Erasmus Shalihaxwe African Stars FC and Young African FC will each receive N$1.7 million from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for their participation in the 2025/26 inter-club competitions. CAF recently  announced that the financial support for teams in the preliminary round has increased from N$850 000 to N$1.7 million.  The funds will cover expenses such as travel and accommodation. African Stars will face Vipers FC from Uganda in the Champions League preliminary round, while Young African from Gobabis will play Royal Leopards from Eswatini in the Confederations Cup.  The first leg for both ties will take place from 19 to 21 September 2025, with the return legs scheduled for 26–28 September. The second preliminary round will be played from 17 to 19 October and 24 to 26 October 2025.  Winners will advance to the group stage starting on 21 November 2025. The knockout phase begins on 13 March 2026. African Stars are preparing for a pre-season tournament at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek from 23 to 24 August 2025. Clubs participating include Petro Luanda from Angola, Lioli FC, and AS Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo. African Stars chairman Salom Hei said the club has a five-year strategy, launched in 2023, to participate in the CAF Champions League.  “Since 2025 is the third year of the strategy, the club plans to reach the group stage,” he said.

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Namibia Swimming Federation (Nasfed) president Riaan Steyn has cautioned the public and media against over-hyping athletes who participated in the swimming competition for Angola’s 50th independence celebration held in Luanda last weekend. Namibia’s team performance was seen as exceptional, finishing with the most gold medals and being declared the overall winners of the competition.  They collected 22 gold, 10 silver, and five bronze medals. Angola followed with 18 gold, 17 silver, and 30 bronze medals. South Africa came third with nine gold, seven silver, and one bronze medal. A total of ten teams took part in the event, including Zambia, Cape Verde, Mozambique, a team from Portugal, and various invited Angolan teams. Despite the strong performance, Steyn urged for perspective on the competition level and warned against creating unrealistic expectations for the athletes. “Dear all, from a Federation point of view, we are extremely proud of the swimmers that took part in this invitational competition and agree that their performances were exceptional. We do not take part half-heartedly in any competition, nor do we send athletes who are unable to perform,” said Steyn. “We, however, need to gain some perspective on the level of the competition and, as a precaution, warn and please ask the media not to over-hype our athletes’ performances, as this can be detrimental to them as well. Media must also note that this was not a national team but a federation team (although they performed like a national team),” he added.

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibia Industrial Development Agency (Nida) has failed to explain why Naute Kristel Distillery, a wine-producing farm owned by a private tenant, continues to receive free raw materials from the Naute Irrigation Project. This is according to a report by the National Council Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Economy on agro-projects across the country.  The committee found that the distillery receives free grapes and dates from the Naute Irrigation Project, along with free water and electricity.  The Naute Irrigation Project, managed by Nida, is located about 50 kilometres southwest of Keetmanshoop, in southern Namibia. It lies just below the Naute Dam wall. The project began in 1990, with the first date palms planted in 1991.  The project established itself as a commercial agricultural enterprise.  It mainly grows dates and grapes, with pomegranates and prickly pears produced in smaller amounts. Grapes are harvested between November and January, and dates are picked from February to May. The committee report follows media reports suggesting that produce not fit for export or local markets is used to make liquor and gin for export at the distillery. The committee, chaired by Peter Kazongominja, said many Nida projects are in poor shape. During visits to Nida sites in the //Karas Region, the committee found widespread neglect and vandalism.  The committee stated that Nida’s failure to pay for water and electricity led to the abandonment of many projects. The Naute Irrigation Project runs on a monthly petty cash fund of N$5,000.  The committee said this amount is too little to cover basic farming needs. In the Otjozondjupa Region, the committee found no running water at the Biomass Project in Otjiwarongo, the Otjiwarongo SME Park, and the Omulunga SME Park in Grootfontein.  Nida’s non-payment led to the suspension of water services.  A warehouse storing animal feed, maize grain, and feed crushing machines at the Biomass Project has remained open and unsecured since the committee’s last visit in 2023.  Other machines were kept in an old, unsecured building outside the project site. At the Manjeha Crocodile Farm in the Zambezi Region, the committee noted that the National Youth Service had built a new fence in September 2024 at a cost of N$1.25 million.  The fence was meant to protect the farm from wild animals and vandalism.  Despite this, the project appeared abandoned, with broken lights, damaged roofs, and incomplete buildings. In Kavango West, the committee noted some progress since their 2023 visit.  The farm now receives a steady supply of diesel, cattle feed, medicine, N$5,000 monthly petty cash, and two new vehicles.  About 98 to 99% of the cattle are tagged. But the committee found only 52 bulls for 4,001 cows, far below the recommended one bull per 25 cows. Kazongominja said the poor state of infrastructure and weak management across Nida projects show an urgent need for better oversight and improved resource allocation.

