Month: July 2023

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MEC visits Hoërskool Garsfontein following discovery of a body

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane is today visiting Hoërskool Garsfontein in Pretoria following the discovery of a deceased learner on Tuesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, Chiloane said this follows the discovery of a Grade 10 girl learner’s body this morning.

According to information at the department’s disposal, the discovery was made by the school’s security, who found a corpse on the school’s rugby field on Tuesday morning, which has been identified as a Grade 10 girl learner from the school.

Police have been called and they are currently at the scene conducting investigations.

According to the department, the learner’s family is also at the school and they will receive necessary support from the department’s psycho-social support team.

“What is unclear at this stage is how the dead body of the girl learner ended up at the school, especially as schools are on recess and there are no learners at school. We call upon police to urgently apprehend the perpetrators.

“We also extend our sincerest condolences to the family and the school community at large,” Chiloane said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Olufuko festival celebrates Namibian culture, preserves tradition: Nujoma

Founding President and patron of the Olufuko Annual Cultural Festival, Sam Nujoma has emphasised the importance of celebrating Namibian culture ‘in the face of social and cultural imperialism.’

Nujoma made these remarks during the official opening of the ninth edition of the festival at Outapi on Tuesday. He stressed that culture should be used as a significant means to dismantle the lasting effects of centuries of colonialism in Africa.

He explained that there is a misconception about Olufuko, as many believe it is a platform used to encourage child marriage.

“Let me once again make it categorically clear that initiation is not marriage, but the rite of passage for the girls from childhood to adulthood,” stressed Nujoma.

He said the teachings and rituals are part of the Oshiwambo culture, providing an occasion to address present-day societal concerns that impact them, such as teenage pregnancy.

Nujoma further added that religion should not be at the exclusion of African values.

“The two can co-exist and there can be a common ground of mutual understanding as it is granted by the Namibian Constitution for every citizen to observe, practice and exercise his or her religion and culture,” he stressed.

He further added that the University of Namibia’s Multidisciplinary Research Centre conducted a study on Olufuko, both in ancient times and the present day.

The study concluded that Europeans used severe censorship and bans on African cultural practices, including Olufuko, as a method to exert power and control over the African people.

Minister of Urban and Rural Development Erastus Uutoni echoed Nujoma’s sentiments, saying the initiation practice is not counterintuitive in any way, but on the contrary fosters cultural preservation.

Olufuko is a traditional initiation ceremony for girls from childhood to adulthood. The festival features performances by various artists and cultural groups, as well as teachings and rituals that help the girls to transition into adulthood.

This year’s event attracted 33 initiates. It ends Friday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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Dausab introduces bill to replace outdated Trust Money Protection Act

The Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab, introduced the Trust Administration Bill 2023 in the National Assembly on Monday, which is intended to repeal the old and outdated Trust Money Protection Act 34 of 1934.

In her motivation, Dausab said that despite the importance of the Trust Money Protection Act’s functions, the legislation only had nine substantive provisions.

‘The Master of the High Court often had to rely on common law for Trust activities to supplement and make sense of the statute,’ she said.

Dausab said the outcome of the mutual evaluation of Namibia’s framework highlighted that, regarding trusts or legal arrangements, authorities should conduct Money Laundering risk assessments of legal persons and trusts.

She said this was not a feature of those who created trusts or those entrusted with the responsibility of managing the trust because the Trust Money Protection Act, did not have the legal text required for such action.

The Minister further explained that Namibia does not have any provision in law that requires trustees of any trust governed under the law to hold basic information on other regulated agents of and service providers to trusts, including investment advisors or managers, accountants, and tax advisors.

‘The new Bill, therefore, requires the trustees and the Master of the High Court to keep this information and avail the same to competent authorities on request,’ she stated.

Dausab said the Trust Administration Bill consequently provides for and addresses aspects of control and administration of trusts that the 1934 Act does not provide for.

The new Bill also addresses aspects of the regulation of trustees and trust practitioners, who in practice are currently not regulated in terms of the 1934 Act.

These people, she added, also charge exorbitant fees and drastically reduce trust assets to the detriment of the trust beneficiaries.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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Senate to constitute special, standing committees before July ending – Bamidele

The Senate will constitute special and standing committees before end of this month, this is according to the new Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele.

The senate leader said this while briefing newsmen after his emergence as the majority leader of the 10th Senate on Tuesday in Abuja.

Bamidele said that with the emergence of the majority and minority caucuses which make up the principal officers, they would hit the ground running.

According to him, “Before long, during the month of July, we will have all the committees; special and standing committees properly constituted.

“For us, the next task is to ensure we hit the ground running so that from tomorrow, we are able to take steps that will show that we have a clear understanding of what is to be done.

“The first task ahead of us is to constitute special committees of the 10th Senate. Our rules make provision for six special committees.

“This is so that every senator can get busy based on their own professional background and can properly fit into the sector where they can add value.

“We are ready to attend to correspondence from the executive. Through the committee of the whole of the house, we will commence with the confirmation hearing of the Service Chiefs and some other appointees who had been named by the President.”

He assured that as the new leadership had emerged, it would ensure that that seriousness is attached to all legislative assignments.

“By the grace of God, we will be able to make a difference that will be positive that will be worth the effort of all of you that worked with us in ensuring that the two presiding officers emerged in a manner that was not rancorous.

“But of course, the emergence of the remaining principal officers of the 10th Senate was not an issue that was meant to be decided on the floor.

“Rather, it was an issue which on the one hand as related to the All Progressives Party (APC) needed to be decided among the critical stakeholders of the party. This was what led to the emergence of the officers.

“On the other hand, with respect to the minority parties, again it wasn’t entirely a party affair because it wasn’t a typical situation where you have one opposition party but rather six political parties were involved.

“Fifty of our colleagues were involved. So rather than it being a decision to be taken at the secretariat of political parties it was more of a decision taken by members who were elected on the platform of the six minority parties.

“Thirty eight of them by virtue of their signature took a decision as to who their leaders will be and of course this was also communicated to their respective political parties and as democrats, all the presiding officers did was to follow suit because more than a single majority had decided.”

Bamidele added that it had been a no victor no vanquish situation adding that “we are happy eventually a leadership has emerged for the 10th Senate.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Jackpot machine stolen from shebeen at village

A shebeen was broken into on Friday about 07h10 in Omahenene location at Oshekasheka village, a Namibian Police Force crime report has indicated.

The suspects allegedly used unknown objects to cut through the roof of the premises and gain entry into the shebeen, where they stole a jackpot machine valued at N.dollars 95 000 and N.dollars 500 in cash.

The damaged jackpot was recovered from an Okandjengedi south corrugated iron house and one suspect was apprehended and detained at Ongwediva Police Station in Oshana Region.

Police investigations are ongoing.

In an unrelated event, a 61-year-old woman, a resident of Onambele village in Oshikoto, opened a case of operating under false pretence against a traditional doctor at the Ongwediva Police Station.

According to Namibian Police spokesperson for Oshana, Inspector Thomas Aiyambo, the incident happened Friday. It is alleged that the complainant’s son has been a psychiatric patient for several years, and his mother has been seeing various traditional doctors for him to be treated, but nothing has worked out until the complainant was referred to a particular traditional healer known as a herbalist.

“The complainant contacted the healer who was recommended to them, and they agreed to meet at his home in Ongwediva,” Aiyambo said.

They discussed the cost of treating the boy and agreed on a consultation fee of N.dollars 400 and treatment cost of N.dollars 8 000.

The complainant subsequently paid the full amount, and while the doctor was busy with the boy, he stopped and informed the mother that she, too, would require treatment because she is also sick and her treatment would cost N.dollars 100 000.

The complainant went to the bank and withdrew the money (N.dollars 100 000) and handed it over to the herbalist. The complainant was given some herbs and powder to use, but when she returned home, she realised she was deceived as she knew she was not sick, which is why she went to the police to open the case.

The complainant dropped the charges after the herbalist was arrested and he returned her money.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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NCS to commemorate Correctional Service Day in Omaruru

The Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) has announced that it will commemorate Correctional Service Day on 20 July 2023.

The NCS in a media release on Tuesday said the commemoration will be held at the Lucius Sumbwanyambe Mahoto Correctional Service Training College in Omaruru, under the theme ‘Striving towards a safe society through rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.’

NCS Commissioner-General Raphael Hamunyela in the media release said Vice President Nangolo Mbumba will be the guest of honour at the event.

Five heads of correctional and prison services from Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will also be attending the event as it is tradition for heads of correctional services to invite each other to such events to share best practices.

In essence, Hamunyela said, the celebration of Correctional Service Day provides a platform for raising awareness about the critical role that correctional officers play in the criminal justice system.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency