Observer – Page 771 – Windhoek Observer

16 Jan

Do not downplay job losses due to COVID-19

ObserverUncategorisedBro-Mathew Shinguadja, Do not downplay job losses due to COVID-19

The pandemic has slapped an ailing Namibian economy in the mouth and drawn blood. Namibia should now be calculating the real economic impacts of the outbreak to get a solution that encompasses the crisis's depth and breadth. The government must not under report data about job losses due to COVID-19. This country cannot fix what is broken unless we acknowledge all that is broken, even if it paints a dismal picture. This is not the time to placate decision-makers and political bosses with optimistic, rosy scenarios. We need to look into the eyes of the pandemic beast and do battle.…

16 Jan

Year of ideological reawakening, concerted resilience against capitalism

ObserverUncategorisedconcerted resilience against capitalism, socialism, working class, Year of ideological reawakening

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro “The critical needs of the working class can only be fulfilled in a socialist Namibia,” members of the Marxist Study Group wrote in a piece in the Namibian newspapers headlined: “The End of Swapo?” Yours Truly Ideologically could not agree more or less with this piece, especially the aspiration towards socialism and the realisation that only socialism or socialist Namibia can fulfill the basic or critical needs of the working class in Namibia, as is the case indeed the world over. This is given the continued and continuing realisation that the needs of the working are unfulfilled, if…

16 Jan

The Time Traveler: The power of the daily practice

ObserverUncategorisedThe power of the daily practice

Hugh Ellis I guess quite a few of us picked up an unexpected, I-can’t-believe-s/he-is-doing-that, hobby during lockdown in 2020. For me, that hobby was the saxophone. I’d recommend learning a musical instrument to anyone, for both cultural connection and mental health, but this not directly what this column is about. It’s about the one big thing that impressed me about saxophone pedagogy, and indeed all musical instrument learning, as far as I know: you must practice every single day. I soon realised, as I guess most music students do, the great power that daily practice has. When you practice something…

16 Jan

We are in the worra but at what cost?

ObserverUncategorisedheavy rain, We are in the worra but at what cost?

Khanysiwa Mogotsi If you used any social platform this week, you should have heard about the heavy floods that swept the nation thanks to heavy rain. Although the rain is blessing for our very dry country, we should not forget the way they might have affected the livelihoods of unfortunate Namibians, especially during a pandemic. Most of the country are happy that their prayers for heavy rain have finally been answered. But, be careful what you wish for. There are those who are currently being forced to deal with water damage to their houses and cars every rainy season. Unfortunately,…

16 Jan

The unthinkable has happened

ObserverUncategorisedThe unthinkable has happened, Trump has been impeached twice, US Capitol Building

Jackie Wilson Asheeke “These are the times that try men's souls” is a quote from Thomas Paine who wrote pamphlets against the British during the American Revolutionary War. When I watched people waving flags of racist groups, the confederate flag and wearing Trump promotional garb storming the US Capitol Building, my soul was tried. This was a violent armed insurrection in the United States. Donald Trump wants to remain, president, even though he lost the election. His thugs want to try to make that happen. The unthinkable has happened. A US President has fomented insurrection in an attempt to subvert…

16 Jan

Shoprite/Checkers workers turn on Nafau

ObserverUncategorisedJacob Penda, Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau), Shoprite and Checkers employees

Andrew Kathindi Shoprite and Checkers employees currently on strike due to low pay and poor working conditions say they have lost confidence in Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau), the union representing their case against their employer in court. This comes after Nafau Secretary General Jacob Penda announced that a meeting with Shoprite management yesterday (Thursday), which was intended to reach an agreement over the matter, ended in a stalemate and yielded no results. Employees were disgruntled with Penda, accusing the union boss of stalling a demonstration by Affirmative Repositioning (AR), which was intended to shut down several Shoprite…

16 Jan

ECN ponders next move

ObserverUncategorisedCommission of Namibia (ECN), December judgement, Notemba Tjipueja, Shafimana Ueitele

Andrew Kathindi The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is pondering its next move after finally receiving the reasons for last year’s December judgement regarding local elections in certain areas. On Thursday this week, the ECN began reviewing the Court’s justification for its decision regarding the elections in the Aroab, Koës, Stampriet local authorities and Mariental Rural constituency. “The reasons were received yesterday (Thursday). We’re still looking at them, and then we still have to meet,” Chairperson of the ECN, Advocate Notemba Tjipueja told the Windhoek Observer. Tjipueja had previously stated that the Commission would need to study Electoral Court Judge…

15 Jan

COVID-19 vaccines are arriving soon; are we ready?

ObserverNational NewsCOVAX, Covid-19, Namibia

The rich countries of the world are already receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. Many have inoculated millions of their citizens so far. That won’t happen here; we can’t afford it, and we are not producing the vaccine locally. The ministry of health's announcement indicated that vaccine doses for 20 percent of the population (or about 508,000 people) could start in February. Namibia must handle the entire process with effectiveness, fastidiousness, trained workers, and discipline. We cannot afford to mess this up. We assume that our health officials are conquering the logistics of maintaining the extreme cold required for the doses' storage.…

15 Jan

Weed Control an Integral Aspect of Crop Production

ObserverUncategorisedCrop Production, Northern and North-Eastern Namibia

Hanks Saisai Crop production is a form of primary agriculture that provides many Namibian households with staple food (grains, fruits and vegetables). In most rural areas of Northern and NorthEastern Namibia, staple grains such as Maize, Pearl Millet (commonly known as Mahangu) and Sorghum are milled into a powder that is used as a staple porridge in many homes. Gratefully, Namibia continues to receive adequate rainfall in most parts of the country ensuring that soil moisture is readily available to support plant growth. When growing crops, it is of great importance to note that as soil moisture is maintained there…

15 Jan

Hardap prisoners, officers in jailhouse battle

ObserverObserver MoneyCommissioner General Raphael Tuhafeni Hamunyela, Covid-19, Namibian Correctional Services (NCS), Namibian Police Force

Details have emerged how the Namibian Police Force on Tuesday had to be called in to assist the Namibian Correctional Services (NCS) quell a prison fight that had broken out between inmates and prison officials at the Hardap correctional facility. According to insiders, it took more than six hours for the police and correctional officers to bring back order to the prison facility that houses over 250 inmates. The commotion is alleged to have been caused by demands by the correctional officers to carry out a routine search while prisoners were in the yard, where they converge when released from…