The Zambezi Regional Council is ready to host the 34th Independence Celebration for the first time since independence.

Zambezi Governor, Alufea Sampofu, says all logistics have been put in place, and the established Regional Preparatory Committee is hard at work to ensure that come March 21st, it's all systems go.

The Zambezi Regional Council is ready to host about 10,000 people at the Katima Mulilo Sports Complex, and Sampofu is looking forward to hosting the guests.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism continues to discourage the use of plastic bags until they are eliminated. 

This is because of their harmful impact on the environment.

In this regard, the ministry launched the 4th Sustainable Development Awards to discourage the use of plastic bags.

In 2019, the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprise made amendments to the Act, introducing an environmental levy of 50 cents on all types of plastic bags.

The Act aims to discourage the sale and use of plastic bags.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has described the late President Hage Geingob as a person you could learn from every day, especially on administration matters.

Shifeta says he vividly recalls when he met the late President Geingob in 1989 at a social function in Windhoek. 

He says that although at first, he saw the late as a strict, serious, and unapproachable man, his initial thoughts were actually proven wrong when he got to know him and became a personal friend.

There is a global concern regarding the disappearance of wetlands over the last century.

The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism says wetlands have been disappearing at an alarming rate of three times faster than forests.

Wetlands are characterised by ecosystems that are primarily covered with water.

These can be both freshwater, marine, or coastal, and even man-made sites such as rice paddies, reservoirs, saltpans, and fishponds. 

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has recorded 85% compliance with the provisions of the Environmental Management Act.

Executive Director Teofilus Nghitila says a total of 1,600 applications for Environmental Clearance Certificates were received during 2022–2023.

The Environmental Management Act was enacted to ensure the protection of the environment.

The Act identified a number of activities that have the potential to harm the environment and therefore cannot be undertaken without an environmental clearance certificate.

The Windhoek High Court has dismissed former managing director of the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), Zelna Hengari's, N$7.5 million civil suit.

Hengari approached the High Court, suing N$7,5 million in reputation damages from her former employer.

The former NWR boss sued the parastatal over statements pertaining to a press statement the board issued on April 5, 2018, which was published in various local newspapers.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, announced on Monday the appointment of a new board of directors for the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), with effect from November 1, 2023, to October 31, 2026.

They are Janette Fourie as chairperson to be deputised by Olavi Hamwele, and Ally Karaerua, Maggy Mbako, Nguvitjita Zatjirua, Efraim Nkoshi, and Rachel Nathaniel-Koch as members.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism and stakeholders handed over N$37 million in project funding, grants, and equipment to various conservancies in the Zambezi Region.

Of the N$37 million, N$20 million is intended for poverty-oriented support for community conservation, while N$17 million is directed towards community livelihood development and wildlife conflict management.

Two projects are co-financed by Germany and the Namibian government.

The Khwe community living in Bwabwata National Park is frustrated with the government for taking so long to recognise its traditional leadership.

The community has been trying for the past 26 years to have its leadership recognised.

 
It's an issue that has been dragging on for more than two decades.

The Khwe say the lack of traditional representation means they have lost their dignity on top of having already lost their ancestral land.

Twelve upcoming farmers in the Zambezi Region received livestock through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism's integrated landscape approach for enhancing livelihoods and environmental governance to eradicate poverty.

A total of 48 cattle were handed over, mainly to women, youth, and people with disabilities from Machita, Mubiza, Bukalo, Kalimbeza, Malindi, Kabbe, and Lusese areas.