Day: June 6, 2023

The Swapo Party Central Committee is expected to convene to discuss the Supreme Court ruling that recognises same-sex marriages concluded outside Namibia.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Swapo’s Secretary for Information and Mobilisation, Hilma Nicanor, said the meeting will discuss the various concerns raised by its members, structures, supporters and the general public.

Nicanor said the ruling, its implications and its impact on society as a whole warranted consideration of the range of available and legally viable statutory remedial action that could potentially be taken.

“I wish to reassure our members, sympathisers and supporters, and the public, that the Swapo Party takes the public’s concerns, anxiety and unhappiness seriously. As such, the party will do everything it is able to do in accordance with the constitutional and legal requirements to find a long-lasting and acceptable solution,” she said.

Nicanor however did not specify when the meeting of the central committee would take place.

The Supreme Court last month ruled that same-sex marriages concluded outside of Namibia are recognised as valid in the country. The ruling has been met with mixed reactions in Namibia, with some strongly opposing it, while others welcomed it as a step forward for equality.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Swapo Party Central Committee is expected to convene to discuss the Supreme Court ruling that recognises same-sex marriages concluded outside Namibia.

In a statement issued today, Swapo’s Secretary for Information and Mobilisation, Hilma Nicanor, said the meeting will discuss the various concerns raised by its members, structures, supporters and the general public.

Nicanor said the ruling, its implications and its impact on society as a whole warranted consideration of the range of available and legally viable statutory remedial action that could potentially be taken.

“I wish to reassure our members, sympathisers and supporters, and the public, that the Swapo Party takes the public’s concerns, anxiety and unhappiness seriously. As such, the party will do everything it is able to do in accordance with the constitutional and legal requirements to find a long-lasting and acceptable solution,” she said.

Nicanor however did not specify when the meeting of the central committee would take place.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Kornelia Shilunga, has expressed concern with the dissatisfactory level of local procurement in the mining industry, despite its potential to improve the plight of previously disadvantaged Namibians.

The minister made the remarks at the launch of Rössing Uranium’s 2022 Sustainability and Performance Report in Windhoek on Monday evening.

According to Shilunga, it is crucial to empower the youth and previously disadvantaged where a mine is operating, to invest in related sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, among others.

“This will, in turn, provide positive impetus to the local economy, with an opportunity to adapt to the mine’s presence and to ideally survive post-mine-closure.

I therefore encourage and call upon all operational mines to increase support to local businesses such as small mines, as well as to upcoming young entrepreneurs,” she urged.

The deputy minister commended Rössing Uranium for the launch, noting that the Sustainability and Performance Report is an important component of any operational company’s communication strategy and when done correctly, can inspire confidence among stakeholders and reinforce a company’s brand value.

Rössing Uranium’s Managing Director, Johan Coetzee, at the same event, said the mine contributed approximately 4,4 per cent to the world’s primary production during 2022, with Namibia now being the third largest primary producer of Triuranium octoxide (U308) globally, after Kazakhstan, who continues to dominate the market from a supply side, and Canada.

“As a major employer and purchaser of goods and services, we also make a significant annual contribution to economic development in the Erongo Region in particular and to Namibia at large, with Rössing Uranium spending N. dollars 2.54 billion on local suppliers in 2022, compared to N. dollars 2.25 billion in 2021, accounting for 74 per cent of the company’s total procurement expenditure,” Coetzee revealed.

Additionally, an interim dividend of N. dollars 49, 7 million was declared and paid to Rössing Uranium’s shareholders.

The mine, however, recorded a production decrease in 2022 of 16,6 million tonnes compared to the compared to 20,7 million tonnes produced in 2021.

The lower mining volume was due to the stripping ratio of waste to ore reducing, as the mining moves deeper into the pit.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Engagements between the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (NORED), NamPower and other key stakeholders at the national level are ongoing to ensure there will be no further suspensions of electricity to Nored’s customers.

The head of corporate communications and marketing at NORED, Simon Lukas, said this in a media statement issued here on Tuesday after several towns in the Hardap and ||Kharas regions, as well as in the seven northern regions supplied by Nored, went without electricity.

Towns experienced power outages between 17h00 and 22h00 on Monday.

According to Lukas, the power outages occurred after a recent announcement by NamPower on its plan to suspend in stages the electricity supply of the defaulting customers starting on 05 June 2023 as part of their debt collection mechanism.

The defaulters owe the power utility over N.dollars 1 billion.

‘However, NORED took note earlier on 05 June 2023 about a Cabinet directive for NamPower to put on hold the impending power suspensions, pending further consultations among relevant stakeholders,’ Lukas stated.

He said Cabinet had directed NamPower to stop its plan to cut power to defaulting regional electricity distributors, local authorities and regional councils.

Finance and Public Enterprises Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, informed Cabinet about the worsening debt situation of these entities, which led to a directive for NamPower to postpone the power suspensions.

The decision he said was communicated to NamPower board chairperson, Daniel Motinga, in a letter from Shiimi.

‘NORED regrets this unfortunate incident and in the same vein hereby would like to extend its sincere apologies to all its esteemed stakeholders and valued customers,’ Lukas noted.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

State Minister of Urban and Infrastructure Fenta Dejene highlighted the major policy issues related to structural transformations, which the government of Ethiopia is undertaking to modernize the urban sector in the country.

The Ethiopian delegation led by Fenta Dejene, State Minister for Urban and Infrastructure is participating in the second session of the UN-Habitat Assembly which is underway from 5 to 9 June 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya under the theme “For a Better Urban Future.”

In a statement he made at the opening session, the state minister highlighted the major policy issues related to structural transformations which the Government of Ethiopia is undertaking to modernize the urban sector, according to the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya.

He also commended UN Habitat’s effort to realize the development aspirations of Ethiopia.

Fenta also reiterated the commitment of the Government of Ethiopia to further strengthen its cooperation and partnership with the UN-Habitat to better implement the New Urban Agenda and SDGs related to urban development at the national level.

The event was officially opened by William Ruto, the President of the Republic of Kenya on Sunday.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Council of Ministers has referred 801.6-billion Birr budget for the Ethiopian fiscal year 2016 to the House of People’s Representatives.

In its regular meeting held today, the council has taken into consideration the goals set in the Ten Year Perspective Development Plan in preparing the budget, according to the Office of the Prime Minister.

National security, citizens displaced by natural and man-made disasters, rebuilding of infrastructures destroyed by the law enforcement operation and objectives of social and economic transformation were also taken into account.

Accordingly, 369.6 billion Birr has been allocated for recurrent spending, 203.9 billion Birr for capital expenditure, 214.07 billion Birr to subsidize regional states, and 14 billion Birr for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), it was learned.

The council has finally referred the 801.6 billion Birr draft budget bill to the House of People’s Representatives for approval.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency