Independence Stadium feasibility study approved

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has announced that the feasibility study for the upgrading of the Independence Stadium in Windhoek has been approved, following two consultative meetings with facility inspectors from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Delivering her State of the Nation Address here on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia is now awaiting a detailed report from CAF, which will outline the next steps required to bring the stadium up to international standards.

The development comes amid revelations that the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture has already spent more than N$38 million on consultancy fees related to the planned upgrade. The figure was disclosed earlier this year by Gerald Vries, Executive Director and Accounting Officer for Sport, Youth and National Service, in response to questions from the Namibia Press Agency.

In her address, the president reiterated that the eighth administration remains committed to its seven priority areas and eight key economic enablers aimed at driving socio-economic transformation.

“The government has begun upgrading sports infrastructure to meet international standards for hosting events and to improve the country’s ranking,” she said.

Beyond the national stadium project, Nandi-Ndaitwah revealed that 121 community sports facility sites have been identified and audited nationwide. Designs for the first 28 sites have already been completed by the Ministry of Works and Transport, alongside the preparation of the terms of reference.

“To accelerate delivery, responsibility for construction has been decentralised to regional governors, with the treasury allocating funds directly to support implementation in collaboration with regional councillors. Several regions have already begun clearing land and holding groundbreaking ceremonies,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

However, progress has not been uniform. The towns of Omuthiya and Gobabis are yet to identify suitable sites for their respective facilities.

“Construction has commenced on stadiums in Katima Mulilo and Opuwo following successful review panel approvals. Projects in Eenhana and Nkurenkuru, carried over from previous years, are progressing steadily but will need to be aligned with Category 2 requirements,” she said.

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