Blog – Page 30 – Windhoek Observer

21 Aug

Govt to ‘name and shame’ fishing cheats

Main

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The government will begin naming and shaming fishing companies that break bycatch rules, agriculture, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani has warned. She stated that the government will enforce stricter penalties, such as licence revocation, quota cuts, and vessel confiscation, against habitual offenders. Earlier this month, the government reduced the bycatch limit from 5% to 2% and increased penalty fees from 15% to 50% in an effort to curb illegal landings and protect marine resources. However, this week the Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations appealed to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to consult the industry…

21 Aug

!Aochamub cannot rescue bleeding Meatco’s business – Analysts

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Appointing ambassador Albertus !Aochamub as the new chief executive officer of the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) will be a disaster for business, analysts have warned. They argue that while his diplomatic and political skills are undisputed, they do not align with the urgent business acumen required to rescue the cash-strapped corporation. Corporate governance expert Johan Coetzee said !Aochamub may be a politically suitable choice but lacks the financial and operational background needed to turn Meatco around. On Monday, the Meatco board endorsed !Aochamub as the company’s interim chief executive officer (CEO), a move confirmed by the board’s…

21 Aug

August 26 turns Ohangwena projects into ghost sites

Uncategorised

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Several education and sports projects handled by August 26 Construction in the Ohangwena region have been flagged for delays and poor workmanship by the parliamentary standing committee on education, science, ICT and youth development. The committee's deputy chairperson, Austin Samupwa, said that while some projects handed over to the company have been completed, others have been running for years without progress. He raised concerns about accountability and service delivery after the committee carried out an oversight visit this week. During the visit, the committee engaged with the regional governor and the directorate of education. At Olivia Nakale Primary…

21 Aug

High Court struggles to attract qualified judges

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Chief justice Peter Shivute says the High Court is facing a shortage of judges due to the retirement of experienced members and a growing caseload. He noted that although there has been interest from prospective candidates, recruiting suitably qualified judges remains difficult, particularly in the civil stream. He explained that many potential candidates lack exposure to High Court civil practice and procedure. Shivute’s remarks were delivered on Wednesday by deputy chief justice Petrus Damaseb at the opening of the 2025 High Court aspirant judges training programme in Windhoek. The two-week training programme was introduced to bridge this gap.…

21 Aug

Govt taking steps to stop misuse of vehicles

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi says his ministry is developing policies to ensure government vehicles are used properly. He explained that technology will play a role in enforcing accountability. “We are planning on how technology can be of assistance. We also aim to implement a technological system that can detect reckless brake application. We are on it, and this will be implemented soon,” he said. Nekundi said there is that tendency of officials misusing government vehicles. "Just look at how people misuse their relative’s cars when left in their care. There are those government officials who do…

21 Aug

Havana family appeals for help after shack fire

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe A family of eight in Windhoek’s Havana informal settlement is appealing for assitance after losing everything in a shack fire in the early hours of Monday morning. Stercianna Yoleni, speaking on behalf of her family, said the blaze destroyed three shacks built close to each other. While neighbouring families were also affected, her family lost almost all their belongings. Among the items destroyed were a fridge, a television, a laptop, two beds, school uniforms, and other valuables. Yoleni said the shack belonged to her aunt, who shared it with her children and extended family. Among the eight people…

21 Aug

Tsumkwe youth drive cleaning effort

National News

Allexer Namundjembo A group of young people in Tsumkwe have joined a cleaning campaign in Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa Region and say the initiative is changing both their surroundings and their lives. One of the participants, Erastus Kampasi Mukonda, said the project has made him more responsible. “It took me off the streets and made me a responsible citizen. I now feel motivated to focus on positive things,” he said. Another, Sophia Goreses, described the campaign as life-changing. “Before, we used to roam around the streets, but now we are cleaning them. Tsumkwe looks much better, and we feel proud…

21 Aug

Municipal services: are citizens being served or penalised?

Opinions

Ester Shafashike Article 18 of the Namibian Constitution guarantees individuals the right to a hearing whenever administrative officials act unfairly. Furthermore, Article 95(e) obligates the government to ensure that all citizens have fair and reasonable access to public facilities and services. Despite these constitutional guarantees, it appears that such rights are either unknown or deliberately ignored by some local authority practitioners and town council members. Admittedly, the Local Authorities Act grants local councils the discretion to formulate by-laws aimed at sustaining and maintaining towns and villages. However, I am of the opinion that these bylaws should not disadvantage residents or…

21 Aug

Trans-Kalahari Railway too big to fail – Salakae

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Botswana’s minister of transport and infrastructure and co-chair of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) of the Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) project, Noah Salakae, says the railway is too important to fail. He made the remarks during the recent Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in Maun. “If the feasibility numbers do not immediately convince financiers, we must not fold our arms. We must innovate, adapt, and build the partnerships that will make it happen,” said Salakae. The governments of Namibia and Botswana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2010 to develop the Trans-Kalahari Railway. In 2014, they signed a bilateral…

21 Aug

Namibia to showcase green hydrogen ambitions in South Korea

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia will take part in the ‘Financing a Clean and Equitable Industry Decarbonisation’ dialogue next week in Busan, South Korea. The head of the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGHP2), James Mnyupe, will represent the country. The NGHP2 said the dialogue set to take place on 25 August comes at an important time following Namibia’s recent success in securing Climate Investment Funds (CIF) support under the Industry Decarbonisation Programme. With this backing, Namibia is now developing a sectoral transformation investment plan to drive green industrialisation and decarbonisation. So far, Namibia has attracted about N$2.08 billion in investment for green…