Windhoek Observer

Niël Terblanché The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen, has criticised the demands of former fishermen as unrealistic, citing their refusal to accept jobs other than sea-going positions while demanding higher wages and benefits. Klazen made these remarks in response to questions from the Popular Democratic Movement’s (PDM) Mike Venaani during a parliamentary session focused on the challenges, sustainability efforts, and future plans for Namibia's fishing industry. Klazen stressed that the ministry launched a socio-economic relief programme in 2020 to support former fishermen who lost their jobs due to retrenchments, strikes, or misconduct. The minister, however, expressed concern…

Niël Terblanché The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has stressed the importance of timely voter registration for the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly Elections scheduled for the end of November. Peter Shaama, the Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer at the ECN, last week, announced that there will be no extension window beyond 1 August for voters to register while also urging all eligible Namibians to take immediate action. He indicated that since the commencement of the General Registration of Voters (GRV) on 3 June, a total of 676 390 Namibians have registered as voters. This includes registrations both within the…

Martin Endjala The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, is set to auction about 147 cattle on 17 July. This is according to a public notice by the ministry last week. The notice stated that this is a combined slaughter cattle and production event, along with a small livestock auction, specifically for the Omatjenne and Okomumbonde research settlements located in the Otjozondjupa region. The animals that will be sold include Slaughter Sanga Cross Oxen, 25 commercial Sanga cows, and heifers. There are 30 Slaughter Sanga Oxen and 3 Commercial Bonsmara Cows. 13 Slaughter Simmentaler Oxen, 4 Commercial Simbra Cows,…

Niël Terblanché Namibia's national railway operator, TransNamib, has accessed N$2.6 billion in funding from the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). This financial boost will be used to address the company's long-standing locomotive shortage and enhance its operational capacity. Chief Executive Officer, Desmond Van Jaarsveld, announced that the loan will be dedicated to increasing locomotive capacity, remanufacturing and acquiring new rolling stock, modernising the TransNamib workshop, and upgrading signaling equipment. “For years, we have been transparent about the challenges posed by our outdated equipment. This loan will not only enable us to increase…

Niël Terblanché The project to upgrade the road between Henties Bay and Uis to bitumen standard has been delayed due to a lack of funds. The Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, recently visited the site and noted that initial plans to have two contractors working simultaneously on the road from Henties Bay to Kamanjab were thwarted by funding constraints. Mutorwa reiterated the project's importance in diverting heavy truck traffic from the congested B2 Road to Walvis Bay harbour while at the same time enhancing Namibia's western transport corridor. He said the 96-kilometre road is part of a larger…