Page 326 – Windhoek Observer

19 Jun

PM thanks Japan and the EU for drought relief support

National News

Niël Terblanché Prime Minister Elijah Tjitunga Ngurare has thanked the governments of Japan and the European Union (EU) for donating more than N$32 million to support the country's drought relief efforts. Speaking in Windhoek on Wednesday, Ngurare described drought as a slow-onset crisis that weakens food security, damages livelihoods, and threatens health and dignity. He said the current drought is among the worst Namibia has faced in recent years, with subsistence farmers the hardest hit. “The 2024/25 Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister revealed that over 1.26 million people – about 41% of…

19 Jun

SADC workshop advances digital tool to track child marriage laws

Africa / World

Moses Magadza A three-day regional workshop got underway in Cape Town on Tuesday to finalise a pioneering digital dashboard to track the implementation of the SADC Model Law on eradicating child marriage and protecting children already in marriage. The SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and other partners convened the meeting, which brought together delegates, including monitoring and evaluation specialists, data scientists, SRHR researchers, youth activists, and civil society partners from SADC member states, with several participating online. The gathering is the latest milestone for a technical working group that, after earlier sessions in Johannesburg and Windhoek, has already produced a…

19 Jun

Veld fire management

National News

Erastus Ngaruka Rangeland productivity is affected by several factors, including rainfall, soil condition, fire, herbivory, and other ecological forces such as plant competition. In addition, human activities can have a significant effect on rangeland conditions. Ultimately, the adverse influence of these factors can disturb the normal ecological processes, leading to rangeland degradation. One of the recurrent factors that shape rangeland ecosystems is fire (commonly known as veld fires' or 'wildfires'), which can occur naturally or can be manmade. Many farmers have negative perceptions about veld fires due to their dangerous and destructive nature. However, natural veld fire events serve a…

19 Jun

Cricket Namibia proposes stadium project in Erongo

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Cricket Namibia’s chief executive officer, Johan Muller, has asked the Erongo regional governor, Neville Andre, to allocate land for the construction of an international cricket stadium in the region. Muller made the request this week during the opening of the Mondesa Cricket Hub in Swakopmund. The new facility, located at Hanganeni Primary School, is part of Cricket Namibia’s drive to bring the sport closer to communities and give young players in the coastal town a chance to train on proper turf. “Honourable governor, we purposefully invited you to the new Cricket Namibia ground in Windhoek, and we hosted…

19 Jun

Zimmer names final COSAFA U20 squad

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The U20 men’s national soccer team’s head coach Jerimi Zimmer and his assistant Uerikondjera Kasaona have named the final squad ahead of the 2025 COSAFA Under-20 Championship. The team reported for camp on Thursday and will be based at the NFA Technical Centre in Windhoek. Zimmer said the tournament is a crucial stepping stone for young players aiming to join the Brave Warriors or sign for Premier League clubs. He explained that most players in camp are active in the MTC HopSol Youth League, so the focus will be on tactical work rather than fitness. “Most of the…

19 Jun

Why Studying at Unaccredited Institutions is a Waste of Time and Resources

Featured, Opinions

As thousands of Namibian learners prepare to transition from high school to university, the excitement of choosing an academic path is often accompanied by the risk of falling into traps set by unaccredited and questionable institutions.Over the past few years, there has been a worrying rise in mushrooming colleges and so-called universities that operate without proper accreditation, offering qualifications that are ultimately worthless in the job market. It is crucial that learners, parents, and guardians become vigilant and informed to avoid wasting time, money, and dreams on institutions run by opportunistic scammers. Accreditation is not just a bureaucratic formality, it…

19 Jun

Does the latest N13.50 wage increase for security guards has any consequences?

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro That the security workers are working under unbearable conditions is absolutely an understatement. Because in modern-day free and independent Namibia, which is enormously wanting in social and economic justice, security guards are among the wretched of the workers, if not the wretched themselves. Subjugated to the uncaring and indifferent disregard and don’t care attitude of the unions, having been unrepresented by any unions for sometime, as well as the government, that has been grossly negligent and derelict in its duties in terms of the necessary legislation to guarantee, protect, enhance and promote their rights. Indeed it has seemed…

19 Jun

ANIREP fulfills conditions to take over CERIM

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power Limited (ANIREP) has fulfilled all conditions for acquiring a 45% stake in Cerim Luderitz Energy (Pty) Ltd for N$60 million. The company confirmed that all outstanding conditions precedent have been met. This includes the signing of the sale and purchase agreement and approvals from the Namibia Power Corporation and the Electricity Control Board. CERIM is an Independent Power Producer developing a 50 MW (AC) wind power plant located 17 km south of Lüderitz in the ǁKaras Region. The project includes the development of 743 hectares of land and the construction of a 40…

19 Jun

GIPF’s housing scheme in final stages

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The Government Institution Pension Fund (GIPF) is finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Office of the Prime Minister for the Pension Backed Home Loan Scheme (PBHL). Edwin Tjiramba, general manager for marketing and stakeholder engagement, told Observer Money that the fund will soon inform members and stakeholders of the outcome and the way forward. He declined to answer further questions, saying the fund is not in a position to share more information at this stage. In its 2024 Annual Report, GIPF said it had been engaging stakeholders on the PBHL scheme. The initiative is designed to…

19 Jun

Tariffs must be below import average tariffs

Observer Money

Observer Money (OM): Recently, the Electricity Control Board (ECB) said Namibia needs a power plant for base load generation. What would be the ideal capacity in the eyes of the ECB? Robert Kahimise (RK): The ideal capacity of a base load power plant based on the current developments can be like the following: Baines Hydro Power Plant (300-400 MW) as a long-term solution, an allocation of 200 MW to BW Kudu in line with the cabinet directive to offer base load power in the short to medium term, with a load profile in accordance with both the expiry of import…