Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus on Friday revealed that Cabinet approved the strengthening of the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council.

The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting held on 08 July 2025, Theofelus said during a Cabinet briefing session at the Government Information Centre in Windhoek.

She added that Cabinet also supports the regulatory council’s addition of staff to improve its operational efficiency.

The council came under fire recently after alleged irregularities regarding the sale of unlicensed medicines and medicine theft surfaced. Health Minister Esperance Luvindao has since indicated in Parliament that she had written a letter to the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the alleged irregularities.

This was after the leader of the Affirmative Repositioning movement, Job Amupanda, alleged in a Parliament session that the council has no legal practitioner.

“It is a fact that no legal practitioner was appointed. It is also a fact that medicine was stolen from Central Medical Stores and sold back to the same stores. The thieves are in America enjoying themselves,” Amupanda alleged last month.

Theofelus in her briefing further noted that Cabinet has taken note of Namibia’s participation at the 4th Africa Health Exhibition and Conference that happened in June 2025, in Cairo, Egypt.

“Cabinet also supports the same ministry to mobilise resources to implement proposed initiatives,” she said.

She further revealed that a report on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s introductory visits to Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania directs the ministries of Trade, Agriculture, Finance, Works, Education, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board to take the required action on agreements with their counterparts.