National News – Page 394 – Windhoek Observer

16 Aug

STOP PRESS

ObserverNational NewsIslamic militants in the Cabo Delgado, president Hage Geingob, SADC Trioka chairperson position

Staff Writer The Windhoek Observer has learnt that President Hage Geingob has communicated in writing to the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Governments that he would not accept the SADC Trioka chairperson position, citing difficulties Namibia is currently going through, which need his full attention. SADC Trioka is the body that attends to all regional conflicts and political tensions. The region is currently faced with instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rebel forces have been destabilising the mineral reach country for years. Another flashpoint in the region is Mozambique, where SADC has deployed its standby force…

16 Aug

Geingob’s time for SADC Troika

ObserverNational News42nd SADC Heads of State and Governments Summit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Geingob’s time for SADC Troika, President of Malawi Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.

Martin Endjala President Hage Geingob will be attending the 42nd SADC Heads of State and Governments Summit in the Democratic Republic of Congo that starts tomorrow. The president returns on Thursday. The Troika is the regional body’s instrument to take quick decisions on behalf of SADC that would ordinarily have be taken at policy meetings scheduled at regular intervals, as well as the power to provide policy direction to SADC institutions in between regular SADC Summits. President Geingob will be taking over that responsibility from the current chair, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. Each year a different chairperson is endorsed…

16 Aug

National Council passes three bills

ObserverNational NewsGerhard Shiimi, Information Bill, National Council passes three bills, y MP John Likando

Martin Endjala The National Council today passed three bills referred to it by the National Assembly, that will now see the bills being adopted in the lower house when it resumes. The bills passed were the Access to Information Bill, Combating Rape Amendment Bill and Metrology Bill. Some National Council MPs have advised that additional elements be added onto the bills to better serve their full implementation. One of these recommendations was narrated by MP John Likando said that Access to Information is no longer a necessity but a fundamental need in today’s livelihood with the emerging 4IR driving the…

15 Aug

Schlettwein in breach of contract claim

ObserverNational NewsMinister of Agriculture, Schlettwein in breach of contract claim, water and land reform

Staff Writer Greenteam Consultants (GC) has instituted legal proceedings against the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein for allegedly breaching an agreement they entered into in 2017. Greenteam is claiming N$3 423 750 at a rate of 20 percent per year, including cost of suits for breaching an agreement to have the consultancy firm create an Integrated Regional Land Use Plan for Omusati Region at a cost ofN$4 150 000. The consultancy wants Schlettwein to pay GCCC the total amount of funds as per the agreement and that he would invite and organise the logistics of stakeholder…

15 Aug

NamWater owed N$1.5 billion

ObserverNational NewsChief Executive Officer Abraham Nehemia a, Langer Heinrich, Namwater, NamWater owed N$1.5 billion

Tujoromajo Kasuto NamWater is owed a combined N$1,4 billion by customers, who continue defaulting on their water payments. This was revealed by the Chief Executive Officer Abraham Nehemia at the signing ceremony of a letter of commitment between NamWater and Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine that will see the mine being reconnected to NamWater’s supply system. Nehemia says that local authorities have been relaxed in terms of collecting debt and their new massive strategy of installing prepaid water meters in residential areas will mitigate this. The CEO noted that they have started and debunked fears that since the commencement of the…

15 Aug

MPs call on real men to stand up

ObserverNational NewsCombating of Domestic Violence Amendment Bill in the National Council, MPs call on real men to stand up, Ngunaihe Ueutjerevi

Martin Endjala During the resumption of the debate on the Combating of Domestic Violence Amendment Bill in the National Council today MPs called on real men to stand up and move the country out of the morass of gender-based violence into a positive direction. “It is sad how violence is becoming our daily news, children beating their parents and husbands abusing their wives. We need the real men to stop this mess,” says Ngunaihe Ueutjerevi. The MP said that some men have lost the sense of sympathy and cultural norms, where men ought to be protectors and bread winners of…

15 Aug

Kavita sports scoops N$50 0000 at OM SEED pitch

ObserverNational NewsEconomic & Empowerment Drive, Kavita sports scoops N$50 0000 at OM SEED pitch, Old Mutual Sustainable, OM SEED

Martin Endjala Kavita Sports Performance scooped N$50 000 at the Old Mutual Sustainable, Economic & Empowerment Drive pitch night held in Keetmanshoop over the weekend. Unomasa Kavita could not hold back his excitement after winning the inaugural OM SEED pitch, saying that he feels truly humbled by the whole experience. “I am so grateful to Old Mutual that provided us with this opportunity to learnand grow”. He narrated saying that he saw a gap in the market in the south, where athletes have no facilities or coach to help them elevate their performance, saying that through the Kavita Sports Performance,…

12 Aug

Amukwiyu wants 3rd term

ObserverNational News2017 decision, Amukwiyu wants 3rd term, Armas Amukwiyu

Obrein Simasiku Swapo’s Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu has backtracked on his 2017 decision to not contest again for regional coordinator at the seventh elective conference for the renewal of mandates. The incumbent coordinator has however indicated that he will stand to serve for third term, saying “I am back by popular demand, the masses have requested for my service again”. He added that, “as a bona fide and Swapo political soldier, you can never deny or reject a responsibility when entrusted by your own people and above all the Swapo Party.” The Oshikoto regional conference is slated for tomorrow,…

12 Aug

Power infrastructure of new CoW areas still belongs to Nampower

ObserverNational News54 009, Municipal Council of Windhoek, 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…

12 Aug

We played with the numbers-Nantu

ObserverNational NewsNANTU and Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU), Thomas Niilonga, 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…