National News

Power infrastructure of new CoW areas still belongs to Nampower

Power infrastructure of new CoW areas still belongs to Nampower

Tujoromajo Kasuto The City of Windhoek currently has 54 009 installed pre-paid electricity meters with an annual revenue of over N$533 000 00000. According to the highlights from the Municipal Council of Windhoek ordinary council meeting held on 10 August pre-paid meter customers require tokens from the CoW’s prepayment system server, which is run on Syntell software. The council yesterday resolved that older meters need replacement with Standard Transfer Specifications (STS) compliant meters in order to manage the token identifier roll-over process in order to prevent meters from running out of range, preventing them from accepting new tokens. To overcome…
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We played with the numbers-Nantu

We played with the numbers-Nantu

Obrein Simasiku The vice president of the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) says the increase of the civil servants’ basic salaries and improvement in the housing and transport benefits do not translate into an across the board hike, but a staggered one which the lowest paid such as cleaners benefitted more. Thomas Niilonga described the salary negotiations as very difficult, especially when it comes to the greater benefit of the lowest paid civil servants, saying the government was steadfast on its zero increase on the basic salary and when it increased its offer to N$924 million, the amount could only…
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Industrial Hemp cultivation remains in limbo

Industrial Hemp cultivation remains in limbo

Tujoromajo Kasuto With neighbouring countries such as South Africa cashing in on the ‘green rush’ and the potential profits of granting hemp cultivation licences, Namibian government may not be so easily swayed as the cultivation of Industrial Hemp farming remains on the backburner, as the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is awaiting the Ministry of Health and Social Services to lead the way in cannabis sativa specifically in terms of commercial or medicinal use. According to Agriculture Minister Carl Schlettwein, the ministry has observed the viability of industrial hemp farming, but from a business standpoint. ‘’From a business…
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Small holder farmers can reduce food import bill

Small holder farmers can reduce food import bill

Tujoromajo Kasuto Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Anna Shiweda says that there is a large food deficit and a wide food import gap of about 47 percent that Namibia, as a nation, needs to address. The minister believes that this import gap presents ample opportunities for all Namibians to participate in agriculture production and agri-business in the Ohangwena region and beyond. She shared these remarks at the occasion of International Agri-Food Confex at Eenhana in the region. Agricultural sector is one of the most important pillars of the economy, with 70% of the population relying on agriculture…
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Banning trophy hunting will be catastrophic for conservation

Banning trophy hunting will be catastrophic for conservation

Staff Writer The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has come out guns blazing as he defends the significance of trophy conservation in the country, amid an international outcry to ban the import and export of trophies, saying countries who are advocating for this are jealous, arguing that a ban would negatively affect sustainable conservation. Pohamba Shifeta said there are so many wild animals whose numbers have surpassed the carrying sustainable capacity, hence the reason why many cases of human wildlife conflict is on the increase. “The same countries that are writing letters to us requesting for our wild animals,…
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Two 19-year-olds use Sisa Namandje’s name in scam

Two 19-year-olds use Sisa Namandje’s name in scam

Tujoromajo Kasuto Two 19-year-old men, Jerome Haragaeb and Simon Shuuya, are accused of attempting or defrauding a number of people via a phoney ‘’Business Proposal to Investors and Shareholders’’ relating to Gure Trading, which is responsible for sand mining, bricklaying, diamond polishing, and food production According to NAMPOL spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the duo pretended to belong to other entities and or companies that are allegedly managing some government projects. Additionally, they associated themselves with Sisa Namadje law firm, using a proposal bearing a fake Sisa Namandje logo, claiming to be facilitating and or rendering legal services to businesses…
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Interventions launched to uplift livelihoods

Interventions launched to uplift livelihoods

Martin Endjala Namibia and its development partners have announced the launch of various intervention projects, to uplift the livelihoods of the vulnerable groups in the country as well as building resilience. This announcement was made today by the Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila in Windhoek, that the projects will be undertaken with the help of the Republic of Japan and United Nations agencies. About USD$1.6 million has been made available by the Japanese government towards the Covid-19 vaccination campaigns and equipment including other emergency health issues. A further USD$500 was- injected towards nutritious food under the World Food Program (WFP). This…
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Katima councillor demands N$2m in defamation suit

Katima councillor demands N$2m in defamation suit

Obrein Simasiku Three people that are being sued for defamation by the Katima Mulilo Urban Constituency councillor Kennedy Simasiku, have hit back saying they will not apologise and have vowed to fight back through their lawyers, because they believe they did nothing wrong. In a demand letter dated August 5, the trio were given seven days to tender a public apology on local Nwanyi radio, Eagle FM and on a WhatsApp group of Katima Mulilo Urban. A further demand of N$1 million was put to first respondent Matengu Nkando, a further claim of N$500 000 each on Mwemba Rasboom Mwemba…
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Beef exports grow by 20 percent

Beef exports grow by 20 percent

Obrein Simasiku A 20% growth has been recorded in the first quarter of 2022 in beef exports, which points to a recovery from the long-lasting drought the country was subjected to. According to the AgriBank’s market watch about 20,000 more cattle were sold by June 2022, adding to the year-to-date total number of cattle marketed of 121,555 compared to the 101,016 during the same period in 2021. “The improvement is as a result of a 17% surge in live exports to 67,262 in the half year 2022 compared to 57,262 during the same period in 2021.” The report says farmers…
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Jane Katjavivi praised for her nobleness

Jane Katjavivi praised for her nobleness

Martin Endjala The National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi’s late wife, Jane Katjavivi who died yesterday morning at the age of 70, has been praised for her nobleness and for her willingness to assist those in need and for having contributed greatly to the development of the country. “Jane will be sorely missed by many of us for her gentle demeanour and willingness to offer assistance to those in need,” these were the sentiments of President Hage Geingob in his condolence message yesterday. Geingob sympathized with the family saying that he has learned with sadness of the death of Madam Jane…
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