• By Jeremiah Ndjoze
Khomanin queen Juliana
Gawanas is fast claiming
her spot as one of the controversial
ones, amongst the country’s
traditional leaders, if recent
claims about her alleged nepotism
and autocracy are anything to go
by.
It has emerged that members of
her community, recently, resorted
to making ancestral land claims,
and essentially grabbed land in
the Khomas Hochland area, citing
landlessness and an out of touch
leadership as the cause.
Speaking to Confidente in an exclusive
interview this week, about

Namibia’s top female Muay Thai athlete, Sonja Simon, has been in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since last year, aiming to equip herself with the sport, in order to secure international fights abroad. 
This move came after struggling to obtain sponsors within the country. Muay Thai, or Muaythai, is a combat sport originating from Thailand, utilizing stand-up striking and various clinching techniques.
Ironically, Simon is balancing her athletic pursuits with a career as a fitness coach in Riyadh. Her next fights are scheduled for April and June. 

Namibia’s top female Muay Thai athlete, Sonja Simon, has been in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since last year, aiming to equip herself with the sport, in order to secure international fights abroad. 
This move came after struggling to obtain sponsors within the country. Muay Thai, or Muaythai, is a combat sport originating from Thailand, utilizing stand-up striking and various clinching techniques.
Ironically, Simon is balancing her athletic pursuits with a career as a fitness coach in Riyadh. Her next fights are scheduled for April and June. 

Freddy Mwiya, Chief Administrator at the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), expressed his enthusiasm regarding the appointments of Sanet Steenkamp and Dino Ballotti as the new Minister and Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture (MoEIYSAC). President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced their appointments over the past weekend.

Leo Frans is currently one of the country’s top amateur golfers, having won the Namibian Junior Open in 2023 and the Oshakati Junior Open in 2024. However, despite this success, he still has a long way to go before even considering turning professional.
Leo (17) is a grade 10 learner at Andimba Ya Toivo Senior Secondary School in the north and has been playing golf since an early age. Today, he has already made a big name for himself, thanks to his hard work and determination on the golf course.

Former Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) and Young African head coach, Augustinus ‘Axaro’ Mukoya, has denied rumours that he is heading to Eeshoke Chula Chula FC as assistant coach, or taking over at former club Cuca Tops FC.

Hailing from the southern //Kharas region of Namibia, Alenique Juneve’ Damens proudly describes herself as the region’s first female boilermaker. She hopes to leave a legacy for her son and inspire those who look up to her. Becoming a successful boilermaker in Namibia remains a challenge for many women, as the trade is often seen as requiring one to “be strong like a man.” 

The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), through the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business (HP-GSB), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AgriBank. The agreement, signed in Windhoek, is a collaboration for research, skills development, and resource sharing to drive innovation and sustainability in Namibia’s agricultural sector.

Well-known rapper Jamee Uaendere, popularly known as J-Black, achieved a significant career milestone by being appointed as the We BET brand ambassador. We BET is a sports betting company set to launch soon, offering Namibians the opportunity to win substantial sums of money by placing bets on their favorite sports teams worldwide.

Former beauty queen, Justine Gaingos, made it her duty to redefine the role of pageantry in young women’s lives by founding the annual Miss Face of Grandeur (MFOGA) modelling competition in November last year, with the aim of using the platform to empower, uplift and educate young women beyond just beauty and grace in impoverished neighbourhoods around Windhoek.