Windhoek Observer – Page 602 – Windhoek Observer

19 May

Namibia centralises the payment of universal education grants

National News

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture has centralized payment of the universal education grants, ensuring direct transfers into school accounts across Namibia. Sanet Steenkamp, the ministry's Executive Director, said this measure aims to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of fund distribution, which is critical for the smooth operation of schools. Steenkamp confirmed that 75% of the grants for the 2024–2025 financial year have already been disbursed to 1,322 schools nationwide. She said the remaining 438 schools are on track to receive their funds soon. This move, according to Steenkamp, is intended to prevent delays and ensure that…

19 May

Namibia wants to end HIV/AIDS by 2026

National News

Martin Endjala Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says Namibia aims to end HIV/AIDS as a public health problem by 2026 and attain HIV epidemic control by 2028. She added that plans are also ongoing to decrease the burden of tuberculosis (TB), achieve zero indigenous malaria cases by 2027, and prevent the reintroduction. She made this revelation last week at the launch of the seventh Global Fund Cycle (GC7). “This was in part due to the partnership with our stakeholders, including the development partners and non-state actors (civil society and even the private sector). We are grateful to the global fund for…

19 May

Namibia intensifies efforts to combat illicit financial flows

National News

Martin Endjala Namibia is intensifying efforts against illicit financial flows (IFFs) that pose significant threats to its economic stability and global trade integrity. Statistician Bojan Nastav emphasised the detrimental impact of IFFs, which include corruption, smuggling, and tax evasion, on Namibia’s socio-political and economic stability. He made these remarks during the national technical working group's workshop on IFF last week in Windhoek. “The outcomes of the workshop will equip the future work of the national technical working group to measure tax and commercial illicit financial flows, identify policy gaps, and develop further estimation and policy recommendations,” he said. Illicit financial…

19 May

Namibia resumes limited import of poultry products

National News

Niël Terblanché South Africa is still battling an avian influenza outbreak and as a result, Namibia has put up measures to prevent the disease from spreading to local poultry farms. In an official notification on Sunday, Albertina Shilongo, the chief veterinary officer at the Directorate of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, announced the resumption of limited imports of poultry and poultry products from the country's southern neighbour. “It should be noted that only poultry meat derived from live poultry originating from bio-secure poultry farms as listed by the Veterinary Authority of South Africa will…

19 May

Shaningwa defends secrecy over talks with China and Angola

Main

Ester Mbathera Swapo secretary general Sophia Shanigwa declined to divulge the agenda of her recent talks with the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the Chinese Communist Party. Last week, Shaningwa met with MPLA vice president Luisa Pedro Francisco Damiao before travelling to China for further engagements. “My God, Jesus. You think I should report to the media when I am meeting with my sister parties as the secretary general of the Swapo Party,” she said when questioned about these meetings." Shaningwa explained that Swapo operates within a global context, interacting with various nations and political parties.…

17 May

Vice President endorses youth’s development initiatives

Latest, National News

By: Niël Terblanché Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah stressed the critical role of patriotism in driving Namibia's development agenda during her speech at the Youth Forge event held at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).The event on Thursday was themed 'Igniting Patriotism; Fuelling Industry,' and was aimed at inspiring national pride among young Namibians while equipping them with essential industrial skills.While addressing the gathering, Nandi-Ndaitwah shared her vision of shared prosperity and the Ideal Namibia.She said that a strong sense of patriotism is vital for overcoming the challenges posed by poor public service delivery and the prevalent individualistic attitudes…

17 May

Schlettwein defends push for clean cooking

Uncategorised

By: Niël Terblanché Statements made by Calle Schlettwein, the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, on an international forum where he advocated for modern energy sources for cooking food, have sparked controversy among Namibians.Many citizens took to social media to point out that a significant portion of the population lacks access to electricity or gas and relies heavily on firewood, which is abundant in the country.In response, Schlettwein addressed these concerns following the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Paris, France.Schlettwein emphasized the critical health and environmental issues associated with traditional cooking methods.According to the minister, data…

17 May

MoHSS clarifies funding for new Windhoek hospital

Latest

By: Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Health and Social Serviceshas clarified that the total cost of constructing the new Windhoek DistrictHospital is approximately N$2.9 billion. During the groundbreaking ceremony for thenew Windhoek District Hospital on Thursday, one of the main speakers mentioned thatthe total construction cost of the new facility will be N$16 billion. Although the new 500-bed facilityrepresents a substantial investment in the country's healthcare infrastructure,Walters Kamaya, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Social Services,clarified the misunderstanding regarding the funding of the new hospital.He stressed that the total cost ofconstructing the new Windhoek District Hospital is approximately N$2.9…

17 May

Windhoek now has 17 new street names

Latest

By: Ester Mbathera The City of Windhoek has renamed seventeen streets in honour of notable individuals, with the changes taking effect on Friday.Six of the renamed streets already existed while eleven were newly established motorways. The following streets have been renamed: Eneast Peter Nanyemba Street is now Jason Mutumbulwa Street, Sin Street is now Ulrich Paulino Street, Johann Albrecht Street is now Gaob Dr Justus ǁGaroëb Street, Jordan Street is now Arch Bonifatius Hausiku Street, Dam Beach Street is now John Kambangula Street and Hennie Laubscher Street is now Gen Karel Ndjomba Street.These changes affect areas in Auasblick Extension 1,…

16 May

Namibia and EU celebrate growing partnership

National News

Niël Terblanchéon Trade between Namibia and the European Union (EU) has been on the rise and is constantly driven by new agreements and partnerships. The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Jennely Matundu, highlighted the increased and positive collaboration during the 74th anniversary celebration of Europe Day in Windhoek on Tuesday. Matundu stressed that the partnership is promoting the development and beneficiation of raw materials and renewable hydrogen to support green and digital transformation. “Over the past 34 years, Namibia and the EU have built a strong relationship based on political and social dialogue, trade and sustainable development, economic…