National News – Page 248 – Windhoek Observer

04 Jul

MP wants clarification on economic diversification

ObserverNational News

Stefanus Nashama The Deputy Leader of the Landless People’s Movement, Henny Seibeb says he will face the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi on Thursday with ‘serious’ questions concerning the subject of economic diversification in Namibia. The Parliamentarian explained that economic diversification entails the expansion of the range of products offered by a country adding that it can be assessed by examining the variety of goods and services encompassed within the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or the range of export commodities. “On December 7, 2022, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV…

04 Jul

Namib Mills agrees to negotiate wages

ObserverNational News

Martin Endja Namib Mills and the Namibia Revolutionary Transport Union (NARETU) finally agreed to negotiate employee wages following a lengthy meeting between the two parties. The company faced a gloomy blue Monday after operations were halted when employees downed tools countrywide. The employees accused Namib Mills of refusing on numerous occasions to entertain their proposal to negotiate for an increase in their salaries. As a result, Namib Mills operations stood still, with the depots in Walvis Bay, Ondangwa, Windhoek, Otjiwarongo and Otavi being negatively impacted. Corridor and cross-border truck drivers also refused to drive and parked their trucks while stating…

04 Jul

Veteran seeks reinstatement of grant

ObserverNational NewsVeteran seeks reinstatement of grant

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The former Secretary General of the Namibia National Liberation Veterans Association (NNLVA) and Veteran of the liberation struggle, Alex Kamwi has approached the High Court of Namibia with an application to have his veterans grant reinstated by the Veterans Board. He says he applied for his grant to be reinstated from February 2019 and a payment of N$117 800 which he says is the total amount that he was not paid between February 2019 and September 2020. According to documents filed in the Windhoek High Court, Kamwi’s application for veteran status was approved in April 2009, although he…

03 Jul

Huge kelp forests creating green jobs

ObserverNational NewsHuge kelp forests creating green jobs

Niël Terblanché Kelp farming off the Namibian coast at Lüderitz is set to provide more green job opportunities for residents while also opening up opportunities in the international carbon credit market. Along with green hydrogen and other jobs in the alternative energy sector, kelp farming has already begun and is providing much-needed jobs for the youth. The current youth unemployment level in Namibia stands at 50 precent. The harbour town is also set to produce green hydrogen by utilising solar and wind-generated electricity. Kelp Blue, the investor behind the kelp farming project, has already created two kelp farming forests in…

03 Jul

Seibeb to face standing committe after threats in Parliament

ObserverNational NewsSeibeb to face standing committe after threats in Parliament

Stefanus Nashama Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, said the deputy leader of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) and Member of Parliament, Henny Seibeb will answer to the Standing Committee on Standing Rules after he threatened to beat up the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni. Seibeb made the remarks during a parliamentary session, after Uutoni expressed that he would be visiting Karasburg. Katjavivi said the matter was referred to the Standing Committee in terms of Rule 112. Katjavivi said he made a ruling that Seibeb withdraws the use of unparliamentary language which he declined and instead…

03 Jul

Massive housing challenges in //Kharas

ObserverNational NewsMassive housing challenges in //Kharas, Regional Governor Aletta Fredericks

Hertta-Maria Amutenja //Kharas Region, the least densely populated region in Namibia is facing housing sector constraints due to the slow delivery of serviced land and provision of housing and insufficient financial assistance for low-income groups. This was revealed by the Regional Governor Aletta Fredericks during her State of Region Address (SORA). “Hence, the impetus is on the regional and local government structures to find a lasting solution for the lack of affordable land and housing,” she said. In addition to the housing woes, the Governor said the majority of the local authorities in the region did not submit their contributions…

03 Jul

Road projects are nearing completion

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché The construction of the dual carriage main road between Windhoek and Okahandja will be completed in May next year. The construction of the modern high-capacity road, which started in 2016, was supposed to be completed by July 2020, but budgetary constraints delayed the process by almost four years. Conrad Lutombi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Roads Authority, gave the assurance that the last stretch of 21 kilometres of the road will be completed in 2024 after sufficient budgetary provision has been made for the project. Other projects currently being completed are the dual carriage highway behind the…

03 Jul

Pensioner dies after tree falls on him

ObserverNational NewsPensioner dies after tree falls on him

Hertta-Maria Amutenja A 68-year-old pensioner from the Kongola area in Zambezi Region died after a tree he was chopping down, fell on him on Friday. According to the Spokesperson of the Namibian Police, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi Womitondo Luavunga was trapped under the tree and succumbed to his injuries because there was no one to help him when the tree fell on top of him. “The families commenced a search and discovered the deceased lifeless body under the big tree that was still burning. The body was observed with serious multiple injuries and a crushed skull. The body was transported…

03 Jul

Three men found murdered during the weekend

ObserverNational NewsThree men found murdered during the weekend

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The 22-year-old Peter ‘Bockky’ Amwaalwa was found dead in Swakopmund in the early hours of Saturday, according to the weekend crime report provided by Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi. Amwaalwa’s body was found lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds by members of the Namibian Police during a routine patrol, Shikwambi said. “It’s alleged that the deceased was stabbed with a sharp object once on the left thigh and twice on the back and that he died instantly. The body was ferried to the police mortuary for further investigations. No suspect has been identified,” she said. She…

03 Jul

Woman commits suicide after argument with husband

ObserverNational NewsWoman commits suicide after argument with husband

Hertta-Maria Amutenja A 30-year-old woman, Mashadia Marques, from Windhoek’s Dorado Valley committed suicide on Sunday morning after reportedly arguing with her husband on Saturday night. According to police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, Marques hanged herself in the bathroom. “The Windhoek City Police were summoned and spoke to her and thereafter the husband left the house to avoid further arguments. The husband found the deceased in their house this morning,” she said The police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing. In a separate incident, on Saturday, the 37-year-old, Sem Mekondjo Johannes allegedly hanged himself in a tree behind the Gamams…