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Namibia lags in Covid 19 testing
20 Apr

Namibia lags in Covid 19 testing

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Staff Writer Former Health Minister and National Coordinator of the Covid-19 task team, Bernard Haufiku says with the current low number of Covid-19 tests conducted in relation to the population and disappointingly high level of people movement, the country cannot confidently say it’s on top of the pandemic in Namibia. According to Haufiku the country should have carried out 5,000-10,000 tests by now, more than a month since the country announced its first positive case in March. “The less than 500 tests we have carried out so far is nothing in relation to our population. We should at least have…
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Tabling of national budget postponed
06 Apr

Tabling of national budget postponed

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Newly appointed finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi has confirmed that the 2020 Appropriation Bill will be delayed until further notice. The decision is a direct result of the state of emergency declared by president Hage Geingob on 18 March 2020 in response to the deadly and fast-spreading COVID-19 virus. Meanwhile, the finance ministry has requested all government entities to comply strictly and to continue utilizing proper authorisation procedures, as well as to continue applying prudent financial management measures during the state of emergency and beyond. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 analysts have been calling for a massive stimulus package to mitigate…
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Pinehas new chief of the NDF
06 Apr

Pinehas new chief of the NDF

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President Hage Geingob this week appointed Air Marshall Martin Kambulu Pinehas as the new chief of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF). Former commander of the Namibian Air Force (NAF) Pinehas’ appointment became effective on Wednesday, 1 April as he replaces Lieutenant General John Mutwa. “President Hage Geingob appoints Air Marshall Martin Kambulu Pinehas as chief of the Namibian Defence Force in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Namibian Defence Force and by virtue of the power vested in him by the country’s constitution,” a statement from the presidency read. According to the statement as CDF, Pinegas will be called upon…
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Free water will cost CoW millions
06 Apr

Free water will cost CoW millions

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The reconnection of running water for many cash-strapped Windhoek residents, especially those living in the burgeoning informal settlements surrounding the capital, is expected to cost the city an estimated N$8.9 million, according to the Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kahimise. Kahimise made the announcement this week during a media conference in the council chambers. He said the council approved an emergency response plan to help mitigate the risks associated with the virus. The measure will also benefit about 1 200 taps or households of clients who were disconnected for non-payment. Around 18 water tanks have been deployed strategically at various locations…
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Presidency defends virtual media briefings
06 Apr

Presidency defends virtual media briefings

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Staff Writer The presidency has reacted strongly to a statement issued by the Namibia Media Trust accusing government of undermining media freedom over its decision to hold virtual media briefings, with a handful of selected media outlets. Presidential spokesperson, Alfredo Hengari, said government remained committed to media freedom and the measures taken were in line with guidelines on social distancing. “To fight the propagation of COVID-19 in Namibia, and in compliance with the preventative guidelines of social distancing and avoidance of crowds in one place, the presidency elected, (logically that is) that the 1 April 2020 Presidential Update on COVID-19…
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Okahandja councillors demand immediate reinstatement
06 Apr

Okahandja councillors demand immediate reinstatement

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Lawyers representing the recently ousted Okahandja councillors demand their immediate reinstatement or the incoming Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, will face a further legal challenge. The entire municipal council was ousted at the behest of the former Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Peya Mushelenga, just a little over two weeks ago. The grounds for the removal of the local leadership included allegations of mismanagement and failure to comply with ministerial directives, as well as the non-submission of minutes of the proceedings of the council. The Okahandja town council has been under increasing pressure to resign based…
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Unions reject proposed wage cuts
06 Apr

Unions reject proposed wage cuts

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Staff Writer Government is setting itself up for a fight with unions if it moves ahead to implement any wage cuts for its 100 000 strong civil service as proposed by Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi, when he announced the COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Package this week. According to the proposal put forward by Shiimi, government and business owners will be allowed to negotiate a temporary 20 percent reduction of salaries and wages during the crisis period, and 40 percent for the worst-hit industries, such as the tourism, hospitality, travel and aviation sectors, as part of efforts to avoid major retrenchments and…
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Business welcomes govt bailout
06 Apr

Business welcomes govt bailout

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Staff Writer The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) says government’s N$8.1 billion stimulus package will provide vital support to keep businesses afloat in the wake of the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which follows four consecutive years of an economic slowdown. The package according to NCCI Chief Executive Officer, Charity Mwiya, will help ease the cashflow hardships many businesses are experiencing in order to pay bills and to pay staff. “As the minister of finance Ipumbu Shiimi recognised in his announcement yesterday, businesses keep people in jobs and during these tough times it is vital that businesses…
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Pressure mounts over AgriBusDev’s tender
30 Mar

Pressure mounts over AgriBusDev’s tender

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Staff Writer Local fertilizer producers have rubbished claims by the Agricultural Business Development Agency (AgriBusDev) Managing Director, Petrus Uugwanga that the country did not have local fertilizer producers and thus had no option but to award a multimillion-dollar fertilizer supply tender to South African company, Kynoch. One company that claims to be able to provide these products is Greenfield Organic Fertilizers (GOF). Based in Okahandja, this product provider has been in operation for years. According to the company’s owner, the business has the capacity to produce over 12 tons of organic fertilizer a day. This capacity makes them more than…
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NMP claims Fishrot accused blocked phosphate mining
24 Mar

NMP claims Fishrot accused blocked phosphate mining

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Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) spokesman Romeo Muyunda, on Wednesday dismissed claims by Namibia Phosphate Mining (NMP) that the ‘Fishrot’ files scandal and the individuals involved in it are responsible for stalling its Sandpiper phosphate mining project. The company is engaged in a protracted campaign which started over 10 years ago, to commence offshore mining for phosphates, an estimated 120km south-west of Walvis Bay. “It appears the objections to NMP’s phosphate project, as proposed and scientifically substantiated by independent environmental assessments, were spearheaded by individuals who are now implicated in, what is perhaps, Namibia’s biggest post-independence corruption scandal, the…
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