Page 270 – News Stand

03 Oct

Namibia set to host disaster risk reduction conference

info_e12wt4csNational News9th African Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfRP-9)

Niël Terblanché Governments, regional, and civil society organizations from across Africa are set to gather in Windhoek for the 9th African Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfRP-9) and the 8th High-Level Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction. According to a statement released by the United Nations the conference set down for 22 to 24 October, comes at a time when Africa faces escalating natural disasters, including persistent droughts, extreme flooding, and intensifying cyclones. Under the theme "The Resilient Africa We Want," the forum aims to chart a new course for the continent, tackling these shared challenges head-on by focusing on…

03 Oct

Success of resilience-building agriculture projects reviewed

info_e12wt4csNational NewsFood and Agriculture Organisation

Niël Terblanché While Namibia is still in the grip of a severe drought, the success rate of small-scale farming projects to build resilience and improve food security for vulnerable communities is under evaluation. The implementation of these projects were done in collaboration with donors which demonstrates the vital role of international partnerships in achieving sustainable agricultural development in rural areas. According to a statement released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), these projects, funded by the Government of Japan, aim to strengthen the livelihoods of vulnerable communities affected by climate change, particularly drought. In this…

03 Oct

Namcor and SLB collaborate for suitable energy

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer MoneyFrans Kalenga, SLB Digital Forum 2024

Stefanus Nashama The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) and the global energy technology company SLB have signed an agreement to collaborate in advancing suitable technology in Namibia. The Namcor senior manager of sustainable energies, Frans Kalenga, announced the agreement on Thursday. “This agreement marks a greater step in our relationship towards building strong partnerships with international players, and we're excited to see the fruits of the seeds planted today. Our collaboration with SLB will play a key role in the sustainable development of Namibia’s energy resources, including recent oil discoveries, which marks an exciting era for our upstream sector,”…

03 Oct

MVA Fund opens a service centre at Katima Mulilo

info_e12wt4csNational News

Stefanus Nashama The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) inaugurated a new service centre in Katima Mulilo. The new facility was constructed at a cost of approximately N$11 million. On Thursday, Jane Iikela, a senior corporate communications practitioner at the MVA, explained that the service centre offers claims queries, submissions, and hospital case management visits to injured patients in the hospital. The MVA also operates the Divundu Emergency Medical Response Base, located between Rundu and Katima Mulilo, which provides emergency medical response services between the two towns. The centre was inaugurated last week by deputy prime minister and minister of works…

03 Oct

Toini Muteka appointed as executive officer for human capital at Bank Windhoek

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyBaronice Hans

Niël Terblanché Bank Windhoek has announced the appointment of Toini Muteka as the bank’s new Executive Officer for Human Capital. The appointment is effective from 1 October. The announcement was made by Bank Windhoek’s Managing Director, Baronice Hans, who stressed Muteka’s wealth of experience and leadership capabilities, which are expected to significantly bolster the bank's human capital strategies. “In her new role, Muteka will be tasked with developing and executing human resource strategies that align with Bank Windhoek’s broader business objectives,” Hans said. According to Hans, these strategies will be key to addressing critical areas such as succession planning, talent…

03 Oct

Failing to provide water is a violation of rights to Ndama JP School learners – Venaani

info_e12wt4csNational News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president, McHenry Venaani said the government's inability to provide basic water services is a severe violation of the rights of the learners at Ndama Junior Primary School and an impediment to their education. The opposition leader said this on Thursday while reacting to reports that a total of 1 300 learners and 37 staff members have been sent home due to the water crisis for the past four weeks. The school is located in Kavango East, and it is one of four schools in the region that have been affected by the lack…

03 Oct

Genocide negotiations have never been about reparations!!!

info_e12wt4csFeatured, Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro It is really not only disappointing but a betrayal as much of the highest order tantamount to high treason. Especially when perpetrated by fellow descendants of the survivors of the Genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama by colonial Germany. Yours Truly Ideologically has been careful not to through any broadside at fellow descendants. Believing other descendants other than him are no less and no more descendants then the next one. Thus what they have been and may have been busy with is as much legitimate and genuine like any other descendant. In Marxist-Leninist terms that their interests and…

03 Oct

Paratus eying African expansion

info_e12wt4csObserver Moneylow earth orbit, Starlink service

CHAMWE KAIRA Paratus Group, which has already launched Starlink services in Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia, is actively working on expanding its low earth orbit (LEO) offerings to more African countries as regulatory environments and satellite coverage permit. Chief Technical Officer, Rolf Mendelsohn, has said the company has launched the fastest express route from Johannesburg to Europe recently. “We have created an east-west African fibre route from Maputo to Swakopmund, we landed the Google subsea Equiano cable in Namibia and have built 4 Tier III by design data centres in Africa,” said Mendelsohn. He added that Paratus is positioning itself to…

03 Oct

Reserves drop to N$59.3 billion

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCustomer Foreign Currency (CFC)

CHAMWE KAIRA The Bank of Namibia’s stock of international reserves decreased at the end of August by 2.5% to N$59.3 billion, the central bank announced. The decrease in international reserves was primarily caused by customer foreign currency (CFC) withdrawals. This level of foreign reserves translated into four months of import coverage, exceeding the international benchmark of three months. Notably, the import cover, excluding imports of oil exploration and appraisal activities, stood at 4.8 months at the end of August relative to 4.9 months recorded at the end of July. At the end of August, the annual growth in private sector…

03 Oct

Salt exports average N$59 million

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyTrade Statistics Bulletin

CHAMWE KAIRA Namibia exported salt valued at N$59 million, mainly exported to Nigeria and South Africa in August, according to the Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin. The bulletin, which is produced by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), said on the demand side, the country imported salt valued at N$1.4 million, which was primarily sourced from South Africa. Over the entire period (Aug 2023 to Aug 2024), the value of salt exported averaged N$59.9 million, with the largest value recorded in March at N$86.2 million and the lowest value recorded in September 2023 at N$28 million. For August, Namibia’s was…