
Nande Ndaitwah, the president's son, has dismissed allegations from the Independent Patriots for Change IPC that a N$612-million solar project is linked to family connections. IPC president Panduleni Itula accused president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of personal involvement in a deal between her son and Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter. The agreement involves Ndaitwah's investment firm, Massaus Investments CC, and Sinomine to establish a 20MW solar power plant to supply electricity to the smelter. Itula questioned whether Farm Massaus, owned by the president, was being used for the solar project, citing a lack of declared land-use consent. Ndaitwah clarified that while the initial idea was to use the private farm, the plant will ultimately be located near the smelter. He also denied that his agreement with Sinomine indicates political connections, stating he approached Sinomine directly and that similar solar plants near mines are not unique to children of presidents. Itula also raised concerns about the environmental clearance certificate being issued to Massaus and Titan Energy Solutions, a different company from Massaus Investments CC, which signed the agreement. Ndaitwah explained that Massaus Investments was the original company, and Massaus and Titan Energy is a special purpose vehicle formed with a technical partner to implement the project. Itula urged the president to disclose all documents related to the deal to demonstrate its transparency. The president stated she is not invol
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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.