Page 584 – News Stand

11 Sep

Unions call for cancellation of parastatal tender projects

info_e12wt4csNational NewsUnions call for cancellation of parastatal tender projects

Stefanus Nashama Construction Industries Federation (CIF) and Metal, and Allied Workers Unions of Namibia (MANWU) are calling for the cancellation and re-advertising of parastatal tender projects, claiming that local contractors have been excluded from the process. The projects include the Road Authority (RA) project, NamWater projects, Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) Head Office, the NamPower project for 70MWp in Rosh Pinah, and the tender awarded to August 26. Union representatives are claiming that the exclusion of local contractors in these projects is below the interest of maintaining and further developing the Namibian construction sector. They say the matter does…

11 Sep

Only five registered labour unions are in compliance with the Labour Act

info_e12wt4csNational NewsOnly five registered labour unions are in compliance with the Labour Act

Erasmus Shalihaxwe As of 1 September 2023, only five out of 47 registered trade unions, along with two out of 17 registered Employers’ Organizations are in compliance with their registration obligations. While the rest are violating the Labour Act 11 of 2007 by not submitting their annual returns. Acting Labour Commissioner Kyllikki Sihlahla, issued a stem warning to last week those none compliance unions and gave them until 30 September to submit their annual returns or face the music. She said there are currently 47 trade unions and 17 employers’ organisations including three trade union federations and three employers’ federations…

11 Sep

African Union Joins G20 Bloc on African Union Day

info_e12wt4csNational NewsAfrican Union Joins G20 Bloc on African Union Day

Niël Terblanché In a historic move, the African Union has been officially granted permanent membership in the G20, marking a significant diplomatic victory for the host nation, India, and a momentous occasion as the African Union celebrates its existence on African Union Day. The expansion of the G20 to include the African Union is a testament to India’s efforts to enhance its international standing and bolster its image as a global statesman, especially in the run-up to next year’s national elections. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, welcomed the African Union’s new status within the G20, stating that India tabled a…

11 Sep

Mandate of the African Union is transformational: Geingob

info_e12wt4csNational NewsMandate of the African Union is transformational: Geingob

Staff Writer President Hage Geingob in a statement on the occasion of the Africa Union Day said The mandate of the African Union is transformational. “However, there have been democratic reversals with the rise in coups and unconstitutional forms of Government.” Geingob said whenever these happen, it is us Africans (and not others) who have been consistently first to condemn as regional organizations and African leaders under the African Union. He added that we can only achieve our true potential when we silence the guns. “Therefore, as the Third Wave of African leaders, who aspire to come to leadership through…

11 Sep

Swakopmund pastor accused of sexual assault

info_e12wt4csNational News

Niël Terblanché Swakopmund, September 10, 2023 - A church pastor in Swakopmund is currently facing serious charges of indecent assault after he was accused of sexually abusing two female members of his congregation. These serious allegations have sent shockwaves through the local community. According to a report provided by the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region, the pastor, a 34-year-old man, is alleged to have committed indecent acts with two women, aged 31 and 37, at his residence in the Mondesa residential area of Swakopmund over a period spanning from May to September of this year. Details emerging from the…

11 Sep

Dundee employees suffer from stomach aches after consuming unfit water

info_e12wt4csNational NewsDundee employees suffer from stomach aches after consuming unfit water

Martin Endjala Dundee Precious Metals (DPM), a smelting company in Tsumeb, has confirmed that five of its employees were recently treated for stomach illness after consuming poor-quality water at the site of the facility. The company’s Communications Manager Alina Garises, announced last week that the company took immediate action to address the water quality that resulted in minor gastro-intestinal illnesses among some employees. She said that as part of the company’s routine water management plan, they previously detected that the quality of water was out of specification in its water systems in December 2022. Then the authority accountable for domestic…

11 Sep

Search continues for missing Omaruru man at Mile 72

info_e12wt4csNational NewsSearch continues for missing Omaruru man at Mile 72

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Police in the Erongo Region have launched an urgent search operation for 53-year-old Robby Michael from Omaruru, who is suspected to have drowned in the area of Mile 72 north of Henties Bay sometime during Saturday night. The alarm was raised on Sunday morning when a passerby discovered a white extended-cab Toyota bakkie partially submerged in the sea with no occupants in sight and no one in the immediate vicinity. Police officers who responded to a report of a possible tragedy arrived at the scene and pieced together a puzzling chain of events that suggested that…

11 Sep

National Green Hydrogen Roadshow visits the south

info_e12wt4csNational NewsNational Green Hydrogen Roadshow visits the south

Martin Endjala The highly anticipated National Green Hydrogen Roadshow organised by the Namibian Government and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Hyphen) has landed in the projected world’s green energy hub in the Hardap and //Kharas regions The roadshow which began in August and ends in November is expected to attract many residents from communities around the country, has seen and will continue to see government and Hyphen officials engage with various stakeholders across Namibia, sharing information on the Hyphen project and the Socio-economic Development Framework. Last week the roadshow visited Hardap and //Kharas region, where people have been asking questions about all…

11 Sep

Enhancing Accountability in Public – Private Partnership in Namibia

info_e12wt4csOpinionsEnhancing Accountability in Public – Private Partnership in Namibia

Ndimudule Laina NdeumanePublic Analyst Public–private partnerships in Namibia are one features that are growing economic landscape since independence was declared in the 1990s. Despite the boom in mining industry ventures, the fiscal deficit is growing and living standards remain inadequate in localized areas, PPPs are increasingly sought after for wider social objectives. There is still a degree of resistance to private sector involvement in public services, with concerns over how employment would be affected and how black and gender empowerment could be incorporated into such schemes. Namibia has little in the way of dedicated public–private partnership policy framework. Like many…

11 Sep

Why I do what I do – a calling to promote law and access to justice

info_e12wt4csOpinionsWhy I do what I do – a calling to promote law and access to justice

Fedden Mainga Mukwata When people say your life can change in the blink of an eye, they mean it. When I look back at the events of the past 18 months, I can say that some of my wildest dreams became true or came closer to realization. My dream has always been to make law and justice accessible – to share my legal knowledge. Hence, I started FASZ Legal Consultancy CC through which that dream may be fully realized. On the other hand, I started noticing a grim picture around this line of work. I have appeared on, and follow,…