Month: June 2024

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A lot has been achieved in genocide negotiations: Nandi-Ndaitwah


WINDHOEK: Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says it is important for Namibians to appreciate the progress in the 1904-1908 genocide negotiations, cautioning that relying on external organisations may not benefit Namibia in the current highly polarised international political order.

Opening the Chiefs Forum with over 100 chiefs and their senior councillors in Windhoek on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the genocide currently being committed by Israel against the people of Palestine in Gaza indicates the inefficiencies and serious shortcomings within the international community and their various institutions to deal with issues of genocide.

She added that in 2021, Namibia and Germany negotiated and a joint declaration which encompassed an acknowledgment of the genocide; apology; payments of reparations where Germany had agreed to pay a total of 1.1 billion euros (N.dollars 18 billion) was made.

The amount was submitted to the National Assembly for debate and was referred back government for further negotia
tions with Germany.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said a consensus was reached for the German government to deliver an unconditional apology and pay atonement to the affected communities, including those in the diaspora.

‘It is important for us to pay attention and appreciate what has been achieved thus far from these negotiations and indicate where improvements should be made if necessary, unless we would really want to prolong the issue indefinitely,’ she said.

She noted that the consensus reached so far is not perfect, nor does it meet all the expectations of the affected communities and the Namibian citizens in general, given the impact of the genocide. She however noted that Namibians might all agree that in any negotiation, the principle of give and take plays a role.

‘The Government of Namibia takes it that although the amount is not enough, we have now made Germany agree to commit itself to revisit and renegotiate this amount, as the implementation of the reparations ensues,’ she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah further in
dicated that the consensus reached so far does not constitute an agreement between the two governments, and the understanding reached by the two will be subjected to the National Assembly for further discussion and consideration before finalisation.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Mining sector pays N.dollars 6.8 billion in taxes


WINDHOEK: The total taxes paid by the mining sector amounted to N.dollars 6.861 billion in 2023, marking a significant increase of 55.9 per cent from N.dollars 4.401 billion in 2022.

The Gross Fixed Capital Formation also saw substantial growth, rising from N.dollars 3.480 billion in 2022 to N.dollars 5.908 billion in 2023.

The sector’s revenue reached N.dollars 51.572 billion in 2023, reflecting a 36 per cent increase from N.dollars 37.961 billion in 2022.

This was announced on Wednesday by the Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer, Veston Malango during the launch of the 11th Mining Expo and Conference, scheduled for 07 and 08 August 2024 at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Furthermore, Namibia’s mining industry grew by 18.9 per cent in 2023, boosting its contribution to the country’s GDP from 11.9 per cent in 2022 to 14.4 per cent in 2023.

The industry contributed to a 12.6 per cent increase in direct employment compared to 2022, according to Malango.

Reflecting on the remarkable achievements and trends,
this year’s Mining Expo and Conference will highlight the potential within Namibia’s mining sector under the theme ‘Green Shoots for Namibia’s Mining Industry: A Season of Opportunity and Growth to Drive Economic Expansion.’

‘This theme underscores the new growth and opportunities emerging in the industry, driven by a resurging uranium sub-sector, a new gold mine, growing potential in the oil and gas sector, and strategic investments to increase the life of mines of existing operations,’ Malango said.

He noted that as the mining industry plays a pivotal role in Namibia’s economy, the event aims to spotlight these advancements and their potential to stimulate substantial economic expansion.

‘Namibia’s mining industry continues to be a cornerstone of the national economy, contributing significantly to GDP and employment,’ he said.

In recent years, the industry has seen robust growth, driven by increased production and new investments. The aim of the expo is to support this growth by fostering knowledge exch
ange, cooperation, and innovative thinking among industry professionals, Malango said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Access to affordable land high on government’s agenda


The implementation of the new housing policy for Namibia approved by Cabinet last year will assist in boosting the delivery of houses, especially for low-income earners and first-time home buyers.

This was said by Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele on Wednesday during the opening of the Henties Bay Land Development Conference, which is addressing the prevailing land management, planning, and housing development challenges at the coastal town and elsewhere in the country.

The deputy minister said the housing sector faces multiple challenges, such as the prices of houses which continue to skyrocket due to increases in input costs, and the mismatch between the rapidly rising demand for houses versus low housing outputs delivered by housing developers.

This has made it difficult for many to afford decent housing, with the national housing backlog currently estimated at 300 000 housing units, of which 70 per cent is in the lowest income categories where people cannot access
credit from financial institutions.

!Nawases-Taeyele noted the ministry’s commitment to upgrading informal settlements and accelerating the servicing of land in urban and townships to support the continuous process of upgrading.

‘Government, through the budget allocation for this financial year, demonstrated its seriousness in providing a significant amount for housing delivery and servicing of land. We will continue to implement various interventions that are aimed at ensuring the availability of basic municipal infrastructure and services, as well as the provision of housing in the country,’ she stated.

The deputy minister further added that available funding will be prioritised towards ongoing interventions on urban and regional planning, land servicing, and support to housing development initiatives that are carried out by the ministry and local government.

Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein meanwhile said his ministry is administering the Flexible Land Tenure Act of 20
12 (Act No: 4 of 2012), an initiative by the Government to provide land titles to informal settlement residents.

According to Schlettwein the initiative is a pro-poor project which targets people who live in informal settlements/low-income earners. It is aimed at providing affordable security of tenure to informal settlement settlers and accelerating urban land delivery.

The three-day conference ends Friday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Creation of two Otjozondjupa regions dominate discussions at delimitation meeting


Inhabitants of the Otjozondjupa Region on Wednesday at a consultative meeting with the Fifth Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission at Otjiwarongo called for the division of Otjozondjupa into two parts.

The residents suggested that the two parts be called the Otjozondjupa North Region and Otjozondjupa South Region.

‘This is due to the vastness of the current Otjozondjupa Region which stretches from Okahandja to Gam settlement, about 900 kilometres,’ they said.

The inhabitants, of whom the majority were traditional leaders and local authority councillors, said the demarcation of Otjozondjupa into two regions would improve service delivery to the residents.

They suggested that Grootfontein become the administrative capital of the Otjozondjupa North Region comprising of the constituencies of Otavi, Otjituuo, Tsumkwe and Grootfontein, while also bringing in the Tsumeb and Guinas areas of the Oshikoto Region, saying Tsumeb and Guinas are situated close to Grootfontein.

The residents proposed that
Otjozondjupa South continue to utilise Otjiwarongo as its administrative capital with a total of six new constituencies of Okakarara, Omatako, Okondjatu, Okamatapati and Otjiwarongo.

According to the attendees the population growth of the region from about 143 000 in 2011, to 220 000 in 2023 should be a motivating factor to geographically influence change to the regional and constituency boundaries.

Chairperson of the Fifth Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission, Judge Epafroditus Unengu on behalf of the commission said the commission does not approve proposals, but assesses and recommends to the president, who appointed the commission.

Unengu, along with commissioners Penias Topnaar, Gerhardt Gurirab, Phanuel Kaapama and Prisca Anyolo, received the inhabitants’ proposal document, saying they would compile a report for the president.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Namibia hosts Africa hospitality investment forum


WINDHOEK: Namibia should move towards transformational tourism by aligning investment strategies towards addressing challenges that threaten to stifle growth and sustainability in the sector, Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah during the first edition of the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum in Southern Africa held in Windhoek on Wednesday, added that tourism is one of the sectors considered as Namibia’s economical bedrocks and is the second largest employer in the country.

Highlighting the previous accomplishments in the tourism sector, Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that the national tourism occupancy rate reached 60.3 per cent in May 2024, marking the highest room occupancy rate this year and surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of May 2019.

‘The impact of the tourism sector cannot be overemphasised. It has the potential to create business opportunities particularly for small businesses, generate employment, reduce poverty and directly sustain the livelihood of thousands of our people,’
she said.

Furthermore, statistics indicate that in 2022, the hospitality and tourism sector contributed approximately 7 per cent of nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which amounts to N.dollars 14.3 billion.

‘This remarkable turnaround is a testament to the collective commitment, efforts and collaboration between the government and the private sector to sustain an economically flourishing tourism sector,’ Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

The forum is aimed at providing the hospitality industry with the right level of incentive through sustainable investments in infrastructure, innovation and technology.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Suspect accused of tampering with Eskom infrastructure gets five-year sentence

The Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court has sentenced John Tazvivinga to five years for tampering with Eskom infrastructure.

According to Eskom, the conviction stems from an incident, which occurred between 2015 and 2016, where Tazvivinga falsely represented himself as an Eskom contractor to Marhambeni residents in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

‘Under this pretence, he was hired by residents to connect electricity, for which he received R120 000.

‘Tazvivinga unlawfully and intentionally tampered with essential infrastructure by illegally connecting electricity without authorisation from Eskom between 20 January 2016 and 15 April 2016,’ an Eskom statement read.

The power utility said it suffered financial prejudice amounting to R231 000 as a result.

On Wednesday, the court found Tazvivinga guilty of contravening Section 3(1) of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015.

Tazvivinga, who is a former consultant at Inkitha Royal Empire Construction, was sentenced to five years in prison, with the sentenc
e wholly suspended for five years, provided he did not commit a similar offence during the suspension.

The company was ordered to pay a R10 000 fine.

Eskom’s Acting General Manager for Security, Botse Sikhwitshi, said the organisation strongly condemns and will not tolerate any impersonation of its business and staff by anyone.

‘We are thankful to the internal security investigations and the Specialised Commercial Crime Investigation teams for their collaborative efforts over the years.

‘While the sentence may not be as severe as Eskom had hoped, it serves as a reminder to potential criminals contemplating tampering with critical infrastructure and stealing electricity, contravening Section 3(1) of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015, which could lead to a maximum prison term of 30 years,’ said Sikhwitshi.

Sikhwitshi said the conviction contributes to the gradual improvement of convictions, which have doubled in the financial year 2023/24 compared to the financial year 2022/23, increasing from
11 to 22 recorded convictions.

Eskom encourages members of the public to report unlawful activities, including illegal electricity sales and connections, fraud, and theft of coal, fuel oil, diesel, and copper cables.

Reports can be made anonymously through the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 11 27 22 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.

Source: South African Government News Agency