Observer – Page 725 – Windhoek Observer

07 Aug

Botswana loses out on TRIPS flexibilities

ObserverUncategorisedCancer, Covid-19, HIV, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), TB

Soraya Mentoor and Tebogo Gareitsanye COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated pre-existing inequalities including poverty, unemployment and struggling public health care systems between rich and poor countries. With many countries in Africa struggling with high levels of HIV, TB and other chronic conditions (regarded as comorbidities), the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update shows that people living with HIV are at a higher risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, yet many cannot access life-saving vaccines. Lack of access to affordable essential medicine has been, and continues to afflict many people in developing countries due to monopoly and high pharmaceutical prices driven by patents…

07 Aug

Reparations towards what end?

ObserverUncategorisedNama, Ovaherero, Ovambanderu

Reparations towards what end? Yours Truly Ideologically cannot shake off an innate fixation and intuition with this pertinent question. Amidst the debate within the reparations movement currently, whither to now with and in the reparations cause? A question that lately has been and is in the uppermost minds of most affected communities, and on their lips, be they Ovambanderu, Ovaherero and Nama. Prompted by the recent avowed Joint Declaration and Agreement between the Namibian government, and its counterpart of the Federal Republic of Germany on Genocide, Apology and Reparations (GAR). A Joint Declaration and Agreement, which apparent from the reactions…

07 Aug

Get the vaccine

ObserverUncategorisedCOVID, Namibia

Let the cosmopolitan, distracted, and politically intolerant outside world fight over not taking the COVID for their strange reasons; here in Namibia, we don’t have that luxury. Everyone eligible must get the vaccine if they are available. Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated countries globally. We have relatively passable roads infrastructure and a small number of available vaccines versus the number of eligible and available recipients. One would think there would be a stampede on vaccination sites. People desperate to avoid sickness and death at the hands of COVID should be clamoring for their shots. There are not…

07 Aug

Marginalised Batswana women struggle to access cancer treatment

ObserverObserver MoneyBotswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA)

Soraya Mentoor and Tebogo Gareitsanye The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) has implemented a programme which includes the Development of a Preliminary National Intellectual Property (IP) policy to strengthen its advocacy on IP and case studies on access to cervical cancer medicines. The latter focused on women living in three districts of South East - Gaborone, Boteti Sub- District and Tutume Sub - District. The programme was implemented from 2019 to 2020. Furthermore, in order to inform advocacy, BONELA conducted case studies on the experiences of women living with HIV when accessing cervical cancer medicine in the…

07 Aug

Erongo leads in unpredictable Covid-19 cases

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Erongo, Minister of Health and Social Service

Staff Writer The unpredictable daily Covid-19 figures has seen Erongo region taking top spot with 64 cases and accounting for 23,4 percent of the 274 confirmed cases announced on Thursday. Erongo replaced Oshana and Zambezi who were joint leaders the previous day when the country recorded 237 new cases, with each region registering 42 cases. The composition of Thursday’s cases is 141 females and 133 males with ages ranging from five months to 100 years. According to an update by the Minister of Health and Social Service, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, on Thursday, 5 August, Walvis Bay recorded 41 new cases…

06 Aug

Criminals try their luck amid the pandemic – FIC

ObserverObserver MoneyFinancial Intelligence Centre (FIC)

TUJOROMAJO KASUTO THE Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) says Suspicious Transactions Reporting detected a 36 percent increase in fraudulent activity from members of the public and a 15,8 percent decrease from financial institutions. This was revealed by the director of the centre, Leonie Dunn, in the institution’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 in which he said the review had underlined the significance of the FIC’s intelligence services as unscrupulous entrepreneurs consistently tested the environment for opportunities to take advantage of the pandemic to enrich themselves, expand and advance their enterprises through crime. “FIC’s intelligence disclosures are being…

06 Aug

Oshakati, Katima top in new Covid-19 cases

ObserverObserver MoneyDr Kalumba Shangula, Katima Mulilo, Minister of Health and Social Servives, Oshakati

Staff Writer Going by the figures released by the Minister of Health and Social Servives, Dr Kalumba Shangula, on Wednesday, Oshakati and Katima Mulilo appear to becoming the epicentres of the Covid-19 virus. From a total of 237 confirmed new cases, the two towns in Oshana and Zambezi regions had 42 new cases each, relegating the capital Windhoek and Khomas region, which recorded 36 new cases for the day, to third spot. The new distribution pattern could be attributed to the more stringent measures imposed on Windhoek during July. Nankudu in Kavango West recorded only one new case as did…

05 Aug

Lühl’s citizenship court case postponed

ObserverObserver MoneyImmigration, inistry of Home Affairs, LGBTQ+, Namibia, Phillip Lühl, Safety and Security (MHAISS)

Tujoromajo Kasuto Judgment in the case of a Namibian citizen, Phillip Lühl, against the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) on the discrimination of the right to citizenship for children of LGBTQ+ parents, has been post postponed to 13 October 2021. Lühl is requesting the High Court to declare that his son, born in 2019, through surrogacy in South Africa, a Namibian citizen by descent. However, the MHAISS is denying citizenship without proof of genetic linkage. Lühl states that, “the only reason why the Ministry of Home Affairs [is] refusing to accept the birth certificate is the…

05 Aug

LPM leaders promise to double in NA …as Supreme Court rules in their favour

ObserverObserver MoneyBernardus Swartbooi, Henny Seibeb, Landless People’s Movement (LPM)

Andrew Kathindi Landless People’s Movement (LPM) Leaders, Bernardus Swartbooi and Henny Seibeb, are adamant to double their presence in the National Asembly (NA) following a favourable Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday 4 August. “We hope to see the Honourable Peter Kat (Katjavivi) on the first of September, in parliament. He has no choice. He must let go of all those shenanigans that they plan in the darkness of the cover. They have no choice but to let us come back and to continue to fight,” Seibeb says. Seibeb thinks there was a plan to keep them out of the National…

04 Aug

FNB offers real help in times of need

ObserverUncategorisedAlna Booysen, FNB Premium and Consumer Head

“Unprecedented times call for real help and this is exactly what FNB Namibia is offering,” says Alna Booysen, FNB Premium and Consumer Head. “Not only are we extending a helping hand regarding numerous financing options, but we are also offering various options to our clients, which they need to be aware of and put in place in these trying times. This includes products and services such as wills and testaments, proxies, and funeral and life insurance policies.” Over the past few weeks, the bank has seen an alarming increase in cases where customers are faced with the incapacity or death…