Category: General

NamWater Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abraham Nehemia said the water scarcity in Northern Namibia has been caused by the revamping of the water system from Calueque to the Oshakati canal, the treatment plants and the pipelines.

Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, Nehemia said the water systems in place from Calueque to Omuthiya were built in the 1970s and 1980s and the systems are now insufficient for the increased population.

‘NamWater will build larger systems than the demand for the next 30 to 40 years. The demand is definitely higher than the supply. So, therefore, NamWater is rationing to make sure that everybody gets water,’ he said.

Water is transported in raw form from Calueque to Oshakati for treatment. After treatment, it is sent to Ondangwa and from Ondangwa to Omuthiya, from where it is distributed to other areas. He however said it will take some time to reach further villages in the Oshikoto Region, which has been without water for about a month.

The CEO further said: ‘NamWater’s problem has b
een resolved, as the raw water from rivers to Oshakati has been totally recovered, and the water in Oshakati is now ready for treatment.’

All reservoirs are currently above 50 per cent capacity, including those at Oshali in the Ohangwena Region, Okatope in the Oshikoto Region, and Omuthya, the capital of the Oshikoto, he said.

Once totally revamped everybody will have water for 24 hours, Nehemia said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

A 44-year-old man was electrocuted at Nzinze village in the Kavango West Region while working on a building at the Musese Irrigation Scheme.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, the Namibian Police Force in the region indicated in the daily crime report issued on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Joseph Muronga.

According to the police, Muronga died shortly after the ladder which he was holding hit electricity power lines. It is alleged that Muronga and a co-worker were busy putting iron angles on top of the house they were constructing when the incident occurred.

Muronga is a resident of Mupini village and was working for Makalani Engineering company in Grootfontein.

His next of kin have been informed.

In an unrelated incident, the decomposed body of a man was found by police in a house in the Tutungeni residential area in Rundu on Tuesday. The body was found around 18h30.

The deceased has been identified as 53-year-old Edmund Narib, who was a caretaker of the house.

Narib was allegedly la
st seen last Saturday, and it is believed that he suffered from epilepsy and was home alone.

It is further alleged that a relative came to the house on Tuesday to check up on him and noticed a bad odour coming from the house, while all doors of the house were locked. She alerted the police.

No foul play is suspected.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

After an impressive start to the season in the first two rounds, the Oshana Regional Women League teams are gearing up for their upcoming fixtures on Saturday and Sunday.

The matches are scheduled to take place at the Oshakati Independence Stadium and the Valombola Vocational Training College’s sports grounds in Ongwediva.

The league kicked off on 04 November 2023 following approval from the Namibian Football Association (NFA). It was noted that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) provided funding to support each region.

The league comprises eight teams, namely Hope Football Club, Oshakati Super Stars Football Club, Teenager Queens FC, Mighty Angels, Oshana NamPol Women FC, Bakpro Oshana Millennial Queens FC, Onelago Beauties FC and Vicky Andimba FC.

On Saturday, the spotlight will be on the clash between top-of-the-table Bakpro Oshana Millennial Queens FC and second-placed Hope FC at VVCT in Ongwediva. Later, Queens FC will face Mighty Angels at the same venue. Meanwhile, Oshana
NamPol Women will square off against Bakpro Oshana Millennial Queens at Oshakati Independence Stadium.

Sunday’s fixtures will all be held at Ongwediva’s VVCT, starting with Mighty Angels taking on Oshana NamPol Women FC, followed by Bakpro Oshana Millenial Queens FC against Bakpro Oshana Millennial Queens FC. The day will conclude with Teenagers Queens FC and Hope FC wrapping up their match.

Felisberto Pedarè Da Silva, the league’s public relations officer, confirmed the weekend fixtures to Nampa on Wednesday.

He said the league’s objective is to provide equal opportunities for women to freely participate in football and enable them to pursue careers in football, promote a healthy lifestyle through sports, and ensure that women’s football activities thrive across the country.

