Day: December 4, 2023

In Walvis Bay’s Kuisebmond residential area, a 67-year-old man, Nghilalulwa Shihafeleni, was found deceased in an apparent suicide on Saturday. The Namibian Police Force reported that Shihafeleni’s body was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head and a pistol beside it, around 05:30. Meanwhile, in Karasburg, a 29-year-old man, Tomas Basson, was fatally stabbed at a club early Sunday.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), The stabbing, which took place around 04:00, led to Basson’s death at Keetmanshoop State Hospital. The motives behind the stabbing remain unknown, and no arrests have been made. In another incident in Windhoek’s Otjomuise area, a house break-in on Saturday resulted in the theft of items valued at N$14,800, including two gas bottles and a pistol. The theft occurred between 05:30 and 08:00, with the perpetrators cutting a chain to gain entry. As of now, no arrests or recoveries have been made, and police investigations are ongoing.

In the Oshikoto Region, a motor vehicle accident at Omutsegondjamba village resulted in varying injuries for four individuals around 22:30 on Sunday. Commissioner Theopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku, Oshikoto

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), provided details in a crime update. The incident involved a pick-up traveling from Oshivelo to Omuthiya, towing a trailer with four cattle. The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn and roll once. The passengers sustained serious to moderate injuries and were transported to Omuthiya State Hospital, with one later transferred to Oshakati State Hospital. The driver, a 21-year-old man from Ongha village in the Ohangwena Region, was unharmed. The three male passengers, including an Angolan national, suffered serious head and chest injuries and were also moved to Oshakati State Hospital for further treatment.

From Windhoek, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security has called upon the Head of State to address the escalating security concerns in the Zambezi region through the Namibia Botswana Joint Commission. This appeal follows the committee’s consultative meetings in 2022 with various stakeholders regarding the region’s security state. The committee’s visit was prompted by an increase in harassment and shooting incidents by the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) along the Chobe River, impacting communities there.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), A notable incident involved the shooting of three Namibian men and a Zambian national, suspected of poaching, which intensified public demands for government action. The report compiled by the committee highlights ongoing disputes over the 2018 boundary treaty, which local traditional authorities claim lacked proper consultation. Community members along the borderline from Mahunga to Kasika have expressed dissatisfaction with the current treaty, advocating for negotiations and a reversion to the Berlin Treaty lines of 1884, as established by the 1890 Berlin Conference. The report concludes that without cooperation from Botswana authorities, investigating harassment and intimidation incidents against residents living along the borderline remains challenging.

In Windhoek, the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia (NamBTS) is currently facing a critical shortage of blood supply.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Supervisor of Marketing and Donor Relations at NamBTS, the country is down to a five-day blood supply, significantly lower than the ideal. Particularly affected are O-positive and O-negative blood types. Shivute pointed out that the ideal blood stock level should be a 9–12-day supply to ensure all patients in need receive timely and potentially life-saving transfusions. He mentioned that Namibia requires over 170 blood donations daily to meet hospital demands, a target challenged by the significant increase in transfusions over the past two months. Despite efforts in the past two weeks, the shortage persists. Shivute highlighted the diverse needs for blood products, extending beyond trauma and emergency patients. Blood is crucial for mothers experiencing complications during pregnancy and birth, premature infants, burn victims, cancer patients, and those with chronic illnesses, surgeries, or organ and blood conditions. With the festive season approaching, Shivute ur
ged all eligible blood donors in Namibia to donate regularly to help save lives. Donations can be made at NamBTS’s fixed site centers in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Ondangwa, Oshakati, and at mobile blood donation sessions in Okahandja, Ongwediva, Rehoboth, and Outapi this week.

In Keetmanshoop, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has recently acquired approximately 19,000 hectares of land in the ||Kharas region for the second phase of the Neckartal Dam project. This acquisition, at a cost of nearly N$19 million, marks a significant step in the dam’s development. The first phase involved constructing the dam wall, completed in 2019 by Italian company Salini Impregilo, with a total expenditure of N$5.5 billion. The upcoming second phase focuses on developing irrigation projects anticipated to generate substantial employment opportunities.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Jona Musheko, a request for expressions of interest was advertised in November for consulting services to conduct a feasibility study. This study aims to guide the ministry in selecting suitable crops or fruits for cultivation and in determining effective design, financing, and operational models. Musheko could not specify the consultation period’s duration before launching the irrigation scheme’s development. ||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick has expressed hopes that the government will integrate small farmers into the irrigation phase, emphasizing the importance of benefiting local communities, especially women and youth, through cooperative models.

Windhoek – Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab disclosed that in 2023, over 10,000 applications for legal aid were received by her ministry. During a Cabinet committee briefing, she stated that of these applications, approximately 7,500 were granted, with N.dollars 35 million allocated to support indigent litigants. The Ministry of Justice has also established a partnership with the Law Society of Namibia, focusing on enhancing access to justice and service delivery.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), This collaboration, part of a five-year agreement, will facilitate information exchange and share expertise in legal matters. Minister Dausab highlighted the ministry’s efforts in innovating court services, including the establishment of Victim Friendly Court Facilities and the construction of a new court in Keetmanshoop. The ministry’s internship program has also been successful in providing employment opportunities, involving over 200 interns, including international participants from Canada and the United States.