Blog – Page 874 – News Stand

09 Sep

Cherry picking morality breeds hypocrites

info_e12wt4csNational NewsChristian hypocrisy, hypocrites

The negative moralistic voices on the topic of abortion are ‘Christian hypocrisy’ when it comes to their silence in the fight against rape. There are far more rapes and sexual assaults in Namibia than there are abortions (legal or back-alley). And yet, there is an overflow of letters to the editor, marches and articles claiming that the exercise of reproductive rights is murder. There is the silence of the tomb about the murder of the soul of a rape victim. You cannot cherry-pick moral outrage (however you define it). You cannot pray to condemn abortion and then pretend that rape…

09 Sep

FNB records Q2 house prices softening

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedFNB Market Research Manager Frans Uusiku

Staff Writer FNB Namibia says although market sentiments point to further declines in house prices due to expected distressed sales, it is of the opinion that price contractions have reached their peak. “House price gains were notable in the Coastal and Northern regions, registering growth of 8 percent and 6 percent y/y respectively. Meanwhile, double digit contractions in house prices of 10.8 percent and 13.8 percent y/y were recorded in the central and southern regions due to affordability issues. As a result, the elevated demand for land in the central region led to a 12-month average price growth of 14.2…

09 Sep

Venaani rules out support for lockdown extension

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyMcHenry Venaani, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader, president Hage Geingob

Helena Johannes Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani has vowed that his party will not support any extension of the state of emergency, which President Hage Geingob instated earlier in the year. This comes as the President will require a two/third majority (66 members of the 95 voting members) to be able to extend the six month state of emergency which is set to lapse next week on 17 September. According to Venaani, his party will lobby other opposition parties against the extension of the state of emergency which will now require parliament approval. “The state of emergency and…

09 Sep

Tourism sector loses N$116m in cancellations . . . As Ministry announces amended arrival protocols

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyNamibia, Pohamba Shifeta, Tourism Ministry

Clifton Movirongo The Tourism Ministry has announced that the tourism industry has recorded net cancellations of N$115.7 million since the announcement of implementation protocols of the tourism revival initiative. This comes as Namibia recorded zero arrivals in the first week of its tourism initiative, which kicked off on 1 September. The Ministry has now announced amendments to its initial protocols in a bid to attract tourists to the country. According to Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta the revision, will allow some flexibilities to the implementation protocols, while balancing the necessary health and safety measures. “Upon arrival at the Hosea Kutako International…

09 Sep

Unions rip into Air Namibia over salary cuts

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyAir Namibia, Embraer

Andrew Kathindi Unions representing Air Namibia employees have hit back at plans by the airline’s management to cut salaries by 50 percent for workers that have not performed work due to its planes being grounded. According to letter in possession of the Windhoek Observer, Air Namibia Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Theo Mberirua, said the salary cuts have been necessitated by the airlines pre-COVID-19 financial situation and worsened by COVID-19. This, Mberirua stated, has got to the point that the airline “cannot, at this stage, continue operations without cash flow with which to pay critical creditors.” “The financial losses incurred…

08 Sep

COVID 19: treatments, experiments and maybes

info_e12wt4csNational NewsCovid-19

The Ministry of Health must be meticulously transparent about trial drugs. The media also must be responsible as it prints headlines announcing the existence of ‘treatments’ for COVID-19. This is not the time to raise false hopes. This is a time for treatments, experiments and maybes. We all want a cure, vaccine or effective treatments for COVID-19. The pressure for this is huge. The drug company that develops a vaccine or cure first will win the billion-dollar lottery. We must always be aware of the huge profits on the table and the unethical steps that may be taken around the…

08 Sep

Fishcor looks to cut ties with Seaflower Pelagic Processing

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Andrew Kathindi The National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) board led by Heinrich Mihe Gaomab II has threatened to terminate agreements entered into by the company, including its investment into Seaflower Pelagic Processing (SPP). The decision by the company comes after a damning judgment delivered by Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula in which it described SPP’s relationship with Fishcor as cozy and parasitic, while terms of their 15 year agreement was only going to be possible “under a corrupt environment.” “Having acknowledged judgment outcome and in full and unequivocal support of it, we wish to state that while the judgment…

08 Sep

Tourism initiative records zero arrivals . . . as sector raises practicality concerns

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyFederation of Namibian Tourism Associations (FENATA), Namibia, Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta

Clifton Movirongo Namibia has failed to record a single tourist arrival, a week after it opened its borders to tourist arrivals under the international tourism revival initiative. Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta said the industry was banking on the resumption of international flights into the country, with some airlines expected to resume on Friday. “Nothing has really happened in the first official week of the government’s tourism revival plan since the proclamation. However, about five airlines have confirmed that they are landing in Namibia within this month, with the first one scheduled for Friday, 11 September and more coming after that.”…

05 Sep

Couch Cat: Liberate your hair on lockdown

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedCouch Cat, lockdown

Jackie Wilson Asheeke I have been wearing braid extensions since I was 21. Current articles on natural hair care say that I have done irreparable damage to my natural hair. They are right. The pulling, braiding, and twisting has weakened, thinned and broken off my hair. But, then again, I have had decades of loving my braided look. Life is all about trade-offs. That said, working remote at home in these pandemic days, there is no need to go out as much. So, I wear no braids most of the time. It was weird at first – I look so…

05 Sep

New political formations, how ideological are they?

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedUN-supervised elections, Yours Truly Ideologically

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro In the last edition, Yours Truly Ideologically compared the ideological position of the various political formations, during the First Phase of the Namibian Revolution. That is from the war of resistance against colonial penetration to the liberation war against colonial occupation, and even during the country’s first ever democratic elections, the 1989 UN-supervised elections. Despite some of the political parties initially gimmicking and posturing socialist positions, it transpired that in their manifestos for the 1989 elections, there was little difference in their economic policies, or their economic blue prints for the radical transformation of the country’s economy. Thirty…