Observer

8183 Posts
Labour Commission powerless on Shoprite non-compliance

Labour Commission powerless on Shoprite non-compliance

Andrew Kathindi Labour Commissioner Henri Kassen said his office’s hands are tied when it comes to enforcing a Labour Court ruling which unions and Shoprite group employees have accused the retail giant of contravening, as it is outside his jurisdiction. According to the court order delivered on 8 January, Shoprite is not permitted to employ seasonal workers or let other employees do the work of those that are on strike. However, Shoprite has hired seasonal employees, according to a spokesperson from the employee’s group. “The Labour Commissioner's office is not an enforcer for compliance of the law or the court…
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COVID deaths surpass 300

COVID deaths surpass 300

Staff Writer Namibia has now surpassed the 300 mark for COVID-19 related deaths after five more people succumbed to the virus. Health and Social Services (MOHSS) minister, Kalumbi Shangula, announced the latest figures on Wednesday. The five fatalities were recorded in Windhoek, Oshakati, Otjiwarongo and Walvis Bay, becoming the second highest number of deaths ever recorded in the country in a single day since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year. The increase in fatalities, comes as positive cases continue to spike, with 258 new COVID-19 confirmed cases from 1 793 results received from the laboratories in the last 24 hours.…
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Pressure mounts on Shoprite

Pressure mounts on Shoprite

Maria Hamutenya Pressure continues to mount on the Shoprite group over the ongoing wage saga with its workers after the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the country’s largest union, called on its members to boycott buying from the retail giant. NUNW calls came after Labour Minister, Uutoni Nujoma, was recently reported in the media urging members of the public to stop buying from Shoprite stores until the company resolves the dispute with its employees. NUNW Secretary-General, Job Muniaro, called for “a genuine negotiation between Shoprite and its workers.” “We call for international support even from countries that have Shoprite…
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ACC not investigating Defence Ministry

ACC not investigating Defence Ministry

Maria Hamutenya and Andrew Kathindi The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has said its not investigating any allegations of corruption at the Defence Ministry, including allegations of a shady N$10 million hand sanitizer deal, as no one has come forth with information. Windhoek Mayor Job Amupanda has raised various corruption allegations against Minister of Defence, Peter Vilho, including his alleged approval of a tender to supply the ministry with hand sanitiser worth N$10 million. ACC’s Director General, Paulus Noa, told Windhoek Observer that his office has not looked into the case. “We are not aware of any allegations made towards the Minister…
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Stay cautious when using free public Wi-Fi

Stay cautious when using free public Wi-Fi

Staff Writer As people look for diversity in working spaces from their normal ‘work from home’ routine, such as coffee shops, the use of free public Wi-Fi networks and hotspots in these public places calls for caution when accessing your banking or managing finances on laptops or mobile devices. Desery van Wyk, Head of Digital banking at FNB says “Consumers accessing free public Wi-Fi networks can potentially fall victim to cybercrime as fraudsters can get access to their passwords, personal and banking information. Connecting to any open or public Wi-Fi can expose you to security and privacy risks including ‘person…
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Political parties shy away from Shoprite saga

Political parties shy away from Shoprite saga

Maria Hamutenya Namibian political parties continue to shy away from the on-going labour dispute pitting South African retail giant, Shoprite, against its Namibian workers. The labour dispute has been dragging for years, and the current strike which started last December last year, have now spilled over into the High Court. The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), the country’s official opposition party was diplomatic in its position on the matter, calling on the parties to sit down and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. “PDM wants to put it on record that any loss of jobs resulting from a continued stalemate between NAFAU…
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No guarantee on Pfizer drug: Shangula

No guarantee on Pfizer drug: Shangula

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) said there is no guarantee that no one will die after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. Shangula said this after 33 people in Norway died after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine last week. “Each body reacts in its own way according to its makeup, it’s not something which you can predict,” Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula told Windhoek Observer. “You can have a completely healthy person without anything, get injected and immediately a reaction starts. It’s just like an allergic reaction to Penicillin or any other drug.” The Pfizer vaccine, which is…
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Pig Farming: An Untapped Industry in Namibia

Pig Farming: An Untapped Industry in Namibia

Hanks Saisai According to the 2014 National Agriculture Census conducted by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), there are approximately 87 206 pigs countrywide and more than 50 percent are found in the communal areas of Northern Namibia. Indigenous or local breeds make up more than 50 percent of the pig population in the country. Pigs are reared for various meat products such as pork meat, bacon and as an ingredient in other products such as sausages and polony. In a country that has been affected by recurring droughts, livestock farming (cattle, sheep & goats) has been drastically affected making it…
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Namibia in record COVID deaths

Namibia in record COVID deaths

Staff Writer A record eight people died from COVID-19 in one day, bringing the country’s related deaths to 293, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) announced on Monday. According to the ministry, four of the deaths announced, are from Oshakati district, two from Windhoek district, and one each from the districts pf Swakopmund and Rundu. New 390 COVID-19 cases were confirmed from 2 034 results received from the laboratories in the last twenty-four (24) hours, a position that saw the country cumulative confirmed cases breaching the 30 000 mark at 30 753. In the confirmed cases, 29 are…
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Affidavit does not link Geingob to ‘Fishrot’ scandal: former Acting Judge

Affidavit does not link Geingob to ‘Fishrot’ scandal: former Acting Judge

Staff reporter Windhoek-based lawyer and former Acting High Court Judge, Kaijata Kangueehi, has said that President Hage Geingob’s name being mentioned in Maren de Klerk’s affidavit does not link the head of state to the ‘Fishrot’ scandal. This comes after President Hage Geingob was named in lawyer Maren de Klerk’s affidavit, when he was referred to by James Hatuikulipi and former minister of justice Sacky Shanghala, as the “Boss” for whom certain payments were to be processed. “The whole affidavit is riddled with a lot of hearsay evidence. The investigating authority failed to seek confirmatory affidavits, which renders this affidavit…
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