National News – Page 129

27 Aug

MoHSS confirms vigilance against Mpox

info_e12wt4csNational NewsMpox

Hertta- Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has assured the nation that at present, Namibia has not recorded a confirmed Mpox case and that the country is fully prepared to handle any potential outbreak of the disease. This comes as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on 13 August, followed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which declared it a public health emergency of international concern a day later. The executive director of the Ministry of Health, Ben Nangombe, said Namibia’s health system is…

27 Aug

GRN sanctions culling of 723 animals to support drought relief efforts

info_e12wt4csNational Newsdrought relief efforts

Hilarius Hamutenya The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) will cull 723 animals in wildlife sanctuaries to support the government’s drought relief initiatives. The animals to be culled include 30 hippos, 50 impalas, 60 buffalos, 300 zebras, 83 elephants, 100 elands, and various wildebeest. The Cabinet endorsed the initiative after approving the "Namibia Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (VAA) Report," which mandates the ministry to supply meat for the drought relief program. Romeo Muyunda, the environment ministry’s spokesperson, said that national parks and communal areas with sustainable game populations will supply the animals. The 2023 National Conference on Human-Wildlife…

27 Aug

Voter registration system will be tested by comprehensive verification exercise

info_e12wt4csNational NewsIntegrated Mobile Voter Registration System (IMVRS), mock verification exercise

Niël Terblanché In preparation for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) will conduct a mock verification exercise (MVE) of the newly enhanced and upgraded Integrated Mobile Voter Registration System (IMVRS) on 30 and 31 August 2024. According to Peter Shaama, the chief electoral and referenda officer, the exercise follows a comprehensive electoral review process aimed at improving the efficiency and security of the voting process, particularly in the wake of the 2019 and 2020 elections. The IMVRS, which integrates voter registration, identification, and verification with the registration of political parties and the management…

27 Aug

Deadline for cross-border payment rules looms

info_e12wt4csNational NewsCommon Monetary Area

Martin Endjala Namibian commercial banks have issued various deadline notices as changes to cross-border payments within the Common Monetary Area (CMA) are set to take effect on 30 September. These changes will impact low-value electronic funds transfers (EFTs), debit orders, and credit payments between the CMA countries, namely Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Previously, these transactions were treated as domestic payments, allowing the participating banks in the four CMA countries to process them via South Africa's domestic retail payment system. This system provided a low-cost, efficient, and effective service to clients. However, under the new regulations, these transactions will…

27 Aug

Eswatini to roll out first women-controlled HIV prevention product

info_e12wt4csNational NewsIPPF’s Member Association in Eswatini, the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS)

IPPF ARC IPPF’s Member Association in Eswatini, the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS), is soon to roll out the first women-controlled HIV prevention product, the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR). FLAS will be among the first organisations to offer the DVR outside implementation or pilot studies anywhere in the world. Made of flexible silicone, the ring is inserted into the vagina by a woman and slowly releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine in the vagina over a one-month period, helping to reduce a woman’s risk of acquiring HIV. In 2023, in sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls accounted for 62% of all…

27 Aug

Farmers trained in food value addition

info_e12wt4csNational NewsUnited Nations World Food Programme

Niël Terblanché The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Capricorn Foundation and the University of Namibia (UNAM), recently conducted transformative training for farmers in value addition in the Hardap Region. According to a joint statement issued by the three institutions, this hands-on training towards enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture in Namibia was presented in Stampriet, Schlip, Bernafay, and Maltahöhe and it equipped 45 participants with vital skills in food preservation and processing. The training aimed to empower smallholder farmers - primarily youth and women from local farmsteads - by teaching them how to convert locally…

27 Aug

Geingos calls for bold dialogue on youth sexual health rights

info_e12wt4csNational Newssexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

Moses Magadza Former first lady Monica Geingos has emphasised the urgent need to champion sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people across East and Southern Africa. Geingos was the keynote speaker last Thursday at a regional dialogue themed “Transforming Futures: Exploring Strategies for Accelerating Collective Regional Actions to Advance Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights," hosted by the Swedish ambassador to South Africa, Namibia, and Lesotho Hakan Juholt at his residence in Pretoria. “We are in this together,” he said and stressed the need to uphold “human dignity, human rights, and mutual respect because we are one…

26 Aug

GRN mum on vessels suspected to be carrying military supplies to Israel

info_e12wt4csNational News

Martin Endjala The Namibian government remains silent on suspicious vessels alleged to have docked at the port of Walvis Bay while ferrying cargo of military material destined for Israel. According to information seen by the Windhoek Observer last week, on July 25, a vessel named MV Nordic IMO 9663001, operated by Ocean7 Projects APS, reportedly docked at Walvis Bay with the port of destination Piraeus, Greece. According to reports, the vessel corroborated the suspicion that it was hiding a cargo of military material for Israel when it did not stop at its official destination but instead, at the last moment,…

26 Aug

Mbumba calls for respect for the military

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Hertta-Maria Amutenja President Nangolo Mbumba called on the nation to respect Namibia’s Defence Force, Air Force, and Navy during the Heroes’ Day commemoration in Omuthiya on Monday. Heroes’ Day, observed annually on August 26, pays tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Namibia. Mbumba emphasised the importance of taking pride in the military forces, which play a central role in the nation's defence. “We must respect them because, in them, we depended on the defence of the motherland. And if you have no defenders, then you have no country,” Mbumba said. He criticised those who challenge…

26 Aug

PDM promises jobs, housing and expansion of agriculture

info_e12wt4csNational NewsPopular Democratic Movement

Stefanus Nashama The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) released its election manifesto over the weekend, in which it promises to create employment opportunities, build houses and expand agriculture if elected into power. According to the manifesto, the PDM plans to reduce the unemployment rate by 2029. "We will reduce the unemployment rate to 11% by 2029 through our ‘one constituency, one factory’ policy intervention," reads the manifesto. To ensure fiscal sustainability, the party also seeks to fix the economy and slash government debt by at least 50% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2029. The manifesto further indicates that the party…