Observer – Page 698 – Windhoek Observer

20 Mar

COVID-19 jab not compulsory – Shangula …. Essential services workers react

ObserverUncategorisedCOVID-19 jab not compulsory, Kalumbi Shangula, Mahongora Kavihuha, Sinopharm vaccine, Werner Januarie

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri, Maria Hamutenya and Andrew Kathindi MINISTER of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula says no one, including members of the uniformed forces, will be forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes as the country on Friday began its roll-out of the Chinese manufactured Sinopharm vaccine, which arrived in Namibia earlier this week. “People who are live in closed settings like people in prisons, police cells, and school hostels are the ones we want to target in phase-one, but eventually everyone will have a chance to be vaccinated. The vaccine is voluntary. If you don’t want it, no…

19 Mar

HPP II targets N$28 billion projects

ObserverObserver MoneyHarambee Prosperity Plan II (HPP II), president Hage Geingob

Maria Hamutenya The Harambee Prosperity Plan II (HPP II) launched by President Hage Geingob on Thursday, has set an ambitious target to unlock projects with a commercial value in excess of N$ 27.7 billion over a 5 year period, while creating 42 000 jobs Among some of the projects targeted, include a plan to build a Green Hydrogen plant and deliver 20 000 housing units countrywide by the end of HPP2 through public and private stakeholders. This aims to reduce the national housing backlog, which currently stands 300 000 houses. “In the social progression pillar the Government, local authorities, GIPF,…

19 Mar

It was not Emma Theofelus – Shiimi

ObserverObserver MoneyDeputy Information Minister, Emma Theofelus, Finance minister, Ipumbu Shiimi, value added tax (VAT)

Rose-Mary Haufiku and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Finance Minister, Ipumbu Shiimi, said the decision to remove value added tax (VAT) on sanitary pads has nothing to do with the motion tabled by Deputy Information Minister, Emma Theofelus, two weeks ago. He said a decision had already been taken by the Finance ministry in January. “The removal of VAT on sanitary pads is not in any way linked to Emma Theofelus. It has got nothing to do with her. She brought her issue, but it was already in the budget,” Shiimi told the Windhoek observer . The revelation by Shiimi comes as Theofelus…

18 Mar

Shangula rules out relaxing Covid-19 regulations

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health and Social Services Minister, Kalumbi Shangula

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Health and Social Services Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, says Namibia will not be relaxing its COVID-19 regulations despite the arrival of the country’s first batch of vaccines and the beginning of its inoculation role out schedule for Friday. “No, it will not be relaxed. We will still continue to have public health measures because we have not yet vaccinated anybody, we need to vaccinate about 80 percent of the population and then we will see whether they are fully protected, it will be a combination, just like we have the mask, social distance and you get vaccination,” he said.…

18 Mar

Shiimi tables declining budget … as sin tax is upped

ObserverObserver MoneyFinance minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)

Andrew Kathindi The national budget for the 2021/2022 financial year amounts to N$59.4 billion, Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, has announced. This is a 6.1 percent decline from the N$63.4 budget tabled last year. “Budget revenue is projected to decline by 6.1 percent to N$52.1 billion, from the estimated N$55.5 billion in 2020/21. This is largely due to the expected contraction in SACU receipts. Over the remainder of the MTEF, revenue is forecast to gather pace at an average rate of 4.8 percent as domestic economic activity and regional trade pick up,” said Shiimi. Of the tabled figure, N$53.9 billion is…

17 Mar

Capitalism versus Democracy a paradigm shift to Monopoly/Olygopoly versus one Party State

ObserverUncategoriseddemocracy, SWAPO

Issy Tjihoreko Introduction A lot of articles have been written about the concept capitalism and democracy as well as monopoly/oligopoly. This piece of article is trying to diagnose the concept of capitalism vs democracy with a paradigm shift to monopoly/oligopoly versus one party state in Namibia. The article is attempting to scrutinise the current Namibian situation and how these concepts are impacting the nation daily. It appeared that before independence, our liberation movements especially SWANU and SWAPO advocated for the ideology of socialism and communism as a form of desirable systems that should be applicable to a free and independent…

17 Mar

Call to track, measure women’s progress

ObserverObserver MoneyBoemo Sekgoma, International Women’s Day, SADC Parliamentary Forum

Moses Magadza As the world marked International Women’s Day last week, the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Ms Boemo Sekgoma, called for an advanced framework for tracking and measuring key indicators to ensure progress of women in political participation. Sekgoma made the call when she delivered keynote remarks during a virtual international engagement meant to discuss ways of enhancing women’s political participation. She noted that although “women's political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality, democracy and for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” more remains to be done to ensure their meaningful political…

17 Mar

LPM’s Mariental appointments illegal – Lawyer

ObserverObserver MoneyLandless People’s Movement (LPM), Richard Metcalfe

Maria Hamutenya Legal representative of recalled Landless Peoples Movement (LPM)’s councillors, Richard Metcalfe, says the appointment of new Mariental councillors is illegal. Thus he will proceed to file for review from the High Court next week Monday.Metcalfe maintained the two LPM members had been denied a proper disciplinary hearing by the party before it recalled them from their position on the Mariental town council. “It is time that politicians start to remember that Namibia is a democracy with a Constitution as its Supreme law.” “They can't continue to run the country like the colonials did. We sink lower by the…

17 Mar

No Sinopharm vaccine for Shangula, top govt officials

ObserverObserver MoneyMinister of Health and Social Services, Sinopharm

Andrew Kathindi, Kandjemuni Kamuiiri, Rose-Mary Haufiku It has emerged that most high-ranking government officials, including Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHss), Kalumbi Shangula, will not receive the Sinopharm vaccine, because of its age restrictions. The vaccine, the first vaccine against COVID-19 to come into Namibia since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, is only recommended for use on people between the ages of 18 to 59 years. “If I fall in the eligible criteria I will take it. I am waiting for another one because this vaccine is only for people between 18 and 59 and I don’t…

16 Mar

CRAN powerless against Facebook’s data snooping

ObserverObserver MoneyCommunications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), WhatsApp

Andrew Kathindi The Namibian government is unable to stop Facebook from sharing the data it collects from Namibian WhatsApp users due to the lack of a data protection law. According to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), the Authority does not regulate over-the-top services that are delivered over the Internet, including WhatsApp and similar applications as Namibia also does not have a data protection law, in terms of which information on social media may be managed. As a result, Facebook, will be able to share the information it collects from WhatsApp users, including contact numbers and location when a…