National News – Page 278 – Windhoek Observer

14 Jul

Walvis Bay applies for boundary extension

ObserverNational News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Walvis Bay Mayor Trevino Forbes said the local authority has requested the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to extend the boundaries of the town. Forbes revealed this yesterday while reporting on the accomplishments of his office. According to a 1978 map, the municipal area of jurisdiction is estimated to be 1 124 square kilometres along 60 kilometres of coastline. This includes the airport, dunes, wetlands, Kuiseb River, Rooibank in the desert, and Sandwich Harbour. It stretches up to the middle of the Swakop River at the bridge south of Swakopmund. However, the town’s boundaries only cover an…

14 Jul

Thieves prey on shack fire victims

ObserverNational NewsThieves prey on shack fire victims

Niël Terblanché Residents of the informal part of Mondesa in Swakopmund have expressed despair after their belongings were stolen by bystanders while their shacks were being destroyed by fire. One of the residents, whose shack was miraculously saved from burning down, said that chaos erupted when the fire broke out in one of the backyard shacks on the same property. “We had to hurry to carry all the children to safety and save as much of our belongings as possible,” she said. The resident, who is a domestic worker and identified only as Julia, looks after children of primary school…

14 Jul

“Come and invest”, Mbumba pleads with investors

ObserverNational NewsMbumba pleads with investors, Nangolo Mbumba, “Come and invest”

Martin Endjala The Vice President of Namibia Nangolo Mbumba has called on investors to come and explore what Namibia has to offer and invest, saying that it is a land with vast potential that offers trade investment opportunities in multiple sectors beyond energy. He made these remarks during the US-Africa Business Summit 2023, yesterday in Gaborone, Botswana. “With its overarching goal to enhance bilateral and multilateral trade between the United States and African nations, I would like to reiterate that Namibia is open for business and we are inviting investors who are interested in exploring the available opportunities for shared…

14 Jul

Traffic officers embroiled in a legal fight with CoW

ObserverNational NewsTraffic officers embroiled in a legal fight with CoW

Martin Endjala Officers of the City of Windhoek’s Traffic Department have locked horns with their employer, in their pursuit of justice. The traffic officers are claiming their five-year bonus leave payment, saying they have not received it yet as agreed in their employment contract of 2014. The officers signed a five-year and ten-year circle bonus leave agreement. The case was laid before the Windhoek High Court in 2020 where the court ruled in favour of the traffic officers to the entitlement of their bonus leave. The CoW opposed the ruling in an appeal, prompting a postponement in the matter. Since…

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…