Observer – Page 613 – Windhoek Observer

18 Jun

50m inadequate for Independence Stadium

ObserverNational News

Martin Endjala The N$50 million budget for the renovation of the Independence Stadium is insufficient and the Ministry of Youth, Sport and National Service has started holding engagements with the private sector to raise the shortfall of 48.1 million dollars. A meeting at the Safari Hotel in Windhoek today emphasised the importance of maintaining infrastructure to ensure longevity. The engagement by various stakeholders was called by the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service to discuss the renovation and upgrading of the Independence Stadium, which is in a state of disrepair because of years of neglect. Also of particular concern…

18 Jun

LPM calls on Cabinet for economic relief

ObserverNational NewsEneas Emvula, LPM calls on Cabinet for economic relief, Moses//Garoeb Constituency

Martin Endjala The Landless People’s Movement has called on the Cabinet to come up with a response to the devastating impact to the lives of the people in the midst of skyrocketing prices increases and the upward moving interest rates. LPM spokesperson Eneas Emvula at a media briefing of the party yesterday, said the 50 basis points increased announced by the Bank of Namibia this week to 4.75 percent is a tremendous jump compared to the previous 25 basis points, emphasizing that this will have a huge economic impact on households. Emvula painted a bleak picture of a significant drop…

18 Jun

June 16 Uprising and importance of Mother Tongue education

ObserverNational NewsJune 16 Uprising and importance of Mother Tongue education

As we celebrate The Day of the African Child, which happened exactly 46 years ago on June 16, 1976 in Soweto, South Africa, we remember the innocent lives of young children that were mercilessly cut short by heavily armed South African soldiers whose reason to kill was because of Afrikaans language instruction and cultural dispossession of the African value system. We will do well if we reflect on this journey in terms of how far we have come and how much more work remains in realizing the dreams of those young brave sons and daughters of Africa, who died solely…

18 Jun

Food, fuel price hikes biting

ObserverNational NewsFood fuel price hikes biting, Governor of the Bank of Namibia inflation risk

Life is seriously becoming expensive in Namibia and it skyrocketing further is to be expected. The price increases that have been seen since the onset of the Covi-19 pandemic have not been witnessed in recent history in Namibia. What is clear is that Covid-19 did not only turn the health systems upside down, but also had a serious impact on the world economy. The mass lockdowns experienced worldwide, to stop or slow the spread of the virus, had unintended consequences, such as interruption in production of essential goods and created shortages, thereby pushing up prices. The lockdowns also affected the…

Monica saves ‘Bishop’ and family<br>…will not pursue cash for damages

17 Jun

Monica saves ‘Bishop’ and family
…will not pursue cash for damages

ObserverNational NewsAbed Bishop Hishoono, First Lady Monica Geingos, High Court defamation judgement of 11 February 2021, Monica saves ‘Bishop’ and family …will not pursue cash for damages, Sisa Namandje & Co.Inc

Staff Writer First Lady Monica Geingos will not enforce the High Court defamation judgement of 11 February 2021 against Abed Bishop Hishoono to pay damages of N$250 000, including her legal cost of up to N$400 000. Hishoono was also ordered to tender an unconditional public apology to Geingos and to retract his defamatory and false statements. The First Lady in a statement issued through her legal practitioners, Sisa Namandje & Co.Inc today said that she is convinced that Hishoono has ‘’now honestly, deeply and genuinely indicated that he has wrongfully violated my rights and that of my family, and…

17 Jun

Civil servants salary hikes could lead to economic paralysis

ObserverNational NewsCivil servants salary hikes could lead to economic paralysis, Communication and Technology Peya Mushelenga, Minister of Information

Martin Endjala Civil servants will have to tighten their belts further as the government is currently not in a position to afford salary increases, except for improving some of the benefits. The reason for being unable to accord salary hikes, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Peya Mushelenga, said is because the country facing various challenges including a stagnant economy and the consequent narrowing fiscal space since 2016. This has resulted from ‘’a combination of weak global demand, low commodity prices and protracted drought,’’ the minister said. ‘’Reduced revenue receipts from the SACU common revenue pool and the outbreak…

17 Jun

ACC wants special court for civil irregularities

ObserverNational NewsACC Paulus Noah, ACC wants special court for civil irregularities, The ACC representative

Martin Endjala The Anti-Corruption Commission wants to be given the power to prosecute public officials who are involved in mismanagements, malpractices and misappropriation public funds. The Director General of ACC Paulus Noah made this call during today’s consultative meeting with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts in Windhoek. ACC is currently in the process of amending the law that governs its functions to make provision for the investigative body to also prosecute accounting officers through a civil litigation court. Currently, ACC only conducts investigations on implicated officials and then refer it to the accounting officer in charge or supervising…

17 Jun

Omudsman directs NBC to refer to Ovambanderu Paramount Chief by her customary title

ObserverNational NewsAletha Karikondua, Omudsman directs NBC to refer to Ovambanderu Paramount Chief by her customary title

Staff Writer The Media Ombudsman is directing the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to allow followers of Aletha Karikondua Nguvauva to address her by her traditional title of Ombara Otjitambi (Paramount Chief) on the broadcaster’s platforms as accorded to her office by the by the customary laws of her community. This ruling follows a public hearing by the Ombudsman’s Complaints Committee on 17 May this year following a complaint by Senior Chief Erastus Kahuure of the Ovambanderu Traditional Council (OTC), against the NBC, specifically its Omurari FM, which is the Otjiherero Language Service, which he lodged with the office of the…

17 Jun

Skills empowerment of young women on track

ObserverNational NewsAgnes Tjongarero, Project Hope, Skills empowerment of young women on track

Tujoromajo Kasuto Project Hope Namibia who is implementing DREAMS project has supported over 560 adolescent girls and young women to complete vocational training. Of these it has linked up 245 of them to internships and wage employment and provided 148 with entrepreneurial start-up kits. These interventions are additionally informed by the Labour Market Assessment, which was today launched by the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service.The US-funded DREAMS programme together with Project Hope Namibia is meant to identify economic growth sectors, occupational and entrepreneurship opportunities for adolescent girls and young women in Namibia. The Labour Market Assessment Report is…

16 Jun

BoN hikes lending rate …Hard times laying ahead

ObserverNational NewsBoN hikes lending rate …Hard times laying ahead, Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Repo rate hike to 4.75 percent

Tujoromajo Kasuto The Bank of Namibia has announced another half a percent repo rate hike to 4.75 percent, following the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the 13th and 14th of June 2022.Financial analysts predict to more increases this year with more to come in 2023 to take interest rates to pre-pandemic levels.The repo rate affects interest rates, which in turn affects instalment payments on a house and other debts such as bank overdrafts and loans.This is the third hike in the repo rate in succession. The central bank uses repo rate to arrest inflation, but reduces consumer purchasing power.…