Malawi Wire

Namibian swimmer with a disability, Mateus Angula achieved a personal best record at the France 2023 World Series held in Limoges, France on Friday.

The event serves as the final opportunity for athletes to meet the Minimum Qualification Standard (MQS) ahead of the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships scheduled for 31 July to 06 August 2023 in the United Kingdom.

Over 144 athletes from 29 nations are competing in multi-class races at the France 2023 World Series.

On the opening day of the championship, Angula competed in the men’s S6 freestyle category, where he finished third in his heat with a time of one minute, 44 seconds and 37 tenses (01:44.37), an improvement from his previous personal best of 01:47.07.

The Namibian swimmer competed in the 400m freestyle for the first time and set his personal best time of 08:02.83. He finished fifth in that heat.

In an interview with Nampa on Saturday, Angula’s coach Sonja Lindemeier said she was happy with his achievements as they are working towards improving his times.

“He just started with strengthening exercises at Windhoek Sport Pro Academy. I am happy with what he achieved in France. Our mark is to get him to swim under one minute, 40 seconds in the 100m freestyle,” she said, adding that the swimmer competed in the 400m freestyle for the first time and he did much better than he does in training, where he swims 08:45.

Angula is expected back in the pool on Sunday, where he will compete in the heats of the 50m freestyle.

The France 2023 World Series concludes on Sunday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

President Hage Geingob has asked Namibians to support the much-anticipated green hydrogen project in the Tsau ?Khaeb National Park, emphasising its potential to uplift southern Namibia.

Speaking during the signing of the feasibility and implementation agreement between government and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy here on Friday, Geingob said Namibians should allow the project to progress.

He stressed that valuable lessons had been learned from local interferences during the construction of the Epupa Hydropower Scheme in the Kunene Region, which had the potential to improve the quality of life of impoverished communities.

Geingob highlighted the prevalent poverty in the south of Namibia and said the green hydrogen project has the potential to develop and uplift the local communities’ livelihood, as well as Namibia at large.

At the same occasion, National Planning Commission Director General Obeth Kandjoze said the N.dollars 10 billion project will create employment for up to 15 000 people, including 3 000 permanent jobs.

Ninety per cent of the jobs will be sourced locally, mostly targeting the youth.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

President Hage Geingob has asked Namibians to support the much-anticipated green hydrogen project in the Tsau ?Khaeb National Park, emphasising its potential to uplift southern Namibia.

Speaking during the signing of the feasibility and implementation agreement between government and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy here on Friday, Geingob said Namibians should allow the project to progress. He stressed that valuable lessons had been learned from local interferences during the construction of the Epupa Hydropower Scheme in the Kunene Region, which had the potential to improve the quality of life of impoverished communities.

“Let us not regret the undue interferences and leave the areas poor. Give us a chance to work on this project which is so promising. The Epupa hydropower dam could have changed the face of that area but because of interference from local people, that project died and therefore the area is still poor,” he said.

Geingob highlighted the prevalent poverty in the south of Namibia and said the green hydrogen project has the potential to develop and uplift the local communities’ livelihood, as well as Namibia at large.

“When we are not creating jobs, the government is accused. We are now taking steps to create jobs, so allow us to do that mandate. This is not a legacy programme as some of them are saying, I will be gone in a few months. It’s not my project, so give this beautiful idea a chance,” the president said.

At the same occasion, National Planning Commission Director General Obeth Kandjoze said the N.dollars 10 billion project will create employment for up to 15 000 people, including 3 000 permanent jobs. Ninety per cent of the jobs will be sourced locally, mostly targeting the youth.

He further noted that the project will source up to 30 per cent of its procurement of goods, services and materials during the construction and operational phases from local SMEs and business.

Kandjoze also noted that the project will contribute significantly to the Namibian economy through the payment of land rentals, royalties on project revenues, and taxes.

“The government also has an opportunity to be a co-investor in the project with the right to take up to a 24 per cent equity interest at cost,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Descendants of the victims of the 1904-1908 genocide gathered in Windhoek on Sunday for a remembrance event in honour of the thousands of people who perished during the conflict.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) Usutuaije Maamberua addressed the crowd and noted that they had gathered to demonstrate their fervent support for the declaration of 28 May as a national genocide remembrance day.

Maamberua was instrumental in introducing the motion for the establishment of a genocide remembrance day in parliament in 2016.

“While the government is preparing itself to officially designate the day, the descendants and people here are wholeheartedly welcoming the event ahead of the government’s formal declaration,” he stated.

The former MP noted that his 2016 motion received unwavering support, which led to a national consensus on selecting 28 May as Genocide Remembrance Day.

“It is a significant occasion to remember the lives that were lost, to stand in solidarity with the victims’ heirs, and to demonstrate unity aimed at ensuring that genocide never occurs again in Namibia, Africa, or elsewhere,” he said.

Maamberua called on the government to explain why there is no national holiday honouring the victims of the genocide for all Namibians and the descendants of those who perished in the atrocity.

Speaking on behalf of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu Chiefs Assembly, Sam Kambazombi stated that the issues of genocide, apology, and reparations, along with anticipated UN intervention, have reached a critical point. He said the traditional chiefs have already signed the Okandjoze Memorandum of Understanding, in which they committed to advocate for reparations and to resist being divided.

“We hereby reiterate to both our Namibian government and its German counterpart that they will implement the joint declaration over our dead bodies, and if necessary, over the dead bodies of our future generations and generations after,” said Kambazombi.

The 1904-1908 genocide involved a series of mass killings, atrocities, and forced labour inflicted upon the Herero and Nama people by German colonial forces, which led to the deaths of over 100 000 people.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Cabinet has directed the Office of the Prime Minister, through the respective regional councils, to provide food assistance to drought stricken households in the //Kharas, Hardap and Omaheke regions.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga announced this when he issued Cabinet decisions taken at the seventh decision-making meeting on Friday, saying the food assistance to these regions will be provided for a period of nine months from 01 July 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Funding for the assistance will come from the National Emergency Disaster Fund (NEDF).

Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to provide the drought-stricken regions with livestock support programmes at an estimated N.dollars 87.4 million for six months from 01 July 2023 to December 2023.

‘Cabinet further directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to consider the extension of the livestock support programme to Kunene, parts of Erongo and parts of Omusati regions,’ he said.

The same ministry has also been directed to ensure regular maintenance and repair of boreholes, water points and provision of tanker services through water tankers in these regions.

According to Mushelenga, the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare in consultation with the Ministry of Finance was directed to intensify the roll out of social welfare programmes in urban centres, among marginalised communities in the affected areas.

Cabinet further directed the ministry to assess the conditions of the Bakgalagadi communities in the Omaheke Region to determine if they qualify for assistance through marginalised programmes.

Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Health and Social Services to ensure the continuous issuance of ready-to-use supplementary food sachets to malnourished diagnosed cases, as well as water purification tablets in all regions.

Source: NAMPA