Observer – Page 333 – Windhoek Observer

28 Feb

NALOBA lauds DBN’s interest-free recovery loans

ObserverNational NewsNALOBA lauds DBN’s interest-free recovery loans, Peter Amadhila

Martin Endjala The Namibia Local Business Association (NALOBA) Vice President, Peter Amadhila commended the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) and the German Development Bank’s (KfW) initiative to introduce a 12-months free interest loan for businesses in the county. “As an association of native businessmen and women in Namibia, NALOBA would like to applaud the greatest initiatives taken by the Development Bank of Namibia and KfW to give recovery loans six percent interest-free on the first 12 months”, Amadhila said during an interview with the Windhoek Observer. He says this demonstrates the bank’s trust in the Namibian business community and a…

28 Feb

NHE Employees Strike Continues

ObserverNational NewsNHE Employees Strike Continues

Steve Nashama The National Housing Enterprises employees’ strike continued today, although workers say they still have not received a response from management.Tuafi Shafombabi in the telephonic interview with Windhoek Observer said nothing has changed yet, the company still evokes a no-work no-pay principle during the strike, in terms of section 76 (1) of the Labour, Act No. 11 of 2007.In a press release on the matter by NHE last week Tuesday, Shafomabi indicated that the company has contingency plans in place, however it is without a doubt that the industrial action will negatively impact their operations and disrupt the normal…

28 Feb

45-year-old man arrested for raping a minor

ObserverNational News45-year-old man arrested for raping a minor

Martin Endjala The Police have arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly raping an 11-year-old female minor at Iindangungu village in Ondangwa, Oshana region. The incident was confirmed by NAMPOL Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, who said that on 24 February 2023, at about 02:00, they arrested the suspect, who is a neighbour to the victim. Allegations are that he entered the minor’s room while she was sleeping, went straight to the victim’s bed and raped the victim. It is alleged that the victim woke up and went to report to the parents and when the parents came into the room, they…

28 Feb

NUNW condemns assault on employees by Rundu boss

ObserverNational NewsNUNW condemns assault on employees by Rundu boss

Steve Nashama The National Union of Namibian Workers Secretary General Job Muniaro has condemned the assault of employees at a service station in Rundu, by their boss, reportedly in exchange for loans.Although the employees in the now viral video say the assaults are done in a humorous fashion and a joke among the workers and their boss, Muniaro says it is tantamount to corporal punishment, which he says in unlawful in Namibia.The employees are reportedly assaulted with sticks on their bottoms. Meanwhile, another video in circulation depicts the employer, Micke du Preez on the receiving end, as he too gets…

25 Feb

NHE employees down tools, strike continues

ObserverNational NewsMatheus Haakuria, NHE employees down tools, strike continues

Steve Nashama Following the countrywide strike of the National Housing Enterprise’ employees today, the employees downed tools, and said they will continue with the strike after getting no response from management. Secretary General of the Public Service Union of Namibia, Matheus Haakuria, in a telephonic interview with Windhoek Observer said the NHE is a highly dysfunctional organization after failing to address the matter. “If the company says no but the union says yes, the strike is going on,” he added. Employees are demanding a seven percent increment. This morning at the poorly attended strike, this publication caught up with some…

25 Feb

Old Age Grants must be based on the cost of living

ObserverEditoriale Disability Grant in Namibia, Iipumbu Shiimi, Old Age Grants must be based on the cost of living

Adding N$100 to the monthly Old Age Grant and the Disability Grant in Namibia, making the amount received N$1,400, does not make this year’s budget, as recently announced by Iipumbu Shiimi, Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, a pro-poor budget. Instead, it is a ‘fit-it-in-so-we-can-claim-we-are-doing-something’ budget when it comes to having social grants that fit the actual cost of living in Namibia. With the Parliament’s public viewing gallery full of pensioners and a warm-hearted story about Minister Shiimi’s conversation with a village pensioner in his opening statement, he set the mood for the presentation of a caring, sensitive, effective social…

25 Feb

Amushelelo Defiant

ObserverNational NewsAmushelelo Defiant, City of Windhoek cleaners, NHE

Steve Nashama Namibia Economic Freedom Fighter member, Michael Amushelelo, said he will join the striking employees of the National Housing Enterprise on Monday, as they demand for salary increases. This is despite the court granting him bail earlier this week, with strict conditions, including that he is not arrested on similar charges. He was last arrested after he joined striking City of Windhoek cleaners, who demanded better wages and that they be made permanent employees. They further demanded that they be granted the same benefits that permanent employees currently receive. The employees of NHE who embarked on a strike today…

25 Feb

Employees of the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) went on strike today to demand for higher wages

ObserverNational NewsEmployees of the National Housing Enterprise (NH

Employees of the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) went on strike today to demand for higher wages. The process which led to the breakdown of negotiations between the company and employees has been going on since 2019. In this exclusive interview with the Windhoek Observer Spotlight (OS), the Chief Executive Officer of NHE, Gisbertus Mukulu (GM) shed some light on the strike and other operational matters at the NHE. OS: Mr. Mukulu, in a nutshell, what led to the breakdown in talks between union, board and management? GM: From the beginning of our negotiations until the end, which eventually led to…

25 Feb

Petrol prices rise, diesel remains unchanged

ObserverNational Newsdiesel remains unchanged, Petrol prices rise

Steve Nashama The Ministry of Mines and Energy announced today that oil prices will rise in the coming weeks due to carefully managing undersupply and a rebound in demand, although central banks continue to increase interest rates to counter inflation. The ministry indicated that petrol prices will increase by 150 cents per litre while diesel will remain unchanged. Petrol prices in Walvis Bay will become N$19.78 per litre while diesel will remain at N$20.65 per litre. Spokesperson Simon Andreas said that this is after the ministry completed the fuel price review for the month of March 2023. Petrol prices across…

25 Feb

Over 200 000 tourists visit Namibia in 2022

ObserverNational NewsOver 200 000 tourists visit Namibia in 2022

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Namibia’s tourist arrival numbers have increased by 37.3 percent since 2021 and has seen the country receiving a total 243 466 tourists in 2022. Speaking at the official launch of the Tourism Expo Calendar Events for 2023, Minister of Environment,Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta said it is commendable considering the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, on the tourism sector globally and in Namibia since its outbreak in late 2019. “These visitor numbers however remain very low for this country as it only represents about 15 percent of the pre-Covid -19 numbers (1,595,973 tourism arrivals)…