Observer – Page 603 – Windhoek Observer

27 Apr

PDM threatens to boycott polls ….’partisan’ ECN commissioner irks PDM

ObserverUncategorisedECN, McHenry Venaani, MP Inna Hengari, Popular Demcratic Movement (PDM) leader, Swapo Party for filling up the ECN, wapo Party Secretary General

Martin Endjala One name among the members of the Electoral Commission of Namibia cause a major uproar in the National Assembly today. The vetting and endorsement of the commissioners of the elections body is always a controversial matter in the house and sometimes turns into real election campaigning. Opposition parties are in the habit of accusing the ruling Swapo Party for filling up the ECN with people sympathetic with Swapo. The vacancies for ECN commissioners are public advertised and candidates also interviewed publicly. The opposition parties were particularly irked by one commissioner, who they said served previously as an assistant…

27 Apr

Government impounds OTA vehicle

ObserverUncategorisedDaniel Nghidinua, Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD), Mutjinde Katjiua, Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA)

Staff Writer The Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) today handed over the government vehicle that was allocated to the traditional authority to the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, after the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) instructed the Namibian Police to confiscate the vehicle. According to the OTA, MURD opened a case with the Namibia police. “A case number CR23/04/22 has been opened with Namibian Police with the charge; Use of vehicle without owner consent. When asked who the owner is the police stated that the case was opened by the MURD,” said the OTA. Daniel Nghidinua, the ministry’s…

27 Apr

NHE calls for town councils to provide more land

ObserverUncategorisedCEO Gisbertus, Chief Executive Officer, NHE, The National Housing Enterprise (NHE)

Tujoromajo Kasuto The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) needs more land from local authorities around the country to complete 241 houses under construction and 1038 planned units Chief Executive Officer, CEO Gisbertus says that through the collaborative efforts between the Otjiwarongo Town Council and NHE, 40 plots were acquired from the Otjiwarongo Town Council in 2021 and the project, which is running according to plan is envisioned for completion at the end of June this year. More than 50% of the houses constructed under this project are for lower income earners of the Otjiwarongo Town Council staff members. NHE management also…

27 Apr

Youth League CC outcome watched with keen interest

ObserverUncategorisedpresident Hage Geingob, Swapo Party, SWAPO Party Youth League, Youth League CC outcome watched with keen interest

Martin Endjala The Swapo Party Youth League central committee slated for this Saturday, 29 April comes at a crucial time for the mother body, which itself will be holding its congress at the end of this year. Political observers, opposition parties and the public as well is watching every activity of the Swapo Party with keen interest, as it would be nominating the party’s presidential candidate for the country’s top office, as President Hage Geingob will be serving his second and last term. Swapo President, Hage Geingob is expected to officially open the Youth League meeting on Saturday at Parliament.…

27 Apr

Namibia, SA driving emerging oil activities

ObserverUncategorisedNamibia, Namibia and South Africa, SA driving emerging oil activities, TotalEnergies

Staff Writer Namibia and South Africa have become focal points for new discoveries and exploration and are driving significant Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activities, according to petroleum experts. The is especially the case within the Orange Basin, where both Shell and TotalEnergies have announced world-class deliveries this year, writes Paul Sinclair, the Vice President of Energy and Director of Government Services of Green Energy Africa, in an opinion piece. He says that risk appetite in West and Central Africa is relatively down, but is considerably higher in frontier basins in Southern Africa. ‘’This is particularly the case in Angola (Namibe…

27 Apr

Air Namibia liquidation came as blessing for international airlines

ObserverUncategorisedAir Namibia liquidation came as blessing for international airlines, Airlink, Eurowings and Ethiopian Airlines, Namibia Airports Company (NAC)

Tujoromajo Kasuto The shutdown of Air Namibia barely left a gap on flying routes, as those that were serviced by Air Namibia, continue to be covered by airlines such as Eurowings Discover, Airlink and Fly Namibia among others. Namibia Airports Company (NAC) spokesperson, Dan Kamati says that the country is expecting Qatar Airways to resume its flights to Hosea Kutako International Airport on 25 June, which augurs well for growth in international routes. In addition to flight schedules of Fly Namibia, Airlink, Eurowings and Ethiopian Airlines has increased its weekly flights to Windhoek from four to five and Angola’s TAEG…

26 Apr

One of the last standing black nursing pioneers no more

ObserverUncategorisedOne of the last standing black nursing pioneers no more

Staff Writer Among the last nurses standing, if not the only last standing one among pioneering black Namibian nurses, is no more standing. Francis Kandjambi Mbuere, bowed out last Wednesday on April 20 at the age of 87 years following a long sickness during which she was wheelchair bound following a car accident. Typical to her dedication to the nursing profession as among the very first staff nurses in Apartheid Namibia, a rarity among blacks because of Apartheid laws, the accident which eventually committed her to a wheelchair happened while she was on one of her nursing missions. Mbuere passed…

26 Apr

Livestock market recovering

ObserverUncategorisedLivestock market recovering, Simonis Storm’s Agricultural monthly report

Tujoromajo Kasuto Despite a 12.4 percent decrease in cattle marketed in March 2022, the livestock sector recorded a positive growth, with beef and sheep exports increasing by 137 percent and 35 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year. According to Simonis Storm’s Agricultural monthly report, these are early signs of the herd rebuilding period following the prolonged drought, with low commodity prices boosting additional supply (except pig prices). As per the Meat Board, year to date (YTD), average auction prices for cattle increased from N$32.11 per kg to N$33.47 per kilogram, sheep…

26 Apr

BTA leadership squabble far from over

ObserverUncategorisedBlouwes Traditional Authority, BTA leadership squabble far from over, Dawid Casius Gertze, Jerry Ekandjo, Johannes Benjamin Koopman

Staff Writer The Blouwes Traditional Authority has been involved in a long battle for recognition after the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development turned down the request to consider Johannes Benjamin Koopman, as chief of the authority five years ago. In 2010, an application to designate Salomon Kooper as the chief of BTA was filed at the then Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development which was approved in October the same year. However, according to documents the application was a breach of Section 4 and 5 of the Traditional Authorities Act and was subsequently withdrawn by…

26 Apr

WAD calls for cautious approach to AR petition

ObserverUncategorisedWAD calls for cautious approach to AR petition, WAD national coordinator Absai Kashululu

Martin Endjala A non-governmental organization has called for advised for caution over the proposed Affirmative Repositions movement petition, arguing that it land distribution proposals should not create further conundrums but look at how to resolve the sensitive matter, without having to pick fights with foreigners. The petition was submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly in 2018 and is now the subject of a public hearing by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Legal Affairs. The Women’s Action for Development (WAD) when delivering its position paper at hearing today, through its legal representative challenged the AR proposed…