Observer Money

Government concerned about Northern vaccination reluctance

Government concerned about Northern vaccination reluctance

Andrew Kathindi Minister of health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula, is raising concern over the low number of people being vaccinated in northern Namibia. The Government has relaxed some of the measures being used to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country. “Of the various vaccine sites that I visited, I found no, or only a few persons who have come for vaccination. While vaccination teams were deployed at the sites, members of the public have not showed up,” says Shangula. According to him he was informed by vaccination officials that the daily average of vaccines at their respective…
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Health Ministry shrugs off reports against J&J vaccine

Health Ministry shrugs off reports against J&J vaccine

Tujoromajo Kasuto Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, says Namibia will go ahead with the procurement of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine despite reports declaring the vaccine to be less effective against the Delta variant. “We don’t base judgment on a single source,” sates Shangula adding that the public will be notified when the ministry has received the dosses and how much the government has forked out to acquire the dosses. The Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Ben Nangombe, also shruggs of reports that the Johnson & Johnson's Corona virus vaccine, which…
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Opposition parties to challenge Noa re-appointment

Opposition parties to challenge Noa re-appointment

Andrew Kathindi Opposition parties in the National Assembly will oppose a decision by this chambers to re-appoint Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director General, Paulus Noa, and his second in charge, Deputy Director General, Erna van der Merwe, Windhoek Observer can reveal. This was confirmed by Popular Democratic Movement Leader, McHenry Venaani, following a special session of the National Assembly today which approved President Hage Geingob’s nominations of Noa and van der Merwe. “All the opposition [parties] together have just taken a decision that we are approaching the court on an urgent basis to nullify that decision,” Venaani tells Windhoek Observer. Noa…
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ACC’s boss, Parliament debate on hold . . . following chaos in August House

ACC’s boss, Parliament debate on hold . . . following chaos in August House

Andrew Kathindi The debate on the re-appointment of Director–General of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Paulus Noa, is indefinitely on hold after Parliament descended into chaos. Swapo’s Party’s Chief Whip, Hambyuka, Hamunyela, proposed an “end” to the debate after nearly two hours into the debate. “I move in terms of rule 106 A of the standing rules and order that the question be now put to the speaker to close the debate.” The motion, which the Speaker tried to correct as not a motion, was not received well by the members of the Nati0nal Assembly with Speaker of Peter Katjavivi, stating…
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Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb and Ohorongo Cement collaborating to fight COVID-19

Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb and Ohorongo Cement collaborating to fight COVID-19

Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb and Ohorongo Cement through the Ohorongo Otavi Community Trust partnered to donate 10 hospital beds and installation of oxygen supply points valued at N$300 000.00 to the Tsumeb District Private Hospital on Thursday, 22nd July 2021. The hospital experienced a shortage of beds and oxygen supply points, which prompted the collaborated assistance from Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb and Ohorongo Cement. The Tsumeb District Private Hospital have their own oxygen generating plant, the support provided will also relieve the pressure on the Tsumeb State Hospital as the private hospital will now assist more patients with a stable…
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Northern Namibia may become epicentre

Northern Namibia may become epicentre

Tujoromajo Kasuto Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, is urging people in the north to comply with Covid-19 regulations or otherwise the northern part of the county might become the new epicentre. Nangombe however states that, “It is too early to say” to decide if as yet the north is the new Covid-19 epicentre in the country. He says people are urged to comply with the measures that are already in place, like the restriction of movement between the zones, to observe social distance, to sanitize, avoid unnecessary gatherings and so forth, as these measures…
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PDM to oppose Noa’s re-appointment

PDM to oppose Noa’s re-appointment

Andrew Kathindi The Leader of the official opposition, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), McHenry Venaani says his party will reject the nomination of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director General, Paulus Noa, when the matter is brought for debate tomorrow, 28 July. Prime Minister, Saara Kugongelwa, on Tuesday afternoon confirmed to the National Assembly, which met for a special session after it has been on an indefinite break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that Noa and his second in charge, Erna van der Merwe, have been nominated by President Hage Geingob. “We are going to vehemently argue against the reappointment of Noa. He…
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Finance ministry replaces Ericah Shafudah

Finance ministry replaces Ericah Shafudah

Staff Writer The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has appointed its head of procurement, Francois Brand, as the new acting executive director, the ministry has announced. “Brand will fill the vacancy left by Ms Ericah Shafudah who is retiring from the public service end of this month,” MoF Spokesperson, Tonateni Shidhudhu, says. Shafudah announced her retirement from the ministry where she served as accounting officer for eleven years to join the United Nations earlier this month. Brand will serve as acting ED from 2 August until 31 January 2022.
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COVID-19 contributes to drug use, psychiatrist says

COVID-19 contributes to drug use, psychiatrist says

Tujoromajo Kasuto Stress during the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to increased substance abuse, thus causing a snowball effect on the demand of illicit substances amidst the pandemic. Over the weekend the Namibian Police reported a number of arrests across the country involving drugs. According to Psychiatry Specialist, Mental health and Addiction professional at the Windhoek Central Hospital, Lahija Hamunjela, most of the admissions at the psychiatry ward are connected to substance abuse, which are predominantly an outcome of mental illness. Hamunjela says there is a close relationship between people who have depression and the use of substances. “The current stress…
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ACC, ECN to get new heads … as parli meets urgently

ACC, ECN to get new heads … as parli meets urgently

Staff Writer The National Assembly will convene for a special session tomorrow, 27 July, to decide the appointment of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Namibia (ACC), Parliament has announced. ACC boss, Paulus Noa’s contract, which ended at the start of the year, was extended for six months by President Hage Geingob in January and then for another month again last month. “As provided for by article 62 sub-article (1) (c) of the Namibian Constitution, H.E. Dr. Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, has directed by Proclamation number 7586, that…
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