Month: July 2023

Liaison officer at Marcopolo Vocational Training Centre (VTC), Tchingando Almeida has said VTCs provide a second chance for individuals to develop entrepreneurial skills and generate employment opportunities.

He also emphasised that they are not intended solely for those who have previously failed their high school.

Almeida, an exhibitor at the Olufuko Cultural Festival in Outapi, made these remarks in a sit-down interview with Nampa on Wednesday.

He acknowledged that achieving a completely unemployment-free society is challenging, but underscored the importance of vocational training in significantly reducing unemployment and bridging the wealth gap between the rich and the poor.

“VTCs are one of the solutions that ensure that this gap is minimised,” Almeida said.

The liaison officer highlighted the need to demystify long-held misconceptions regarding VTCs – noting VTCs should not be viewed as institutions offering a second chance at education and life, but rather should be considered as a first route choice for career development.

“What I look at when I say there is a misconception is the belief in people when they say VTCs are a second option, when in fact it is not a second option, it is rather a chance to ensure that the gifts or talents that you have are also considered in this society of ours,” he stressed.

Almeida said parents often have a limited understanding of VTCs, resulting in them prioritising their children completing high school over their natural talents.

He added that Africans experience natural apprehension due to the lack of sufficient opportunities available to them. When access to formal education is hindered, they are often of the notion that their alternatives are limited.

“It’s just a matter of having a survey on how well parents understand VTCs for certain, that is why we have kids out there in the streets,” Almeida added.

He stressed the importance of VTCs promoting their services to the general public in order to increase awareness.

Almeida stated that it is, for this reason, Marcopolo Vocational Centre chose to showcase its services at the festival, targeting parents and potential students.

He noted that the institution has an enrolment of 255 students specialising in various courses, ranging from hospitality, tourism, office administration, automotive mechanics, and community counselling, among others.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

National Planning Commission Director-General, Obeth Kandjoze called for full collaboration between offices, ministries, agencies, data providers, and the Namibia Statistics Agency as he launched the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) on Wednesday.

Speaking in Windhoek, Kandjoze impressed on the implementation of the NSDS to address identified data gaps.

The strategy will run from the 2023/24 to 2026/27 financial years. It was formulated over four years by the Namibia Statistics Agency with the support of development partnerships, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Highlighting the importance of statistics in national development, Kandjoze emphasised their role in evidence-based decision-making, policy formulation, and providing measures for the development process. He also underscored the significance of statistics in enabling the people of Namibia to assess policy implementation, support economic management, and ensure effective service delivery.

Recognising the growing need for data due to increased development commitments by the Government of Namibia, Kandjoze emphasised that the NSDS serves as a plan to enhance the capacity for producing, disseminating, and mainstreaming the use of statistics across all sectors of the economy.

The NSDS has been developed in alignment with the data requirements of the Fifth National Development Plan (NDP5), as well as other frameworks such as the African Union Agenda and United Nations Agenda 2030.

Kandjoze noted that these frameworks necessitate regular, timely, accurate and disaggregated information to assess their effectiveness.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Qhamani Mzobotshe, a young farmer from Lufafa Village in Ntabankulu had always had dreams of working in the Geographic field, that is why he pursued Geography and Zoology Studies at University.

Little did he know that soon after graduating the family farming business would draw him nearer and far away from his dreams of working in foreign lands.

Mzobotshe, who runs an agricultural enterprise with his father, received support from the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform to assist him and 200 households to plant grain on 750 hectares of land.

The department gave him inputs in the form of seeds, fertiliser and herbicides for 220 hectares of land.

Thanks to that assistance, Mzobotshe and company are set to yield 4500 tons of grain which will be sold to TWK, PSP and EGFeeds.

On Tuesday, DRDAR MEC Nonkqubela Pieters together with Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane led the first harvest at Mzobotshe’s fields.

Addressing farmers and the community, the Premier said Mzobotshe and other farmers had set a good example. He said government should looking into having a mechanisation centre in the Alfred Nzo District.

The Alfred Nzo District is one of the biggest producers of grain in the province with many of its farmers exporting yellow maize.

The Department, through its inclusive cropping strategy supported farmers to plant 28 529 ha with an investment of R142,8 million.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala held a very productive meeting with members of the Independent DT Board on Monday 3 July 2023. This meeting was one of a number held between DPWI and the Board since March 2023.

These meetings focus on progress being made towards a new corporate form for the IDT and to address governance challenges which recently came to the attention of the IDT’s Board requiring investigation and resolution. Some of these challenges were raised by anonymous whistleblowers.

The meeting agreed that the Board would continue its work to address these challenges, including through the assistance of DPWI and independent investigators, to ensure the IDT continues to play an important role in the delivery of social infrastructure in South Africa.

In addition, extensive background work on possible corporate forms has been undertaken by the DPWI, GTAC and the IDT, and these recommendations are now undergoing Cabinet and other processes.

In discussions with the Minister, it was agreed that it was appropriate for the two Ministerial appointees to resign from the board in order to allow these important corporate changes to proceed. This would also do away with the current distinction between Ministerial appointees and other Board members, so that all persons are appointed after following the same appointment process. It is also preferable that DPWI as a Department designates an official to interact with the Board directly, rather than having Ministerial representatives. In this regard the Minister thanked the current Ministerial appointees Mr. Tim Sukazi and Dr. Michael Sutcliffe for their dedicated service and wise counsel as members of the Board of the IDT through this period of transformation.

The Minister appreciates their valued contribution and service to the country during this period and would not hesitate to call on their experience and expertise in the future.

Finally, given the process of transitioning to a new corporate form, the Minister also welcomed the appointment of Ms. Zimbini Hill and Ms. Lerato Kumalo as the interim Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the IDT working through this interim period. They both have extensive experience and were unanimously elected by the members of the IDT Board.

Source: Government of South Africa