Category: Politics

Late Ambassador Hadino Hishongwa was a hero, kind-hearted, loving, trustworthy and a mentor who left indelible footprints as a diplomat for Swapo in West Africa, the former West Germany, Australia and the Nordic countries during the 1970s.

These were the words of President Hage Geingob to describe the late Hishongwa at a memorial service held in his honour at Onekwaya in the Endola Constituency of the Ohangwena Region on Friday.

Geingob in a speech read on his behalf by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, said through his commitment and sterling efforts, Swapo was able to receive Volvo vehicles from Sweden which enabled the party to be mobile and therefore aided their Liberation Struggle greatly.

Later on, in the 1980s, he opened a Swapo Office in Austria and the Pacific countries as the Swapo Chief Representative after which he returned to Angola and was again appointed as Swapo’s secretary for youth in 1987.

“Even though at this stage he was 44 years old and no longer technically a youth, Swapo trusted him because he was a tried, tested, loyal and disciplined cadre who was committed and best suited to advancing the issues of the party youth cadres,” he said.

Hishongwa’s widow Ester Nghishiiko-Hishongwa described her late husband as a hardworking person, who entertained no laziness in any form or shape.

Nghishiiko-Hishongwa stated that hard work for her late husband was like a hobby, and any time he decided to do something he would stand up and do it.

“He was a man of great stamina, and when he starts doing something, he will press on until he accomplishes it even if it means it was not perfectly done,” she added.

Nghishiiko-Hishongwa indicated that her late husband was among those who restored the Oukwanyama Kingdom.

Meanwhile, mourners after mourners described Hishongwa as a gift not only to his family but the Namibian people at large, an educator and inspiration to many people.

Hishongwa served as the Swapo Chief Representative to the Nordic countries, West and East Africa, Swapo Organiser for Returning Exiles, for Youth and Elections and Foreign Secretary of the National Union of Namibian Workers.

He also served in Namibia’s Executive as Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, Deputy Minister of Labour and Human Resources Development and has been a member of the National Assembly for 15 years.

Following his retirement from public office, Hishongwa went on to serve the community as Senior Headman of Omhedi District in the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority until his passing aged 80 on 01 September 2023.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Swapo Party deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga has encouraged party members to desist from spreading inaccurate information, specifically referring to members who are advocating for an extra-ordinary congress.

Herunga, during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Tallismanus party office in the Otjombinde Constituency on Saturday, cautioned party members to be cognisant of “some party members” who want the party to have an extra-ordinary congress to vote for a party presidential candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

“These members include senior party members. As the deputy secretary general of the party, I want to make it clear that we are fresh from the renewal of our mandate, we have elected our Swapo Party leaders at all levels, and we are guided by the constitution of the party and other documents,” he said.

“People are asking how we arrived at the sole presidential candidate, dear comrades before the party congress everybody, every Swapo Party member, knew that the Swapo member who becomes vice president of our party will automatically become the presidential candidate,” he added.

At the same occasion, Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah applauded party leadership and members in the Otjombinde Constituency and encouraged them to work hard and recruit more members for the party.

“The new Swapo leaders are ready to serve with commitment, dedication and honesty,” she assured the members, adding that for members to fulfil the last congress solution they should long for unity of purpose.

“As national leaders we are obliged to protect the Swapo constitution, rules and regulations and to implement the decision taken by our elective congress, being the highest decision-making body of our party,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

The party welcomed 122 new members from Otjombinde while members and sympathisers pledged N.dollars 174 300 for the construction of the party office in Tallismanus.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) of Ghana, an organisation committed to empowering the next generation of civil service professionals has commemorated five years of nurturing competent and change leaders across Ghana. With a vision of helping to drive Ghana's development by creating a new generation, mostly the youth in public service committed to making a social impact from the bottom up approach, EPL continuous growth and impact has been guided by a shared vision for a better Ghana. EPL has trained and sent five cohorts of dynamic young men and women from the ages of 18 to 35 and has been contributing their quota in various ministries, agencies and departments whilst exhibiting strong work ethics. Madam Juliet Amoah, Country Director, in her address said, the organisation had developed the youth into formidable and astute young public servants, adding that the five-year anniversary celebration was not just to look back at what had been achieved but to look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead. 'It is a bout recognizing that our journey is one of continuous growth and impact. And let's remember that our work is not done. We are here to work for the improvement of the Ghanaian public, we are here to see Ghanaian leadership thrive and become more responsive,' she said. Madam Amoah said all the beneficiaries had gradually grown into their change leaders and had been occupied spaces that ordinarily by themselves they wouldn't be able to enter into while bringing new dimensions of work and productivity. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Country Director said: 'In the next decade we would be able to see younger people who are in influential positions within the ministries, public service organisations helping the agencies.That is what we would like to see and that is the kind of impact we have started to see.' Madam Charity Binka, Executive Director, Women, Media and Change (Womec), commended EPL for the transformational leadership training given to the younger generation and the focus to ma ke the civil society a better place. 'We want to have people who can move us to the next level, where all these issues about corruption, incompetence will be behind us because Africa, and for that matter, Ghana is rich in resources. What we need is people who are willing to serve,' she said Ms Irene Osei-Owusu a budget analyst at the Ministry of Finance and member of the EPL first cohort, said: 'I started EPL five years ago after my national service and my second year as a civil servant. It's been life changing. I was very weak and not confident at all. EPL programmes reset my mind and I know I'm making impact in my office'. The five years anniversary comes with other activities including health walk, a recruitment and partnerships development tour and a fund raising gala amongst others

Source: Ghana News Agency

People with Disabilities (PWDs) have expressed worry over the decision of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) to carry out the upcoming limited voter registration exercise in its 268 district offices. The EC, per its schedule, is supposed to have limited registration between Tuesday, September 12, and October 2, 2023, for persons who have turned 18 and above from the year 2020 to date. Mr. Courage Wormenor, the National Vice President of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema that PWDs would face a lot of challenges and stood a chance of being disenfranchised if the EC went ahead with its plans. He said accessibility was a major challenge for them, stating that most of the district offices of the EC might not be accessible to some PWDs, especially those with physical disabilities who use clutches and wheelchairs. He said this would make it difficult for them to reach the EC offices where the registration would take place, stressing that this h as the potential of limiting their ability to exercise their right to vote as they would not be able to register with the current arrangement. He said they anticipate having communication challenges for the speech and hearing impaired, as according to him, it is public knowledge that there are no sign language interpreters at the EC offices; therefore, such persons might struggle to communicate effectively with registration officials. Mr. Wormenor said that since exercise is being carried out at the offices, PWDs might not have access to enough information on the exercise as publication on it is low, and most of them reside in rural areas far away from the offices where they could chance on information. Cost was another challenge that could create a significant barrier, explaining that PWDs per the arrangement would have to transport themselves together with their devices, such as wheelchairs and clutches, to the district offices from their remote location, adding that since a number of them do not have Ghana Cards, they would have to pay for the transportation of two other persons to go and guarantee for them. He said if the EC sends the registration closer to the people in their communities, such a cost would not occur as they would freely move to the centres to register without transportation. He therefore appealed to the EC on behalf of the PWDs to look at their plight and bring the registration closer to them, adding that measures must also be put in place to ensure smooth accessibility and communication for them during the limited registration exercise.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani held a phone call on Monday evening with the head of the Libyan Government of National Accord, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, following the storm and floods that hit several areas in Libya, causing human and material losses. The Prime Minister sent his Libyan counterpart "his sincere condolences to the brotherly Libyan people on the death of a number of its citizens as a result of this natural disaster". He expressed his sincere wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured and wounded, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry. Hachani expressed Tunisia's support for Libya by providing all the necessary resources to quickly overcome the effects of the storm and flooding, in line with the President of the Republic's instructions to urgently coordinate with the Libyan authorities to lend a helping hand to overcome this ordeal. For his part, the head of the Libyan Government of National Unity thanked the President of the Republic for "this sincere fraternal attitude", noting the "dep th of the existing relations between the two peoples and brotherly countries". The death toll from the floods caused by storm "Daniel", which has swept across eastern Libya since Sunday, has risen to 150, according to Libyan media. Libya declared three days of mourning on Monday following the ordeal.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse