Blog – Page 679 – Windhoek Observer

17 Aug

Jooste orders peace pipe for CRAN and MTC

ObserverObserver MoneyCommunications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), Leon Jooste, Minister of Public Enterprises, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC)

Staff Writer Minister of Public Enterprises, Leon Jooste, has directed the chairpersons of the feuding Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) to bury the hatchet for the sake of institutional investors. MTC and Cran have been at loggerheads over a number of issues, including the issuing of a telecommunications service licence to the City of Windhoek in 2020, which MTC labelled as ‘anti-competitive’ and against the Communications Act and the Competitions Act. Cran on the other hand claimed that MTC owed the regulator N$300 million in unpaid service levies, a claim MTC refuted. In…

17 Aug

Deputy minister Kauaria laid to rest

ObserverObserver MoneyTHE late Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Veno Kauaria

STAFF WRITER THE late Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Veno Kauaria, was described as a luminary whose reformative and progressive contributions in the education sector enriched thousands of Namibians who will treasure it for years to come. This was said by President Hage Geingob at the memorial service in honour of Kauaria at the parliament gardens in Windhoek on Friday. Kauaria died two weeks ago at the age of 61 and was laid to rest at Okonjoka village in the Amunius constituency on Saturday. The President and the First Lady attended the buril. Geingob said the passing of “a distinguished…

17 Aug

Genocide agreement heads to Parliament

ObserverObserver MoneyOvaherero Paramount Chief Vekuui Rukoro, Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila

TUJOROMAJO KASUTO THE CONTROVERSIAL agreement on the genocide issue between Namibia and the German governments will be tabled in the National Assembly when the house resumes sitting next month. This was announced by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila who confirmed that it would be tabled in Parliament when it resumes on 7 September, 2021. The agreement on the 1904-08 genocide in which up to 100 000 Ovaherero, 10 000 Nama and an unknown number of San died in the genocide was reached early this year between Namibia and Germany and has divided Namibians. The first phase of the genocide was characterised…

16 Aug

Those with housing plots must deliver

ObserverUncategorisedCOVID, Municipalities, Oshakati

Bravo to Oshakati officials for repossessing the unused plots hoarded by business entities. Better late than never. Make good on this needed act by putting those plots up for sale to citizens or other businesses desperate for serviced plots for houses. But that is not the story here. Plots held tight for no reason other than ego, fake social standing, and meaningless business plans beg the question of how (not why) businesses were allowed to squat indefinitely on serviced, and un-serviced land with the promise of building houses and they did not deliver. Our laws and regulations covering what happened…

16 Aug

SORAs, placation of rural neglect, underdevelopment, retrogression

ObserverUncategorisedState of the Nation Addresses (SORAs).

Recently, governors, as it has become fashionable and traditional, been delivering State of the Nation Addresses (SORAs). Listening to most of them, one cannot only wonder but also conclude that they may be no more than pure public relations exercises. Because as good sounding as most of them have been to a loyal ear, few seem to relay any substantive and/or developments with real and significant impact in the different regions of the country. Yours Truly Ideologically simply is not impressed with and about would be impact of the seeming developmental initiatives, which in essence are non-impact handouts sugarcoated by…

16 Aug

President urges people to get jab

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, president Hage Geingob

Staff Writer PRESIDENT Hage Geingob is urging Namibians to go for vaccination to sustain the positive downward trajectory that the Covid-19 incidence curve is now showing and reach the national herd immunity of 1,5 million people. The President delivered his 33rd covid-19 public briefing on the national responses saying the past several months have been profoundly sobering and difficult for the country due to the onset of a deadly and devastating Third Wave of the pandemic mid-May. “However the last 14-day observance period has offered our nation some respite. The incidence curve is now showing a downward trajectory, with the…

16 Aug

Council to revive Ramatex Covid-19 project

ObserverObserver MoneyCity of Windhoek, Covid-19, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Mayor Job Amupanda, Minister of Health and Social Services, president Dr Hage Geingob

Staff Writer A DAY after the coalition of political parties that runs the city Council of Windhoek signed a cooperation agreement, Mayor Job Amupanda has announced that the council will turn part of Ramatex complex into a Covid-19 facility. This is despite Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula shoting down the idea this June as not viable or sustainable. In a social media post this morning, Amupanda wrote: “Inform president Dr Hage Geingob, as he prepares his Covid-19 address that the City of Windhoek leadership last night took a decision that Ramatex will now have a Covid-19…

12 Aug

Opposition want answers on Ndeitunga threats

ObserverObserver MoneyAffirmative Repositioning, Popular Democratic Movement, Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni, Windhoek City Council

TUJOROMAJO KASUTO THE Affirmative Repositioning movement has instructed its lawyers to demand clarification from Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni on allegations that he intends dissolving the Windhoek City Council. This is in reaction to threats by Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga that they will take over the City Council of Windhoek to clear chaos and lawlessness which he blamed on the council. Popular Democratic Movement yesterday also sent the minster a letter to demanding that he states his stance on Ndeitunga’s threats in the face of land occupations that have escalated over the past few weeks. The AR,…

12 Aug

Dutch donation comes at crucial moment

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

Staff Writer WHILE Namibia’s hope against Covid-19 lies in vaccinating at least 60-80 percent of the population to reach herd immunity, the country has not vaccinated more than five percent. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, says. She received Covid-19 vaccines donated by the Netherlands on Wednesday. Appreciating the 75 000 Astrazeneca doses donation as coming at a crucial time with the country then having run out of the vaccine leaving some people not having received their second doses. The Minister thanked the Netherlands for the donation: “All countries in the world are affected by Covid-19 and when…

12 Aug

We will take over Windhoek – Ndeitunga

ObserverObserver MoneyPOLICE Inspector General Lieutenant-General, Sebastian Ndeitunga

Staff Writer POLICE Inspector General Lieutenant-General, Sebastian Ndeitunga, is threatening taking over the running of the city of Windhoek, blaming councilors for the land grabbing that has escalated over the past few weeks. Lieutenant-General Ndeitunga said this when he led members of the police Special Reserve Force on an operation to demolish shacks erected by homeless residents in the Babylon informal settlement. He says he has decided to join his demolition forces in the operation because the situation was getting out of hand. “I am now on the ground to clean up this mess, chaos and lawlessness. I think we…