Windhoek  - A leading rights group has welcomed a proposal by Namibia's opposition for a South Africa-style truth commission to examine past human rights violations to further national healing.

The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), which was formed in 2007 by breakaway members of the ruling party SWAPO, has vowed to establish a truth commission if voted into power in elections later this year.

Windhoek - Growing competition for business between local companies and Chinese investors that allegedly flout labour laws is stoking tensions in Namibia, a research institute in the south-west African state has warned.

Namibia's Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper on Thursday cited the independent Labour Research Institute (LARRI) as sounding the alarm over what it called "unacceptable" working conditions in Chinese companies.

Windhoek - Residents of the south-west African desert state of Namibia are bracing for what could be "the worst flood in four decades" in the north of the country, local media reported Thursday.

The flood waters have already claimed close to 100 lives.

Earlier this week Namibia's government declared an emergency and appealed for international aid over the floods that have displaced over 5,000 people and destroyed vast tracts of precious farmland.

Windhoek, Namibia  - Namibia's second legal auction of stockpiled ivory tusks to Chinese and Japanese bidders began behind closed doors in the capital Windhoek on Tuesday morning.

The event, held under the auspices of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), was closed to all media and observers due to what ministry officials termed the "sensitive nature" of the first of four ivory auctions to take place in southern Africa in the coming weeks.

Local papers had expressed dismay at not being allowed to cover the event, which has raised the hackles of animal rights activists, who claim any sale of ivory stimulates black market trade in the so- called white gold.

Windhoek, Johannesburg - Ivory tusks will be sold for the first time in nearly 10 years in southern Africa on Tuesday as four one-off auctions of ivory stockpiles to Chinese and Japanese buyers kick off in Namibia.

South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, all of which have booming elephant populations, have been given permission by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to sell off stockpiles of ivory from their national parks.

Windhoek  , Namibia - Namibia's government is calling for the repatriation of dozens of skulls that have been stored in German universities since the colonial era.

The Namibian government in a statement on Tuesday said it designated the National Monuments Council to deal with the matter in which it wants Germany "to pay for the repatriation of the remains and all related costs."