Walvis Bay – Page 2 – Windhoek Observer

09 Oct

Police detain suspect over Shannon case …as remains arrive in Windhoek for testing

ObserverObserver MoneyNamibian Police, NAMPOL, Shannon Wasserfall, Walvis Bay

Andrew Kathindi The Namibian Police has announced that a woman has been detained for further questioning in connection with the discovery of humans remains, believed to be that of Shannon Wasserfall. The development comes after Tega Matheus, Wasserfall’s father revealed to the Windhoek Observer that he and his other daughter had received an anonymous SMS with the exact location of the remains, which are believed to be that of Wasserfall, who went missing on 10 April this year. “Due to the circumstances under which the human remains were discovered, the police have registered a case of murder, alternatively, defeating the…

08 Oct

Police delay DNA testing for Shannon case…as victim’s father complains about police

ObserverObserver MoneyErongo region, Walvis Bay

Helena Johannes and Andrew Kathindi The confirmation of the identity of human remains discovered in Walvis Bay on Tuesday could be delayed amid revelations that the police forensics laboratory needed to undertake the tests are currently not functional. The remains are believed to belong to Shannon Wasserfall who has been missing since April, 2020. Tests done in police laboratories are crucial in providing a positive identity through DNA testing. “The DNA test is not done yet as the equipment is being moved from the old laboratory to the new laboratory. Due to this, the remains are still in the police…

04 Sep

Windhoek COVID cases surpass Walvis Bay

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Walvis Bay, Windhoek

Andrew Kathindi Windhoek has officially overtaken Walvis Bay to become the local authority with the numerically highest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. This comes as Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula on Thursday 3 September, announced 238 new cases, of which 145 are from Windhoek. “Today, a total number of 1,630 results were received from the laboratories. Of these, 238 samples tested positive for COVID-19. One hundred and twenty-six (126) are males and hundred and twelve (112) are females. The youngest is two months old and the oldest is sixty-five years old,” said Shangula. As of Wednesday 2 September, Windhoek…

02 Sep

Unacceptable: animal cages for Namibians

ObserverNational NewsNamibians, Walvis Bay

Reports that Walvis Bay officials intend to use state funds to build cheap houses with no toilets, are concerning. Further statements fail to identify the materials that will be used to make these structures. This situation is alarming. Such a building project must be reconsidered. Our people are not animals in a zoo and government funded houses must not resemble cages. The goal should not be to build something fast, but to efficiently build homes for families. It is de-humanizing for government to build a place for human beings to live which, by design, has no toilet. Claims that the…

29 Aug

Namibia placed under national curfew ..as the country opens borders to tourists

ObserverObserver MoneyArandis, president Hage Geingob, STAGE 3, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay

Andrew Kathindi President Hage Geingob has extended stage 3 lockdown measures currently in place across the country’s 14 regions for an additional period of 14 days. The President has also extended the curfew, which was introduced on 13 August and currently being enforced in Erongo and Khomas regions, between 8PM and 5AM daily, to all 14 regions across the country. This comes as Geingob announced that Namibia has recorded five more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the national death toll to 65. Namibia currently has the highest rate of new infections per population on the continent, and there are now confirmed…

20 Aug

Namibia can only survive if it is unified

ObserverNational NewsNamibia, Twaloloka, Walvis Bay

The recent back-and-forth between burned out ‘residents’ of Twaloloka and a landless group claiming to be born in Walvis Bay, shows the ugly spectre of disunity. The latter group is angry. They purport to have been waiting for land without results. They object to the fire victims who are supposedly not originally from Walvis Bay and yet are set to receive plots. Times are tough; the worst breakdown is where groups begin to compare their poverty and stubbornly claim that theirs is worse. Two groups of landless, impoverished people fighting each other solves nothing. It does not address the root…

13 Aug

Namibia reverts to stage 3 restrictions

ObserverObserver MoneyArandis, Covid-19, Okahandja, president Hage Geingob, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Windhoek

Andrew Kathindi President Hage Geingob ordered that the country revert to stage 3 of the state of emergency lockdown starting Wednesday midnight 12 August, amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country, particularly Windhoek. The lockdown according to Geingob, will last for 16 days and as part of the new dispensation, measures which were applicable to Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis have now extended to Windhoek, Okahandja and Rehoboth. The new measures include a curfew on the mentioned local areas which will prohibit the movement of people between 20:00 to 05:00 daily. “These have not been easy decisions to take, but…

04 Aug

Haufiku firing wastes scarce resources

ObserverNational NewsCovid-19, Walvis Bay

The firing of former health minister, Dr Bernard Haufiku from his post on the pandemic Task Team is a waste of limited resources. At a time when there are insufficient healthcare workers to assist where needed in Namibia, a top medical expert has been kicked to the curb. Was that the only option or just the easiest one? The final clash between the current minister of health Kalumbi Shangula and his predecessor was predictable. The strain between the two parties was evident from previous conflicting comments. Haufiku’s demonstrated method is to tackle issues straight on. He seems to speak his…

29 Jul

Govt must be proactive instead of reactive

ObserverNational NewsGovernment, Twaloloka, Walvis Bay

Does it take fire and the death of yet another baby in a shack to get things moving? In the midst of the fiery cataclysm on Sunday night in Twaloloka at pandemic slammed Walvis Bay, one can only say, “when it rains, it pours.” It reiterates the problem that tin shack suburbs are social, political and actual powder kegs. In dealing with such situations, the government seems to be constantly on the back foot; being reactive instead of proactive. It is a curious coincidence that the fire area, Twaloloka, was in the midst of planned ‘thinning out’ action by local…

27 Jul

Fire forces Govt to provide land

ObserverObserver MoneyWalvis Bay, Walvis Bay Mayor

Andrew Kathindi The rogue fire that ravaged the Walvis Bay township of Twaloloka on Sunday 26 July has forced government to allocate and service temporary land to the tune of N$20 million. Walvis Bay Mayor, Immanuel Wilfred, confirmed the development, which will see the local authority suspending some capital projects. These are projects the council is yet to decide on in order to fund the servicing of land on Farm 37, a new location that was launched in the coastal town last year. Farm 37 was identified in 2016 by the Walvis Bay and Erongo regional councils as a solution…