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Former National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) secretary general, Josef Kauandenge, says Nudo’s constitution does not prevent him from forming another party while remaining a fully fledged Nudo member. Kauandenge recently announced the formation of the Association for Localised Interests (ASOLI), where he serves as president.  Despite this, he stressed that he is still a Nudo member.  He represented Nudo in both the City of Windhoek local authority council and the national assembly. “I still stand by the position that I’m still a Nudo member, although I have started an association. Perusing through the party constitution, I could not find any clause that prevents me from starting an association. If the party wants to expel me, so be it, but they first have to prove their case through an appropriate disciplinary process where the Audi Alteram Partem legal process will be guaranteed,” said Kauandenge. Kauandenge told Windhoek Observer that while some ASOLI members may come from Nudo, the association appeals to all Namibians.  “If there are NUDO members who want to join us, I would not say no; it’s their democratic right as well,” he said.  Kauandenge aims to run for the Windhoek city council again, and he emphasised his commitment to serving the poor.  “There is nothing different I will do at the City of Windhoek should I be elected. I have always championed the plight of the poor and will continue to do so as I did when I was a councillor. I will continue to advocate for those who do not have a voice and will work to address the many socio-economic problems facing our people in the city of Windhoek,” he added.  He also mentioned the possibility of returning to parliament in the 2029 national elections.  “It’s too early to say under what ticket I would go back to parliament in 2029, but in my farewell speech in parliament, I said that in five years, I will go back to parliament, and I intend to keep that promise, as I think I still have a lot to contribute to mother Namibia,” Kauandenge said. Nudo national executive council member Joseph Uapingene disagreed with Kauandenge’s stance, saying that even though the Nudo constitution is silent on dual membership, the party’s code of conduct is clear.  “The code of conduct is clear and speaks to that, but what he did is a conflict of interest. If he is saying he is going to contest the City of Windhoek local authority elections, which Nudo is also going to contest, isn’t that a conflict of interest?” Uapingene questioned.  Uapingene added that the party would meet in the coming days to discuss the matter and decide on the way forward.

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Kunene Region was crowned champions of the 2025 Nedbank Newspaper Cup after defeating Kavango West 2-0 in the football final, marking a historic first win for the team. The victory, achieved on home soil, was guided by head coach Tuerikondjera Kasaona, who made history as the first woman to coach a men’s team to a tournament win. Kasaona also serves as assistant coach of the Debmarine Premier League side Blue Waters. “This win means a lot to the people of Kunene. It’s even more special that we did it at home in front of our supporters who have been behind us since day one,” said Kasaona, who credited the players and the region’s supporters for the achievement. Former Kunene governor Marius Sheya applauded the team’s technical staff for their dedication. “It was not easy, but the coach and the team worked hard. Our plan was to win both football and netball, and while we fell short in netball, we are proud of this win,” Sheya said. In the netball final, Kavango East beat Omaheke 40-20 to claim the championship. Patricia Haikera of Kavango East was named Player of the Match. Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, praised both Kavango regions for their strong performances.  “This is a great day for the Kavango regions. These are under-resourced regions, yet they reached the finals in both football and netball. This is a testament to their hard work,” Ballotti said. He also commended the tournament organisers and private sector sponsors for providing a platform for Namibian youth to showcase their talent.

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namport Kavango East Football Association (KEFA) is facing calls to investigate a referee’s conduct following a match between Divayi Football Club and Kagcuva FC, during which 14 penalty cards were issued to Kagcuva FC, including two red cards. Kagcuva FC Secretary Frans Muhembo lodged an official complaint with KEFA Chairperson Patrick Mukoya on Monday, requesting disciplinary action against the referee and appealing the red card issued to team captain, Albin Munyenda. The match, played on 30 February at the Divayi Sports Field, was described by Kagcuva FC as being marked by biased refereeing.  Muhembo said 12 yellow cards and two red cards were issued to Kagcuva players and team officials, while no cards were given to the home team. According to the complaint, players and officials were carded for raising concerns about the referee’s decisions. “One of our players, Nshinano Alloys, was shown a yellow card during the half-time break for complaining to the opposing defender, who kicked him twice on the head, but the referee did not caution the defender,” Muhembo said. Captain Albin Munyenda received a red card after questioning why only Kagcuva players were being penalised.  Team manager Kanyanga Kapanga was also sent off for repeatedly raising concerns with the fourth official. “Munyenda was given a card for complaining to the referee about why he is only issuing cards to one team. The captain was already on his last warning. Team manager Kanyanga Kapanga was given a red card for complaining several times to match officials about biased decisions and one-sided cards. He was declared disturbing the fourth official,” Muhembo said. He added that the appeal is supported by details recorded in the referee’s official match report. KEFA Chairperson Patrick Mukoya confirmed receipt of the complaint and said the matter would be reviewed. “Yes, we have received their letter and will respond in due course. They cannot expect us to respond to their letter on the same day we receive it; we need to consult certain laws in the documents,” Mukoya said.