Windhoek Observer – Page 352 – Windhoek Observer

27 Aug

Israel bound military cargo vessel denied docking in Walvis Bay

MainMV Kathrin

Martin Endjala The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, and Safety Security through the Namibian Police, revoked the permission previously granted for the vessel MV Kathrin to enter and dock at Namibia’s main harbour on 24 August.. The port of Walvis Bay scheduled the vessel, carrying cargo in transit, for docking on 25 August. Israel, which is currently involved in a conflict with Gaza, was the destination of the vessel carrying military equipment and supplies. According to a letter seen by the Windhoek Observer, Nampol’s Inspector-General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, directed Africa Global Logistic PTY Limited that the permission for the…

27 Aug

Social Security Commission CEO carjacked in Keetmanshoop

National NewsMilka Mungunda

Ester Mbathera The Social Security Commission's (SSC) chief executive officer, Milka Mungunda, was the victim of a car hijacking on Friday. The incident occurred near the B1-B4 traffic circle on the Keetmanshoop-Lüderitz highway around 23h00. Mungunda confirmed the incident and opened a police case. “I am OK. I will see the doctor today,” she said on Tuesday. According to the police incident report, Mungunda was searching for a guesthouse in Keetmanshoop when she encountered a man who offered to guide her to the location. The suspect, a 23-year-old Namibian national, entered her vehicle under the pretence of providing her with…

27 Aug

MoHSS confirms vigilance against Mpox

National NewsMpox

Hertta- Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has assured the nation that at present, Namibia has not recorded a confirmed Mpox case and that the country is fully prepared to handle any potential outbreak of the disease. This comes as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on 13 August, followed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which declared it a public health emergency of international concern a day later. The executive director of the Ministry of Health, Ben Nangombe, said Namibia’s health system is…

27 Aug

GRN sanctions culling of 723 animals to support drought relief efforts

National Newsdrought relief efforts

Hilarius Hamutenya The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) will cull 723 animals in wildlife sanctuaries to support the government’s drought relief initiatives. The animals to be culled include 30 hippos, 50 impalas, 60 buffalos, 300 zebras, 83 elephants, 100 elands, and various wildebeest. The Cabinet endorsed the initiative after approving the "Namibia Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (VAA) Report," which mandates the ministry to supply meat for the drought relief program. Romeo Muyunda, the environment ministry’s spokesperson, said that national parks and communal areas with sustainable game populations will supply the animals. The 2023 National Conference on Human-Wildlife…

27 Aug

Voter registration system will be tested by comprehensive verification exercise

National NewsIntegrated Mobile Voter Registration System (IMVRS), mock verification exercise

Niël Terblanché In preparation for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) will conduct a mock verification exercise (MVE) of the newly enhanced and upgraded Integrated Mobile Voter Registration System (IMVRS) on 30 and 31 August 2024. According to Peter Shaama, the chief electoral and referenda officer, the exercise follows a comprehensive electoral review process aimed at improving the efficiency and security of the voting process, particularly in the wake of the 2019 and 2020 elections. The IMVRS, which integrates voter registration, identification, and verification with the registration of political parties and the management…

27 Aug

Deadline for cross-border payment rules looms

National NewsCommon Monetary Area

Martin Endjala Namibian commercial banks have issued various deadline notices as changes to cross-border payments within the Common Monetary Area (CMA) are set to take effect on 30 September. These changes will impact low-value electronic funds transfers (EFTs), debit orders, and credit payments between the CMA countries, namely Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Previously, these transactions were treated as domestic payments, allowing the participating banks in the four CMA countries to process them via South Africa's domestic retail payment system. This system provided a low-cost, efficient, and effective service to clients. However, under the new regulations, these transactions will…

27 Aug

Eswatini to roll out first women-controlled HIV prevention product

National NewsIPPF’s Member Association in Eswatini, the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS)

IPPF ARC IPPF’s Member Association in Eswatini, the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS), is soon to roll out the first women-controlled HIV prevention product, the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR). FLAS will be among the first organisations to offer the DVR outside implementation or pilot studies anywhere in the world. Made of flexible silicone, the ring is inserted into the vagina by a woman and slowly releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine in the vagina over a one-month period, helping to reduce a woman’s risk of acquiring HIV. In 2023, in sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls accounted for 62% of all…

27 Aug

Telecom faces challenges amid mobile and data network expansion

Observer Moneydata network expansion

Hertta- Maria Amutenja Telecom is grappling with challenges as it undertakes a substantial expansion of its mobile and data services across the country. The company has acknowledged difficulties in infrastructure investment, which have hampered efforts to modernise its network. Stanley Shanapinda, the chief executive officer of Telecom Namibia, addressed these issues during an update on the implementation of the company’s mobile and data turnaround strategy. He noted that the limited investment in infrastructure over the past decade has resulted in the company lagging behind in upgrading its mobile network to 3G and 4G standards. “For a certain period, Telecom found…

27 Aug

Farmers trained in food value addition

National NewsUnited Nations World Food Programme

Niël Terblanché The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Capricorn Foundation and the University of Namibia (UNAM), recently conducted transformative training for farmers in value addition in the Hardap Region. According to a joint statement issued by the three institutions, this hands-on training towards enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture in Namibia was presented in Stampriet, Schlip, Bernafay, and Maltahöhe and it equipped 45 participants with vital skills in food preservation and processing. The training aimed to empower smallholder farmers - primarily youth and women from local farmsteads - by teaching them how to convert locally…

27 Aug

Geingos calls for bold dialogue on youth sexual health rights

National Newssexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

Moses Magadza Former first lady Monica Geingos has emphasised the urgent need to champion sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people across East and Southern Africa. Geingos was the keynote speaker last Thursday at a regional dialogue themed “Transforming Futures: Exploring Strategies for Accelerating Collective Regional Actions to Advance Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights," hosted by the Swedish ambassador to South Africa, Namibia, and Lesotho Hakan Juholt at his residence in Pretoria. “We are in this together,” he said and stressed the need to uphold “human dignity, human rights, and mutual respect because we are one…