National News – Page 260 – Windhoek Observer

13 Jul

Critical need for a referral hospital at Otjiwarongo

ObserverNational News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Governor of Otjozondjupa Region James Uerikua has reiterated the critical need for the Ministry of Health and Social Service to construct a referral hospital at Otjiwarongo, to help decongest the patient population at state facilities in Windhoek and in neighbouring areas. Despite a referral hospital with an intensive care unit having been planned and approved for the Otjozondjupa Region, construction of such a facility has not commenced. “There is a need for us to call upon the Ministry of Health and Social Services to build a referral hospital here in Otjiwarongo. The town is the centre of our…

13 Jul

Namibia is vulnerable to climate change

ObserverNational NewsNamibia is vulnerable to climate change

Stefanus Nashama The Minister of Environment, Tourism and Forestry, Pohamba Shifeta said that Namibia is amongst the countries recognized and projected to be vulnerable to climate change. According to Shifeta, the high vulnerability of Namibia is a result of its already arid weather conditions. He said that Namibia is already experiencing extreme drought, flash floods, unpredictable rainfall, and extreme temperatures because of climate change. The minister explained that these impacts increase the country communities’ exposure and the pressing social-economic challenges and further limit their ability to adapt. The country’s vulnerability to climate change is justified by the previous rainfall onset…

13 Jul

Development of Communication structures a challenge for govt

ObserverNational NewsDevelopment of Communication structures a challenge for govt

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Despite the legal and institutional frameworks put in place by the government to guide the operations of the media sector in the country, there is still a need for the development and establishment of Communication structures and a function and accountability mechanism. This is according to the Communicating for Effective Government Communication Strategy for 2022 to 2027. It is stated in the strategy that: “Although the above legal and institutional framework exists, there are obvious challenges in the way Government handles the Communication function. During the Communication Needs Assessment, it was demonstrated that there was a need for…

13 Jul

Namibia to seek investment at the US – Africa Business Summit

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché A high-level delegation led by Namibia’s Vice President, Nangolo Mbumba will be representing the country at the United States – Africa Business Summit in Gaborone to highlight investment opportunities in priority sectors. According to a statement issued by the Namibian Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), the country’s energy sector has become famous for its diversity and growth. In terms of oil and gas, recent significant exploration activities have led to considerable discoveries of approximately 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent that have the potential to place Namibia among the top oil and gas-producing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.…

13 Jul

Controversial rhino hunt could generate millions for conservation

ObserverNational NewsControversial rhino hunt could generate millions for conservation

Niël Terblanché Mixed feelings about Namibia’s wildlife conservation principles have been expressed after the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced that it will avail an old black rhinoceros bull to the highest bidder. The country has the largest population of black rhinos in the world because of innovative conservation methods, and as a result, can afford to utilize resources to raise much-needed funds for conservation. Romeo Muyunda, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the single animal will be of a post-reproductive age and that it still has to be identified. He added that the rhino was made available for sustainable hunting…

13 Jul

Safety and stability must be guarded at all cost

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché Militant behaviour by rebels in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and terrorist activities in northern Mozambique are threatening the stability of the Southern African Development Community and the safety of its people. In this regard, an extraordinary summit of the heads of state and governments of the SADC Organ Troika and Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) and Contributing Countries to the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Mozambique was held virtually on Wednesday. The summit was officially opened by Dr Hage Geingob, the President of the Republic of…

13 Jul

Electricity prices rise in Erongo

ObserverNational NewsElectricity prices rise in Erongo

Niël Terblanché The Regional Electricity Distributor of Erongo announced that consumers of the electricity it sells have increased by nine percent and that prices will be reviewed in June 2024. According to Nico Niemand, the acting Chief Executive Officer of ErongoRED, the Electricity Control Board (ECB) earlier this year approved an average tariff increase of nine percent for NamPower. Niemand said that the ECB announced that NamPower’s average tariff will increase from N$1.82 to N$2.12 per kilowatt hour for the 2023/2024 financial year. “This constitutes a weighted average increase of 8.97 percent, however, the actual impact to Erongo RED is…

12 Jul

The trend of retrenchments in the mining sector worrisome

ObserverNational NewsThe trend of retrenchments in the mining sector worrisome

Martin Endjala The life of mines in Namibia is a very concerning issue for labour unions because of continuous retrenchments. The Mining Workers Union’s Assistant Secretary General, Paul Situmba said that it is beyond their control, given the fact that the industry deals with resources that are not forever and depletes over a period of time In this regard, Situmba called for better severance packages to be offered to workers that will eventually be retrenched. He was responding to the rising number of retrenchments observed in the mining sector recently. He said it is worrisome that a number of mines…

12 Jul

Empowering consumers for mutual gain

ObserverNational NewsEmpowering consumers for mutual gain

Martin Endjala Today’s consumers are redefining the next normal for the African credit market while they also have new digital demands, heightened experiential expectations, and evolving purchasing and repayment behaviours. This means forward-focused lenders are increasingly being challenged to respond in new and creative ways simply to stay competitive. This evolution in the consumer credit space is taking place against the backdrop of African economies experiencing a mixed post-pandemic recovery, as each country adapts to current conditions and strategizes for the future. External headwinds, such as the effects of global conflicts and inflationary pressures continue to pose a challenge to…

12 Jul

Commission denied Zambezi’s recommendation for CRO’S employment

ObserverNational News

Hertta-Maria Amiutenja The Executive Director at the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Daniel Nghidinua said the Zambezi Regional Council was denied a recommendation from the Public Service Commission for the employment of Regina Ndopu-Libunda, the Chief Regional Officer of the council. The recommendation was for the extension of the employment contract of Ndopu-Lubinda which was effective from March 2016 until February 2021. “Following audit finding and recommendation, the Regional Council acknowledged the omission and in 2021, approached the Public Service Commission to obtain a recommendation for the period of 1 March 2016 to 28 February 2021, which request was…