The Namibian Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Marlene Mungunda, has expressed concern over the slow pace of development of women in the country. She said women have a prolonged life of being disadvantaged especially when it comes to developmental issues.

In what has been seen as a victory for Namibia's increasingly vociferous former liberation war fighters, the government has created a war veterans' ministry in response to their accusations they have been ignored since independence. The South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) government announced the establishment of the Ministry of Veteran Affairs earlier this month, 16 years after independence and within a few months of a slew of financial demands by the National Committee of War Veterans, which claims to represent 7,000 veterans of SWAPO's armed wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN).

A school in Katima Mulilo made headlines recently by suspending 19 pregnant girls from grades 8 to 12, together with a boy who had apparently impregnated five of them. Thus, while the Namibian government and NGOs have made efforts to combat the high number of adolescent pregnancies and HIV infections, these problems stubbornly remain.

Namibia has announced new plans and set targets for the completion of another power project in the country's all-out drive to curb the regional power shortage. The country's power utility, NamPower, said in its latest announcement the 500MW Baynes hydropower project on the Kunene River, west of the scenic Epupa Falls, would go ahead. A new feasibility study would start this year.

The gains of anti-retroviral treatment for people living with HIV-AIDS are being eroded by resistance the virus is building up against some of the drugs, a local doctor has warned. Dr Ismael Katjitae informed delegates at a medical congress in Windhoek on Friday that about 19 000 AIDS patients had received anti-retroviral treatment (ART) at Government hospitals and clinics over the last three years, but cases of resistance to some drugs had been spotted.

Environmentalists have opposed attempts to revive plans to build a controversial hydro power project on the Kunene River in northwest Namibia. Following an international outcry, the construction of the proposed Epupa Dam was halted eight years ago as the resultant flooding would have destroyed the livelihood of the semi-nomadic Ovahimba ethnic group.

Nkrumah Mushelenga, who in June was appointed as Commissioner of Refugees at Home Affairs and Immigration, faces an uphill task to ensure he fulfills the Namibia Refugee Recognition Control Act and other conventions on refugees. Thus far, he has issued a five-point directive of what he terms core values to be strictly adhered to by refugee administrative staff under his command and to make sure their conduct either on or off-duty complies with and reflects the values of the 1951 UN Geneva Convention and the OAU Convention governing specific aspects of African refugees.

The government has all but banned a political party wanting self-rule for the Caprivi Strip in northeastern Namibia, drawing strong criticism from human rights organisations on the grounds that this is "unconstitutional". "No UDP [United Democratic Party] meetings will be allowed in the Republic of Namibia from 1 September.

The incumbent will independently provide support services to satisfy the overall operational objectives of USAID Namibia. S/he must have 5 years of senior experience managing HIV/AIDS programmes, ideally in a developing country context. Applicants must be U.S. citizens able to obtain a secret security clearance. Application deadline August 18.

Namibia has the best solar reserves in the world and the country should become an international leader in the field of solar and wind energy use, an academic has said. Speaking in Windhoek at the launch of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Institute (REEEI), Polytechnic Rector Dr Tjama Tjivikua said fossil fuels like oil and coal would soon be exhausted and conflicts caused oil prices to rise. The use of cleaner fuel sources would lead to a less polluted world and better efficiency.

The NGO sector can often be something of a nuisance to governments, but in Namibia they have decided to embrace their activists in a formal partnership to facilitate development. A policy document, later to be turned into law, advocates working with willing NGOs in recognition that civil society groups are often closer to the communities that government development programmes want to reach.

Thousands of Namibians flocked to polio vaccination points on the second day of a mass immunisation campaign on Thursday 22 June, as the death toll from the virus outbreak rose to 15. Even large retail stores in the capital, Windhoek, were turned into mini-clinics as shop managers and assistants helped administer the polio vaccines.

Up to 20,000 villagers, resident in areas in and around 330,000 hectares of land endowed with commercial tree species, are to benefit from revenue generated through community forest projects at Ncumcara, near Rundu, following legalisation.

While there's always a big rush every year to find a place especially for learners at schools in the urban areas, rural schools on the other hand are under-utilised. Expressing this concern, acting Principal Frikkie Cilliers told New Era that during previous years, the school had 350 learners. That number has dropped close to 100 now.

Namibia's announcement in parliament that the unemployment rate had reached 36.7 percent hardly surprised analysts, who have long been calling for policy reform and job creation.

Namibia is to launch a national polio vaccination campaign after the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious virus. So far seven deaths and 39 cases of the wild polio have been reported, Kalumbi Shangula, permanent secretary in the ministry of health, said on Thursday.

The Namibian government is considering ways to improve its land-reform programme, which has not only been slow, but has also had a negative impact on agricultural production. Since independence in 1990, only 10,000 people have been resettled under the government's land programme, which allows a willing-seller, willing-buyer arrangement or expropriation.

The Namibian government is considering ways to improve its land-reform programme, which has not only been slow, but has also had a negative impact on agricultural production.

Classrooms, student bursaries and the provision of more vocational training institutions have been identified as the major challenges to be resolved in order to improve the country's education system. Minister of Education Nangolo Mbumba spoke to New Era on various issues regarding the country's education system, until recently under heavy criticism from various quarters.

Responding to a report card of 'Can do better', Namibia has managed to raise almost US $60 million to address a critical shortage of skilled teachers and classrooms that has affected the quality of education. Recognising the development impact of a poorly-performing education system, private business and western donors last week stepped forward to help finance Namibia's Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP).