National News

Patience Makwele President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has challenged corporate Namibia to expand internships and apprenticeships and provide start-up equipment to young graduates as part of a broader push to tackle youth unemployment. In a speech delivered on her behalf by minister in the presidency Charles Mubita at the inauguration of the Namibia Corporate Social Investment Mukopano in Windhoek on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said youth unemployment requires a concerted response from the government, businesses and other stakeholders. “I further encourage the private sector to expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities for our graduates and students. Youth unemployment remains a serious concern and demands a…

Sostenus Wilherm Oshikoto governor Sacky Kathindi has declared that silence can no longer be the community’s response to gender-based violence, calling on traditional leaders, churches, families and residents to speak up, report abuse and protect women and children. Kathindi made the call on Thursday in Omuthiya during the official launch of the campaign against gender-based violence (GBV), violence against women and violence against children, where he warned that the fight against abuse requires more than government intervention and police action. The governor said the campaign must become a sustained regional movement that brings communities and institutions together to prevent violence,…

Patience Makwele Katima Mulilo residents have welcomed the construction of a N$450 million wastewater treatment plant, saying the project could finally address the town’s persistent sewerage problems while creating employment opportunities for local people. This comes after the Katima Mulilo Town Council officially handed over the project site to contractor Fulbright Water on Monday, following the acquisition of an environmental clearance certificate. The project, financed by Standard Bank Namibia and Old Mutual, is expected to take 13 to 14 months to complete. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer, Maurice Mutanitala, a Katima Mulilo resident with vocational training in plumbing, said residents…

Sostenus Wilherm The country’s fisheries sector has been given a demand that the time for talking is over, and that the National Fisheries Indaba must deliver a roadmap for reform, accountability and action. Opening the three-day National Fisheries Indaba in Walvis Bay on Wednesday, agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform minister Inge Zaamwani warned stakeholders against allowing the gathering to become another talking platform. She said the country could no longer afford to repeatedly discuss the challenges facing the industry without implementing solutions. “This Indaba is not intended to be another talking platform. We spoke extensively about these challenges in…

Sostenus Wilherm Popular Democratic Movement president McHenry Venaani has accused the government of failing to coordinate its own affairs after the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform appealed an environmental clearance certificate granted to Namibian Marine Phosphate (NMP) for its controversial Sandpiper Marine Phosphate Project. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday, Venaani said the appeal exposed serious shortcomings in the way government ministries and agencies communicate and make decisions. “Simply put, no coordination of government agencies. The Cabinet is not in full control of what is happening in ministries. Matters are not reported,” Venaani said. The ministry…

Renthia Kaimbi The rights and dignity of people awaiting trial came under scrutiny as legal academics, psychologists and civil society representatives examined the treatment of remand detainees and the need for greater proportionality in the justice system. The Southern African Leaders Coalition for Faith, Freedom and Justice (SALC-FFJ) Namibia hosted the human rights panel discussion at the NUST Hotel School last Thursday under the theme, “Upholding Human Dignity and the Rights of Remand Detainees: A Local, Regional and International Human Rights Perspective.” The discussion examined remand and pre-trial detention from Namibian, regional and international perspectives, with participants emphasising that people…

Sostenus Wilherm A broken surgical needle allegedly left inside a woman’s uterus for more than a decade has landed the government in a N$13 million legal battle after the High Court rejected an attempt to have the medical negligence lawsuit thrown out on prescription. Else Tsuxus is suing the ministry of health and social services and the government over a surgical procedure at Katutura Intermediate Hospital in February 2016, during which she alleges a piece of a needle broke off and became lodged in her uterus. In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, High Court judge Thomas Masuku dismissed the state’s…

Sostenus Wilherm A long-running dispute over the leadership of the /Khomanin Traditional Community has intensified, with community members confronting urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa on Tuesday over what they say is the ministry’s failure to provide answers on their case against Chief Julien Gawanas. The /Khomanin Traditional Community engaged Sankwasa on Tuesday at his office in Windhoek, demanding an update on documents submitted to the ministry concerning their call for the removal of Gawanas and the status of an audit into the community’s finances. Community activist Shaun Gariseb said the community gave its consent to the ministry on…