Observer

Niël Terblanché On the occasion of International Nurses' Day, celebrated globally, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing, Namibia's health sector leaders took the opportunity to commend the nation's nurses for their dedication and pivotal role in healthcare. Ben Nangombe, the executive director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, praised nurses as historical angels of the health sector, urging them to maintain their reputation through love, diligence, and care in their daily responsibilities. During the event, which included a touching candle-lighting ceremony symbolising the nurses' commitment to their profession, Nangombe pointed to the essential role…

Ester Mbathera Beifang Mining Technology Services (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd. says it is committed to ethical business practices and employee well-being. The statement comes after the Windhoek Observer’s article in which the employees accused their employer of not adhering to labour laws and subjecting them to bad working conditions. Anthony Wilson, the Human Resources Manager at Beifang, said in a statement that the company is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of corporate citizenship. “Beifang values its employees as its most critical asset, as they remain and are the bedrock upon which our success over the years is founded. We are…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Competition Commission fined Johannes !Gawaxab, the Governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN), and two others for failing to properly notify relevant authorities about a business transaction that violated the country's merger control regulations. The penalty, amounting to N$1 million, also shed light on !Gawaxab’s prior business dealings have continued to attract scrutiny after his ascent to one of the country's top financial posts. Before his appointment in 2020, !Gawaxab was a distinguished figure in the business sector, known for his roles across various African countries with Old Mutual and as CEO of EOS Capital, a…

Stefanus Nashama In just three months, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security has received a total of 34,000 applications through the mass civic registration program countrywide. Services on offer during the outreach program include national documents such as birth registration for persons of all ages, applications for duplicate birth certificates, applications for identity documents, and applications for duplication of identity documents. The outreach registration program began on 5 February and will run until 30 July. Margaret Kalo, the ministry's public relations officer, said that applications for the mass civic registration outreach program will be accepted from 5…

Martin Endjala Combating wildlife trafficking in Africa should not be the responsibility of one country but rather the collective responsibility of all African countries. This was said by NamRA’s commissioner, Sam Shivute, during the conclusion of the first operation that focused on wildlife trafficking targeting Africa in coordination with other customs authorities, held on Tuesday in Windhoek. “When you are fighting wildlife trafficking or international organised crimes, it does not make sense for one jurisdiction to be doing better while other jurisdictions are not doing as well as they are supposed to. It will only help us if we all,…

Ester Mbathera The municipal council of Walvis Bay requested the chief executive officer to put on hold the suspension of the town’s general manager for finance and the manager of finance following a council resolution on Tuesday. Frans !Gonteb and Johana Shidute were suspended on Wednesday morning to allow for a full investigation into the appointment of RedForce Debt Management CC to assist the municipality collect outstanding debt. In a letter to the acting CEO, John Esterhuizen, the mayor, Trevino Forbes, acknowledged that they had not followed the proper procedure for the suspension of the two office bearers. “The Ministry…

Martin Endjala Katutura Ratepayers, through their legal representative, Henry Shimutwikeni and Co. Inc., have threatened to take the City of Windhoek (CoW) to the High Court for alleged violations of the Local Authority Act. In a letter dated 8 May, seen by the Windhoek Observer, the ratepayers have given CoW the right to respond to its demands before or on 24 May. The ratepayers are accusing CoW of allegedly using the practice of estimating water usage as opposed to measuring and reading ratepayers' actual water consumption, whose rates are currently set at N$47.18 per kilolitre for domestic usage as per…

Niël Terblanché In a recent turn of events, Namibia Drydock and Ship Repair (Pty) Ltd. (Namdock) has postponed its planned mass disciplinary hearings following a formidable challenge by the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (MANWU), represented by Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys. The planned mass disciplinary hearings stem from the first week in April when employees of Namibia’s premier provider of marine engineering solutions downed tools in protest of the company’s decision to change their working conditions without any prior notice. Initially set for May 10 and May 13, 2024, the hearings were intended to address allegations against a total of…