NEWS

20 November 2023 – Research, Science and Technology Act

(In the Namibian, by Werner Menges)
The minister of education must ask Namibia’s parliament to repeal and replace several sections of the  Research, Science and Technology Act that were the subject of a constitutional challenge in the High Court. The Legal Assistance Centre announced this already in 2014 .
This is following in terms of a settlement agreement signed by lawyers representing the Legal Assistance Centre’s Legal Assistance Trust, the company Free Press of Namibia, which is the publisher of The Namibian, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the minister of education, the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology, the attorney general and the president on 30 October. Read more

PRESS RELEASE: Empowering the San: Legal Capacity building for Human Rights Access’ project launched

16 November 2023
The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) is pleased to announce the launch of a new EU-funded project ‘Empowering the San: Legal Capacity building for Human Rights Access’ on 15 November 2023. The project is funded by the European Union with EUR 330,000 (approximately 6.5 million Namibian Dollars), and implemented by the Legal Assistance Centre, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. The project will run for a period of three years. More…

New comic by the LAC: Troubled Waters: Coastal protection, communities, and constitutional commitments

With funding from the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Namibia, the LAC is pleased to announce a new comic publication by the LAC’s Land, Environment and Sustainable Development Department (LEAD), which enriches the pool of Educational resources available in Namibia.
The story told is a fictional. This  the comic was produced within a wider project promoting democracy, rule of law, peace and stability, good governance and sustainable economic development.

With this publicationwe wish to engage with the general public, in particular the youth, about the relationship of local, (semi-)rural communities, their natural environment, biodiversity and the necessity to ensure sustainable social and economic development based on natural resource capitalization.
Accelerated climate change, coupled with unsustainable resource extraction, social marginalization and environmental destruction, is disrupting these interlinkages, threatening the social fibre of Namibia.

Often the voices of indigenous and local communities are ignored with top down decision making being imposed on (often marginalized) communities. As a result, the outcomes are ill-informed without reference to the direct needs of vulnerable people, who will pay the highest price for human induced climate change effects. In light of the above, this publication wishes to promote the guarantee that indigenous and local communities are always given full information and participation with a meaningful voice in determining development needs or in decision making processes regarding policies and projects relevant for climate change adaptation strategies.

This comic may be freely copied for educational purposes, as long as the source is acknowledged.

Awards

The Legal Assistance Centre has been honoured with the prestigeous Human Rights Excellence Award at the JP Karuaihe Trust and Law Society of Namibia Legal Excellence Awards.

The JP Karuaihe Foundation was launched on 25th of March 1999 by his Excellency Dr. Sam Nujoma in Windhoek. It was founded by the late Mrs. Nokokure Karuaihe and his sisters, with the assistance of friends and family.

JP Karuaihe Foundation is to facilitate education for Namibians who want to study law, in order to uplift and empower them through the acquisition of knowledge in the Legal Profession and also to assist in realizing the United Nations Millennium Goals as well as Namibia’s Vision 2030.
Since Judge Karuaihe died so early at the age of 39, the Fund was established to immortalize the ideas Judge Karuaihe stood for and to keep his legacy alive.

Probono 88 – Registration of Sim Cards
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) introduced mandatory SIM card registration in Namibia in January 2023 in line with the provisions of Section 77 of the Communications Act 8 of 2009 (the “Act”) and its corresponding regulations. Namibians will for the first time experience the registration of SIM cards with their telecommunications service provider. The deadline for such registration is 31 December 2023. More…

Probono 87 – Extraction of resources – the rights of the local community to participate
The participation of relevant and affected communities in the issuing of mining, prospecting and reconnaissance licences is an important feature of the Environmental Management Act and consequently an important facet of the entire process of mining regulation in Namibia.
It is mandatory for companies or persons seeking permission from government to mine, or to conduct prospecting activities in a specific area – to consult with the people who are living in that area and who shall be directly affected by those mining operations. Any person or company who proceeds with mining or conducts prospecting or reconnaissance activities without consulting the communities is conducting that activity illegally because that offends one of the key objectives of the Environmental Management Act of 2007 – and that is the participation and/or benefitting of affected communities. More…

