Day: January 24, 2024

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala will on Thursday award bursaries to 100 learners from the class of 2023 Matriculants, who have enrolled to study various built environment courses at universities across the country.

The bursaries are part of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s (DPWI) Skills Pipeline Programme, which is one of government’s initiatives to bring more skilled professionals into the public sector and specifically the built environment.

As part of building a capable and ethical State, the DPWI annually awards bursaries to pupils in need of financial assistance, who display academic excellence and have been accepted for courses in the built environment for their tertiary education.

The bursary programme further aims to increase the number of built environment professionals from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and ensure transformation of the sector.

It also serves as a feeder to the department’s Internship and Young Professionals Programme and later f
orms a pool of qualified built environment professionals to serve the state in the delivery of infrastructure projects.

The bursary is for careers in the built industry, including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Marine Engineering, Property Studies/Real Estate, Actuarial Science, Quantity Surveying, Construction Project Management, Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Town and Regional Planning.

The bursary covers tuition, accommodation, meals, textbooks, project and compulsory study resources and a monthly stipend.

In its 10th year of existence since 2014, the DPWI bursary programme has so far benefited over 500 deserving students, an investment of over R160 million into the lives of the students and to bring the required skills into the public sector.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: Food items meant for the national drought relief programme have been reported stolen at Oshikango in the Ohangwena Region.

The Office of the Prime Minister in a press release on Wednesday said the food items were stolen from the Oshikango warehouse.

It said a case has been registered with the Namibian Police and the suspects have been apprehended.

The OPM urges the public to refrain from buying drought relief items and to instead notify the Namibian Police of any suspicious sale of food items in their areas.

‘The Office of the Prime Minister is urging all 14 regional councils to safeguard the drought relief food items and to ensure the timely distribution of these items to the intended beneficiaries,’ it said.

Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Swapo Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reassured the nation that President Hage Geingob is in good spirits, receiving medical attention and will continue to conduct the business of the party and government while giving necessary priority to his treatment.

This follows an announcement by the Presidency last week that Geingob has been diagnosed with cancer, following the results of an annual medical examination he underwent on 08 January 2024.

Nandi-Ndaitwah in a media statement on Wednesday said: ‘We as a party and indeed the people of Namibia are honoured by the trust and transparency with which Geingob has continued to lead our party. We salute him for his exemplary leadership in taking the nation into confidence, even in matters of personal nature.’

She called on the entire leadership, rank and file of the party to continue to stand in solidarity and unity as the party extends its best wishes to Geingob, for a speedy and full recovery.

‘We are all humans and prone to sickness, therefore,
it is natural to be concerned about the health of our leader,’ she said while calling on the nation to give Geingob space to focus on his recovery without speculation.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Works and Transport is facing challenges in completing renovations at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital in the 2023/2024 financial year, which ends in March.

One of the major issues is a lack of relocation options for patients during the ongoing renovations, the ministry’s Executive Director, Ester Kaapanda, said during an interview with Nampa on the sidelines of Works Minister John Mutorwa’s ministerial new year address on Wednesday.

‘Katutura State Hospital has not been renovated since independence. It is not a smooth exercise. We are dealing with a big intermediate hospital where many patients are referred to from different parts of the country. We wanted to renovate as many floors as possible as fast as possible and to use the funds before the end of the financial year, but the challenge is the relocation of patients. Where do we put patients if we want to renovate a floor? When some recover, others come in, and it is a challenge,’ Kaapanda said.

Government has availed N.doll
ars 40 million for the renovation of the hospital.

So far, Kaapanda said, they have managed to renovate the seventh floor of the hospital.

‘We are ready to complete renovations within this financial year as we do not want the funds returned to Treasury. We are trying to come up with a strategic plan and we engaged the health ministry to see if there are alternative plans to accommodate patients in other hospitals such as Central Hospital, or other hospitals, for us to be able to execute these renovations in a timely manner,’ Kaapanda added.

The Ministry of Health’s Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, however said it will be impossible to transfer patients to other hospitals, citing the higher ranking of Katutura Intermediate Hospital.

Nangombe informed Nampa in an interview that the health ministry has arranged temporary housing for patients during renovations such as the nurses’ hall, an old Namibia Institute of Pathology building, the TB ward at Katutura hospital, and a prefabricated structure with 96 bed
s. Additionally, old COVID-19 structures near Windhoek Central Hospital and a field hospital are being utilised to keep patients close to specialists and equipment.

‘As a ministry we have gone far in terms of availing space to patients while renovations are ongoing. We are happy with the renovation, it is making a difference. The dilapidation is gone, the hospital also doesn’t have mice anymore. The material used previously was cardboard and we are now using lightweight bricks so that mice and insects cannot burrow through,’ Nangombe said.

He also revealed that renovations at the emergency medicine unit are complete.

‘I visited the renovation sites at the end of last year and I am happy. We are confident that things will improve,’ he added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

OPUWO: The Omaheke Region has appointed a regional technical team to prepare its under-20 football squad for the annual Namibian Newspaper Cup, set to take place in Gobabis from 29 March to 01 April.

A statement availed on Wednesday said the region’s technical staff were named last week, after a decision made by the Omaheke Football Region Executive Committee during a meeting with member clubs, last week.

The Executive Committee resolved to appoint Ewaldt Himeezembi Kavirombo as head coach, deputised by former Black Africa Sports Club veteran defender Moses Muree Katjiteo. Rudiger Khiba took on the role of fitness trainer, Albert Ganeb as technical director, Ben Uirab as the team manager, and Kemo Kaiko as the equipment manager.

According to the statement, the final regional trials will take place at Legare Sports Complex B on Saturday, 27 January between 09H00 and 15H00.

‘All seven Omaheke Political Constituencies are invited to arrange for their talented players born on or after 2005, including their tr
ansport, accommodation and meals for the trials,’ read the statement, noting that the league’s regional Exco, in collaboration with the Sports Committee, will only be liable for the players’ upkeep once the 30 players have been selected and are in camp for preparations.

According to the Namibia Football Association (NFA) in a media statement this week, all players must be based in Omaheke and must present a valid identity document and an original full birth certificate to be trailed.

The tournament will be officially launched on 06 February at the Nedbank headquarters in Windhoek, with the draw taking place on 05 March in Gobabis, it said.

The Eastern Region has won the competition three times, including the first Namibian Newspaper Cup in 2001, which was hosted in Windhoek.

In that final, they defeated Otjozondjupa 3-1 and won the cup again in 2002, defeating Oshikoto 3-2 in Otjiwarongo.

They became the first team to win three times, when they defeated host Khomas 2-1 in the 2009 final.

Previously know
n as the Standard Bank Newspaper Cup, Nedbank will this year, sponsor The Namibian Newspaper Cup competition.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency