National News – Page 454 – Windhoek Observer

18 Apr

Namibia slowly becoming self-sustainable with energy

National News

Niël Terblanché In an effort to decrease Namibia’s reliance on electricity supply from neighboring countries, the country’s national electricity supplier, NamPower, yesterday signed exclusive Power Purchase and Transmission agreements with CERIM Lüderitz Energy to supply electricity to the national grid. As a result of the agreement signed in Windhoek, CERIM will construct a 50 Mega Watt wind power plant at a cost of N$1.4 billion. The power plant is expected to be put into commission in mid-2025. Although 50MW of wind-generated electricity is not nearly enough to supply Namibia in its entirety, an increase in the generation of low-cost power…

17 Apr

Progress with Universal Health Care under scrutiny

National NewsProgress with Universal Health Care under scrutiny

Nël Terblanché The Executive Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ben Nangombe says every Namibian should have access to quality and affordable healthcare services without it causing severe financial hardship for the individual or their family. Nangombe said this during the official opening of a consultative meeting between the Ministry’s officials and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Universal Health Care (UHC) in Swakopmund. According to him, such services should also include access to essential medicines, therapeutics, vaccines and technologies that are effective, safe and of good quality. Nangombe said the country has made great strides in its…

17 Apr

Comalie still facing drug charges as she continues to serve as Namcor board Chair

National NewsComalie still facing drug charges as she continues to serve as Namcor board Chair

While Jennifer Comalie, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Energy Corporation of Namibia, has largely been found to be innocent by public opinion, she still faces the judicial consequences of being found in possession of illicit drugs. The Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi, while attending the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, took time out to address questions by the Windhoek Observer regarding Comalie’s status as the Namcor board Chairperson. “Ms Comalie is indeed still serving as the Namcor board Chairperson,” Shiimi said. Comalie’s position…

17 Apr

New community facility to ensure dignified lives for Etoshapoort residents

National NewsNew community facility to ensure dignified lives for Etoshapoort residents

Niël Terblanché Robust processes, systems and institutions need to be created to buttress efforts to battle abject poverty, inequality and corruption to usher in a new era of prosperity for all in the wake of the establishment of Green Hydrogen projects and the discovery of viable oil resources off the Namibian coast. President Hage Geingob during the official inauguration of a new Community Legacy Centre in the Etoshapoort suburb of Outjo over the weekend said all the attention of Namibians has been focused on an all-out war on poverty. “As we continue with our national developmental initiatives, our attention has…

17 Apr

Geingob participates in Green Hydrogen project discussions

National NewsGeingob participates in Green Hydrogen project discussions

Niël Terblanché New developments in the future of Green Hydrogen projects and how they would benefit residents of the Karas Region have been discussed at the grassroots level by the Namibian Head of State President Hage Geingob, who travelled to Lüderitz over the weekend to participate in open discussions with the residents of the Karas Region on the establishment of future projects during the Green Hydrogen Stakeholder Consultation meeting. The capital projects are underpinned by the second evolution of the Harambee Prosperity Plan. “Eventually, we will have Green Hydrogen as well as crude oil projects that have to be built.…

17 Apr

Sale of vehicles increased in March

National News

Martin Endala Last month, vehicle sales recorded the highest number of units sold since July 2017, where 1 280 units were sold, compared to 1 226 units in March 2023. Vehicle sales were primarily driven by the usual, with passenger and light commercial vehicles accounting for 94.2 percent of total units sold in March. However, medium-commercial vehicles recorded the largest annual increase in March, followed by extra-heavy commercial and light commercial. This is according to Simonis Storm’s recent report, which highlighted that sales have increased by 28.8 percent year to date. The 2023 first quarter has so far been the…

17 Apr

Unions soon to approach employers amidst hiking inflation

National NewsUnions soon to approach employers amidst hiking inflation

Martin Endjala With the prevalent high inflation, workers unions are now contemplating approaching employers for wage negotiations for their members. This is in light of the repo rate, expected to be at 25 basis points. This week, the Bank of Namibia will pronounce itself on the matter. According to a report by Simonis Storm issued last Friday, the Bank of Namibia is expected to hike the repo rate by 25 basis points each in their 19 April and 14 June 2023 meetings, translating to a repo rate of 7.5 percent by mid-2023. The Windhoek Observer has, in the meantime spoken…

14 Apr

Eight suspected rhino poachers arrested

National NewsEight suspected rhino poachers arrested, Romeo Muyunda, Sakaria Johannes

Martin Endjala The Ministry of Environment Tourism and Forestry has arrested eight suspects on charges related to rhino poaching over the Easter long weekend, in two separate incidents. “Last week two suspects that illegally entered the Etosha National Park to hunt Rhinos were arrested during a mobile roadblock on the Tsumeb and Otavi road, two fresh rhino horns were found in their possession and confiscated by Blue Rhino Task Team,” the environment Ministry’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Romeo Muyunda said in a statement. A Namibian male by the name of Sakaria Johannes and Tomas Domingos an Angolan male, appeared in…

14 Apr

Fishing could be allowed in restricted zone

National NewsDerek Klazen, Fishing could be allowed in restricted zone

Niël Terblanché A process to allow fishing vessels to catch horse mackerel within the 200-metre isobar restricted zone as an experiment has commenced, after the Namibian Cabinet issued a directive in this regard. If found to be scientifically viable to harvest horse mackerel within the species’ spawning zone, the experiment will offer a lifeline to fishing companies geared to land wet fish for shore-based processing. The Namibian fishing industry and related industries once employed more than 15 000 people but the moratorium on the harvesting of pilchards along with delays with the implementation of a new system by which quotas…

14 Apr

Incomplete state veterinary clinic worries councilor…as state funds run dry

National NewsIncomplete state veterinary clinic worries councilor…as state funds run dry, Leonard Shikulo

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Okahao Councilor Leonard Shikulo has raised concerns over the Okahao Veterinary Clinic and staff accommodation that has not been in operation, nine years after its construction. The building, which is already in deplorable condition due to its non-usage, is a project of the Ministry of Works and Transport, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer, Shikulo said he had enquired with the veterinary office in Okahao and was told the contractor refused to hand over the keys to the building as the contractor was not paid. “I am concerned about…