Author: eradmin

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has spent a total of N.dollars 1.1 million on corridor management institutions in Namibia.

This includes N.dollars 500 000 availed to the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC), NRSC Chairperson Eliphas !Owos-Oab said at the TKC Secretariat gala dinner held at Swakopmund on Monday, as part of the secretariat’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

The secretariat commemorated its 20th anniversary with a cycle challenge from Rustenburg, South Africa, through Botswana, to Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Thirty cyclists from Namibia, Botswana and South Africa participated in the challenge that concluded on Monday at the port of Walvis Bay.

‘The international road assessment programme estimates that 50 per cent of casualties occur on around 10 per cent of the road network. So, if we can make that 10 per cent of the road network safer, we would certainly achieve a 50 per cent reduction in associated casualties,’ !Owos-Oab said.

He further said the council invested in the Arandis Emergency Respon
se and Traffic Management Centre, which operates an intelligent transport system-based surveillance over a stretch of close to 50 kilometres along the B2 road adjacent to Arandis.

The strategic objective of this intervention is to facilitate the implementation of intelligent transportation systems solutions which aim to enhance the efficiency and user-friendliness of the corridor, while also lowering road traffic crashes and incidences.

‘This system, when fully rolled out will, among others support early warning and detection systems for road users in the event of incidents and will lead to safer corridor mobility,’ !Owos-Oab stressed.

(NAMPA)

Source: Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Commissioner General of the Namibian Correctional Services (NCS), Raphael Hamunyela, on Monday dismissed concerns raised by families of the Fishrot accused that their lives are in danger at the Windhoek Correctional Facility.

This follows a peaceful demonstration by a small number of the relatives of the Fishrot accused at the entrance of the facility, accusing the NCS authorities of working with unknown forces to hurt James Hatuikulipi and five other co-accused.

His sister, Lina Hatuikulipi, told Nampa their action was prompted by a social media post by activist Michael Amushelelo concerning an alleged plot to move her brother and others to the general population section.

‘We heard that our brothers are going to be divided. Since 2020, all the Fishrot accused were kept together, but suddenly we heard some are being protected while some will be released into the general population section. That place is where dangerous criminals who are awaiting trial are kept. We are now worried about why ou
r brothers are moved to that section. The problem is that we have lost faith in our justice system. Our brothers are in their hands but they cannot protect them,’ said Lina who was holding a placard written in part ‘Rights to life of all Fishrot accused.’

Theopolina Hatuikulipi, the aunt to Tamson and James Hatuikulipi, expressed her concern, saying her nephews, Ricardo Gustavo, Pius Mwatelulo, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala and former fisheries minister Bernhard Esau, have been kept behind bars without trial for almost five years.

Reading out a statement, Naphtali Hatuikulipi claimed that the planned move was a plot to have the Fishrot killed ‘as the only way to silence them permanently about the Fishrot corruption scandal,’ saying that the accused were used as conduits by high-ranking politicians who have not yet been mentioned in court or imprisoned.

In response, Hamunyela told Nampa that NCS moving inmates from one unit to another is the administrative mandate of the correctional services.

‘E
very person has the right to allege anything, but that is not part of our functions. We have the mandate to deliver, and we make sure we deliver that mandate as required by the Constitution. It is their right to demonstrate, but it has nothing to do with our actions. Those allegations are not part of our work even,’ Hamunyela said.

After their arrest in 2020, the suspects in the Fishrot scandal have been fighting in court to be granted bail, but their attempts have been unsuccessful.

They are accused of being part of a conspiracy that saw Namibia swindled of billions of dollars in potential revenue from the fishing industry.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

The Omusati police are investigating a case of murder and concealment of birth after the remains of a newborn baby were discovered in a plastic bag at an unserviced plot in Oshikuku on Monday.

The Namibian Police Force’s Omusati Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho, on Tuesday said the discovery was made around 16h30 by community members who saw pigs eating something from the plastic bag, which led them to investigate.

