Day: August 18, 2023

National Youth Council (NYC) ||Kharas regional coordinator, Brandy Lufuma has said the youth self-employment horticulture project at Keetmanshoop still has the potential to address unemployment and food security in the town once it expands.

Launched by Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero nearly three years ago, the project has been unable to increase its volume to address the issue of unemployment among the youth and food security.

The project is aimed at ensuring food security and increasing productivity, skills enhancement, and generating income for youth in peri-urban and rural areas, by testing cost-effective and scalable market-based solutions to strengthen micro-entrepreneurship opportunities.

In an interview with Nampa recently, Lufuma said currently cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, spring onions, red onion and chillies are planted in the garden and it is managed by four young volunteers.

According to her once expanded, the project could supply the inhabitants of Keetmanshoop and the region, however, the expansion is hindered by factors such as illegal harvesting by community members.

“This project will be successful if community members do not illegally harvest from our garden. When they see it’s green, they come at night and harvest, because they can see through the net,” she said.

Lufuma further noted that earlier this year when the group harvested their yield, they discovered that the soil in the garden was deteriorating. A decision was made to replace the soil, which involved removing the existing sand to expose it to sunlight for vitamin D replenishment.

“We also got new black bags and seeds from head office so we planted new plants and we implemented pest control measures,” said Lufuma.

Lufuma anticipates a harvest within the next month and said any profits generated from sales would directly benefit the volunteers. Even in scenarios where produce remains unsold, the yield would be distributed among the volunteers to promote self-sustainability.

The Ministry of Sport through its subsidiaries, the National Youth Service (NYS) and National Youth Council (NYC) availed N.dollars 1 million to set up greenhouses for horticultural production in all 14 regions.

NYS set up the greenhouse structure while NYC is responsible for the green scheme and overseeing the agricultural production.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Swapo Party Kunene regional leadership has concluded its district conferences to elect office bearers.

The conferences were held in all seven districts of Sesfontein, Pupa, Opuwo Rural, Outjo, Opuwo Urban, Khorixas and Kamanjab from 05 to 13 August and elected coordinators, treasurers, and district mobilisers.

Announcing the outcome of the conferences here Thursday, Swapo’s regional administrator Emily Ndjiluwa said the conferences took place as provided for by Article 43 (10) of the Swapo Party constitution and in accordance with Sections 23 and 26 of the party rules and procedures for the election of party office bearers and party representatives at legislature and government level.

Ndjiluwa said Kephas Itaratjike was elected as Sesfontein district coordinator, while Uaanatjo Kakuva will head the Opuwo Rural district and Steven Tjambiru will serve as the Epupa district coordinator.

Former Opuwo town councillor Willemia Nashihua was elected as coordinator for Opuwo Urban, while Outjo voted for Ellis Geriseb. Hanna Lewe will oversee the district of Kamanjab.

Paulina Haragaes (Sesfontein); Lilia Kakori Kandetu (Opuwo Rural); Victorino Simon (Opuwo Urban); Paladia Augustinho (Epupa); Stella!Ganes (Khorixas); Issai Katambo (Outjo); and Pinehas Hashonadali (Kamanjab) were appointed as mobilisers for their respective districts.

For the role of treasurer, Sesfontein chose Johannes Gawaseb, Opuwo Rural chose Kanjandere Kaee, and Koos Kakuva was chosen unopposed in Opuwo Urban. Immanuel Korukuve was chosen as treasurer of the Epupa district, while Laurence Kandundu will be in charge of Outjo’s district finances. In the Khorixas and Kamanjab districts, Emmanuel //Khamuseb and Bianca Nguaiko ran unopposed for treasurer, respectively.

Also speaking at the press briefing, Swapo’s Kunene regional coordinator Julius Kaujova noted that congresses and conferences are organs and instruments used by the party to examine and analyse successes and achievements for a given time and offer new methods for future delivery.

Kaujova, however, stated that the results of the party’s congresses have left the party more divided, with some members threatening to leave or leaving the party after losing at congresses.

He maintained that the party suffered in the previous elections because of some of its members’ inability to accept defeat at such conferences.

“The attitude of not accepting outcomes cost us dearly in the past and I hope we are not going to experience such attitudes now that we have successfully completed all seven district conferences,” noted Kaujova.

He furthermore urged party members to unite ahead of the elections next year, saying that opposition parties are joining forces and political efforts and strategies to overpower the ruling party, therefore, “we need to be vigilant and stand united more than ever before.”

The returning officers for the just-concluded exercises were Marius Sheya and Titus Rungondo.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Huawei Telecommunication Technologies on Friday launched the Seeds for the Future Programme at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Windhoek.

At the ceremony, Huawei’s Public Relations Manager Micheal Namoongo said 25 students in total will benefit from the online programme which takes place from 21 August to 28 August.

The students are from the International University of Management (IUM), University of Namibia (UNAM) and NUST.

“The students will obtain valuable cutting-edge ICT knowledge developed by Huawei’s headquarters and experience cross-cultural communication virtually,” he said.

Justina Mateus from NUST said she is honoured to have been chosen to participate.

“I believe it is a good opportunity to develop my knowledge in general, as well as my ICT skills,” Mateus said.

At the same event, NUST Vice Chancellor Professor Erold Naomab stated that the programme is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by NUST and Huawei a year ago.

He said it will expose students to the next level of their studies with the aid of ICT.

At the same event, Huawei Managing Director, Micheal Zhang, stated that the programme will offer rich experiences in learning with other countries and that hopefully next year, more than 25 students will benefit from the programme.

“We believe in you and by sharing expertise, we will be able to prepare you for the future as you play an important role for the future,” Zhang said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Concerns of rural electrification will be a thing of the past in some parts of the three villages of the Linyanti Constituency in Zambezi after two transformers were handed over to the villages by the Zambezi Regional Council on Thursday.

Officially handing over the transformers, Katima Mulilo Constituency Councillor Warden Simushi called on the communities to take care of the new infrastructure, and continue supporting and cooperating with their councillors, in order to bring desired development to their constituencies.

Simushi argued that a divided people cannot conquer anything until they unite and move forward together.

“Nobody will come from outside the region to come and develop your constituency and region, hence the need to unite and cooperate with the political leaders and plan together for the future of your children,” he said.

He further argued that communities should not burden their councillors with the constituency responsibilities but assist them wherever possible.

Welcoming the transformers, some of the communities expressed joy, calling for two more transformers so that the remaining villages can benefit as well.

Linyanti Constituency Councillor Iven Kabuga revealed that instead of dividing the allocated N.dollars 200 000 among the residents for income-generating projects, his office saw it fit to invest in a communal investment by buying transformers. The transformers’ funding comes from the Constituency Development Fund initiative under the regional council.

The regional council receives varying project proposals from constituencies – from projects such as rural electrification, projects supporting agriculture, rural water supply and livestock, to small business support and small market stalls.

This year’s allocation gave each of Zambezi’s eight constituencies N.dollars 200 000, and the Linyanti Constituency added an extra N.dollars 38 000 to purchase the two transformers.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Namibia and South Africa on Friday agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) geared towards the energy sector, for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

This was announced by Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, during a visit by his South African counterpart, Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in Windhoek.

Alweendo said the MoU will focus on green hydrogen; oil and gas; and infrastructure related to energy.

“[With] South Africa as our neighbouring country, we have a lot of collaborations and energy is one of them. This visit is even important given the energy deficit that we have, not only in South Africa but definitely in the whole region. We all know that we don’t have enough energy, especially electricity,” he said.

Alweendo added that Namibia is not only buying electricity from South Africa, it equally shares infrastructure.

At the same occasion, Ramokgopa said the two countries’ relationship is symbiotic, as despite South Africa continuing to grapple with the pressing issue of load-shedding, they continue to provide electricity to Namibia.

“First for us is to resolve the most immediate problem that is confronting us as to the energy deficit in the country. We are making significant strides. The intensity of loading shedding, which is a really technical instrument that we deploy when demand far exceeds generation, the intensity is beginning to lessen,” he said.

He noted that there are opportunities that present themselves in the energy sector to build energy security for the region, including Namibia.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

South Africa’s minister of electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Friday that the fact that South Africa still provides electricity to Namibia is evidence of the close ties that exist between the two countries.

Ramokgopa told the media in Windhoek that his country still exports electricity to its northern neighbour despite South Africa experiencing an acute power crisis.

“Our relationship is a symbiotic one. The fact that we still continue to provide electricity to Namibia, even in the midst of electricity challenges, I think just confirmed the strength of the fraternal relationship we enjoy with Namibia,” he said.

Ramokgopa was appointed as South Africa’s first electricity minister earlier in March by President Cyril Ramaphosa in an effort to find a solution to the country’s record-breaking power crisis.

Following his talks with the Namibian minister of mines and energy, Tow Alweendo, Ramokgopa said they are making progress, despite regular load shedding.

“First for us is to resolve the immediate problem that is confronting us, which has to do with the energy deficit in the country. We are making significant strides. The intensity of load shedding is beginning to lessen, firstly as a result of the improvements that we are making on the generation side. We are registering significant improvements in the performance of the units that are giving us electricity in the country,” he said.

The minister noted that the private sector is also contributing to the generation capacity with renewable energy.

In addition, Ramokgopa said that his trip to Windhoek is part of the plan to engage with neighbouring countries to determine whether they have excess generating capacity that South Africa can buy.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency