Category: General

Community members of the Ekonghola village in the Ombulu district of Okongo held a peaceful demonstration on Thursday, denouncing the appointment of a hand-picked headman for their traditional authority.

The group marched from Shell Ondangwa to the Ondonga Traditional Authority office at Oluno, where they handed over a petition.

The Ondonga Traditional Authority has appointed Sylvanus Elago as the new headman of Ekonghola village following the death of Antonius Nghilongwa in 2021. Elago was expected to be inaugurated on 21 November 2023.

Handing over the petition, spokesperson Aune Gabriel said they do not want Elago, who is currently appointed to head the village to be their leader, to be inaugurated. Community members claim he is not from Ekonghola and does not know the needs of the community.

Gabriel indicated that the late Nghilongwa nominated three people who could replace him in the event of his death, and these were not considered.

According to Gabriel, the Traditional Authorities Act of 2000 sti
pulates that a headman/woman should be elected by residents and should be a permanent resident in the village, which means Elago is not suitable to lead them.

‘The appointed candidate does not have a house in Ekonghola apart from a cattle post that he has in the village and is not a permanent resident, meaning he does not qualify for the headman post,’ she said.

Gabriel stated that Namibia is governed by laws which give people the right to vote for whom they want to be led by.

She then called on the Ondonga Traditional Authority councillors to discuss the matter without taking sides, for the interest of the people.

The group gave the traditional authority until 22 November to respond to their request.

Accepting the petition, Lot Kasamane, second in charge in the Ondangwa District for the Ondonga Traditional Authority, assured the demonstrators that their petition would be forwarded to the right authority to deal with the matter.

However, Kasamane told the demonstrators that it might take time for the gr
oup to get a response.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Academic and Pan-Africanist, Dr Uazuva Kaumbi died on Thursday morning at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek.

He was 60 years old.

Family member Joshua Kaumbi confirmed this to Nampa, saying the late Kaumbi was admitted to the Roman Catholic Hospital last week Thursday and passed on in the early hours of Thursday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, has expressed concern over the increased maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Namibia.

The minister was speaking on Thursday during the opening of the National Seminar on Neonatal Care in Swakopmund.

The one-day seminar provides an opportunity for experts and practitioners in the field of pediatrics and neonatology to exchange ideas and collaborate on innovative solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of newborn children in the country.

The 2022 Report into Maternal Deaths, Stillbirths and Neonatal deaths for April 2018 to March 2021, which was commissioned by the Health Ministry, reveals amongst others that a total of 145 maternal deaths were reported to the ministry, while a total of 1 066 stillbirths and 1 069 neonatal deaths were reported.

Additionally, 4 406 stillbirths and 2 572 neonatal deaths were captured through the ministry’s Health Information System.

According to Shangula, evidence shows that in every pregnanc
y there is a potential risk of complications and it is not always possible to determine which pregnant woman will develop complications.

‘Hence, skilled assistance before and during labour, delivery and the postpartum period is critical towards the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is for this reason that the government has crafted the plan titled Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) in order to address and reduce neonatal and maternal deaths,’ the minister outlined.

ENAP, which has specific targets and objectives to reduce maternal mortality, aims to reduce maternal deaths from 385 to at least 200 per 100 000 live births by 2018 and to 50 by 2035.

Shangula said that while progress has been made, these targets have not been fully met and more needs to be done if Namibia is to reach these targets by 2050.

The Health Director in the Erongo Region, Anna Jonas, said the provision of neonatal care can be complex, especially if healthcare workers are not equipped with proper knowledge a
nd skills on how to take care of the babies, as well as the ability to provide individualised care.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

By Stephen TADAHA

Security forces across Cameroon have been instructed to double vigilance as end-of-year festivities draw near.

The instructions were dished out by the Minister Delegate at the presidency in charge of defense, Joseph Beti Assomo during a security assessment meeting he coordinated in Yaoundé this week.

“Each festive and popular rejoicing period is accompanied by understandable excesses and increased action of our compatriots who want to earn a living by the sweat of others.” Said Joseph Beti Assomo

With this situation, the defense minister said attention will be paid to the troubled regions of the Far North, North West, and South West Regions of Cameroon.

” Particularly emphasis should be laid in the Far North, North West and South West Regions” added Minister Beti Assomo.

The highly ranked security official upon receiving the instructions, also paid to security forces who have lost their lives in these regions.

The Minister also warned about waste management and electricity supply in urban areas, particularly the Nation’s capital.

The Minister said waste disposal in major streets and frequent power cuts in the Nation’s capital and in other urban areas could be a source of insecurity and tension.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The World Health Organization, WHO, in a new brief jointly developed with the International Diabetes Federation, IDF, and the University of Newcastle, unveiled that quitting smoking can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 30-40%.

This was revealed by WHO as the world joined the rest of the world to commemorate Diabetes Day on the theme, “Access to Diabetes Care”.

According to IDF, 537 million people have diabetes, a number that continues to rise making diabetes the ninth cause of deaths globally.

“Health professionals play a vital role in motivating and guiding individuals with type 2 diabetes in their journey to quit tobacco. Simultaneously, governments must take the crucial step of ensuring all indoor public places, workplaces, and public transport are completely smoke-free. These interventions are essential safeguards against the onset and progression of this and many other chronic diseases” Dr Ruediger Krech, WHO, Director of Health Promotion said.

Prof. Akhtar Hussain, President of the International Diabetes Federation also explained that; “The International Diabetes Federation strongly encourages people to stop smoking to reduce their risk of diabetes and, if they have diabetes, help avoid complications. We call on governments to introduce policy measures that will discourage people from smoking and remove tobacco smoke from all public spaces,”.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Following his battle with Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou is now ranked 10 heavyweight by the World Boxing Council, WBC.

The 37-year-old Cameroonian who had narrowly lost to Fury on points in Saudi Arabia on his first ever WBC fight had not previously been ranked by the WBC.

However, the WBC announced in their 2023 convention that he would be ranked number ten, with Anthony Joshua coming in second and Deontay Wilder as the top contender.

The WBC is a disciplinary body that oversees its own world rankings, with the IBF, WBO and WBA also having their own rankings.

The WBC also declared that Fury’s required opponent will not be made known until the next year.

In February, Fury will compete in an undisputed heavyweight match against Oleksandr Usyk, the champion of the WBA, WBO, and IBF.

This week, the undisputed heavyweight championship will be contested by two unbeaten boxers for the first time since 1999.

Former UFC champion Ngannou plans to pursue a boxing career, and he has been connected to fights against world champions Wilder and Joshua in the past. On December 23, in Saudi Arabia, Joshua and Wilder are scheduled to square off on the same card.

Before possibly competing against one another in 2024, Ngannou and Fury will battle against different opponents.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The principal of Government High School Benakuma in Menchum division, North West region has regained his freedom after spending close to a month in the hands of separatist fighters.

Sources have confirmed that Tem Gerald was released Tuesday November 14, 2023 by the separatists who apprehended him.

Tem was kidnapped on October 18, 2023 on his way to school.

News about his kidnapping later resurfaced on social media through a video, in which he begged the authorities and elites to plead for his case.

In the about 30 seconds video that circulated on social media supposedly to have been filmed by his captors, the principal is seen seated in the bush begging for financial assistance from elites of Menchum to secure his release.

CNA cannot confirm if any ransom was paid before his release.

Tem is just one among many teachers who have been kidnapped, molested and killed because of their profession as a result of the over 7-year armed conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

Source: Cameroon News Agency