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Martin Endjala Namibia’s Chamber of Mines president, Zebra Kasete, has urged the government to focus more on skill development rather than solely on benefiting from mining exploration through taxes and royalties. He made these remarks during the opening of the 2024 Mining Expo and Conference in Windhoek on Wednesday. "The government should not be concentrating on the possible revenue from exploration activities but rather focus on skill development to unlock people's potential," he said. He proposed using taxes and fees from the industry to finance and provide people with the necessary skills. According to Kasete, this approach will empower both…

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) announced the National Assembly's endorsement of the Access to Information Act (ATI) No. 8 of 2022 Regulations on Tuesday. This puts Namibia among the 140 countries in the world to adopt such a law. In a statement, the minister of information and communication technology, Emma Theofelus, said that the ATI Act Regulations reaffirm the country's dedication to ensuring citizens' access to information. “This milestone will soon lead to the implementation of the Act, as noted by Emma Theofelus, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology,” she said. She added that…

Martin Endjala and Ester Mbathera Inspector Silas Shipandeni, the Khomas region’s police spokesperson, has cautioned the public to avoid paying or sending money for parcels they have not received. The Windhoek Observer received complaints from members of the public who paid for parcels that never arrived, prompting him to offer advice. “Yes, the police, especially in the Khomas region, receive complaints relating to such scams. The advice to the public is that they should avoid paying or sending money for things or parcels they didn't receive. We understand the logic and the principles of paying a deposit amount for one's…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Omusati region has seen an increase in rape cases, with incidents frequently involving minors and women. The Omusati regional police commander, Commissioner Ismael Basson, said that girl children, minor boys, and women are not safe in the Omusati region. “Hardly a week passes without a rape case being reported, coming from amongst other fathers, uncles, and other close male members that are supposed to be the guardian angels of these minors - boys and girls. This gives me sleepless nights, but I will not relent, the struggle shall continue,” said Basson. A church leader from a village…

Martin Endjala The Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC) has fined four Chinese companies N$5 million for merging without authorisation. This was disclosed on Wednesday by NaCC spokesperson, Dina //Gowases. The companies are Fan Qingmei, Wang Zhongke, Hong Xiang Holdings Ltd., and Whale Rock Cement Pty Ltd., which owns Cheetah Cement. “The Commission’s investigation found that the parties contravened Section 44, read with Sections 51 and 53 of the Competition Act. The investigation focused on a merger between West China Cement Limited and Schwenk Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, which was prohibited in 2020 due to its potential to prevent or lessen competition in…

Ester Mbathera and Martin Endjala Officials of the Okongo Village Council have allocated low-cost houses to themselves. Senior council members received the houses intended for low-income families in the village, despite their ineligibility based on salary criteria. Documents obtained by the Windhoek Observer reveal that Maria Shikomba, a senior accountant, Maria Kaluvi, the head of administration, and Abraham Kapembe, the building inspector at the Okongo Village Council, allocated themselves houses under the Build Together National Housing Programme. This programme specifies a maximum salary threshold of N$6 000 for eligibility, which the officials exceed by several degrees. According to the documents,…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Windhoek City Police have addressed the issue of public indecency following a recent incident involving a young woman. The incident, captured in a video seen by this publication, shows a city police officer instructing the woman, dressed in shorts, a crop top, and a jacket, to return home and change into more appropriate clothing. “You are done dressing like that, or maybe you forgot to cover up properly. From here you are going back home to cover this body. This is public indecency, and it is a by-law offence," said the officer before threatened to fine the…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja An environmental assessment is currently being carried out for the release of genetically modified organisms (GMO) maize and irrigation-based agricultural activities at farm Heidelberg-Sued in the Oshikoto Region. Heidelberg 291 CC has appointed Geo Pollution Technologies (Pty) Ltd. to conduct this assessment. Farm Heidelberg-Sued currently irrigates 50 hectares using centre-pivot irrigation systems, sourcing water from registered boreholes on the farm. The main crop is maize, and there is a proposal to replace traditional maize cultivars with genetically modified strains that are resistant to insects and/or herbicides. The assessment covers activities related to the transport, storage, and planting of…

Ester Mbathera The government has considered the export of 20 000 tonnes of unprocessed minerals such as lithium, cobalt,manganese, graphite, and rare earth elements per miner or exporter. The Cabinet made this announcement last week. "Cabinet considered and endorsed a maximum export quantity of one thousand kilograms (1 000 kg) for mineral analyses per annum per exporter or producer, and Cabinet further considered and endorsed a maximum of up to 20 000 tonnes for the purpose of plant design parameters," reads the cabinet announcement. The announcement represents the government's progress to date in implementing the cabinet's June 2023 decision, which…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja A high-stakes family feud has erupted over the management and ownership of the Afrika Stadt Haus Hotel and apartments in Ongwediva. Harold Schmidt, a prominent businessman, has filed an application in the Windhoek High Court against his son, Namibia National Paralympic Committee treasurer, Jean-Paul Schmidt and his daughter-in-law, Naomi Schmidt. Harold claims Jean-Paul and Naomi mismanaged the hotel and is seeking to evict them from the properties he owns. He also alleges that Jean-Paul threatened to shoot him. In the court documents, Harold claims that Jean-Paul, whom he initially mentored as an apprentice during the properties' construction in…