National News

B2Gold employees suspended for insubordination

B2Gold employees suspended for insubordination

Staff Writer The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation says the suspension of 200 workers at B2Gold came as a result of insubordination for refusing to carry out lawful instruction from their employer. Maria Hedimbi, the ministry spokesperson’s remarks follow a lengthy meeting held by Minister Utoni Nujoma with B2Gold management and Mineworkers Union of Namibia, in an effort to find an amicable solution amid a soaring relationship between the union and B2Gold as a result of the suspension last week. The bone of contention was mainly on the interpretation of the Continuous Operation permit, which had expired,…
Read More
Namwater wins court bid against former employee

Namwater wins court bid against former employee

Tujoromajo Kasuto Namibia Water Corporation Limited (NamWater) has won a bid in the Windhoek High Court against a former employee Jejemaije Mujoro, whom it paid N$177,272.30 after the termination of her fixed term employment contract. High Court Judge, Esi Schimming-Chase, however, delivered the judgment in favour of NamWater and ordered that Mujoro to return the entire disbursement to the company. According to court documents, NamWater and Mujoro around the 17th and 18th May 2021 entered into a fixed term temporary employment contract from 1 June 2021 until 30 September 2021 and Mujoro was paid a gross salary amounting to N$40,894.50…
Read More
Nudo divided by politics and tradition

Nudo divided by politics and tradition

Tujoromajo Kasuto National Unity Democratic Organisation of Namibia (Nudo) Vice President and Aminuis constituency councillor Peter Kazongominja has appealed for party unity, claiming that infighting, gossiping, and divisions between some leaders and Nudo President Ester Muinjangue must end. Kazongominja called on some party members to differentiate between party politics and the tradition of the Ovaherero people, saying over an extended period people have shown animosity to Muinjangue due to certain people wanting the party to be led by a Paramount chief of the Ovaherero people. ‘’This is a struggle over tradition, not politics. The chiefs have approached me and informed…
Read More
Over 50 pensioners sexually violated

Over 50 pensioners sexually violated

Staff Writer In the last three years at least 52 pensioners have been sexually assaulted across the country. So far this year, the police have recoded eight rape cases, according to figures presented to the Windhoek Observer by Namibian Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo. In 2019 nine pensioners were raped, in 2020, 20 and 15 pensioners were raped last year of which all victims were female and range between the ages of 60 and 85 years of age. According to the data, Oshikoto Region recorded the most assaults with 12 rape cases, whereas Omaheke region did not report any pensioner…
Read More
LPM engages Katima evictees

LPM engages Katima evictees

Obrein Simasiku The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) visited some of the families that were evicted and whose homes were demolished last month at Lwanyanda informal settlement in Katima Mulilo, where they donated food parcels to close to 50 families. Homes of about three hundred households were demolished through a court order by Katima Mulilo Town Council and Kayuni Investment, leaving thousands of people including women and children homeless. Since then, some have returned to their villages, while others found alternative places to reside temporarily, but some still remain in the open sleeping in tents under trees. “We delivered food parcels…
Read More
6 probed for possession of steel slippers

6 probed for possession of steel slippers

Tujoromajo Kasuto Six men between the ages of 25 to 41 are being questioned by the Namibian police for possession of 318 (30kg) steel slippers worth N$209 880 in a truck without valid documents to account for the load. According to the Namibian Police weekend crime report, the men were arrested on Thursday, 6 October at about 11h00 in Otjiwarongo, in the Otjozondjupa Region. A case for possession of suspected stolen property and failure to give satisfactory account for the goods were registered and the suspects are detained pending court appearances. ‘’It’s alleged that the six suspects were found in…
Read More
Increased investments required for water security

Increased investments required for water security

Martin Endjala The African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) is calling for more budgetary allocation for water infrastructure to ensure security of this vital resource. Speaking at the opening of water officials meeting, the Executive Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, as the current AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) chair, emphasized that the Africa water mission 2025 calls for acceleration of water security, which is underpinned by continental and global context, adding that the vitality of water has become even more demandable, as it is the answer to community social wellbeing, which includes peace,…
Read More
Chiefs’ Assembly sees Chiefs’ Forum sessions<br>as continued government’s intransigence

Chiefs’ Assembly sees Chiefs’ Forum sessions
as continued government’s intransigence

Staff Writer Ovaherero and Ovambanderu traditional leaders are not amused by the Namibian government’s continued clandestine intransigent activities surrounding the issue of Genocide, Apology and Reparations. Especially in view of the total rejection by a section of the affected communities last May of the Joint Declaration (JD) between it and its German counterpart. Some National Assembly members, particularly from the opposition benches, were also in unison in rejecting the JD during a 4-month debate from last September to December. The JD also received a broadside from international human rights organisations, like the European Centre for Human and Constitutional Rights (ECHCR),…
Read More
Zambezi Swapo weekend

Zambezi Swapo weekend

Martin Endjala The Zambezi Region will be a hive of political activity this weekend as the internal campaign of candidates for the top three positions of the Swapo Party moves to the north-eastern region. The candidates will be laying out their plans to the delegates in the hope of securing their votes at the November congress of the party. Some of the candidates were seen visiting traditional leaders in the Zambezi Region on Thursday and were also busy meeting candidates and organising government events in line with their portfolios before the main event on Saturday. All three Vice President candidates…
Read More
NHE handover houses to 40 families

NHE handover houses to 40 families

Tujoromajo Kasuto The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) in its Annual Report for the year ended March 2022 has revealed that Namibians are drowning in debt with loan sharks amounting to N$4.5 billion, a 10% increase from 2021. The authority states that the risk appetite due to the negative impact of COVID-19 in the market could have contributed to this trajectory as the perception at the end of 2021 had relatively improved. The value of the micro-lending loan book continued to register an increase during the period under review. ‘’This growth was mainly reflected in total disbursements, which were…
Read More