Observer – Page 572 – Windhoek Observer

27 Jul

Civil servants to vote to strike

ObserverNational NewsCivil servants to vote to strike, Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU), secret ballot on 28 and 29 July

Tujoromajo Kasuto Civil servants are set to cast their secret ballot on 28 and 29 July to decide down tools following the breakdown in the negotiation process with the government. The government could not grant the 10 percent pay raise across the board and improvement of various benefits, as demanded by the worker. Various unions have revealed that the public servants want their increment and say they will keep fighting until the government concedes to their demands as It has been more than five years since civil servants’ remuneration was adjusted. According to a statement released by the Namibia National…

IPC blamed for uncertainty around CEO recruitment<br>..council and management committee butt heads

27 Jul

IPC blamed for uncertainty around CEO recruitment
..council and management committee butt heads

ObserverNational NewsCEO, Chief Executive Officer position, George Mayumbelo, r MC Chairperson Ndeshihafela Larandja of IPC, Sade Gawanas

Tujoromajo Kasuto The City of Windhoek municipal council and management committee are at each other’s throat after the council blocked attempts by the management committee (MC) to usurped council authority for the recruitment process of Windhoek’s Chief Executive Officer position, which has been vacant for nearly two years. According to CoW Mayor and Chair of Council Sade Gawanas, the decision to continue with the recruitment process is not the responsibility of the management committee, because the committee is only authorised to make recommendations to Council. ‘’As the matter stands currently, the Management Committee is usurping powers which as a sub-committee,…

27 Jul

FIMA under new microscope

ObserverNational NewsErwin Naimhwaka and Jason Kandume by the Bank of Namibia); Justus Mwafongwe, Festus Nghifenwa, FIMA under new microscope, Iipumbu Shiimi., Immanuel Nashivela and Seppo Shigwele (Ministry of Finance);, Lovisa Indongo-Namandje Namfisa and Dickson Mbangu Matengu nominated by NAMFISA, Markets Act of 2021 (FIMA) w, Technical Committee set-up by the Finance Minister

Obrein Simasiku The Financial Institutions and Markets Act of 2021 (FIMA) which has been an issue of concern mainly regarding the Preservation of Retirement Benefit has now been referred to a Technical Committee set-up by the Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi. Following a serious public outcry before its implementation is set for the first of October 2022, the minister was postponed it to allow for a wider consultation into the over 400 page regulations. Shiimi has appointed a 19-member Technical Committee to spearhead the consultations, and its only upon completion of this exercise and inclusion of all inputs, that the final…

27 Jul

City to reconsider material used for bicycle lanes

ObserverNational NewsCity to reconsider material used for bicycle lanes, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Harold Akwenye City of Windhoek spokesperson, Ndakalimwe Investment, Suncycles

Staff Writer The City of Windhoek is reconsidering the material used to construct bicycle lanes, as they must now repair lanes that were done less than a year ago. According to city spokesperson Harold Akwenye, the city will simply replace the damaged cones while also considering other options. The construction of the bicycle lanes started last year September and was meant to be completed earlier this year. “At this stage we are definitely just going to replace the cones that have been damaged, but the city is deliberating on some other material,” he said. Despite the city announcing in a…

27 Jul

Women urged to be part of GBV fight

ObserverNational NewsNational Assembly Loide Kasingo, Women urged to be part of GBV fight

Martin Endjala Namibia’s alarming rate of killings, sexual assaults committed with impunity against women and the girl child has resulted in the country being hostile environment for these vulnerable groups. The deputy speaker of the National Assembly Loide Kasingo says women can bring the much needed change given their naturally assumed role of caregivers. The NA deputy speaker said this today during the opening of the Parliamentary Standing Committeeon Gender, Social Development and Family Affairs partnership at the SADC workshop that started in Swakopmund today. She stressed that lawmakers and policy regulators can spend time on coming up with new…

CoW drowning in debt<br>…depends on 200m bank overdraft

26 Jul

CoW drowning in debt
…depends on 200m bank overdraft

ObserverNational NewsCoW drowning in debt …depends on 200m bank overdraft, Jurgen Hecht, N$200m overdraft facility with FNB Namibia

Tujoromajo Kasuto City of Windhoek has incurred cumulative losses of 2, 8 billion dollars over the past nine years, with another loss of N$480m recorded for the 2021 financial year and is considering selling undeveloped (virgin) land back to the Government for an amount still to be determined. This was revealed today by Councilor Jurgen Hecht, who presented an overview and analysis of the financial state of the capital. The councillor questioned what development could have been done with this N$3,2 billion loss, stating that CoW is a Titanic which has hit the bottom of the ocean. ‘’Its present only…

26 Jul

CoW CEO recruitment in more turmoil

ObserverNational NewsCoW CEO recruitment in more turmoil, Independent Patriots for Change, Ndeshihafela Larandja

Tujoromajo Kasuto The political office bearers of the City of Windhoek are drifting far apart from each other concerning the recruitment process of the Chief Executive Officer. Today saw a media conference by the chairperson of the management committee, Ndeshihafela Larandja of the Independent Patriots for Change holding her own media conference in defiance and ahead of a scheduled media briefing by Mayor, Sade Gawanas, tomorrow. During her briefing Larandja said that more irregularities have been unearthed in the recruitment of the City of Windhoek’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), including the number of candidates who applied not being accounted for…

26 Jul

Opposition parties battling own devils

ObserverNational NewsMcHenry Venaani, Ndumba Kamwenyah, Opposition parties battling own devils, Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani

Martin Endjala New opposition parties find themselves putting out the flames of division in their midst. It’s not only Swapo as many thought, but divisions are hounding the new political formations. With factions occurring in the parties, political analyst Ndumba Kamwenyah has expressed concerns over better alternatives to challenge Swapo in an interview with the Windhoek Observer. Kamwenyah said that many opposition parties have showed a lack of quality and cementing themselves as better alternatives to the incumbent government. He added that the lack of ideology and the power fights within opposition parties show that there is still no credible…

26 Jul

Aminius residents oppose uranium mining

ObserverNational NewsAminius, Aminius residents oppose uranium mining, Headspring Investments Project Wings, in the Omaheke Region, Okahiokaapa and Omurambauondjombo

Tujoromajo Kasuto Livestock farmers and residents of Aminius, in the Omaheke Region, who rely heavily on underground water for survival are outraged at the prospect of uranium mining in the area, claiming that ‘’these environmentally disastrous mining activities’’ will cause irreversible damage to their groundwater sources, threatening their livelihood and the livelihoods of future generations. More shockingly, the community is perplexed and outraged by the lack of broad consultation from regional and constituency leadership regarding the mining of a highly toxic mineral such as uranium. This follows the drilling of boreholes by Headspring Investments Project Wings, a subsidiary of Uranium…

26 Jul

US Under Secretary commends Namibia’s corruption fight

ObserverNational Newsdemocracy, United States Under Secretary for Civilian Security, US Under Secretary commends Namibia’s corruption fight, Yvonne Dausab

Staff writer The United States Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya who visited Namibia last week for three days has commended Namibia for its efforts to combat corruption. Zeya met with senior government officials, civil society, and young leaders to discuss joint efforts to address global issues, strengthen democracy, fight human trafficking, assist refugees, and promote regional security. She also discussed joint efforts to combat corruption, fight transnational crime, and strengthen rule of law with the Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab, and Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa. “The United States thanks Namibia for taking meaningful steps…