Observer

8872 Posts
Namib Mills, Agra in racism storm

Namib Mills, Agra in racism storm

Rose-Mary Haufiku Namib Mills and Agra have been caught in a racism storm, amid allegations that the companies are practicing racial discrimination in recruitment, appointments, promotions and how they deal with work place issues concerning people of colour. In the case of Agra, documents from the Employment Equity Commission, which is tasked with addressing issues of transformation in organisations and in possession of the Windhoek Observer, show that the company has only appointed two persons of colour to senior and middle management positions since 2016, compared to 31 racially advantaged individuals. “The Commission wishes to use this opportunity to once…
Read More
COVID saves Govt millions in S&T

COVID saves Govt millions in S&T

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri The restrictions on travel due to COVID-19 have saved government N$105.7 million in travel allowances. According to Ministry of Finance Spokesperson, Tonateni Shidhudhu, a 34.06 percent cost saving was achieved in 2020/2021 compared to the last financial year’s (2019/2020) expenditure. He added that a 56.81 percent saving had been achieved for the Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) compared to the last financial year. Shidhudhu said only 51.33 percent was spent, of which DSA gobbled up over N$105 million for the period April 2021 to December 2021, compared to the N$243,1 million ,of which 78.4 percent was spent from the…
Read More
Geingob removes Vilho as MP

Geingob removes Vilho as MP

Rose-Mary Haufiku Former Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister, Peter Vilho, has been withdrawn as a Member of Parliament (MP) by President Hage Geingob as a presidential nominee. The withdrawal of Vilho comes after Geingob on Thursday wrote a letter to Parliament informing it of his decision. The development comes after Vilho resigned his position as Defence Minister on Tuesday after an afternoon-long meeting with the President, after having been summoned. National Assembly Spokesperson, David Nahogandja, confirmed the development, stating that Parliament had received the letter informing it of the President’s decision. The withdrawal of Vilho creates room for the President…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More

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…
Read More