Blog – Page 707 – Windhoek Observer

11 Mar

More routes for NAC airports

ObserverUncategorisedAirlink, NAC

Staff Writer Airlink, the privately-owned regional airline has commenced with a new direct service between Cape Town and Walvis Bay scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The new route which started on 02 March 2021, is Airlink’s fourth between South Africa and Namibia, with other services linking Cape Town and Windhoek in addition to flights from Johannesburg to Windhoek and Walvis Bay. The route will also enable seamless multi-city travel itineraries for international and local tourists visiting popular destinations in Namibia and South Africa. This comes as another privately-owned airline FlyWestair intends on increasing their frequencies to Andimba Toivo Ya…

11 Mar

Government to push ahead with AstraZeneca …despite confirming presence of resistant variant

ObserverObserver MoneyAstraZeneca, COVAX, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Andrew Kathindi and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) is forging ahead with the procurement of AstraZeneca through the COVAX Facility, despite confirming that the South African variant of COVID-19 known as 501.V2, is in Namibia. Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula confirmed to Windhoek Observer that the Namibia will still receive AstraZeneca through the COVAX Facility, but, however downplayed its ineffectiveness against the variant. On why Namibia is going ahead with procuring a vaccine that studies deemed ineffective, Shangula said, “No, no, don't say so. You have no evidence or grounds to say it is useless. Those…

11 Mar

Defence Ministry dragged to court over N$8m sanitisers

ObserverObserver MoneyJob Amupanda, Ministry of Defence, Phoenix Capital Investment, Windhoek Mayor

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Amid swelling allegations by Windhoek Mayor, Job Amupanda, of irregular procurement at Ministry of Defence, it has emerged Phoenix Capital Investment, the company at the centre of the sanitiser supply tender, has dragged the Ministry to court over non-payment for sanitisers delivered more than five months ago. According to Phoenix Capital Investment Director, William Angula, the company which has enlisted Sisa Namandje as its lawyer, is seeking to recover N$ N$8 311 625 owed for the sanitisers delivered. “We have written them a letter of demand through our lawyer, Sisa Namandje, about two weeks ago, informing them of…

10 Mar

Three years later Mental Health Bill still not finalised

ObserverObserver MoneyMinistry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri and Rose-Mary Haufiku More than three years after Cabinet approved a Mental Health Bill, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) is yet to finalise and submit it to Parliament. Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that the reforming and implementation of the new Bill is still in the process and the current Bill will be repelled. “We have been in consultation with various stake holders and we are now finalising the Bill, then it will go through to the Parliament.” He was however mum on when this would be done and how much…

10 Mar

Education ministry faces 5124 classroom backlog

ObserverObserver MoneyArts and Culture, Ministry of Education, Sanet Steenkamp

Maria Hamutenya The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture Executive Director (ED), Sanet Steenkamp, says the continued growth in the student population has resulted in a classroom backlog of 5 124 classrooms nationally. According to the ministry’s figures, as of 2019, the 14 regions had a total of 26, 090 classrooms, of which 22, 461 are permanent classrooms, 1 426 prefabricated classrooms from non-conventional material, and 2003 traditional structures constructed by the parents or by the school and 200 higher classrooms all together. “The backlog is also considering the growth in the learner population of at least three percent per…

09 Mar

The impact of COVID-19 on women

ObserverUncategorisedCovid-19, International Women’s Day

Sepo Haihambo At the core of its purpose, commemorating International Women’s Day is aimed at celebrating women’s accomplishments as well as to honour their contributions to their families and society as a whole. In as much as there is a lot to celebrate in terms of how far society has come in allowing women access to the same opportunities that have always been available to their male counterparts, one needs to concede that much more still needs to be done to ensure broader equality and inclusivity. Progress has indeed been made to enable women to acquire and dispose of property,…

09 Mar

NamPower guns for debtors

ObserverObserver MoneyKaras Regional Council, NamPower

Maria Hamutenya NamPower has threatened to cut power supplies to local authorities, government ministries and agencies that owe it close to a billion Namibia Dollars. The move comes as the water utility, NamWater last week also announced that it’s owed more than a billion Namibia Dollars, with its biggest debtors also being local authorities , government departments and agencies. In its breakdown , NamPower listed 11 village councils especially in the South, namely Maltahohe, Bethanie, Gibeon and Koës to mention a few. While the Karas Regional Council was also listed among its debtors. Five municipalities, namely Rehoboth, Okahandja, Karasburg, Gobabis…

09 Mar

Govt backtracks on RCC liquidation

ObserverObserver MoneyNamibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings, Roads Contractor Company (RCC)

Andrew Kathindi The government will no longer be going ahead with its initial plan for the possible liquidation or placement under judicial management of beleaguered state roads contractor, Roads Contractor Company (RCC). With RCC financial woes again coming to the fore, the latest being its failure to pay N$6.1 million in rent for its former building, which it now rents from the Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings, Public Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste, told the Windhoek Observer on Monday that government will no longer be taking the liquidation route. “The Ministry of Public Enterprises is not pursuing the liquidation or judicial…

06 Mar

Wake Up My Beloved Namibia!

ObserverUncategorisedAlan Paton, Cry My Beloved Country., socio-economic denigration and retrogression.

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Wake Up My Beloved Namibia, I am consciously, conscientiously and in a moment of sobering realisation and reawakening purposefully titling this week’s instalment, paraphrasing South African novel by Alan Paton, Cry My Beloved Country. Careful in not inducing and lulling fellow Namibians into self pity, and thus helplessness and despair in the face of the mammoth task of reawakening and recharging their ideological consciousness in terms of the struggle of the workers. And consientisation against the self destructive and suicidal development trajectory not to succumb to Alan Paton’s fate of helplessness ala Cry My Beloved Country. There can…

06 Mar

The Time Traveler: The Covid-19 Ambassadors

ObserverUncategorisedCovid-19 Ambassadors

Hugh Ellis No one doubts that the restrictions of public gatherings currently are designed to minimize the spread of a deadly disease and improve public health. It’s also no secret these rules are being disobeyed. It’s no secret that mask-wearing, social distancing and so on, even in gatherings of much less than 50 people, is not strictly taking place. I myself have given classes under super strict social-distancing, mask-wearing, hand-and-desk-and-keyboard-sanitizing conditions, only to see some students freely mingling without masks in the corridors outside. While I have no knowledge of any police shooting or beating while enforcing Covid-19 restrictions, anecdotal…