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Foreign trained medical graduates fail again

Foreign trained medical graduates fail again

Andrew Kathindi Most of the foreign-trained medical graduates who took exams for internships earlier this year failed. This re-assessment was taken two years after only two out of 240 foreign-trained Namibian graduates passed the earlier Medical and Dental Councils Board Exams. “433 foreign-trained medical graduates sat for the internship exam in 2020; 27 passed,” Director of Human Resources in the Health Ministry, Joyce Shatilwe, confirmed to Windhoek Observer. She further noted that “those who failed registered with the MoHSS for an orientation program that the Ministry has initiated. So far 277 have registered and we are anticipating kicking off in…
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Foods I hated as a kid, I now eat

Foods I hated as a kid, I now eat

Jackie Wilson Asheeke Many of us have those yucky foods from our childhood that we refused to eat. We wailed, cried, whined and resisted. But, now… we make some of those foods now and they aren’t so bad after all. I used to hate liver. I remember getting punished as a seven year old because I would give the liver from my plate to the family dog that waited quietly under the table at my feet to get his supper. My mom was not amused; my siblings thought it was hilarious. Jackie’s most hated food list Beef Liver Liver is…
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Can Namibians do the job?

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, unions and the public often decry the local hiring of a foreign national. They believe that person is taking a job away from a Namibian. At the same time, there are employers that are hell-bent on hiring foreigners rather than a Namibian (regardless of qualifications). In the first case, it is untrue that qualified, experienced Namibians are left sitting at home while foreigners get those jobs. Skilled Namibians with experience are being employed. The issue is the army of recent graduates with no experience who are challenged. At the same time, North Koreans…
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GIPF investee harvests first blueberry crop

GIPF investee harvests first blueberry crop

Staff Writer The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has announced the first large-scale Namibian commercial blueberry harvest, produced by the Mashare Berries project, which forms part of the Spitz Capital Fund anchored in the GIPF unlisted investment programme. The fund has invested N$90 million into the blueberry production project that is situated 50km east of Rundu on the banks of the Kavango River. This aims to harvest an estimated 150 tons of blueberries between July and October 2020. In a statement, the GIPF announced that the blueberry project supports its investment strategy of selecting high value crops for export to…
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Local venture uplifts Nauaspoort, Groot Aub communities

Local venture uplifts Nauaspoort, Groot Aub communities

Staff Writer A local business entity, Crewfield Investments has pledged to establish community gardening projects and a medical centre which will uplift the Nauaspoort and Groot Aub communities. Crewfield Investments Chief Operating Officer, Honest Madzivadondo speaking after meeting Windhoek Rural Constituency Councillor Penina Inga-Iita on Wednesday to discuss the two projects, said him and his partners plan to construct a health centre in Groot Aub area as well as encourage food production in Nauaspoort through gardening projects. “It is so painful to observe that millions of dollars are being spent on food imports in the process thus tempering with employment…
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Cabinet announces EDs reshuffle

Cabinet announces EDs reshuffle

...as Uiras is removed after less than four months Staff Writer Secretary to the Cabinet, George Simataa has announced the appointment of new Executive Directors and transferal of some to other government offices, ministries and agencies. Of note is the removal of Dr Moses Maurihungirire as Executive Director of the Ministry of Fisheries and transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister, assigned to the Public Service Commission Secretariat. Maurihungirire is a former Fishcor board member and was Executive Director during the tenure of former Fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau when cases of corruption are alleged to have occurred. Wilhencia Uiras…
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Namibia investigates 5G rollout

Namibia investigates 5G rollout

Staff Writer Namibia has started the process of investigating the possibility of rolling out 5G technology in the country, with cabinet recently directing the environment ministry to conduct a thorough environmental assessment. “Cabinet directed the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to ensure that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is undertaken and that proper assessment is made, prior to the possible introduction of 5G technology in Namibia,” information minister Peya Mushelenga said. A strategic environmental assessment is a systematic decision support process, aiming to ensure that environmental and possibly other sustainability aspects are considered effectively in policy, plan and program…
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Kids become Young Defenders of their environment

Kids become Young Defenders of their environment

Two groups of Young Defenders from the //Huab and Doro !Nawas conservancies were hosted at the //Huab Under Canvas Ultimate Safaris Camp for an immersive wilderness experience. Each group enjoyed a free four-day conservation course during the month of July, made possible by a partnership between Conservation Travel Foundation (established by Ultimate Safaris) and the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE). The communal conservancies in north-west Namibia are a conservation success story, as communities have embraced the concept of wildlife and habitat conservation for the benefit of current and future generations. This is why the first two courses of this kind…
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Bank Windhoek releases Green Bond Impact Report

Bank Windhoek releases Green Bond Impact Report

Staff Writer Bank Windhoek this week published its first Green Impact Report. The Report details projects that received funding from its NSX listed Green Bond proceeds and highlights the core environmental impact indicators on a project level basis. The impact indicators according to the bank are derived from the bank’s Green Bond Framework and the International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles. Green Bonds are one of the most prominent capital raising innovations in the area of sustainable finance over the past decade and the majority of applications for green financing was for solar energy projects to generate electricity to…
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NWR records N$22 million profit

NWR records N$22 million profit

Staff Writer Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) Chairperson Ambassador Leonard Iipumbu has announced that the hospitality group has managed to record a N$20 million profit, more than 20 years after its creation. "After more than 20 years, we managed to record a profit for the first time since our creation in 1999. This past financial year saw us record a N$22 million profit, which is a N$41 million improvement on the 2018 financial year. We achieved this by increasing our revenue by 11 percent compared to the 2018 financial year and by keeping our operating expenses flat, despite inflationary pressures," Iipumbu…
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