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Niël Terblanché The joint civil-military community sensitisation campaign between Namibia and Botswana aimed at addressing critical issues such as illegal fishing, border crossings, poaching, and the smuggling of firearms, drugs, and illicit goods has commenced in the Zambezi region. Launched in June in both countries, the campaign began on Impalila Island on the Namibian side of the border. The initiative focuses on human-wildlife conflict, cattle rustling, and the protection of resources, with residents from Impalila Island and the nearby Kasika Island actively participating in the first community sensitisation meeting. During the meeting where the campaign was launched, several issues affecting…

Martin Endjala The Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, said concerning motor vehicle accidents, that the number of fatalities in proportion to the number of crashes has reduced by 4% from 18% in 2019. According to the report presented at the 9th Annual Road Safety Conference on Wednesday in Ongwediva, there has been a 30% decrease in fatalities, from 609 in 2019 to 423 in 2023. “As a nation and as stakeholders in this subsector, we need to measure and improve where necessary. I'm emphasising this in line with the theme adopted for this year's conference, which speaks to…

Niël Terblanché The Erongo Regional Council (ERC) has denied allegations circulating on social media that tins of fish distributed as part of the drought relief programme in the Usab location of Karibib were expired. In a statement on Wednesday, the ERC declared that the claims are false and misleading, reaffirming its commitment to adhering to established protocols for food distribution. Sam Ntelamo, Chief Regional Officer of the ERC, stated that the video suggesting that the tins of fish were expired and kept for distribution is completely misleading. "We confirm that the tins of fish in stock have not expired. In…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Agribank has begun the rollout of the drought relief subsidies. The Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi, during his budget speech in February, announced that the drought relief measures would be implemented from 10 July and that it would be in the form of an instalment relief and penalty interest waivers for clients. Agribank Chief Executive Officer Raphael Karuaihe announced this on Wednesday during a media briefing at the bank's headquarters. “Accounts of qualifying clients will be credited in full as and when instalments fall due, and past-due accounts will be credited with immediate effect. The…

Niël Terblanché The country needs N$42 million for health and nutrition, specifically therapeutic food. This is according to the June Drought Report, released by the Office of the Prime. According to the report, approximately 1.4 million Namibians are facing severe food insecurity between July and September this year. According to the report, the Namibian government requires over N$1 billion to provide adequate food assistance, but currently, only N$600 million is available. This is inclusive of logistical costs for transport. The primary factors contributing to the food insecurity crisis include a prolonged drought and erratic rainfall, both of which have been…

Martin Endjala The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has conducted assessments to determine whether the ongoing drought relief will be extended or reversed.  Rhingo Mutambo, the OPM spokesperson was responding to inquiries about the drought relief program's future after the conclusion of the 2024/25 financial year. The drought relief programme is set to end on 30 June 2025. “The current drought relief programme is premised on assessments conducted, namely the crop assessment and the vulnerability assessment and analysis (VAA). These assessments confirm that food insecurity is perpetuated by low rainfall and low or no harvest yield. They also confirm…