Namibia slowly becoming self-sustainable with energy

Namibia slowly becoming self-sustainable with energy

Niël Terblanché In an effort to decrease Namibia’s reliance on electricity supply from neighboring countries, the country’s national electricity supplier, NamPower, yesterday signed exclusive Power Purchase and Transmission agreements with CERIM Lüderitz Energy to supply electricity to the national grid. As a result of the agreement signed in Windhoek, CERIM will construct a 50 Mega Watt wind power plant at a cost of N$1.4 billion. The power plant is expected to be put into commission in mid-2025. Although 50MW of wind-generated electricity is not nearly enough to supply Namibia in its entirety, an increase in the generation of low-cost power…
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A storm erupts around Lionel Matthews

A storm erupts around Lionel Matthews

Niël Terblanché The appointment of Lionel Matthews as the interim Managing Director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia took a dramatic turn after the board of directors last week announced that Shiwana Ndeunyema will act in that capacity until negotiations with the candidate are completed. In the meantime, Matthews has been linked to alleged nefarious dealings with regard to a Namcor tender to construct oil storage facilities in Walvis Bay worth N$1 billion, amongst others. However, Fullbright Investments, an infrastructure development firm came out strongly against the allegations. Fullbright appointed Monasa Advisory and Associates as its transaction advisor when…
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Soaring with Jessica… An exclusive interview with Jessica Mundie Uiras.

Soaring with Jessica… An exclusive interview with Jessica Mundie Uiras.

Jessica Mundie Uiras (25) was born and raised in Windhoek, Namibia. She is the oldest of 4 girls and became an orphan at 10, and a mother to her 3 sister’s at 20. Jessica was raised by her grandmother Rosina Rosa Uiras (71) in Freedomland, Katutura and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, an Honors degree in Public Relations and Image management as well as a Business M.A in Strategic Marketing.She is currently employed as a Programme Coordinator at the Namibia Media Trust (NMT) a non- profit organisation that promotes a free and self-sustainable media climate in Africa where independent…
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Paragon Media to launch Women of Power conference

Paragon Media to launch Women of Power conference

Paragon Media through through its Observer Weekend publication will be launching the Women of Power series on 28 April 2023. The launch is a precursor for the Women of Power Conference and Awards Ceremony slated for 2024. The Observer Weekend has been featuring a “Women of Power” segment every Sunday in the Observer Weekend E-paper since February this year. According to the Executive Director of Paragon Media, Lazarus Jacobs, the purpose of the Conference is to celebrate women who are making a difference in their communities and nationally. “These women are, Disrupters, Unrecognized change makers.” He further stated that the…
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Seeking the light with Femi

Seeking the light with Femi

Namibian based author, Femi Kayode trained as a clinical psychologist in Nigeria, before starting a career in advertising. He has created and written several prime-time TV shows. His debut novel, Lightseekers, was selected as a Best Crime Novel of the Month by The Times, Sunday Times, Independent, Guardian, Observer, Financial Times and Irish Times and was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Femi sat down with Observer Weekend on the eve of the launch of his second novel, Gas Light. Your journey is quite an interesting one: from psychologist, to creative director and now author. Can you share this…
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Progress with Universal Health Care under scrutiny

Progress with Universal Health Care under scrutiny

Nël Terblanché The Executive Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ben Nangombe says every Namibian should have access to quality and affordable healthcare services without it causing severe financial hardship for the individual or their family. Nangombe said this during the official opening of a consultative meeting between the Ministry’s officials and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Universal Health Care (UHC) in Swakopmund. According to him, such services should also include access to essential medicines, therapeutics, vaccines and technologies that are effective, safe and of good quality. Nangombe said the country has made great strides in its…
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The Story of Hermien

The Story of Hermien

Hermien is a passionate, inspiring, witty, authentic and engaging speaker, host and MC who is currently studying Psychology through the South African College of Applied Psychology in her pursuit to specialise in Narrative Therapy - Healing through Story. She made time to tell us about Her Story. You’ve had quite an interesting childhood. Do you mind sharing that with us?I was born in Katutura Hospital on the 17th of February 1983, I turned 40 this year.My parents are both generational cycle breakers who wanted me and my siblings to have a better education than they did, they sent me to…
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Comalie still facing drug charges as she continues to serve as Namcor board Chair

Comalie still facing drug charges as she continues to serve as Namcor board Chair

While Jennifer Comalie, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Energy Corporation of Namibia, has largely been found to be innocent by public opinion, she still faces the judicial consequences of being found in possession of illicit drugs. The Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi, while attending the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, took time out to address questions by the Windhoek Observer regarding Comalie’s status as the Namcor board Chairperson. “Ms Comalie is indeed still serving as the Namcor board Chairperson,” Shiimi said. Comalie’s position…
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Itula criticizes organs of state

Itula criticizes organs of state

Stefanus Nashama The Independent Patriots for Change Leader, Panduleni Itula said the Government’s three pillars namely the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary shock the nation beyond recognition, as they continue to break the provisions of the rule of law. He said this on Saturday while addressing a group of IPC Executives from different regions under the theme “Reorganization for victory in 2024 and the role of a patriotic Namibia”, in Windhoek. Itula blamed the Judiciary “for allowing the Head of State, President Hage Geingob to appoint the Zimbabwean Judge Rita Makarau as Acting Judge of the Supreme Court in Namibia, whose…
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New community facility to ensure dignified lives for Etoshapoort residents

New community facility to ensure dignified lives for Etoshapoort residents

Niël Terblanché Robust processes, systems and institutions need to be created to buttress efforts to battle abject poverty, inequality and corruption to usher in a new era of prosperity for all in the wake of the establishment of Green Hydrogen projects and the discovery of viable oil resources off the Namibian coast. President Hage Geingob during the official inauguration of a new Community Legacy Centre in the Etoshapoort suburb of Outjo over the weekend said all the attention of Namibians has been focused on an all-out war on poverty. “As we continue with our national developmental initiatives, our attention has…
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