May 16, 2023

Where are the motorbikes donated to vigilante groups?

About a year ago on May 11 2022, the Governor of the North West region, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique handed over a total of 80 new motorcycles to Senior Divisional Officers of the region to distribute to vigilante groups in their divisions.

This was during a security meeting where the Governor presented the bikes and said they were instruments to help fight insecurity in the communities.

One year after, many are of the opinion that these motorbikes did not even reach the vigilante groups who have risked their lives collaborating with forces of law and order for peace to return in the socio-politically challenged region. Others have affirmed that these bikes must have ended up in the hands of administrative officials who either sold them or repurposed them.

A member of one of such groups working with government soldiers in Bui division told CNA that they did not receive anything from the SDO.

“To be sincere, I am surprised to hear about that we were given motorbikes. We use our personal bikes to investigate and deliver information. At times they give us money for fuel or we go together,” he said.

The informant who has been into the service for close to two years say he does it to feed his family and also for peace to reign in the North West region.

Since the socio-political crisis started, the government of Cameroon has made it clear they need the support from vigilante groups to locate and capture separatist fighters in the local communities.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

May 16, 2023

NW security forces accuse authorities of delaying their integration salaries, arrears

Some security forces working in the restive North West region have been accusing authorities in the region of delaying their salary advancements and other benefits for years now.

According to a reliable source working in the Police, ever since they graduated from the police training college about 4 years ago, their integration salary, advancement and other salary arrears have not been paid although they continue risking their lives fighting separatist fighters in the region.

While speaking to CNA, the source who preferred to be anonymous revealed that authorities of the Police corps in particular, have refused to listen to their complaints but keep on sending them to fight separatists in exchange for meagre salaries.

“They don’t even think that we have families, how we feed them and pay bills. All they want is that we should keep fighting so that they should be enjoying in their comfortable offices. Since we left school in 2019, we have not received this money. All that we are managing on is the monthly salary, which is too small,” a security officer said.

The source added that some of their colleagues have paid a bribe and have received their integration salaries meanwhile a majority of them are still waiting.

The source further explained that the manager of a bank where they receive salaries told them that only top officials in the security or government can give them the go ahead. He reluctantly said there is nothing they can do at the level of banks.

This is however not the first time that security officers working in the armed conflict regions are accusing their authorities for mismanagement, malpractices and corruption. Earlier this year, some of them released a voice message on social media decrying how they were abandoned in a war area and authorities were demanding bribe before they could be relieved.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

May 16, 2023

The 22-year-old Wasserfall was reported missing in Walvis Bay on 10 April 2020.

The High Court on Tuesday gave the judgement of not guilty to Azaan Madisia and Steven Mulundu, both of whom stood accused of murdering Walvis Bay native, Shannon Wasserfall.

High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg handed down the judgement of not guilty for murder and not guilty for theft and robbery with aggravated circumstances.

The co-accused were however found guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice, while Madisia was found guilty on an additional charge of fraud.

‘The State has led no evidence in proving the murder and robbery charges and based its case on conflicting statements made by the accused persons during the police investigation of the disappearance of the deceased,’ the judgement said.

The 22-year-old Wasserfall was reported missing in Walvis Bay on 10 April 2020. Her remains were found buried at the harbour town on 06 October 2020 after an anonymous text message was sent to the deceased’s father.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

May 16, 2023

Disconnection of electricity supply, not loadshedding: Haulofu

NamPower’s Managing Director (MD), Kahenge Haulofu, on Tuesday said the media has been misusing the term ‘load-shedding’ in the recent coverage of the power utility’s debt collection plan that was re-introduced through a public notice last week.

Haulofu during a media briefing on Tuesday, explained that the debt collection plan, which is a scheduled disconnection of electricity supply to defaulting customers, is a re-introduction of a debt collection plan and debt repayment incentive that was first introduced in 2021 and it is not load-shedding.

“There has been a lot of misinterpretation of terms by the media and the public in relation to the suspension of electricity supply to NamPower customers with overdue accounts.

The debt collection plan and repayment incentive are NamPower’s efforts in reaching an understanding between default customers in paying their outstanding accounts,” he clarified.

He added that with NamPower’s Power Supply Agreements, the company has the right to totally disconnect the electricity supply to defaulting customers, hence the resolution to introduce the debt collection plan.

According to the MD, several other measures were explored before reaching the conclusion of introducing the debt collection plan that will be implemented on 05 June and will affect customers who fail to pay their overdue accounts by 31 May.

The disconnection of electricity supply to defaulting customers will be divided into stages starting with stage one and escalating to stage nine.

Meanwhile, Haulofu emphasised that NamPower has received no pressure from their bilateral partner, Eskom and that the load-shedding in South Africa (SA) has to date not posed a need for Namibia to panic.

He concluded by saying that Namibia only receives 100 megawatts of electricity from SA while its largest supplier is Zambia with 180 megawatts of electricity.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

May 16, 2023

More needs to be done ahead of IPC World Athletics Champs: Hamukwaya

Namibia Paralympic Committee (NPC) Secretary General, Michael Hamukwaya, says he is happy to see Namibian athletes sharing the stage with their international counterparts, but more still needs to be done.

Team Namibia recently won 13 medals at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Jesolo, Italy, and is hard at work preparing for the Nottwil Grand Prix scheduled for 25 to 27 May 2023 in Switzerland.

In an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, Hamukwaya said despite winning medals at the 2023 Jesolo Grand Prix, the times run by athletes could have been better.

“We are at a different level of competition and the most important thing is we came to Europe so that we can improve on our times before the world championships scheduled for Paris in July. Our goal is for the athletes to run good times,” he said.

Hamukwaya, who is currently acting as the team manager for the NPC’s European Tour, added that it is important for Namibian athletes to improve their times at next week’s Grand Prix.

“The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships will be a big challenge for the athletes if their times are not improved. This will limit their chances of winning medals at the World Championships as everyone will come well prepared,” Hamukwaya said.

He added that during their first Grand Prix in Italy, athletes’ performances might have been affected by the weather, but things must improve if they are to win silverware that will guarantee them spots at the 2024 Paralympic Games.

“We have been in Europe for two weeks now and we hope the weather will not be a problem for them. My biggest concern at the moment is slower times. I hope athletes will improve from the 70 per cent they gave a week ago,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

May 16, 2023

MoHSS launches Pele Box Smart Lockers Machines

The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) on Tuesday launched the self-service smart lockers known as the Pele Box Smart Lockers, designed to provide access to pre-packed chronic medication, at the Katutura State Hospital.

In his keynote address at the launch, health and social services minister, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, said there are currently 19 Pele Boxes installed countrywide and more will be installed in the future. He also explained that the Pele Boxes will be operational every day for 24 hours, making it convenient for patients.

According to the minister, patients who are clinically stable and on chronic medication will be eligible to use this dispensary machine. These patients include those using ARV medication, anti-epileptic medication, anti-hypertensive medication, and other cardiovascular disease treatments.

In her remarks, Medical Superintendent at the Katutura State Hospital, Nelago Amagula, said the introduction of the Pele Box Smart Lockers will eliminate the long queues at the pharmacies and give staff members more time to spend with the patients instead of dispensing medication.

“Patients will now receive their medication in under two minutes and will avoid having to stand in long queues at the pharmacies,” said Amagula.

The introduction of the Pele Box Smart Lockers Machines is part of the chronic medication delivery system at public health facilities, which is aimed at providing patients with a more convenient and efficient way of collecting their repeat chronic-care medication.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Namibia provided the MoHSS with technical and financial support for the introduction of the Pele Box Smart Lockers.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency