National News – Page 224 – Windhoek Observer

02 Nov

Unemployment poses a persistent threat of trauma among the youth

ObserverNational NewsUnemployment poses a persistent threat of trauma among the youth

Stefanus Nashama The Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation, Utoni Nujoma, has emphasized that unemployment, especially among the youth, poses a significant threat of causing lasting trauma among this demographic in Namibia. Addressing the strategic planning workshop of the Labour Advisory Council (LAC) in Otjiwarongo this week, the Minister highlighted that the workshop was convened during a challenging period when the country faces labor-related issues. “We are meeting at a time when high levels of unemployment, especially among the youth, are on the brink of permanently affecting a generation of young Namibians. Furthermore, many Namibian workers do not…

02 Nov

Namibia will not be signing new agreement with the EU

ObserverNational News

Martin Endjala Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia will not be signing the new partnership agreement between the European Union (EU), the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) in its current form. The agreement was set to be signed on 15 November 2023. Nandi-Ndeitwah announced this in Parliament yesterday, saying that due to concerns raised in 2021 by the government regarding several provisions in the New Partnership Agreement that are of fundamental concern to Namibia. “In this regard, the Attorney-General Festus Mbandeka was asked to provide a legal opinion…

02 Nov

Sign language should be a mandatory subject in schools

ObserverNational NewsSign language should be a mandatory subject in schools

Martin Endjala Bernadette Jagger, the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, says sign language must be part of school curricula and become a mandatory subject in the Namibian school system. “It is believed that teaching sign language in schools, not only develops the confidence of deaf children to make friends and express themselves more, but hearing children will also gain the skills to communicate more with them,” she said. Jagger said this while contributing to a motion tabled recently in parliament by Deputy Minister Alexia Manombe-Ncube of Disability Affairs on recognising Namibian sign languages in the…

02 Nov

Vulnerable households receive assistance on World Food Day

ObserverNational NewsVulnerable households receive assistance on World Food Day

Niël Terblanché In commemoration of World Food Day, the Capricorn Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), extended a helping hand to 200 vulnerable households in the Kavango East region of Namibia. The foundation contributed N$62,000.00 to provide food parcels to those in need, demonstrating their commitment to addressing food insecurity in the country. World Food Day (WFD), is observed annually in mid-October and is a global initiative led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to combat world hunger and raise awareness about food challenges worldwide. In Namibia, the…

02 Nov

Swakopmund gears up for K2G NextGen showcase

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché Swakopmund is poised to become a hub of entrepreneurial innovation as Micro, Small, and Medium (MSM) enterprises from across the country prepare to converge for the highly anticipated second edition of the K2G NextGen Entrepreneurs Showcase. The K2G NextGen Entrepreneurs project is dedicated to empowering youth and women-owned MSM enterprises, providing them with tailored opportunities to expand market access and support capacity building, thus helping drive economic activity in their respective regions. Slated for later this week, the event in Swakopmund will be hosted by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and follows the success of…

01 Nov

Swapo Party School aims to secure accreditation by 2024

ObserverNational NewsSwapo Party School aims to secure accreditation by 2024

Stefanus Nashama After eight years of existence, the Swapo Party School continues to operate without accreditation from the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA). According to Charles Mubita, the Rector of the Swapo Party School, the accreditation process with the NQA and a twinning agreement with the University of Namibia was unfortunately interrupted due to the impacts of COVID-19. However, Mubita announced that the process to finalize accreditation with the NQA has now resumed, and the school aims to successfully complete it before the end of February 2024. During the weekend, the school celebrated its second intake graduation ceremony, where 69 students…

01 Nov

Nampol challenged by insufficient manpower

ObserverNational NewsNampol challenged by insufficient manpower

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, has shed light on a pressing issue facing the country’s law enforcement agency, a severe shortage of manpower. This revelation came during a preparatory meeting for the festive season crime prevention and road safety operations held at the police national headquarters in Windhoek yesterday. Shikongo disclosed that the current functional structure of the Namibian police force allows for a member count of approximately 28,000. However, he said the reality on the ground presents a stark contrast to this desired number. “We need to work on the…

01 Nov

NamLITS and stock brand awareness campaign extended due to overwhelming response

ObserverNational NewsNamLITS and stock brand awareness campaign extended due to overwhelming response

Niël Terblanché The awareness campaign for stock brands and the Namibia Livestock Identification and Traceability System (NamLITS) has exceeded expectations in updating livestock keeper information and stock brands on the relevant database. Such an overwhelming response from farmers has led to the extension of the campaign by two months. According to Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR), the ministry, in collaboration with the Meat Board of Namibia, initiated the awareness campaign for stock brands and NamLITS on 17 July 2023, with an initial end date of 31 October 2023. “Earlier this…

01 Nov

RU affirms that workers have the right to change labour unions

ObserverNational NewsRU affirms that workers have the right to change labour unions

Stefanus Nashama The newly established Revolutionary Union (RU) has clarified that workers who recently left other unions to join their ranks exercised their constitutional right to choose a labour union of their preference and did not commit any wrongdoing. RU’s Proletariat Central Secretary, Julius Natangwe, addressed the issue in response to the announcement by Carbon Twelve Mining workers, who expressed their intention to withdraw their membership applications with RU, indicating that they no longer required union representation for labour-related matters. Natangwe explained that the workers in question had not yet become official members of the union; they were in the…

01 Nov

Residents and stakeholders requested to assist in combating crime

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché After a series of consultations and discussions involving various stakeholders, Swakopmund’s town council recently hosted a feedback session to address growing safety concerns and unveil initiatives aimed at tackling crime within the community. The gathering served as a platform for residents, government officials, non-governmental organizations, associations, neighbourhood watches, and law enforcement agencies to engage in dialogue regarding the pressing issue of crime prevention. “We want to bring all the stakeholders - central government, ministries, non-governmental organizations, associations, neighbourhood watches and the Namibian Police, together to identify the challenges we are facing in town,” stated Archie Benjamin, the Chief…