Blog – Page 888 – Windhoek Observer

10 May

FIMA technical committee inauguration on Monday

Observer Money

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Financial Institutions and Markets Act of 2021 (FIMA) Technical Committee will be officially inaugurated by Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi next week. Wilson Shikoto, the Finance Ministry’s Spokesperson announced that Shiimi referred the Act, which has been experiencing issues with the preservation of retirement benefits, to a technical committee last year. “The Minister will inaugurate the technical committee for consultation. The committee is going to consult on the standard and regulations of FIMA. When people were concerned with the FIMA regulations last year, it was then suspended to allow enough time for consultations,” Shikoto said. The committee will…

10 May

Nampower’s defaulters to face load shedding from June…Debt exceeds N$1 Billion

MainNampower’s defaulters to face load shedding from June…Debt exceeds N$1 Billion

Niël Terblanché About three-quarters of Namibia’s population is staring into the dark abyss of chronic electricity supply interruption because of bad debt. Outstanding debt to the National Power Corporation, NamPower has escalated to more than N$1 billion.In an announcement issued by NamPower’s Managing Director, Simson Haulofu, the utility company said that it set to introduce a gradual disconnection schedule to two regional electricity distributors, one regional council and 19 local authorities across the country.This gradual interruption schedule will leave the four most densely populated regions of the country, residents of Windhoek and large swathes of the south without power for…

09 May

Chinese Lithium miners labeledfrauds as Minister revokes license

National NewsChinese Lithium miners labeledfrauds as Minister revokes license

Niël Terblanché The process of awarding a lithium mining license to Xinfeng Investment (Pty) Ltd was flawed from the start while allegations of corruption and other fraudulent dealings eventually led to the complete revocation of the company’s right to mine and export lithium from Namibia’s shores. The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, in a letter to lithium miner, Zhou Hao informed of his decision to revoke Mining License 243 situated in the Exclusive Prospecting License (EPL) 7228 area near the small desert settlement of Uis. Alweendo said that during the application for ML 243, Xinfeng deliberately included misleading,…

09 May

WHO declares COVID-19 emergency as something of the past

National NewsWHO declares COVID-19 emergency as something of the past

Niël Terblanché Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring that Covid-19 no longer represents a global health emergency, Namibians might still get infected with the latest evolution of the SARS-CoV2 virus. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, has warned Namibians that although the danger of the illness brought on by the virus has waned, infection is still possible and that immune-compromised individuals might still experience adverse effects from it. “Because of all the steps we took in concert with the international community, Namibia moved out of the health emergency status in July 2022 already. Other countries in…

09 May

Police hunting for armed robbers

National NewsPolice hunting for armed robbers

Niël Terblanché Officers from both the Namibian Police and the Windhoek City Police have requested members of the public to assist them in apprehending a gang of armed robbers who yesterday morning held up and robbed the owner of the Gammams Shell Service Station in Khomasdal. According to reports, the robbers were watching the movements of the service station owner. They punctured his car’s tyre with a knife and when he left the service station with a laptop computer bag, they swarmed him and threatened to kill him with a knife before grabbing the bag and fleeing in a silver…

09 May

Windhoek informal settlement residents fed up

National NewsWindhoek informal settlement residents fed up

Stefanus Nashama Residents of informal settlements in Windhoek are appealing to the Government for what they say is a mess they find themselves in. They have cited unhygienic environments, a lack of sufficient water and electricity as the main concern for communities. A number of community leaders who spoke to the Windhoek Observer expressed that people walk long distances to fetch water, risking their lives. They also expressed concern over the rising cases of shack fires, leaving many families homeless. Silas Shipindo, a community leader in Goreangab said it is not a secret that people in the informal settlements are…

09 May

Trade Ministry launches micro-business simulation training

National NewsTrade Ministry launches micro-business simulation training

Stefanus Nashama The Ministry of Industrialization and Trade in partnership with the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation yesterday kicked off its micro business simulation trainings. Trade Minister, Lucia Iipumbu in her speech said that the training is aimed at helping entrepreneurs to manage their businesses successfully. “The training will focus mainly on financial management aspects such as business planning, forecasting, record keeping, budgeting, and financial statements to enable entrepreneurs to get the know-how of business financial,”Iipumbu said. She added that the partnership further aims to enhance entrepreneurship development and deliver entrepreneurial training interventions. The participants to be trained through this…

09 May

SADC must provide aid and support to the DRC

MainSADC must provide aid and support to the DRC

Hertta-Maria Amutenja President Hage Geingob, who serves as the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation has requested that SADC member countries work together with East African Community (EAC) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to support the disturbing situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Geingob officially opened the SADC extraordinary organ troika summit which concluded in Windhoek yesterday. “With the DRC accession to membership of the East African Community (EAC), and the initiatives being spearheaded by President Lourenco of the Republic of Angola, there is a need for SADC to work together with…

08 May

Nujoma calls fellow politicians ‘self-styled’ leaders

National News

Stefanus Nashama The Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, Utoni Nujoma, said he has observed a number of politicians who try to capitalize on the struggles of Namibian workers and derail their trade unions. Nujoma referred to his fellow politicians as ‘self-styled leaders of workers’ who have personal intentions to not organize workers into trade unions but rather to put on colorful costumes and stage media events for their own interests. The Minister made these remarks on Friday while he was addressing the 12th Congress of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), in Ongwediva. “I note that self-styled…

08 May

Recon disputes LAC’s claim about zero public consultations

National News

Hertta –Maria Amutenja Recon Energy Namibia(REN) has refuted claims by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) that there was a lack of public consultations for the amendment of an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) for the oil company. Last week, the LAC said there were submissions made about the lack of public consultation for the clearance certificate. “Despite submissions made, in particular around the lack of public consultation and the inadequacies of the environmental impact assessment undertaken in the first application, the Environmental Commissioner failed to consider such and granted the amendment of the ECC 0091,” Corinna van Wyk of the Land,…