Observer

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NAMSIP boosted by 168 brand new tractors

NAMSIP boosted by 168 brand new tractors

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR) has acquired 168 of the 350 tractors expected under the Namibia Agricultural Mechanization and Seed Improvement Project (NAMSIP). The ministry’s spokesperson, Jona Musheko says the initiative is set to empower small-scale farmers and bolster agricultural productivity across the nation. In addition to the tractors, the ministry has also launched a tender for the design and construction of the proposed seed processing plants. “The Seed Processing Plants will be built in the Zambezi, Kavango East, Kavango West, Oshikoto and Omusati regions once the designs are complete,” he said. He said…
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Genocide and apartheid still pose a risk to restorative justice

Genocide and apartheid still pose a risk to restorative justice

Stefanus Nashama Panduleni Itula, the Leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), says the genocide of both the Ovaherero and Nama people and the torturous years of apartheid are foundational pains that still reverberate in Namibian society. Itula yesterday said that the comparison of this foundational trauma risks undermining the quest for restorative justice for both. According to Itula, the evils of genocide and apartheid each scarred the national psyche in unique ways. He added that the comparison sets the stage for structural inequalities the country still grapples with. Itula echoed the sentiments of McHenry Venaani, the leader of…
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Predictable financing needed to reach developmental goals

Predictable financing needed to reach developmental goals

Niël Terblanché While addressing the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Hage Geingob advocated for the urgent need for sustainable and predictable financing to achieve global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Reflecting on the past eight years, Geingob recalled the collective commitment made to prioritize people-centred development, emphasizing the need to ensure no one feels marginalized. “The promise to ensure that no one feels left out remains the clarion call,” he said. The President brought Namibia’s challenges to the forefront during his address. He recounted the myriad of adversities the nation has faced, ranging from the commodity crisis…
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Less than a third of cell phone subscribers have registered their SIM cards

Less than a third of cell phone subscribers have registered their SIM cards

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Executive Director of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Audrin Mathe, has characterized the pace of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration by the public as sluggish. According to Mathe, only 795,991 out of 2,760,804 cellphone users have heeded the call. Dr Mathe revealed yesterday that the ministry is concerned about the lukewarm response from the public regarding registering their SIM cards with network service providers. “The set due date is looming, and he emphasized that it will not be extended,” he warned. According to the information received from the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) as…
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Bank Windhoek employees received an 8.5 percent salary increase

Bank Windhoek employees received an 8.5 percent salary increase

Martin Endjala Bank Windhoek has announced an 8.5 percent salary increment for all its employees following the successful conclusion of negotiations this week between the bank and the Namibian Financial Institutions Union (NAFIU). Baronice Hans, Managing Director of Bank Windhoek, stated that for the fiscal year 2023/24, staff members would receive the mutually agreed-upon increments of eight percent on their salaries, rental, and transport allowances. Hans explained that the increment was necessary as the bank recognizes its employees as the voice and face of the bank’s brand. “We understand that our staff members are our most significant assets, representing the…
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An exclusive interview with Elina Lugambo Petrus: Regional Sport Officer

An exclusive interview with Elina Lugambo Petrus: Regional Sport Officer

Name: Elina Lugambo PetrusHouse Name: PanduleniPlace of Birth: Keetmanshoop, //Kharas RegionDate of Birth: 18 March 1981Work: Ministry of Sport, Youth and National ServiceDivision: Directorate Sport DevelopmentTitle: Regional Sport OfficerTown: Walvis Bay, Erongo Region When the Namibian football story is one day written, you will be mentioned as those trail braziers that contributed to the first sponsorship of the women football league, while this has not been acknowledged, who is Elina Petrus and where did you come from?(Smiling) my friends call me Pandu, am currently employed as a Regional Sport Officer in the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Services. I…
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Venaani takes issue with Geingob’s genocide remarks

Venaani takes issue with Geingob’s genocide remarks

Stefanus Nashama McHenry Venaani, the leader of Namibia's official opposition party, the Popular Democratic Movement, has taken issue with comments made by President Hage Geingob on the topic of the genocide in 1904. The President delivered the remarks at the Paris Institute of Political Studies in France last week. During the lecture, President Geingob opined that the cruelties of the apartheid-era South African regime surpassed the severity of the genocide enacted by Germany against the Nama and Ovaherero peoples. Geingob said that some individuals, who collaborated with the regime during the apartheid era, are now prominent voices demanding reparations for…
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Why Namibia can be Africa’s next ‘Dubai’

Why Namibia can be Africa’s next ‘Dubai’

Elvis Mboya Namibia can rapidly transform from a third world economy to be one of the most competitive countries in Africa and a global commercial hub, to mirror the United Arab Emirates (UAE), taking into account their similarities - if it can adopt UAE’s economic growth strategies. In the process, Namibia’s sleepy coastal cities such as Walvis Bay and Swakopmund can transform to be like UAE’s global finance and tourism hub - Dubai. Remember, it took Dubai barely 20 years to develop from a sparsely populated desert country founded 50 years ago, that depended on fishing along its vast coastline,…
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Namibia projected to be Africa’s emerging millionaires’ hub

Namibia projected to be Africa’s emerging millionaires’ hub

Martin Endjala According to the New World Health report, Namibia is fast gaining recognition as Africa's emerging millionaire hub, owing to its favourable fiscal environment marked by low tax rates and a robust banking system. Economist, Theo Klein, believes that this positive international perception will be a boon for the country's tourism sector. “As Namibia becomes a magnet for the affluent, it is naturally set to attract a higher number of tourists. Despite a four percent decline in Europeans' intent to travel compared to the previous year, our outlook for the local tourism sector remains positive," Klein said. He noted…
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The provision of housing is key to addressing the dire need for social justice

The provision of housing is key to addressing the dire need for social justice

Martin Endjala Utaara Mootu, a Member of Parliament from the Landless People’s Movement, emphasized the urgent need to reshape housing provision to further social justice, as stipulated in the Namibian Constitution and international conventions. Mootu made these comments in Parliament earlier this week while presenting a motion aimed at addressing the country's housing shortage and identifying suitable delivery solutions. She highlighted the importance of housing, describing it as a cornerstone of societal welfare and a fundamental aspect influencing multiple areas of human life. “Beyond merely providing shelter, housing plays a pivotal role in influencing physical and mental health, ensuring economic…
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