‘They then discovered that the plastic bag contained human remains that appeared to be the bones of a baby scattered around, as well as bloodstained baby clothes, and informed the police,’ he said.

Simaho said the remains of the baby were transported to the Okahao Police Station mortuary. Police investigations continue.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Addis Ababa: The government is in the process of purchasing 100 electric city buses, a significant step towards supporting Ethiopia’s efforts to build a green economy, according to Metku Asmara, head of Addis Ababa’s transport Bureau.

Mitiku stated that public transport currently covers 31 percent of the city’s 3.4 million daily trips, underscoring the government’s emphasis on mass transportation.

To promote electric mobility, the city administration has been transitioning its own fleet to electric vehicles.

Additionally, private investors have provided 20 electric minibuses and two buses to the public, which have proven efficient in transporting large numbers of people due to their speed.

The head highlighted his Bureau’s commitment to supporting private transport providers in the sector and urged them to invest in electric charging stations.

He explained that such investments serve multiple purposes, including reducing air pollution, minimizing fuel consumption, mitigating noise pollution, and protecti
ng the environment.

By leading as role models, private investors can inspire others to engage in the sector, which offers various opportunities.

As electric vehicles gain popularity in the country, facilitated by government tariffs, the need for charging stations becomes crucial, he said.

The government has already initiated the process of procuring 100 electric city buses within a short timeframe, the head noted.

Mitiku expressed optimism that the introduction of these electric vehicles and buses will alleviate the current transportation challenges.

Furthermore, it is indicated that the Belayneh Kindie Group is assembling public transport vehicles, with 216 electric vehicles already completed.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

A 49-year-old Angolan national was allegedly hit and killed by a pickup truck belonging to the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) near Otavi in the Otjozondjupa Region on Tuesday.

NamPol Head of Community Affairs in the region, Senior Inspector Maureen Mbeha in an interview with Nampa later Tuesday said the deceased was identified as Ndeshipewa Pahevela Hikungunya.

‘The deceased is an Angolan national who was employed as a charcoal worker at Farm Acham in the Otavi district,’ said Mbeha.

Hikungunya’s next of kin have been informed of his death, Mbeha said.

The police officer stated that the accident occurred some seven kilometres south of Otavi in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Mbeha said a culpable homicide docket was opened at the Otavi Police Station against a male police officer who is attached to NamPol’s Drug Law Enforcement Sub-Division in the Oshana Region, who was driving the vehicle.

Police investigations in the matter continue.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

The Fon of Mekwu, His Royal Highness Fon Sama Ndong Richard II, was spotted attending a communion service at the Sanctuary Prayer Tabernacle of All Nations (SPTOAN) church in Douala on Sunday, April 28, 2024.

The Fon, who was visiting Douala, decided to partake in the Holy Communion, barely one month after reportedly destroying the idols and alters in his Mekwu Palace found in Mmen, Menchum Division in the North West region.

Fon Sama acknowledged that his forefathers had worshipped man-made gods, but his father had realized the supremacy of the one true God towards the end of his 94-year reign. The Fon urged those who had not yet turned to God to do so.

The exercise was followed by prayers

The Fon’s visit to the church in Douala was celebrated by the congregation as a groundbreaking result of the prayer sessions.

The church’s general overseer, Prophet T.N. Gilbert, said the traditional ruler’s presence was a sign of the gospel gaining ground in Cameroon.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Omusati Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho, has said despite numerous alleged fuel smugglers being arrested, the problem persists.

This follows the arrest of a 20-year-old man at Onelombo village in the Etayi Constituency on Sunday, who was reportedly found in possession of 31 containers of diesel and three containers of petrol, suspected to have been smuggled into Namibia from Angola.

‘After the suspect failed to produce satisfactory legality of his possession, he was charged with contravening the Petroleum Products and Energy Act of 1990,’ Simaho said.

The diesel was smuggled in 25 litre containers and the petrol in five litre and 25 litre containers.

The deputy commissioner urged members of the public to desist from keeping containers of petrol and diesel at their homes as it poses a serious risk.

Source: Namibia Press Agency