Day: January 18, 2024

OMUTHIYA: Omuthiya Mayor, Johannes Ndeutepo, has encouraged individuals to develop plots in Omuthiya that have remained inactive for an extended period.

Ndeutepo conveyed said this in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, addressing the issue of 316 allocated plots lying idle with no development. He expressed concern about the increasing number of inactive properties in the town, emphasising that some owners are notably silent and show no indication of developing their plots.

The mayor added that they have entered into lease agreements with plot owners, stipulating that if the properties are not developed within a three-year period, a notice will be issued to reclaim the land without refunding the owners their money.

‘We strongly encourage the owners of undeveloped land and erven in Omuthiya town to initiate development or report their current situation within three years before we repossess these plots,’ Ndeutepo urged.

Acknowledging the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, Ndeutepo noted that
some may be facing challenges in developing their properties. He urged affected parties to communicate their circumstances to the council for consideration.

Furthermore, Ndeutepo highlighted the town’s rapid growth, with plans for expansion in the near future. He mentioned ongoing developmental activities and the imminent completion of the town’s water reservoir by June 2024. Additionally, the mayor shared plans to address unemployment among the youth by offering employment opportunities for town cleaning.

‘We are also committed to constructing proper housing in the Kaniita informal settlement for our residents,’ Ndeutepo added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

OPUWO: Four people died when the sedan they were travelling in collided with a truck on the Opuwo-Ovinjange road on Wednesday.

The Namibian Police Force’s spokesperson for the Kunene Region, inspector Vehangaiza Ruiter, told Nampa the accident occurred around 15h38, when a Toyota Paso sedan driving from Opuwo toward Okangwati attempted to overtake a truck.

The driver allegedly lost control over the vehicle and it collided with the oncoming truck before overturning.

Ruiter said the sedan, which operated as a taxi in Opuwo, had eight passengers, four of whom were taken to the Opuwo State Hospital with minor injuries.

The truck driver and three of his passengers also suffered minor injuries. Both drivers had valid driver’s licences.

The next of kin of a 40-year-old man and seven-month-old baby boy who died in the accident have been informed. The police were yet to inform the relatives of the other two people who died in the accident.

Police investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

KORHOGO: Namibian Football Association (NFA) President, Robert Shimooshili, has appealed to individuals and corporate entities in Namibia to support the national football team’s impressive performance in their opening match at the African Cup of Nations currently underway in Ivory Coast.

Addressing the team on Wednesday night at the athlete’s village in Korhoho, Shimooshil pledged N.dollars 150 000 of his own money to the team and said appreciating what the team has achieved cannot only come by word of mouth.

‘I challenge the Namibian nation, those who can support the team in whatever way they can to do so. The Namibia people are saying they love the team and are supporting them, so we need to mean what we are saying as we need to take care of the team,’ he said.

Shimooshili added that the team left their families back home to focus on a national assignment which he believes they should be incentivised for.

‘We must lead by example and for what the team has done. I pledged N.doolars 150 000 and those who
are in a position to please also give your pledges to the office. We believe in the team’s potential so the contribution should not be seen as just financial support but a vote of confidence in the resilience and determination displayed by the Brave Warriors as they brought honour and pride to the nation,’ said Shimooshili.

Speaking at the same occasion, PST Bet Founder and CEO, Steve Hamunyela also pledged an amount of N.dollars 150,000 towards the Brave Warriors.

‘I just wanted to tell you that PST Bet is very proud of your achievements and we love you therefore tonight (Wednesday) we are going to transfer N.dollars 150 000 for what you did yesterday (Tuesday),’ he said.

The pledges come after Namibia’s historic 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their opening match at the 2023 Ivory Coast TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations on Tuesday evening.

Namibia is in Group E of the competition, alongside Tunisia, Mali, and South Africa. Their next match in the competition is against South Africa on Sunday, before trav
eling to San Pedro to play their last group match against Mali on Wednesday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Government is set to build over 4 000 houses in municipalities across the Northern Cape over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, in a programme valued at R1 billion.

‘Through this project, thousands of families will now have a home they can call their own, an asset that can be used to improve their lives and access financing for their needs, and a home that can be passed on to future generations,’ President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

Addressing the launch in Kimberley, President Ramaphosa described the mega-housing project as the biggest in the history of the Northern Cape.

‘This project is going to help reduce the housing backlog in the Northern Cape, as more people have access to housing in urban and rural areas. The most vulnerable in our society will be prioritised as beneficiaries of this mega-housing project.

‘We will strive to ensure that the elderly, child-headed households, military veterans and persons with disabilities get priority in the allocation of these houses. What is signific
ant about this project is that it will also address the housing needs of the so-called ‘missing middle’, people who have a form of income but do not qualify for either subsidised housing or home loans with commercial banks,’ President Ramaphosa said.

