The Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Frans Kapofi, has urged the top echelon of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) to implement strategic policies aligned with modern defence technology.

Minister Kapofi made these remarks while addressing a defence annual review conference at Swakopmund.
Kapofi stated that it is high time for the NDF to expand and manifest itself within the scope of modern technology, calling it a paradigm shift in fighting evolution. 

Being a parliamentarian is more than just attending sessions or reviewing pieces of legislation.

The buzzword now is 'parliamentary diplomacy' and it is expected of MPs to be knowledgeable about domestic and international relationships.

It is for this reason that National Council MPs are being equipped with skills related to diplomacy, protocol, and etiquette at Swakopmund.

The training workshop is being attended by National Council MPs and law enforcement officials.

The Namibian government is concerned over the mushrooming of traditional authorities, leadership succession battles, and disputes amongst traditional authorities.

Vice President Nangolo Mbumba highlighted the concern when he opened the 24th Annual Meeting of the Council of Traditional Leaders on behalf of President Hage Geingob at Swakopmund.

The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund raised more than N$1.6 million towards the Festive Road Safety Campaign.

The campaign will begin this week on November 17th and run until January 15th.

The pledges were made by different corporate companies as a contribution to road safety and eventually a reduction of road fatalities.

Among the sponsors are the Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC), Bank Windhoek, B2Gold, and Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL).

Africa has regressed in attaining commitments made in the 2008 Declaration on Accelerating the Achievement of Water and Sanitation Goals. 

This is according to Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, who officially opened the 7th Africa Sanitation and Hygiene Conference at Swakopmund.

The five-day conference is a platform for technical and political dialogue with governments and stakeholders to address sanitation and hygiene challenges in Africa.

The local authorities of Swakopmund and Oranjemund have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing innovative solutions to residents' problems.

Housing development, tourism, and investment promotion, as well as waste management, are among the focus areas of the agreement.

Through the five-year agreement, the Swakopmund Municipality and Oranjemund Town Council will rely on exchanging information and expertise to improve service delivery to the public.

Erongo Region Education Forum Chairperson Benneth ||Khaibeb lashed out at teachers in the region, whom he said have lost passion for teaching and have instead become salary collectors.

||Khaibeb voiced his concerns during the Erongo Regional Improvement Strategic Plan review meeting at Swakopmund recently.

Earlier this year, the members of the education forum visited schools to evaluate the quality of education in the region.

||Khaibeb says one of the critical issues the forum picked up was that teachers lack an understanding of the guiding principles.

Over 30 houses belonging to Shack Dwellers Federation members in Swakopmund's Mondesa suburb have been electrified with solar energy.

The houses were electrified through the Towards an Inclusive Design Renewable Energy Transition (TIDRET) project that is being implemented by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF).

The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) and Erongo Red signed a memorandum of understanding for the rollout of the project.

The TIDRET solar electrification project piloted in the Erongo Region is core-funded by the GIZ and the European Union.

Another devastating fire broke out in Tulinawa, Swakopmund's Mondesa residential area, leaving 23 residents homeless after about six dwellings burned to ashes.

The fire was caused by a gas stove explosion, and fortunately, there were no reported casualties or injuries in the incident.

The windy weather conditions caused the fires to spread rapidly, resulting in the destruction of shacks built from highly flammable materials such as wooden boxes, plastic, and hardboard.

In Swakopmund, 108 houses under the Mass Housing Programme have been handed over to residents by the government.

The structures are part of the 300 mass housing houses, which were abandoned for seven years over payment disputes.

Handing the houses over to beneficiaries at Matutura, the Urban and Rural Development Minister, Erastus Uutoni, stressed that collaboration is required to successfully deliver land and housing.