National News – Page 361 – Windhoek Observer

03 Nov

Rising crime poses a significant threat to Namibians’ well-being

National NewsRising crime poses a significant threat to Namibians’ well-being

Stefanus Nashama Hidipo Hamata, a Member of Parliament from the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has voiced serious concerns about the alarming surge in criminal activities in Namibia, emphasizing the significant threat it poses to the safety and well-being of citizens. Hamata made these remarks while contributing to a motion tabled in Parliament this week, which addressed the issue of rising criminality in the country. The Parliamentarian highlighted the escalating crime rates, which not only jeopardize the social fabric of communities but also instil fear in the hearts of many Namibians. He called upon his fellow Parliamentarians to urgently address the…

03 Nov

NSA urges everyone to ensure they are counted in the final round

National NewsNSA urges everyone to ensure they are counted in the final round

Stefanus Nashama With regard to the completion of Census 2023, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has issued an appeal to the Namibian populace to account for individuals who were not counted on the reference night of September 24, 2023. Statistician-General Alex Shimuafeni announced yesterday that the official enumeration of individuals will conclude on Sunday, November 5, 2023, and emphasized the importance of ensuring that everyone is counted. “I would like to extend a call to all those who were in Namibia on the night of September 24, 2023, which served as the Census Reference Night but have not been enumerated,…

03 Nov

Entrepreneurship and Innovation celebrated at K2G NextGen Showcase

National NewsEntrepreneurship and Innovation celebrated at K2G NextGen Showcase

Niël Terblanché Neville Andre, the Governor of the Erongo Region stressed the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation as key drivers of economic growth and development while officially inaugurating the K2G NextGen showcase in Swakopmund Andre said that the significance of events like the K2G NextGen showcase is inspiring and empowering the next generation of business leaders. “It is events like these that inspire and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to realize their full potential,” he said. The K2G NextGen showcase is designed to recognize and honour young entrepreneurs who have demonstrated the courage to dream big, take calculated risks,…

03 Nov

Coastal fraudster under investigation

National News

Niël Terblanché A former employee of the Fisheries Observer Agency in Walvis Bay is facing charges of theft, fraud, money laundering and forgery. According to the incident report provided by the Public Relations Division of the Namibian Police, the suspect, while employed at the state-owned company, allegedly unlawfully and intentionally manipulated creditors’ bank accounts by replacing them with the details of a personal account. The suspect then proceeded to transfer a total of N$316,767.74 into a personal account through electronic fund transfers. The report states that the suspect used the stolen money for personal gain. The alleged fraud occurred between…

03 Nov

Mid-term budget allocation hailedas a trailblazer for economic growth

National NewsMid-term budget allocation hailedas a trailblazer for economic growth

Martin Endjala The recent mid-term budget allocation of N$326.1 million to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is hailed as a trailblazer to economic growth in the country, with an emphasis that access to finance has been identified as a key element for SMEs to succeed in their drive to build productive capacity, to compete, to create jobs and contribute to poverty alleviation. These were the sentiments shared by Economist and Independent Bank Researched Josef Sheehama on the SME injection, a move which he and other experts have been calling for. “Without finance, SMEs cannot acquire or absorb new technologies nor…

03 Nov

PostFin boosted by N$406m fund from KfW

National NewsPostFin boosted by N$406m fund from KfW

Martin Endjala PostFin, the microlending arm and a subsidiary of Namibia Post Limited (NamPost) was recently boosted with a N$406 million loan following the signing of an agreement with Germany’s KfW Development Bank. PostFin will use these funds to provide micro-loans to micro- and small-sized enterprises and households predominantly in rural and remote areas. PostFin was created as a conduit for NamPost to better serve Namibians by providing access to affordable financial services throughout the country. NamPost’s Chief Executive Officer, Festus Hangula, lauded KfW for the longstanding beneficial relationship between the two institutions and German Development Cooperation, which lasted for…

02 Nov

Unemployment poses a persistent threat of trauma among the youth

National NewsUnemployment poses a persistent threat of trauma among the youth

Stefanus Nashama The Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation, Utoni Nujoma, has emphasized that unemployment, especially among the youth, poses a significant threat of causing lasting trauma among this demographic in Namibia. Addressing the strategic planning workshop of the Labour Advisory Council (LAC) in Otjiwarongo this week, the Minister highlighted that the workshop was convened during a challenging period when the country faces labor-related issues. “We are meeting at a time when high levels of unemployment, especially among the youth, are on the brink of permanently affecting a generation of young Namibians. Furthermore, many Namibian workers do not…

02 Nov

Namibia will not be signing new agreement with the EU

National News

Martin Endjala Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia will not be signing the new partnership agreement between the European Union (EU), the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) in its current form. The agreement was set to be signed on 15 November 2023. Nandi-Ndeitwah announced this in Parliament yesterday, saying that due to concerns raised in 2021 by the government regarding several provisions in the New Partnership Agreement that are of fundamental concern to Namibia. “In this regard, the Attorney-General Festus Mbandeka was asked to provide a legal opinion…

02 Nov

Sign language should be a mandatory subject in schools

National NewsSign language should be a mandatory subject in schools

Martin Endjala Bernadette Jagger, the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, says sign language must be part of school curricula and become a mandatory subject in the Namibian school system. “It is believed that teaching sign language in schools, not only develops the confidence of deaf children to make friends and express themselves more, but hearing children will also gain the skills to communicate more with them,” she said. Jagger said this while contributing to a motion tabled recently in parliament by Deputy Minister Alexia Manombe-Ncube of Disability Affairs on recognising Namibian sign languages in the…

02 Nov

Vulnerable households receive assistance on World Food Day

National NewsVulnerable households receive assistance on World Food Day

Niël Terblanché In commemoration of World Food Day, the Capricorn Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), extended a helping hand to 200 vulnerable households in the Kavango East region of Namibia. The foundation contributed N$62,000.00 to provide food parcels to those in need, demonstrating their commitment to addressing food insecurity in the country. World Food Day (WFD), is observed annually in mid-October and is a global initiative led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to combat world hunger and raise awareness about food challenges worldwide. In Namibia, the…