Category: Politics

Otjiwarongo Constituency councillor, Marlayn Mbakera was on Monday morning re-elected and sworn into her position of chairperson of the management committee of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council.

Mbakera was also re-elected to continue serving as the chairperson of the regional council for the next two and a half years.

The management committee of the regional council deals largely with the planning and budgeting of the development activities of the region’s seven constituencies of Omatako, Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Grootfontein, Okakarara and Tsumkwe.

Other regional constituency councillors who retained their positions and were sworn in to serve as members of the management committee are Johannes Hausiku of Tsumkwe and Israel Hukura of Omatako.

Elder Filipe of Grootfontein, George Garab of Otavi and Betheul Tjaveondja of Okahandja will continue to represent the region at the National Council where they are serving as members of parliament.

Ramana Mutjavikua of Okakarara remains an ordinary member of the region’s council.

Otjiwarongo Magistrate, Peingondjabi Shipo who presided over the internal election process here as well as at their swearing-in ceremony said: “ It is required by the Namibian Constitution for the politicians at the regional councils in the country to hold their internal elections after serving the regional council for two years and a half in their positions.”

These seven constituency councillors here joined the Otjozondjupa Regional Council on 02 December 2020 and are now expected to serve until December 2025.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

President Hage Geingob has said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has the political will and relevant structures to bring about the desired results of peace, security, and stability in the region.

Geingob was speaking as Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, during the official opening of the SADC extra-ordinary Organ Troika Summit and Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) in Windhoek on Monday.

“SADC has the political will to deal with political and security threats in our region. We not only have the political will, but we have put in place relevant structures, and will continue to strengthen them, in order to bring about the desired results of safeguarding our region’s peace, security and stability,” he noted.

Geingob said the region stands ready to address the changing dynamics in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against the proliferation of illegal armed groups, some of which launch attacks against civilians, state security agencies, and public infrastructure from neighbouring countries.

He noted that SADC’s FIB has been deployed in eastern DRC as part of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission aimed at securing the affected part of the country and restoring its overall territorial integrity.

The Head of State further noted that SADC will consider ways to strengthen its efforts in solidarity with the people of DRC during its upcoming elections at the end of 2023.

“Given the long-term commitment to peace and security in the DRC, SADC must focus on regaining the achievements of FIB made since March 2013 to eradicate the illegal armed groups, securing and consolidating the territorial integrity and future of a DRC whose socio-economic development is intertwined with our regional development goals,” Geingob said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

President Hage Geingob is expected to chair the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Organ Troika Extraordinary Summit plus the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) in Windhoek today.

The Presidency in a media statement here yesterday said Geingob who is currently the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation will open the Extra-Ordinary Summit that will discuss matters of peace and security in the Region and the security situation in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The SADC organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation is responsible for promoting peace and security in the SADC Region and is mandated to steer and provide member states with direction regarding matters that threaten peace, security and stability in the region.

Heads of State and Government of the SADC Organ Troika, comprising Geingob, outgoing Chairperson of the SADC Organ President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Organ President Hakainde Hichilima will attend the Extra-Ordinary Summit plus the FIB TCCs.

“Additionally, Heads of State and government from the Republic of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania are all expected to attend the Summit as well,” the Presidency indicated.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

President Hage Geingob is expected to chair the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Organ Troika Extraordinary Summit plus the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) in Windhoek on Monday.

The Presidency in a media statement here Sunday said Geingob who is currently the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation will open the Extra-Ordinary Summit that will discuss matters of peace and security in the Region and the security situation in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The SADC organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation is responsible for promoting peace and security in the SADC Region and is mandated to steer and provide member states with direction regarding matters that threaten peace, security and stability in the region.

Heads of State and Government of the SADC Organ Troika, comprising Geingob, outgoing Chairperson of the SADC Organ President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Organ President Hakainde Hichilima will attend the Extra-Ordinary Summit plus the FIB TCCs.

“Additionally, Heads of State and government from the Republic of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania are all expected to attend the Summit as well,” the Presidency indicated.

The Summit will be preceded by the Ministerial meeting on 07 May 2023.

The FIB, it said is the force deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

Meanwhile, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan arrived at the Hosea Kutako International Airport on Sunday, ahead of the Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit plus the SADC Troika and FIB TCCs.

Hassan was received by Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hilma Nikanor.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Senate South-East Caucus, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the Senate Presidency of the 10th Assembly to the South-East.

This is contained in a communique signed in Abuja on Sunday at the end of a meeting of the caucus.

Reading the communique, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah(YPP-Anambra) also urged the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu to ensure that the position was zoned to the South-East.

“The incoming administration of Tinubu must correct this anomaly by ensuring that the South-East is given the opportunity to produce the next Senate President.

“The President-elect should be sensitive to the times in Nigeria and ensure the country continues to thrive on the part of equity, unity and fairness to the tripod of Nigeria (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba) and the geopolitical zones.

“With the side-lining of the South-East from producing the Presidential candidates of the major political parties before the general elections, the only means through which the zone can be compensated and given a sense of belonging is for the zone to produce the next Senate President.

“This will restore confidence of the people from the South-East and South-South geo-political zones and indeed all Nigerians in the unity of the country.”

The group added: “The APC must rise above primordial and political interest.

“It must also shun the winner takes all syndrome and pursue ethno-religious inclusivity and a strong, virile, united, progressive, prosperous, equitable and just democratic nation.

“The South-East has been denied the chance of producing the president of Nigeria since 1966.

“The South-South has produced president for six years and also had Deputy Senate President In the outgoing administration.”

“The only zone in the South that has not been favoured is the South-East.

“The South-West has President, the North-East has Vice-President. It is only just that the least position at the moment that can assuage the South-East is given the chance to be the President of the 10th Senate.

“We have collectively resolved to support South-East aspirants of the APC. “We remain committed and have since expanded negotiations with other well-meaning senators-elect to rally round the South-East to ensure that justice, fairness and unity of the country prevails”.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is facilitating the empowerment of women and strengthening the fight against gender-based discrimination through policies and programmes.

The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Sidie Mohamed Tunis, said this at the ongoing ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) Town Hall meeting in Abuja on Friday.

The theme of the meeting is “Rejuvenate Democracy by Giving Voice to the Young People”, organised by the parliament and ECOFEPA.

Tunis said the meeting was strategically aligned with the current ECOWAS Vision 2050, which placed more emphasis on women and youths development in the sub-region.

The speaker said it aimed to address some of the issues that had contributed to gender inequalities.

He also said the regional economic bloc had recognised the special role of women and youths as actors, agents and beneficiaries of development.

Tunis said that was why the ECOWAS had made concrete commitments and taken tangible actions to ensure the integration of the gender dimension in all planned actions and activities of the parliament.

“Significantly, the allocation of a budget line to ECOFEPA and gender programmes in the parliament’s annual budget, has facilitated the empowerment of women and strengthened the fight against gender-based discrimination, all designed to address inequalities between men and women and to promote gender equality.

“We do not take for granted the critical role women and youths play in advancing gender parity, promoting social diversities and inclusion, holding the executive to account, and drawing attention to specific issues such as the plight of street children, rising youth unemployment and illegal migration.”

Tunis noted that the Fifth Legislature, under his leadership, had been working to ensure that the voices, aspirations and inclusion of the women and youths in politics and decision-making received regional attention.

Tunis said he was working with political stakeholders, civil society organisations, developmental partners, women and youths networks and ECOFEPA to achieve this.

The speaker said they were also a mandatory prerequisite needed for the attainment of a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone.

He further acknowledged and commended steps being taken by ECOWAS member states to address gender issues.

The speaker expressed optimism that lessons learned at the end of the meeting would go beyond the region.

Moreso, Tunis expressed gratitude to ECOFEPA for organising the meeting as a way of deepening the integration process and scaling up social inclusion for the citizens in the region.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria