Day: December 7, 2023

Epukiro – The much-anticipated annual Epukiro Football and Netball tournament is set to commence this Saturday at the Okovimburu sports fields. Renowned as a key festive event in rural Otjozondjupa and Omaheke, the tournament is a highlight for sports enthusiasts in the region.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Ngatuuane Hange, the event’s marketing manager, shared with the Namibian Press Agency (Nampa) on Thursday that the tournament, established in 1985, has been instrumental in developing sports talent in the Epukiro district and across Namibia. It is slated to conclude on December 17th.

Hange emphasized the tournament’s role in nurturing sports at the grassroots level, contributing significantly to the regional and national sports scenes. The tournament is known for producing a high percentage of players who advance to the regional leagues and the Namibia Premier League. This year’s event has attracted 35 netball and 55 football teams, reflecting its growing prominence in the holiday sports calendar.

The tournament will distribute a total of N.dollars 60,000 in prizes, with N.dollars 40,000 allocated for football and N.dollars 20,000 for netball. Participation fees are set at N.dollars 2,000 per team. The netball category winners will receive N.dollars 10,000 and a trophy, while the runners-up will get N.dollars 5,000. The football champions will be awarded N.dollars 20,000 and a trophy, with the runners-up receiving N.dollars 10,000.

Last year, the Otjijere Football Club and the Easter Swallows netball team triumphed in their respective divisions.

Windhoek – In an effort to enhance environmental sustainability, Melania Ndjago, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, has recommended the rehabilitation of old waste dumps in Namibia. This recommendation was presented during a National Council report on the 10th Nevsky Ecological Congress held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Ndjago emphasized the need for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) to support and encourage local authorities in revamping old dump sites. She proposed the creation and reinforcement of legal frameworks to foster green and sustainable practices among organizations, individuals, and businesses.

During the congress, Viktoria Abramchenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, highlighted critical environmental challenges including freshwater scarcity, land pollution, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and atmospheric damage due to human activities. Ndjago, reflecting on the congress discussions, suggested that MEFT should promote biodiversity preservation in Namibia, especially in forest-rich areas, and support reforestation efforts by providing planting materials.

The 2023 Nevsky International Ecology Congress, an important global environmental platform, saw participation from over 1,500 delegates, including ministers, international organization representatives, parliamentary heads, and diplomats. The congress was jointly organized by the Russian government, the Russian Federation Council, the Interparliamentary Assembly of CIS member nations, and Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Onyaanya, Oshikoto Region – Anna Nghipondoka, the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture of Namibia, has called for increased efficiency in the use of learners’ books by school principals and teachers nationwide. This appeal was made during the handover of a N.dollars 4,000 donation from Vice President Nangolo Mbumba to Ihongo Senior Secondary School.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Minister Nghipondoka expressed concern over the underutilization of educational resources in schools. She highlighted the issue of learners discarding partially used exercise books, a practice that has attracted numerous complaints from parents and guardians. Nghipondoka urged principals to ensure that each learner’s exercise book is fully utilized before issuing new ones. She emphasized the importance of internal efficiency in schools, citing that a significant portion of exercise books remains unused.

The minister also addressed the problem of insufficient exercises being given to learners, leading to poor academic performance. She suggested that teachers should fully utilize the pages in exercise books to enhance learning efficiency.

Furthermore, Nghipondoka encouraged school principals to adopt innovative approaches for sustaining their schools. She proposed the utilization of unused classrooms as laboratories and shared her experience from her tenure as MoEAC director in the Omusati Region, where she initiated the ‘Groom a Scientist’ project, leading to the creation of laboratories.

In addition to these educational strategies, Nghipondoka advised parents to support schools when necessary, while also noting that the Ministry provides many resources. She emphasized the importance of schools communicating their needs to parents without overburdening them.

Windhoek – In a significant push towards digital inclusion, Namibian Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga, highlighted the country’s current status of internet accessibility. This announcement was made in Windhoek on Thursday, commemorating the African Telecommunications/ICT Day.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), only 56 per cent of Namibians currently have internet access. This figure underscores the need for concerted efforts to achieve full connectivity across the nation. The minister called for increased collaboration between local and international stakeholders and mobile operators to expand network tower installations, especially in remote regions.

Mushelenga pointed out that approximately 72 per cent of the African population lacks access to mobile internet, an issue impacting almost 200 million people in areas without mobile broadband network coverage. In response, the Namibian Government plans to allocate funds in the upcoming financial year to establish network towers in regions that are commercially challenging for mobile operators. The minister also noted that 90 per cent of the Namibian population is now covered by broadband infrastructure.

Windhoek – Samuel Shivute, the chairperson of the Oshikoto regional council, is urging people to become more knowledgeable about their rights, especially in the context of managing debt and avoiding financial distress. During the Oshikoto regional consumer credit bill consultations held in Omuthiya on Thursday, Shivute emphasized the challenges faced by many who are burdened with expensive loans and insurance due to insufficient information about how these financial instruments operate.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), a significant issue in Namibia is the lack of awareness among consumers about where to turn when their rights are infringed upon, leaving many feeling helpless. He stressed the importance of understanding consumer rights, highlighting the critical role consumers play in the business ecosystem. The consumer credit bill, as outlined by Shivute, is designed to educate people about making informed financial decisions with the right information at the right time.

Joanette Eises, a corporate communications practitioner at the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA), further explained the bill’s objectives. She stated that the bill seeks to foster fair, transparent, and responsible conduct in the consumer credit market. It aims to protect credit consumers by ensuring they are treated fairly and provided with complete and transparent information.

Eises elaborated that the bill encompasses all types of credit, including loans for education, small business development, or low-income housing. Key features of the bill include transparency, full disclosure of information, improved reporting of consumer credit information, and regulation and supervision of services provided by credit providers, credit bureaus, and debt collectors. The bill is also geared towards promoting high standards of business conduct and reducing financial crimes.

Additionally, Eises highlighted the rights the proposed bill would grant to consumers, such as the right to understand why credit is refused, to receive information in plain language, and to have confidential treatment of their information. Other rights include the opportunity to read and understand credit agreement terms, the right to refuse signing incomplete documents, and the prohibition against retention of personal documents and bank credentials.

NAMFISA is spearheading this initiative in collaboration with representatives from various entities, including the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, the Bank of Namibia, the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, and the Financial Literacy Initiative, to address legislative challenges through the Consumer Credit Bill.

Windhoek – Moses Matyayi, the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Windhoek, has confirmed the availability of adequate land in Windhoek to support low-cost housing projects. This initiative is part of a broader effort to formalize informal settlements within the nation’s capital.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Matyayi’s statement came during a ceremony for the handover of 58 houses in the Greenwell Matongo informal settlement. The Informal Settlement Upgrading Project (ISUP), launched in August 2020, is a collaborative effort between the Windhoek municipality, the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. This project has enabled numerous low-income earners to acquire formal housing.

Matyayi highlighted the adequacy of existing land resources to substantially address the needs of residents in informal settlements. He emphasized the integrated approach of the project, which begins with land servicing followed by construction of housing. The initiative receives financial support from the Government through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.

The NHE, serving as the implementation agency for the ISUP, has developed 652 houses under the project at a cost of N.dollars 124 million. Toska Sem, the chairperson of the housing enterprise, reported that the cost of building and processing each unit was below N.dollars 200,000. Sem reaffirmed the NHE’s commitment to providing quality, affordable housing for Namibians.

Further progress includes plans to launch a new project in Otjomuise, Windhoek, aiming to develop over 600 housing units at an estimated cost of N.dollars 150 million.