RFA, Otjiwarongo to rehabilitate and upgrade roads

The Otjiwarongo Municipality has entered into an agreement with the Road Fund Administration and the Roads Authority to rehabilitate and upgrade the roads in the town.

Residents of Otjiwarongo have over the years complained about the state of the roads, especially because they have very large potholes.

Since the town is situated on the B1 road, heavy cargo trucks have to go through the town, worsening the already existing potholes.

RFA donates vehicles to Otjozondjupa Regional Police

The Otjozondjupa Regional Police have received three brand new police vehicles from the Road Fund Administration (RFA) for the police stations of Okakarara, Grootfontein, and Otjiwarongo.

One of the vehicles has been mounted with the jaws of life equipment.

It will be temporarily stationed at Farm Sukses, south of Otjiwarongo, to assist until the emergency centre has been set up to cut response time between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja.

Otjozondjupa reports decline in road fatalities

As road carnage continues to claim the lives of Namibians at an alarming rate, Otjozondjupa Region, which is one of the accident-prone hotspot regions, has recorded a decline in fatalities and injuries to date as compared to 2022.

MVA's Regional Head of Accident and Injury Prevention, Daniel Mouton, shared this rather good development during the official launch of the 2023–2024 Otjozondjupa Festive Season Road Safety Launch at Otjiwarongo.

Mouton says this year alone, the region recorded 223 car accidents, of which 480 resulted in injuries and 45 fatalities.

Local businesses encouraged to enter joint ventures

Swapo Party Secretary General, Sophia Shaningwa, has called for the government and institutions to make more use of local investors to enable money to circulate within the country.

Shaningwa was speaking at a recent Swapo Party roundtable discussion at Otjiwarongo.

Shaningwa encouraged locals to form joint ventures with foreign companies for the mutual benefit of all.

Otjiwarongo explosives factory poses no danger

The Otjiwarongo municipality has assured the residents that the planned explosives factory northwest of the town will pose no danger to residents as it is located in an area where there are no plans for current or future developments.

The statement by town mayor Kandiwapa Shivute follows a daily newspaper report this week in which concerns were raised and objections made against the factory. Shivute says the Beifang factory will not be manufacturing explosive products but will use the site to store explosives for mining activities in the town.

Shivute to investigate allegations of job interviews conducted at night

Otjiwarongo Mayor Gottlieb Shivute on Wednesday promised to launch an in-depth investigation into allegations levelled against his council officials for reportedly conducting job interviews for cleaner positions Tuesday night.

Shivute, upon inquiry on Wednesday, told Nampa that he received complaints that 41 candidates were interviewed for 17 vacant cleaner positions at the municipality.

"I am now out of town, but once I return, I will definitely look into that allegation and establish for myself whether the matter is real or whether it is a mere rumour," he said.

Young mother commits suicide

A 21-year-old mother took her life after murdering her 5-year-old daughter at the old Ombili informal settlement at Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region on Saturday.

Police in the town were alerted to the crime between 16h50 and 17h00.

According to Regional Police Community Liaison Officer Maureen Mbeha, the deceased have been identified as Hileni Vemujendavi Virere and Winny Virere.

Mbeha says Hileni strangled her daughter to death, after which she proceeded to commit suicide with an electrical cord she tied to the roof of her shack.

Okahandja Circuit A wins regional school debating competition 

A regional school debating competition held in Otjiwarongo has seen Okahandja Circuit A emerge as regional winners with gold medals and a floating trophy.

The regional competition saw three teams compete neck-and-neck on different motions about Marine issues sponsored by Namport.


Okahandja Circuit A team, made up of three learners from different schools in Okahandja, will now form part of the regional team to head to the national finals scheduled for next month.

Okahandja Circuit B won silver medals, and Otjiwarongo Circuit B secured the bronze prize.