Main – Page 40 – Windhoek Observer

16 Jun

More than 60 people defrauded in land scam

Main

Niël Terblanche Over 60 people in Walvis Bay, Windhoek, Ongwediva, and Tsumeb fell victim to a land sale scam. The fraudulent scheme, which promised plots of land through a dubious housing project, has left many out of pocket and without any promised property. According to the police, the scam has been operational since 2022 and has reportedly amassed nearly N$2 million from unsuspecting victims. The fraudulent company behind the scheme demanded a N$50 000 deposit from each victim, with some individuals paying a minimum of N$40 000. A 23-year-old man, identified as the managing director of the bogus housing project,…

13 Jun

Undocumented persons struggle to register for voter cards

Main

Martin Endjala Although voter card registration in the Ndiyona Constituency in the Kavango East region is progressing well, undocumented people find it hard to register. On Thursday, Ndiyona constituency councillor, Mukoya Laurentius, told the Windhoek Observer that he had not encountered any hiccups at most of the registration points. Laurentius said he has received complaints from undocumented people who want to register but are unable to do so because they lack identity documentation. “We do not have any challenge. The only challenge we have is documenting those who are undocumented. The mass state documentation capturing programme by the Ministry of…

12 Jun

Urgent action needed to combat child labour

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Niël Terblanché As the world unites to observe the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June attention is drawn to an unrelenting abuse that affects millions of children globally. A report by Greta Campora and Ariane Genthon, experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reveals the grim reality that child labour continues to be a significant problem worldwide. According to the report, child labour is defined as work that is unsuitable for a child's age, disrupts their education, or poses risks to their health, safety, or morals. Alarmingly, 160 million children are engaged in…

11 Jun

First OvaHerero biocultural community protocol launched

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Niël Terblanché The OvaHerero peoples of Kaokoland, who live in areas spanning both Namibia and Angola, celebrated a historic milestone this week with the launch of their first written Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP). The document, unveiled in Opuwo, captures the rich history, cultural practices, and traditions of the OvaHerero community, marking a significant step towards preserving and protecting their heritage. More than 200 community members from the Kunene region in Namibia and the Cunene region in Angola gathered in Opuwo on Tuesday to commemorate the occasion. The BCP is the result of four years of extensive community engagement and collaboration,…

10 Jun

Baby dies of malnutrition in Tsumeb

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja. A nine-month-old baby from Tsumeb died on 30 May due to malnutrition. The family, living in a household with more than eight children, faces financial difficulties. Both parents are unemployed, and none of the children receive any government grants or assistance. Family spokesperson Belinda Gawases stated that the baby's mother had been seeking drought relief from the Tsumeb constituency council office since December last year. “The baby has been sick since December last year, and since then, the mother and I have been going to ask for assistance from the Tsumeb constituency council office for drought relief, but…

09 Jun

Hydrogen projects threaten Namibia’s biodiversity

Energy, Main

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE) has issued a strong warning against a proposed "green" hydrogen project that threatens to transform one of Namibia's most significant biodiversity hotspots into an industrial site. Launched on International Biodiversity Day, the position paper underscores the severe environmental consequences of the project, which aims to produce hydrogen using renewable energy but at the cost of biodiversity loss. Chris Brown, CEO of the NCE, argued that hydrogen production at the expense of biodiversity should be termed “red hydrogen” rather than “green hydrogen.” “The term ‘green hydrogen’ refers to hydrogen produced using 100% renewable…

09 Jun

Tsumeb residents demand constituency councillor’s arrest

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Martin Endjala Residents in Tsumeb town are demanding the arrest of the Tsumeb constituency councillor, Gottlieb Ndjendjela. They are claiming he is involved in the theft of drought relief, as several community members accused him of selling it to them. Johannes Johannes, an activist for Affirmative Repositioning (AR), also called for Ndjendjela's removal from the regional council on behalf of a resident concern group. “With all this evidence presented by the community, why is Gotty not being arrested like others? What is the police waiting for?” he questioned. Last month, a farmer was arrested for purchasing the stolen drought aid…

07 Jun

Namibia advances Blue Economy initiatives

MainNamibia’s Blue Economy Policy, Nangolo Mbumba

Niël Terblanché President Nangolo Mbumba has called for unity in safeguarding the ocean and addressing climate change as Namibia joined the global community in celebrating World Ocean Day. Speaking at the commemoration ceremony in Walvis Bay, President Mbumba announced the nearing completion of Namibia’s Blue Economy Policy, which includes a comprehensive Marine Spatial Plan and the development of a Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2025. “Our Blue Economy Policy is built on three pillars: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social inclusion. It is crucial that we protect our ocean from adverse impacts and adopt a precautionary approach towards activities that may…

06 Jun

Ghost chasing not allowed at Oshigambo High

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Martin Endjala The Oshigambo High School in the Oshikoto Region will not tolerate a student who violates other students' rights by waking them up at night to chase illusional ghosts around the school hostel. The school principal, Pinehas Ekongo, said this following recent accusations of religious discrimination, segregation, and psychosocial torture against the learners at the school by the Body of Christ Party of Namibia (BCP), a faith-based political organisation’s president, Bishop Festus Thomas. “To the best of my knowledge, no parent has ever pledged to send us a learner - a pastor - to chase around ghosts at the…

05 Jun

Former LPM parliamentarian enjoys his freedom

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Erasmus Shalihaxwe Former Landless Peoples’ Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Edson Isaacks said he is currently enjoying his freedom and will ignore the statement made by the party. On Tuesday, Isaacks resigned from the party and parliament along with founding member, Henny Seibeb. “Ignore that statement. They are fighting because we took a principled decision. I don't even need to respond to it. I don't want it to get muddy,” he said. He added that their record of their years in parliament speaks for itself. “I don't need to explain myself to somebody at that level. I am not going to that…