National News – Page 167

21 Aug

Hippos saved by decisive action

info_e12wt4csNational News

The Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has successfully intervened to rescue a group of hippos stranded on dry land in the Salambala Conservancy in the Zambezi region. The severe drought caused a significant decrease in water levels in the floodplains of the major rivers that flow through the region, leaving the pond where the hippos had been making their last stand for months reduced to mud that did not protect them from the sun. Romeo Muyunda, the ministry’s spokesperson, said on Wednesday that by May 2024, the situation had become critical, prompting immediate action from officials.…

21 Aug

CoW needs N$308 million to extend Kupferberg dumping site lifespan

info_e12wt4csNational NewsAna-Beatriz Martins, Kupferberg landfill site, Queen Kamati

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The City of Windhoek (CoW) needs to commit approximately N$308 million to extend the Kupferberg landfill site's lifespan and create more dumping sites to deal with the ever-growing city waste. The capital city’s mayor, Queen Kamati, made this revelation on Wednesday during the stakeholders' engagement workshop for the European-funded project to improve solid waste management. Windhoek and the free Hanseatic city of Bremen are jointly implementing the project. She said the municipal area's rapid population growth has led to a surge in monthly waste generation, thereby placing pressure on the available airspace and lifespan of the existing landfills.…

21 Aug

MICT and LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia unite to protect children from cyber attacks

info_e12wt4csNational NewsDr. Audrin Mathe, LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia

Niël Terblanché Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia in a concerted effort to enhance the safety of children online. The new partnership, signed in Windhoek on Wednesday, aims to intensify public education on cybersecurity, with a particular focus on equipping children with the knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. Dr. Audrin Mathe, the executive director of MICT, stressed the importance of this collaboration, stating that the partnership will strengthen the National Cybersecurity Strategy and Awareness Raising Plan 2022–2027, which was adopted by the Cabinet. “Cybersecurity requires…

20 Aug

MUN accuses Swakop Uranium of undermining workers’ rights

info_e12wt4csNational NewsMineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), Phillipus George Ampweya

Niël Terblanché The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) has strongly condemned what it describes as a calculated attempt by Swakop Uranium’s management to undermine the union's independence and integrity. Phillipus George Ampweya, the union’s general secretary, accused the company of engaging in union-busting activities that violate both the Namibian Labour Act and the fundamental principles of democratic industrial relations. In a statement, Ampweya expressed grave concerns over Swakop Uranium's alleged interference in the union's internal processes, labelling it a direct attack on the union's inherent organisational rights. Ampweya claimed that by instructing the national structure on how to restructure the…

20 Aug

Windhoek city bins out of sight

info_e12wt4csNational News

Hilarius Hamutenya Pedestrians in Windhoek's city centre find themselves burdened by their own waste as they navigate streets where dustbins are either out of sight or overflowing. On Independence Avenue, from Sam Nujoma Avenue to John Meinert Street, about 20 small black dustbins are attached to streetlight poles. However, these bins are often inadequate for the volume of waste generated. The Windhoek Observer has observed that the five red bins from Rent-A-Drum are only collected twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. This infrequent collection leaves the streets littered with trash, as the limited number of bins quickly fill up.…

20 Aug

Windhoek taps running dry

info_e12wt4csNational NewsWater shortage crisis

Martin Endjala The City of Windhoek is not currently in a water shortage crisis, but it is grappling with an imminent water security issue due to low rainfall. According to the city’s chief executive officer, Moses Matyayi, the city's water supply heavily depends on dams filled by seasonal rains, and inadequate rainfall has strained the water reserves. He said that, as a result, NamWater, which is the city's primary water supplier, is unable to adequately supply enough water. He added that the city now needs to find ways and means to cope with the current water shortage. “So what we…

20 Aug

Dippenaar set to hear his fate on Friday

info_e12wt4csNational News

Niël Terblanché Jandre Dippenaar, who was convicted on, amongst others, six counts of murder in the Swakopmund Regional Court in June, will have to wait until Friday to hear what his eventual fate concerning his sentencing would be. Magistrate Gaynor Paulton, in her judgement delivered in June, also found Dippenaar guilty of one count of reckless and negligent driving and a count of driving a vehicle without a valid driver’s license. The guilty verdict stems from a horrific motor vehicle accident on 29 December 2014, near Henties Bay, in which six people lost their lives. Three of the deceased persons,…

20 Aug

Afrobarometer defends elections survey results amid political backlash

info_e12wt4csNational NewsAfrobarometer team, Christie Keulder

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Afrobarometer's representative in Namibia, Christie Keulder, has clarified that their survey on the outcome of the November elections was conducted with a specific focus on democracy and governance. He clarified that people should not mistake the results of an election opinion poll for actual election results. Keulder made this statement on Tuesday in response to media reports where local politicians questioned the credibility of the survey and dismissed it as a meaningless poll that does not reflect the political reality in Namibia. He said Afrobarometer is a Pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African…

20 Aug

MoHSS intensifies Mpox preparedness

info_e12wt4csNational NewsMinistry of Health and Social Services, World Health Organization

Niël Terblanché The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) announced that it has intensified its surveillance and preparedness measures in response to the declaration last week of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). This declaration followed the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) classifying Mpox as a public health emergency of continental security which called for urgent coordinated public health responses across the continent. Ben Nangombe, the executive director of MoHSS in a statement on Tuesday, said that Namibia has not yet detected any suspected or confirmed…

20 Aug

Nguvauva refutes claims of brawling at Omaheke Swapo meeting

info_e12wt4csNational NewsBianca Van Wyk, Rocco Nguvauva

Stefanus Nashama The Regional Councillor of the Okorukambe Constituency, Rocco Nguvauva, claims that the allegations of physical assault and beating against the former Omaheke governor, Festus Ueitele, made by the former Omaheke Swapo Women's League regional coordinator, Bianca Van Wyk, are baseless. On Friday, Nguvauva accused Van Wyk of being hired to disrupt the process of restructuring the leadership of the Okorukambe branch. ‘’I must bear witness here that the lady who claimed to be beaten by the former governor, her claims don't hold water at all and are those people who are hired to come disrupt the peaceful process…