info_e12wt4cs – Page 259

08 Sep

Africa’s largest desalination plant will be built in Namibia

info_e12wt4csNational NewsChina General Nuclear Power Group (CGN)

Niël Terblanché The China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has committed to building Africa's largest desalination plant in Namibia after an agreement in this regard was signed between Namibia and China. The project expected to significantly alleviate the country's water shortages With construction set to begin later this year, the plant, located in the Erongo region, is poised to deliver up to 25 million cubic metres of desalinated water annually upon completion in 2026. The agreement was reached after Calle Schlettwein, the minister of agriculture, water and land reform, announced that the Namibian government gave the go-ahead to construct a…

08 Sep

China commits N$1 billion to build housing for NamPol

info_e12wt4csNational News9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Chinese President Xi Jinping has committed N$1 billion to assist the Namibian government in building houses for police officers. Namibian presidency press secretary, Alfredo Hengari said this over the weekend while providing an update on President Nangolo Mbumba’s recent visit to China. Hengari said the Chinese leader pledged this during the bilateral talks with Mbumba at the side of the 2024 Summit of the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, China. ‘’During the talks, President Xi also availed close to N$500 million in grants for future projects. Additionally, the government of China committed close to N$50 million…

08 Sep

The ignorance of young people towards politics: A call for active participation

info_e12wt4csOpinions

Sakaria Johannes In Namibia, young people make up most of the population. With their numbers, energy, and potential, they have the power to shape the future of the nation. Yet, a large portion of the youth remains disconnected from politics, viewing it as irrelevant or distant. This disengagement poses a serious threat not only to their future but also to Namibia's democratic system and its development. What is Politics? Aristotle, often referred to as the "Father of Political Science,” defined politics as the process by which people determine how to live together in a community and achieve the common good.…

05 Sep

Political analyst warns that ECN action could undermine trust ahead of elections

info_e12wt4csMainKalimbo Iipumbu, Sakaria Johannes

Stefanus Nashama Political analyst, Sakaria Johannes has advised the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to get its house in order to avoid losing credibility ahead of the November elections. Johannes said this in an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Thursday, hours after the High Court declared the ECN’s decision to deregister the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) invalid. “There will be public questions as to why ECN opened a case when it was not the option to go for. One would think the commission is used by political figures to cut the legs of opposition political parties that would…

05 Sep

Itula warns against unsustainable election pledges

info_e12wt4csNational NewsNamibia’s economy, Ndumba Kamwanyah, Panduleni Itula

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), Panduleni Itula has cautioned political leaders against making promises that they cannot deliver on. Itula made these remarks on Wednesday during a panel discussion on Namibia’s economy from a social protection perspective at the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s hotel school in Windhoek. Itula, who is the IPC presidential candidate for the elections in November, specifically discussed the increment of the old age pension grant and the introduction of a social grant that the government promised to give to each unemployed Namibian between the ages of 18 and…

05 Sep

Mbumba urge Africa to learn from China’s rapid industrialisation

info_e12wt4csNational NewsForum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

Erasmus Shalihaxwe China's industrialisation has been rapid and Africa, given its relations with the country can draw valuable lessons from its development trajectory. President Nangolo Mbumba while addressing a high-level meeting at the ninth Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, China, on Thursday said that industrialisation should also be viewed through the efforts of international institutions, including the United Nations (UN). The UN has the collective responsibility to address international challenges and come up with solutions that could help countries achieve industrialisation and agricultural modernisation. ‘’In this regard, I am specifically referring to the upcoming UN Summit of…

05 Sep

Swapo electoral college urged to prioritise inclusivity and competence

info_e12wt4csNational NewsElectoral College, Helmut Angula, Nahas Angula

Ester Mbathera The ruling Swapo party is preparing for its electoral college, also known as the 'pot', where delegates will choose the next group of 96 members to represent the party in the National Assembly from 2025 to 2029. Over 650 delegates are expected to attend the electoral college, which will take place from 7 to 8 September in Windhoek. Swapo veterans Nahas Angula and Helmut Angula have recently made a public appeal to delegates attending the Electoral College. They urged them to prioritise competence, inclusivity, and diversity when selecting candidates. According to political columnist Paul Shipale, who agrees with…

05 Sep

Lawmaker warns divorce rate could soar if new bill makes separation easier

info_e12wt4csNational NewsDivorce Amendment Bill, Paulus Mbangu

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Paulus Mbangu, a member of the National Council, warns that once the proposed Divorce Bill becomes law, the divorce rate will skyrocket, making it cheap to divorce. This, he said, is despite the fact that divorce is currently expensive. Mbangu made this statement on Wednesday while participating in the National Council's debate on the Divorce Amendment Bill. “My concern is if the divorce rate skyrocketed when marriage dissolution was expensive and difficult, what will happen when dissolution of marriage is made easy and less expensive?” he said. According to Mbangu, in 2018, it was reported that nearly 1…

05 Sep

Namibia secures N$730 million for green hydrogen future

info_e12wt4csEnergy, National NewsGlobal African Hydrogen Summit, Kadri Simson, Tom Alweendo

Martin Endjala Tom Alweendo, the minister of mines and energy, said continuous investment in the country’s green hydrogen projects strongly contradicts the belief that the development of a synthetic fuel industry in Namibia is merely a pipe dream. Alweendo made these remarks on Wednesday at the Global African Hydrogen Summit, where Team Europe signed an agreement to contribute N$730 million to advance Namibia's green industrialisation agenda. “Some people think we are going too slow, but we are also trying to go systematically to ensure we achieve what we need to be achieving,” Alweendo said. He said that the country reaches…

05 Sep

ECN prepares officials for November elections

info_e12wt4csNational NewsElsie Nghikembua, General Registration of Voters (GRV)

Niël Terblanché More than 130 regional electoral and returning officers from all over the country have converged at Swakopmund, where they are undergoing an eight-day training in preparation for the November elections. Elsie Nghikembua, chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), said during the official opening of the training session on Thursday that the training is a crucial part of preparations for the upcoming elections. “These elections will not just be a test of our administrative capability but also an opportunity for us to reinforce public trust in our electoral process. Each one of you has been selected for…