Page 462 – News Stand

02 Apr

Okahandja suffers as the tide of copper theft rises

info_e12wt4csNational News

Niël Terblanché During the early hours of a Sunday morning, the residents of Smarties Extension 9 in Okahandja were shaken awake by an explosion before being engulfed in darkness once again. As the sun rose, the grim reality became apparent: three copper cables, lifelines of electricity to their homes, were severed from a transformer, leaving the community powerless and in despair. This theft, described by onlookers as "barbaric," signals a burgeoning crisis not unique to Okahandja but reflective of a distressing trend across nations. Okahandja is struggling with an escalating wave of copper cable theft. This malaise isn't merely a…

02 Apr

Namibia aims to strengthen inland fisheries

info_e12wt4csNational News

Niël Terblanché In order to bolster the sustainability and productivity of inland fisheries, Namibia's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has laid out a comprehensive plan for the 2024-2025 financial year, seeking over N$61 million in funding. Minister Derek Klazen highlighted the ministry's proactive approach towards understanding and enhancing the nation's aquatic resources through detailed biological surveys conducted across major rivers and water bodies, including the Zambezi, Kwando, Kavango, and Orange Rivers. During his budget motivation, Klazen said that the past financial year saw the ministry engage in a multifaceted strategy to nurture the aquaculture sector. This included the implementation…

02 Apr

Namibia and Türkiye go ahead with new Parliamentary cooperation

info_e12wt4csNational News

Niël Terblanché In order to foster improved international collaboration, Namibia and Türkiye have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at bolstering parliamentary cooperation. This historic event took place in Istanbul, with Professor Peter Katjavivi, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, and his Turkish counterpart, Professor Numan Kurtulmuş, leading the ceremony. The MoU signifies a mutual commitment to upholding core values such as respect for human rights and the promotion of global peace. Professor Katjavivi emphasized this shared vision, while Kurtulmuş expressed an eagerness to deepen ties between the two nations. While speaking about the current low volumes…

02 Apr

Environment ministry underperforms in Water Point rehabilitation

info_e12wt4csNational News

Hertta-Maria Amutenja In a recent report by Auditor General Junias Kandjeke, on the accounts of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) for the financial year ended 31 March 2023, it has been revealed that the ministry has under-achieved in the rehabilitation of water points, with the Ministry reporting zero actual achievements against a target of three. The ministry’s Accounting Officer cited a lack of funding and challenges experienced in the Etosha National Park, a targeted area, as primary reasons for this shortfall. According to the report, while some targets were met satisfactorily, such as the percentage progress made…

02 Apr

Government avails N$183 million to settle debts incurred during free water supply during COVID-19

info_e12wt4csNational News

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The government, through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development of Namibia, has availed N$183 million to be paid to regional councils, local authorities and NamWater for costs incurred in free water supplied to vulnerable groups of society during the Covid-19 lockdown period in 2020. Minister Erastus Uutoni, announced recently that the money is part of the N$ 2.5 billion allocated to his ministry for the 2024/25 financial year. Another amount of N$113 million is to assist local authorities in paying compensation for land that was allocated and occupied under customary land rights but has since become part…

02 Apr

SORED established to tackle unaffordable electricity

info_e12wt4csNational News

Martin Endjala The Southern Regional Electricity Distributor (SORED), is planning on tackling electricity hurdles within the south by making electricity affordable to the inhabitants of the area. This was the sentiment of the //Kharas region Chairperson Josef Isaacks while responding to questions posed to him by this publication, on the purpose of establishing the company. Isaacks said SORED has been misunderstood by many residents, with the notion that it only aims to make money and to get rid of the National Utility Power (NamPower). Clarifying that the company intended to arrest the hiked electricity prices, which are proving cumbersome to…

02 Apr

SPYL must ensure the party’s victory in upcoming elections

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Stefanus Nashama Hofni Iipinge, a member of the Swapo Party Central Committee, has urged the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) in Ohangwena Region to initiate activities and programmes that will encourage the youth to vote for the party in large numbers in the 2024 presidential and national assembly elections in November. “Young people are expected to lead this campaign and ensure that the youth vote in big numbers and they should vote for Swapo Party,” Iipinge told the SPYL members. He also encouraged them to demand service delivery from various government offices, ministries and agencies that owe services to the…

02 Apr

Namibia celebrates new level of aviation safety

info_e12wt4csNational NewsNamibia celebrates new level of aviation safety

Niël Terblanché By celebrating advancements in aviation safety, the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has proudly announced Namibia’s significant progress in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme – Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP-CMA). According to Dan Kamati, the NAC’s spokesperson, the audit was conducted between 6 and 18 March 2024, this comprehensive audit scrutinized the effectiveness of Namibia’s aviation safety oversight systems, benchmarking them against the globally recognized ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). Emerging from the audit with a commendable preliminary score of 72.31 percent, Namibia has not only surpassed its previous 2016 score of 57.39…

02 Apr

SADC struggles with historic drought

info_e12wt4csMainSADC struggles with historic drought

Niël Terblanché Across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), countries are facing an unprecedented drought crisis, marking some of the lowest rainfall levels in over four decades. recent rains in parts, the late January and February season brought severe dry conditions, leaving Namibia and its neighbours in a desperate struggle against the shortfall. The SADC’s Food Security Early Warning System, bolstered by insights from USAID, paints a grim picture: widespread crop wilting in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, signalling a dire season with little hope for recovery. The impact extends beyond crops, with vegetation and water sources for livestock rapidly diminishing,…

02 Apr

Nedbank celebrates top achievers of 2023

info_e12wt4csNational News

Martin Endjala Nedbank Namibia recently held its annual employee Top Achievers Awards 2023 ceremony under the theme, celebrating the success of your rhythm in harmony. The top achievers’ awards recognised the performance and contributions of employees who have made a significant impact on the company’s success in the previous year. A total of 15 award categories were presented and the winners were chosen based on their outstanding performance in the 2023 financial year. In addition to the individual awards, the bank also recognised top-performing teams which highlighted the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving success. The categories included Top…