THE Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture says it is awaiting a technical review from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before finalising preparations for the construction of the Independence Stadium.
This was said by the Executive Director and Accounting Officer for Sport, Youth and National Service, Gerald Vries, in response to questions sent by Nampa.
Namibia currently has no stadium approved by either CAF or the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). As a result, national teams have been barred from hosting international fixtures and are forced to play their home matches abroad.
The country has not staged an international match for the past five years due to inadequate infrastructure.
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According to Vries, all design documentation was completed in December 2025 and submitted to CAF for compliance review in line with its 2022 Stadium Regulations under Category 3 requirements, while other documents were submitted to World Athletics for assessment against its 2019 Track and Field Facilities Manual.
"CAF sent a representative in January 2026, and a technical workshop was held in Windhoek from 15 to 16 January 2026," Vries said, noting that the ministry has not received any response despite several attempts to follow up.
He added that the ministry intends to complete all construction preparations by the end of March 2026 and aims to commence the procurement process during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, from April to June 2026.
"Between April and October 2025, the ministry undertook a series of technical studies at the stadium site, including a topographical survey, geotechnical investigations, a traffic impact assessment, and a floodline study," he said.
Although the ministry received an initial allocation of N$415 million at the start of the current financial year, the capital budget was reduced by N$200 million during the Mid-Term Budget Review in October 2025, leaving a revised allocation of N$215 million.
"Of the revised allocation, N$38 459 190,60 has been spent to date on consultancy fees for the upgrading of the Independence Stadium. The remaining funds will be expended between January and March 2026," he said.
Vries stressed that no funds would be returned to the Treasury at the end of the financial year.
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The consultancy fees for the Independence Stadium, feasibility study report costs for the new Katima Mulilo Sport Stadium, feasibility study report costs for the Opuwo Multi-Purpose Youth Resource Centre and Sport Complex, as well as the construction of 28 basic constituency sport facilities to be transferred to all 14 regions in February 2026, will ensure that the allocated budget is fully utilised, he added.
