Natangue Ithete says efforts are being made to bring to book people who stole diamonds worth more than N$300 million from NAMDIA.

Ithete was responding to questions from PDM Leader McHenry Venaani about the progress of investigations into Namdia's robbery.