Windhoek Observer – Page 424 – Windhoek Observer

08 Aug

Labour introduces workplace flexibility for breastfeeding mothers

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The deputy minister of labour, industrial relations, and employment creation, Hafeni Ndemula, has presented a proposal to adopt and implement the International Labour Organisation (ILO) law to allow breastfeeding women to have a daily break or reduction of hours. During the presentation in parliament on Wednesday, Ndemula emphasised the ratification of ILO Convention No. 183 of 2000 on maternity protection. He said the proposal will enable women to continue breastfeeding upon return to work after maternity leave, which is in the best health interests of mother and child and is also in line with the World Health Organisation's…

08 Aug

NEFF’s court challenge against deregistration dismissed

National News

Niël Terblanché A full bench of justices of the High Court of Namibia dismissed the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters' (NEFF) case against the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) on Thursday. The NEFF had challenged the ECN's decision to deregister the party, alleging procedural and substantive irregularities. The judgment was delivered by Judges Hosea Angula, Orben Sibeya, and Beatrix de Jager, who found that the Electoral Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. The bench concluded that the NEFF's application did not raise an electoral issue as defined under Section 168(1)(e) of the Electoral Act, which limits the court's review jurisdiction…

08 Aug

Mulunga cleared of all disciplinary charges

National NewsNAMCOR

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The suspended managing director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), Immanuel Mulunga, has been cleared of all charges in a disciplinary hearing held in Windhoek. The judgement was delivered on 7 August by the chairperson of the hearing, retired Supreme Court Justice, Gerhard Maritz. Maritz determined that the disciplinary complaints against Mulunga were not sufficiently established. "In the result, my determination in these disciplinary proceedings against the employee is that none of the disciplinary complaints against the employee have been established by the employer on a balance of probabilities. It follows that all the complaints against…

08 Aug

Health ministry pushes for one health regulatory body

National NewsHealth Ministry

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Dr Kalumbi Shangula, the Minister of Health and Social Services has introduced the Health Professions Council of Namibia Bill, which seeks to reduce the number of health regulatory bodies from five to one umbrella body. Esther Muinjangue, the deputy minister of health and social services, argued in Parliament on Tuesday that the bill is long overdue and would help reduce the number of council members and save money on travel, meetings, and other expenses. “It means that there are five acts or laws currently administered by one secretariat. The bill makes provision for the establishment of a single…

08 Aug

IPC calls for collective efforts to fight crime

National NewsIndependent Patriots for Change

Stefanus Nashama The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has called on the nation to unite in efforts to collectively fight violent crime. The party spokesperson, Immanuel Nashinge, made this statement on Thursday in response to the recent violent death of Matheus Sheehama from Walvis Bay. “We call upon the Namibian police, parents, and our communities to bolster their efforts in addressing these violent crimes as a collective. Efforts to combat crime can’t be left alone to Nampol,” he said. Nashinge said the incident in which Sheehama lost his life highlights a grave issue that demands immediate attention. He said the…

08 Aug

Labour Commissioner’s officer undergoing business process reengineering

National NewsBusiness Process Reengineering (BPR), Office of the Labour Commissioner

Niël Terblanché The Office of the Labour Commissioner (OLC) is undergoing changes as part of the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) initiative that is focused on improving service delivery and efficiency. This was announced during a stakeholder meeting held in Windhoek on Wednesday to review the next phase of the initiative. Lydia Indombo, the executive director of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation (MLIREC), outlined the ambitious goals of the BPR initiative. “The BPR process is focused on achieving the development of customer service-orientated processes to eliminate complaints, reducing task completion times, reducing complexity throughout processes, building in…

08 Aug

Lesley Goraseb appointed as Usakos CEO

National News

Martin Endjala Former Karibib chief executive officer Lesley Goraseb has been appointed as CEO of Usakos on a five-year contract effective 1 August 2024. This was confirmed by the mayor of Usakos, Irene Kurtz. Kurtz explained that the post became vacant after former CEO Ivan Lombard resigned on 25 November 2022. “The position has been vacant ever since and the acting CEO was Reinhold Evenson, the manager of finance and administration,” she said. She said Goraseb’s appointment not only marks a new chapter but a bold leap forward in their journey towards a brighter future. “We thank our finance and…

08 Aug

Ambassadors keep jobs despite reaching retirement age

National News

Ester Mbathera The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Peya Mushelenga, explained that civil servants in diplomatic missions who have reached retirement age will retire as per public service rules. Mushelenga was responding to questions about diplomats beyond retirement age who are still serving on missions during a public briefing on the ministry’s activities. “There are two streams of diplomats: Career diplomats, who are employees of MIRCO, and non-career diplomats. The president appoints heads of mission from both streams. There is nothing that precludes the president from appointing individuals of a certain age,” Mushelenga said. He added that there…

08 Aug

Justice ministry launched its new user-friendly website

National News

Niël Terblanché Namibia’s Ministry of Justice launched its revamped website, unveiling a modern, user-friendly platform designed to enhance public access to legal information and promote transparency in its operations. The launch event at the Windhoek Country Club on Thursday was presided over by Gladice Pickering, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Justice who stood in for minister Yvonne Dausab. In her address, Pickering pointed to the significance of the revamped website and described it as a vital tool in the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to better serve the Namibian public. Key Features of the new website include the new design,…

08 Aug

Addressing unemployment: a call for government-driven job creation

OpinionsAddressing Unemployment

Tomas Nashongo The road to prosperity is paved with the labour of its citizens, yet too many are left without a path. The unemployment endemic is a global crisis described as a state where eligible members of the workforce who are willing and able to work cannot find employment. Namibia has a high unemployment rate, which averaged 20.94 percent from 1991 until 2023 and is predicted to be 20.70 percent by the end of 2024. There is a high dependency on the mining and agricultural sectors for employment, which shows limited job diversity and a lack of capital to venture…