Observer – Page 363 – Windhoek Observer

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)…

24 Feb

Health ministry accused of removing woman’s womb without consent

ObserverNational NewsFestus, Health ministry accused of removing woman’s womb without consent

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Amalia Festus an unemployed mother from Windhoek is claiming N$ 3 850 000 in damages from the Ministry of Health and health and Social Services for negligence, after the Ministry reportedly removed her womb without her consent. Festus is claiming the ministry failed to execute their duties professionally and as reasonably expected from trained and qualified medical professionals from the ministry. The hearing began in the high court this week. According to documents filed in the High Court, Festus is claiming N$ 100 000 for patrimonial damages, N$ 750 000 for pain and suffering, N$ 750 000 for…

24 Feb

NHE workers feeling neglected

ObserverNational NewsMatheus Haakuria, NHE, NHE workers feeling neglected

Steve Nashama The Public Service Union of Namibia Secretary General Matheus Haakuria confirmed today that the employees of the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) want a salary increment of seven percent and that the union has been requesting for the NHE management and the board to negotiate, but the request he says, fell on deaf ears. The workers will embark on a nationwide strike tomorrow, from 8 am, he added. Haakuria said workers voted for a strike after the refusal of NHE management to negotiate. “All the demands of the workers were not considered and that is where the problem is,”…

24 Feb

SPYL joins opposition in bashing youth budget

ObserverNational Newser Iipumbu Shiimi, SPYL joins opposition in bashing youth budget

Martin Endjala Swapo Party Youth League Secretary Efraim Nekongo said he is dissapointed with the low allocation of money to the youth ministry, compared to the veterans ministry. The Ministry of Youth received N$473 million. Nekongo said that although he did not fully peruse Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi’s statement, he scanned it. “I am yet to fully peruse the budget document, however, upon scanning through it, i am not happy at all, given the fact the youth are the majority in the country. I am disappointed with the outcome of the budget and when I return from my parliamentary mission…

22 Feb

Venaani labels social income grant as an insult to elders

ObserverNational NewsIipumbu Shiimi today tabled the national budget. Presented under the them, Minister of Finance, Venaani labels social income grant as an insult to elders

Martin Endjala The Minister of Finance, Iipumbu Shiimi today tabled the national budget. Presented under the theme, “Economic Revival and Caring for the Poor”, the budget attempts to be pro-poor, a move the official opposition labels an insult. Popular Democratic Movement President McHenry Venaani has labeled the social income grant N$100 increase for pensioners, vulnerable children and disabled persons as an insult. “What the Minister of Finance did to bring elders here in the chamber parading them for N$100, while this government spend N$650 million on a condom tender is an insult to the elders it is a shame”, Venaani…