Observer – Page 795 – Windhoek Observer

27 Oct

NWR gets N$40m boost

ObserverUncategorisedCovid-19, Government, Namibia Wildlife Resorts Limited (NWR)

Staff Writer Government has availed N$40 million in financial support to Namibia Wildlife Resorts Limited (NWR). The funds were allocated to the company in the FY2020/21 Mid-Year Budget Review and Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. This comes as the tourism company’s board and management had engaged the Ministry of Public Enterprises) to find ways of mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on the business, ensuring the sustainability of the company. “The past six months have been the most challenging for most Namibian companies in Namibia. The Covid-19 pandemic has and is still having, an enormous impact on the tourism and aviation-dependent organisations…

27 Oct

Khomas leads in TB cases

ObserverObserver MoneyKhomas Region, Namibia, Tuberculosis (TB)

Helena Johannes Khomas region has the highest number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases in Namibia, the Acting Regional Health Director of Khomas Region Patema Amunyela has revealed. “Windhoek being the most populated town in Namibia. It is where most cases of Tuberculosis have been recorded. However the country has shown a high decline in TB cases,” she said. Dr Nunurai Ruswa, a Clinical Mentor of the TB and Leprosy Program in the Ministry of Health said, “We have successfully contained TB by 60 percent so far, and this shows that we are doing very well compared to our neighboring countries.” According…

27 Oct

Thousands retrenched since April…Ministry of Labour warns against illegal retrenchments

ObserverObserver MoneyHenri Kassen, Labour Commissioner at the Ministry

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Labour has revealed that 9,000 people have been retrenched since April this year, which is more than double the figure for the whole of last year. Labour Commissioner at the Ministry, Henri Kassen told Windhoek Observer that from April to June there were 5,379 notices of retrenchment to the Ministry from 287 companies and almost all of them stemming from the state of emergency that was imposed to check the spread of COVID-19. There were 3,484 retrenchments in the three months after that, from July to September from 320 companies. Kassen said that he has…

23 Oct

Advice to men – manage your anger

ObserverUncategorisedgender based violence

The Time Traveler: Hugh Ellis In the wake of the anti-femicide protests in the last few weeks, many of us men might, I think, be feeling troubled. Many of us are overwhelmed by the stories we heard of rape, murder, assault and harassment. Many of us are ourselves victims of the same violent tendencies in our fellow men. And many of us have been complicit in gender-based violence. We may not be the B1 Butcher, but we know we could have done better in our dealings with our significant others, one-night stands, or female relatives. If this is you, I’m…

23 Oct

Mixed economy antithesis of command economy

ObserverUncategorisedNamibia

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Constitutionally Namibia is a mixed economy. Looks like this has been taken on face value and for granted without pausing to interrogate what this means. Those who are socialist-oriented may take this to mean a mixture of socialism and capitalism. But is this feasible if this is what is meant by mixed economy? For the capitalist oriented mixed economy cannot mean anything at best other than a social welfare system one akin to that in social welfare states in many European states like Sweden and Norway. Could this be what the founders of the Namibian constitution envisaged? “The…

23 Oct

US debates are a complete waste of time

ObserverUncategorisedUS debates

Jackie Wilson Asheeke If I had my way, I’d ban debates between US presidential candidates. In my years on this planet, I’ve never watched a single one and I never will. They are canned theatre, not a realistic, unrehearsed presentation of what the person running for office actually believes. The presidential debates between honest Joe Biden and the strutting Il Duce Trump prove nothing, sway no one, reveal nothing, and are a complete waste of time. The candidates rehearse their answers to all issues. They have mock sessions where actors ‘play’ the other side. They memorize the ‘right’ answers. They…

23 Oct

Couch Cat – ancient music is spirit medicine

ObserverUncategorisedCouch Cat

Jackie Wilson Asheeke I have been cleaning out cupboards and store rooms with a vengeance lately. I had completely forgotten about an old suitcase full of the ancient music cassettes that used to be critically important to my music listening joy about 25-30 years ago. I also found a huge box full of CDs. And I found a small zip bag with two old MP3 players. It is amazing that these tapes, CDs and old time digital devices used to be the center of my entertainment life in their time. But now, they are spider web magnets as digital music…

23 Oct

Choosing a PG is not a beauty pageant

ObserverNational NewsJudicial Service Commission (JSC), NGO

We are opposed to a public runway display for serious, professional legal candidates for the post of Prosecutor General (PG) A public interview process for the PG job is counterproductive. It can lower the dignity of the position and does not address the concerns about corruption in political appointments. Let the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) do their expert work according to the criteria. They should make their recommendations to the President in confidence. We do not accept that the appointment of the outgoing PG, Martha Imalwa over 17 years ago was tainted in any way. Allusions to this as if…

23 Oct

GBV protestors to review govt pronouncement …still demand a state of emergency

ObserverObserver MoneyCabinet, Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Andrew Kathindi Gender Based Violence (GBV) protestors said that they are still demanding that a state of emergency be declared over GBV in the country, but will study what the “threat to humanity” government pronouncement entails. This comes as the Cabinet on 23 October, approved that government pronounces GBV as a threat to humanity and that Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa should issue a Parliamentary Statement to that effect. This declaration would be instead of the proposed declaration of the State of Emergency. As part of the list of demands in a protest petition to government earlier this month, which included…

23 Oct

Grade 9 national examination cancelled

ObserverObserver MoneyExecutive Director in the ministry of Education Art and Culture Sanet Steenkamp, National Examinations Assessment and Certification Board (NEACB)

Helena Johannes Executive Director in the ministry of Education Art and Culture Sanet Steenkamp has confirmed that the Grade 9 external examination will not be administered in this academic year. “The Ministry recommended the rationalization of the curriculum to 70 percent of the original school syllabus content for Pre-primary and Grade 1-9. Due to this adjustment, the Grade 9 semi-external examination will not be administered in this academic year,” she said. This comes after the new school curriculum for junior and senior secondary schools introduced in 2019 had pupils who passed Grade 8 in 2018 enter Grade 9 in 2019,…