Day: April 12, 2024

Agricultural Bank of Namibia (AgriBank) mentor for the Kunene and Erongo regions, Arnold Gaseb said farmers must continue to diversify their farming amidst the drought that Namibia is experiencing to ensure survival.

Gaseb made the remarks on the sideline of a stakeholder engagement session at Africa Safari Lodge at Mariental on Thursday. The session was organised by AgriBank’s agri advisory service division for their 13 mentors from across the country.

‘During COVID-19 many farmers lost animals and even during the drought they are losing animals, so we encourage them to come up with an approach of diversifying, where we not only focus on livestock farming, but we farm with other products such as crops, poultry and pigs so that we can survive,’ he said.

Gaseb urged farmers to start treating farming as a business so that they can make a living out of it and improve their living standard, saying it is important that stakeholders in the farming industry work together and pull resources together for the benef
it of the farmers.

‘Stakeholders should pull in the same direction to avoid duplication of services to the farmers, so if all the stakeholders can collaborate in training farmers and giving out information so that the limited resources are available to all the farmers,’ he said.

The session, according to Agribank public relations officer, Fillemon Nangonya aims to capacitate the mentors with the necessary information so that the bank’s clients are aware of all the products available at their disposal to ensure success in their farming.

‘We have gathered here for the last two days, just to strategise on the way forward given the roaming drought that is approaching. We want to expose our mentors and technical advisors to the various opportunities that are available in the industry, to ensure that when they engage with our clients they are fully equipped in terms of opportunities and challenges and how they can address the challenges, especially in the interest of alleviating the impact of the drought,’ he sa
id.

Participants in the meeting included officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Namibia Development Bank, the Livestock and Livestock Products Board, the Environmental Fund and the Namibia Agronomic Board.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Four people died instantly Thursday night after the seven-seater vehicle they were travelling in collided head-on with a double-cab pickup on the B1 road between Otavi and Otjiwarongo.

The Namibian Police Force’s (NamPol) Head of Community Affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region, Senior Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Friday told Nampa that both vehicles involved in the accident caught fire.

‘Four occupants in the seven-seater were burned beyond recognition, and one occupant escaped with serious injuries,’ said Mbeha.

The fatal accident occurred around 23h00 about 10 kilometres south of Otavi.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that the double cab was traveling from the direction of Otjiwarongo towards Otavi with two occupants including the driver, while the seven-seater was coming from the opposite with five occupants including the driver.

The two occupants in the pickup survived the accident and were taken to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital along with the survivor from the seven-seater.

The remains of t
he four deceased were taken to the Otavi Clinic mortuary.

‘We therefore call on the members of the public with missing relatives who were travelling on Thursday to contact the Otavi Police Station,’ said Mbeha.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Windhoek City Police Chief Inspector, Katrina Naukushu, has warned members of the public of the legal implications of being caught with any form of illegal substances.

Naukushu’s warning follows several arrests at two households in Groot Aub involving the alleged possession of cannabis with the intent to distribute.

‘It is illegal; therefore it is not allowed to be sold nor to be in your possession and if you are caught, you will have to deal with the consequences,’ the chief inspector said in an interview with Nampa at the Groot Aub police station on Wednesday.

The arrests were made at the settlement’s Kransneus location after a tip-off to the Windhoek City Police, who in collaboration with the Rehoboth Drug Enforcement Unit of the Namibian Police Force conducted a search at two houses and arrested four people for the alleged possession of cannabis with the intent to distribute.

At the first house they reportedly found six parcels of cannabis with a street value of N.dollars 305 250 and took th
ree suspects into custody. At the second house, one suspect was arrested after the police allegedly found cannabis with a street value of N.dollars 3 800 and 10 grams of skunk cannabis with a value of N.dollars 500, Naukushu said.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: A 19-year-old Namibian male died on the spot after he jumped from the fourth story of the Independence Memorial Museum in Windhoek around 09h00 on Friday.

Chief Inspector Elifas Kuwinga of the Namibian Police Force confirmed to Nampa that the name of the deceased is known but could not be revealed because his next of kin had not yet been informed of his death.

