The Namibian has appointed Ester Mbathera as its editor.
She will oversee the editorial operations of The Namibian, The Current, monthly Spotlight supplements and Desert FM.
NMT Group chief executive Wolfram Jauss says Mbathera has emerged as the successful candidate following an evaluation and selection process.
Her appointment takes effect today.
Mbathera previously spent more than four years at The Namibian as a freelance senior reporter, covering the fishing and mining sectors as well as community stories.
Her journalism career includes time at Katutura Community Radio and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation.
In 2024, she joined Windhoek Observer as assistant news editor before returning to The Namibian in 2025 as news editor.
In August this year, Mbathera took over as editor of The Current, an independent weekly community newspaper in the Erongo region, which she helped establish.
The publication is publishing its eighth edition today and has gained more than 3 500 followers in just over eight weeks.
“The Namibian being one of the oldest independent media houses in the country, has held power to account, and I am honoured to be entrusted with this task,” Mbathera says.
The Namibian has also appointed Andrew Kathindi as acting news editor for six months.
