Month: February 2024

OPUWO: Political figures in the Kunene Region have urged the region’s residents to be calm and united, as well as to pray for the soul of Namibia’s third President, Hage Gottfried Geingob, who died in Windhoek on Sunday.

The president died at the age of 82 while receiving medical treatment at the Lady Pohamba Private Hospital.

Kunene Region Governor Marius Sheya issued a statement on behalf of the Kunene regional leadership, expressing their deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and the Namibian people on President Geingob’s untimely death.

Sheya urged the people of the Kunene Region to remain calm and united in honour of the late president’s legacy and mourn his death while awaiting developments in the events of laying him to rest.

Opuwo Mayor Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo hailed Geingob as a leader who was extremely dedicated and committed to the Republic of Namibia.

Mbinge-Tjeundo, speaking on behalf of the people of Opuwo, noted that Geingob’s unflinching leadership and dedication t
o serving his people had left an indelible impression on the nation.

‘His loss is deeply felt, and we join the nation in mourning the departure of a true giant in our country’s history,’ she said.

Mbinge-Tjeundo went on to explain that Opuwo warmly remembered President Geingob’s last visit to the community, where his presence resonated with the residents.

‘The memories of that visit will forever remain etched in our hearts, serving as a testament to his enduring legacy,’ she added.

Speaking with Nampa on Monday, Swapo Party Kunene regional coordinator Julius Kaujova said the country has lost a symbol of the liberation fight, an inspiring leader who pushed for justice and fair opportunity for everyone. Kaujova stated that Geingob’s credo ‘Harambee’ should be embraced to improve the nation’s economic condition.

Kaujova also urged the region to join the rest of the country in mourning, which began on Monday and will end with late President Geingob’s burial, and to maintain calm and unity during this period
of transformation and sorrow.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla says while there are budgetary constraints when it comes to the employment of doctors who wish to remain in the public service after completing community service, the Department of Health is working around the clock to address this.

‘We are doing everything possible, working with the provincial Health Departments, to mobilise resources to fund vacant posts, especially in health facilities in underserved communities,’ the Minister said on Monday.

Phaahla was addressing media on issues related to the employment of medical doctors and other health professionals in the country.

This follows an ongoing public outcry over doctors who have completed statutory community service programmes but remain unemployed.

Phaahla said doctors play a valuable role in the public health system of the country.

He explained that all graduates from medical school must do a two-year internship training in designated health facilities accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPC
SA). Once they have completed their internship, they must do a one-year community service in health facilities.

‘As of now, all those graduates who were eligible for placement to do internship have been placed. Equally, all those who finished the internship and were eligible to start community service have been placed,’ said Phaahla.

However, the Minister clarified that once a doctor has finished community service, they are registered with the HPCSA in the category of medical officer independent practice. This means they can work on their own without supervision, including as a single private practitioner.

‘We appreciate the fact that there are many medical officers who are now registered for independent practice, who prefer to stay in the public service.

‘Unlike internship and community service, which are a statutory requirement and are subject to placement by the Department of Health, independent practitioners have an individual choice of where to go. We are unable to know how many wish to stay in the p
ublic service,’ the Minister said.

However, he said the trade union submitted a list of 825 unemployed medical doctors in January 2023.

The department has since found that out of the 825 doctors on the list, 694 had just completed their community service on 31 December 2023. Most of these have applied for medical officer posts in the various provinces.

‘However, the [provinces] place adverts at varying times, depending on several factors, especially budget availability,’ Phaahla said, adding that some doctors on the list still needed to complete their community service obligations.

Phaahla also touched on the extremely high cost of employment, which can be up to 65% of annual budgets in some instances.

He also noted that the salary increases of 7.5% and benefits such as overtime put pressure on the fiscus.

According to the Minister, an entry-level community service doctor earns about R1.2 million per annum, while a chief specialist can earn R3 million a year.

‘Given the fiscus challenges the country is
facing, as alluded to by the Minister of Finance, the department has had several bilateral engagements with National Treasury to find creative ways to shield the healthcare service and the frontline workforce.’

In addition, Phaahla noted the rising numbers of unemployed graduates experienced across many sectors.

However, in the public health sector, the employment of health professionals has been on a steady increase, from 1 472 medical interns appointed in 2018 to 2 101 in 2024.

‘These increases over these years have happened despite the funding constraints,’ he said.

Since October 2023 to date, the Minister said 564 medical officer posts were filled, 239 posts are currently advertised in the media, and 375 will be advertised in the next six months.

‘It is important that I emphasise that doctors would need to apply like any other person wishing to join the public service. In addition, we are looking at a review of the current dispensation for the employment of doctors, especially medical officers and sp
ecialists.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) on Monday extended its condolences to the family of the late Namibian Head of State, Hage Geingob.

The Executive Committee of HAN and all its members across Namibia, including the tourism industry at large in a press statement extended their deepest condolences to the nation as well as the family of the late president.

It further wished the family of the Office of the President and advisors, the Cabinet, and the Namibian Government all the strength and wisdom needed to lead the Namibian House through the unique and unexpected challenges ahead.

‘Independent Namibia has lost one of its pioneers, who served this country until the end. May his legacy live on, and his soul rest in eternal peace,’ said Gitta Paetzold, Corporate Executive Officer of HAN.

This follows the devastating news of the passing of the third President of Namibia on Sunday. Mourners from both the local and international public have been extending their condolences to both the family an
d the nation at large.

The late Geingob in January announced to the nation that cancerous cells had been detected in his body and flew to the United States of America for a two-day treatment.

He was announced on Saturday to have been in critical yet stable condition upon his arrival back in the country before the revealing of his passing just after midnight on Sunday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told leading figures in African mining that government is working hard to address the challenges that the industry faces.

He was speaking during the opening of the 30th Investing in African Mining Indaba held in Cape Town on Monday.

The Indaba is expected to continue until Thursday.

The mining industry contributes a hefty 7.5% to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for some 60%, by value, of the country’s exports.

‘We are all acutely aware that we face strong headwinds, and a number of persistent challenges are impeding mining performance. Globally, commodity price volatility, high energy prices, geopolitical tensions and a global cost of living crisis are playing a significant role in dampening the business operating environment.

‘Domestically, the energy crisis and port and rail bottlenecks are putting serious pressure on miners’ operational costs. Illicit mining, cable theft and infrastructure vandalism place a further strain on mining output and ret
urns. We are committed to work hard and work together to overcome these serious challenges,’ he said.

Energy crisis

The President told the gathering that through the Energy Action Plan, government has taken ‘several critical measures to improve the performance of our existing generation fleet and to add new electricity capacity’.

‘The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has secured 1384MW of new generation capacity that is currently in construction or already in operation. The department has released requests for proposals for the procurement of 5 000MW of renewable energy under Bid Window 7 and 2 000MW of gas-to-power and 615MW of battery storage.

‘Transmission capacity remains a challenge especially in the Cape provinces. Eskom has therefore recently published a curtailment regime which unlocks 3 470 MW of additional capacity in these provinces, and which will be essential to the success of Bid Window 7,’ he said.

Additional capacity has also been garnered following government’s removal of the l
icensing threshold for embedded generation.

At least 6 300MW has flowed through this initiative with a third of that supplying mining houses.

Illegal mining and logistics

The President addressed the impact that illegal mining and copper cable theft have on the industry.

On illegal mining, he said: ‘Since the establishment of a specialised police unit, working with the defence force, we have seen a number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of the perpetrators of this crime.’

Turning to cable theft and criminality, the President acknowledged that this has ‘serious impact on key rail freight corridors, including the supply of coal for export through Richard’s Bay’.

‘Cooperation between the private sector, Transnet and the security services has resulted in an improvement in the security situation over recent months,’ he said.

Delving deeper into the country’s logistics challenges, the President said the system itself is ‘undergoing a process of rapid and fundamental change to improve its efficiency a
nd position it for the future’.

‘By introducing competition in freight rail operations, while maintaining State ownership of the routes, we will unlock massive new investment in South Africa’s rail system. This will support jobs in every sector in the economy, from mining to manufacturing to agriculture.

‘Similarly, by upgrading and expanding our port terminals through innovative public-private partnerships, we aim to position South Africa as a leading player in global markets.

‘As government, we are alive to the reality that without bold, transformative reforms to the logistics sector, mining cannot flourish. We are working hard, in partnership with the industry, to ensure [the Freight Logistics Roadmap] is implemented without delay,’ he said.

The President said mining has a ‘crucial role to play in building the economy of tomorrow’.

‘We look forward to deepening our collaboration with industry as we write a new chapter in the history of South African mining. A story of inclusion, growth, transformation
and innovation – and one in which no-one is left behind,’ President Ramaphosa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, on Monday paid a visit to the late President Hage Geingob residence in Windhoek to extend his condolences to former first lady Monica Geingos.

The African leader is the first of many leaders expected to arrive in the coming days to pay their last respects to Namibia’s third president.

Geingob, 82, died in Windhoek in the early hours of Sunday.

Reminiscing on his relationship with the late president in a conservation with a tearful Geingos, Masisi spoke of his very close relationship with the Geingob, noting that they could talk at any time of the day, including receiving calls at 03h00.

‘We had a very close relationship. When you have a friend this close, you just keep wishing why didn’s he get a little extension… I had many more things I wished to do with him and would have liked to spend some time with the president after his retirement,’ he said.

Masisi noted that the late Geingob has done a lot for Namibia and beyond, therefore the former first lady
should expect immense support from everyone.

‘I place my support with his administration, Swapo, the government and the people of Namibia,’ he said.

Masisi encouraged the former first lady to pick up the phone whenever she needed his help.

Geingos affirmed to Masisi that her late husband mentioned him as one of his eight closest friends.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Eskom is expected to implement Stage 3 load shedding between 4pm and 5am every day due to constrained emergency reserves.

By Sunday, generating unit unplanned outages rendered at least 14 341MW offline, with a further 7 931MW offline on planned maintenance.

‘[With] the anticipated weekday electricity demand, Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented from 4pm on Monday until 5am on Tuesday, followed by Stage 2 load shedding until 16:00.

‘This pattern of Stage 2 load shedding from 5am until 4pm and Stage 3 load shedding from 4pm until 5am will be repeated daily until further notice. Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur,’ the power utility said.

Eskom said it anticipates that Eskom teams will ‘continue to work diligently to ensure that the 1 450MW of generating capacity is returned to service by Tuesday as planned’.

‘We would like to thank those who heed the call to use electricity sparingly and efficiently, including switching off geysers and pool pumps from 5pm to 9pm.

‘This lower
s demand and helps in alleviating the pressure on the power system, contributing to lower stages of load shedding,’ Eskom said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Denel will showcase several of its top products in the fields of missile technology, air defence systems, precision-guided munitions, artillery systems and unmanned aerial vehicle systems at the World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia this week.

The World Defence Show, held from 4 – 8 February, attracts the world’s top aerospace and defence manufacturers and is also attended by decision-makers, industry analysts and media from across the globe.

‘This is an opportunity for Denel to demonstrate that we still design, manufacture and deliver high-technology products that are comparable and better than what is produced in the rest of the world,’ said interim Group CEO, Mike Kgobe.

The 2022 show brought together some 600 defence and security exhibitors, and attracted more than 65 000 visitors.

‘It is important for Denel to have a strong presence in the fast-growing markets in the Middle East,’ Kgobe said.

The exhibition follows a highly successful technology demonstration held in the Northern Cape, which was atten
ded by decision-makers and analysts from 10 countries.

Denel said the display would focus strongly on the company’s proven capabilities in artillery, air defence systems, guided weapons such as missiles and precision-guided munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicle systems.

On the stand will be a full-scale model of the Umkhonto-IR missile, which has been deployed with great success by several armed forces globally, including the SA Navy.

‘The infrared-guided missile has a range of 20 000m and can reach speeds of more than twice the speed of sound – Mach 2.2.

‘It is launched from vessels and a ground-based launcher and provides all-round defence against incoming missiles and aircraft. The Umkhonto-Extended Infra-Red missile adds further range, speed and operational ceiling, improving its performance and ability to defend forces on the ground,’ the statement read.

Also, on display will be a model of the Seeker 400 unmanned aerial system and upgraded through the years to ensure technology relevance.

‘The See
ker 400 can stay up in the air for up to 16 hours at a cruising speed of 150km/h and a range of 250km. It has autonomous take-off and landing capabilities and carries multiple sensor payloads which accumulate real-time images and high-definition data to stations on the ground.’

Denel’s G6 self-propelled howitzer has set the standard for long-distance artillery over more than three decades.

Over the same period, Denel completed the design and concept of the new G6 with a 52 calibre.

‘Its state-of-the-art design has a high rate of fire of seven rounds per minute with 38 rounds and an accurate firing up to a range of 57km.’

In addition to the G6 self-propelled howitzer, Denel has also developed a truck-mounted gun the T5-52 system that is mounted on a commercially off-the-shelf vehicle platform.

‘The top carriage is mounted on a high-mobility truck chassis with a purpose-designed interface and outriggers. The weapon system has excellent tactical and road strategic mobility with a range of 600 km without ref
uelling at speeds of up to 85km/h and is suitable to forces that require artillery which combines mobility with long-distance capabilities and accuracy.’

Denel’s prowess in the design and manufacturing of long-range mortars and anti-material rifles will also be demonstrated to decision-makers and analysts.

‘The NTW-20 can engage targets up to 1 750m away and is extremely effective in a counter-sniping role and against mortar and rocket launcher positions. The DM-82 is a long-range mortar which can be used during night and day and reach targets about 7km away with pinpoint accuracy.’

Kgobe said a newly restructured Denel is seeking new markets for its tried and tested products and systems.

‘We want to build on our reputation for leading-edge products and systems and the World Defence Show is a unique opportunity to gain a foothold in new markets.’

Source: South African Government News Agency