Category: General

Electoral activities are intensifying as part of the campaign for the December 24 local elections in Tataouine. Candidates have been making direct contact with citizens to present their electoral programmes, as well as posting and distributing leaflets. Candidate JomaS El Hédi in Dhiba-east (Dhiba delegation) promised to work to improve infrastructure, boost youth employment and defend the supply of water to irrigated areas using solar energy. Candidate Ali Laamari in El Masreb (Tatouine-sud delegation) promised to ensure the supply of drinking water and connection to the sewerage system in the village of Ksar Ouled Boubaker, the completion of the lake project in the village of Ksar Ouled Debbab, the inauguration of the cultural centre and the promotion of investment in the region. Candidate Fethi Bennaceur in Sned (Bir Lahmar delegation) promised to rehabilitate the Sned housing estate and connect it to the electricity and drinking water networks, encourage young people to become entrepreneurs and improv e public transport. The candidate Mbrarek Sayar in Oued El Gameh (Tataouine-North delegation) intends to create a primary health centre and public gardens for children from poor families, as well as renovating the electricity and drinking water networks. For his part, Salem Khanjeri in Ezzahra (Tataouine-North delegation) promised to solve the problem of water shortage, improve road infrastructure and health services, connect the region to the telecommunications network, promote employment for rural women and restore archaeological sites. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

ONDANGWA: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) in the Oshana Region continue to face challenges of mobility to attend timely to reports. Hence the Regional Commander, Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria is now availing his designated vehicle to be used by police officers when there are no vehicles available. Sakaria revealed this in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, saying that officers need to be honest with the public members, if there are no vehicles available they should be honest about it and tell the current situation on the ground, rather than having people saying they are not doing their work. According to Sakaria, the region has only about eight vehicles that are functioning with most of them grounded due to minor issues. 'If there are no vehicles consult me, if I am not doing anything or attending meetings then my vehicle can be available to attend to a report,' he said. He stressed that they need mobility if they are to effectively combat crime in the region, and this requires the assistan ce of local business people and stakeholders to play their part in assisting the force. Sakaria indicated that the police vehicles in Oshana were given in 2015, making it the last time they received vehicles, and the mileage on those vehicles are about 500 000kms on a vehicle. 'This means that the vehicle is so old and even if one turns to fix it today, in a week's time it will break down as a police vehicle runs 24 hours,' he stated. Sakaria then applauded a local businessman based at Oniipa, Johannes Sakaria of JSN Automotive Group, who on Wednesday handed over a vehicle at the Ondangwa Police Station that he fixed as part of assisting NamPol in the fight against crime. Johannes indicated that the fixing of the vehicle cost him about N.dollars 17 000, and an investment he is glad he has made. 'There is no way the members of the police can be seen driving vehicles that are in a bad state when something can be done,' he said. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Security issues are at heart of the electoral programme of candidates Sihem Boughanmi and Sanad Nasfi for El Hadika constituency (Bardo). There is need to step up security patrols around schools and to combat all forms of crime, both candidatess told TAP. Boughanmi promised to address environmental issues such as waste, rehabilitate the entertainment park adjoining the municipality and improve lighting in the area. The candidate further undertook to spare no effort, in collaboration with the health authorities, to renovate the local health facility and provide it with the necessary medical equipment and specialities. For her part, Nasfi said that she will focus on environment and stepping up security campaigns so as to put an end to robberies, which are quite common in the region. Nasfi also undertook to provide support for unemployed young people to start up small projects and to bring administrative services closer to the local population. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Candidate Aziz Hanich running for the local council elections from the Séjoumi delegation, Cité Hlel constituency (Tunis 1), said that he will do everything possible to meet locals' main demands. He promised to launch small projects for the unemployed and poor families as well as establish spaces and clubs destined to young people. A 54-year-old trader, the candidate told TAP, on Thursday, that he will work, as part of his electoral campaign, to free the inhabitants of Cité Hlel from exclusion and marginalization, achieve social justice and promote public services in the region. The candidate for this constituency used propaganda posters and made direct contact with residents to publicize his programme. He also spoke on a radio station as part of his electoral campaign. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

WINDHOEK: The Namibian Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showed significant growth in the third quarter of 2023, recording a strong gain of 7.2 per cent, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). The expansion represents a substantial increase from the 5.4 per cent recorded during the same period last year. Statistician General and NSA Chief Executive Officer, Alex Shimuafeni, said the economy witnessed a commendable trend, characterised by 10 consecutive quarters of positive growth. In nominal terms, he said the GDP reached N.dollars 59.7 billion during the third quarter, an increase from the N.dollars 52.9 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2022. 'The commendable performance in the third quarter of 2023 was primarily propelled by the primary industries, which experienced a substantial expansion of 38.3 per cent. 'Notably, this growth was spearheaded by the mining and quarrying sector, which demonstrated an impressive 51.7 per cent increase, alongside the agriculture and forestry se ctor, which exhibited a commendable 19.9 per cent expansion. 'These positive developments can be attributed to enhanced oil and gas exploration activities, coupled with increased momentum in livestock marketing,' Shimuafeni said in a statement on Thursday. He added that the tertiary industries demonstrated a growth of 2.2 per cent during the quarter, with noteworthy contributions from key sectors such as wholesale and retail, transport, hotels and restaurants, and financial services. These sectors, according to Shimuafeni, exhibited robust expansions in real value added, with growth rates of 6.1 per cent, 8.8 per cent, 6.4 per cent, and 3.7 per cent. On the contrary, secondary industries encountered challenges during the third quarter of 2023, as both manufacturing and construction experienced contractions of 8.7 per cent and 30.6 per cent, he said. The NSA observed that the downturn in the manufacturing sector can be attributed to declines in specific subsectors, namely basic non-furious metal (-74.4 pe r cent), diamond processing (-29.8 per cent), and beverages (-24.9 per cent). Source: The Namibia Press Agency