Month: December 2023

The Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) held a graduation ceremony for the first intake of its 30th basic training course held in 2023 at Omaruru on Thursday.

Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security Albert Kawana, during the ceremony said the Basic Training Intake 1 of 2023 began on 01 March 2023, with a total of 373 recruits consisting of 246 males and 127 females.

‘Today, we welcome 359 graduates who completed the training successfully and are ready for deployment. Fourteen recruits couldn’t make it – six withdrew for personal reasons, four were dismissed for disciplinary contravention, two due to pregnancy, and two were discharged,’ he said.

He encouraged the new graduates to uphold the good name of the correctional service department, which is an integral part of the ministry and the government. Kawana urged the graduates to embody patriotism, courage, and discipline consistently.

NCS Commissioner General Raphael Hamunyela at the event highlighted the service’s commitment to enhan
cing professionalism and imparting skills aligned with modern corrections and the evolving approach to offender treatment. Hamunyela mentioned the recent extension of basic correctional training from six to nine months. This extension aims to incorporate a well-structured practical aspect, exposing recruits to various areas within correctional facilities, assessing their performance based on international minimum standards for, amongst others, inmate treatment, including unit/section duties, escort, guard duties, and searching.

Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)

Deputy Minister for Disability Affairs and Marginalised Communities, Royal Johan Kxao |Ui|o|oo, has urged men never to take their own lives, no matter how hard things might become for them.

|Ui|o|oo made this request during the 3rd National Men Conference held at Ondangwa in the Oshana Region on Friday.

According to |Ui|o|oo, if matters get any worse men should always talk to someone, go and report the case and allow the law to take itscourse.

‘Let us seek help when going through disappointments, rejection, or any other situation that we find ourselves in,’ he said.

|Ui|o|oo added that he is confident that as men, they can strive for a culture of non-violence. And they can resolve conflict with no violence.

He indicated that according to reports a total of 679 suicides took place in Namibia within a period of 17 months. Out of this number, 559 were men, representing 82 per cent of total suicides. The total number of suicides among women totalled 120.

This, |Ui|o|oo said, is a matter of serious concern.

Meanwhile the Namibian Correctional Service North Western and Eastern Regional Commissioner Eliakim Shikongo, stated that only 20 correctional officers at NCS reportedly have either been subjected to, or are victims of gender-based violence.

Shikongo indicated that there is a reluctance in reporting GBV cases among correctional officers.

He stressed that the issue of masculinity is one that particularly in Namibia has been associated with wrong beliefs that have led to devastating consequences such as suicides, passion killings and even men-on-men murders.

Speaking at the same occasion, Oshana Governor Elia Irimari indicated that addressing issues of mental health in the context of GBV is a crucial aspect of this conference.

‘As men, we either find ourselves to be victims or perpetrators of gender-based violence, often bearing the heavy burden of trauma and emotional distress,’ he said.

Irimari added that this conference creates a space where these issues can be openly discussed, encouraging men to seek
support without stigmatisation and promoting mental wellbeing.

Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)

A 25-year-old man died on Thursday at Matjwa village in the Kavango East Region after he was bitten by a snake in the forest.

The Namibian Police Force crime investigations coordinator in the region, Deputy Commissioner Bonifatius Kanyetu told Nampa on Friday that the incident happened at around 08h00.

It is alleged that the deceased who has been identified as Tjingereshu Tjitumbo went alone in the forest to go cut poles for his house when a snake bit him.

He reportedly ran to his uncle’s house screaming out for help, but the uncle was not home.

The people in the village then called the State ambulance from Rundu, however on the ambulance arrival, the deceased was declared dead at the scene by the nurse.

His next of kin have been informed and police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)

The construction of the Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport freeway, a project critical for Namibia’s infrastructure, is encountering delays attributed to various challenges.

The entire road is now set to be opened either in November 2024 or January 2025.

The multi-phased project was initiated, with the first phase covered 10 kilometres and fully funded by the Namibian government. Phase 2A commenced in 2019 and Phase 2B commenced in May 2021, with both phases facing hurdles that impacted their timelines.

During a site visit on Thursday, Chief Executive Officer of the Roads Authority, Conrad Lutombi provided insights into the project’s current status. He said Phase 2A, spanning 19.5 kilometres from Auasblick to the Dordabis interchange and funded by the African Development Bank, is at 78 per cent completion.

‘By February, the link to Sam Nujoma Drive should be ready, with the interchange from Finkenstein Estate to follow later,’ said Lutombi.

The originally targeted completion date of November
has been extended to July 2024 for Phase 2A. Lutombi revealed that the contractor is injecting an additional US.dollars 3 million to compensate for low rates, leading to a situation where profitability for the contractor is compromised.

‘The project is costing us about N.dollars 994 million and so far we are still within the budget, but unfortunately what happened is that the contractor got it very wrong. So now they have a serious problem with the cash flow,’ Lutombi said.

Turning attention to Phase 2B, spanning 21.5 kilometres from the Dordabis Interchange to the airport and funded by a N.dollars 1 billion grant from the People’s Republic of China, Lutombi outlined challenges including negotiations with landowners, water shortages and alignment issues with a NamPower line. These challenges have contributed to a 50 per cent production rate as of the current stage.

Lutombi underscored the commitment to utilising local labour, with 370 Namibians actively engaged on the site.

Source: Namibia Press Agency
(NAMPA)

Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) Commissioner Sam Shivute has called on the formation of partnerships that will enable the speedy implementation of recommendations in the Time Release Study (TRS) Report.

Launched in Walvis Bay on Friday, the report is a result of a study conducted by the Customs and Excise Department through the National Technical Working Group and serves as a tool for Government and stakeholders.

The TRS contains finding and recommendations from the Port of Walvis Bay conducted from February to July 2023.

According to Shivute during the launch, in order to place Namibia as one of SADC and the world’s best transport and logistics hubs, there is a need to identify and address bottlenecks in the clearance of goods at Walvis Bay particularly in order to promote legitimate trade and increase the port’s Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU).

‘We do know that although we await for Cabinet’s directive on the approval of this report, we know the positions we were appointed in and we already know our m
andate as far as trade facilitation is concerned. We already know the Namibia we want and what we need to improve for our competitiveness in order to create a conducive environment for businesses and really to facilitate trade, therefore we need to start doing things now,’ he urged.

Shivute said the report gives a clear understanding of trade facilitation and releasing and also the challenges experienced within the space of facilitation in Namibia and the recommendations.

Head of Customs and Excise Willbroad Poniso noted that once implemented, the TRS will enable faster turnaround times which will impact expedited movement of goods.

‘It will also improve reliability, therefore enabling accurate and predictable timelines for cargo release and enhanced planning capabilities. Furthermore, an enhanced trade competitiveness will also be a benefit, therefore positioning Walvis Bay as a more competitive trade gateway and then attracting more shipping lines,’ he expressed.

Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)

President Hage Geingob said Namibia has established a world’s first blended finance infrastructure fund that is ready to receive climate financing ‘today’ to facilitate the necessary action.

Geingob was speaking at the High-Level Segment of the Twenty-Eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Friday.

According to Geingob, the sixth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identifies Namibia as one of the most vulnerable nations in sub-Saharan Africa, with rising temperatures, increased evaporation, and rainfall variability posing significant challenges.

Therefore, he said for a drought-prone country like Namibia, climate change stands as a formidable obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Moreover, Geingob indicated that the estimated cost for implementing the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions is US.dollars 15 billion by 2030, with 90 per cent of it contingent on fina
ncial support from the Multilateral Funding Windows under the UNFCCC.

‘COP28 provides a platform for nations to strengthen partnerships, share knowledge, and collectively tackle the global challenges posed by climate change,’ he said.

He added that solidarity, ambition, equity and cooperation are essential if they are serious about fixing climate finance and placing livelihoods at the heart of climate action.

‘Let us seize this moment at COP28 to avert a climate catastrophe. Let us seize this moment by taking bold decisions that will protect our planet for generations to come,’ he added.

Further, Geingob stated that as part of the efforts to build green industrial clusters in Namibia, the country is developing more than nine hydrogen projects.

To do so successfully, he indicated that they must deploy more than US.dollars 20 billion to give future generations a fighting chance against a warming planet.

Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)