Observer Money – Page 168 – Windhoek Observer

01 Dec

COVID-19 measures extended to 2021

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, president Hage Geingob

Andrew Kathindi President Hage Geingob has extended the period under which current COVID-19 regulations are observed to 25 January 2021. This comes after the current set of measures to fight COVID-19, which came into force on 17 October, will expire at midnight, 30 November 2020. Following the lapse of the State of Emergency in September, the Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula was empowered, under the Public and Environmental Act to make further adjustments to measures even after the end of the State of Emergency, which could not be extended beyond six months without cabinet approval. “I observed, with great concern, that…

01 Dec

Swapo snubs LPM overtures

ObserverObserver MoneyLandless People’s Movement, LPM, National Unity Democratic Organization of Namibia, NUDO, UDF, United Democratic Front of Namibia

Andrew Kathindi The ruling Swapo party has snubbed Landless People’s Movement’s (LPM) olive branch and sent out directives to its elected councilors to only work with National Unity Democratic Organization of Namibia (NUDO) and United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF). This comes as LPM leader Bernardus Swartbooi earlier on Monday revealed that the party would welcome the opportunity to work with Swapo. Following a Swapo Politburo Central Committee meeting, with the aim of reflecting on the recently held elections, Swapo Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa directed regional leadership to “enter into a coalition with only (NUDO) and (UDF) where Swapo party…

28 Nov

Voter apathy strikes elections again

ObserverObserver MoneyElectoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Director Graham Hopwood, Voter apathy

Andrew Kathindi Voter apathy continues to mire the local authority and regional elections after it has emerged that less than half of registered voters showed up for the past elections. This comes after the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) earlier this month announced that over 1.4 million Namibians had registered to vote. In Windhoek, the local authority with the highest number of registered voters was especially hard hit. Out of 150,172 eligible voters, only 60,339 cast their votes. And from this number, 561 votes were rejected. In Rundu, the local authority with the second highest number of registered voters, 25,962…

27 Nov

Nghipondoka in the dark over DHPS racism allegations

ObserverObserver MoneyDeutsche Höhere Privatschule School (DHPS), German Embassy

Helena Johannes Minister of Education Arts and Culture, Anna Nghipondoka says she is unware of ongoing racism allegations at the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule School (DHPS) and thus the government department has not taken any measures to investigate the issue. “I have never heard about it and I did not receive a written complaint from anybody either,” she told the Windhoek Observer. This comes after allegations of racism and prejudice continued to surface at the school, after a 2016 incident where white mother barred a black Grade 1 boy from attending her daughter’s birthday. Affirmative Reposition leader, Job Amupanda’s efforts to…

27 Nov

Increase in COVID-19 cases worries health ministry

ObserverObserver MoneyKalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS)

Clifton Movirongo The Ministry of Health said it is worried about a resurgence of COVID-19 cases after the country recorded its highest number on Thursday, 26 November in months, with 149 new positive cases recorded in Namibia. This comes on the day after the local and regional elections where voters stood in long lines with no social distancing. The Khomas region according to Ministry of Health figures, recorded the highest number with 105 cases recorded in Windhoek out of 149 cases from 1,327 results received from the testing laboratories countrywide. Last week, the Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS),…

27 Nov

Coalitions only hope – Venaani

ObserverObserver MoneyMcHenry Venaani, PDM, SWAPO

Andrew Kathindi Official opposition party leader, McHenry Venaani says divisions among parties has costed them in some areas and going forward a coalition provides the only hope to beat Swapo in future elections. This comes as Swapo candidates have managed to narrowly edge out the opposition parties in some parts of the country, while losing strongholds in other areas, as results continue to trickle in. “That whole thing really polarized the whole election, to the point where the opposition would have garnered a combined majority,” the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader told Windhoek Observer. “We knew that the election was…

24 Nov

SADC lawmakers seek deeper understanding of corruption

ObserverObserver MoneyMPs, SADC Parliamentary Forum

Moses Magadza WINDHOEK – Members of Parliament who belong to the Standing Committee on Democratisation, Governance and Human Rights of the SADC Parliamentary Forum are boosting their understanding of corruption as they seek to eradicate the scourge. The lawmakers last week invited Mr. Titus Gwemende, Southern Africa Regional Lead on Natural Resources at Oxfam International, to throw light on the various forms of corruption within the SADC Region as well as what is driving it, when their Committee met virtually. Gwemende outlined four different dimensions of corruption with different impacts on a country’s economy: petty theft, grand theft, speed money…

24 Nov

Tourism sector crisis deepens as international arrivals dry up

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Digu //Naobeb, Namibia Tourism Board, South Africa

Helena Johannes Namibia Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Digu Naobeb, has revealed that income flow from the tourism sector is still very weak regardless of the opening of boarders and relaxed COVID-19 measures. “The fact that the country has not seen much uptake by international travelers for holiday purposes is mainly driven by the fact that Namibia’s main source markets are going through a second wave after the borders were opened,” Naobeb said. “Namibia will surely, for now, rely on domestic and regional tourism from our neighboring countries, particularly South Africa, who opened its borders, and Botswana is also…

24 Nov

Date set for NUST VC challenge

ObserverObserver MoneyNamibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Vice-Chancellor

Helena Johannes The High Court is set to hear the case challenging the appointment of Dr Erold Naomab as the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) on the 4th of December, Lawyer Sisa Namandje has revealed. This comes after the case was filed in the High Court on Friday, 20 November, 2020. “Accordingly the matter has been set down at 09h00 on 4 December 2020, whether or not any of the respondents have filed a notice to oppose,” said a notice of motion filed by Namandje. The respondents are the Chairperson of the Council of…

24 Nov

Police concludes shooting investigation in Botswana

ObserverObserver MoneyBotswana, Namibian Police, Nampol Inspector General, Sebastian Ndeitunga

Andrew Kathindi The ongoing joint investigation between the Namibian Police and officials from Botswana into the fatal killing of four fishermen, three of them Namibian brothers, has been concluded in Botswana, Nampol Inspector General, Sebastian Ndeitunga, has revealed. Ndeitunga told Windhoek Observer that the team has since began investigations from the Namibian side of the border, and will report their findings once completed. “The team is done in Botswana. They are now in Namibia. They are interviewing witnesses from the Namibian side. They are at the scene where it happened, from the Namibian side,” he said. This comes as a…