National News – Page 385 – Windhoek Observer

15 Feb

Nampower to increase renewable energy into national grid by 2023

ObserverNational NewsNampower to increase renewable energy into national grid by 2023, The 20MW Omburu Solar PV plant which is expected to be completed in March of next year.

Tujoromajo Kasuto The 20MW Omburu Solar PV plant, which is expected to be completed in March of next year. The plant is being built by Hopsol Africa (Pty) Ltd and Tulive Private Equity JV, to supply clean renewable energy to 20,000 households via the NamPower grid. The solar power plant will consist of 33,000 solar panels and 100 inverters. The panels will be mounted on 67 single-axis trackers that follow the movement of the sun from east to west. The project's main goals are to lower the total Nampower tariff for customers by delivering affordable "new-build" renewable energy to the…

15 Feb

Kahungu frontrunner in top SPWC job

ObserverNational NewsKahungu frontrunner in top SPWC job, The current deputy secretary Fransina Kahungu and gender ministry official Katrina Liswani are the two frontrunners, THE Swapo Party Women’s Council (SPWC) secretary position is intensifying as the women’s congress days near

Martin Endjala THE Swapo Party Women’s Council (SPWC) secretary position is intensifying as the women’s congress days near. The current deputy secretary Fransina Kahungu and gender ministry official, Katrina Liswani are the two frontrunners to replace the outgoing secretary Eunice Iipinge. Insiders say, the majority of regional delegates favour Kahungu. Sources say the former Swapo Party Secretary General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and former (SPWC) secretary Petrina Haingura are behind Liswani, while Kahungu allegedly have the backing of deputy vice president of (SWAPO) Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Kahungu is alleged to have more support in the Zambezi and the two Kavango regions, as well…

15 Feb

Namibian students in Russia, Ukraine panic amid war fears

ObserverNational NewsA MEETING between Namibia's Ambassador to Russia Clemens Kashuupulwa and hundreds of Namibias studying in Russia and Ukraine yesterday has left many in a state of uncertainty, Namibian students in Russia, Ukraine panic amid war fears

Eba Kandovazu A MEETING between Namibia's Ambassador to Russia, Clemens Kashuupulwa and hundreds of Namibians studying in Russia and Ukraine yesterday has left many in a state of uncertainty, after the ambassador informed them that the Namibian government has made no arrangements for their evacuation, should the war between the two host countries breakout. Etuweda Hiwete, a medical student at the National Pirogova Memorial Medical University in Vinnitsa, Ukraine told the Windhoek Observer newspaper that Kashuupulwa, during the virtual meeting, called on students to remain calm. According to her, local media reports suggested that the Namibian government would fund the…

15 Feb

Namibia emerges from Fourth Wave

ObserverNational News367 485 eligible persons are fully vaccinated, inclusive of 1 364 children aged 12-17 years, The number of deaths decreased exponentially from 240 deaths reported during the preceding 29 days to 174 deaths reported during the period

Martin Endjala In today’s 40th Covid-19 briefing at State House by the Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, the Ministry of Health and Social Service Kalumbi Shangula, has announced that the fourth wave of omicron has ended. “We can now say that we have emerged from the fourth wave. However, the pandemic itself is not over,” the minister proclaimed. The Vice President Nangolo Mbumba on his part emphasized the need to continue sensitizing the public and encouraged trade unions, youth organization, spiritual leaders and business fraternity to continue following all Covid-19 health protocols. The maximum persons at public gatherings has been increased…

06 Feb

Saleh ASSI GETS AROUND U.S. SANCTIONS

ObserverNational NewsDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Saleh ASSI

Saleh ASSI, a Libanese national who has been under embargo by the American treasury and is not allowed to exercise any commercial activities due to said sanction, has found other means to escape the surveillance and vigilance of the justice system. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against Saleh ASSI a Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-based money launderer and his affiliated companies, including those that have generated tens of millions of dollars for Hizballah, its financiers, and their malign activities. “These designations,” according to OFAC, “…underscore the extent…

29 Jan

Should the court decide employee work orders?

ObserverNational NewsCovid-19, Shoprite, State of Emergency

The Shoprite strike is a sign of a healthy democracy. Workers have the right to organize and insist on their priorities. When a legal dispute is declared there are laws in play that must be respected by all sides. The concern is the initial ruling of Judge Shafima Ueitele. He interdicted Shoprite from redeploying existing employees to do the work of an employee who was out on strike. Such a sweeping decision is rightfully under appeal. Its ramifications for all businesses in Namibia are severe. Firing workers legally on strike and then hiring outside ‘scab’ labour is illegal. The unclear…

26 Jan

Land issues in 2021 will no longer wait

ObserverNational NewsNamibia

The time to get something going on land redistribution and land reform is now. 2021 is the time for the new normal. The same old meetings, platitudes and fake solutions are bankrupt. The people who want land for themselves (there is little concern about a national policy) are tired of waiting. Decision-makers must think about land reform differently and begin to enact even partial solutions, now. Land grabbing cannot be allowed. Forced redistribution of private land owned by others even with the compensation offered, is illegal in most cases. It is unpolitic to make these statements bluntly, but it must…

22 Jan

Board fees are not the issue

ObserverNational NewsMinistry of Public Enterprise, Secretary to Cabinet George Simataa, SME Bank

It is long overdue that boards of directors be held accountable when they do not meet expectations. But penalties cannot be extracted without a regulatory framework and definitions. The Ministry of Public Enterprise must demand that potential board members agree to listed performance requirements. Those requirements must be given in advance and in writing. They should state upfront that board fees are payable only with approved performance ratings each quarter. Until this is done in Namibia, no one can arrive after the fact and declare that (undefined) ‘poor performance’ means that board fees must be returned. This is not a…

15 Jan

COVID-19 vaccines are arriving soon; are we ready?

ObserverNational NewsCOVAX, Covid-19, Namibia

The rich countries of the world are already receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. Many have inoculated millions of their citizens so far. That won’t happen here; we can’t afford it, and we are not producing the vaccine locally. The ministry of health's announcement indicated that vaccine doses for 20 percent of the population (or about 508,000 people) could start in February. Namibia must handle the entire process with effectiveness, fastidiousness, trained workers, and discipline. We cannot afford to mess this up. We assume that our health officials are conquering the logistics of maintaining the extreme cold required for the doses' storage.…

14 Jan

Smile! You may be on a viral video

ObserverNational NewsNamibia, video

In the new normal, video clips of anything and everything can go viral. Some of this footage is heartwarming or harmlessly hilarious. At other times, what is captured on camera is disturbing, frightening and whips up anger. But, those of us watching and forwarding such video clips or so-called ‘reports’ must be more responsible. The public must STOP believing everything they read and see automatically. People must check the source, corroborate, verify and question everything they read, hear or see online. If the public does not do this, access to the internet will be lost. Those in power will eventually…