Observer – Page 473 – Windhoek Observer

22 Aug

Menzies appeal judgement reserved

ObserverMainHannelie Prinsloo, Menzies appeal judgement reserved

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The judgement in Menzies Aviation Namibia’s latest appeal case against its eviction from the Hosea Kutako International Airport by the Namibia Airports Company has been reserved. High Court Judge Hannelie Prinsloo after hearing arguments on Monday said that she will deliver her judgment in the latest appeal case on Friday 1 September. Paragon Aviation Services will, in the meantime, continue to render ground handling services at the airport. Menzies was evicted from the airport on Saturday and ordered to stop rendering the ground handling services after more than a year of legal battles in which the company contested…

22 Aug

Massive port expansion planned to increase capacity

ObserverNational NewsAndrew Kanime, Massive port expansion planned to increase capacity, Namibian Ports Authority (Namport)

Niël Terblanché While Namibia is aspiring to become a new global fuel and energy exporter, port facilities will have to be upgraded to accommodate the new industry and its supply chain needs. Andrew Kanime, Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) in an interview with Bloomberg recently, said private investment of N$40 billion is needed for the proposed port infrastructure expansion. Kanime announced plans for new berths and quay walls to support the country’s booming energy industry. The expansion is targeted for the port of Walvis Bay while an entirely new deep-sea port will be built in Lüderitz…

22 Aug

Chinese company denied relief forN$33 million worth of income tax

ObserverNational NewsChinese company denied relief forN$33 million worth of income tax, Eileen Rakow

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The High Court of Namibia rejected an interim relief request from a Chinese construction company for N$33 million in income tax. According to a judgement delivered last week Friday in High Court by Judge Eileen Rakow, said the concept of ‘pay now, argue later’ should be applicable in this case. “I find no reason to conclude that the ‘pay now argue later’ concept should not be applicable in this matter and thus find that the monies attached by the first respondent should remain with them for now as it is in the public interest,” said Rakow. The money…

22 Aug

Drought necessitates small-scale import of grains and beans

ObserverNational NewsDrought necessitates small-scale import of grains and beans, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata

Niël Terblanché Mahangu grains and beans purchased from Angola for own consumption within a radius of 60 kilometres from border posts will for the time being be exempted from the rules that verify agricultural products have been inspected and are pest and disease free. In a statement, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform said the looming drought has necessitated the lifting of stricter Phytosanitary measures. At the same time, the ministry is initiating awareness about the importation of grains and beans and the effect such material might have on the health of…

22 Aug

Rising Against Giants: The Essential Disruption in Namibia’s Business Landscape

ObserverFeatured, OpinionsHosea Kutako International Airport, Menzies, Paragon Aviation, Rising Against Giants: The Essential Disruption in Namibia's Business Landscape

Nrupesh Soni, Facilit8 Namibia The unfolding saga at Hosea Kutako International Airport is more than a mere corporate dispute—it encapsulates a broader issue that reverberates throughout Namibia and indeed, the wider African continent. The tension between Paragon Aviation, a local entity, and Menzies, an international behemoth, over the airport's ground handling tender , goes beyond a mere contractual disagreement. Instead, it sheds light on the uphill battle local businesses face when striving to navigate the labyrinth of corporate colonialism. A persistent, if paradoxical, sentiment exists in parts of Africa, including Namibia: the belief that local firms, by virtue of their…

21 Aug

Inside the Mind of a Black Child

ObserverFeaturedInside the Mind of a Black Child, Johanna Swartbooi

Johanna Swartbooi, a creative entrepreneur was born and raised in the ||Karas, region and attended public schools in Windhoek. She received three years of training in Social Work before changing fields and acquiring a Higher Certificate in Business and Marketing Management in 2021. She is currently in her final year of studies in Business Administration majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Johanna’s professional career in fashion began with modelling in 2016. Since then she received various awards including Miss Namibia 2019 2nd Runner Up and Female Model of the Year in 2020 from the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion…

21 Aug

Keeping repo rate unchanged a positive sign: analyst

ObserverObserver MoneyKeeping repo rate unchanged a positive sign: analyst, Sheehama

Martin Endjala Economic analyst Joseph Sheehama has praised the Bank of Namibia for keeping the repo rate unchanged, saying it will benefit those with bank loans, especially home mortgages. In an interview with Windhoek Observer last week, Sheehama said, that the Bank of Namibia's decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 7.75 per cent was unexpected, but maintaining the status quo is a positive sign and will provide moderately needed support to the homeowners, especially those with mortgage loans. A further reduction in interest rates would have been the preferred course of action to bolster overall market confidence, and…

21 Aug

Butchery will improve value addition for Outapi farmers

ObserverObserver MoneyAmarika Farmers’ Cooperative near Outapi in the Omusati Region, Butchery will improve value addition for Outapi farmers

Niël Terblanché A new butchery at the Amarika Farmers’ Cooperative near Outapi in the Omusati Region will focus on adding value to the produce of rural farmers. The butchery was officially opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein last week. During the official opening of the new facility, the agriculture minister called on all the local farmers and residents in the region to support the efforts of the Amarika Farmers’ Cooperative in their quest to increase livestock production and in maximizing their profits. Schlettwien also called on the Amarika Farmers’ Cooperative to gain better knowledge…

21 Aug

Strong workforce provides smooth ground handling service at HKIA

ObserverNational NewsParagon Aviation Services (PAS), Strong workforce provides smooth ground handling service at HKIA

Niël Terblanché For a second consecutive day, Paragon Aviation Services (PAS) provided seamless ground handling service at the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA). Shortly after Menzies Aviation Namibia were evicted from the premises of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) on Saturday morning flights by Eurowings Discover and Qatar Airways flights were redirected to other international airports in the southern African region because of insurance issues. On Sunday, some of the issues were resolved and Qatar Airways flights landed without any disruption or delay. Eurowings, however, chose not to change their stance because Menzies Aviation Namibia filed yet another urgent application…

21 Aug

Menzies evicted from HKIA

ObserverMainBisey /Uirab the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC)

Niël Terblanché Over the past weekend, Paragon Aviation Services has been providing ground handling services at the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) after a seamless transition from services previously rendered by Menzies Aviation Namibia. Bisey /Uirab the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC), in a statement, said Paragon’s commencement of ground handling services at HKIA heeds the Supreme Court’s assertion to the effect that Menzies Aviation Namibia relied on unlawful self-help to stay put and it occupied the premises of the NAC unlawfully for about a year, despite the fact that Paragon presently has the right in…