Observer Money

German Embassy contributes to Covid-19 fight

Staff Writer As part of its projects to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the German Embassy will support families in need in the areas of Gobabis, Witvlei and Okahandja and a total of approximately N$ 99,600 (EUR 5,000.00) from the Embassy’s micro project fund will be made available as an immediate measure to purchase food packages. The packages include staple foods and will be distributed to the community members by the German Evangelical Lutheran Association of Okahandja-Gobabis (ELCIN - GELC) in cooperation with the Okahandja Community Forum. The Okahandja Community Forum is a civil organization in Okahandja that…
Read More
Shiimi applauds private sector COVID-19 efforts

Shiimi applauds private sector COVID-19 efforts

Staff Writer Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, said that he is content with the response he has seen from all Namibians from both the private and public sector who continue to embark on fighting COVID-19 as a united front. He said this during the Capricorn Group/EY 2020 Budget Review Discussion, an online live social media broadcast focused on discussing and reviewing Namibia’s 2020/2021 Budget recently tabled in the National Assembly. “The pandemic's impact is something we have never seen before, and as a result, it requires a united front,” said Shiimi. Bank Windhoek's Managing Director (MD), Baronice Hans, echoed Shiimi’s sentiments.…
Read More
NAC HQ placed under lockdown

NAC HQ placed under lockdown

Staff Writer The negative effects of Case 33 who was arrested by police for entering the country illegally are being felt by various organisations in Windhoek, with the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) becoming the third organisation this week to lockdown its building as part of precautionary measures against Covid-19. According the airports operator, one of its employees resides in the same building, 77 on Independence, where the Covid-19 positive suspect was arrested. “This decision comes after careful consideration of the possible risk of exposure,” NAC Chief Executive Officer, Bisey Uirab said. On Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture was also forced…
Read More
Learner tests positive for COVID-19

Learner tests positive for COVID-19

Andrew Kathindi Namibia has recorded its first school COVID-19 case after a 20-year-old learner from Mariental High School in the Hardap region tested positive for the virus on Thursday. The learner is case number 37 who travelled from Walvis Bay, a current hotbed for the rising COVID-19 cases in the country and attended school on 11th of June. This comes less than a month since over 49,000 learners in grade 11 and 12 across the country returned to school as part of the first phase of the Ministry of Education’s roll out plan to resume face to face teaching. Ministry…
Read More
Namibia records two new Covid cases

Namibia records two new Covid cases

Staff Writer The Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula on Wednesday evening announced that Namibia had recorded two additional positive cases of Covid-19 ,bringing the total number of cases to 36. According to the minister, Case 35 is a 26-years old Namibian male, resident of Walvis Bay, who went to the Walvis Bay hospital on 15th June 2020 complaining of cough, difficulty in breathing, headache and fever since the 14 June 2020. “He was picked up by the ambulance on the same day and taken to the hospital. He was screened, swabbed and then admitted in isolation ward.…
Read More
Dundee donates to Grootfontein Municipality

Dundee donates to Grootfontein Municipality

Staff Writer Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb has extended its support to the Otjozondjupa Region, Grootfontein community by donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to the value of N$30,500.00. The donation was handed over to the Grootfontein Municipality Chief Executive Officer, Kisco Sinvula, at the Grootfontein Municipality head office. Sinvula thanked Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb for the support provided, with the aim to defeat the global pandemic COVID-19. The donated PPE will serve as safety gear for the health care practitioners at the Grootfontein Community Isolation Center and as a preventative measure to curb the further transmission of COVID-19. The delivered PPE…
Read More
Fishing rights awarded

Fishing rights awarded

Staff writer The Ministry of Fisheries has awarded 104 fishing rights for various species. Information gleaned by the Windhoek Observer shows that, 30 of the rights were awarded for hake, 30 for horse mackerel, five for monk, five red crab, and five for rock lobster among other species. Various successful applicants have been contacted by the Ministry since Friday to accept their rights. This comes as over 5,000 applications were submitted by various entities to be considered for fishing rights in 2018. The full list of the successful applicants is expected to be published soon. Already the government has entered…
Read More
Suspended Okahandja CEO to be reinstated

Suspended Okahandja CEO to be reinstated

Staff Writer Suspended Okahandja municipality CEO Martha Mutilifa is set to be reinstated to her position six months after her suspension by the now suspended council. Mutilifa was suspended in December last year with full pay by the council management committee amid allegations of corruption, fraud, abuse of funds and insubordination. “We are going to reinstate her because she is currently on suspension with full pay and it’s the logical thing to do. We cannot pay someone to stay at home, yet she can also contribute to the betterment of the town,” Ministry of Urban and Rural Development official appointed…
Read More
Erongo permit holders not tested

Erongo permit holders not tested

Andrew Kathindi It has emerged that permit holders from Erongo have been able to leave the region without being tested for COVID-19 since stage 1 lockdown was re-imposed by government. This comes as the Erongo region, Walvis Bay in particular, has in the past month, emerged as an epicenter for COVID-19 cases in the country. Erongo Health Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Anna Jonas confirmed the development to the Windhoek Observer. “This is something that needs high level intervention. But for now, what we are trying to do is to make sure that we have…
Read More
Namibia faces essential drugs shortage

Namibia faces essential drugs shortage

Andrew Kathindi Namibian pharmacies have accused South Africa of hoarding essential medicines, a move which has negatively impacted their availability to Namibian patients. On 27 March, following the declaration of the state of national disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa, South African Minister of Trade and industry, Ebrahim Patel introduced new export control measures on essential goods such as alcohol-based hand sanitizers, face-masks, gas masks, other breathing appliances, hydroxychloroquine, antisera and other blood fractions, vaccines for human medicine and medicaments. “I understand why the decision was made; it was to ensure that they don’t run short. And if we were talking…
Read More