National News – Page 243 – Windhoek Observer

25 Sep

Pastor allegedly refuses to pay employees who harvested grass for him

ObserverNational News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Nelson Daniel Haihambo, a pastor at House of Grace Ministry in Windhoek, is allegedly refusing to pay employees whom he recruited to harvest grass for his company, Grace City Investment, around Windhoek. Sarafina Andupula, one of the employees, stated she, along with approximately 50 others, was recruited at Havana informal settlement to harvest grass in July this year. However, after the work was complete, Haihambo reportedly ceased communication, not responding to text messages or answering his phone. “He came to our neighbourhood and recruited us to cut grass at Ramatex, promising to pay us N$2000 each at the…

25 Sep

Namibia seeks to end statelessness for social progress

ObserverNational News

Stefanus Nashama Albert Kawana, the Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, expressed that while Namibia is grappling with the issues of statelessness and undocumented citizens, the Ministry is devising and implementing new strategies to address statelessness to foster social progress. He conveyed these remarks at the commemoration of International Identity Day and the launch of the Online Tourist Visa Application in Windhoek last week. Kawana disclosed that the Ministry is in the process of drafting bills with the objective of preventing statelessness and regularizing the status of specified categories of stateless and undocumented persons. “I sincerely hope these…

25 Sep

Two Namibian long-distance trucks burn in Botswana after crash

ObserverNational News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Two Namibian registered long-distance trucks are confirmed to have burnt down in a road accident last week Friday at Bere on the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC) in Botswana. The accident involved five trucks and resulted in two drivers dead and one hospitalized. Ankwetse Odirile Hunda, the Trans Kalahari Corridor Marketing and Communications Officer, announced over the weekend that they are in constant communication with authorities in Botswana. The authorities have confirmed that the other two trucks are Botswana-registered. Unfortunately, the fifth truck burnt to ashes, and its registration and the identity of the driver are yet to be…

25 Sep

Walvis Bay comes into FlyNamibia’s focus

ObserverNational NewsWalvis Bay comes into FlyNamibia’s focus

Niël Terblanché FlyNamibia, the country’s only private airline, has marked yet another milestone with the inauguration of a new air route, connecting the integral ports of Walvis Bay and Windhoek in Namibia to Cape Town, South Africa. In an official statement, Andre Compion, the Managing Director of FlyNamibia, unveiled the airline’s innovative approach to establishing this route as a strategic link, thereby facilitating enriched travel options and contributing to regional growth and development. “We are excited to introduce this new route, underscoring FlyNamibia’s commitment to expanding our network and enhancing travel options for our passengers,” Compion said. The strategic schedule…

22 Sep

Namibia’s economy grew by 3.7 percent in the second quarter

ObserverNational Newsreflecting a slowdown compared to the remarkable 8.5 percent growth recorded in the same quarter of 2022., The Namibian economy showed a growth of 3.7 percent during the second quarter of 2023

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Namibian economy showed a growth of 3.7 percent during the second quarter of 2023, reflecting a slowdown compared to the remarkable 8.5 percent growth recorded in the same quarter of 2022. Namibia’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2023 was N$58.6 billion, displaying an increase of N$7.3 billion compared to the same period in 2022. This is according to Alex Shimuafeni, Statistician-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), who presented the economic performance report for the second quarter of 2023 this week. He, however, indicated that the real…

22 Sep

Swartbooi concerned about certain aspects of the fishing industry

ObserverNational News

Stefanus Nashama The leader of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Bernadus Swartbooi, has expressed deep concern about the Namibian fishing industry which he feels has been under constant attack and in crisis because of illegal fishing by foreign vessels due to poor governmental policy implementation. He was speaking at a media engagement in Windhoek this week where he discussed several issues surrounding the Namibian Fishing Industry, accountability structures in Namibia and the Southern Africa Development Community observer mission to the recent Zimbabwean elections. According to Swartbooi, six to seven foreign fishing trawlers sailing under the Angolan flag are harvesting close…

22 Sep

NAMSIP boosted by 168 brand new tractors

ObserverNational NewsMusheko, NAMSIP boosted by 168 brand new tractors

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR) has acquired 168 of the 350 tractors expected under the Namibia Agricultural Mechanization and Seed Improvement Project (NAMSIP). The ministry’s spokesperson, Jona Musheko says the initiative is set to empower small-scale farmers and bolster agricultural productivity across the nation. In addition to the tractors, the ministry has also launched a tender for the design and construction of the proposed seed processing plants. “The Seed Processing Plants will be built in the Zambezi, Kavango East, Kavango West, Oshikoto and Omusati regions once the designs are complete,” he said. He said…

22 Sep

Genocide and apartheid still pose a risk to restorative justice

ObserverNational NewsGenocide and apartheid still pose a risk to restorative justice

Stefanus Nashama Panduleni Itula, the Leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), says the genocide of both the Ovaherero and Nama people and the torturous years of apartheid are foundational pains that still reverberate in Namibian society. Itula yesterday said that the comparison of this foundational trauma risks undermining the quest for restorative justice for both. According to Itula, the evils of genocide and apartheid each scarred the national psyche in unique ways. He added that the comparison sets the stage for structural inequalities the country still grapples with. Itula echoed the sentiments of McHenry Venaani, the leader of…

22 Sep

Predictable financing needed to reach developmental goals

ObserverNational NewsPredictable financing needed to reach developmental goals

Niël Terblanché While addressing the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Hage Geingob advocated for the urgent need for sustainable and predictable financing to achieve global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Reflecting on the past eight years, Geingob recalled the collective commitment made to prioritize people-centred development, emphasizing the need to ensure no one feels marginalized. “The promise to ensure that no one feels left out remains the clarion call,” he said. The President brought Namibia’s challenges to the forefront during his address. He recounted the myriad of adversities the nation has faced, ranging from the commodity crisis…

22 Sep

Less than a third of cell phone subscribers have registered their SIM cards

ObserverNational NewsLess than a third of cell phone subscribers have registered their SIM cards

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Executive Director of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Audrin Mathe, has characterized the pace of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration by the public as sluggish. According to Mathe, only 795,991 out of 2,760,804 cellphone users have heeded the call. Dr Mathe revealed yesterday that the ministry is concerned about the lukewarm response from the public regarding registering their SIM cards with network service providers. “The set due date is looming, and he emphasized that it will not be extended,” he warned. According to the information received from the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) as…