Windhoek Observer – Page 297 – Windhoek Observer

20 Feb

Journalists decry unequal treatment at Nujoma memorial events

National News

Stefanus Nashama Journalists from different media houses in the Oshana region were initially barred from entering Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Airport in Ondangwa on Thursday while covering the arrival of the late founding president Sam Nujoma’s body. They claimed Police officers and members of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) only allowed reporters from the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) on the tarmac. Hellen Andreas, a reporter from Shipi FM, described a heated exchange with the police. "I had to push hard to go into the airport. I did not surrender because I was doing it for the listeners and followers of…

20 Feb

Former leaders hail Nujoma’s public health reforms

National News

Hetta-Maria Amutenja Former health ministers have credited Founding President Sam Nujoma for shaping Namibia’s healthcare system. They said he played a key role in strengthening healthcare services across the country. Former health minister Richard Kamwi said Nujoma played a role in expanding access to healthcare, especially in rural areas. “At the time I was working with Dr Libertina Amathila. President Nojoma educated us to be with the people out there in the rural areas, not here in the city. We must go out and see the challenges that ordinary Namibians like my grandmother, my uneducated aunt, and so many of…

20 Feb

Taskforce mandated to transform VTCs into TVET colleges

National News

Niël Terblanché Namibia has taken a courageous step in reforming its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector with the inauguration of a task force dedicated to transforming state-owned Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) into fully-fledged TVET colleges. The initiative, launched on Thursday by Itah Kandjii-Murangi, the minister of higher education, technology and innovation, aims to bridge the qualification gap in the country’s vocational education system and align training programmes with evolving labour market demands. Kandjii-Murangi stressed the significance of this transformation in tackling structural unemployment and fostering economic growth. “Transformation and classification of TVET in Namibia stand central in…

20 Feb

Brave Gladiators vow victory for Nujoma against Eswatini

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The head coach of the Brave Gladiators, Woody Jacobs said the team is drawing inspiration from the late founding president, Sam Nujoma, to win their match against Eswatini. The Brave Gladiators will face Eswatini today at 13:00 for their 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifying campaign at the Somhlolo National Stadium. The return leg is scheduled for 26 February at the Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, at 15:00. Jacobs said the camp spirit is good, and the girls are motivated to win the first leg and dedicate the victory to the late founding president. “We…

20 Feb

Russia eyes Namibia’s nuclear potential

Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA The Russian Ambassador to Namibia, Dmitry Lobach, said there are talks to build a 100 MW modular nuclear power station in Namibia and to apply Russian nuclear technology in medicine and agriculture. The Russian diplomat said Russian investors have been working in Namibia and cited the geological surveying for uranium in the Omaheke Region. “This venture by Rosatom, the world-leading Russian State Atomic Corporation, is to establish cutting-edge technology with a cost of US$500 million,” he said. Rosatom has already invested US$50 million in the Omaheke Region. “It is going to extract 3000 tonnes of uranium per year…

20 Feb

De Beers’ carrying value reduced by US$2,9 billion

Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA It is looking likely that joint diamond ventures, including Debmarine Namibia, Namdeb land operations, and the Namibia Diamond Trading Company, all 50/50 joint ventures with the De Beers Group, will have a new partner in the near future. Anglo American, which owns De Beers, has continued its quest to sell the diamond giant. “The work to separate De Beers is well under way, with action taken to strengthen cash flow in the near term and position De Beers for long-term success and value realisation. Given prevailing diamond market conditions, we have reduced our carrying value of De Beers…

20 Feb

Positive outlook for car industry

Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA The Bank of Namibia’s decision to lower the repo rate from 7% to 6.75% in February will have a notable impact on credit conditions, vehicle financing, and overall car sales in the coming months. While lower borrowing costs typically encourage spending, broader economic pressures could temper the full effect of this rate cut, a report has noted. Simonis Storm noted that with interest rates easing, borrowing costs will fall, making credit more accessible to both businesses and households. However, the impact will vary across different sectors, it noted. The analysis noted that businesses may take advantage of cheaper…

20 Feb

Lüderitz wind farm gets N$2.5 billion investment

Observer Money

InnoVent is building a 11 turbine wind farm on the Atlantic coast as part of an ambitious national policy to enhance energy independence and decarbonization. InnoVent has developed and built the country’s first three solar power plants (Omburu, Osona, Aussenkehr, each with 5 MW) and the first wind farm (Ombepo, 6 MW). These infrastructures, with a total capacity of 21 MW, were commissioned between 2015 and 2017. In 2019, InnoVent acquired a fourth solar power plant of 5 MWc in the Omusati region, thus increasing its capacity and availability. Currently, InnoVent operates 26 MW in Namibia, producing 76,500 MWh in…

20 Feb

Did a Tax Dispute Hold Up the De Beers-Botswana Deal?

Observer Money

De Beers and the Botswana government have concluded their negotiations over a new sales agreement for rough diamonds after more than five years of discussions. They haven’t signed yet: Bogolo Kenewendo, minister of minerals and energy, said she hoped this would happen later this month, a pronouncement De Beers CEO Al Cook met with a nod at a press briefing. All that remains are the ‘largely formulaic’ process of issuing the mining licenses, Cook told the audience. The new government, under President Duma Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition, has touted the fact that it managed to seal the…

20 Feb

The last man standing; founding president and father of the NAMIBIAN nation H.E. Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma

Opinions

P T SHIPALE I. Prologue Indeed, a great tree has fallen and a great shadow hangs heavy across the entire land because our beloved Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, H.E. Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma is no more. For those of us who knew him, who worked alongside him, who counted and relied on him, who were led by him, who learned from him, who loved him, it is unbearable that we will not see him again. The sad news of his passing struck a deep and solemn note as he was an iconic and quintessential revolutionary leader,…