Uncategorised – Page 53 – Windhoek Observer

23 Jan

Few of the homeless can dream of decent housing in their lifetime

UncategorisedFew of the homeless can dream of decent housing, First Capital Housing Fund, Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF)

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro The issue is not about with how much surgical precision anyone, let alone the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), would wish to make us believe what and how much it is doing to help the government arrest the 300,000 housing backlog and/or shortage the country is experiencing. But that 300,000 housing units, by the government’s own assessment, are needed, and what can be done about this backlog by all and sundry, including the GIPF. Because acute shelter-less, homeless and roofless, is the norm in the housing sector in Namibia. Addressing this acute shortage is and cannot be the…

23 Jan

Abortion rights must be expanded

UncategorisedAbortion rights must be expanded

Khanyiswa Mogotsi As a country plagued with tragic baby dumping stories and nightmare tales of unwanted pregnancies, I still do not understand why terminating a pregnancy in all cases is not yet a legal health service option in Namibia. I have always been in support of reproductive rights. The biggest reason is that every person (man and woman) should have the right to decide what they will and will not do with their body and their lives. If they want to get a tattoo covering the entire lower half of their face, they should be allowed to because it is…

23 Jan

The Time Traveler: Let’s get the vaccine!

UncategorisedLet’s get the vaccine!, Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine

Hugh Ellis I recently watched a press conference by the UK medicines regulatory authority, announcing their approval of the new Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19. The presentation went into some detail, going step-by-step through the data from the trials of the vaccine in the UK, USA, Brazil and South Africa, showing how it had been reviewed by independent scientists and shown to be safe and broadly effective. The panel presenting the data consisted of a white British woman, a Chinese man, and a man of Middle-Eastern descent. They spent more than an hour answering questions from the media. It did…

23 Jan

How do you stuff evil back into its hole?

Uncategorisedextremist right-wing, How do you stuff evil back into its hole

Jackie Wilson Asheeke I drove through Washington, DC two days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. I had flashbacks to a drive through DC when I was in pre-school, two days after Dr Martin Luther King's assassination. The soldiers, tanks, sirens, and flashing lights were everywhere then and now. I shuddered at seeing weapons in plain sight. The scrutinizing eyes of armed white men made my blood run cold as a child and now as an adult. I know intellectually that the massive show of force was needed to keep the extremist right-wing lunatic fringe from easily acting out…

23 Jan

Cutting diplomats too deeply is a risk

UncategorisedCutting diplomats too deeply is a risk

The financial crisis faced by Namibia is severe. Budget cuts are required. The cuts recently announced will hit Namibian diplomats abroad too hard. There is a huge risk, and it should be done with extreme care. Horror stories abound of financially challenged countries that cannot support their diplomats abroad. It is a disgrace to any country with its diplomats, embassies and missions with water and electricity disconnected. It is shameful to have local staff suing for unpaid salaries. National humiliation ensues when diplomats are evicted from their homes. The trauma and shame of children sent home from schools for non-payment…

23 Jan

American embassy staff get COVID-19 vaccine

UncategorisedAmerican embassy staff get COVID-19 vaccine, Covax programme

Maria Hamutenya American Embassy Namibia staff have become the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the country, the Windhoek Observer can reveal. This comes after doses where made available to staff recently including locals. It is, however, not clear if family members of staff, including locals were included as part of the inoculation. “Protecting and promoting the health, safety, and security of the Department of State’s workforce is our top priority so that we can continue to carry out our mission on behalf of the American people,” said the U.S. Embassy Spokesperson Walter Parrs when contacted by the Windhoek…

23 Jan

Only 56 submissions from cannabis consultations

Uncategorisedcannabis consultations, cannabis legalization, Johannes Gaeseb

Andrew Kathindi The road to cannabis legalization in Namibia may be longer after the Ministry of Health and Social Services only received 56 submissions from consultations on the possibility of the regulation and controlled use of cannabis. “We received in total about 70, but when we went through them, there were some repeats and submissions in one document, so when one removes the repeats and resubmissions, we ended up with 56,” Registrar of Medicine in the Health Ministry, Johannes Gaeseb said. “We had questions in our public notice, so we’ll collate the answers to those questions and then make a…

20 Jan

Stay cautious when using free public Wi-Fi

UncategorisedDesery van Wyk, Head of Digital banking at FNB, Wi-Fi

Staff Writer As people look for diversity in working spaces from their normal ‘work from home’ routine, such as coffee shops, the use of free public Wi-Fi networks and hotspots in these public places calls for caution when accessing your banking or managing finances on laptops or mobile devices. Desery van Wyk, Head of Digital banking at FNB says “Consumers accessing free public Wi-Fi networks can potentially fall victim to cybercrime as fraudsters can get access to their passwords, personal and banking information. Connecting to any open or public Wi-Fi can expose you to security and privacy risks including ‘person…

19 Jan

Pig Farming: An Untapped Industry in Namibia

UncategorisedNamibia Statistics Agency (NSA), National Agriculture Census

Hanks Saisai According to the 2014 National Agriculture Census conducted by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), there are approximately 87 206 pigs countrywide and more than 50 percent are found in the communal areas of Northern Namibia. Indigenous or local breeds make up more than 50 percent of the pig population in the country. Pigs are reared for various meat products such as pork meat, bacon and as an ingredient in other products such as sausages and polony. In a country that has been affected by recurring droughts, livestock farming (cattle, sheep & goats) has been drastically affected making it…

16 Jan

Couch Cat – Battle your fat butt and belly

UncategorisedBattle your fat butt and belly

Jackie Wilson Asheeke After the holidays, eating fat food must stop. Stand in the mirror naked. Grab your belly (use two hands if you must). Then, turn around and twerk. Look at that sight in the mirror. You know exactly how much is too much. Juicy and curvy is good – but now is the time to make yourself even better. Here is what I do. First, I slow my roll with the junk and fast food. Pizza, soda, and chips are curse words for me. The best way to get your mojo back on eating properly is to pay…