The Executive Director of Education, Arts, and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, says that the world has been in a learning crisis since before COVID-19, and Namibia is no exception.

Steenkamp says that the literacy crisis in the county is far worse than previously thought, with the discovery that only one out of three learners can read.

She revealed this during the 2024 Nedbank coastal budget review breakfast meeting at Swakopmund.

Namibia's port of Walvis Bay is a town experiencing rapid population growth from individuals in search of greener pastures.

However, the hopes of many to find employment here are, more often than not, dashed.

Vendors come from all corners of the country to sell their arts and crafts to passersby at the southern gate of the Namibian Ports Authority.

This is their surest means to sustain their livelihoods, they say.

It costs to endure all manner of weather, from the scorching sun to the cold breeze from the Atlantic Ocean.

The two coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund plan to attract more investors to ensure that they develop in a way that will grow employment opportunities. 

Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes says the town's municipality plans on expanding its boundary to create a conducive environment for foreign investors to put money into infrastructural development.

Forbes says job creation is not the mandate of the council; however, what they can do is make sure value addition takes place in the port city of Walvis Bay to secure more jobs.

The holiday season has officially ended, and parents across the country have been hitting the road since the start of the week to drop off their children at school.

As the 2024 academic year commences for schools nationwide, little boys and girls are eager to start their first day of preprimary education.

Although the first day of school can easily evoke fear and tears in both parents and learners alike, there were mostly happy faces in many schools in Erongo Region.

Erongo Governor Neville André has called on the three re-elected mayors of the coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, and Henties Bay to expand their services to the residents in anticipation of high urban-rural migration this year.

This André was highlighted during an interview with nbc News.

Andre says rural-urban migration has placed local authorities under pressure and is making it difficult to meet the increasing demands for basic services as a result of the high influx.

Murder suspects Quanito van Vuuren and Moses Sem made their first appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on charges of murder, rape, and robbery.

53-year-old Vernon John Gavin was found murdered at his home.

Gavin was raped, killed, and robbed at his house in Banker Close Fairways at Walvis Bay on the 30th of December.

His phone was traced to the suspects.

Quanito van Vuuren and Moses Sem, both 20 years old, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The Police Unit Commander for Community Affairs in the Erongo Region, Inspector Ileni Shapumba, has raised concern about guardians who drink around their children, saying they are likely to follow suit.

Inspector Shapumba says, apart from other efforts being made, churches also have a role to play in teaching people moral values.

Celebrations during the holidays are a time when some people are more likely to drink beyond their limits than at other times of the year.

To address the housing backlog, the government has handed over 4000 housing units since the inception of the Mass Housing Development Programme in 2014, up to July 2023.

The MHDP commenced with projects at 21 sites around the country.

Today, in addition to that number, an additional 89 recently completed houses were officiated by President Hage Geingob at Swakopmund.

The new hydrogen project at Dâures Green Hydrogen Village plans to become the largest food producer in Namibia.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Jerome Namaseb, says the project will set up a one-hectare greenhouse facility that will produce 500 to 600 tonnes of agricultural produce throughout the year.

The Dâures Green Hydrogen Village is based in the Dâures, a constituency of approximately 11,000 inhabitants.

The project has the ambition to produce 31 metric tonnes of hydrogen and 109 metric tonnes of ammonia per year during the first phase.

The Swakopmund Municipality has started to install security CCTV cameras at 15 identified crime hotspots.

This comes after the community raised concerns about the increasing crime in the coastal town.

At a recent meeting, Swakopmund residents fed up with crime asked the municipality to intervene.

Residents are particularly concerned about their safety and security, especially on dedicated paydays like the 20th, 25th, and 30th, where criminal activity spikes.

“We cannot sleep at night 12th, 1, 2, 3, and then you hear people screaming for help.”