Page 1267 – Windhoek Observer

23 Sep

Bureaucracy derails Rent Control Board

Observer MoneyMinistry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD)

Clifton Movirongo Five years on, government has yet to operationalise the Rent Control Board, as the process is still unresolved. This comes amid revelations that the process of transitioning the rent board from the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) to the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) is still to be concluded. Even though the process of the rent board has taken half a decade, the government claims to be committed to it. “We are in the process with the MIT, they are putting all the logistics together and that is not finalised yet,” said urban and rural…

23 Sep

Law Society appeals Sisa judgement …as divisions rock LSN

Observer MoneyJudge Herman Oosthuizen, Law Society of Namibia (LSN), Sisa Namandje, Supreme Court

Andrew Kathindi Lawyer Sisa Namandje’s victory at the High Court last month could be short lived after the Law Society of Namibia (LSN) lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court. This comes after Judge Herman Oosthuizen, last month dismissed with costs the LSN’s application to probe the financial records of Namandje over his alleged involvement in the Fishrot saga. Uno Katjipuka, who represented the LSN in the court case confirmed the development to Windhoek Observer. “We filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court on 15 September,” she said. The appeal comes amid calls for conflicted LSN councilors to…

22 Sep

Support needed for women who lay abuse charges

National NewsMinister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Doreen Sioka

The Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Doreen Sioka recently made a speech urging women who lay charges of domestic abuse not to withdraw them. This is an admirable speech, but where are the tangible, effective programs to help these women once they step up and demand justice? Women are predominantly the victims of domestic violence. Most back away from their initial charges of abuse for a variety of reasons. Ignorance leads to charge withdrawals. We must eradicate the ‘belief’ in the community (and the disinterested, misogynistic police officers taking these reports) that women ‘deserve’ or are the cause…

22 Sep

The Fuel of the Future – Namibia is ready for Green Hydrogen

UncategorisedFuel of the Future, Green Hydrogen

There is increasing evidence of fossil fuels being replaced by renewable energies. The main drivers of this migration are climate mitigation, decarbonization and competitiveness of renewable energy technologies. Renewable electricity can help reduce emissions in road transport, low-temperature industrial processes and in heating buildings. However, fossil fuels have a significant advantage in applications that require high energy density, industrial processes that rely on carbon as a reactant, or where demand is seasonal. To fully decarbonize the world economy, it is likely a clean molecule will be needed, and hydrogen is well placed to play this role. Hydrogen is versatile, reactive,…

22 Sep

NWR cuts management salaries

UncategorisedDr Matthias Ngwangwama, Namibia Wildlife Resorts Limited (NWR), NWR, NWR Managing Director

Staff Writer Namibia Wildlife Resorts Limited (NWR) has resolved to slush salaries of its senior management by 25 percent as part of its cost containment measures, amid the negative impact of COVId-19 on the country’s tourism sector. “For the past six months, all tourism companies have been severely affected by Covid-19. Namibia Wildlife Resorts Limited (NWR) being one of the dominate players was not spared from the impacts of the pandemic. With the negative effect on the operations of the business, NWR has had to pursue extensive cost-cutting and revenue-enhancing measures that enabled it to continue as a going concern,”…

22 Sep

Health ministry advises northerners

Observer MoneyCovid-19, Health Ministry Executive Director Ben Nangombe, Robert Mugabe Clinic

Andrew Kathindi As COVID-19 cases in the northern parts of the country continue to rise, there is increased concern from residents. The health ministry has warned northerners not rush to swabbing sites to get tested for the pandemic. This comes after the state’s Robert Mugabe Clinic, where COVID-19 testing was predominantly collected in Windhoek, was overwhelmed. This presented a public health concern as long queues and little social distancing was observed. “People in the north should not flock to swabbing places. Our team will be the one that does the swabbing so the community should be advised by the health…

22 Sep

Security cluster operations make a come-back

Observer MoneyCity Police Chief Abraham Kanime, Windhoek

Helena Johannes Security cluster operations will return to Windhoek amid outrage over a spate of gruesome crimes reported over the past few days. City Police Chief Abraham Kanime said the police unit had engaged with other stakeholders such as the Namibian police and the Namibia Defense Force to ensure that safety and security procedures are a priority in and around Windhoek. “We met on Saturday to re-check our strategy on how we are going to enforce the operation,” he said. This comes as there has been a significant increase in serious crimes in the area. In the latest incident, an…

18 Sep

Finally, restaurants are open! . . . my food tastes great again

UncategorisedCouch Kitten, Covid-19, president Hage Geingob, Wetumwene Shikage

Couch Kitten: Wetumwene Shikage In an address made last week Friday, President Hage Geingob, updated national measures to fight COVID-19. The actions he announced were to further maintain a delicate balance between our health and our socio-economic well-being. During his address, he eased some restrictions and regulations which were earlier in place. One of the restrictions which were put in place included restaurants operating on take away basis only. He announced that restaurants could now operate for sit down meals. I could not be happier. I have been waiting for this ease ever since the restriction was put in place.…

18 Sep

The new normal is now

National NewsCovid-19, president Hage Geingob, State of Emergency

We support President Hage Geingob’s difficult decision not to extend the State of Emergency. While other restrictions and protective measures are still in place, the damaged Namibian economy is open. Recovery will not be automatic; it may take years for Namibia to show significant economic growth. The country was in a devastating recession even before the pandemic struck. Nevertheless, moving towards a light at the end of the tunnel, even without a COVID-19 vaccine available, is critical to the nation’s survival. To a certain degree, Namibia allowed the over-the-top pandemic reactions of the Western world to infect us in many…

18 Sep

Those vying for regional, local authorities must be worth their ideological salt

UncategorisedElectoral Commission

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro This Tuesday teams of the Electoral Commission completed supplementary voters’ registration across the country. This is to especially ensure that those who have turned 18 years, and others like those who have since changed their residential localities/constituencies and/or have changed their names, etc., makes the necessary amendments. So that comes November 25, like the benign folks that the voters have all along, years in and year out been, can cast their votes in the regional and local authorities elections. Votes that they would be casting hoping against hope. Hoping that those they will be voting to be in…