Category: General

ONDANGWA: Eleven inmates were released from the Oluno Correctional Facility on Wednesday, following the Community Advisory Council’s (CAC) decision to assist first-time offenders with sentences ranging from six to three months or fines not exceeding N.dollars 1 000.

CAC Chairperson Chika Sitambi said the aim was to offer those with small fines a chance to improve their lives.

Sitambi indicated that 11 inmates were identified, and funds were provided by local businessman Ali Dharani, contributing N.dollars 6 224.99, and the Ongwediva Christian Baptist Church, contributing N.dollar 580.60, for the release of selected offenders.

‘We hope the offenders don’t come back to this facility and turn their lives around for good,’ he said.

Sitambi also called on them to address the issue of unemployment and social ills that he believes are the root cause of several petty criminal offences.

Assistant Commissioner Andreas Mundjenge stated that the offences committed by the offenders included housebreaking, theft, and
stock theft.

He said their release would alleviate the facility’s overcrowding issue as it has a capacity of 569 but currently houses over 700 inmates.

Beneficiary Saara Uugwanga, a first-time offender who was released along with 10 male offenders, pleaded for forgiveness and expressed regret for her actions.

‘Please find it in your heart to forgive us and welcome us back into the community with open hearts. I personally regret my actions and I look forward to doing better in future,’ she said.

At the same occasion, 18 female offenders and seven juveniles were also given hampers as Christmas gifts by the CAC.
Source: NAMPA

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security issued 92 330 birth certificates this year through fixed registration points and mobile registration services, its Deputy Minister Lucia Witbooi said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the government information centre in Windhoek, Witbooi reiterated the importance of birth registration, saying it is a human right and establishes a child’s legal identity, which, together with the ascertainment of that child’s citizenship, is essential for accessing a range of services such as education, healthcare, and social protection.

She added that moreover, birth registration provides vital statistical data that inform policy and planning at national and international levels.

In addition, the ministry has also connected an additional five facilities to the e-birth and e-death notification system, with an additional two to be connected before the end of the year.

‘In total, the ministry has 106 facilities that are now connected to the e-birth notificatio
n system, as well as 128 facilities that are connected to the e-death notification system. This will enable our citizens to access public services efficiently and promptly,’ Witbooi said.

Still, with civil registration, the deputy minister noted that the ministry continues to meet the demand for identity cards (IDs), with 116 354 cards printed this year.

‘However, the ministry is sitting with 33 168 IDs still uncollected and piling up at our offices. It is against this background that the ministry is humbly calling upon those who have applied for identity documents to come and collect them.

‘Applicants must take note that one can collect his or her ID at the office where he or she indicated to collect it; alternatively, one can also request the ID card to be transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs office in their respective region,’ she said.

The ministry further made inroads as it managed to reduce the backlog on the capture of historic marriage records from 53 889 in April to 38 545 as of 24 Novembe
r 2023.

During the same period, the ministry reduced the backlog on the capture of historic death records from 62 563 to 55 578.

Witbooi said these were marriage and death records spanning pre-independence and soon after independence, which are not on the National Population Register System.
Source: NAMPA

WINDHOEK: The Bank of Namibia and the Namibia Revenue Agency on Wednesday launched Namibia’s first Trade Verification System (TVS).

Launched under the theme ‘Where innovation meets opportunity, and where businesses thrive in a connected world’, the system will ensure that the trading of goods is verified. It is expected to reduce the estimated N.dollars 33 billion potential tax-related offenses as estimated by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) in the National Money Laundering, Terrorist and Proliferation Financing Risk Assessment Report of 2021.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Executive Director for Economic Policy in the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, Oscar Capelao pledged the government’s support in denouncing activities that enable illicit financial flows.

‘Over the years, there has been noted misconduct among importers who breach the country’s laws and regulations. We cannot accept this as normal, and TVS is a tool that we will use as a country to the best of our ability to ensure tha
t there is improved decision-making due to timely data and real-time reporting. The overall goal is to have a tax compliance ratio up as it relates to imports and exports,’ Capelao said.

BoN Deputy Governor Leonie Dunn said TVS also empowers commercial banks and the central bank to run improved controls whilst allowing for the elimination of payment duplications which in consequence reduces the inherent risk of commercial banks from being used as conduits or facilitators of illicit financial flows.

On his part, NamRA Commissioner Sam Shivute added, that the collaborative effort underscores the dedication to promoting transparency and compliance in trade operations.
Source: NAMPA

SWAKOPMUND: The Roads Authority (RA) has announced that it will be extending its operating hours to Saturdays during the month of December at the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay NaTIS centres, respectively.

A media release issued by RA on Wednesday indicated that this is part of its strategic initiative to alleviate congestion and offer enhanced accessibility of services to its customers.

‘With the surge in demand for NaTIS services that we are currently experiencing, the RA recognises the importance of ensuring seamless access to our services,’ the document added.

The extended operating hours during the festive season will be on Saturday, 16, 23 and 30 December 2023 respectively from 09h00-14h00.
Source: NAMPA

WINDHOEK: The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has completed investigations on Namib Mills for allegedly refusing to supply poultry products to small and medium enterprises.

The commission received complaints that the company refuses to sell poultry products including chicken liver, gizzards, meat, eggs and chicken necks to SMEs, saying it has a permanent buyer for those products.

In an exclusive interview with Nampa recently, NaCC analyst, Lovisa Nghishe said the investigation has been complete and handed to the commission board for a decision.

However, the analyst could not divulge much on the recommendations in the report.

‘Depending on what is approved or disapproved, the board will avail the investigation results to the public. Concerning complaints raised on the high pricing of poultry, the commission will make a determination that will be presented to the board and will be shared after approval,’ she noted without indicating the time frame when the report will be released.

In terms of resear
ch function, the NACC through the investigation division carries out research as mandated by the Competition Act, she said.

NaCC’s research process is one that follows more or less the academic principle of research.

‘The investigation entails that Namib Mills has allegedly refused to sell poultry products including chicken liver, gizzards, meat, eggs and chicken necks to SMEs. No exact date has been established for when the investigation results will be shared by the commission board,’ Nghishe said.

The commission is urging SMEs to make use of the commission to report unfair competition. It is important for SMEs to capacitate themselves with the knowledge of competition which is something that should come from the recommendation from the competition to try and advocate directly to create competition awareness, Nghishe added.

In another interview with Nampa, NaCC Senior Researcher, Taimi Amunkete said the commission carried out a study on the private health sector this year and this medical investigation
has been completed. It has been handed over to the commission board as well and further public information will be communicated in due time, the researcher said.

Amunkete said the study sought to better understand the operations of the sector, the position of the commission in light of the judgement in the NACC/Namibian Association of Medical Aid Funds case, as well as to understand cost drivers in the sector.

The division has further embarked on two new studies, one being the review of the merger notification thresholds and filing fees.

‘This is a study that seeks to review the current threshold and propose the appropriate merger thresholds relevant to satisfy the provisions on the Competition Act, provide for the prescription of merger notification thresholds based on internationally accepted criteria and principles, provide and review existing merger filing fees, and subsequently provide revised merger filing fees in line with current economic conditions as well as the needs of the commission,’ Amunkete
said.

The other is the impact assessment into the piggery market following the merger in 2017 of two large players. This study seeks to assess how markets have evolved post-merger and look at the level of competition in the market post-merger looking at the level of competition, entry, import, export and the involvement of smaller producers, Amunkete said.
Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)

WINDHOEK: A group of the boxing community calling themselves a ‘concerned group’ has declared its intention to pass a vote of no confidence in the current administration running the Namibia Amateur Boxing Federation (NABF).

The group is claiming that the current executive board has failed to revive amateur boxing in the country since taking office on 01 December 2020.

Speaking at a media conference here on Tuesday, the group’s spokesperson Karen Shikongo revealed that earlier this year they had met with the Namibia Sport Commission (NSC) where an ultimatum was issued to the NABF leadership to address the situation. However, since then, no significant action has been taken to address the concerns of stakeholders.

Shikongo listed the lack of interest in promoting the sport, and the lack of capacity to initiate boxing development programs, as well as the inability to execute their mandate as some of the reasons for the vote of no confidence.

‘Previously, we would have a pool of 10 boxers forming part of the
national team, but for the past seven years, only four boxers have been chosen. Currently, we are uncertain if we will have a boxer representing our country in the upcoming Olympics because no new talent has been discovered and those currently on the team are struggling,’ she lashed.

However, NSC Chief Administrator Freddy Mwiya on Friday told the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation Sports Show that the group’s actions were illegal, as only the 14 regions can pass such a vote.

‘In February this year, the NABF took resolutions to hold elections in three regions and organize a boxing tournament in Swakopmund. The election was for three regions: Omaheke, Oshana, and /Karas. However, they encountered difficulties with the /Karas region, which only had one boxing club, making it impossible to hold the election there. As for their second resolution a boxing tournament was held in Swakopmund this year,’ said Mwiya.

He therefore called on the group to familiarise themselves with the Sports Act as well as their organi
sation statutes and acts.

Shikongo also criticized the sports commission for taking sides, despite the NABF’s failure to select a national team for the past seven years, hence their decision to immediately dissolve the current NABF leadership.

An interim committee will be selected to run the affairs of the amateur boxing federation until their next annual general meeting where new leadership will be elected.

The current NABF executive members are Benjamin Rebang (president), Jeremia Ndjembo (deputy), Lisias Hangula (deputy public relations officer), Israel Hamutumbagela, Bernard Kamatoto, Selma Shikukumwa, Immanuel Hamukwaya, Maria Iikela, Petrus Kashango, and Patrick Siluka.
Source: Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA)