Main – Page 27 – News Stand

20 Mar

RA reflects on its road network journey

info_e12wt4csMainRA reflects on its road network journey worth N$129 billion

Martin Endjala As Namibia celebrates its 34th Independence, the Roads Authority (RA) in keeping with its mandate of building road networks for Namibia, is celebrating a journey that started in the year 2000. The journey saw RA build a state-of-the-art national road network that is estimated to be worth N$129 billion. Namibia’s national road network has grown by approximately 15 percent or 6,220 kilometres over 23 years. Namibia’s road network currently stands at a total length of 49 202,9 kilometres, of which 8,037 kilometres is bitumen standard, 26,055 kilometres is gravel standard, 13,755 kilometres earth roads and 330 kilometres of…

19 Mar

20 cops charged for drug-related crimes, 10 for murder cases

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja A total of 20 members of the Namibian Police Force have been charged with drug-related crimes while 10 others have been charged with murder over the last three years. This is according to Namibian Police Inspector General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, who disclosed that over the past three years, 20 cases involving drug-related offences have been lodged against members of the Namibian Police Force. Three of those police officers have been found guilty by the courts and convicted, while a staggering number of 17 cases remain pending on court dockets nationwide. Shikongo emphasised the seriousness with which such…

19 Mar

MP calls for remuneration of caregivers

info_e12wt4csMainMP calls for remuneration of caregivers

Martin Endjala Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, has called on the treasury to start considering monthly incentives for persons who take care of people living with disability. The MP said this in the National Assembly while contributing to the national budget. She pointed out a concern she observed and wants to see urgent interventions to address the issue with caregivers. She said often a parent with a child with severe disabilities, such as cerebral palsy cannot leave the child alone to go and work outside the house. “Most of these children and adults need…

18 Mar

Suspension saved Karasburg from going into the dustbin – Swapo councillors

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Martin Endjala One of the suspended Swapo Councillors of the Karasburg Town Council, Elia Hauwanga says the decision undertaken by the Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni, to suspend the entire council, has saved the town from going into the dustbin. Hauwanga told the Windhoek Observer yesterday that both the Swapo party and the Independent Patriot for Change (IPC) view the suspension executed by the Minister as per the Government Gazette Notice under Section 92(9) Act no 23 of 1992 of the Local Authority, as the right decision. “This has been long coming. We anticipated it to happen. Following…

18 Mar

CRAN wins Supreme Court challenge on regulatory levies

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Martin Endjala The Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has won a constitutional challenge filed by Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) against the amendment of Section 23 of the Communications Act, in the Supreme Court concerning the collection of levies. After appealing the High Court judgment of 22 August 2022, the Supreme Court heard the appeal on the 14th of April 2023. The Supreme Court of Namibia delivered a judgment in CRAN’s favour on 13 March 2024. MTC’s application was based on the grounds that Section 23 as amended, which allows CRAN to collect regulatory levies was unconstitutional as the amended…

17 Mar

Gobabis municipality forges ahead with unauthorized salary increases amid financial struggles

info_e12wt4csMainGobabis municipality forges ahead with unauthorized salary increases amid financial struggles

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Gobabis Municipality is embroiled in a heated dispute over a proposed 4 percent salary increase for its employees, despite dire financial warnings and mounting debts. An open letter addressed to the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, this week by the town’s former mayor Elvire Theron and Management Committee member Isak de Beer alleges breaches of protocol, including the unauthorised negotiation and signing of salary increase agreement with Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU) by the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) Sophia Eises. The letter highlights that the decision was made without proper authorisation, igniting a fierce…

15 Mar

Uutoni suspends entire Karasburg Town Council

info_e12wt4csMainUutoni suspends entire Karasburg Town Council

Martin Endjala Urban and Rural Development Minister, Erastus Uutoni has suspended the entire Karasburg Town Council, without remuneration or allowance, with immediate effect. The drastic action followed after the council defied the directives of the Local Authority Act as well as failing to comply with the directives of the Minister which he issued last year. The Minister’s decision is contained in the Government Gazette Notice released today, under Section 92(2) of the LA No 23 of 1992. As a result, the Minister has appointed the former Chief Executive Officer of the Aroab Village Council, Elize Laubscher as the administrator to…

15 Mar

President Mbumba to testify in Fishrot case if summoned

info_e12wt4csMainPresident Mbumba to testify in Fishrot case if summoned\

Hertta-Maria Amutenja President Nangolo Mbumba has made a commitment to testify in the ongoing Fishrot fraud, corruption, and racketeering trial if requested to do so by the court. His assertion came in response to a question posed to him by opposition leader McHenry Venaani in Parliament yesterday during the State of the Nation Address (SONA). Venaani wanted to know if President Mbumba is willing to appear and testify in court against the fishrot accused persons, since he was Secretary General of the Swapo Party when the alleged crimes were committed, and the ruling party has been accused numerous times of…

13 Mar

Namibia’s population surpasses three million

info_e12wt4csMainNamibia’s population surpasses three million

Stefanus Nashama A preliminary report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has revealed that Namibia’s population currently stands at 3,022,401 million, a growth of 909,324 since the country conducted its last census in 2011. This is according to Alex Shimuafeni, the Statistician-General of the NSA, who made the presentation at the official launch of the preliminary results of the 2023 population and housing census today in Windhoek. This was the fourth time Namibia undertook the population and housing census. In 1991, Namibia’s population stood at 1,4 million; in 2001, it was 1,8 million; in 2011, it stood at 2,1…

13 Mar

Swapo violated its constitution by pushing extraordinary congress to next year: Nahas Angula

info_e12wt4csMainSwapo violated its constitution by pushing extraordinary congress to next year: Nahas Angula

Stefanus Nashama -Helmut says the decision was strange-Analyst says the decision was taken on majority rules Former Prime Minister and Swapo Party Stalwart, Nahas Angula said the ruling party has violated its constitution by avoiding organising an extraordinary congress within three months as stipulated in the constitution. Angula was reacting to the Swapo Central Committee meeting that endorsed Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah over the weekend to represent the party as its presidential candidate for the election. The Central Committee has resolved to push the much talked about extraordinary congress to next year April. Skipping the three months stipulated in the party’s constitution.…