Time in Namibia

Upon Namibian independence the country used a single time zone, keeping time regulation as previously prescribed by the occupying nation, South Africa. Triggered by fears for school children walking to school before sunrise, discussions in the National Assembly started in 1992, and on 10 November 1993 the Namibian Time Bill (#39 of 1993) was proposed. This bill defined the Namibian Standard Time.{{Cite web | title=Chronology of Namibian History, 136 | last=Dierks | first=Klaus | authorlink=Klaus Dierks | publisher=klausdierks.com | accessdate=27 February 2017 | url=https://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/136.htm}}

From 1994 until 2017 Namibia used Winter time, the practice of setting clocks back during winter months by one hour. In this period Namibian Standard Time was at UTC+02:00 (derived from South African Standard Time and equivalent to Central Africa Time) in summer, and UTC+01:00 (equivalent to West Africa Time) in winter.{{Cite news | title=Time change divides lawmakers | last=Immanuel | first=Shinovene | newspaper=The Namibian | date=23 February 2017 | page=1 | url=http://www.namibian.com.na/51480/read/Time-change-divides-lawmakers}} Winter time began on the first Sunday in April at 03:00, and lasted until the first Sunday in September, 02:00 hours. In the Zambezi Region in the far north-east of Namibia clocks were not changed and remained on Central Africa Time all year round so that during winter time, Namibia spanned two time zones.{{Cite news | title=GRN evaluates winter time change | newspaper=New Era | date=24 March 2016 | page=1 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2016/03/24/grn-evaluates-winter-time-change/}}

Namibia was one of only a few countries in the world to implement winter time instead of daylight saving time. Ireland still adjusts clocks in Winter since 1971[http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1971/en/act/pub/0017/print.html Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971][http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1968/en/act/pub/0023/print.html Standard Time Act, 1968] while Czechoslovakia used the practice only in 1946 and never repeated it.{{Cite news | last= Kušová | first=Tereza | url=http://www.novinky.cz/veda-skoly/historie/230503-letni-cas-vymyslel-anglican-zaveden-byl-ve-svedsku-rusko-ho-rusi-a-cesko-se-nekolik-desetileti-prizpusobuje.html | title=Letní čas vymyslel Angličan, zaveden byl ve Švédsku, Rusko ho ruší a Česko se několik desetiletí přizpůsobuje | language=cs | publisher=Novinky.cz | date=14 April 2011 | quote=To byla jediná doba, kdy byl u nás zaveden zimní čas, je to nejspíš i světový unikát, poté se měnil už pouze v ten letní.}} In a regular daylight saving time scheme, the "normal" time is observed in the winter, and clocks are turned forward during the summer. In winter time, normal time is observed in the summer, and clocks are turned back by one hour in the winter. In timekeeping, then, it is equivalent to daylight saving time, differing only in which season is considered the regular time. However, the purpose was not to utilise additional hours of daylight in the evening, but to prevent children from walking to school in darkness in the morning, to decrease the risk of injuries and assaults.

If expressed as summer times, these would have been equivalent to West Africa Summer Time and West Africa Standard Time, however Namibia was the only state in Africa to use the combination of UTC+01:00 and UTC+02:00. Central European Time also uses UTC+01:00 and UTC+02:00, but the northern seasons are opposite to the southern hemisphere.

In the 2010s repeated calls from businesses and private individuals were made to abolish winter time, citing incompatibilities with South Africa, Namibia's main trading partner, as well as a "loss of productivity".

This resulted in an official investigation by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration. During the polls, 97% of the 3,507 questioned people were in favour of the +2 difference to Greenwich Mean Time, and about 88% wanted to abolish winter time. After the Cabinet was likewise against changing clocks in autumn and spring, minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana proposed a new bill to that effect in February 2017.{{Cite news | title=Namibia's winter time might be repealed | last=Konstantinus | first=Esme | newspaper=New Era | date=23 February 2017 | page=1 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2017/02/23/namibias-winter-time-might-be-repealed/}} The Home Affairs ministry stated that winter time would proceed in 2017, as discussions were still ongoing.{{Cite news | title=Time change continues| first=Ndapewoshali | last=Shapwanale | newspaper=The Namibian| date=30 March 2017| url=http://www.namibian.com.na/162984/archive-read/Time-change-continues-HOME-affairs-minister| url-status=live | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20170426195320/http://www.namibian.com.na/52860/read/Time-change-continues| archivedate=2017-04-26}}

The National Council passed the Namibian Time Bill 2017 in August 2017 and repealed the 1993 act, abolishing daylight saving time in the country and setting Central Africa Time as the year-round time zone nationwide.{{Cite news | title=National Council passes Time Bill in favour of summer time | last=Nakale | first=Albertina | newspaper=New Era | date=9 August 2017 | page=1 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2017/08/09/national-council-passes-time-bill-in-favour-of-summer-time/}}

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Category:Geography of Namibia

Namibia

Namibia