Day: April 7, 2024

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila on Saturday handed over water boreholes to the community of Ohamutwetautende and the surrounding communities in the Ohangwena Region on Saturday.

The event was held during the belated celebration here of the 34th Independence anniversary.

According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, the project was implemented as a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform and the Office of the Prime Minister.

She said the project was funded as part of the drought relief project under her office to the tune of N.dollars 604 641, while the MAWLR took care of the piping of water from the borehole over a 10-kilometre radius to over nine water points or 11 villages at a cost of N.dollars 2 760 522.

Moreover, she indicated that another borehole has been drilled at Ohamukwata village to the tune of N.dollars 822 223, with installations and reticulations at Ohamukwata main, Ohamukwata A, Omakango Omumakani Nr 1, Omushayi Community, Okakando Komupanda and Omakango Omumakani Nr 2, at the cost of N.dollars 2 765 205.

Another drilling and installation took place at Oikuku village to the tune of N.dollars 3 620 820.

‘I implore you to use these boreholes to strengthen your households’ resilience to disaster risk and increase food security, as well as create jobs for the locals, through community irrigated gardens and school gardening,’ she said.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that the water infrastructure having been availed to the community is an outcome of the government efforts to mitigate disaster risk and strengthen the resilience of their community to drought.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila stated that the investment into this project will not only ensure water supply to the community in the immediate proximity of the borehole, but also to more communities through the several pipelines that will supply water to different communities from this borehole.

She also implored the community members to protect and guard these assets against vandalism, stressing that the current vandalism and theft of equipment at the boreholes undermine Government’s efforts to provide safe water to all needy communities.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

A well-attended gala dinner held on Saturday to raise funds for the Ondangwa Trade and Industrial Exhibition (OTIE) collected over N.dollars 500 000 in cash and pledges.

RedForce pledged the highest amount of N.dollars 100 000, followed by First National Bank with N.dollars 80 000 and Ondangwa Private Hospital donating N.dollars 30 000.

In a speech read on her behalf, Minister of Industrialisation and Trade Lucia Iipumbu said Ondangwa continued to break barriers and remain on a positive growth trajectory as a result of its able and decisive leadership.

According to Iipumbu, as a ministry they are aware of various developmental aspirations and initiatives of the town and are fully in support thereof as they continue to engage at various platforms to forge collaborations.

She said that the 2024 edition of the trade fair presents significant potential to promote and showcase what this town and Oshana Region have to offer to business persons, traders, travellers and the general public.

‘It is our expectation that visitors and traders alike will be treated among others to the region’s cultural heritage and traditions, arts and crafts and various agricultural goods,’ she said.

She added that it will especially benefit local entrepreneurs, giving them a chance to display and sell what they are able to grow, create and produce.

Moreover, Iipumbu indicated that the government through her ministry will continue to encourage and support local entrepreneurship through the ‘Growth at Home’ concept.

She explained that the concept has been developed and implemented specifically for the purpose to boost local production and consumption.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

President Nangolo Mbumba on Saturday inaugurated 10 meteorological masts in the Tsau ?Khaeb National Park, that are part of the pre-feasibility study of the envisaged green hydrogen project.

The 10 meteorological masts which are about 120 metres from ground level, were installed by Hyphen at a cost of N.dollars 40 million.

Speaking at the site Mbumba said: ‘We need clear support from all stakeholders, but we should be careful with the environment, we have never seen these metal things here before and the message should go out that green hydrogen is going to take place.’

The meteorological masts are part of the pre-feasibility study of the green hydrogen project and will run for 12 months before the actual feasibility study starts.

Hyphen’s head of communications and stakeholder relations, Ricardo |Gôagoseb in an interview with the media said the purpose of the meteorological masts is to accurately understand the renewable energy potential of the site, adding that the masts have sensors on them that measure the strength of the wind potential and solar energy potential.

‘The production of green hydrogen will require electricity, wind power and solar power, so the met masts are placed there to measure both the sun and the wind and that will happen over a period of time, and then we will use that information to increase the bankability of the project,’ he said.

‘These are the risks Hyphen is taking because they believe in the potential of the project, these met masts are to increase the bankability, we know the potential that the space has, nobody is going to put in N.dollars 40 million to build an infrastructure where there is a possibility that it is not bankable,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

President Nangolo Mbumba has labelled the renewable energy industries that are set to pick up as the third renaissance for the town of Lderitz, saying that such industries can help the country achieve economic independence.

The first renaissance for the town was the discovery of diamonds in 1908, followed by fishing after independence.

