The Ministry of Health and Social Services is advocating for a total ban on the use of plastic shopping bags.
In a press release issued yesterday, Health Permanent Secretary Andreas Mwoombola said his ministry was looking to prohibit retailers from packing purchases in plastic bags.
Mwoombola said plastic bags are lethal and non-biodegradable and banning them would result in environmental and health benefits.
Read more about Health ministry pushes for plastic ban
The new board of directors of Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) was inaugurated by Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta yesterday.
Their term will run until March 15, 2019.
The new board chairperson is Leonard Iipumbu; Janet Wilson Moore is the deputy chairperson, and the other members are Rudie Putter, Carol Rosheta Williams, Bernd Thomas Schneider, Eva Shifotoka, Dr Fanuel Afrika Demas, Elizabeth Petersen and Patricia Skyer.
During the inauguration Shifeta stressed that he wanted the company to make a profit.
Read more about NWR’s new board announced
A storm of criticism erupted in the National Assembly last week when the official opposition demanded the job descriptions of the president and vice-president’s spouses.
Emotions also ran high over a provision in the recently tabled Presidential Remuneration and Other Benefits Bill that these spouses be paid a monthly allowance equal to the salary of a deputy permanent secretary.
DTA secretary-general Elma Dienda questioned the size of the allowances.
Read more about Top pay for presidential spouses
Former Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam) boss Joseph Diescho says the institution needs to be headed by a PhD holder.
He said a PhD qualification was “absolutely essential” for the executive director of Nipam to take the country to the next level in terms of transformation.
Diescho was reacting to an advertisement of the executive director’s position, from which he was fired last year after a falling-out with the Nipam governing council.
In the job advertisement, a PhD is not listed as a requirement, but as an added advantage.
Read more about PhD holder must head Nipam - Diescho
Several months after a water crisis was declared in Windhoek and strict water-saving measures were introduced, no action seems to be taken against those who waste water.
During the past few weeks the media have been filled with reports from the City of Windhoek and NamWater urging consumers to save water. The three supply dams to central Namibia, namely the Swakoppoort, the Omatako and the Von Bach dams, are expected to run dry by November if steps are not immediately
taken.
However, the appeals for saving water have had little effect.
Read more about No penalties for wasting water
A complaint of noise pollution made against a Member of Parliament escalated to accusations of racism at the weekend.
Royal /Ui/o/oo, the Deputy Minister for Marginalised People, yesterday confirmed that he and his family were at the centre of an argument with a neighbour in Windhoek’s Cimbebasia residential area on Saturday evening.
Read more about Deputy minister denies violent row
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) is to hold an extraordinary synod at a date yet to be decided to decide whether to retain new church council members elected in January or to hold re-elections.
This unprecedented turn of events follows an admission of guilt in a circular on March 11 by Bishop Ernst //Gamxamûb that he had “deprived” incumbent members of the church council of their right to vote in the synod because he had sent them out of the venue just before elections were to take place.
Read more about //Gamxamûb admits mistake
A 32-year-old woman at Oheti village in the Ohangwena Region died after being struck by lightning on Sunday afternoon.
According to the Ohangwena police spokesperson, Sergeant Abner Kaume Itumba, Tulongeni Navaaluke Shinana and another person were struck by lightning upon returning home after fetching water from a community tap. The other person survived.
According to Shinana’s cousin, Elia Namupembe, it was not raining heavily at the time.
Namupembe said the survivor was rushed to the Eenhana district hospital.
KENYA KAMBOWE Read more about Lightning strike kills woman
The Turkish ambassador to Namibia, Deniz Cakar, says Namibians studying in Turkey have not indicated that they want to return home following Sunday’s bombing in Ankara that left 35 people dead and over 100 injured.
Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, the ambassador said the seven students in different cities in Turkey were standing in solidarity with their Turkish friends and said they would not let such acts of terrorism interrupt their studies.
Read more about Namibian students in Turkey are steadfast
Retired Bishop Kleopas Dumeni launched a collection of his quotes in Windhoek yesterday.
The book, titled ‘Notable Quotes by Bishop Kleopas Dumeni’, was put together by Petrus Angula Mbenzi, a researcher who worked closely with the Dumeni family to bring the book to life. The publication was launched by former President Sam Nujoma, who said he was pleased that Bishop Dumeni’s wisdom would be passed on to future generations.
Read more about Bishop Dumeni launches book
Namibia could face sanctions for hiring a North Korean company to build a weapons factory outside Windhoek.
This is despite International Affairs and Cooperation Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah saying the factory was not in contravention of any United Nations sanctions against North Korea because it did not involve nuclear technology.
According to a United States website, Free Korea, the UN sanctions against North Korea do not just cover nuclear weapons but prohibit any arms-related deal with that country.
Read more about Namibia risks UN sanctions
A man simply walked away from police custody after being convicted of rape.
Police are searching for Charles Namiseb, 34, who escaped from the Windhoek police station holding cells last month.
Namiseb and another man, Edwin Tourob, 34, were on trial in the High Court in connection with a violent attack and robbery of an elderly couple at Uis in the Erongo Region.
“The assault was a merciless attack on the pensioners who were not able to fight off the attacks and properly defend themselves due to old age,” Judge Siboleka said.
Read more about Rapist walks away after conviction
The police yesterday denied claims that a fleet of brand new police vehicles, which are worth millions of dollars, and parked at the Israel Patrick Iyambo Police College have remained unused for months.
Major-General Desiderius Shilunga said the allegations that the police vehicles had been bought last year and had not been distributed yet were wrong and unsubstantiated.
“Yes, those vehicles are parked there, but not for a long time,” he said.
He said the fleet parked at the college was recently acquired and were not delivered in bulk but one or two at a time.
Read more about Police cars burn in the sun
Ex-soldiers yesterday marched to the Swapo Party headquarters in Windhoek to deliver yet another petition demanding to be recognised as war veterans and that the War Veterans Act of 2008 be amended.
A month ago the former South-West African Territory Force (SWATF) and Koevoet members delivered similar petitions to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, and Ombudsman John Walters.
Read more about Namvet takes demands to Swapo
Namibia’s mining sector is expected to be the country’s saving grace during the troubling financial environment that is predicted for the coming months.
According to Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein, considerable growth in the mining sector is expected to be accompanied by an eventual recovery in the agriculture sector.
Responding to contributions to the budget debate by members of parliament this week, Schlettwein emphasised that the country’s slowing growth rate would be a temporary rather than permanent phenomenon.
Read more about Mining is the light at the end of the tunnel
The City of Windhoek has a financial deficit of N$287 million, but is trying to implement measures to remedy the situation by cutting costs.
Acting CEO George Esterhuizen said the City was working to phase out the deficit over a number of years, but there were no specifics on the extra income that must be generated to cover the deficit.
He there will be income generated this year through the sale of plots.
The council has already approved the provision of 407 erven in Khomasdal Extension 16, as well as plots in Otjomuise Extension 4 and Academia Extensions 1 and 2.
Read more about City is N$278m in the red
The Social Security Commission yesterday announced an ambitious plan to introduce national pension and medical benefit funds in the next year.
According to board chairman Johannes !Gawaxab, research on both funds was completed and approved by the commission in 2014 already.
The line minister – the minister of labour, industrial relations and employment creation - is yet to respond to business case reports submitted for approval in November 2014.
Read more about National pension and medical funds coming
A woman who decided to end a relationship with a retired police officer has caused a stir at Okalyafengwa village in the Ongenga Constituency of the Ohangwena Region.
She allegedly went on the rampage, burning her own clothes, vandalising the couple’s granary and destroying the recently cultivated crops.
Retired police officer Abraham Leonard said his three-year relationship with Kandali Heita ended on a really bad note.
Read more about You reap what you sow
