Day: March 19, 2024

More than 300 taxi operators at Otjiwarongo on Tuesday staged a peaceful demonstration against the municipality’s alleged poor services, particularly concerning road maintenance and the lack of designated taxi ranks.

The group marched from the Orwetoveni residential area to the municipality office complex where they handed over a petition to Mayor Gottlieb Shivute.

In their petition, the taxi drivers expressed concern over the potholes in nearly every street around town on both tar and gravel roads.

They demanded that local authority councillors take their duty of serving the community seriously, especially with regards to road maintenance.

‘We have heard enough of that saying that the budget is not enough, yet the conditions of our roads remain in a bad state. We would like to be involved in this matter as taxi drivers since we are the ones who are affected,’ they said.

The group also wanted to know when designated taxi ranks will be established.

‘Also explain to us the use of these taxi numbers you ar
e charging N.dollars 350 for annually. We do not understand the meaning and how that money is being used to benefit the town at large,’ they said.

The group then gave the municipality until 17 April 2024 to respond to their concerns.

In his response, Mayor Shivute informed the group to expect answers to their concerns by next week.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: When workers are treated fairly, paid a decent wage, and provided with safe working conditions, they are more productive and contribute to economic growth, Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creations (MLIREC), Utoni Nujoma has said.

Nujoma said this on Tuesday during the launch of the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) on decent work in the Namibian fisheries sector and the business forum on advancing decent work in the Namibian fisheries at Walvis Bay in the Erongo Region.

The event aims to create awareness, discuss issues that pave the way for improvement in the sector and promote opportunities in the Namibian fisheries supply chain.

‘The status of employment relations in the fishing sector remains unabated as the forum also aims to present an opportunity for Namibian businesses to explore the existing local and international markets and enhance business sustainability and diversification,’ he said.

To foster, deliver and ensure harmonious labour relations, Nujoma high
lighted key milestones achieved by his ministry.

‘The finalisation and gazetting of the second variation in the fishing sector, whereby certain conditions of the service/employment have been varied in certain provision of chapter 3 of the Labour Act, 2007 (Act No. 11 of 2007) for the fishing sector,’ said Nujoma, adding that this variation does not intend to disadvantage workers or employers, but rather aims to promote decent work in the fishing sector and promote sustainability.

Some of the main functions of the NCM as highlighted by Nujoma include the support and coordination of the full implementation and enforcement of convention No. 188, through constant, effective and robust social dialogue, acting as the coordination mechanism to be established under Article 7 of the same convention; consult and make recommendations to the minister responsible for labour and other relevant ministries and to promote decent work in the Namibian fisheries sector.

Nujoma urged all stakeholders in the fisheries sector to
support the initiative and to work together to promote decent work for all.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Oshikoto Governor, Penda Ya Ndakolo, has urged contractors who are constructing roads in the region to drill boreholes and rehabilitate burrow pits into earth dams for their construction work.

Ya Ndakolo said this during a courtesy visit from a representative of the Roads Authority (RA), Harley Simasiku, to the governor’s office about the labour-based construction of the gravel district road (DR3654) of Omuthiya to Elambo in the Oshikoto Region on Tuesday in Omuthiya.

Ya Ndakolo said that water scarcity is still an issue in the region, as a result contractors that are constructing roads and any other developmental infrastructure in the region should come up with their main water points.

‘Water scarcity is the song of the day in some areas of the region so we encourage contractors not to use local water points as their main source of water but should drill their boreholes,’ said Ya Ndakolo.

He further said that when these contractors complete the road, they at least help solve the water problem by rehabili
tating burrow pits into earth dams and drilling more boreholes in the region.

Ya Ndakolo said this referring to the Eengodi Constituency which is mostly affected by water scarcity in the region compared to Okankolo and Nehale Lyampingana constituencies.

The RA’s Simasiku said the construction of the Omuthiya-Elambo district road will cost a total of N.dollars 178 million and it has a length of 58 kilometres and is expected to be completed within 24 months.

Simasiku said the road will be expected to be constructed within the next few months – the tender is awarded.

He said the proclaimed road will start at the junction with the B1 road in Omuthiya and follow the easterly direction to Elambo.

‘A total 1.4 kilometres of the road till the railway will be constructed with bitumen while the rest of the earth track will be gravel,’ said Simasiku.

Simasiku also said that the affected land will be compensated and they will construct access points to Alweendo Combined School, Amweelo Primary School, and Onamishu
Combined School.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency