National News

Niël Terblanché Newly qualified sailors graduated from the sixth intake of the Basic Seamanship Training Course in the Namibian Navy at Walvis Bay. The course, which began in September 2023, and ended on 12 April, saw 37 seamen undergo extensive training designed to enhance their military skills in alignment with the strategic needs of the Namibian Navy. Commander Naval Operations (CNO), Rear Admiral Erastus Lazarus, presided over the ceremony and commended the graduates on their achievements. Lazarus emphasized the importance of training in preparing sailors for both peacetime and hostile environments. "The objective of this course is to develop and…

Stefanus Nashama The Ministry of Works and Transport has so far utilised N$10 million of the allocated N$40 million for the renovation of the Katutura Intermediate State Hospital. The executive director of the Ministry of Works and Transport, Esther Kaapanda disclosed this while inspecting the progress of the work done at the hospital on Friday. “We are happy with the work being done by different contractors. We acknowledged finishing the work on time and within budget,” she said. She pointed to challenges such as the management and relocation of patients to other wards that the renovation work is facing. “We…

Stefanus Nashama The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, says it has no intention to support Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and its leader Panduleni Itula, or any other political party in the upcoming November elections. AR spokesperson George Kambala confirmed this to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday. Kambala said the movement will run its affairs independently and will not support any other candidate apart from Job Amupanda, who has expressed his desire to represent the movement in this year's Presidential and National Assembly elections. “We have no interest in supporting Itula. We have no relationship with him and his party. What…

Niël Terblanché Phase one of the replacement of a five-kilometre section of the water supply pipeline which is the lifeline of Henties Bay has commenced. The pipeline which supplies the town water from the Omdel Dam according to the town mayor Lewis Vermaak has seen its days and has been inconveniencing the town when there are breakdowns. “The pipeline is very old and it’s breaking everywhere. They are now installing a new pipeline and a new reservoir so that Henties Bay can have reliable water supply throughout the year,” he said. Vermaak added that once the pipeline is completed another…

Ester Mbathera South African company Oceana Group which owns the Erongo Marine Enterprises (EME) said it will no longer pursue disciplinary charges against the suspended EME managing director Martha Uumati. This was confirmed by the EME spokesperson Francois van der Merwe on Sunday. “Oceana has agreed terms with Uumati. She resigned from her position effective 15 April 2024. The company will no longer be pursuing disciplinary action,” he said. The disciplinary hearing was scheduled for 11 and 12 April but did not take place. Van der Merwe could not confirm the date when Uumati submitted her resignation. He also did…

Martin Endjala The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) is hosting a Responsible Investment Symposium (RIS) in Windhoek. The symposium, currently underway, aims to tackle broadening horizons and engaging in honest debate about the relevance and practical impacts of the RIS and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) landscape and the Fund’s shared mandates. The GIPF’s Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer, Martin Inkumbi explained that RIS is integral to the GIPF’s business model. “Through the lens of sustainability, the Fund aims to capture value, mitigate relevant risks, and remain forward-looking to be part of the Responsible Investment community, to the extent…