RIETFONTEIN – Just as Namibia’s agronomy sector is grappling with a fluctuating and mammoth annual import bill of over N$472 million, the National Youth Service (NYS) Production Centre at Rietfontein is rising like a phoenix, and will soon become the country’s only oasis of hope. Situated approximately 40km south of Grootfontein in the vast Otjozondjupa...
Author: Otniel Hembapu (Otniel Hembapu )
Okakarara trade fair in limbo
OKAKARARA – The Okakarara Annual Trade Fair, one of the country’s biggest, is facing an uncertain future because of infighting. In fact, New Era has learnt that as it currently stands, this year’s trade fair might be called off due to a lack of potential sponsors and an absence of enthusiasm from the area’s farmers,...
Nudo: Kauandenge gives up
National Unity Democratic Organisation secretary general Josef Kauandenge will not be standing for the party’s parliamentary list in the upcoming elections. Kauandenge, who about two months ago also made a U-turn on his decision to vie for Nudo’s presidency position at the party’s planned congress, which ended in failure, said his latest decision is a...
Katjiua, Nudo on warpath
OKAHANDJA – Academic Mutjinde Katjiua has threatened to mobilise his subjects against voting for the National Unity Democratic Organisation or its candidate in November. This is if the Nudo leadership does not change its political posture towards his chieftainship, he said, threatening to strategically disarm the party at the polls come November’s watershed elections, where...
Mashare blueberry farm expects bumper harvest …N$1.5m in local economy monthly
The Mashare Blueberries Farm, which is now in its fifth year of production, is expecting another quality bumper harvest spanning over 60 hectares, with large quantities of Azrablue, Atlasblue, Biancablue berries and Sekoya Pop all anticipating to embellish this year’s yield. The country’s first-ever commercial berry farm is situated 45km outside Rundu in the Kavango...
Report: Genocide in legal battle cul-de-sac
*Truth and reconciliation commission proposed *‘Remove colonial statues’ While atrocities committed in 1904/08 are genocide under international law binding at the time, there is no legal avenue to obtain redress in contemporary judicial instruments and institutions. This is etched in a report by Johns Hopkins University, obtained by this publication. The report is titled ‘Restitution,...
Omaheke registers over 50% voters
The last few weeks have seen Omaheke region making great strides in increasing the number of registered voters across its seven constituencies, with the number now well over 31 000. Compared to the last figures of about 20 330 registered voters, which is about 32% of eligible voters, the Electoral Commission of Namibia has made...
Divided OTA preaches unity
Otniel Hembapu Linea Dishena OKAHANDJA – Despite holding two separate Ovaherero Red Flag Day commemorations in Okahandja over the weekend, unity was the common theme for each faction. The two Ovaherero Traditional Authority factions are led by academics Mutjinde Katjiua and Hoze Riruako. Both factions are diametrically opposed on key Ovaherero objectives and do not...
Public media, ICT entities introspect
VON BACH – Bridging the digital divide, prudent use of resources, aligning visions, creating opportunities and executing government’s development should be the yardstick of the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector. These were the key takeaways from information minister Emma Theofelus’ remarks during yesterday’s senior leadership retreat at the Von Bach Dam Resort on...
Agribank’s N$187m drought relief war chest
Drought-stricken communal and commercial farmers with loans at Agribank have been thrown a lifeline. This is after the country’s agricultural premier lender announced that it will offer instalment relief to eligible clients, and waive penalty interest for those in arrears. The bank’s latest drought relief intervention, which was officially announced yesterday in the capital, is...