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Niël Terblanché The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) IV project is a vital tri-nation collaboration between Angola, Namibia, and South Africa to build a sustainable blue economy in the southern African region. A recent meeting in Swakopmund, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and led by Annely Haiphene, the executive director of Namibia's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, focused on refining the project’s objectives and structure. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project is aimed at enhancing marine fisheries and value chains, strengthening the management of Marine Protected Areas, and initiating innovative…

Stefanus Nashama Joining the world in commemorating World Press Freedom Day, the Namibia Media Professionals Union (NAMPU) demands that journalists must be equipped with the skills and knowledge to cover the complexities in the oil and gas sector. This is according to a statement issued by NAMPU’s acting secretary-general, Jemima Beukes, on Thursday. “The oil and gas industry is characterised by intricate legal frameworks, technical terminology, and opaque practices, presenting unique challenges for journalists. To address this gap, NAMPU calls upon newsrooms to prioritise the specialisation of reporters in the oil and gas sector and invest in specialised training and…

Niël Terblanchë The Port of Antwerp-Bruges plans to invest approximately US$265 million to develop a hydrogen and ammonia storage and export facility at the port of Walvis Bay. The Namibian Ports Authority and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges are also participating and will jointly manage the new facilities once they are constructed. It is part of an ambitious plan to make Namibia a frontrunner in the global green hydrogen economy and supply the alternative energy source both to passing ships and industrial users in Belgium, Germany, and other industrial clusters in Europe. The Belgian, King Phillippe and President Nangolo Mbumba, unveiled…

Niël Terblanché The police in the Erongo Region lauded the residents of coastal towns for their cooperation in sharing information that led to the arrest of three suspected drug dealers. Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba, the head of the Erongo police’s community affairs division, said the information led to the successful conclusion of an operation to prevent the sale of huge stashes of cannabis on the streets of the major towns at the coast. He said the first arrest was made at a house in Twahangana Street in the Kuisebmond neighbourhood of Walvis Bay on Thursday morning at approximately 11:30 "Information…

Martin Endjala The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation (MLIREC) has announced that it has resolved 4,089 labour complaints, resulting in the collection of more than N$1.8 million on behalf of affected employees from their employers. The ministry reports that the affected employees received the collected funds. The non-payment of remuneration is the subject of these complaints. The ministry's executive director, Lydia Indombo, revealed this information to the Windhoek Observer last week regarding the ministry's challenges and positive highlights within the labour sector. "The office of the Labour Commissioner dealt with a total number of 5,612 labour cases,…

Martin Endjala The governor of the Erongo Region, Neville Andre, has urged the private sector to establish a good relationship with the media in order to disseminate information to the community. The governor was speaking at the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, hosted by the Swakop Uranium Mine. "We are reminded of the critical role that free, independent media plays in our society, and that surely is very important in improving correlation and the relationship that we have with media. Press freedom in Namibia continues to receive high statistics and cooperation from the government; hence, Namibia's…

Stefanus Nashama Republican Party president, Henk Mudge has requested the government to ask for a postponement of the votes on the amendments and the New Pandemic Treaty (Accord) at the upcoming World Health Assembly meeting. He made the request during a press conference the party held on Thursday in Windhoek. “Should the postponement not be obtained, then the government must vote against the proposed amendments to the IHR and the Accord as a whole, properly about the proposed amendments as well as the pandemic treaty,” he expressed. According to Mudge the request made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja *Hilaria from Windhoek attempted to report a case of gender-based violence against her ex-lover. When she entered the Otjimuise police station, she claimed that she was mocked by police officers. “It happened more than once. I wanted to believe him, so I forgave him, hoping it was indeed a one-time mistake. But it wasn't a one- time mistake because few months after, one evening, during an argument that spiraled out of control, he hit me again and he took out a gun and pointed it at me, threatening to kill me and himself. I begged him to put…

Niël Terblanché Engine failure was the most likely cause of the tragic aircraft crash that occurred in Windhoek late on Friday afternoon. Three people, Rozanne De Beer-Olivier (33), a pilot who joined Westair in 2017, Ruan van Schalkwyk (24), a pilot who joined Westair in 2023, and Andre-Armand Lubbe (25), an engineer who joined Westair in 2019, were in the Cessna 406 when it crashed into the yard of a house in Rieckmann Street in the Pionierspark neighbourhood at approximately 17:10. Preliminary investigations indicated that the pilot, who was test-flying the aircraft that belongs to Westair Aviation in Windhoek after…