National News

Niël Terblanché The Namdia board of directors has acknowledged the employees' concerns over revenue losses amounting to approximately N$230 million, leading to a vote of no confidence in the company’s chief executive officer (CEO), Alisa Amupolo. Last week, the employees, under the auspices of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), in a letter addressed to the board of directors and dated 18 July, requested Amupolo’s removal. They cited her alleged incompetence and mismanagement as the primary reasons for the drastic financial downturn. On Monday, the company board assured that they, supported by a governance committee, are committed to addressing these…

Niël Terblanché A group of Namibians who claim that they were displaced during the country's war for independence has handed a petition to the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, demanding the same recognition and treatment as war veterans. These individuals, who were repatriated in 1989 from various countries, claim discrimination in the allocation of veteran benefits and are calling for immediate government intervention to rectify the situation. The petition submitted outlines several demands, including the distribution of N$400 000 to each member of the group and access to project funding similar to what recognised veterans of the liberation struggle…

Martin Endjala The residents of Outjo have criticised their town council following changes in requirements for the chief executive officer position re-advertised in local newspapers last week. The previous requirements were that the candidate should have a minimum of eight years of working experience, five of which should be at the senior management level in a local authority environment. The new requirements entail eight years of working experience, of which five years should be at the middle management, senior management, or executive management level in the local authority environment. The reason for changing these requirements is unclear. The urban and…

Martin Endjala The Luderitz Municipal Town Council has allocated more than 140 residential serviced plots by way of an offer to purchase and private treaty in terms of Section 63(2)(3) of the Local Authority Act No. 23 of 1992 to people who earn below-average incomes. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Monday, the mayor of Lüderitz, Phillippus Balhao stated that the serviced land is only available for residential purposes. “The current serviced plots are only allocated for residential purposes for now; commercial and industrial plots will be made available in the future,” he said. The Lüderitz municipal council issued a…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Paratus and Demshi Telco have signed a master lease agreement that will allow Paratus to use Demshi's open-access fibre network in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, and Khomasdal in Windhoek, to provide high-speed fibre connections to their clients. The agreement signed on 29 July follows network testing conducted by both companies in Walvis Bay. “Demshi and Paratus undertook network testing in Walvis Bay, which was very successful and demonstrated the reliability of Demshi fibre network,“ said Demshi’s Managing Director, Werner Shilunga. Currently, the Walvis Bay fibre network is live, covering 3 500 house passes, making it the largest fibre network…

Martin Endjala The Oshikoto regional education director, Aletta Eises was accused of deliberately orchestrating the exclusion of six teachers from the Oshigambo High School from being part of the team that will mark the 2024 national examination for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) and the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO). The school principal, Pinhas Ekongo, said he only found out about the exclusion when questioned by the National Examination and Assessment (DNEA) on 23 July. Teachers from other schools at the time received their approved forms, but none from Oshigambo received recommendations for marking. “I…

Niël Terblanché President Nangolo Mbumba has called for substantial reforms in Namibia’s banking sector to address the concerns of ordinary Namibians, particularly regarding the financing of entrepreneurial initiatives. The President made the request during a meeting held at State House on Friday with the top management of all commercial banks in Namibia. Mbumba pointed out the critical role that banks play in the country's economic and monetary stability. He stressed the need for banks to extend their mandates beyond traditional roles and actively foster entrepreneurship, drive innovation, and promote technological advancement. Mbumba pointed out that high interest rates, excessive bank…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja A dispute involving Afrika Stadt Haus Hotel employees has been brought before the Labour Court. Gelemina Ngenokesho and 11 others have filed a case against the Afrika Stadt Haus Hotel, detailing grievances related to unpaid overtime and Sunday work, denied leave, and salary issues. This is after their employment contracts were changed without their consent. They claim that they have not received payment for overtime or for working two Sundays since January 2023. They also claim that their leave requests were not fully honoured, leaving many days unused. Harold Schmidt, his wife Annelise, and their son Willie-Thomas allegedly…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Gobabis Municipality has postponed the disciplinary hearing for Frieda Shimakeleni, the suspended strategic executive for human resources and corporate services. The postponement was announced in a letter dated 9 July by the chief executive officer, Sophia Eises seen by the Windhoek Observer. The letter cited the need for all officials to participate in the compilation of the 2024/2025 budget, as mandated by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, which has set a final submission date of 17 July 2024. ‘Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to finalise the budget in time for…