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AR outraged over dumping of spoiled maize meal

AR outraged over dumping of spoiled maize meal

Niël Terblanché The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement’s leadership in the Otjozondjupa Region has expressed outrage over the discovery of spoiled maize meal being collected by desperate residents in Otavi. Disturbing videos circulating on social media show people collecting sealed bags of maize meal that were dumped in an area easily accessible to the public, raising serious concerns about the handling of drought relief provisions. According to AR activist Jay Jay, the maize, intended as part of food aid efforts, was discarded in a manner that allowed hungry residents to retrieve and consume it despite it being unfit for human consumption.…
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NYC Director’s suspension revoked

NYC Director’s suspension revoked

Allexer Namundjembo The Minister of Sport, Youth, and National Service has revoked the suspension of Namibia National Youth Council (NYC) director Calista Schwartz-Gowases. The NYC board had suspended her last year over allegations of serious misconduct. In a letter to the executive chairperson of the interim board, minister Agnes Tjongarero lifted the suspension with immediate effect. Tjongarero cited clarification from Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi, who said that he was not involved in executing the investigation committee’s recommendations and did not delay any NYC-related matters. A media statement from the Finance Ministry, issued by the spokesperson Wilson Ashikoto, said the reports…
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Independence celebratory theme unveiled

Independence celebratory theme unveiled

Niël Terblanché With only three days left until Namibia celebrates its 35th Independence Day, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology revealed the official celebratory theme and logo for the next five years. The ministry’s executive director, Audrin Mathe in a statement on Monday announced the theme, “Beyond 35: For a Prosperous Future” and said it reflects the nation’s commitment to unity, development, and progress. Speaking at the unveiling, Mathe said that the theme reinforces the collective responsibility to build a stronger, more prosperous nation. He added that the new logo is aimed at inspiring Namibians to continue working towards…
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Paralympic Committee elective congress postponed over non-compliance

Paralympic Committee elective congress postponed over non-compliance

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) Chief Administrator Freddy Mwiya has dismissed claims that the commission has taken over the affairs of the Namibia Paralympic Committee (NPC), saying that the NSC is only enforcing compliance with its regulations. Mwiya on Monday told the Windhoek Observer that while NPC is not in compliance with certain NSC provisions, the commission does not have the authority to take over any sporting body’s operations.  “We only help them to comply with the law. Right now, they are not in compliance with the law when they were organising the elective congress. We had a meeting…
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NBC takes parliament to court

NBC takes parliament to court

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has taken parliament to court over a report it claims is unconstitutional and flawed.  The report, titled ‘Report of the Motion on Devastating Strike at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC),’ was tabled in parliament on 15 February by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources and Community Development. It identified the main cause of the 2021 strike by 600 employees as the N$5.4 million paid to executive management and selected senior managers as “performance bonuses.” The committee also found that NBC violated the Labour Act, which limits salary deductions to one-third of an…
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Schlettwein tables Land Bill to address land ownership imbalances

Schlettwein tables Land Bill to address land ownership imbalances

Niël Terblanché The minister of agriculture, water and land reform, Calle Schlettwein, has introduced the long-anticipated Land Bill that seeks to ban foreign nationals from acquiring communal and commercial land in Namibia.  Schlettwein tabled the bill last week saying it aims to address long-standing land ownership imbalances and streamline land administration in the country. “Foreign nationals do not have any customs being practised in Namibia traditionally, hence this prohibition,” Schlettwein stated. The bill proposes fines of up to N$50 000 or imprisonment for up to ten years for those who violate this provision.  Foreign investors would, however, be allowed to…
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Whale Rock Cement intends to acquire Schwenk Namibia

Whale Rock Cement intends to acquire Schwenk Namibia

Ester Mbathera  Whale Rock Cement, the controlling entity of Cheetah Cement, has filed a notice to acquire Schwenk Namibia, which holds a majority stake in Ohorongo Cement.  If approved, the transaction, filed with the Namibian Competition Commission (NCC) on 17 February, would give Whale Rock Cement complete control over cement production in Namibia. The deal involves Whale Rock Cement acquiring the entire issued share capital of Schwenk Namibia from SCHWENK Zement International GmbH & Co. KG.  Schwenk Namibia currently holds a 69.83% stake in Ohorongo Cement, with the remaining shares held by Industrial Corporation South Africa (14.27%), Development Bank of…
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Kandji-Murangi pushes for NSFAF to return to education ministry

Kandji-Murangi pushes for NSFAF to return to education ministry

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Minister of Higher Education, Innovation and Technology Itah Kandji-Murangi wants the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to revert to the higher education ministry’s control. According to the minister, the separation of the two entities has led to challenges, including a bloated and costly executive structure. Speaking in Parliament last week while motivating the NSFAF amendment bill, she said the move aims to improve administration.  She acknowledged NSFAF’s achievements since operating independently but noted that it also brought complications, such as an automated application process and financial accountability issues. “Problems of financial accountability through formal audits recur, exponential…
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Public warned against consuming drought aid food on dumpsites

Public warned against consuming drought aid food on dumpsites

Niël Terblanché The Office of the Prime Minister has warned the public against retrieving and consuming spoiled maize meal bags marked “DROUGHT RELIEF AID, GRN – OPM”, which were disposed of at a dump site in northern Namibia. The warning comes after a video clip, depicting villagers from the Omusati region gathering bags of maize meal on a dumpsite, was spreading on social media platforms. The narrator of the video claims that the people in the area of the dumpsite saw four truckloads of the bags of maize meal being discarded. The woman says on the video that when the…
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Lukato to tackle colonial laws in parliament

Lukato to tackle colonial laws in parliament

Allexer Namundjembo Martin Lukato formed the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 2003 and fully registered it with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) in 2004.  After 20 years in politics without securing a seat in parliament, Lukato’s party won a single seat in the National Assembly following last year’s elections.  Now, the NDP leader has expressed his readiness to challenge colonial-era laws that he believes do not benefit the nation. “I want to ensure that laws enacted during colonial times, which are still in place and do not help the Namibian people, are challenged. Every law proposed and accepted before…
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