Observer

8219 Posts
Meatco to retrench

Meatco to retrench

Staff Writer The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) has announced embarking on restructuring its business which will see more than 80 employees of the company being retrenched. The planned retrenchments by the meat processors, will affect employees who are 55 years and above. “As part of ensuring that Meatco remains competitive, sustainable and profitable, the Company crafted a leaner, agile and dynamic structure to make Meatco more robust in this ambiguous global environment. As a result of this process, employees who are 55 years and above, and in particular those that are already 60 years and above will part ways…
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SSC board discarded succession plan

SSC board discarded succession plan

Andrew Kathindi and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri The Social Security Commisison (SSC) Board has revealed that it discarded its own succession plan and never considered any other potential candidates. This was before renewing the contract of Executive Officer, Milka Mungunda, for another five years. The appointment is despite Mungunda having turned 61 in February this year. According to SSC Board Chairperson, Dr Dawid /Uirab, it received and reviewed formally a draft Succession Plans for the role of the EO, but opted to stick with Mungunda instead, who will be 66 at the end of her contract, which expires in 2026. "The Commission…
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NamRA launches officially …as 20 Finance Ministry staff refuse to join

NamRA launches officially …as 20 Finance Ministry staff refuse to join

Andrew Kathindi Twenty employees from the Department of Inland Revenue and Customs Excise Directorate have indicated that they do not want to move to the newly formed tax collection agency, the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA). This was revealed by Finance Ministry Spokesperson Tonateni Shidhushu. The 20 employees who have not given their consent to be transferred to NamRA are part of 1400 other staff members from the department in the Ministry of Finance. All the employees were handed letters of intent to sign on whether they agree to or not to transfer to the newly formed government enterprise. "We will…
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Amutenya freed with state withdrawing charges

Amutenya freed with state withdrawing charges

Maria Hamutenya Addis Ababa murder accused, Kristofina Amutenya, was on Wednesday freed after the state provisionally withdrew charges against the former spouse of a diplomat. The charges were withdrawn in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court after Magistrate Alweendo Venatius was informed in a letter from the Office of the Government Attorney that the withdrawal had been agreed with Amutenya's lawyer, Kadhila Amoomo. Amoomo challenged the Namibian authorities’ decision to arrest and charge Amutenya with two counts of murder, and one of attempted murder upon her arrival from Addis Ababa. Amoomo claimed that she (Amutenya) was not presented with any documents or…
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Addis murder suspect appears in court

Addis murder suspect appears in court

Maria Hamutenya Kristofina Amutenya (33) made her first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. H owever, Magistrate Venatius Alweendo postponed the matter to Wednesday pending an urgent High Court application filed by her lawyers. Lawyer Kadhila Amoomo, who is representing the murder accused, has challenged the decision of the Namibian authorities to arrest and charge Amutenya with two counts of murder, and one count of attempted murder upon her arrival from Addis Ababa on Monday. Amoomo has filed for an urgent application in the High Court to ask for her arrest and detention in Namibia to be declared…
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Defence Minister resigns . . . as ACC maintains it won’t investigate

Defence Minister resigns . . . as ACC maintains it won’t investigate

Andrew Kathindi and Rose-Mary Haufiku Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Peter Vilho, has resigned, following his afternoon-long meeting with President Hage Geingob on Tuesday, the Presidency has announced. Geingob summoned Vilho to State House to explain himself following allegations of illicit proceeds in an undeclared Hong Kong bank account. Vilho served as minister for a year and a month, after he was appointed by Geingob in March 2020. His tenure at the ministry was, however, riddled with corruption allegations. According to the Presidency, Vilho informed the President that his continued membership of the Executive was “untenable” and the “ongoing…
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Capitalist cartel ruling the roost of communal farming

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on many sectors of the Namibia economy. Evidence hereof is the accelerated liquidation of the national airline, Air Namibia. Surely Air Namibia may not be the first and the last. Many others are certain to follow in view of the forecast protracted recovery of the local economy. Another sector that has been feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Namibia, is the tourism sector, with one of its subsector, trophy hunting, equally heavily affected and impacted. One is reminded of the lucrative era in this subsector ushered in by Namibia’s independence when…
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The Time Traveler: Beyond The First 48

Hugh Ellis One of my favorite series to binge-watch is ‘The First 48’. It follows teams of crack detectives during the apparently critical first 48 hours after a murder is reported. The cameras have access - obviously carefully controlled - to crime scene examinations, meetings with witnesses, interrogation of suspects. Sometimes the culprits slip away, but more often than not the detectives turn up something, the murderer makes a mistake, a clue is discovered, and an arrest is made. Then, at least so we are led to believe, the murderer is put on trial, convicted and sent to prison. The…
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Namibia gets N$3.9 billion IMF loan

Namibia gets N$3.9 billion IMF loan

Staff Writer The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a N$3.9 billion (US$270.83 million) loan for Namibia under its Covid-19 Rapid Facility. “The Ministry of Finance wishes to announce the approval of US$270.83 million (about N$3.9 billion as at current exchange rate) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address the fiscal financing needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Ministry of Finance said. The Ministry said the application was done last year from the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) availed by the IMF to middle-income countries. “The RFI provides rapid financial assistance to all IMF member countries (shareholders) facing financial…
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Health Ministry fails to suspend violent nurses

Health Ministry fails to suspend violent nurses

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri and Rose-Mary Haufiku The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) says its hands are tied when it comes to taking disciplinary action against the three unidentified nurses from the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital who were filmed physically and verbally assaulting a patient. The ministry has not suspended the three but instead assigned them new duties at the hospital while the matter is being investigated. Health Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, said, the Public Service Act dictates the circumstances under which a staff member in the public service may be suspended. "Suspension should first be conducted or effected when you…
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