Mbumba who was speaking during a stakeholder meeting here on Saturday, said a country cannot have peace and stability if its economy is not developed, if its laws are not properly applied and if there is no teamwork among the various stakeholders.

‘We should not hide history, because we learn a lot from it, however the most important thing now having gained our independence by the roughest and toughest route that we were fighting, we should not fail to struggle for our economic independence, we now have a chance, we have a chance in Lderitz, in ||Kharas and in the whole Namibia,’ he said.

The meeting served as a platform for the Lderitz Town Council to inform the president on the readiness of the town for the new industries coming to the coastal town.

The town council’s control officer for property, Jonas Mahalelo said the town is faced with a shortage of town land as it only measures 11 000 hectares and urgent expansion is needed, however, the town is faced with challenges as on the west side there is the ocean while the north and east is surrounded by the national area and diamond licences area.

‘With the influx of people coming here for jobs they will need housing services so we need town land to deliver housing, we need to replace our ageing water, electricity and sewage infrastructure because the increase in people will put pressure on these systems. There is also an increasing demand in educational and health facilities as well as recreational facilities,’ he said.

Mahalelo said some of the projects that are expected to be developed include a salmon factory, construction of a manganese beneficiation plant, expansion and development of a new port and establishment of warehouse facilities.

The meeting was attended by regional councillors, local authority councillors, Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab, National Planning Commission Director General Obeth Kandjoze, ||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick, Green Hydrogen Commissioner James Mnyupe and business people, among others.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Namibia’s female long-distance runner Martha Shivolo was crowned winner of the 2024 Namibia Spar Challenge after outclassing her opponents in the event’s second edition here.

The Namibian Spar 10-kilometre (km) Challenge is similar to the famous Spar South Africa Women’s 10km or 5km Challenge Grand Prix Road Race series, held annually in five major South African cities.

This year, the Namibian Challenge started and finished at the Wanderers Sports Field in Pioneers Park, Windhoek attracting over 1 000 female runners who partook in the 5km and 10km races.

The elite race saw Namibian Correctional Service runner Shivolo dominate her field as she finished ahead of defending champion Alina Armas of the Namibian Defence Force. Helalia Johannes who has previously dominated the South African Spar series finished third.

Event organiser Berthold Karumendu told Nampa on Saturday that he was happy with the turnout for the event and competition.

‘The elite athletes put up a great performance on the day and I am also happy to achieve the 1 000-mark attendance that we wanted for the day,’ he said.

Karumendu added that if they are to realise their goal of getting the race accredited by the South African Spar race as part of its series, the attendance of athletes partaking in the event must continue increasing.

‘In our first edition we hosted the race on a Sunday which saw just over 500 athletes taking part, but with the Saturday race the numbers were there, and I believe that such turnouts will give the race recognition as well as attract international athletes,’ Karumendu said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Usakos Mayor, Irene Simeon-Kurtz has expressed concern over alleged delayed action by the police in response to an incident of a 29-year-old woman who was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend on Saturday.

In a press statement issued on Sunday by the Office of the Mayor, she highlighted the slow response to the incident reportedly due to the non-availability of drivers for both police and ambulance services to the scene of the crime around 05h20 in the Saamstaan residential area.

A crime report by the Namibian Police Force indicates that the deceased, Lena Williams, was allegedly stabbed several times with a knife by her 26-year-old ex-boyfriend and father of their three-year-old daughter. She was taken to the hospital where she was declared dead upon arrival.

Simeon-Kurtz also noted the slow action of the police, in this instance to protect the deceased, saying she was killed weeks after she had alerted the police that she feared for her life.

‘As mayor of the town of Usakos, I condemn the bruta
l act of killing an innocent young lady who felt unsafe in the last weeks of her life in her own home. There is no justification for such crimes nor her murder,’ she said.

She indicated that in February 2024, her office offered office space free of charge to the Usakos police to put up a satellite police station in Hakhaseb with the belief that this would help reduce crime in Hakhaseb especially over weekends, stressing that it is a necessity and cannot be delayed any longer.

‘We will follow up on our request as a matter of urgency. A satellite police station in Hakhaseb will ensure that criminal activities of this nature are dealt with speedily,’ she added.

Simeon-Kurtz further urged Usakos residents to stand together and report any violence to authorities, while also pleading with the chief of police in the Erongo Region to deploy stringent measures to root out evil in society, noting that there is a need to stand in unison as a community and in unison as women.

‘Usakos belongs to everyone, and every ci
tizen must feel safe and protected. We say enough is enough, let us deal with violent crime including domestic violence. There should be no tolerance for wrongdoers in Usakos,’ she wrote.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency