Observer – Page 724 – Windhoek Observer

01 Dec

Understanding regional and local elections

ObserverUncategorisedNamibia, National Assembly, President, Regional and local elections

Willem N Namboga Regional and local elections are important, but many people do not understand how they are constituted. The President and the members of the National Assembly represent all the people of Namibia. But individual communities need other government bodies which are closer to them to focus on the issues and problems of the community. Local government focuses on the needs of the people who live in that local authority. Regional and local councilors are important contacts for lobbying on regional and local issues. Some regions are very well developed, with many schools and clinics and a good supply…

01 Dec

DBN plans N$500m relief facility

ObserverUncategorisedDBN CEO Martin Inkumbi, Development Bank of Namibia (DBN)

Staff Writer The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) is planning a N$500 million Covid-19 relief facility in the first quarter of 2021. According to DBN CEO Martin Inkumbi, this is in addition to the N$500 million made available by the Ministry of Finance to be offered by commercial banks. “The Bank, is committed to financing Namibian economic activity, and will take all feasible measures to ensure its health,” Inkumbi said. This comes as preliminary figures of the bank for the first two quarters to September of 2020/21 show the expected adverse impact of Covid-19 and risk-aversion on demand for SME…

01 Dec

COVID-19 measures extended to 2021

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, president Hage Geingob

Andrew Kathindi President Hage Geingob has extended the period under which current COVID-19 regulations are observed to 25 January 2021. This comes after the current set of measures to fight COVID-19, which came into force on 17 October, will expire at midnight, 30 November 2020. Following the lapse of the State of Emergency in September, the Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula was empowered, under the Public and Environmental Act to make further adjustments to measures even after the end of the State of Emergency, which could not be extended beyond six months without cabinet approval. “I observed, with great concern, that…

01 Dec

Swapo snubs LPM overtures

ObserverObserver MoneyLandless People’s Movement, LPM, National Unity Democratic Organization of Namibia, NUDO, UDF, United Democratic Front of Namibia

Andrew Kathindi The ruling Swapo party has snubbed Landless People’s Movement’s (LPM) olive branch and sent out directives to its elected councilors to only work with National Unity Democratic Organization of Namibia (NUDO) and United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF). This comes as LPM leader Bernardus Swartbooi earlier on Monday revealed that the party would welcome the opportunity to work with Swapo. Following a Swapo Politburo Central Committee meeting, with the aim of reflecting on the recently held elections, Swapo Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa directed regional leadership to “enter into a coalition with only (NUDO) and (UDF) where Swapo party…

28 Nov

Book Review: The Icabog – JK Rowling

ObserverUncategorisedThe Icabog – JK Rowling

Jackie Wilson Asheeke Having more time inside these days, I have been a readin’ fool. One of the books I jumped on was The Icabog, by JK Rowling. This soon to be classic for generations to come was originally published on November 10, 2020. For the billionaire author of the Harry Potter series of books, the writing skills of the great Ms Rowling are never better in this new book. It was released online in parts over the past year, but the complete text just came out. I couldn’t stand the piecemeal thing, so I waited patiently for the real…

28 Nov

Standard Bank appoints new CE

ObserverUncategorisedMercia Geises, new Chief Executive., Vetumbuavi Mungunda

Staff Writer SBN Holdings Limited, the Namibia Stock Exchange-listed holdings company of local bank, Standard Bank Namibia Limited, has appointed its Head of Personal and Business Banking, Mercia Geises, as its new Chief Executive. Mercia Geises will take over from current Chief Executive Vetumbuavi Mungunda with effect from 1 May 2021. “The Board is excited at the appointment of Mercia to lead us into an exciting new future following a well-planned and well-executed leadership management and succession programme, which, inter alia, is a demonstration of Standard Bank’s relentless commitment to growing our people and creating Namibian leaders. The success of…

28 Nov

The more things change the more they remain the same

ObserverUncategorisedArticle 15, Education Act, Namibian Constitution

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro The more things change, the more they remain the same. Nothing speaks more to this dictum than our country’s educational system. Specifically the government’s language policy pertaining to home language or mother tongue. In terms of the Namibian Constitution, Article 15, children shall from birth have a right to a name, the right to acquire nationality ….and right to be cared for by their parents. Something is missing here, what about the right of the child to be taught in her/or his home language or mother tongue? Perhaps it is taken care of in the Education Act. Indeed…

28 Nov

The Time Traveler: The job interview ‘date’

ObserverUncategorisedjob interviews

Hugh Ellis I’m lucky enough to have had to submit to less than 10 job interviews in my entire life. Lucky to have been in the right place at the right time - a graduate coming into a growing economy, among many other things. I say lucky because job interviews are largely nonsense, and I pity the poor people who have had to sit through 50 or more before they find a single job. There has to be a way to select a limited number of employees from a vast pool of candidates, but I’m not sure interviews are the…

28 Nov

When Africa was a German laboratory

ObserverUncategorisedepidemics of trypanosomiasi, When Africa was a German laboratory

Edna Bonhomme Western scientists transformed Africa into a living laboratory during the sleeping sickness epidemics of the early 20th century. They should not be allowed to do the same now [while seeking the definitive pandemic vaccine.] At the turn of the 20th century, epidemics of trypanosomiasis, or “sleeping sickness” as it is more commonly known, started to appear across Africa. A vector-borne parasitic disease causing apathy, slow movement, speech disorders, physical weakness and death, sleeping sickness raised alarm among European colonisers on the continent who feared that its spread could slow down the African workforce, and subsequently their colonial projects.…

28 Nov

A day late and a dollar short

ObserverUncategorisedA day late and a dollar short, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, PDM Leader McHenry Venaani

Jackie Wilson Asheeke I read the recent comments from PDM Leader McHenry Venaani in reaction to preliminary results from this week’s local and regional elections. To read his statements about making opposition coalitions (as if it is a new concept) with some of the other parties so that they could unite to unseat Swapo made me shake my head completely. Many have been calling for the wannabe kings of each of the smaller opposition parties to unite. And yet, they misread the entire political landscape and remained as kings of their tiny territories rather than influencers of the national political…