Observer Money – Page 196 – Windhoek Observer

24 Jul

Cabinet announces EDs reshuffle

ObserverObserver MoneyDr Moses Maurihungirire, George Simataa, Secretary to the Cabinet

...as Uiras is removed after less than four months Staff Writer Secretary to the Cabinet, George Simataa has announced the appointment of new Executive Directors and transferal of some to other government offices, ministries and agencies. Of note is the removal of Dr Moses Maurihungirire as Executive Director of the Ministry of Fisheries and transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister, assigned to the Public Service Commission Secretariat. Maurihungirire is a former Fishcor board member and was Executive Director during the tenure of former Fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau when cases of corruption are alleged to have occurred. Wilhencia Uiras…

24 Jul

Namibia investigates 5G rollout

ObserverObserver Money5G, City of Windhoek, Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), Namibia

Staff Writer Namibia has started the process of investigating the possibility of rolling out 5G technology in the country, with cabinet recently directing the environment ministry to conduct a thorough environmental assessment. “Cabinet directed the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to ensure that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is undertaken and that proper assessment is made, prior to the possible introduction of 5G technology in Namibia,” information minister Peya Mushelenga said. A strategic environmental assessment is a systematic decision support process, aiming to ensure that environmental and possibly other sustainability aspects are considered effectively in policy, plan and program…

22 Jul

Erongo teachers, learners defy ministry directive

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Ministry of Education, NANTU

Andrew Kathindi Teachers and learners in the towns of Walvis Bay, Arandis and Swakopmund have defied the Ministry of Education’s directive for schools to reopen this week for face-to-face learning for grades 11 and 12. This comes after Windhoek Observer reported that schools in the regions were unlikely to open after the Education ministry and the Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) failed to reach a consensus on the modalities of returning to schools, due to concerns over the rising cases of COVID-19 in the region. It appears the Ministry may have overestimated the level of united positions amongst all schools…

22 Jul

We could have prevented this – Haufiku

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Walvis Bay

Andrew Kathindi The situation Namibia is in, and in particular, Walvis Bay, could have been avoided had preparations been done earlier, this according to former Health Minister, Dr Bernard Haufiku. The former minister, who at the beginning of the pandemic in Namibia was appointed as the National Coordinator for COVID-19, a decision that was later rescinded, told Windhoek Observer that he presented several scenarios to curb the spread of COVID-19 in April however all fell on deaf ears. This comes as the country has recorded 36 new cases on Wednesday, taking the tally to 1,402 positive cases and seven deaths.…

21 Jul

SADC-PF lawmakers fret over elusive Electoral Justice

ObserverObserver MoneySADC Model Law, SADC MPs, SADC-PF

Moses Magadza WINDHOEK – A call has been made for Members of Parliament to support efforts to bring about fair and credible elections that deliver electoral justice. The call comes in the wake of increasingly tightly-contested elections and electoral disputes in the SADC Region. Victor Shale, the Principal Consultant at Shalestone Elections & Governance Consultants made the call when he addressed parliamentarians. The MPs represented their countries on the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s Standing Committee on Democratisation Governance and Human Rights, last week. He said electoral contests in the SADC region and Africa had become “highly competitive and often followed by…

21 Jul

Be mindful of your mental health

ObserverObserver MoneyFirstRand Namibia’s Employee Wellbeing Specialist, Marjolize Scholtz, mental health

Marjolize Scholtz Our world has been turned upside-down – and this is affecting your wellbeing more than you might realize. FirstRand Employee Wellbeing Specialist, Marjolize Scholtz shares advice for managing anxiety and practicing self-care. There’s a lot to be stressed out about these days. If it’s not the pandemic, it’s the alarming state of the economy, the uncertainty around lockdown regulations, or the grind of being stuck at home and trying to balance work and life (and, in many cases, home schooling as well). It’s normal to experience anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, hopelessness and mental fatigue. ‘In a way, we…

21 Jul

Erongo schools reopening in the balance

ObserverObserver MoneyErongo region, Loide Shaanika, NANTU Secretary General

Andrew Kathindi The return to face-to-face teaching scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) in the Erongo region for grade 11 and 12 students hangs in the balance as Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) has stated it has reached an impasse in its consultations with the education ministry. This comes after the education ministry Executive Director Sanet Steenkamp was forced to postpone the resumption of classes for grade 11 and 12 in the Erongo region to 22 July after they were initially scheduled to resume on Monday 20 July due to none consultations with sector stakeholders. However, it has emerged that the likelihood…

21 Jul

Geingob rules out Erongo trip

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Erongo region, president Hage Geingob

….as deaths toll rises Staff Writer President Hage Geingob has ruled out any planned trip for himself and members of his executive, including Health minister, Kalumbi Shangula to the Erongo region, but will instead dispatch four deputy ministers to access the impact of COVID-19 on the community. The four, Deputy minister of Health, Esther Muinjangue, Deputy minister of Labour, Hafeni Ndemula, Deputy minister of Urban and Rural Development, Derek Klazen and Deputy minister of Safety and Security, Daniel Kashikola, will be the first high level government delegation to visit the region which has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak…

21 Jul

SADC MPs want value from region’s vast resources

ObserverObserver MoneyAfrica, Members of Parliament, SADC Parliamentary Forum

Moses Magadza WINDHOEK – Africa is the richest continent on earth in terms of extractive resources, but until Members of Parliament up their game and demand meaningfully beneficial deals, their citizens will continue to wallow in abject poverty. Parliamentarians who represent their countries on the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s Standing Committee on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, came to this conclusion when they held a virtual meeting last week. South African lawmaker Tshitereke Baldwin Matibe chaired the meeting. The continent is awash with massive deposits of extractive resources that include iron ore, petroleum and natural gas, crude oil, diamonds, gold, uranium,…

21 Jul

Alcohol a burden to police

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Police, Sebastian Ndeitunga

. . . as COVID-19 cases spike Andreas Kathindi The resumption of the alcohol sale in stage 3 and 4 of the state of emergency has been a burden on law enforcement according to head of police, Sebastian Ndeitunga. This comes as South Africa re-banned the selling of alcohol in that country following a spike in COVID-19 cases that has seen it become one of the countries with the highest COVID-19 cases in the world. “It’s a burden to the police. People are just supposed to introspect themselves and ensure self-discipline, and abide to the rules passed to protect their…