Da Silva also mentioned that the league champions will advance to the playoffs with the ultimate goal of qualifying for promotion to the national NFA Women’s Super League. Furthermore, he appealed for sponsorship for the league, sayi
ng sponsorship would be the backbone of the regional women’s football league, aiding in the development and advancement of women’s football.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

A 16-year-old boy was reportedly discovered dead in the Oshakati State Hospital’s psychiatric ward on Wednesday after another patient allegedly jumped on him.

Namibian Police Force community affairs officer, Inspector Thomas Aiyambo said the deceased was identified as Karel Ndakolo.

According to Aiyambo, Ndakolo was allegedly found unconscious on the floor by a nurse while a fellow patient was jumping on his stomach.

‘The nurse went to look for manpower in order to remove the patient from the deceased since he was violent. After that he was locked up in an isolation room and that is when a doctor was called in, who declared the boy dead,’ he said.

Aiyambo said the deceased was mentally challenged and was admitted to the Oshakati State Hospital on Monday after he was referred from the Onandjokwe State Hospital.

He added that no bruises or any injuries were detected on the body of the deceased apart from a little blood that came from his mouth and nose.

Aiyambo said no inquest or case is opened yet, pend
ing the post-mortem.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

A soup kitchen in the Otjinene Constituency in the Omaheke Region is feeding more than 300 inhabitants in that area.

This was revealed by the regional councillor of the constituency Erwin Katjizeu in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, where he indicated that the soup kitchen that is run by his office has helped many of those who are impoverished in that area.

‘As a constituency office we have decided to start a soup kitchen to fight the malnutrition cases reported in the region recently, the fact that young ones were diagnosed with malnutrition even from Otjinene. Our target was with the little ones at first, that is the three, four and five-year-olds. But we ended up feeding from four to 14-years old, because we found those between those ages are not in schools and roaming around our streets,’ he highlighted.

The Otjinene Soup Kitchen was established late in September this year and currently give two meals per day.

‘We started with around 50 kids, but that number has dramatically risen to more than 3
00. On 21 November precisely we fed 300 people including pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding. The number is rising rapidly due to many circumstances in our constituency,’ he further said.

‘We have asked for donations from non-governmental organisations and corporate institutions who are helping here and there, our farmers from the area are also trying their level best, as we speak we got a little beef for the kitchen. The Otjinene community is really helping us with this initiative,’ he said.

According to the constituency leader the soup kitchen not only feeds the previously disadvantaged community but tries to feed every needy resident of Otjinene and the surrounding areas.

Katjizeu indicated that the kitchen is run by the constituency’s office with a few volunteers, and urged those who want to help to come on board and improve the livelihood of their neighbours.

‘We are closing on 07 December as the schools close for the festive season, but then we will need assistance in making sure that the
people that we are feeding have something to put on their tables during the December holiday,’ he appealed.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Oshana Regional Council will host its first ever street market from 07 to 09 December 2023, saying the event will create a platform for socio-economic development.

Council spokesperson Elly Ashikoto told Nampa on Wednesday the event will take place at the Eheke settlement in the Ondangwa Rural Constituency.

Ashikoto said the Oshana Street Market Day is also aimed at celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and community collaboration.

During the market, a wide array of products and services offered by local entrepreneurs and community members will be showcased.

‘Visitors can expect a bustling marketplace featuring a rich tapestry of artisanal crafts, delicious culinary delights, innovative inventions, and various unique products brought forth by talented individuals from the Oshana Region,’ she said.

In addition to the community businesses, Ashikoto indicated that the event will offer a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with corporate stands set up to provide information on public service
s.

It is hoped that participants will gain valuable insights and access a wealth of information regarding essential services offered by public entities, from healthcare and education to employment opportunities and social welfare programmes as they will have the opportunity to interact directly with representatives and learn about available resources.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency