Category: Key Issues

RUNDU: The president of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) Bernadus Swartbooi said his party fires those in leadership roles when they are involved in corrupt practices, unlike the ruling party, Swapo.

Swartbooi made these statements during a rally the party held at Ndama in Rundu on Sunday.

‘In the areas the party is governing, when any of our leaders are involved in corrupt practices, we fire them immediately. People say we are an unstable party for doing so. However, we said if we do what Swapo is doing then we are not an honest party,’ he said.

LPM will not allow corruption by its leaders whether from local or regional authorities, he said.

When leaders misbehave they are either told to improve or leave the party.

‘In LPM, if you want to be corrupt, there is another party. Go to that party,’ he stated.

Swartbooi also mentioned that since the last elections in 2020, it has put young people (20 to 35-year-olds) in leadership roles, giving them the necessary attention through training to develop them
into responsible leaders of society.

‘We have said that we cannot postpone the tomorrow for young people. We must take young people without experience and develop society with them,’ he said.

His party, he noted has also developed close relationships with traditional authorities in order to understand the issues in traditional communities.

‘LPM has changed the politics of just wanting votes and each and every ethnic group is a core principle in the party. We have to develop proper leaders that must lead society. If we send leaders into society who do not have love for the people, then they will treat some people better and others not so good,’ he said.

Loving all Namibians equally keeps a leader humble, the party leader said, adding that no leader can come to people that they do not love and serve them honestly.

‘A loving leader will have sleepless nights if his people are hungry, jobless or without housing. He or she will work hard to find solutions to these problems because he or she loves his people.
This message of love is not just for the church but it’s of humanity,’ Swartbooi said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Namibia has expressed disappointment at the recent failure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to grant full membership of the United Nations (UN) to the State of Palestine.

In a statement on Friday, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Peya Mushelenga criticised the United States, which vetoed a resolution recommending Palestine’s full UN membership on Thursday.

‘The use of the veto in the UNSC to deny the State of Palestine its legitimate right for UN membership is testimony that some powerful member states of the UN value their national interest at the expense and detriment of the values and norms of the international community.

‘Regrettably, while small states believe in the lofty ideals and principles inscribed in the Charter of the UN, the action by a Permanent Member of the Security Council to prevent Palestine’s full membership leaves serious doubt on their full commitment to these noble principles,’ Mushelenga said.

Palestine applied for UN membership in accord
ance with Article 4 of the UN Charter, which states that membership is open to all other peace-loving states.

Since 2012, Palestine has had observer status at the UN and has been lobbying for years to gain full membership. However, it is recognised by only 138 out of 193 UN Member States.

‘The government of the Republic of Namibia expresses strong disappointment over the veto by the United States preventing the adoption of the resolution to recommend to the General Assembly Palestine’s full membership in line with the provisions of Article 4 of the UN Charter.

‘This is a serious setback to the international community’s efforts to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the unwarranted protracted Israel-Palestine conflict,’ the minister said.

Mushelenga emphasised that Namibia ‘continues to call for the immediate reform of the UNSC to address inequity and injustice, in order to reflect the present reality and ensure the legitimacy of its decisions.’

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Swapo Member of Parliament (MP) Leevi Katoma on Tuesday moved a motion for the National Assembly to affirm their solidarity and support for the people of Cuba.

Katoma in the National Assembly moved the unopposed motion and called on the august House to recognise the enduring historical connections, robust friendships, and flourishing bilateral relations between Namibia and Cuba, while also recalling the selfless sacrifices and substantial contributions made by the people of Cuba during Namibia’s prolonged struggle for national independence from colonialism and apartheid.

‘Given the extended history of aggression, attempted assassination of Cuban leadership as well as a range of attacks at international platforms against Cuba, by successive administrations of the United States of America (USA),’ Katoma said.

He said Namibia should acknowledge the prolonged suffering endured by the Cuban people due to the severe and disproportionate economic embargo imposed by successive administrations of the US,
adding that: ‘We should be mindful that the inclusion of Cuba in the list of states sponsoring terrorism is not conforming to the truth and inflicts upon the resilient Cuban populace.’

Katoma in his motion is therefore demanding the cessation of the inhumane and unwarranted economic blockade imposed by the US against Cuba and its citizens, as well as the immediate removal of Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism and the prompt repeal of economic sanctions against the Cuban people.

Katoma further demanded the immediate and unconditional closure of the US base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and called on his fellow MPs to reaffirm their unwavering support for the Cuban Revolution, which has granted the Cuban people sovereignty, dignity, education, healthcare, and other significant advancements.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Civil servants’ remuneration stood at N.dollars 33.6 billion during the 2022/2023 financial year, Public Service Commission (PSC) Commissioner, Nashilongo Shivute has announced.

Proving a statistical overview for the 2022/2023 financial year during a courtesy visit to President Nangolo Mbumba here on Tuesday, Shivute explained that the remuneration has increased from N.dollars 2.6 billion to N.dollars 2.8 billion a month as a result of the 2023/2024 general salary adjustment.

She indicated that the personnel expenditure budget increased from 43 per cent to 45.5 per cent.

During the reporting period the PSC recommended the appointment of 23 staff members in the management cadre of which 11 representing 48 per cent were men, and 12 accounting for 52 per cent were women, she said.

Shivute further noted that a total of 753 staff members were appointed in posts below the management cadre of which 82 per cent were appointed in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), of which 32 per cent we
re men and 68 per cent, women.

Eighty-nine staff members were promoted to management of which 64 per cent represented men and 36 per cent were women, with the MoHSS employing a total of 33 (37 per cent) staff members compared to the rest of Offices/Ministries and Agencies (OMA).

‘A total of 77 staff members were promoted to posts below management of which 56 (73 per cent) were promoted to the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture and the rest to OMA,’ she said.

Shivute further indicated that during the reporting period, PSC recommended 108 deviations on the financial assistance of which 104 were in life-threatening conditions such as cancer, kidney failures and heart, while four were for re-registration of dependents older than 25 years old who are full-time students at recognised tertiary institutions or mentally or physical disabled.

She also noted that 36 complaints were dealt with of which six were supported, while 18 appeals were dealt with of which one was supported. Twenty-one reinstatement cases
were dealt with of which 12 were supported due to non-compliance by OMAs with relevant laws.

In March 2023, the commission reported that civil servants stood at 105 265.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

RUNDU: Vice President (VP) Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said institutions of higher learning in the country including the entire education system should understand the needs of the labour market.

Nandi-Ndaitwah when she delivered her keynote address during the 2024 University of Namibia Rundu Campus graduation ceremony here on Tuesday said that students should be trained to meet the needs of the market.

‘It is a challenge when the education sector and the market are not talking to each other. Institutions of higher learning should not train for the streets,’ she said.

The VP said Namibia is now positioned to become one of the centres of renewable energy, oil and gas.

‘The question now is, to what extent is our education and training system prepared to supply those emerging industries with human power,’ she asked.

The education sector must be ready to feed the market with appropriate skills, hence the importance of vocational training that should be seen as a critical sector for sustainable development to be re
alised.

Nandi-Ndaitwah added that Namibia should not be a rich country with poor people.

‘We must be prepared to work together as Namibians as it is the only way we can create the Namibia we want,’ she noted.

She said it is important that the country prepares itself to benefit from its resources while it continues to be relevant in the international arena.

About 654 students graduated in different disciplines such as Education, Nursing and Public Health and Business Administration.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Otjozondjupa Region Governor, James Uerikua on Tuesday rubbished accusations from the Otjiwarongo Municipality, accusing him of interfering in its development projects and activities.

Uerikua in the presence of several political leaders from the region explained to Mayor Gottlieb Shivute shortly after a meeting that his appointment is higher than that of the mayor as he represents the president in the region.

‘I am therefore not interfering in anything, but as the regional head of Otjozondjupa, I have the right to advise the local authorities,’ the governor said.

The Otjiwarongo Municipality’s political leadership last Friday issued a media statement accusing Uerikua of interfering in its development activities and claiming that he wants to create the impression that he initiated projects that were actually conceptualised by the municipality.

These include the recent resuscitation of the Biomass Industrial Park, which Uerikua visited along with a delegation of biomass specialists from Germany on 08 April
this year.

Shivute also expressed dismay over remarks Uerikua and the Otjiwarongo Constituency Councillor Marlayn Mbakera made at a media briefing on 04 April, where the governor tasked the municipality to urgently rename Lothar Von Trotha Street and accused them of not prioritising the renaming.

Mbakera at the time also lashed out at the municipality councillors on potholes which she said are visible in every street in the town and has become a major concern to all road users.

She described the situation as an injustice to Otjiwarongo residents and said the local authority should serve the community with dedication.

This, according to Shivute, is aimed at portraying the councillors as visionless leaders who are incapable of running the affairs of the town.

Mbakera on her part on Tuesday said she is empowered by the Regional Council Act of 1992 which states that she can assist any local authority council in performing its powers, duties and functions.

Mbakera is also the Otjozondjupa Regional Council ch
airperson.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency