Businessman Josef Andreas sells N$200 million in properties amid scrutiny over land deals
via The Namibian4 min read
Josef Andreas, a businessman known as 'Baby Blue' and deputy chairperson of a Swapo company, is selling 264 plots valued at N$200 million through his company Tulaing Group. This move comes after years of concerns regarding his influence in Grootfontein and speculative land practices. The portfolio includes 150 residential plots near Grootfontein, each measuring 2.5 hectares and priced at N$650,000, totaling N$97.5 million. An additional 114 properties are also being marketed with an estimated value of N$106 million. Imms Nashinge, leader of the Independent Patriots for Change in parliament, questioned whether conditions attached to the original land allocation to Andreas were met, emphasizing that developers should fulfill commitments before selling for profit. Former Grootfontein local authority Elizabeth Kastoor stated that she bought land from Tulaing Group but did not receive the advertised infrastructure, and homeowners faced difficulties obtaining completion certificates due to unsettled rates and taxes by Andreas. Andreas, who sought relief from the municipality for a N$3.5 million debt, stated that property development and sales have been his business foundation since 2013 and that the current sales are not an indication of him leaving the sector. He mentioned that some proceeds might be used to expand his cattle holdings. Grootfontein acting chief executive Indileni Lungameni confirmed that Tulaing Group acquired 73 hectares of land for N$4.2 million, which he said r
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
The Namibian government has awarded N$774,000 to athletes and coaches for medal-winning performances during the first quarter of 2026. The rewards were presented by the Namibia Sports Commission in Windhoek, benefiting participants from athletics, wrestling, full contact, inline hockey, and Special Olympics Namibia. This initiative aligns with the Cabinet-approved national sport rewards policy of 2018, which aims to provide a transparent and merit-based system for recognizing sporting excellence. Freddy Mwiya, chief administrator of the Namibia Sports Commission, stated that the policy was introduced to eliminate inconsistencies in financial rewards that existed before 2018. He emphasized that rewards are based on clearly defined criteria, not solely on winning medals, and that competitions must meet specific requirements to qualify. For the first quarter, Special Olympics Namibia received N$250,000 and Namibia Inline Hockey received N$220,000, with individual athletes receiving varying amounts based on their medal type. Mwiya confirmed that all payments had already been transferred to the respective sport federations. He also noted that Namibia, along with Botswana and South Africa, is among the few southern African countries with such a structured national rewards policy. Additionally, Mwiya announced that Commonwealth Games medal winners would receive N$80,000 for gold, N$60,000 for silver, and N$40,000 for bronze, with coaches receiving N$35,000, N$25,000, and N$15,000, r
Must ReadSomalia's government has expressed concern to the BBC regarding WhatsApp's upcoming feature that will allow users to chat via usernames instead of phone numbers. Communications and Technology Minister Ahmed Osman Dirie stated that this could hinder efforts to trace criminals in a country battling Islamist militants like al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate. Dirie highlighted Somalia's reliance on mobile money transactions, noting that unverified and untraceable usernames could increase financial fraud and make citizens vulnerable to scammers. Al-Shabab has reportedly used WhatsApp for operations, including extortion and propaganda, with Somalia's intelligence agency shutting down 20 such groups in 2024. While WhatsApp informed the BBC that the feature is not yet live and users still require a phone number for the app, Dirie indicated that the Somali government is engaging Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, to find a resolution. Somalia's concerns echo those of India, which believes usernames could increase online fraud and impersonation. Dirie emphasized that linking WhatsApp profiles to phone numbers facilitates tracking criminals and requested further assurances from Meta to demonstrate that hiding phone numbers will not erode digital traceability and will include specific safeguards against financial fraud. Technology blogger Moses Kemibaro noted that the feature aims to enhance user privacy, aligning WhatsApp with other Meta services like Instagram, but acknowledged valid secur
Must ReadBernard Antwi Boasiako, chairman of Ghana's New Patriotic Party NPP for the Ashanti region, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail with hard labor for illegal mining offenses. Boasiako, also known as "Chairman Wontumi," is the first senior politician in Ghana to be convicted of illegal mining since the government began a crackdown in 2017. He was found guilty of "assigning mineral rights without approval" and "facilitating an unlicensed mining operation" through his company, Akonta Mining, and was also ordered to pay over $10,000 in fines. The NPP has reacted with anger, alleging the judgment was politically motivated and that the judge ignored evidence that would have exonerated Boasiako. NPP general secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong stated that the fight against illegal mining should not target political opponents without evidence. Prosecutors said Boasiako allowed two individuals to mine on Akonta Mining's concession without ministerial approval. Environmental campaigners welcomed the conviction, viewing it as a deterrent for others financing illegal mining activities and a strong signal for accountability in protecting Ghana's natural resources. The NPP's lawyers have begun the process of challenging the conviction.