Desert FM 95.3

Paragon executive director Desmond Amunyela has denied suggestions that his company’s petroleum exploration licence renewal had anything to do with the firing of former minister of industries, mines and energy Natangwe Ithete. Meanwhile, president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah appointed Frans Kapofi as interim industries, mines and energy minister. Amunyela and Kapofi speak on this matter.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has relieved Natangwe Ithete of his positions as deputy prime minister and minister of industries, mines and energy, taking over the ministry herself. The Presidency says this move is allowed under article 32 of the Constitution.
The decision has sparked debate about governance and the separation of powers. Former prime minister Nahas Angula joined Desert FM to discuss the potential implications for Namibia’s political and constitutional landscape.

Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi warns that officials delaying road safety measures could face dismissal.

He says bureaucratic delays are costing lives and insists urgent action is needed to cut Namibia’s rising road deaths.

He joined Desert FM to explain what slows implementation and what consequences lie ahead.

The removal of the 15% value-added tax on sanitary pads in force since January 2023 was hailed as a breakthrough for menstrual equity in Namibia.

But advocates say period poverty remains widespread, especially among schoolgirls and low-income families.

Menstrual health advocate Taljard Uaputauka, founder of Safe Pad Namibia, joins Desert FM to argue that tax relief alone is not enough.

Recently, Karasburg residents have become frustrated with conditions at the town, calling for a complete overhaul of local governance.

The community says their town has been neglected, with poor services plaguing the town.

Among those leading the charge for change is Jacobus Basson, a long-time community activist turned local authority candidate for the upcoming elections. He joins Desert FM to discuss his ambitions.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is now the head of state, in charge of the oil and gas portfolio as well as the acting minister of industries, mines and energy.

While the Presidency insists this is a temporary measure, critics warn that it may signal a return to what former president Hage Geingob once called “presidentialism”, the systematic concentration of power in one individual.

Political scientist Rui Tyitende speaks to Desert FM on this.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s recent decision to fire mines minister Natangwe Ithete and subsequently assign herself as the interim minister has ignited a constitutional debate.

Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula argues that the president’s move violates both the Constitution and the Assignment of Powers Act of 1990, saying the head of state cannot legally serve as a minister accountable to herself.

To discuss the legal and constitutional implications of this, Desert FM is joined by legal expert Werner Boesak.

Affirmative Repositioning spokesperson George Kambala says the Electoral Commission’s recent blunder exposes “serious institutional weaknesses” and erodes public trust, urging Namibians not to lose faith but to turn out and vote on 26 November.

SWANU candidate Ripuree Mbakurupa says she’s running for the Windhoek local authority to put young people “at the centre of decision-making,” pledging to tackle unemployment, improve housing, and ensure better services for informal settlements.

Political analyst Johannes Sakaria says President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s dismissal of Deputy Prime Minister and Mines Minister Natangwe Ithete marks a historic political shift, signalling stricter accountability and a bold new tone in her administration.