Africa must find funds to close the water investment gap

Africa must find funds to close the water investment gap

Niël Terblanché It is the ambition of Namibia to address and bring about a safe, and secure water supply for all but several severe challenges are hampering the process. Calle Schlettwein, the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform while attending the Stockholm World Water Week at the High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, said Namibia strives to provide adequate water to promote sanitation to enable development and decent urban and rural living standards for all people. The conference in Sweden is focused on accelerating the implementation of the UN 2023 Water Action Agenda in Africa through the International…
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Menzies files yet another High Court application

Menzies files yet another High Court application

Niël Terblanché Menzies Aviation Namibia has on Tuesday filed a notice of motion with the Namibian High Court in which it states its intention to bring yet another application to nullify its eviction from the Hosea Kutako International Airport. The British-owned company is seeking an order where the Namibia Airports Company is called upon to show cause why previous High Court decisions should not be reviewed and set aside; that the 30-day notice period dated 9 August 2023 be set aside; that any decision made by the NAC’s board of directors or any person on behalf of the first respondent…
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Eurowings resumes direct flights to Namibia

Eurowings resumes direct flights to Namibia

Niël Terblanché After diverting its flights to the Oliver Thambo International Airport in Johannesburg over the past weekend due to uncertainties created by the eviction of Menzies Aviation Namibia as the ground handling service provider at the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA), Eurowings Discover will resume direct flights to Namibia. Paragon Aviation Services have successfully taken over ground handling services ever since the eviction of Menzies from the premises of the Namibia Airports Company early on Saturday morning. Eurowings Discover announced that two of its aircraft will depart from Frankfurt on Monday evening and these flights will arrive at the…
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Unemployment blamed on debt owed to Katima Mulilo Town Council

Unemployment blamed on debt owed to Katima Mulilo Town Council

Hetta-Maria Amutenja Katima Mulilo Town Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Raphael Liswaniso, has attributed the town’s staggering debts of over N$99 million to high unemployment rates, which has led to residents being unable to pay for their water, land, rates and taxes. Liswaniso made these remarks yesterday in an interview with Windhoek Observer, where he emphasised that a significant portion of the town’s population lacks a reliable income. “The country is grappling with an unemployment rate of approximately 52 percent. With a population ranging from 45,000 to 50,000 inhabitants, nearly 80 percent of them are unemployed. The residents do not have…
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Menzies appeal judgement reserved

Menzies appeal judgement reserved

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The judgement in Menzies Aviation Namibia’s latest appeal case against its eviction from the Hosea Kutako International Airport by the Namibia Airports Company has been reserved. High Court Judge Hannelie Prinsloo after hearing arguments on Monday said that she will deliver her judgment in the latest appeal case on Friday 1 September. Paragon Aviation Services will, in the meantime, continue to render ground handling services at the airport. Menzies was evicted from the airport on Saturday and ordered to stop rendering the ground handling services after more than a year of legal battles in which the company contested…
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Massive port expansion planned to increase capacity

Massive port expansion planned to increase capacity

Niël Terblanché While Namibia is aspiring to become a new global fuel and energy exporter, port facilities will have to be upgraded to accommodate the new industry and its supply chain needs. Andrew Kanime, Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) in an interview with Bloomberg recently, said private investment of N$40 billion is needed for the proposed port infrastructure expansion. Kanime announced plans for new berths and quay walls to support the country’s booming energy industry. The expansion is targeted for the port of Walvis Bay while an entirely new deep-sea port will be built in Lüderitz…
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Chinese company denied relief forN$33 million worth of income tax

Chinese company denied relief forN$33 million worth of income tax

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The High Court of Namibia rejected an interim relief request from a Chinese construction company for N$33 million in income tax. According to a judgement delivered last week Friday in High Court by Judge Eileen Rakow, said the concept of ‘pay now, argue later’ should be applicable in this case. “I find no reason to conclude that the ‘pay now argue later’ concept should not be applicable in this matter and thus find that the monies attached by the first respondent should remain with them for now as it is in the public interest,” said Rakow. The money…
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Drought necessitates small-scale import of grains and beans

Drought necessitates small-scale import of grains and beans

Niël Terblanché Mahangu grains and beans purchased from Angola for own consumption within a radius of 60 kilometres from border posts will for the time being be exempted from the rules that verify agricultural products have been inspected and are pest and disease free. In a statement, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform said the looming drought has necessitated the lifting of stricter Phytosanitary measures. At the same time, the ministry is initiating awareness about the importation of grains and beans and the effect such material might have on the health of…
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Rising Against Giants: The Essential Disruption in Namibia’s Business Landscape

Rising Against Giants: The Essential Disruption in Namibia’s Business Landscape

Nrupesh Soni, Facilit8 Namibia The unfolding saga at Hosea Kutako International Airport is more than a mere corporate dispute—it encapsulates a broader issue that reverberates throughout Namibia and indeed, the wider African continent. The tension between Paragon Aviation, a local entity, and Menzies, an international behemoth, over the airport's ground handling tender , goes beyond a mere contractual disagreement. Instead, it sheds light on the uphill battle local businesses face when striving to navigate the labyrinth of corporate colonialism. A persistent, if paradoxical, sentiment exists in parts of Africa, including Namibia: the belief that local firms, by virtue of their…
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Inside the Mind of a Black Child

Inside the Mind of a Black Child

Johanna Swartbooi, a creative entrepreneur was born and raised in the ||Karas, region and attended public schools in Windhoek. She received three years of training in Social Work before changing fields and acquiring a Higher Certificate in Business and Marketing Management in 2021. She is currently in her final year of studies in Business Administration majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Johanna’s professional career in fashion began with modelling in 2016. Since then she received various awards including Miss Namibia 2019 2nd Runner Up and Female Model of the Year in 2020 from the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion…
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