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22 May

Court orders the reinstatement of Sinvula

info_e12wt4csMainCourt orders the reinstatement of Sinvula

Niël Terblanché High Court Judge, Boas Usiku on Friday ordered for the reinstatement of Kisco Sinvula, who was removed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Grootfontein Town Council last year. Sinvula was removed from his post as the Grootfontein municipality’s CEO in March last year and subsequently approached the High Court to review and set aside the council’s decision to suspend him. At the time, the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni also ruled that the suspension of Sinvula was not done in accordance with proper procedures, and directed the council to follow regulations in suspending the…

19 May

Shaningwa denies using Kavango residents as ‘voting cows’

info_e12wt4csMainShaningwa denies using Kavango residents as ‘voting cows’

Stefanus Nashama The Secretary General of the SWAPO Party, Sophia Shaningwa, has strongly denied allegations that the ruling party uses Kavango people as voting cows. Shaningwa said the people of the two Kavango regions cannot be used under any circumstances as ‘voting cows’. She stressed that the Kavango regions have the strongest support of the Swapo Party, and the residents in those respective regions have the right to vote for the parties of their choice. “The notion that people in the two Kavango regions are voting cows is wrong. There is nothing like that, and I want to condemn this…

17 May

Shannon’s family disappointed with acquital ruling …Prosecution failed to prove guilt

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja Emotions ran high at the Windhoek High Court yesterday, after the court acquitted siblings Azaan Madisia and Steven Malundu in the murder of Shannon Wasserfall. Her family has since expressed that they would appeal the ruling by Judge Christie Liebenberg, who only convicted the siblings on the charge of Defeating the course of Justice. Shortly after the ruling, the deceased family members, visibly emotional said that the justice system has failed the family. Judge Liebenberg found that the state did not lead evidence in proving the murder and robbery charges and based its case on conflicting statements made…

16 May

Namibia ranked sixth in Africa foroverall investment attractiveness

info_e12wt4csMainNamibia ranked sixth in Africa foroverall investment attractiveness

Martin Endjala Namibia has been ranked sixth out of 16 African jurisdictions surveyed on overall investment attractiveness. This is according to the 2022 Fraser Institute Survey of Mining Companies, which showed that Namibia improved on the overall Investment Attractiveness Index (IAI) by seven points from 52 in 2021 to 59 in 2022. On this index, Namibia was ranked 38th out of 62 jurisdictions surveyed, compared to 59 out of 84 jurisdictions in 2021. Reacting to the good news, the President of the Chamber of Mines Zebra Kasete yesterday said that Namibia’s performance in the 2022 Fraser report is fairly good,…

15 May

Consensus averts disastrous Keetmanshoop by-election

info_e12wt4csMainConsensus averts disastrous Keetmanshoop by-election

Niël Terblanché and Stefanus Nashama A consensus that was reached between political parties contesting in the Keetmanshoop by-election averted a situation which would have kept voters from electing a new representative on the rural constituency council. The Karas Regional Coordinator of the SWAPO Party, Mathew Mumbala, said that the consensus was reached in the interest of democracy. Mumbala said all contesting parties agreed that the Electoral Commission of Namibia’s efforts to re-issue voter cards to people who lost their cards or to those whose documents were destroyed or have become illegible two days before the election would have derailed the…

12 May

Okahandja escapes NamPower disconnection plans

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Martin Endjala The joint venture between the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (CenoRED) and the Okahandja Town Council has managed to dodge the plans of NamPower to disconnect clients in arrears from the national power grid after agreeing to N$2 million in outstanding debt. The successful talks were held yesterday in the capital. The new agreement was confirmed by Gabriel Awaseb, the CenoRED Acting Chief Executive Officer during a media briefing yesterday. Awaseb said that the initial report earlier this week created a fuzz in the public with many residents reporting that they were shocked and in panic upon seeing…

11 May

Debt-riddled Meatco faces insolvency

info_e12wt4csMainDebt-riddled Meatco faces insolvency

Niël Terblanché Competition from the private sector has rendered the Meat Corporation of Namibia technically insolvent with the state-owned enterprise’s debt currently surpassing its assets. Meatco’s line ministry has now started with an urgent intervention to get the corporation back on an even keel. The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, at a workshop in Swakopmund, said that initiating reform and supporting the sustainability of Meatco is essential for it to serve as an anchor for continued market access and price stabiliser for all livestock producers, in both communal and commercial farming areas. “We are working closely…

10 May

Nampower’s defaulters to face load shedding from June…Debt exceeds N$1 Billion

info_e12wt4csMainNampower’s defaulters to face load shedding from June…Debt exceeds N$1 Billion

Niël Terblanché About three-quarters of Namibia’s population is staring into the dark abyss of chronic electricity supply interruption because of bad debt. Outstanding debt to the National Power Corporation, NamPower has escalated to more than N$1 billion.In an announcement issued by NamPower’s Managing Director, Simson Haulofu, the utility company said that it set to introduce a gradual disconnection schedule to two regional electricity distributors, one regional council and 19 local authorities across the country.This gradual interruption schedule will leave the four most densely populated regions of the country, residents of Windhoek and large swathes of the south without power for…

09 May

SADC must provide aid and support to the DRC

info_e12wt4csMainSADC must provide aid and support to the DRC

Hertta-Maria Amutenja President Hage Geingob, who serves as the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation has requested that SADC member countries work together with East African Community (EAC) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to support the disturbing situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Geingob officially opened the SADC extraordinary organ troika summit which concluded in Windhoek yesterday. “With the DRC accession to membership of the East African Community (EAC), and the initiatives being spearheaded by President Lourenco of the Republic of Angola, there is a need for SADC to work together with…

08 May

Engela Hospital staff accused of untidiness

info_e12wt4csMainEngela Hospital staff accused of untidiness

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Engela District Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in the north has dozens of stray cats roaming the halls of the hospital and have become a nuisance to patients and the medical staff. The hospital not only caters for the 10 surrounding constituencies but also to Angolan nationals, who cross the border daily for various medical services, including antenatal care and collecting various medications. The Engela Hospital is situated at the border town of Helao Nafidi. Concerned patients and nurses recently revealed to the Windhoek Observer that stray cats frequently prowl the wards and hallways, especially at night,…