Day: June 8, 2023

Two women died on Thursday after they allegedly consumed a concoction to ‘rid them of evil spirits and remove bad luck.’

The Namibian Police Force in the Kavango East Region in a report said the two women died at Kandjara village after allegedly drinking a concoction brewed by a self-proclaimed prophet at the village.

The deceased, whose next of kin have been informed, are 27-year-old Shiremo Josefine Namutenya and 30-year-old Linyando Shikonga.

According to the report the two women developed stomach cramps and collapsed. One of the women died at home while the other died upon arrival at the local clinic.

Four other women are said to have also consumed the drink. Two of them were rushed to the nearby clinic, while the other two were taken to the Nyangana Catholic Hospital.

The 45-year-old self-proclaimed prophet allegedly fled the scene after it became known that the two women had died, but handed himself over later at Ndiyona Police Station, where he is detained.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday announced that government has availed funds to assist the Kangungu family, which lost 16 people to alleged food poisoning in the Kavango East Region last week.

The ministry made this announcement in a media release issued by its Chief Public Relations Officer, Rhingo Mutambo.

“Following the catastrophic death of 16 Kangungu family members at Kayova village, government resolved to avail a total amount of N.dollars 107 000 to cover expenditure related to the funeral services,” Mutambo said.

He explained that government, through the National Emergency Disaster Fund, will cover the costs of the coffins, burial and transport for all the deceased to the value of N.dollars 82 000.

Government, he said, will also provide food and refreshments worth N.dollars 15 000 and an additional N.dollars 10 000 for two shade tents.

“The OPM and government at large wish to extend its sincere compassion to the bereaved family and the entire Ndiyona Constituency, who lost their loved ones in this unexpected shocking calamity,” he stated.

The OPM further called on faith-based organisations, social workers, community leaders, the corporate sector and individuals, to assist the bereaved family to cope with this difficult situation.

A memorial service for the deceased will be held on Friday at Kayova village while the funerals will be held on Saturday.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Chief Regional Operations Officer for African Development Bank, Dr Lufeyo Banda, urged Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to invest their finance capital in ways that ensure development mandate takes priority over generating financial returns.

Banda in his remarks via Zoom during the opening of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) DFI Network Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum in Swakopmund on Thursday, noted that the use of public money is important as it can help generate more stable, low-cost and long-term forms of finance and reduce pressures to prioritise maximising profit over the DFIs’ developmental mandate.

“If DFIs rely heavily on commercial funding, the intuitions may face similar market incentives and pressures as private institutions do, for this reason, ensuring a role for public funding will help protect the development mandate, as this may conflict with purely commercial motives.

DFIs should therefore be careful about how they raise money, as this can have a significant impact on their ability to remain true to their development mandate,” he noted.

Banda added that DFIs operational strategies should also ensure that a portion of their financing is ‘public’ in nature, which can then be complemented by private sources, principally borrowing on the capital markets.

The objective of the forum is to discuss and share experiences on how DFIs have been able to mobilise appropriately priced capital to meet their developmental mandates and close existing market gaps.

The forum hosted by Agribank, the Development Bank of Namibia, the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia and the National Housing Enterprise, is taking place under the theme: ‘Balancing DFI developmental mandate with sustainability and is being attended by DFI CEO’s from across SADC.

Finance and Public Enterprises Deputy Minister Maureen Hinda-Mbuende emphasised the need for inward-looking in terms of how effectively and efficiently DFIs could deliver their respective mandates, while balancing with desired development impact, with the current economic challenges.

“Moreover, there is also greater consideration and action required in terms of innovative, agile and strategic alignment amongst others with the likes of other development partners, financial technology and green climate finance mechanisms, to strengthen the balancing act while executing the development mandate,” she expressed.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency