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Those vying for regional, local authorities must be worth their ideological salt

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro This Tuesday teams of the Electoral Commission completed supplementary voters’ registration across the country. This is to especially ensure that those who have turned 18 years, and others like those who have since changed their residential localities/constituencies and/or have changed their names, etc., makes the necessary amendments. So that comes November 25, like the benign folks that the voters have all along, years in and year out been, can cast their votes in the regional and local authorities elections. Votes that they would be casting hoping against hope. Hoping that those they will be voting to be in…
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Is there a way out?

Observatory: Thandizo Kawerama What do you do when the world you once knew changes overnight? When the avenues that led to your life aspirations shut down right before your very eyes? The natural response is to grieve. You want to mourn the loss of what was familiar and what we held dear. Perhaps it was a job you lost or an opportunity that has been postponed indefinitely (a tale very familiar during these times.) Losing what you had or what you aspired to obtain can be crippling, and unfortunately has a ripple effect. It leads to loss of income, mental…
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Look at yourself first and improve

Jackie Wilson Asheeke Far too many people refuse to check themselves as the main reason their employment expectations are not being met. In the new normal with many qualified people competing for the same jobs, employees will keep jobs on the basis of performance. The poor work ethic in this country will be challenged. Employees will be forced to look inside for solutions instead of whining about the external barriers. Those who feel aggrieved on their jobs often blame tribalism, nepotism, corruption or personality clashes for their situation. They blame the government, a particular business or their supervisors. They even…
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Let the marathon trial begin

Dr Rukee Tjingaete The stage is almost set for the marathon Fish-rot trial to start. In the blue corner is the A-Team Defense Council consisting of highly competent lawyers with reputable credential of practice in court that will represent the accused. In the red corner is the state prosecuting team that have developed reputation for losing high profile corruption cases, representing the state control agencies that are in this case the Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Prosecutor General and NAMPOL. While the strength of the defense team could be judged from the qualifications and age of experience of the lawyers…
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The Creative Industries

The Time Traveler: Hugh Ellis From the spoken word movement’s start in Namibia until the recent Covid-19 outbreak, I routinely attended and performed at poetry nights in Windhoek. While not all the poetry was excellent, and a small amount was frankly terrible, some of it bowled me over with its lyrical genius. The movement also provided a start, or at least a boost, to many now-famous names in the music industry, including Lize Ehlers, and Mark Mushiva of Black Vulcanite fame. Last year I was privileged to be a judge at the Namibia Theatre and Film Awards. While some of…
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Capricorn Group records N$1 billion profit …as Covid-19 drives up total non-performing loans to N$1.9 billion

Capricorn Group records N$1 billion profit …as Covid-19 drives up total non-performing loans to N$1.9 billion

Staff Writer Namibian Stock Exchange listed Capricorn Group Limited released its annual financial results for the period ending 30 June 2020, where the Group’s profit after tax from continuing operations, excluding our Zambian banking operation, amounts to N$1,01 billion, which is 2.2 percent lower than the prior year. “Capricorn Group started the 2020 financial year with confidence and delivered positive half year results, despite continuing difficult economic conditions in Namibia and Zambia. Capricorn Group’s operating profits were significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic during the last quarter of the financial year, with full-year profit after tax contracting by 15.6 percent…
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Corruption and mathematical witchcraft

Dr Rukee Tjingaete You don’t need to consult Figaro the earth while mathematical genius to ask why 32,000 laptops would cost N$180 million at an average laptop market-related price of N$6 500 per laptop. (I have surveyed the market). He would mock at you in his grave. The true estimate price would be in the range of N$208million or more. In Namibia, they normally fool you by giving you a low estimate cost price at first to convince you that such project is financially viable. But once approved they slowly start to inflate figures with new calculations which in this…
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!Gawaxab commemorates 100 days in office

!Gawaxab commemorates 100 days in office

Staff Writer Bank of Namibia (BoN) Governor, Johannes !Gawaxab on Thursday commemorated his 100 days in office, while outlining his vision for the apex Bank. !Gawaxab took over the reins at the Bank at a time when the country was grappling with the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the economy. He was appointed as the third BoN Governor by President Hage Geingob in April, 2020. “I experience first-hand the resilience of the Namibian people who must face this situation daily, while the pandemic dominates without a clear ending, and who selflessly strive to save lives and the livelihoods of their…
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Baobab investments safe – GIPF …as NAMFISA de-registers fund manager

Baobab investments safe – GIPF …as NAMFISA de-registers fund manager

Staff Writer The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) says N$87 million invested by its now-deregistered fund manager Baobab Capital (Pty) through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Baobab Growth Fund (Pty), remain secure. The GIPF had committed N$140 million in October 2016 to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which has a venture capital mandate to invest in start-up companies. This comes as the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) on Wednesday announced that it had de-registered the fund manager. The de-registration comes after NAMFISA conducted its own investigations into the affairs of Baobab Capital (Pty) and Baobab Growth Fund (Pty). “The Fund…
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PayPulse adds new venders

PayPulse adds new venders

Staff Writer Standard Bank is proud to announce that it has added Liberty Life, Olusheno and MTC Data to its bouquet of partners on its Cardless Transaction Application, PayPulse, as part of the strategy to offer variety and enhance the mobile payment experience for our partners and customers. With the addition of the three partners, Standard Bank says customers are now able to pay their Liberty Life insurance premiums, as well as pay for the off-grid home lighting Olusheno kit and MTC Data using the convenience of PayPulse. “As the leading payment App in Namibia, PayPulse has been at the…
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