The first phase of the distribution of food to thousands of drought-affected Namibians has been successfully completed in the Katima Rural and Windhoek Rural constituencies. However, the exercise has yet to get off the ground in the Kavango Region.

A Ministry of the Basic Education employee has been accused of being among people threatening to evict former labourers from a government farm. He has denied that he wants the workers booted. He says that he had played no role in trying to force the former workers off the farm.

Otjozondjupa region governor Grace Uushona has called on Namibian women to unite in the fight for their democratic rights. Uushona says women of the country should free their minds and resist enslavement by men.

The Aids Law Unit of the Legal Assistance Centre has welcomed plans by government to expand its anti-retroviral treatment programme for HIV-positive people early next year.

Opposition Congress of Democrats leader Ben Ulenga has taken issue with members of Parliament trying to derail the Combating of Domestic Violence Bill.

A senior ruling party politician has claimed that nurses and teachers in the Oshana region, Namibia, have received maize meal and other food rations meant for thousands of drought-affected Namibians.

The delayed distribution of food aid to thousands of drought affected villagers in the hardest hit region, the Caprivi, will finally get underway. The delays have mainly been attributed to unnecessary bureaucracy and the inability to deliver the food timeously.

More than 250 senior citizens marched to the Prime Minister's office this week to voice their grievances on their evictions from their houses, after they failing to pay municipal bills.

Women Affairs and Child Welfare Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has spoken out in strong defence of the Bill on Combating Domestic Violence and criticised her male colleagues for trying to ridicule the draft law. The minister did not spare ruling party MPs, saying those who had opposed the Bill were acting against the Swapo constitution, which condemns sexism.

One of the country's leading trade unions has threatened to take The Namibian to court if the newspaper refuses to divulge the names of its sources after a report that said union president Dawid Namalenga was under pressure to resign.

The water situation at Omaruru and in the Daures constituency further west in the Erongo Region is critical. These communities are dependent on the Omaruru River for their water, but the river has not flown for two years, resulting in very low water tables. The town of Omaruru's water supplies will only last until February.

The Delimitation Commission's report, which was submitted to President Sam Nujoma, is to be discussed by Cabinet before being made public, according to an official at State House. The Delimitation Commission decides on the demarcation of constituencies for elections.

The drought distribution machinery, like a rusty, old engine, finally sprang to life delivering some food relief, though the majority of Namibians in need are still waiting, largely due to bureaucratic delays.

Residents of Swakopmund's DRC informal settlement are still struggling with water problems, more than three months after the installation of a new vandal proof pre-paid water meter system.

Women and Child Affairs Deputy Minister Marlene Mungunda, says Information Communication Technology, particularly the Internet and e-mail, could be used for women's empowerment. She said that ICT can enable women's groups or co-operatives to exchange information about the markets, prices, opportunities and experiences.

The Southern African Development Community's second Malaria Day and National Malaria Awareness Week have been launched in Windhoek, Namibia.

SchoolNet Namibia, a volunteer-driven organisation that is working to see all Namibian schoolchildren get access to a computer and the internet, was awarded the APC Africa Hafkin Communications Prize for people-centred information and communications technology policy.

The government drought food relief has yet to reach over 345 000 people, who face starvation, due to bureaucratic and logistical delays. Hundreds of tonnes of maize meal, cooking, oil, sugar and fish have now been delivered to several warehouses nationwide. Those severely affected by drought in the Caprivi, Otjozondjupa, Oshana, Omusati and Ohangwena regions are still waiting for the food to reach them.

Namibian workers at the N,2 billion Skorpion zinc mine in the Karas Region, are accusing construction companies of laying them off and replacing them with South Africans. They allege they are being punished for taking part in a strike two months ago.

"Shafted [by Microsoft] for a paltry US$2 000? Not in your ... wildest dreams," writes SchoolNet Namibia founding executive director Joris Komen in an open letter to Microsoft regional manager George Ferreira. In the strongly worded letter, Komen claims Microsoft's offer of free software and a terminal services project to rival SchoolNet's existing Linux system will set SchoolNet Namibia back more than $24 000; a price the organisation is not able or willing to pay.