Day: September 4, 2024

A man who stands accused of raping his 16 – year – old daughter was arrested at Rupara village on Tuesday . The Namibian Police Force in the Kavango West Region in a crime report said a case of rape was opened against the suspect on Monday , followed by his arrest Tuesday . According to the police , the minor complained that her biological father had been raping her at their homestead at Naucova village in the Kavango West Region for some time . It is further alleged that the suspect fled his homestead , attempting to cross over into Angola , but was arrested on Tuesday at Rupara village . The suspect is expected to make his first court appearance in the Kahenge Magistrate ‘ s Court on Wednesday . In an unrelated incident on Monday , a 33 – year – old man was arrested for stealing and slaughtering his neighbour ‘ s goats at Marema village in Kavango West . It is alleged that since last year , he has stolen a total of 16 goats . Police investigations into both matters continue .

Source: The Namibia News Age
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WINDHOEK: Namibians intending to send money to South Africa through electronic fund transfers will have to pay more bank charges and wait longer for the money to reflect . This follows a decision by the Common Monetary Area ( CMA ) regulators to discontinue processing electronic fund transfer ( EFT ) payments and collections within the CMA , effective 09 September 2024 . The Bank of Namibia ( BoN ) has , however , extended the date to 30 September . The Common Monetary Area links South Africa , Namibia , Lesotho , and Eswatini into a monetary union . The implementation will also directly affect debit orders , in that debit order deductions to and from South Africa will no longer be allowed . In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday , Bank of Namibia Principal Economist for Payments , Policy Research and Analysis , Henock Shilongo said they have issued a directive instructing banks to ensure that Namibian recipients receive their funds within two business days when such funds are sent from South Africa or other
CMA countries . ‘ This is to ensure that Namibian banks do not unreasonably delay the processing of inward payments to their customers ,’ Shikongo said . He further said the central bank ‘ s directive also regulates banking charges for both outward cross – payments and inward cross – border payments to other CMA countries . Outward cross – border payments are capped at N . dollars 20 for transactions below N . dollars 1 million and at N . dollars 30 for transactions between N . dollars 1 million and N . dollars 5 million . For inward cross – border payments , transactions are capped at N . dollars 25 for transactions below N . dollars 1 million and at N . dollars 35 for transactions between N . dollars 1 million and N . dollars 5 million . ‘ This is to ensure they do not charge high amounts because they initially wanted to charge more . The new CMA directive is mainly for the benefit of the country because we are currently greylisted . We are thus trying to fight money laundering and tax evasion . We will now
be able to properly monitor these transactions because most of the companies were using this loophole to disguise payments to and from SA and we were missing out on import duties and tax ,’ Shilongo said . Shilongo also explained that the new directive will not affect the Namibia Dollar pegging to the Rand , adding that it also does not affect the proposal of a unified currency and African Monetary Union ( AMU ) by the African Union , administered by the African Central Bank

Source: The Namibia News Agency

Arandis Constituency Councillor and chairperson of the Erongo Regional Council management committee , Benitha Imbamba has emphasised the need to fund upcoming businesses for them to develop into well – established businesses . Imbamba , who was speaking at the handing over of equipment and materials to 24 local small and medium enterprises ( SMEs ) in Arandis on Wednesday , noted that this sector is the backbone of the economy and it is imperative to assist them . ‘ Our government is trying its best to eradicate poverty and therefore introduced NDP5 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan , in which economic development is emphasised as one of its pillars ,’ she said . The funding of the equipment which consists of sewing machines , gardening equipment and refrigerators , among others , was made possible through the Erongo Regional Council ‘ s Constituency Development Fund ( CDF ). A total of over N . dollars 350 000 was allocated for about 30 projects in both Arandis and Henties Bay . Imbamba said the handing over
of the equipment is a testament of the collective efforts , shared goals and the unity that drives the communities forward . Deputy Director for Regional Planning in the Erongo council , Sylvester Mubila at the same event highlighted the importance of individual participation in national , regional and local development through the CDF . He further outlined the government ‘ s broader goals , explaining that the CDF is designed to support infrastructure development at a minor level , complementing existing socio – economic programmes . ‘ We are running what we call capital projects in various constituencies , but through the CDF programme , which is community – driven , we want to bring in a component of infrastructure development at a minor level , which we are going to call the minor capital programme ,’ he explained . Frieda Ndengu , on behalf of the beneficiaries , expressed gratitude to the government and constituency office for recognising their efforts in contributing to economic development . Ndengu ,
who received sewing equipment , highlighted the importance of continued support for the community , particularly in times of need , and the collective effort to foster development through collaboration and resourcefulness . ‘ We will definitely put this equipment to good use and will ensure that through our hard work , our SMEs will prosper ,’ Ndengu assured

Source: The Namibia News Agency

Namibia and China have maintained a cordial diplomatic relationship that “can only be expected to grow from strength to strength,” Peter Katjavivi, speaker of Namibia’s National Assembly, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

“Today we have an exceptional, good, cordial relationship. We partner in many respects. We fully understand each other,” said Katjavivi, noting that the relationship goes back to the time before Namibia’s independence.

Strengthening the bilateral relationship “is our wish and our determination,” he said. “I am absolutely confident that this is what we want to see happening between our two countries.”

As for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, he said it would strengthen the existing cooperation between China and Africa and would be “a great opportunity to benefit from each other.”

During the interview, Katjavivi, in his 80s, proudly shared with Xinhua one of his precious memories of China.

On Oct. 25, 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations (UN) General Asse
mbly adopted, with an overwhelming majority, Resolution 2758, which restored all rights of the People’s Republic of China and recognized the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China in the United Nations.

When China finally restored its lawful seat at the United Nations, “I was there at the UN General Assembly on that day,” he said, adding that he remembered the international solitary that prevailed to ensure China was given its rightful place within the world body.

Katjavivi recalled that as the debate started, many countries from Africa and Asia spoke up in support of China.

“It was a dramatic moment in history,” he said, adding that many of these countries, what are called the Global South today, supported the restoration of China’s lawful seat at the United Nations.

“It is something that I will always remember,” he said, adding that when the Global South is united, “it helps to shape major decisions that affect so many people.”

In August, Katjavivi t
ook part in the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries, co-hosted by China’s National People’s Congress and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, taking trips to Beijing, Shanxi Province and Tianjin.

“When I was here in the 1960s in the national capital, it did not look like this. What I saw around that time had been totally transformed. It’s in a remarkable way, in such a short period of time … this is unique,” he said, adding that it is “the determination and hard work of the Chinese people that brought that about.”

Katjavivi expected the two countries to strengthen research cooperation and personnel exchanges in agricultural modernization and vocational training.

At the Jinzhong National Agriculture High-tech Zone Smart Farm Demonstration Base in Shanxi Province, he tried to establish cooperation between the Namibian and Chinese agricultural research institutions.

After visiting the Tianjin Public Vocational Training
Center of China, he wrote a report, suggesting the establishment of a faculty or a department at the Namibian University of Science and Technology to train vocational instructors, hoping to apply China’s experience to Namibia.

Before heading back to Namibia, Katjavivi told Xinhua that during this particular visit to cities in China, he observed and was briefed on various activities that form part of the transformation process that “brought the development in China to such a high level.”

“There is a great deal of lessons to be learned from the Chinese experience. I’m going back to Namibia … with wonderful ideas that I would like to take up with my colleagues at the government, university and parliament levels, to see how we can implement some of these wonderful ideas,” he said. Enditem

Source: The Namibia News Agency