Category: Information

WINDHOEK: Minister of Higher Education, Education, Technology, and Innovation, Itah Kandjii-Murangi, on Wednesday inaugurated the national space science council, consisting of six members, a first for Namibia.

The council’s primary role, according to Kandjii-Murangi, is to advise the government on matters pertaining to space science and technology policy as well as regional and international instruments.

The newly appointed members are Peter Ndemuweda from the Namibia Defense Force, Riaan Steenkamp, an academic, Laban Hiwilepo, a telecommunications and electronics engineer, Eliakim Hamunyela, an environmental scientist, Loide Shaparara, a lawyer, and Victoria Munenge, an IT specialist. The members will serve for a period of three years.

‘The main functions of the council are to advise the commission on the development and implementation of a National Space Science and Technologies Agenda in all relevant sectors. Their functions include but are not limited to the review and implementation of National Space
Science Policy and Strategy, Ethics in Space Science research, identification of space science activities relevant to Namibia, as well as the promotion and development of space science research,’ Kandjii-Murangi said.

The council will further serve as a nexus for collaboration between academia, industry and government agencies.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Minister of higher education, technology and innovation, Itah Kandjii-Murangi-Murangi on Wednesday announced the implementation of the Bioeconomy strategy, which was approved by Cabinet in November 2019.

The strategy will run from 2024 to 2029. The acceleration of biotechnology to national development can contribute to poverty alleviation, and catalyze sustainable economic development, Kandjii-Murangi said.

Kandjii-Murangi was speaking during the inauguration of a space council launched by the National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST), where she stressed that from 2019, her ministry, in cooperation with the NCRST and with the financial and technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Bioeconomy Multisectoral working group, coordinated the development of the National Bioeconomy Strategy.

The production, utilization, conservation and regeneration of biological resources, including related knowledge, science, technology, and i
nnovation form part of the strategy.

‘The bioeconomy strategy is anchored in key stakeholder-identified sectors of the country that immensely contribute to economic growth, namely; health, agriculture, and natural resource/environment. In line with the Revised Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2020, the bioeconomy strategy implementation will ensure the promotion of research and development in biotechnology and bio-based industries,’ Kandjii-Murangi-Murangi added.

According to her, the strategic initiatives set out in the strategy are aimed at promoting opportunities for smallholder farmers, rural communities, and marginalised groups to participate in and benefit from bioeconomic activities in improving climate-affected agricultural production.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: President Nangolo Mbumba said a lot has to be done to ensure that budget allocations in education are spent to deliver a healthy balance between the operational expenditure and funds spent on the welfare of both school-going and university students.

Mbumba in his capacity as the patron of the Unam Foundation during the launch of the foundation’s brand and fundraising projects on Wednesday said the issue of textbook shortages, infrastructure deficiencies, quality of lecturing, curriculums and education aids must be attended to efficiently and effectively, which are addressing the realities on the ground.

He explained that collective obligations should be geared towards the outcomes facilitated by the education infrastructure and equipment that facilitates better instruction, improves student outcomes, and reduces dropout rates.

‘This year alone, the Minister of Finance announced a budget of N.dollars 18.3 billion to education, which was the second highest allocation. I hope this will translate int
o a higher ceiling of allocations for institutions of higher learning. In this way, many Namibians can obtain quality education and actively become their own emancipators in the fight against structural and historical poverty,’ he said.

Mbumba, who is also the chancellor of Unam, stressed that a well-educated labour force, which is globally competitive is essential for the industrial development of the country, specifically with the latest developments in the energy sector such as investments in the Green Hydrogen sector and discoveries of oil and gas quantities which will require skilled and professional human resources to ensure that Namibia derives maximum gains from the utilisation of its local mineral resources.

At the same event, Unam Vice Chancellor, Kenneth Matengu said the foundation aims to promote and facilitate the development and achievement of higher education objectives as a non-profit organisation.

‘Over the next five years our focus will be on expanding educational opportunities and foster
ing an environment conducive to academic excellence, personal growth and a shift to education for industrialisation,’ he noted.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Swapo Party parliamentarian Patience Masua said that young Namibians want to engage in entrepreneurship but lack the necessary startup funds.

Despite the financial challenges faced by young people, Masua said in the National Assembly on Tuesday that efforts are being made to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

‘Many young people have an appetite for business, they have the talent, skills, ideas, and brilliance – all ingredients to build a successful business. They simply do not have the funding or the degree,’ she said while contributing to a debate on SME financing and its importance to the economy.

‘SMEs are important for the growth and diversification of the economy. They create job opportunities, stimulate innovation, and contribute to the overall economic growth of our country,’ said the youthful lawmaker.

However, Masua said the government has taken steps to make it simpler for SMEs to obtain finance. This includes the skills-based lending facility offered by the Development Bank
of Namibia (DBN).

‘The DBN has provided crucial financial support to young entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses. Additionally, the government has also introduced various training programmes and mentorship initiatives to help SMEs grow and succeed in a competitive market.’

Masua also said that the allocation of funds toward small businesses in the 2024/25 budget towards the youth loan scheme is a step in the right direction to empower young entrepreneurs.

The budget of the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade this new financial year was increased by 31.7 per cent to N.dollars 365.5 million and a total of N$1.2 billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Iipumbu Shiimi said that funding has been allocated to the Equipment Aid Scheme, Start-Up Namibia, and EMPRETEC Namibia to facilitate domestic trade activities and build domestic entrepreneurship capacity, especially for SMEs.

When tabling the budget, Shiimi announced the lifting of the mand
atory registration threshold for value-added tax (VAT) from N.dollars 500 000 to N.dollars 1 000 000.

He said this will relieve approximately 23 000 SMEs from VAT administration to focus on their core activities while simultaneously freeing capacity at the Namibia Revenue Agency to focus on large taxpayers.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture (MoEAC) has allocated N.dollars 40 000 per region towards the operations of the national arts directorate to implement programmes aimed at arts education under the 2023/24 financial year.

Responding to Nampa’s questions recently, the ministry’s Executive Director, Sanet Steenkamp, said a total of N.dollars 66.4 million (N.dollars 66 409 000) was budgeted for the national arts directorate, of which a combined N.dollars 570 000 was allocated for all regions to implement programmes for arts education.

‘Close to two thirds of the budget allocation to the directorate covers staff benefits and salaries, as well as other operational costs, leaving very little left to implement our programmes. The national arts budget represents about 0.00041 per cent of the ministerial budget,’ she said.

Steenkamp explained that salaries and benefits make up 59 per cent of the total budget standing at N.dollars 39 092 000, while subsidies to institutions total N.dollars 22 78
0 000 representing 34 per cent share of the budget, noting the head office including the College of the Arts (COTA) is allocated N.dollars 3 967 000, which includes costs of daily subsistence allowance, utilities, maintains and repairs.

She noted that the arts directorate faces great challenge of funding and as a result does not have enough human resources like necessary specialised experts and researchers, noting that currently the directorate is short-staffed with a total of 12 staff members at the head of office, while the majority (72 employees) are employed at COTA.

Steenkamp further noted that as per the annual plan of 2023/24, the directorate has prioritised reviewing existing legal frameworks including National Arts Fund Act No 1 of 2005, the National Art Gallery of Namibia Act No 14 of 2000, as well as the establishment of a legal framework for COTA.

‘We also plan to improve the operations and service delivery at COTA and carry out research on the cultural and creative sector, as well as formulate
a creative industries strategy,’ she added.

Steenkamp highlighted that subsidised institutions include National Arts Gallery of Namibia with N.dollars 8 348 000; National Arts Council of Namibia, which received N.dollars 5 500 000 and National Theatre of Namibia with N.dollars 8 100 000.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has inducted 139 students from its schools of Medicine and Pharmacy into their clinical year.

The students were inducted at the Third Joint White Coat ceremony of the University after successfully completing their preclinical training.

They were robed in the traditional doctor’s White Coat, decorated with stethoscope and took an oath of their respective schools to mark the clinical phase of their training on hospital wards.

Professor Frank Edwin, the Dean of the School of Medicine, in a welcome address, charged the students to exhibit high professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

He urged them to be committed to their work, be pioneers of innovation and champions of quality healthcare to others, adding that the future of healthcare was in their hands.

The challenge of unavailability of jobs had informed the choice of the theme for the programme to position the mind of the students towards entrepreneurship.

The ceremony was on the theme: ‘The P
ath to Entrepreneurial Excellence in Healthcare,’ which marked the seventh for the Medical students, third for Pharmacy, and the first for the Physician Assistant students.

Professor Afua Adwo Jectey Hesse, the President of Accra College of Medicine, who was the guest speaker, said clinical year required a lot more commitment as it involved more practicals.

She, therefore, urged the students to remain focused, view their experiences as learning opportunities, and to see every obstacle as a problem that had a solution waiting to be discovered.

The President implored them to be time cautious and avoid procrastination, which was the real thief of time, and they must avoid it like a plague.

Professor Lydia Aziato, the Vice Chancellor of UHAS, who chaired the event, said the University was the first to include Physician Assistant students in the White Coat ceremony, which showed the students how proud the University was of them.

The inductees pledged to treat their patients with dignity and respect, safeguard
their confidence, and serve as their advocates.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Prof Stephen Jobson Mitchual, Vice Chancellor (VC), of the University of Education, Winneba has said the learning of Ghana’s history was vital for fostering a sense of identity, pride, and civic responsibility.

It will as well help preserve the country’s cultural heritage and promote unity and progress.

Prof Mitchual, in an address delivered on his behalf by Prof Obed Acquah, Dean of Creative Art Department at a forum organised by the Department of History Education of UEW to commemorate the 2024 edition of the Ghana National History Day (GNHD) and Symposium, at Winneba.

The celebration is under the theme: ‘Debating nationalism and Patriotism in Ghana’s History,’ with the concept note that Nationalism is an ambiguous concept use to express people’s identity and may encompass a set of beliefs that portray love or affinity shared by group of people.

Prof Mitchual stated that nationalism in pre-colonial Ghana might be connected to the rise of states and the formation of unions such as, Fante Confederation an
d the Asante kingdom among others including the 1948 Revolution which showcased nationalism which contributed to attaining independence.

Prof Mitchual who was the special guest of the event, commended the Department of History, with its head and dedicated staff for their commendable initiative to organise this year’s celebration.

‘Independence Day serves as a reminder of our sovereignty and self-governance, an occasion we celebrate the unique identity, culture and history of the country, giving us the opportunity for reflection on the struggles, sacrifices and achievements of those who fought for our freedom and the independence,’ he stated.

He expressed need for the country to delve deeper into the complex tapestry of the nation’s past and explore the multifaceted issues surrounding nationalism and patriotism, while commemorating the day.

According to him, at the core of Ghana’s history lied the struggle for freedom and self-determination, a journey marked by both triumphs and challenges, adding that fro
m the ashes of colonial rule emerged a new found sense of national identity.

‘One of the defining moments in our nation’s history was the struggle for independence, led by visionary leaders such as Dr Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and the stalwart efforts of the ordinary Ghanaian who took to the streets in defiance of colonial operation and their unwavering commitment to the ideals of nationalism and patriotism leading to the foundation for the birth of our sovereign nation,’ he explained.

The VC stated that, in recent years, Ghana has witnessed a resurgence of national pride, fuelled by a renewed sense of optimism and determination to overcome the challenges that lied ahead, however, its people must also confront the darker chapters of its history, including the legacies of tribalism, ethnic tensions and political divisions which at times threatened to tear the nation apart.

He indicated that, true patriotism required all and sundry to acknowledge and address the issues head-on, to build a more inclusive and equ
itable society for all.

‘As we celebrate Ghana National History Day, let us reflect on sacrifices of our ancestors and honour their legacy by continuing the work of nation-building and to strive to contribute our quota to create a Ghana where every citizen will have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance.

‘Let us as people stand united in our commitment to building a stronger, more prosperous Ghana for future generation,’ he added.

The event was attended by Heads of Departments, Deans of Facilities, lecturers, and Students of UEW and Senior High Schools (SHS) students from Agona Swedru, Bawjiase, Mfantsipim, Assin Fosu, Winneba Zion, Potsin, Sky Community School and some basic school pupils in Effutu.

Source: Ghana News Agency