Main – Page 34 – Windhoek Observer

05 Oct

Meatco owes farmers up to N$ 350 million

ObserverMain

Niël Terblanché The financial distress of the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) was placed in the lime light after it was revealed that the state-owned enterprise currently owes cattle producers between N$300 million and N$350 million and that it is even lagging behind on certain payments to farmers by up to 88 days. This alarming information was exposed by Thinus Pretorius, the chairman of the Livestock Producers Organization (LPO), during its annual congress in Windhoek earlier this week. “We are now facing the problem the LPO has warned about for 15 years,” Pretorius said while echoing the sentiment that the…

04 Oct

Menzies Aviation suffers another catastrophic court defeat

ObserverMainMenzies Aviation suffers another catastrophic court defeat

Niël Terblanché In a blow to Menzies Aviation Namibia, Judge Shafimana Ueitele of the Namibian High Court once again ruled against the company, ordering it to pay the respondent’s legal fees and denying its plea to return to Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) as the ground handling services provider. The judgment adds to the legal woes the United Kingdom-based company has faced in its battle to reclaim its position at the airport. Judge Ueitele’s decision came after Menzies Aviation made multiple attempts to gain a legal footing to continue its operations at HKIA. The Namibia Airports Company had previously raised…

03 Oct

Karasburg Mayor and Council members arrested by the ACC

ObserverMainKarasburg Mayor and Council members arrested by the ACC

Martin Endjala The Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Paulus Noah, confirmed yesterday the arrest of Karasburg Town Council Mayor Maria Veldskoen, Acting Chief Executive Officer Hansina Isaaks, Franciskus Skeyer, and other council members for allegedly defying local authority governing law. “Yes, it is true. Some Councillors and their cohorts are acting in defiance of the law governing local authorities. They believe their decisions must be implemented, no matter how unlawful,” Noah stated. He said the accused persons allegedly fired administrative officers who refused to implement unlawful council decisions while claiming that they conducted themselves with “absolute impunity,” a…

02 Oct

Government debt now N$ 145 billion

ObserverMainGovernment debt now N$ 145 billion

Martin Endjala The Bank of Namibia has revealed that the total Central Government debt has risen on a yearly basis by 11.4 percent to N$145.6 billion at the end of June 2023, driven by an increase in both domestic and external debt. As a percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), total debt stood at 64.2 percent, representing an annual decline of 1.8 percent during the period under review, compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, which is 4.2 percentage points above the Southern African Development Community benchmark of 60 percent. This is according to BoN latest Quarterly September…

29 Sep

Law Reform Commission recommends amendments to the Electoral Act

ObserverMainLaw Reform Commission recommends amendments to the Electoral Act

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Law Reform and Development Commission has recommended that the Electoral Act of 2014 be amended to make provision for candidates nominated to the National Assembly list to be placed on leave, a practice already in place for Regional Council and Local Authority Elections. Last year, the Commission submitted a report titled “Statutory Submission in Terms of Section 6(e) of the Report on the Review of Article 46 of the Constitution and Section 77(4)(a) of the Electoral Act, 2014 (Act No. 5 of 2014)” to the Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab, containing these recommendations. The Commission was assigned…

28 Sep

NAMDIA declares a record dividend of N$300 million to the government

ObserverMainNAMDIA declares a record dividend of N$300 million to the government

Martin Endjala The Namib Desert Company (NAMDIA) has declared a record dividend of N$300 million to the government for the 2022/23 financial year, marking a continual increase from the dividends declared in the previous years, including N$50 million for 2018/19, N$80 million for 2019/20, N$40 million for 2020/21, and N$150 million in 2021/22. Bryan Eiseb, Board Chairperson of NAMDIA, announced this milestone at the 2022/23 annual report launch in Windhoek. This declaration, he noted, is unprecedented in the history of the state-owned entity since its inception. Eiseb emphasized NAMDIA’s commitment to establishing itself as an institution guided by robust governance…

27 Sep

Government urged to exercise caution with public funds…oppositions advise prudence in oil deals

ObserverMainGovernment urged to exercise caution with public funds…oppositions advise prudence in oil deals

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Member of Parliament, Joseph Kauandenge, has cautioned the government against engaging with individuals possessing dubious backgrounds, especially when dealing with taxpayers’ money. The Secretary General of the National Unity Democratic Organisation, voiced these concerns this week in an interview with this publication, responding to media reports. Reports suggest that the Ministry of Mines and Energy has procured oil advice from Cameroonian lawyer Njock Ayuk Eyong, allegedly convicted of fraud in the United States of America. Acting Executive Director of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Bryan Eiseb, reportedly confirmed correspondence with Ayuk for legal advice and support in…

26 Sep

Comprehensive re-assessment of Namibia’s public procurement system amidst criticism

ObserverMainComprehensive re-assessment of Namibia’s public procurement system amidst criticism

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprise, in conjunction with the World Bank and the African Development Bank, has commenced an extensive assessment of Namibia’s procurement system. According to Wilson Shikoto, the spokesperson of the fiancé ministry, this initiative, executed through the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS), strives to fortify transparency, accountability, and value for money in Namibia’s public procurement practices. It’s been three years since the last review of the public procurement process. This new examination comes after prevalent criticism and is considered an imperative step towards the refinement of the Public Procurement Act 2015. Critics…

25 Sep

NUDO demands President’s apology for genocide and apartheid remarks

ObserverMainNUDO demands President’s apology for genocide and apartheid remarks

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Joseph Kauandenge, the General Secretary of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO), is calling for an immediate apology from President Hage Geingob concerning the comments he made on genocide and apartheid a few weeks ago in Europe. President Geingob, during a public lecture at the Paris Institute of Political Studies in France, was quoted telling the audience that “Apartheid was worse than Genocide.” However, this statement has drawn criticism from various local political leaders. NUDO is now adding to the voices urging President Geingob to retract his remarks. Kauandenge, also a Member of Parliament, asserted that Geingob’s categorization…

22 Sep

NAMFISA spends over N$14 million on rental fees annually

ObserverMainNAMFISA spends over N$14 million on rental fees annually

Martin Endjala The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) has been paying N$14,985,114 per annum on office rental fees to occupy the building it is currently operating from in the Central Business District of the Namibian capital. This means for the past four years, the financial regulator has spent close to N$60 million on the lease of the building since occupying it on 15 June 2020. NAMFISA Communications Manager, Victoria Muranda, confirmed these figures during an interview with the Windhoek Observer this week. She said the leased building which NAMFISA currently occupies at the Gutenberg Plaza was procured through the…