Kuwinga said that according to a witness, the deceased came into the building, took the elevator to the fourth floor, went to the bar and asked for water to drink. He then went to the balcony on the same floor and jumped.

No suicide note has been found, and police investigations in the matter continue.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

In order to ensure peace and stability in the country, the government has and will continue to prioritise the needs of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol).

This is according to Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Albert Kawana, who said it is also pivotal that NamPol continues to optimally utilise and deploy the necessary resources to where they will make a meaningful impact in line with its constitutional obligations.

Kawana made the remarks during the inauguration of the Endola Police Station in the Ohangwena Region on Friday.

The project, inclusive of the procurement of the vehicles, cost N.dollars 42.6 million.

‘The inauguration of this Police Station is indeed a clear indication of our government’s commitment to address challenges faced by the Namibian Police Force,’ he said.

The police station consists of a charge office with three offices, one radio room, one server room, one armory/record room, a cell block with three cells and a doctor’s consulting room, two two-bedroom s
emi-detached units, and two 14-room barracks, of which eight rooms will be for males and six for females.

Kawana stated that adequate accommodation of the men and women in uniform has become topical.

The police deserve proper accommodation, and it is for this reason that it has become standard practice that wherever police stations are built, barracks for both males and females are included, he said.

The station will also be equipped with two vehicles for members to effectively respond to the community’s complaints.

Kawana then appealed to the men and women in uniform that will be making use of these facilities to jealously safeguard them against any form of vandalism and further ensure that they are preserved for future generations.

He also urged them to establish good networks and relations with the community they will be serving.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Addis Ababa: The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that a total of 842 Ethiopian citizens, who had been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, have been successfully repatriated today in two rounds of flights.

In a step towards citizen-oriented diplomacy, the third phase of repatriating approximately 70,000 undocumented Ethiopian citizens detained in Saudi Arabian prisons has commenced.

Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Nebyu Tedla revealed that a national committee comprising 16 government institutions had been assembled to initiate the repatriation process.

According to him, this committee has been engaging with high-ranking Saudi Arabian government officials since last week to seek their cooperation and support.

Nebyu further stated that twelve flights will be scheduled each week over the next four months, solely dedicated to bringing back undocumented Ethiopian citizens detained in jails across Saudi Arabia.

Today marked the beginning of this massive undertaking, as 842 individuals held in priso
ns and detention centers in Saudi Arabia were successfully repatriated to Ethiopia in two separate rounds.

The Ethiopian government has repatriated over 50,000 Ethiopians from various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Gulf nations, and other African states in the last 9 months.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Efforts are being made with a view to achieving excellence in digital transformation in Ethiopia by supporting products of artificial intelligence (AI), Deputy Prime Minister Temesenge Tiruneh remarked.

Robot Desta performed a musical performance with the distinguished Jazz musician, Mulatu Astatke last night.

The Deputy PM, high ranking government officials, technology innovators and other invited guests were in attendance at the event.

On the occasion, Deputy PM Temesgen said Ethiopia is working to accelerate the transformation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology transfer.

Temesgen mentioned the importance of AI in tackling the complex challenges facing African nations, including Ethiopia, and said that the government is exerting efforts to accelerate the growth of the sector and other digital alternatives by establishing Digital Transformation Council and taking other crucial measures.

Thus, he continued, the country’s digital transformation will be intensified through accelera
ting the development of AI technologies like Robot Desta.Director General of Ethiopia’s Artificial Intelligence Institute, Worku Gachena for his part described the significance of AI in supporting the ongoing digital transformation process in the country citing efforts being made to use AI in the development of agriculture, health, education, industry parks and other economic sectors.

The Musical performance was organized by Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute and iCog Labs in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines and Ethio-telecom.

Robot Desta has been made to speak Amharic, demonstrates other feelings including happiness.

Desta delivered a speech in Amharic at the event.

Robot Desta, which is in display at the Science Museum, has been developed by Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute and iCog Labs in collaboration with other institutions.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency