National News – Page 317 – Windhoek Observer

07 Apr

Namport and Africa Global Logistics forge partnership to enhance Port of Walvis Bay

National News

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has signed a landmark agreement with Africa Global Logistics (AGL) to oversee the operations of the bulk terminal in the strategic Port of Walvis Bay. This long-anticipated partnership formalized on 20 March 2024, announces a new era of trade facilitation and economic growth for Namibia and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC). During the signing ceremony in Walvis Bay, Namport’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Kanime and AGL Regional Director for South Africa, Tony Stenning, stressed the transformative potential of this alliance. AGL is renowned for its global reach and innovative logistics solutions.…

07 Apr

Farmers seek urgent drought relief

National News

Niël Terblanché In a desperate effort to mitigate the harsh impacts of the ongoing drought, representatives from the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU), and the Namibian Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU) convened with Calle Schlettwein, the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, on Thursday. The unions' visit was aimed at discussing a set of proposed emergency measures to address the drought conditions worsening in certain areas of Namibia, despite recent rains. The key proposals put forth during the meeting encompassed a wide range of initiatives intended to alleviate the drought's socio-economic effects on both…

07 Apr

Security union demands N$15 per hour pay rate

National News

Stefanus Nashama The Namibia Security Workers Union (NASWU) has threatened to go on a nationwide strike until their demand for a minimum hourly rate of N$15 for all security guards in Namibia is met. This follows a request made by the union in March to all security companies looking to hire new security guards to pay their employees the new minimum wage. NASWU's president, Michael Amushelelo, spoke to the Windhoek Observer yesterday and stated that despite requesting security companies to engage on the matter since March, no company has done so. Amushelelo said the union will have no choice but…

07 Apr

Katjavivi concerned by delayed petition responses

Featured, National News

Martin Endjala The Speaker of the National Assembly, Professor Peter Katjavivi expressed concern over the continued delays in responding to petitions by parliamentarians, labelling the situation as worrisome. Katjavivi highlighted this issue during his budget motivation speech last week in parliament, emphasizing that most petitions submitted to the National Assembly do not receive timely feedback. “We must continue to explore the speedy expedition of petitions, including the transmission of petitions directly to the relevant Standing Committee. Pursuant to the democratic culture of our parliamentary system, members introduced and extensively debated 41 motions on issues of their particular interest,” the Speaker…

07 Apr

Henties Bay set to accommodate N$6billion indoor fish farm

National News

Niël Terblanché Henties Bay, in an ambitious leap towards sustainable aquaculture and economic development, is all set to accommodate the world's largest indoor freshwater fish farm. This groundbreaking project was introduced to residents and representatives of the local authorities by Blue Ridge Aquaculture, Inc., headquartered in Martinsville, Virginia, USA, in partnership with its local affiliate Blue Ridge Aquaculture Africa (Pty) Ltd, during a public meeting on Thursday and promises to revolutionize fish farming in Namibia while focusing on sustainability and innovation. With a staggering investment of N$6 billion, the facility aims to produce up to 24 tons of fish daily.…

07 Apr

Voters are tired of empty election promises

National News

Martin Endjala and Ester Mbathera A resident of Mix informal settlement outside of Windhoek on Saturday slapped a Swapo party branch coordinator out of frustration for a lack of service delivery. The resident was attending a Swapo rally that was addressed by Member of Parliament, Tobie Aupindi. "I lived in Mix for 24 years but after elections, you will bring us nothing. Lies, Lies," said the resident before a fight broke out between him and branch coordinator, Bonifatius Munango. At the rally, Aupindi told the residents that there would be development at Mix settlement. "Surveying was done, the resident got…

07 Apr

N$47 million allocated to encourage youth participation in elections

Featured, National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe A total of N$48 million has been earmarked for the Lead Youth Ambassador (LYA) program, which falls under the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), to encourage young people to participate in elections. The LYA program is an awareness campaign aimed at generating interest among young people to engage in the country's electoral process. This announcement was made last week by the speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi while explaining the allocation of over N$422 million for the ECN's annual budget for the 2023/24 financial year. Katjavivi said the LYA will employ around 200 Youth Ambassadors across the…

05 Apr

Cross-border Governors’ Forum meets in Eenhana

National News

Niël Terblanché order to continue building stronger bilateral ties, the Governor's Forum of the bordering regions of Namibia and Angola was officially inaugurated in Eenhana earlier this week. The initiative is a crucial tool in the hands of the two neighbouring countries to address and surmount shared challenges along their borders through enhanced collaboration and strategic dialogue. The forum brings together key stakeholders from both Namibia and Angola, providing a vital platform for discussing a wide array of political, security, and commercial issues that affect both nations. The urgency of activating this forum has been accentuated by the pressing issue…

05 Apr

Fisheries Ministry dishes out more quotas for employment redress programme

National NewsFisheries Ministry dishes out more quotas for employment redress programme

Ester Mbathera The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen on Friday signed the second designation agreement for the re-employment of fishermen who lost their jobs in the fishing sector in 2015. According to Klazen, the agreement is in line with the Cabinet Directives on the re-employment of fishermen under the Government Employment Redressing Programme (GERP). "We are busy trying to solve these issues. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) since I became a minister in 2021, I have been faced with these workers' issues. This is a very busy ministry. I have to run the fisheries…

05 Apr

!Gawaxab cautions against Dutch Disease amidst oil and gas optimism

National News

Martin Endjala The Bank of Namibia’s (BoN) Governor, Johannes !Gawaxab has cautioned against the Dutch Disease stating that despite the oil and gas discoveries, growth is not guaranteed, due to the volatility of commodity prices. Dutch disease is a paradoxical situation where good news for one sector of the economy, such as the discovery of natural resources, negatively impacts the country's overall economy. He added that if the country has no long-term goal and vision for the future, it might succumb to Dutch Disease. He said this yesterday, during a stakeholder engagement in Lüderitz, //Karas Region, while highlighting key opportunities…