National News – Page 187 – Windhoek Observer

20 Aug

Windhoek city bins out of sight

National 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

National 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

National 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

National 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

National 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

National 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…

20 Aug

GIPF will aim to enhance member wellness during OATF

National NewsGovernment Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair

Niël Terblanché The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) announced its participation in the upcoming Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF), which will take place from 23 to 31, 2024 and aims to enhance member experience and improve stakeholder engagement. According to Edwin Tjiramba, the GIPF’s General Manager of Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement, the Fund will provide a broad range of services to its members, pensioners, and beneficiaries during the trade fair. “These services include biometric enrolment and verification, updates on membership status, information on pension benefits, claim procedures, and assistance with submission and claims status,” he said in a statement issued…

19 Aug

RP to expropriate unproductive farms dubiously awarded to Swapo cronies

National News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Republican Party (RP) President, Henk Mudge has pledged that, if elected as the next president, his administration will expropriate farms currently allocated under the government’s flawed Land Reform Scheme. Mudge stated that he would target farms that are currently allocated to government figures, Swapo elites, and their relatives. He said these farms are underutilised and only used as mere weekend retreats and that these properties will be reclaimed by the state. Mudge made these statements in the party's manifesto, which was released over the weekend in preparation for the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections. “Land is a…

19 Aug

Thousands invited to commemorate Heroes Day

National News34th Heroes Day commemoration

Hilarius Hamutenya Fifteen thousand people have been invited to the 34th Heroes Day commemoration that will be held at Omuthiya in the Oshikoto Region on 26 August. The day will be commemorated under the theme "Honouring our Martyrs" (Heroes and Heroines). This was confirmed by Penda yaNdakolo, the Oshikoto regional governor. “The town is more than ready. We have teams to ensure that the event goes smoothly in terms of logistics, safety and security, protocol and entertainment,” he said. YaNdakolo added that 120 former freedom fighters have also confirmed their attendance. He said the national event is open to all…

19 Aug

Paragon Aviation Services: 1 year on

National NewsDesmond Amunyela, Hosea Kutako International Airport

An exclusive interview with Desmond Amunyela, Executive Director, Business Development. Paragon Aviation’s executive director, Desmond Amunyela (DA), shared insights on the company’s first year managing ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA), which began on 19 August 2023. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer’s (WO) Hertta-Maria Amutenja, he described the journey as both challenging and successful, highlighting significant improvements in service quality, including on-time performance. Amunyela emphasised Paragon’s commitment to supporting Namibia’s aviation infrastructure, including plans for a technical centre and training facility. WO: Can you tell us a bit about Paragon’s journey and what led it to…