National News – Page 217 – Windhoek Observer

17 Nov

CoW opposes the establishment of another RED

ObserverNational NewsCoW opposes the establishment of another RED

Martin Endjala The City of Windhoek (CoW) has strongly objected to the idea of introducing a Regional Central Electricity Distributor (RED) in the Khomas region. The council firmly believe that this proposal does not align with the interests of local authorities, who are the designated legal distributors of electricity and constitutionally established local governments under Chapter 12, Article 111 of the Namibian Constitution. The city’s concerns have arisen in response to a statement by Robert Kahimise, the Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity Control Board (ECB), who revealed plans to establish a central RED with the aim of ensuring electricity…

17 Nov

Over-profitable Namibian banks pose a vexing dilemma: Venaani

ObserverNational News

Stefanus Nashama McHenry Venaani, the Leader of the official opposition and head of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has expressed concern about the excessive profits earned by banks in Namibia and the broader Sub-Saharan African region, stating that it presents a challenging issue. In his statement yesterday, Venaani emphasized that while banks are expected to generate profits to contribute to economic growth and stability, the exorbitant profits accumulated by Namibia’s banking sector exacerbate economic imbalances. “At the heart of a thriving economy lies the importance of bank profitability, which drives economic growth and stability. However, this should not be confused…

17 Nov

LPM financial support comes from party members and business people

ObserverNational NewsLPM financial support comes from party members and business people

Stefanus Nashama Explaining their financial sources, the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) says the party has strong financial support from members and business personalities. “Our financial support comes from our party members and business people who sympathise with us,” the party revealed. Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Windhoek, the Party Leader, Bernadus Swartbooi, explained that, in 2019, the Party ran a successful campaign without any cent from the government. This is in response to questions raised by members of the public, that the party spends money on buying vehicles. Swartbooi explained that LPM, as a political party, requires vehicles…

17 Nov

Revised National Resettlement Policy must benefit all communities

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché The recently revised National Resettlement Policy in Namibia is geared towards achieving equity in land redistribution to alleviate poverty. The revised National Resettlement Policy was approved by the Cabinet in May of this year and will be in effect from 2023 to 2033. It replaces the 1991-2001 National Resettlement Policy and incorporates resolutions made during the second land conference held in 2018, which emphasized the issue of landlessness resulting from dispossession and the inability to maintain resettlement farms due to a lack of resources after acquisition. Concerns have, however, arisen regarding the criteria for qualification under the program,…

17 Nov

Former GIPF CEO takes the reigns at the Capricorn Group

ObserverNational NewsFormer GIPF CEO takes the reigns at the Capricorn Group

Martin Endjala The former Chief Executive Officer of the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), David Nuyoma, has been appointed as the new Capricorn Group Chief Executive Officer, effective Designate from 1 January 2024 and as substantive Group CEO with effect from 1 March 2024, subject to regulatory approval. The Capricorn Group Chairman Gerhard Fourie, while announcing the news this week, described Nuyoma as an experienced and accomplished executive leader with a successful track record as CEO of the GIPF until recently and before that as CEO of the Development Bank of Namibia, making him the ideal leader for the Group…

16 Nov

Local companies lack the capacity to produce police uniforms

ObserverNational NewsLocal companies lack the capacity to produce police uniforms

Stefanus Nashama In responding to questions concerning the procurement of uniforms for the Namibian Police last week, it was revealed that there are no local factories that sell or produce materials with the quality of police uniform standards. According to Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the National Spokesperson of the Namibian Police, it is for that reason that the force has to procure uniform materials from outside the country, “Be informed that all uniform materials are procured outside the country, as there are no local factories to sell or manufacture the said materials,” Shikwambi said. This is despite other uniform pieces…

16 Nov

Chinese national banned from entering Namibia returned twice in 2023

ObserverNational NewsChinese national banned from entering Namibia returned twice in 2023

Hertta-Maria Amutenjna Chinese national, Jiaming Li, who has been deported from Namibia on two separate occasions, has attempted to enter the country illegally twice. In his latest attempt, he took the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security to court for refusing him entry into the country. However, he has now withdrawn the case. Documents filed at the Windhoek High Court reveal that Li’s legal troubles began with his first conviction in September 2022 for conducting business in Namibia without a proper residence permit. This led to his initial deportation in the same month, accompanied by a prohibition from…

16 Nov

CoW won’t be able to supply electricity effectively

ObserverNational NewsCoW won’t be able to supply electricity effectively

Martin Endjala The Electricity Control Board (ECB) has warned that the City of Windhoek (CoW) which is the current distributor of electricity in the Khomas Region will not be able to continue to effectively and efficiently distribute electricity supply in the region in years to come. To prepare for such scenarios, ECB’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kahimise, says that due to already small profit margins that are always decreasing, there is a need to consolidate the distribution assets, in this case, into a Regional Electricity Distributor (RED) sort of a model. A RED is said to be on the cards,…

16 Nov

Government launches annual duty penalty waiver programme

ObserverNational NewsGovernment launches annual duty penalty waiver programme

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu, announced the launch of the Annual Duty Penalty Waiver Programme by the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA). She said the programme is in line with the Business and Intellectual Property Authority Act, Act No. 8 of 2016, which aims to provide relief to Namibian businesses burdened by penalties accrued due to non-payment of annual duties from 2012 to 2022. “The relief comes at an opportune time if one considers the economic hardships that our entrepreneurs have and continue to endure due to the global economic downturn which was further…

16 Nov

New seed bank will prevent critical resource depletion

ObserverNational NewsNew seed bank will prevent critical resource depletion

Martin Endjala The first community Seed Bank at Sharukwe village in the Kavango West Region is said to be a crucial repository for local seeds. The project is funded by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF), Mobile Telecommunication (MTC), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The sponsorship signifies a crucial moment in preserving biodiversity and ensuring food security, with an investment exceeding N$500,000. The primary objective of the Sharukwe Seed Bank is to safeguard natural resources by preventing the over-exploitation of various seed varieties. This proactive intervention is said to not only prevent resource depletion but also ensure the preservation…