Blog – Page 818 – Windhoek Observer

17 Sep

Swapo grapples with 2/3 majority loss …As state of emergency extension requires parliamentary approval

ObserverObserver Moneypresident Hage Geingob, SWAPO

Andrew Kathindi Swapo has for the first time felt the impact of losing the 2/3 majority in Parliament as the decision over extending the state of emergency looms. This comes as President Hage Geingob would need a two/third majority (66 members of the 95 voting members) in order to extend state of emergency which lapses on Thursday. Geingob will address the nation tomorrow to pronounce himself on the matter. Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani last week said that his party will not support any extension of the state of emergency. “That 2/3 majority allows the [ruling] party that…

16 Sep

Public need for justice is being denied

ObserverNational Newsfishrot, justice, Namibia

Justice is not served by constant delays in the fishrot case. These postponements deny the public a front-row seat to see if corruption is stronger than the constitution. The people have demanded to witness the prosecution of the fishrot accused. Let us get on with it. What does it say about the case if these men languish in pandemic-unsafe jails, in limbo? How often will the prosecution, ACC and police put their tails between their legs and beg the magistrate for more time to get their cases together? Namibia has an overall problem with a sluggish arrest, investigation, and trial…

16 Sep

Old Mutual Personal Cover: Funeral Insurance

ObserverUncategorisedFuneral Insurance, Old Mutual, Old Mutual Personal Cover

Ndangi Katoma 8 things you need to know about Old Mutual’s new funeral insurance If you are the breadwinner in your family, the day may come when your phone rings and you are called upon to open up your heart and your wallet simultaneously. How many of your family members would reach out to you first when there is not enough money to cover a funeral? If you happen to be the “go-to-guy” or “gal” in your family, forking out over N$200 000 for various family funerals over the course of your life, might not be an over-exaggeration at all.…

16 Sep

Taxi union want N$14 retained …as Ministry declines N$15.40 increase

ObserverObserver MoneyNTTU leader Werner Januarie

Andrew Kathindi The Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) is calling for the N$14 taxi fare to remain in place whether or not the state of emergency is lifted on Thursday at midnight. This comes after the union’s attempt to increase the going taxi rate to N$15.40 for 1 September, citing an increase in the price for petrol was rejected by Ministry of Works and Transport. NTTU leader Werner Januarie said the union is looking at the situation on the ground and is considering a demonstration in this regard. “We did make a request previously, which was turned down by…

16 Sep

Education ministry still in repetition conundrum

ObserverObserver MoneyArts and Culture, Ministry of Education

Helena Johannes The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture is yet to pronounce itself on the matter of learners repeating their grades next year should they fail their end of the year assessments. This comes after certain learners, particularly those in Khomas region, have not received any face-to-face teaching since schools were first closed during the state of emergency proclaimed by President Hage Geingob in March, with classes having only resumed this week. Acting Director of Programmes and Quality Assurance at the Education Ministry, Ayesha Wentworth said the constant U-turns made by the Ministry since the beginning of the pandemic…

15 Sep

Rip off the plaster

ObserverNational NewsGovernment

Government has talked subtly about reducing the civil service wage bill for years. But, this has long been a sacred cow. The time for whispers about this issue has passed. We have too many people on the government payroll; we cannot afford it. In the new normal as we adjust to the realities of the pandemic, there can be no more sacred cows. For the survival of the majority and the country itself as a sovereign nation, everything must be up for serious review with the goal of cutting costs severely. Rather than incrementally dropping hints about the need to…

15 Sep

Fish Trust awaits board appointments

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Leon Jooste, Public Enterprise Minister

Andrew Kathindi Public Enterprise Minister, Leon Jooste has said that the process of recruiting a new Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) Board has been derailed by COVID-19. “The process to identify the candidates is ongoing. The entity has not been operating as a result of COVID-19 and the pandemic has also affected our program to recruit,” he told Windhoek Observer. This comes after the terms of the last Board, which served from 2017 lapsed in September 2019. The board was chaired by Suzan Ndjaleka. NFCPT was established with a mandate to promote fish consumption throughout the country, through the…

15 Sep

Govt still to deliver Cuba student parcels …as students plead for President’s intervention

ObserverObserver MoneyCuba, Namibian Ambassador to Cuba, Samuel /Gôagoseb

Andrew Kathindi Namibian medical students in Cuba are pleading with President Hage Geingob to assist with the delivery of parcels organized by the relatives, amid claims some of the items are spoiling in the Health Ministry’s facility storage. This comes two months after a South African Airways plane which was scheduled to travel to Cuba on 3 July with the said parcels left with only Namibian Ambassador to Cuba, Samuel /Gôagoseb, without the packages. The students have now accused the Health Ministry of abandoning them and leaving their items to rot, after no progress has been made on delivering their…

15 Sep

COVID saves Gvt millions in allowances

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), Ministry of Finance

Staff Writer The restriction on travel by government officials due to the outbreak of COVID-19 has saved government million in travel allowances, amid revelation only 7.1 percent of the allocated amount of N$222. 8 million for the 2020/21 financial year has been spent. According to Ministry of Finance figures, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) has only gobbled N$15.8 million for the period April 2020 to August 2020, compared to N$116.9 million for the same period last year. This comes as it emerged that most of the travel conducted during the period was COVID-19 related, with the bulk of the allowances paid…

12 Sep

Watch your money or lose it

ObserverNational NewsGovernment, money, Namibians

All too often Namibians as individuals, businesses and the government itself have been the victim of con artists and thieves. It is easy to conclude that someone wearing the ‘right’ clothes, with the ‘right’ introduction and with the ‘right’ deferential behaviour can lay a web of dodgy promises. It is a concern that too many people accept promised from business partners without vetting, follow-up, constant monitoring, contracts with penalties, milestone check-ins and random spot checks. The old adage remains the truth: If you don’t watch your money, you will lose it. The latest embarrassing episode of yet another conman cheating…