Month: October 2023

A week-long training workshop on ethical leadership for senior cadres in the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) started at Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region on Monday.

NamPol Inspector-General, Lieutenant-General Joseph Shikongo officially opened the workshop, calling on the nine regional police commanders and heads of departments to implement the outcomes of the workshop once they are back at their duty stations.

The participants include the six regional police commanders of the Khomas, Otjozondjupa, Kavango West, Hardap, Ohangwena and Omusati regions as well as the three heads of police departments of human capital, criminal investigations and border infrastructure protection directorate.

Two facilitators from the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) will offer the training.

“This training should be able to equip you with the knowledge, skills and mindset to you becoming an exemplary ethical leader wherever you find yourself in life,” said General Shikongo.

On his part, the course facilitator, Donald Hlahla said topics on racial and social justice, community relations, corruption and misconduct, political influence, conflict of interest, whistle-blower protection, budget and resources allocation, and militarisation will be offered to the police commanders.

The workshop ends on Friday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Namibian Government has condemned the ongoing escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip, which has led to the loss of Palestinians and Israeli lives.

The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (Mirco) in a statement on Monday urged the international community to call for an end to the violence.

Palestinian militants from the Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, penetrated Israel at dawn on Saturday under the cover of a massive rocket barrage.

More than 1 100 people had been killed in the conflict by Monday.

Mirco Executive Director Penda Naanda in a statement said the Namibian Government is gravely concerned and condemns the ongoing escalation of violence.

“Namibia calls on Israel to cease its attacks and refrain from engaging in provocative acts against the Palestinian people and to respect international humanitarian law,” Naanda said.

The statement said the Namibian Government continues to support diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a lasting peace solution leading to a two-state solution along the 1967 Israeli border with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Namibia, in addition, urges the international community to continue to support the Palestinian people by implementing relevant United Nations (UN) resolutions and all other agreements for long-term peace in the Middle East, in which the State of Israel would live side by side in sustainable peace and security with the State of Palestine, the statement said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

NamWater, in collaboration with stakeholders including the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, is hosting a workshop to evaluate the development and management of water resources for water security and climate change adaptation.

The two-day National Workshop on Water Security and Climate Change in Namibia started in Windhoek on Monday and is being attended by representatives from government, public enterprises, and the private sector.

The workshop takes place at a time when Namibia’s water sector faces challenges such as declining infrastructure and water quality, as well as a lack of investment.

In a statement read on his behalf, Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Minister Calle Schlettwein noted that addressing these challenges requires strong collaboration between the central government and other key players.

“In 2012, Namibia held its first-ever water investment conference, and huge interest was generated with very little or no commitment. As the water sector faces a further daunting task of securing water for all, we need to redouble our efforts and pick up pace to accelerate implementation and development.

We need to move away from fragmented planning. We need to work as a team. Integrated water resources management calls for an integrated approach at all the different levels of management and operation. We are therefore required to improve sector coordination,” he said.

The minister said the national water demand will more than double by 2025 to around 583 million cubic meters and reach 772 million cubic meters annually by 2030.

“Good planning and engineering are vital to ensuring increased water supplies, but they alone cannot guarantee assured access to additional water. Demand for water will continue to increase as new industries come to the fore,” said Schlettwein.

NamWater Chief Executive Officer Abraham Nehemia said the local water sector is faced with challenges of a shortage of water resources due to climate change, deteriorating water quality, system water losses, and limited skilled human resources.

“At the end of this national workshop, we are all expected to understand the interplay between water security and climate change, identify different roles each and everyone has towards water security, and that the discussions and presentations will improve the implementation and formulation of evidence-based policies, strategies, and action plans,” Nehemia said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Have you ever pictured yourself using a handheld or portable jackpot gambling machine where you play and win money or cooling your room with a fan not powered by electricity, all made in Namibia?

This is exactly what Simon Matias is currently doing. This innovator and inventor from Windhoek’s Havana informal settlement has a natural talent for electronics.

He does not have a formal technical education from a vocational training centre or university, but he uses his God-given talent to imagine and build things from scratch.

This reporter met with Matias in Havana, where he demonstrated how his two prototype jackpot gambling machines operate.

“I made this one last year,” he said about the portable machine that operates on N.dollar 5 coins. This was the first invention he came up with soon after he failed Grade 11.

“This is my second invention, which I made this year. It works on N.dollars 20 notes,” Matias said about his second machine, which, like the first, can be fitted in a backpack. The two machines are powered by cellphone batteries, which, once fully charged, can last up to a month.

“I used discarded things like radios, cellphones, and computer scraps—things that could have ended up being burned and polluting the environment. I fixed them, put them together, and came up with these jackpots. I came up with these out of nothing, and that is because God has blessed me with a unique talent,” said the 27-year-old inventor.

Matias said he does not have any formal training or technical experience. Additionally, he does not draw ideas from YouTube or the Internet.

“It all comes naturally to me. My passion for electronics started at a young age, when I used to fix radios and torches while growing up in the village. It is a God-given talent. It is not that I went to a special school,” said Matias, who is originally from Oshikunde village in the Ohangwena Region.

Matias has lofty goals as he plans more inventions and has already experimented with an electricity-free fan.

Unfortunately, Namibia does not have a culture of manufacturing, and there is no assistance for young people with natural talent like him.

“I have many concepts, but I cannot do much due to the limitations. I cannot get the materials and tools that I need to create different products. I am planning a fan that is self-powered. I made some progress with it, but I am struggling to buy the essential components. The fan is an important product, especially for people who do not have access to electricity, like here in Havana,” he said.

With the necessary financial and material support, Matias said he would be able to improve and refine his jackpot machines. “I have ideas on how to improve and refine the electronics and software, but I don’t have resources,” he said.

Matias is unemployed, but he manages to make a little money with his mobile jackpot machines.

“I play with friends in the neighbourhood and also go around showing them off at various places, including bars. People are interested in my machines, and many are encouraging me to continue with my passion for inventing things,” he said.

The young innovator said he has a dream of augmenting his talent with a formal education, especially vocational training.

“I can also fix smartphones and do general electrical repairs. Though I have no formal training, I am good at fixing electricity. Maybe I just need guidance, but I can do most of the electrical work,” he said.

The Councillor for Moses //Garoëb constituency, Stefanus Ndengu, said there is a need to assist Matias and other talented young Namibians.

“This young man is showing his talent. He is talented, he only needs assistance, whether it is from the government or the private sector. We really need these talented people to produce various products because we cannot continue to rely on others for everything. We have our own people who are really talented, but they do not have support in terms of materials and equipment. They are not equipped, and people like Matias should be taken to training institutions like vocational training centres to add to their talent. He can fit in well,” Ndengu said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) chairperson, John Walenga, led a group of 150 participants ranging from nine to over 70 years old, in a salt collection initiation process over the weekend.

The event occurred at the Etotha Salt Pan, northwest of Etosha National Park in Okatyali Constituency of the Oshana Region.

Walenga told Nampa the initiation ceremony was amongst others aimed at addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and instilling discipline in the participants.

He expressed surprise at the turnout.

“We only expected about 10 people but over 140 participants turned up, which was surprising,” said Walenga.

The OTA chairperson announced that this initiation process will become an annual event held every October. He thanked parents and guardians for entrusting their children to OTA, as the participants were being trained to be OTA representatives in their respective areas.

Angula Ndjembo, OTA senior headman responsible for Traditional, Cultural, Historical, and Heritage Issues, explained that during the initiation, boys were trained to live disciplined lives, abstaining from smoking and drinking.

Participants were equipped with essential supplies such as dried palm tree stalks, sacks, tents, knives, and blankets. The journey commenced on Friday from the Ondonga Palace at Onambango, with participants transported by car to a point near the salt pan. They spent the night there and began their salt collection on Saturday.

The event concluded early Sunday morning when participants returned to their homes. Ileni Nandjato, the king’s assistant on information, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) for providing game meat and rangers for security during the event.

Nandjato explained that the main activity, salt tapping, is a traditional rite of passage into manhood which is being revived for the new generation.

Lukas Kadenga, a 12-year-old participant from Ontananga, expressed his joy at being part of the process and collecting salt for his family. David Johannes, a 16-year-old from Olukonda, said the process is important in teaching boys how to become a man.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency