Observer – Page 829 – Windhoek Observer

04 Aug

Choppies plans to exit 4 countries

ObserverUncategorisedChoppies, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania

Staff Writer Choppies is exiting South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique having suffered running shortfalls, worsened by fraudulent activities, that contributed to the P139 million loss unveiled last week for the half-year ended December 31, 2019. Choppies has 88 stores in South Africa and first entered the country in 2008 The regional grocer will focus its attention on its cash cow, Botswana, as well as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, but rather than its previous aggression in expanding its footprint, Choppies now plans a “careful, phased” approach. “We are exiting from a few markets where the growth has been coming at…

04 Aug

Shiimi in tribalism storm . . . as opposition parties push back

ObserverObserver MoneyIipumbu Shiimi, SWAPO

Andrew Kathindi Opposition party leaders have hit back at Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi for claims that new political parties were being founded by tribalists. On his social media page, Shiimi stated, “Tribalism will destroy Namibia as it has done in some countries. I am concerned about new political parties/associations that are being formed by tribalists. True Namibians should reject these tribal projects.” Shiimi’s comments were met with a barrage of criticism. It is believed that his comments may have been aimed at parties such as Landless People’s Movement (LPM), which was formed in 2018. Its leader, Bernadus Swartbooi has been…

04 Aug

I regret nothing – Haufiku

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Dr Bernard Haufiku, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula

Andrew Kathindi Dr Bernard Haufiku maintains that he regrets nothing, after being fired as Special Advisor on Health Matters in the Office of the Vice President by President Hage Geingob. This as it emerged Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula had written to the President requesting for Haufiku’s removal from the national COVID-19 response team on the grounds that his presence had become untenable and that he was too self-righteous and not a team player and as a result has become impossible to work with. According to Haufiku in one of his dismissal letter attachments delivered to him by Vice President Nangolo…

04 Aug

COVID-19 drives rentals down . . . as Ondangwa rentals contract -27.4 % y/y

ObserverUncategorisedFNB Index, Katima Mulilo, Ongwediva, Rundu, Swakopmud

Staff Writer This economic weakness is reflected in FNB’s latest FNB Rental Index, which shows a 12-month average growth of 0.3 percent year on year (y/y) at the end of June 2020, following the short-lived growth momentum of 0.9 percent and 0.8 percent y/y seen in April and May 2020 respectively. The development has brought the national weighted average rent price to N$7022 at the end of June 2020 from N$7404 in June 2019. “Namibia has seen an unprecedented spike in the number of new COVID-19 cases over the last three months, signaling that the worst economic effects of the…

31 Jul

Couch Kitten: All good things come in time

ObserverUncategorisedCouch Kitten

Wetumwene Shikage There are many things we wish to accomplish or at least to tick off from our “to do" lists. We are impatient for success or for our desires and we forget that there is a time for everything. Everything cannot be done at once. It is important to take your time to understand that sometimes, some things come before other things. Some things don’t even come at all. While you take your time working to get what you want, learn along the way. Sometimes all you want to be is your best self. You must not be what…

31 Jul

A method in his madness

ObserverUncategorisedKanye West

The Time Traveler: Hugh Ellis The rapper Kanye West’s decision to run for US President, announced via tweet on the fourth of July, set sections of the Internet on fire. As did a strange rally a couple of weeks ago. Kanye showed up on stage in a bullet-proof vest, explained he’d wanted his wife Kim Kardashian to have an abortion until God told him personally to get with the program, said that family planning clinics have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to ‘do the Devil’s work’, made out presidential hopeful Joe Biden to be a boring loser, and…

31 Jul

COIVD-19 is real; do people get it yet?

ObserverUncategorisedteacher

Jackie Wilson Asheeke A teacher at the Coast tested positive for the pandemic. Yet, the risk-averse principal took no urgent steps to protect the students, other teachers and staff that were exposed. He said that he was waiting for ‘instructions’. COVID-19 does not need instructions or paperwork; it takes charge without permission. This incident and similar stories force me to wonder if, at this late date, people understand that the pandemic is real. The school principal is claiming bureaucracy as his ‘excuse’ for inaction. He says he must be ‘told’ to close the school or take other actions. He’s waiting…

31 Jul

Socialism only route to a radical socio-economic transformation

ObserverUncategorisedEconomic

Yours Truly Ideologically-Fifth Installment: Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Yours Truly Ideologically is submitting that a radical socio-economic transformation of the colonial capitalist economic system was never envisioned and envisaged for Namibia by the various political principals and formations. Because for such an socio-economic transformation to be taking place, it must have been accompanied by a socialist-oriented socio-economic reconstruction programme of a post-colonial Namibia, informed by a Marxist-Leninist ideology. There can and could never be any other route. Which in Namibian is completely absent, without even any semblance of ideological soul-searching. To say the least, most of the Namibian political parties, have been…

31 Jul

Lessons drawn from the Twaloloka catastrophe

ObserverUncategorisedCovid-19, Twaloloka

Observatory: Clementine Tjameya It is devastating the amount of catastrophic events that can happen in just a week. The past week has been nothing but a string of unfortunate events for our country. For starters, there is the Twaloloka shack fire that left everyone in dismay on behalf of those who were affected. Then there are homicide cases and a suicide case, and to top it all off, Covid-19 cases are spiking like a forest fire. The Namibian Director for the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Eric Dzluban said yesterday that the rise in cases is very likely…

31 Jul

The generals must stand down

ObserverNational NewsNamibia, Namibia National Liberation Veterans Association (NNLVA)

The country must ask the brave veterans to come to the aid of nation once again. Namibia is on the brink of economic disaster. Veterans must not make further demands and add to the grave problems the country must face. The government is struggling to feed, house, protect and provide healthcare and jobs for the people. Veterans are respected and appreciated. As a result, they have received many layers of compensation and benefits since independence. In 2020, there is no more money available and, in our view, no more benefits are required. Recent reports claim that frustrated ex-generals wish to…