Joint Press Statement:  Supreme Court Judgment in the Same-sex couples’ immigration rights case

We, the partners of Afrikagrupperna, a Swedish solidarity organisation, are a group of diverse organisations from Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We work in the areas of labour rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, climate justice and food sovereignty and for the protection of human rights as a collective.  Read more…

Winning comic of 2022Mature Silver Cluster-leaf tree. Photo: B CurtisNational Arbor day on 13 October

Countries around the world, including Namibia, actively participate in planting trees on Arbor Day. This national observance annually takes place in Namibia on the second Friday in October.With our comic we wish to highlight the damage and loss illegal harvesting can have and encourage all to plant and raise a tree today!
City of Windhoek has launched an initiative on donating a tree at UN-Plaza today in support of National Arbor day.

Tree of the Year 2023: Silver Cluster-leaf Terminalia sericea
Silver Cluster Leaf (E), Vaalboom (A), Gelbholz (D), Omuserasetu (H), Za’ò (J), ǀGāb (K), Tceree (Kx), Omugolo (O), Mugoro (R), Muhonono (S), Ghushosho (T).

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5th.
It is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people around the world. The day is designed to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

The theme for World Environment Day on 5 June 2023 will focus on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.

There are many ways to celebrate World Environment Day. You can participate in local events, such as tree plantings, clean-ups, and educational workshops. You can also make changes in your own life to reduce your impact on the environment. For example, you can recycle, conserve water, and use less energy.

Every little bit helps. By taking action on World Environment Day, you can make a difference for our planet and for future generations.

Omaheke Region, Epukiro Pos 3

Here are some additional ways to celebrate World Environment Day:

  • Learn about the environmental challenges facing our planet.
  • Talk to your friends and family about the importance of environmental protection.
  • Make a commitment to live more sustainably.
  • Support businesses and organizations that are working to protect the environment.
  • Donate to environmental charities.

    We have the following topics on our agenda:

  • Oil Exploration
  • Wildlife Crime
  • Wildlife training
  • Schools comic contests
  • Environmental Issues

PRESS RELEASE – following an article on Hyphen’s 24% stake offer
The statement by President Hage Geingob in The Namibian of 29 May 2023 warning locals not to interfere in the green hydrogen project being developed in Tsau//Khaeb National Park is deeply concerning to the Legal Assistance Centre.
Please read our full statement

Same-sex marriages concluded outside Namibia must be respected under the immigration laws

This consolidated appeal concerns two cases, both involving foreign nationals married to Namibians in same-sex marriages, which were jointly heard by a Full Bench of the High Court (the Full Bench) due to the similarity of the issues raised. The primary dispute revolves around the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration’s (the Ministry) refusal to recognise spouses in same-sex marriages validly concluded outside Namibia for immigration purposes (ie in terms of s 2(1)(c) of the Immigration Control Act 7 of 1993 (the Act)).
The Full Bench of the High Court determined that the Ministry’s practice violates the parties’ constitutional rights but found that it was bound by a decision of this Court in Immigration Selection Board v Frank 2001 NR 107 (SC) (Frank), which precluded it from granting relief to the appellants on constitutional grounds by reason of the doctrine of precedent reinforced by Art 81 of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court has overruled this decision and the Apeal Judgment, full ruling and grounds thereto may be read here.
More on this case also on the Southern Africa Litigation Centre’s website.

PRESS RELEASE – APPEAL HEARING: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Ncumcara Community Forest and Others // Reconnaissance Africa (PTY) LTD and Others
On 26 April 2023 the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism reserved judgement after hearing arguments for and against the decision by the Environmental Commissioner (EC) to amend an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) 0091 held by Reconnaissance Energy Namibia (Pty) Ltd (REN). Read more…

Appeal against RECON’s extention of Clearance Certificate lodged
Aggrieved parties  have lodged an appeal on 22 June 2022, in terms of section 50 of the Environmental Management Act, Act 7 of 2007, against the decision of the Environmental Commissioner who amended and extended the environmental clearance certificate, ECC 0091, held by Reconnaissance Energy Namibia (Pty) Ltd (REN).
Read more…