National News – Page 370 – Windhoek Observer

04 Jan

2022 festive season records lowest accident fatalities…as pedestrian-related accidents dominate chart

ObserverNational News

Tujoromajo Kasuto The 2022/23 Festive season crash statistics from the Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund reveal that compared to 2020 and 2021, injuries and crashes reduced significantly in 2022. The figures state that crashes declined by 15.2 percent, injuries declined by 15 percent and fatalities declined by 45 percent respectively, in comparison with 2021/22. It is reported that during the 2022/23 festive season, pedestrian related crashes were the most frequent crashes at 28 percent, followed by collisions and roll-overs at 27 percent each. Furthermore, 50 percent of the fatalities resulted from roll-over crashes, followed by collisions at 24 percent of the…

04 Jan

First Otjozondjupa State welfare disability center on the cards

ObserverNational News

Martin Endjala The Board Chairperson of Omake Charity Organisation Eddy Kgobetsi has announced that as part of its annual projects in the Otjozondjupa region, they are envisaging putting up a state welfare disability center for children and elders with special needs in the region. This, he said is because of the harsh conditions in which people living with disabilities find themselves in. He has since called on stakeholders to join hands for the betterment of vulnerable people in the community. He says they are hoping to get a piece of land to set up the envisaged state welfare disability center,…

03 Jan

Namibians hopeful for a better year

ObserverNational News

Martin Endjala As Namibians enter 2023, many are hopeful that it will be a better year compared to 2022, with the President declaring the year a revival year. The Windhoek Observer Newspaper took to the streets to find out how Namibians ushered into the new year. Sarah Shonghela highlighted that this time around was the first time she had spent new year eve outside the comfort of her home. Attending the City of Windhoek new year eve bash, she says she was pleased to see people coming together after a very ‘bumpy’ year and hopes that 2023 will be better.…

03 Jan

RA impressed with 90 percent compliance over festive season

ObserverNational News

Tujoromajo Kasuto Road’s Authority Transportation Executive Officer, Sidney Boois, says that the regulator has recorded 90 percent safety and traffic rules compliance post the festive season. The monitoring team covered the B1 south that connects windhoek to Keetmanshoop, B1 north between Windhoek, Otjiwarongo and Otavi. Additionally, the B2 between the capital and the coastal towns. Boois says that basesd on the situation on the ground at various check points and roadblocks there is a high compliance on the part of motorist. “We reflect that from the number of cars and drivers that we checked and would then analyse how sunctions…

03 Jan

Student leader blames policy makers on high failure rate

ObserverNational News

Staff Reporter Benhard Kavau, the Secretary General of the Student Union(SUN) said ministers and the education ministry are to be blamed for the poor performance of the grade 11 and Advanced Subsidiary level learners. He has since called on leaders to stop foreign travels and to rather invest money into the educational systems. “The government especially those ministers need to stop with all those European trips where they are claiming Subsistence and Traveling (S&T) perhaps they should start attending virtual meetings and the money which they are wasting on flight tickets should instead be invested in education,” he said. According…

16 Dec

Namdia earmarks 2023 for “Namibianisation”

ObserverNational NewsAlisa Amupolo, Namdia earmarks 2023 for “Namibianisation”

Tujoromajo Kasuto Namib Desert Diamonds (Pty) (Namdia) aims to create a brand that people can easily identify with as the entity transitions from its infancy stage and brainstorm a new branding sector and digital marketing for the country’s diamonds in 2023. Namdia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alisa Amupolo, says the company is entering a new strategic phase, and this is the first year of a five-year strategic plan. Moving from the infancy stage in terms of operational maturity, superior governance, and ensuring controls are in place, as well as implementing audit findings and refining its business model. She says particularly…

City drainage overwhelmed by heavy rainfall<br>..as businesses pay the ultimate price

16 Dec

City drainage overwhelmed by heavy rainfall
..as businesses pay the ultimate price

ObserverNational NewsCentral Business District (CBD), City drainage overwhelmed by heavy rainfall, Roux-ché

Tujoromajo Kasuto Windhoek experienced a flurry of activity yesterday as residents and companies scrambled to save what little has been left of their homes and commercial facilities after torrential rains on Wednesday afternoon after the city’s drainage system was overwhelmed by the weight of the downpour. A flood that damaged some vehicles, numerous homes, buildings, and infrastructure, including the Wernhill Shopping Centre in the Central Business District (CBD), forced it to close for most of Thursday. The centre’s ground floor was completely flooded, and activities didn’t start up again until today’s late afternoon. Group Manager for Corporate Relations at Ohltaver…

Water and vector-borne diseases could spread<br>because of flooding

16 Dec

Water and vector-borne diseases could spread
because of flooding

ObserverNational NewsBen Nangombe, City drainage overwhelmed by heavy rainfall, HIV/AIDS

Tujoromajo Kasuto The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) is advising Windhoek residents to practice effective hygiene measures to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. The ministry is conducting surveillance to detect water and vector-borne diseases. This includes, in particular, data monitoring for diarrheal diseases, vomiting, and water testing after the capital was heavily flooded on Wednesday night. Ben Nangombe, Executive Director of MoHSS, says floods are accompanied by the contamination of safe water sources, which compromises the sanitation of public hygiene. He adds that there is an increased risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, these include diarrheal diseases,…

16 Dec

Highs and lows for 2022

ObserverNational NewsHighs and lows for 2022, Kayengona tarred road, Paulus Mbangu

Martin Endjala As 2022 is closing, its review indicates a mixed back of both positives and negatives and as 2023 looms many are anticipating it to be a better. Political analyst Henning Melber says there are neither any spectacular nor noteworthy positive or negative events. But a slight recovery from the shocks of the pandemic with ‘business as usual’. Remarking that Namibians have not made many advances in terms of human rights (neither when it comes to reproductive rights such as abortion nor to LGBTI rights) nor the reduction of poverty and other forms of marginalisation. He however indicates that…

15 Dec

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sectors’ growth dips

ObserverNational NewsAgriculture, Forestry and Fishing sectors’ growth dips

Tujoromajo Kasuto The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), reveals that the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sectors fell by 8.8 percent in the Third Quarter (Q3) of 2022, owing to a drop in the sub-sectors of livestock farming and fishing, which dropped by 18.9 percent and 3.1 percent in real value added, respectively. The NSA notes that the value added to the sector in the Third Quarter (Q3) of 2022 was estimated to be N$3.2 billion in nominal terms, representing 6.4 percent of the GDP (GDP). Namibia’s export earnings from commodities in the ‘Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing sectors totaled N$3.7 billion, while…