UNICEF Regional Director Etleva Kadilli has commended the Namibian government for championing children's rights.

The UNICEF Director, who paid a courtesy call on President Hage Geingob at Swakopmund, says prioritising education is the best strategy any government can adopt to ensure a bright future for the country.

President Geingob informed the UNICEF delegation that after independence, Namibia invested in the sector, but that success has now led to a high number of unemployed graduates.

The National Road Safety Council's yearly holiday season campaign kicked off today with a gathering of road safety stakeholders in Swakopmund, in the Erongo region.

The campaign runs from today until January 17, 2024, across the country, with a specific focus on the B1 and B2 highways.

There were 67 recorded deaths over the preceding holiday season, with over half of those deaths being linked to speed-related car rollovers.

The Erongo Governor says that the African continent is estimated to be losing about N$750 billion annually—money that could have been used for development through illicit financial flows and other forms of organised crime.

Neville Andre said this during the annual workshop of the heads of anti-corruption agencies in the SADC region.
Andre says that corruption is a global problem that is not unique to a single continent or region.

Businesses in Swakopmund are being urged to improve their security measures.

The directive was issued during a safety and security meeting aimed at addressing safety concerns in the town.

The town's mayor, Dina Namubes, says that while people feel safe wherever they live, work, or spend their free time, this is not the situation in Swakopmund.

Namubes notes that gang-infested neighbourhoods are becoming a growing concern for communities, with the safety of learners, parents, teachers, and tourists at stake.

One of the major social ills affecting Namibians, according to the Gambling Board of Namibia, is gambling addiction.

Director of Health and Social Services, Sandra Owoses, highlighted this at a training workshop at Swakopmund aimed at equipping social workers with skills to tackle gambling addiction.

According to Owoses, gambling addiction strains a person's social well-being and has an impact on their finances, relationships, physical health, and mental health.

One person died while six others were treated for what is suspected to be food poisoning at Swakopmund.

The police, however, said the exact cause of the poisoning is unknown, as the postmortem will only be conducted tomorrow.

According to the police report, the family of seven, between the ages of two and 30, prepared dinner on Saturday of porridge, oshikandela milk, and already-cooked pieces of chicken bought from a local supermarket.

It is alleged that in the early morning hours of Sunday, the wife went to the bathroom because of stomach pain.

Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo says people are frustrated and unsatisfied with delays in court cases.

Lieutenant General Shikongo has called on police officers and public prosecutors who are attending a five-day workshop at Swakopmund to serve the public with integrity. According to the Head of Namibian Police, members of the public, ranging from street vendors to farmers, have been calling him to complain about the snail's pace at which court cases are concluded.

A social athlete and activist against the use of harmful drugs has called for a coordinated effort to stop drug abuse in Namibia.

Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (nbc) employee Martha Namhadi says the fight against drug abuse should be a collective one. Namhadi spoke to nbc News after participating in the 10-kilometre FNB/Seawork Marathon at Swakopmund. The seasonal marathon runner says rooting out drug abuse requires a collective effort from individuals, families, communities, and organisations.

The Swakopmund Municipality, through the Mayoral Development Fund, has donated N$200,000 to all schools in Swakopmund.

Mayor Dina Namubes believes education is an important tool to eradicate poverty.

The donation was handed over at a ceremony attended by all the beneficiary schools.

Swakopmund has 20 public and private schools.

Over the year, the Mayoral Fund donated N$1,000 to each of the schools, which is to become an annual contribution to the awarding of the best performers.

Unlicensed taxis and tour operators are becoming a threat to the cruise liner tourism industry at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

Stakeholders report that tourists arriving via cruise ships frequently encounter disturbances from unauthorised operators competing for transportation and tour opportunities.

Representatives from the passenger cruise liner industry and other relevant stakeholders met in Swakopmund to address the obstacles hindering the sector and collaboratively devise viable solutions.