Namibia's head of mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ambassador Simeon Uulenga, is confident that the DRC elections to be held tomorrow will be credible.

Uulenga says that Namibia enjoys sound relations with the DRC dating back to pre-independence and will continue to do so, regardless of who wins the presidential race. 

The DRC is a major trading partner of Namibia in Southern Africa, owing much to the tripartite agreement between Namibia, Zambia, and the DRC, which gave birth to the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) assured the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that elections will be held on Wednesday.

With just under 44 million registered voters, the 2023 ballot will see a combined 100,000 candidates compete on a presidential, legislative, and provincial level—almost three-fold more than 2018's 35,000 candidates.

26 candidates are vying for the presidency, while 27,000 will look to secure one of the 500 seats in parliament.

The SADC Electoral Observation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Presidential, Legislative, and Provincial Elections was launched in Kinshasa on Saturday.

This is in line with Article 3 of the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, which provides that SADC shall observe all general elections held in its member states.

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security Cooperation appointed former Vice President of Zambia, Enoch Kavindele, as the Head of Mission.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congolese voters will elect their new president alongside parliamentary, regional assembly, and local council positions on December 20.

nbc's reporter, Ndishishii Hamufungu, took to the streets of Kinshasa ahead of next week's elections.

This bustling Kintambo Mangasin is a locality in Kinshasa.

Here, like in the rest of the capital, billboards, regardless of the size, house campaign material all over the place.

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, has accused the opposition of being in cahoots with rebel groups in the country's conflict-stricken east.

The DRC has been plagued by conflict in the North Kivu province, and Tshisekedi, who is seeking re-election in next week's vote, has repeatedly accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of backing the M23 rebels.  

Tshisekedi this week went a step further and accused the opposition of also forming part of this alleged plot.

There is a need for accurate and timely climate data collection in order to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Climate data integrates climate models and forecasts information on what the future will look like and how the climate will evolve depending on the path of greenhouse gas emissions.

Namibia and Botswana have agreed to reduce roaming charges between the two nations by February of next year.

During a joint media briefing, Botswana's Minister of Communication, Knowledge, and Technology, Thulagano Segokgo, announced that regulatory bodies in both countries will direct operators to enact this decision.

This reciprocal visit follows Namibian Minister of Information and Communication Technology Dr. Peya Mushelenga's visit to Botswana earlier this year, which emphasised the commitment to strengthen existing bilateral ties.

The Skeleton Coast Pan African film, shot in the Namib Desert, has provided much-needed jobs and experience for young Africans.

nbc News met some of the people involved in the creation of the epic thriller film, featuring stars from South Africa, Namibia,Nigeria, Ghana, and the seasoned American actor Eric Roberts.

The Skeleton Coast film, which was partly shot at the NWR Terrace Bay resort, has provided a platform for young Africans to practise their passions and talents on a larger scale.

Members of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) met with officials of Televisão Pública de Angola (Public Television of Angola),  or TPA, to discuss a strategy that will allow content sharing between the two parties.

SABA President and nbc Director General Stanley Similo spoke at the event.

Namibia is aiming to improve on its top 30 freedom of the media world rankings by Reporters Without Borders.

The Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology's Executive Director, Dr. Audrin Mathe, said this at a special award ceremony of the International Festival for Freedom of Expression and the Press (FILEP) in the capital of Burkina Faso, where Namibia was crowned Champion of Press Freedom in Africa.

Namibia had been occupying the top spot consistently over the years and until 2021 before being toppled by the Seychelles last year.