The project will also be allocating funds to eradicate informal settlements and unsuitable housing structures like mud homes.

‘This project is going to create work and business opportunities in the Northern Cape across its lifespan. These opportunities will be in the construction itself, in the sourcing and production of building materials, in the laying down of bulk infrastructure, in the supply of professional services and other economic activities associated with the project.

‘We will be prioritising women and youth-owned businesses. We are determined that it will be Northern Cape residents and Northern Cape businesses that will benefit from the opportunities that will be created,’ the President said.

He assured residents that the province has put measures
in place to ensure these housing projects are delivered within the projected timeframes, according to budget and without any wastage or corruption.

‘We know that right here in Roodepan and in other parts of the municipality there are social housing structures that were not built according to quality standards, or are facing challenges with wastewater drainage and groundwater seepage.

‘This will not be allowed to happen again. We are going to ensure that the contractors appointed to this project observe the highest construction standards,’ the President said.

He said the launch of the project is a further demonstration that government is making good on its commitment to fulfil the human rights of all South Africans.

‘Providing houses for the poor and vulnerable who are dependent on government support requires innovative funding mechanisms. We have to mobilise resources in partnership with financial institutions, especially development finance institutions.

‘By leveraging the Human Settlements Development
Grant, the Northern Cape has secured funding through a loan facility of National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa to build these top structures and housing units.

‘This loan will further be augmented by funding from the fiscus and the provincial government to achieve the total project value. This will significantly shorten the time it takes to build these houses,’ the President said.

Thirty years of democracy

Despite the current challenges in the country, the President said government has made progress in expanding access to housing since the advent of democracy.

‘This year, we celebrate 30 years since achieving our democracy. Last year, Statistics South Africa released the results of Census 2022, which give an indication of the strides we have made in improving the lives of the South African people.

‘When the census was conducted in 2022, nearly 9 out of every 10 households were living in formal dwellings. When the first census in a democratic South Africa was held in 1996, only 6 ou
t of every 10 households lived in a formal dwelling.

‘In South Africa today, 8 out of every 10 households have access to piped water either inside their home or in the yard. These are achievements we must celebrate,’ President Ramaphosa said.

He said over 4.7 million housing opportunities have been provided since the advent of democracy.

This includes stand-alone houses, multiple storey and multi-unit buildings and serviced stands.

‘Security of tenure has been granted to the many households who live in pre-1994 government rental houses. We have given subsidies and transferred title deeds to approximately 376 000 qualifying beneficiaries of these homes.

‘We have been working to eradicate spatial inequality by building socially and economically sustainable human settlements close to places of work, study and recreation,’ he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Matric Class of 2023 have achieved a pass rate of 82.9% – the highest pass rate in the history of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

More than 890 000 full-time and part-time candidates sat for the matric exams administered by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) at the end of 2023.

At the release of the 2023 National Senior Certificate examination results on Thursday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said 572 983 candidates passed the 2023 NSC exams.

‘It should be noted that while the pass rate of the 2023 NSC exams in number is the second highest in the history of the NSC exams, when expressed as a percentage, the pass rate of the 2023 NSC exams is the highest in the history of the NSC so far. This represents 572 983 candidates who passed the 2023 NSC exams.

‘When expressed in number, it is the second highest pass rate in the history of the NSC examinations. The Class of 2023’s achievement is an improvement of 2.8% and 6.5% from the pass rates achieved by the Classes of
2022 and 2021, respectively,’ the Minister said.

The Minister commended the improvement of the education sector over the past 10 years, with Grade 12 learners notably achieving an 80.1% pass rate in 2022, and 76.4% in 2021.

The provincial rankings for the 2023 results are as follows:

Free State is the leading province at 89.0%, an increase of 0.5% from 2022.

KwaZulu-Natal, which is the third best improved province, achieved 86.4%, an increase of 3.4% from 2022.

Gauteng achieved at 85.4%, an increase of 1.0% from 2022.

North West achieved at 81.6%, an increase of 1.8% from 2022.

Western Cape achieved 81.5%, an increase of 0.1%from the previous year.

The Eastern Cape is the second most improved province, with a pass rate of 81.4%, an improvement of 4.1% from the previous year.

The best improved province is Limpopo, with an achievement of 79.5%, a 7.4% improvement from the previous year.

Mpumalanga achieved at 77.0%, a 0.2% increase from the previous year.

Northern Cape achieved at 75.8%, a 1.6% incre
ase from 2022.

Achievements

The Class of 2023 also scored the highest Bachelor passes – which allow candidates to apply for university Bachelor’s degree studies – in the history of the NSC, with 40.9% of candidates attaining that achievement.

