Windhoek Observer

19 Apr

Iconic tourist destination targeted by burglars

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché A yet unknown amount of money was stolen when the iconic Canyon Roadhouse at one of Namibia’s most impressive tourist attractions, the Fish River Canyon was broken into by a gang of burglars. Gondwana Collection Namibia’s Brand and Marketing Director, Manni Goldbeck, confirmed the burglary and added that the incident occurred during the early morning hours of 18 April 2024 when four or five members of the gang entered the main restaurant area of the Canyon Roadhouse. “After overpowering a member of our security team, the robbers gained entrance to the main restaurant area by breaking through the…

19 Apr

Salmon farming in Lüderitz becomes a reality

ObserverNational NewsProposed salmon farming project moves forward

Niël Ternlanché Namibia's African Aquaculture Company (AAC) has taken a significant step towards diversifying the country’s aquaculture industry after it was granted an "Offshore Commercial Phase" license to pioneer salmon farming in the Atlantic Ocean near Lüderitz. Clement Kaukuetu, President of the Namibia Operations at AAC, announced the new development in the project and added that it is a groundbreaking venture for Sub-Saharan Africa. “The license, effective for 15 years, marks the inception of the region’s first commercial salmon farming and production facility,” he said in a statement. The operations will span three offshore sites in the ||Kharas Region, northwest…

19 Apr

NAMFISA signs testing agreement for its Sandbox programme

ObserverNational NewsNAMFISA signs testing agreement for its Sandbox programme

Martin Endjala The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA), on 17 April, officially signed testing agreements with two pioneering innovators in Windhoek, ReferredBy and Ergo Analytics (known as Verime), to participate in its regulatory Sandbox programme. “The NAMFISA regulatory Sandbox initiative represents our strategic vision to promote innovation in both digital and non-digital financial services, while simultaneously enhancing financial inclusion. Under the vigilant supervision of NAMFISA, the Sandbox provides a controlled environment for live tests of innovative products, services, or solutions within specified parameters or limits,” NAMFISA's Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth Matomola said. He emphasized the critical importance of the…

19 Apr

Namibia to become the energy capital of Africa

ObserverMain

Martin Endjala The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, says, that given the evolving energy landscape, Namibia is strategically positioning to become a sustainable energy capital in Africa. Alweendo said this on 18 April at the Global Africa Green Hydrogen Summit held in Windhoek. The summit is themed “From Ambition to Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution”, "It comes at a time during which Namibia in particular has availed large portions of land, adapting legislative frameworks, engaging global captains of industries and raising billions of dollars to pioneer low-carbon industrialisation at scale. Something that has never been done before…

19 Apr

Walvis Bay schools shut while water supply is restored

ObserverNational NewsTutaleni High and Primary Schools, Walvis Bay

Niël Terblanché Several schools in Walvis Bay will remain shut today due to a widespread disruption in the town's water supply, following a mechanical failure at the central pump station. The affected institutions include Tutaleni High and Primary Schools, !Nara Primary School, High Hope Primary School, Seaside Primary School, Immanuel Ruiters Primary School, and both the secondary and primary schools in Kuisebmond, as well as the Duinesig High School. Parents have been notified that classes will resume once the necessary repairs are completed. The outage, which is expected to last from 08:00 to 17:00 on Friday, has impacted various parts…

18 Apr

Just Saying

ObserverOpinions

Am just saying that, last week, I had the honor of participating in a gathering organized by the Namibia Sport Commission, where I shared the stage with a prominent figure in Namibian sport governance. Am just saying that the event was organized to shed light on the state of governance frameworks and corporate governance in sports, drawing together various members of the sports fraternity, including leaders and managers from federations and umbrella bodies. Am saying, from the outset, I was impressed by the turnout and the sense of camaraderie among the sports federations. It was clear that there is a…

18 Apr

Namibia Cycling Federation and Rock & Rut Cycling Club to Host 2024 Nedbank Namibia XC1 UCI C1 Races

ObserverSports

Namibia Cycling Federation in collaboration with the Rock & Rut Cycling Club is gearing up to host the 2024 Nedbank Namibia XC1 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) C1 and UCI Junior Series XCO races this Saturday at the IJG Trails in Kleine Kuppe. This event marks the second round of the five races in the Nedbank XC series and is the sole race where cyclists will accumulate International Cycling Union (UCI) points. Anticipation is high as between 140 and 150 local and international cyclists are expected to compete for UCI points at the event. Chairperson of Rock & Rut, Hanso Diehl,…

18 Apr

Leake Hangala advocates for inclusivity in business opportunities

ObserverNational News

Ester Mbathera Seasoned business leader and founder of the Hangala Group, Leake Hangala, has called for the inclusivity of all Namibians in the local content policies, regardless of their ethnicity. Hangala made the remarks at the Namibian Local Content Conference (NLCC) 2024 in Lüderitz on Wednesday, on the role of government institutions and operators in implementing local content policy. According to him, all Namibians and companies should be prioritised in the procurement of goods and services for local content. "For the sake of clarity, when I say Namibian, I mean Namibians of all races. There is a misconception in Namibia…

18 Apr

Mbumba declared a period of national mourning for liberation struggle stalwart Ida Jimmy

ObserverNational News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Born on 16 November 1945, at Lüderitz, Ida !Ha-Eiros Jimmy's journey in the liberation struggle of Namibia has been described as ‘one of courage and conviction’. Jimmy, a former freedom fighter of the liberation struggle passed away on 3 April at age 78. Her involvement in the liberation movement led to her imprisonment and torture, yet she remained steadfast in her pursuit of freedom for Namibia. Jimmy was convicted on 15 October 1980, for contravening Section 9 (2) (b) of Ordinance 13 of 1962 read with sections 1, 2 and 8 of Act 83 of 1967 (The Terrorism…

18 Apr

No levy relief for mobile operator’s losses due to deactivated SIM cards

ObserverNational News

Martin Endjala Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), says it will not offer levy relief to mobile operators who lose money due to deactivated Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards as a result of unregistered cards. The regulator insists that the only solution to avoid such losses is to ensure that the three-month period given to SIM card holders whose numbers have been deactivated for failing to register their cards before the set deadline on 31 March and ensure they retain their numbers. This is according to CRAN’s Chief Executive Officer, Emilia Nghikembua while responding to questions sent to the regulator…