Windhoek Observer – Page 445 – Windhoek Observer

28 Aug

Media Ombudsman criticises political parties for not setting clear election agendas

National News

Martin Endjala The absence of clear agenda-setting by political parties has led to a potential crisis and reactive media coverage. The Media Ombudsman, John Nakuta, said political parties have failed to set these agendas for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Nakuta said this during the first media monitoring report on the November elections launched on Wednesday. "There is clearly a lack of agenda-setting by political parties. What do we mean? It is very difficult to pinpoint what agenda any given political party institution has. It is definitely a case of the media reporting almost crisis-dominant, reactive reporting if…

28 Aug

Windhoek falls short of water reduction goal

National NewsLydia Amutenya, reduce water consumption

Martin Endjala On Tuesday, the City of Windhoek (CoW) announced that its efforts to have residents reduce water consumption are not yielding the desired results. According to the city spokesperson, Lydia Amutenya, from 19 to 26 August, residents managed to cut water usage by only 6%, far below the critical 15% reduction goal. “While this progress is commendable, it remains below our overall target of a 15% reduction,” said Amutenya. The council in July declared Category D severe water scarcity (drought). According to Amutenya, new water-saving measures will go into effect on 1 September. “Please note that this week we…

28 Aug

Kenya looks to Namibian expertise to strengthen fisheries surveillance

National NewsKenya Fisheries Service (KeFS), Namibia’s Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS) is turning to Namibia’s Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA) as a model for enhancing its fisheries observer program and monitoring efforts. A team of officials from KeFS visited Walvis Bay last week as part of an exchange program facilitated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the FishNET II Project, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). In a joint statement, the organisation explained that the exchange visit was aimed at sharing experiences and exploring new viewpoints and approaches for the fisheries observer program and Monitoring, Control and Surveillance…

28 Aug

Windhoek City Police nab suspected serial robbers

National News

Hertta- Maria Amutenja The Windhoek City police have urged the public to remain vigilant following the arrest of two suspected serial robbers on 28 August in the Dorado Park neighbourhood. The head of City Police, Leevi Ileka, reassured the public, especially residents of Hochland Park and Dorado Park, that the city police are committed to ensuring their safety. “We continue to urge the public to be very careful and report to us any suspicious movement they come across in their areas. We also urge everyone to have emergency numbers handy in case of emergencies,” said lleka. The suspects, who were…

28 Aug

NIPDB secures N$1.1 million to host Namibia’s Global Hydrogen Summit and AU MSME Forum

National NewsNamibia Investment Promotion and Development Board

Hilarius Hamutenya The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) has secured N$1.1 million in sponsorship from local companies to support the inaugural Global Africa Hydrogen Summit Namibia and the third edition of the African Union Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Forum. The sponsorship came from UNDP (N$400 000), GIZ (N$200 000), Momentum Metropolitan (N$300 000), Hollard Namibia (N$110 000), Bank Windhoek (N$200 000) and M&G Investment (N$200 000). These funds were handed over to the NIPDB on Wednesday. The Global African Hydrogen Summit will be held from 3 to 5 September in Windhoek. The AU MSME Forum will…

28 Aug

Namibia leads Africa’s Green Hydrogen revolution

Energy, Observer MoneyCleanergy Solutions, Daures Hydrogen Village, Elof Hansson, HDF Energy, HyIron, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, Hyrail, Zhero

Niël Terblanché Namibia is rapidly emerging as a leader in the green hydrogen industry, with eight active projects that are set to transform the nation's energy landscape and position it at the forefront of global green energy initiatives. These projects, which include Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, Elof Hansson, HDF Energy, HyIron, Zhero, Cleanergy Solutions, Daures Hydrogen Village, and Hyrail, are developing essential production infrastructure across the country, from wind and solar farms to electrolysis facilities and desalination plants. According to James Mnyupe, Namibia's Green Hydrogen Commissioner, the heart of this green revolution is the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project, strategically located in…

28 Aug

NSA EMBARKS UPON THE NEXT STATISTICAL PROJECT

OpinionsNamibia Household Income and Expenditure (NHIES)

Iipumbu Sakaria The NSA will be conducting the Namibia Household Income and Expenditure (NHIES) during 2025 / 26. The NHIES is the primary source of data on income, wealth and expenditure in Namibia and is instrumental in calculating poverty indicators at both household and individual levels. This will be the fifth NHIES to be conducted in Namibia since independence. The NHIES is important because it helps in understanding income distribution, measuring poverty and analysing consumption trends, hence enabling governments to design effective social and economic policies and allocate resources efficiently. The information that will be collected includes information on various…

27 Aug

Israel bound military cargo vessel denied docking in Walvis Bay

MainMV Kathrin

Martin Endjala The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, and Safety Security through the Namibian Police, revoked the permission previously granted for the vessel MV Kathrin to enter and dock at Namibia’s main harbour on 24 August.. The port of Walvis Bay scheduled the vessel, carrying cargo in transit, for docking on 25 August. Israel, which is currently involved in a conflict with Gaza, was the destination of the vessel carrying military equipment and supplies. According to a letter seen by the Windhoek Observer, Nampol’s Inspector-General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, directed Africa Global Logistic PTY Limited that the permission for the…

27 Aug

Social Security Commission CEO carjacked in Keetmanshoop

National NewsMilka Mungunda

Ester Mbathera The Social Security Commission's (SSC) chief executive officer, Milka Mungunda, was the victim of a car hijacking on Friday. The incident occurred near the B1-B4 traffic circle on the Keetmanshoop-Lüderitz highway around 23h00. Mungunda confirmed the incident and opened a police case. “I am OK. I will see the doctor today,” she said on Tuesday. According to the police incident report, Mungunda was searching for a guesthouse in Keetmanshoop when she encountered a man who offered to guide her to the location. The suspect, a 23-year-old Namibian national, entered her vehicle under the pretence of providing her with…

27 Aug

MoHSS confirms vigilance against Mpox

National NewsMpox

Hertta- Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has assured the nation that at present, Namibia has not recorded a confirmed Mpox case and that the country is fully prepared to handle any potential outbreak of the disease. This comes as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on 13 August, followed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which declared it a public health emergency of international concern a day later. The executive director of the Ministry of Health, Ben Nangombe, said Namibia’s health system is…