Diploma level passes stand at some 27.2% of candidates. Higher Certificates are at 14.8%, while those who passed with a National Senior Certificate stands at 0.01%.

Motshekga praised the Class of 2023 for defying what she called ‘astronomical challenges’ – including the COVID-19 pandemic during their high school years – to reach the milestone.

‘There is no doubt that the basic education system has begun to reach the desired stability, which is healthy for a large and important system as ours.

‘The unquestionable resilience our school community has shown against such a devastating pandemic and other challenges, such as sporadic service delivery protests, the floods in some provinces, violence, and the general moral decadence, such as alcohol and substance abuse, can
not go by unnoticed,’ she said.

The Minister emphasised that the improved pass rate is a clear indication that cooperation from all spheres of the sector can enable learners to perform at their best.

‘Clearly, the system cannot survive without the direct involvement of all communities of trust, not only those who are part of the sector, but everyone.

‘The Class of 2023 has clearly demonstrated that with all requisite support and intervention programmes, we can make it. We must prioritise our interventions on teaching and learning losses. Support and intervention programmes must be implemented across the system,’ Motshekga said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

OPUWO: The Kunene Education Directorate plans to conduct teachers’ conferences to address the region’s poor performance in the 2023 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) and Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) level examinations.

This was said by the region’s interim education director, Petrus Shipalanga, in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, as part of a discussion on Kunene’s poor academic performance.

Despite a gradual increase in 2023 outcomes when compared to 2022, the Kunene Region still underperformed and remained in 14th place in the national NSSCO rankings.

In the 2022 academic year, 11.3 per cent of the learners who wrote the NSSCO examinations qualified for the AS level, while in 2023, 15.95 per cent of the learners qualified for the NSSCAS level.

Shipalanga told this news agency the Programmes and Quality Assurance Division of the regional education directorate is developing measures to boost academic performance.

‘One of the important tactics that will be implemented is teacher c
onferences. The PQA Division will hold teacher conferences in crucial towns and villages like Khorixas, Outjo, Kamanjab, Opuwo, Okanguati, and Sesfontein,’ he stated.

According to Shipalanga, the primary purpose of the conferences is to involve all teachers and discuss issues affecting teaching and learning. It will also provide an opportunity for continuous professional development on the effective implementation of National Standards and Performance Indicators in terms of quality lesson planning, teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as motivating teachers to boost the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of learners.

The first teachers’ conference will be held in Khorixas on Friday, 19 January 2024, at Eddie Bowe Primary School, with the remainder of the conferences taking place next week.

Shipalanga said some of the factors contributing to poor performance include teacher absenteeism, a lack of motivation among learners, a lack of parental involvement, drug and alcohol abuse among students, and a l
ack of technology integration, all of which will be addressed at the conferences.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Department of Basic Education Director-General (DG) Hubert Mweli has attributed the achievements of the matric Class of 2023 to the ‘extraordinary support’ the learners received throughout the year.

The DG was speaking during a technical briefing ahead of the announcement of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results held at the Mosaïek in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The Class of 2023, with more than 890 000 full-time and part-time candidates, produced a pass rate of some 82.9% – the highest in percentage points in the history of the NSC.

‘This class has been provided with extraordinary support. The reality is that we are an unequal society. We still remain an unequal society. When others have got a number of tutors lined up for them, learners in the villages, in the townships, in the informal settlements…the only expert they rely on is the teacher.

‘In South Africa, our government – across all the nine provinces – provides comprehensive support to our learners. This support does not begin in Grade 12,
it starts from the foundation phase.’

Mweli explained that the Learner Support Programmes for the matriculants this year had distinct features. These included:

A strong partnership with civil society, universities and non-governmental organisations and donors.

Weekend, autumn, winter, spring, and last push learner support programme to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in all nine provinces.

The Learner Support Programme focused on Languages (Home Languages, African Languages, South African Sign Language including Afrikaans and English, as well as First Additional Languages).

The Electrical, Mechanical, Civil Technologies specialisations received attention during the implementation of the Learner Support Programme.

Smaller subjects such as services subjects (Hospitality, Consumer Studies, and Tourism) were also included in the 2023 Learner Support Programme.

Mathematics received unprecedented attention in all the 75 education districts. The year 2023 was declared the year of Mathematics and regular meetin
gs were convened with the Mathematics Curriculum convenors in each of the provinces.

Face to face engagements were held with the 25 000 school principals, district, provincial officials focusing on the improvement of learning outcome.

‘We even followed through in our support. We actioned research, we checked the impact, we tracked learner performance on a monthly basis and on a quarterly basis to determine whether there is any impact in terms of the support that has been provided,’ he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency