Observer – Page 830 – Windhoek Observer

31 Jul

Unions happy with Hage’s school decision

ObserverObserver MoneyNamibia National Teachers Union (NANTU), president Hage Geingob

Andrew Kathindi Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) said it is satisfied with President Hage Geingob’s decision to suspend face-to-face teaching for grades 0-9 countrywide. This comes after the union has been in meetings for the last two days over a possible call for the closure of schools out of concern for the rising number of cases around the country. “What directed our focus is the health and safety of everyone involved. The over-populated phase is grade 0-3. Schools that are in the rural and urban areas are not the same. Most of the schools in the northern regions are accommodating…

31 Jul

Fishcor hunts for CEO

ObserverObserver MoneyFishcor, National Fishing Corporation, Public Enterprise Governance Act No. 1 of 2019.

Staff Writer The National Fishing Corporation (Fishcor) which has been operating for more than five months without a substantive head following the arrest of Mike Nghipunya in February has begun the hunt for an interim Chief Executive Officer. The company’s new board is serving for six months until January 2021 and is led by Mihe Goamab II. The successful CEO candidate can either come from internal or external applicants and will receive a 12-month contract, with a possibility of renewal, “upon satisfactory performance.” “We are two weeks into the duration of the Temporary Board mandate and we are appraising the…

31 Jul

New measures for Stage 4 . . . as tourist quarantine conditions revised

ObserverObserver MoneyArandis, Covid-19, Stage 4, Swakopmund, Walvis Ba

Andrew Kathindi President Hage Geingob has declared new measures for stage 4 lockdown restrictions as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country. While the rest of the country will remain under Stage 4 of the lockdown state of emergency restrictions, Erongo Region and the towns of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis will remain unchanged in Stage 3 until midnight on Monday 31 August. As for the other 14 regions, public gatherings have been reduced from 250 to 100 persons, along with a list of new measures to help battle the spread of COVID-19, including the suspension of face-to-face teaching…

31 Jul

Blueberry recipes to try!

ObserverUncategorisedblueberries

Jackie Wilson Asheeke Now that we’ve got blueberries of our very own in Namibia, why should we let the world enjoy them and not us? Let’s create a cultural addition to our national foods and use blueberries as often as possible. You could start off blueberry easy by just sprinkling them on top of plain or vanilla double cream yoghurt. Or, try a gin and tonic with lemon, ice and crushed blueberries. I have been making blueberry muffins for decades. But the best batch I ever made was this past weekend using big, fat, pulpy Namib Blue berries. Jackie’s blueberry…

31 Jul

Blueberrylicious

ObserverUncategorisedCherry Irrigation, Mashare Irrigation and Mashare Berries, Namibian blueberries

Jackie Wilson Asheeke I am no longer blue. I am Namib Blue and that makes all the difference. With all the fishrots, pandemics, fires, IMF loans and whatever else, there is finally something to smile about. And today…that is NAMIB BLUE. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the Namibian grown blueberry. “Namib Blue is fresh, with a sweet-sour to very sweet berry taste. Blueberries are one of the superfoods with a very high demand and provide an opportunity to export and earn foreign currency,” says Henriëtte Le Grange, Sales and Marketing Chief at Mashare Irrigation and Mashare Berries. According…

31 Jul

Unleash the private sector for job creation

ObserverNational NewsEconomic, Namibian

A representative of one of Namibia’s long term development partners made a great comment. She said, “We are convinced it’s not governments that will create long-term employment opportunities that are needed; it’s the private sector.” Many have been screaming this point for decades. In the new normal, this reality will be shoved down Namibia’s throat forcibly. Government is basically broke as it struggles to find money to fund its deficits. It must spend the pennies it has left, not on direct employment projects, dropping bureaucratic barriers on the private sector. Allow service and product providers to get on with it.…

31 Jul

Govt bureaucracy risks lives at Katutura School

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Katutura school

Staff reporter A Katutura school, llGaroeb Primary School, still remains open due to government’s bureaucratic processes despite a teacher having tested positive for COVID-19. This risks the health and lives of learners, teachers and their immediate families. Information gleaned by the Windhoek Observer reveals that a school teacher who had been ill after developing COVID-19 symptoms came to the school on Tuesday to sign her leave form. “She came to the school on Tuesday to fill in her sick leave application form, after the principal called her in to do so. Before that, she was coming to the school the…

31 Jul

Nghipondoka draws the line ahead of announcement

ObserverObserver MoneyArts and Culture, Ministry of Education

…as teachers unions meet Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has maintained its announcement on the final stage of the resumption of face to face teaching on Friday will not be swayed by teachers unions. This comes as the ministry and unions have found themselves on opposing ends on various occasions when it comes to class resumptions, with the Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) and other unions held up in consultations Thursday, amid indications that they want to call for the suspension of all face-to-face teaching. The final phase of face-to-face teaching includes the grade 8 to…

29 Jul

Dancing with the devil

ObserverNational NewsIMF, International Monetary Fund, Namibia

…Namibia seeks IMF loan And so it begins. The descent of Namibia into the ranks of so many other nations that have mismanaged their affairs, made honest mistakes, been captured by corruption, and suffered unavoidable bad luck has happened. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is happy to race to the rescue. They have thrown Namibia a radioactive life preserver. The country must decide to either drown or grab the thing. Those are the usual choices when you are forced to dance with the devil. Make no mistake; the IMF is a powerful and effective instrument of western capitalist imperialism. They…

29 Jul

COVID-19 claims another victim

ObserverObserver MoneyHealth Minister Shangula Kalumbi, Windhoek

…as virus unleashes on Windhoek Andrew Kathindi COVID-19 has claimed another victim as the death toll rises. This brings the death toll to nine in the country as the virus continues to spiral upwards. There are concerns about government’s ability to clamp down on the trend. “I am reporting a COVID-19 related death from Walvis Bay. A 44 year-old female presented to Walvis Bay State Hospital on 21st July 2020 with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. She had other chronic medical conditions. She was tested while on admission and the results came out positive. Her condition gradually deteriorated and we lost…