INTERVIEW | Minister Peya Mushelenga on racist remarks by French scientists.

With the agriculture sector, one of the biggest contributors to the GDP, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to the survival of many crops and livestock farmers. President of the Otjozondjupa Farmers Union, Ramana Mutjavikua raised the concern in an interview with the NBC News.

The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) will release tuition and non-tuition fees for students as from next week to assist them work towards e-learning, amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. This was revealed by NSFAF acting chief executive officer Kennedy Kandume at the COVID-19 information centre.

The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) has put in place measures to ensure that vocational training centres will effectively run after the state of emergency.

The Meat Corporation of Namibia (MeatCo) is eyeing some African countries, including the Middle East, as potential markets to export beef from the Northern Communal Areas. MeatCo’s Chief Executive Officer Mwilima Mushokobanji is confident that such an agreement will be signed once the state of emergency is over.

Cases of COVID-19 in Africa continue to rise with now over 9 000 cases in 52 countries with 487 deaths.

President Hage Geingob has announced the appointments of new Governors, replacing eight of the current ones with new faces.

The Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) says Namibia’s delay to implement the Basic Income Grant (BIG) has finally come to haunt the country as the COVID-19 threatens the livelihoods of the poor. Chairperson of the trust, Herbert Jauch hopes the outbreak will be a lesson to redress the income vulnerabilities of citizens through BIG.

The global crisis in teaching and learning is giving stakeholders in education a glimpse of what the future might look like.

Kavango East Governor Samuel Mbambo has called on churches and congregants to refrain from gathering in big numbers as Namibians observe the national day of prayer tomorrow. He also called on shop owners to close for business between 12h00 and 13h00 to observe the prayer.