Day: January 16, 2024

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Oshakati, Ondangwa register nearly 13 000 people for drought reliefGCIS mourns passing of Octavia Hlungwani

OSHAKATI: The persistent drought situation has not only affected farmers and rural communities, but has also had a significant impact on urban areas, Oshana Region Governor Elia Irimari said on Monday.

He was speaking during the handing over of food parcels by the Oshana Regional Council to the three local authorities of the region.

Irimari said many families are facing challenges in accessing sufficient food and basic necessities, leading to increased vulnerability and hardship.

A total of 12 790 people have so far registered to benefit from the drought relief programme. Of those, 6 560 people were registered in Oshakati and the remaining number in Ongwediva. The figures for Ondangwa are not yet available.

Beneficiaries of the food parcels sponsored by the regional council were selected from the applicants.

Chairperson of the Oshana Regional Committee, Andreas Uutoni, revealed that the food parcels include 184 bags of maize meal, 184 bottles of cooking oil, and 737 cans of tinned fish which will availed
to all three local authorities.

He said 552 households are expected to benefit from the food parcels.

‘Our hope is that this gesture fosters resilience within the communities and helps them navigate through these difficult times,’ he said.

Uutoni said he trusts that the food parcels will reach the intended beneficiaries promptly and that it will provide some relief during this challenging period.

He then encouraged local authorities and community leaders to oversee a transparent distribution process, ensuring that the assistance reaches those who need it the most.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has expressed its condolences to the friends and family of former Association of Independent Publishers Board member, Octavia Hlungwani.

According to the statement released on Tuesday Hlungwani passed away on Wednesday, 10 January 2023, after a short illness.

At the time of her passing, she was also the publisher of a monthly newspaper, Phofula Golden Highway Voice.

‘The GCIS enjoyed a close working relationship with Octavia both in her capacity as the Association of Independent Publishers Board member and as a community media journalist.’

The GCIS described her as a leader who was ‘progressive’ in her thinking as a journalist and always appreciated the collaborative relationship between the media and government.

‘Her passion for the print media sector was immediately noticeable in all her interactions with the GCIS officials. She leaves an indelible mark in the community media sector and may her soul rest in peace.’

Source: South African Gover
nment News Agency

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Limited school space leaves parents stranded in Moses ||Garoeb Constituency


WINDHOEK: Parents and guardians in Windhoek’s Moses ||Garoeb Constituency have been left frustrated by limited spaces in school, especially for Grade 1 learners.

Speaking to Nampa here on Monday, constituency councillor Stefanus Ndengu said limited space is a challenge every year, as the constituency has only four primary schools and two secondary schools catering for its estimated population of 90 000 to 100 000 inhabitants.

‘The population is growing and we cannot stop that… What we need is more schools to be built. We need to the Khomas Regional Council and Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture to add more schools,’ he said.

The principal of Moses ||Garoeb Primary School, Judith Sepiso, said parents have been flocking to the school looking for space, however due to limited space many children were turned away.

She said the school can only accommodate 1 400 learners, which already means each teacher has about 40 learners in their class, while the ministry’s teacher-learner ratio for grades 1 to 4 is 3
5 learners.

‘I am so scared for our country that we have children who are not going to school at all because they did not get space due to the limited number of schools. We might have some parents who might just go back and sit with their child, which is really a sad situation,’ she said.

Sepiso echoed the call for more schools, especially in the informal settlements where population growth is rapid due to rural-urban migration.

Meanwhile, acting principal of the newly established Cuba Primary Project School, Immanuel Nangolo, similarly called for more schools to be constructed. He said another option is to employ more teachers and to allow schools in informal settlements to operate on the plateau system, where some learners attend school in the morning and some in the afternoon.

‘Most intakes here are people from the rural areas and some of them are vulnerable children… The capacity of the Cuba project school is 1 260 learners in grades 1 to 7 and the teacher-learner teacher ratio is 38, however some cla
sses have 45 or more learners,’ he noted.

A frustrated parent, Annacky Inane, said she has been to all four primary schools in the constituency and other surrounding constituencies, but has not managed to secure a place in Grade 1 for her child.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Rössing Uranium donates stationery to Tsumkwe learners


WINDHOEK: Rössing Uranium on Monday handed over a donation of 400 school bags filled with stationery to Tsumkwe Senior Secondary School as part of the Women in Media (WiM) Tsumkwe outreach initiative.

During the handover ceremony, Rössing Uranium Corporate Communication Manager Daylight Ekandjo said preparations for the donation had been underway since last year. Rössing Uranium pledged N.dollars 250 000 towards the initiative in response to a request from Women in Media.

‘We acknowledge the challenges faced by learners, teachers, and the community of Tsumkwe. It is in the face of challenges that resilience is forged, and it is our hope that these school bags and stationery will alleviate some of the burdens, enabling our future employees to focus on their studies and aspire to greater heights. This donation today is a small contribution towards a collective goal. It reflects our belief in the potential of the young minds of Tsumkwe and our commitment to fostering educational opportunities in the communitie
s where we live, work and beyond,’ she said.

Ekandjo also extended gratitude to Women in Media for the partnership.

‘It is through such partnerships that we can create a lasting impact, ensuring that every child receives the education they deserve,’ Ekandjo said.

Women in Media founder Limba Mupetami thanked Rössing Uranium for joining forces with WiM and for their contribution. School principal Christof Ngavetene also extended his gratitude to Rössing Uranium for the donation.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Frederick urges ||Kharas Regional Council staff to be punctual and productive


KEETMANSHOOP: Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick has urged employees of the ||Kharas Regional Council to be punctual and to be productive as their behaviour affects inhabitants of the region.

Addressing a staff meeting of the Directorate of Education, Arts, and Culture on Monday, Frederick expressed her observations of council staff’s behaviour, saying some come to work late and leave early. She said their behaviour deprives inhabitants of the region of effective and efficient service delivery.

‘This government is not only for people in Windhoek, it is for all of us. You are here to serve the people at this level. It is our responsibility to make sure that government services are delivered to the best of our abilities. The minister or the executive director will not come and deliver those services to the people here, we are the ones to do it. There are rules to be followed, follow them,’ she said.

The governor also said while some employees struggle with punctuality, others are punctual, but they are not pro
ductive while at work.

‘Being a faithful servant is not only about coming to work early and leaving late, it’s about being productive, you should have goals at work that you tick off daily when achieved. That way you can be proud when you receive your salary, you cannot be happy to receive a salary you did absolutely nothing for,’ Frederick added.

Also speaking was ||Kharas Regional Council Chief Executive Officer Benedictus Diergaardt, who shared the governor’s sentiments. He urged employees to obey the rules and regulations of the Public Service Act, saying they should not forget the reason they are called public servants is because they should serve the people.

‘You are not doing anyone a favour by being here, you are here to work and in return we pay you a salary… Do your job because if you don’t, the community at large suffers,’ he stressed.

He called on the staff to work together, respect each other and support each other to the best of their abilities.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency