Germany returns 27 sets of colonial-era remains to Namibians

August 29, 2018

BERLIN (AP) — A Namibian delegation is taking possession of the remains of 27 of their countrymen whose bones were taken by German colonial forces more than a century ago for pseudo-scientific racial experiments.

Before the handover of the remains, Germans and Namibians gathered Wednesday for a church ceremony in Berlin. The repatriation of the remains is a reminder of Germany's short-lived past as a colonial power in Africa which included the bloody suppression of a Herero and Nama uprising between 1904 and 1908 that left tens of thousands dead.

German Lutheran Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber told the group "we intend to do something today we should have done many years ago, namely to give back mortal human remains of people who became the first victims of the first genocide of the 20th century."

Namibia ruling party leads in early vote results

November 29, 2014

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The presidential candidate of Namibia's ruling party was leading by a wide margin on Saturday in preliminary results from elections that were mostly smooth despite scattered delays and the frustration of some voters who were turned away from polling stations.

Hage Geingob, the current prime minister and presidential candidate for the ruling SWAPO party, was ahead with 77 percent of the vote with about 10 percent of 121 constituencies counted, the country's election panel said.

Geingob's nearest rival is Hidipo Hamutenya, a former ruling party member who formed an opposition group, the Rally for Democracy and Progress. He had nearly 8 percent of the vote, according to election officials.

Final results from Friday's elections were expected later Saturday. The SWAPO party has ruled Namibia since independence in 1990. The current president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, has served two five-year terms and is barred by law from running for a third term.

Some 1.2 million Namibians, about half the population, were eligible to vote at several thousand polling stations, which used electronic voting machines instead of the old ballot paper system. Some polling stations reported technical glitches with the new voting machines, and some voters were turned away from polling stations before they were able to vote, according to the Namibia Press Agency.

"This is a worrying and disturbing situation for the party. This could also affect the credibility of the elections," the agency quoted Helmut Angula, the ruling party's information secretary, as saying.

The ruling party demanded an explanation from the election commission, which has acknowledged what it described as "teething problems" with the new voting machines but said the vote would deliver a credible result.

Namibia votes in election favoring ruling party

November 28, 2014

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The southern African nation of Namibia on Friday voted in parliamentary and presidential elections expected to deliver a comfortable win for the ruling party, which has been in power since independence in 1990.

Some 1.2 million Namibians, about half the population, were eligible to vote in the elections at several thousand polling stations, which are using electronic voting machines instead of the old ballot paper system. Sixteen political parties and nine presidential candidates were the race; final results were expected within 24 hours of the 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) close of voting.

The presidential candidate of the ruling SWAPO party is Prime Minister Hage Geingob, who campaigned for independence decades ago at the United Nations. If elected, he would succeed President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms.

Namibia enjoys political stability and benefits from major diamond and uranium reserves as well as revenue from tourists drawn to its stark landscapes. Geingob, the prime minister, has acknowledged that Namibia still has high poverty and lacks adequate health facilities.

Robert Besseling, an analyst at IHS Country Risk, has predicted that a smooth transition of power to Geingob would indicate continuity in "pro-business" policies in mining and energy. However, Besseling wrote in an analysis that a Geingob presidency could trigger more factionalism within the ruling party as well as a higher risk of labor unrest.

Geingob would be the first president from the ethnic Damara minority. Pohamba, the current president, belongs to the Ovambo, the biggest ethnic group in Namibia.

Namibia to build nuclear enrichment plant

Thursday 2 December 2010
Mtheto Lungu, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi

Namibia may soon join the nuclear enrichment countries if Mines and Energy minister, Isak Katali's views come to reality. Namibia has rich uranium resources enough to develop a nuclear power plant that would fuel economic development in the world's fourth-largest uranium producer.

“It is the expressed decision of the Namibian government to seriously consider the development of nuclear power in order to complete the national energy mix and provide sufficient energy for our development,” Katali said during the country's first-ever stakeholder meeting.

“The uranium and nuclear energy policy to be developed will cover the entire nuclear fuel cycle,” the Namibian quoted him, as the country pondered on plans for a new policy on uranium mining and nuclear energy, convened with the help of Finland's nuclear authority.

The policy document and draft legislation are expected to be finished by the middle of next year, said Mining Commissioner Erasmus Shivolo.

“Nuclear waste will have to be stored in Namibia,” Shivolo told participants at the meeting.

Finding a “convenient storage sight” would be part of the policy development process, he said.

Namibia has previously floated the idea of building a nuclear plant by 2018, but analysts say it would be difficult for the southern African country to finish a reactor by then given the long lead-time to build a plant and the massive investment required.

The Government first tabled plans for a nuclear power plant in 2007.

Shivolo presented a rough outline of the new nuclear policy that included sections on setting up a nuclear waste management fund, increasing black Namibians’ participation in the uranium sector and limiting the use of the country’s uranium to peaceful purposes.

Namibia produced 4 626 tonnes of uranium in 2009, making it the world’s fourth-largest producer, according to the World Nuclear Association. The Government put a moratorium on issuing uranium exploration licenses in 2007 because it did not have a nuclear policy in place.

Four uranium companies currently hold uranium mining licenses, two mines are operational and two new mines are under construction, including one being developed by French energy giant Areva that plans to start production next year.

Namibia’s uranium deposits have drawn growing interest from France, Russia and other countries amid reviving global enthusiasm for nuclear power.

But Namibia has no nuclear power of its own and relies on imports from neighboring South Africa for about half its electricity.

Source: AfricaNews.
Link: http://www.africanews.com/site/Namibia_to_build_nuclear_enrichment_plant/list_messages/36395.

Namibia celebrates 20th anniversary of independence

Windhoek (Earth Times) - Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba was sworn in for a second five-year term Sunday - on the 20th anniversary of the south-west African country's independence from apartheid South Africa.

Pohamba took the oath of office in Independence Stadium in the capital Windhoek, nearly four months after presidential and parliamentary elections that he and his party, the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), easily won.

The opposition had contested the poll outcome, claiming there were irregularities in the vote, but their application for a complete recount was thrown out of court in February.

South African President Jacob Zuma, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila and the presidents of Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia attended Sunday's independence celebrations.

Nobel Peace Prize-winning, former United Nations special envoy to Namibia Martti Ahtissari of Finland was also present.

Pohamba called on his government to ensure that all Namibians enjoyed the fruits of independence.

"We must consolidate peace and democracy for our children and children's children," he said.

He also reached out to his political opponents, which include some former senior members of SWAPO who broke away from the party and formed the opposition Rally for Democracy and Progress.

"Now we must stand together united. A community wastes valuable time if entangled in squabbles," he said.

Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990 after a 22-year guerrilla war between 1966 and 1988 led by SWAPO.

The former liberation movement has governed the impoverished country of 2 million people ever since, being returned to office through five straight general elections.

While the party has maintained stability, the country is battling high rates of corruption and unemployment. One in two Namibians of working age are out of a job.

Sudan: Unamid Welcomes First Contingent of Female Police Officers From Namibia

17 March 2010

An advance team for the first ever all-female contingent of police officers to UNAMID arrived in Khartoum from Namibia yesterday to begin preparations for their deployment to Darfur.

The 17 newly-arrived police officers are expected to be joined later this month by 13 others, all of whom will be conducting patrols in and around IDP camps and training local residents in community policing.

To date, UNAMID Police force has 2,937 police advisers, representing over 77% of authorized strength of 3,772 of these, 257 are women. They are a vital asset as a great number of the victims of the conflict are women, many of whom will only approach female officers for assistance.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201003170100.html.

Namibia election challenge hearing postponed

Fri, 18 Dec 2009

Windhoek - A legal challenge by 10 Namibian opposition parties to the results of last month's elections was postponed Friday in the High Court of the south-west African country to give the state more time to prepare its defense. The parties earlier this week asked the court to order a full audit of the results of the November 27-28 presidential and parliamentary election, which the ruling party of 19 years, SWAPO, won by a landslide.

The opposition believes the elections were rigged.

Judge Collins Parker postponed the case until Tuesday, under mutual agreement between the opposition and the state.

The opposition parties seeking a complete review of the votes from polling stations and the final results to be able to prove their claim of irregularities in the vote count and voters roll.

Four different versions of the voters roll were made public by the Electoral Commission of Namibia in the run-up to the vote. The opposition also says more people voted in some places than were registered to vote.

"We jointly rejected the outcome of the recently held elections due to the discovery of very serious irregularities, which we felt could not be left unchallenged," the parties said.

The court challenge was "in the interest of our democracy and the people of Namibia," they said.

In the parliamentary election, which 14 parties contested, SWAPO fell just short of the three-quarters majority it had going into the vote, garnering 74 per cent.

SWAPO leader, President Hifikepunye Pohamba, also trounced his rivals in the presidential ballot, taking a little over 76 per cent.

Despite rising corruption and stubbornly high poverty in the country of around 2 million people, the former guerrilla movement SWAPO is still popular among voters for having won the country's independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and for having assured two decades of peace and stability.

SWAPO, Pohamba win Namibia elections by landslides - Summary

Windhoek - Namibia's ruling SWAPO party clinched its fifth straight landslide election victory in last week's presidential and parliamentary elections, in which President Hifikepunye Pohamba also trounced his rivals, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) announced Friday evening. SWAPO won 74 per cent of the vote against 11.4 per cent for the newly formed Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), the ECN said.

The RDP, which was formed by former cabinet minister Hidipo Hamutenya and other former SWAPO stalwarts two years ago, had been expected to make far greater inroads, but still becomes the official opposition of the desert country.

The RDP has said it suspects the ECN of tampering with the results, saying the slow counting of votes from the November 27-28 vote made it suspicious.

The RDP and seven other opposition parties said they would institute legal action against the ECN for alleged irregularities.

"We are not going to attend the final announcement of the results, because we are not prepared to legitimize a rigged election," the party's information secretary Libolly Haufiku told the German Press Agency dpa.

In the presidential poll, Pohamba won a little over 76 per cent of the vote, giving him a second five-year term. Hamutenya trailed in second place with around 10 per cent.

Following the result, Pohamba appealed to his rivals "to work together for our people - for social and economic development."

The ECN insists the counting process was done in accordance with the law and that the verification process was slow because it wanted to ensure that it published the correct results.

The former liberation movement SWAPO has ruled Namibia, an impoverished country of around 2 million people, since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

Despite rising corruption and the slow pace of development, the party is popular among many voters for maintaining peace and stability among the 13 ethnic groupings in the country.

Second day of voting begins in Namibia's elections

Windhoek - A second day of voting began Saturday in Namibia's joint presidential and parliamentary elections, which observers say are likely to see victory for the incumbent South West African People's Organization (SWAPO). Just under one million Namibians are eligible to vote in the polls, with a result expected on December 4.

The elections are the south-west African nation's fifth democratic presidential and parliamentary elections and the fourth since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

Polling booths were finally due to close at 9 pm (1900).

A total of 14 parties are contesting the election to the 78-seat National Assembly, which has been dominated since independence by SWAPO.

SWAPO, which fought a 22-year guerrilla war against apartheid South Africa ending in 1988, a year before the country's first democratic polls, won 55 Assembly seats in the last election five years ago.

The party is expected to easily win re-election over a fragmented opposition, but with a reduced majority.

Incumbent president and SWAPO leader Hifikepunye Pohamba, who succeeded founding president Sam Nujoma in 2004, is also expected to easily win a second term over his 11 rivals.

Some 961,000 Namibians are registered to vote.

The emergence of opposition to the hegemonic SWAPO from within its own ranks is the defining feature of this election.

Popular former foreign minister Hidipo Hamutenya broke away from SWAPO in 2007 in protest over what he called the party's "autocratic" leadership style and formed his own Rally for Democracy and Progress.

Namibia is a stable, but extremely poor country, that lives off mining, fishing, agriculture and tourism.

Some 28 per cent of Namibians live on less than 2 Namibian dollars (around 30 US cents) a day and six out of 10 young people are estimated to be unemployed.

Voting underway in Namibian elections

Windhoek - Voting got underway Friday in Namibia's fifth democratic presidential and parliamentary elections and fourth since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Two days of voting in both elections began across the south-west African desert nation of around 2 million people at 7 am (0500 GMT) and was due to close at 9 pm (1900 GMT).

A total of 14 parties are contesting the election to the 78-seat National Assembly, which has been dominated since independence by the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO).

SWAPO, which fought a 22-year guerrilla war against apartheid South Africa ending in 1988, a year before the country's first democratic polls, won 55 Assembly seats in the last election five years ago.

The party is expected to easily win re-election over a fragmented opposition, but with a reduced majority.

Incumbent president and SWAPO leader Hifikepunye Pohamba, who succeeded founding president Sam Nujoma in 2004, is also expected to easily win a second term over his 11 rivals.

Some 961,000 Namibians are registered to vote.

The emergence of opposition to the hegemonic SWAPO from within its own ranks is the defining feature of this election.

Popular former foreign minister Hidipo Hamutenya broke away from SWAPO in 2007 in protest over what he called the party's "autocratic" leadership style and formed his own Rally for Democracy and Progress.

Namibia is a stable, but extremely poor country, that lives off mining, fishing, agriculture and tourism.

Some 28 per cent of Namibians live on less than 2 Namibian dollars (around 30 US cents) a day and six out of 10 young people are estimated to be unemployed.

Results of the election are expected on December 4.