Windhoek Observer

Martin Endjala The Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) has proposed the establishment of a youth employment and enterprise development fund targeting unemployed graduates. Uhuru Dempers, the CCN’s head of the social economic justice unit, in this regard, submitted inputs to the mid-term budget review during the national budget discussions last week in Windhoek. “We propose that the government consolidate current initiatives to provide credit and loan opportunities for the youth through the establishment of a youth employment and enterprise development fund targeting unemployed graduates from vocational training programmes, universities and colleges,” he said. Dempers said the fund should not…

Moses Magadza in Gaborone, Botswana The 5th edition of the Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SARSYC V) ended in Gaborone, Botswana, on Friday, with the delegates challenging authorities to act on health issues affecting them. In a communiqué dubbed the "Gaborone Declaration," which was adopted at the conclusion of a three-day conference held from 17-19 July 2024, the participants urged SADC member states to promptly address the issue of new HIV infections among young people and key populations. They emphasised the importance of strengthening domestic funding and expanding comprehensive, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive…

Niël Terblanché The Khomas Region activated the National Symbols Campaign last week. The campaign aims to promote national identity and unity among all Namibians. The deputy minister of information and communication technology, Modestus Amutse, launched the campaign, saying it is an important milestone in the country’s journey towards national cohesion. "Our national symbols - the flag, the coat of arms, the national anthem, and the presidential standard - serve as powerful reminders of our shared history, values, and aspirations. These symbols bind us together as one nation and one people. We must uphold and celebrate these symbols, for they represent…

Niël Terblanché The police in the Erongo Region called upon the public to assist in identifying a woman who died suddenly on Friday at Independence Beach in Walvis Bay. Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba, the head of the community affairs division of the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region, extended the request after the woman’s body was discovered at about 18:30 at the public facilities at the beach. According to Shapumba, the unidentified woman was observed walking to the beach and sitting alone on a bench for a while. “She later went closer to the water at the shore, came back…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Airports Company (NAC) has confirmed that Namibia’s two international airports, Hosea Kutako and Walvis Bay, were unaffected by the recent global information technology (IT) outage that disrupted airline operations worldwide. Dan Kamati, the NAC spokesperson, in a statement issued on Friday, reassured travellers that all scheduled flights to Namibia’s international airports continued without any issues. International media outlets reported that the global IT outage, which began early Friday, caused significant disruptions across numerous international airports. The incident, attributed to a software update issue with systems like Amadeus and Sabre, affected airlines' check-in and boarding processes, leading…