Day: May 23, 2023

The use of hate speech in Cameroon has become rampant recently, with state officials urged by the population to serve as examples.

This comes after the release of a communique by Minister of Territorial Administration Atanga Nji Paul, raising awareness on the issue.

The release rather reminded many of the various circumstances in which government officials have addressed the people of some ethnicities in the country with disregard.

“No one can forget statements made by authorities like Governor Okalia Bilai who called anglophone protesters ‘dogs’, Jacques Fame Ndongo who compared the two English regions to ‘two cubes of sugar’, and the list is long,” Robert in Yaounde said. “I don’t think those authorities were held accountable for their actions” he added.

Some have said the ineffectiveness of the practice of bilingualism is “the cause of everything”.

“More importance is still given to French, which is why those from that part of the country feel superior and have the tendency of minimizing the anglophone minority,” a student in Yaounde said.

In his May 22 communique, Paul Atanga Nji said “The laws punishing contempt of tribe or ethnicity, shall hence be applied strictly”.

Quoting section 241-1 of law No. 2019/020 of 24 December 2019, he noted that “Whoever, by any means, makes hate speech against people or incites them to violence due to their tribal or ethnic origin shall be punished with imprisonment, one or two years, and with a fine of 300,000 to 3 million francs”.

This comes on the heels of the arrest of a man in Yaounde who said internally displaced persons from Cameroon’s English-speaking regions were infesting the capital city with unbearable stench from their bodies.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The late freedom fighter and veteran of the liberation struggle, Paulus Hilandulwa Dumeni, will be laid to rest at Oshidimo cemetery in the Oshikango Constituency on Wednesday.

This was announced by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in a media statement, which also said a memorial service would be held at Dumeni’s residence at Omafo in the Ohangwena Region on Tuesday.

Dumeni died at the age of 77 on 08 May 2023, and was accorded an official funeral by the government of Namibia.

According to the statement, Dumeni was born at Oihambo village in the Ohangwena Region on 14 May 1946.

He joined the struggle for Namibia’s independence in 1959 as a mobiliser and an expert in information supply and logistics.

“During the long years of the liberation struggle, the late Dumeni remained steadfast in his commitment to the cause, providing accommodation, ammo storage and food supply to the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) fighters,” the statement read.

It also said Dumeni constantly inspired and encouraged young people to join the fight against the apartheid regime.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Botswana Competition and Consumer Authority (CCA) to formalise its cooperation arrangement in the fields of competition law, enforcement and policy.

Speaking at the event in Windhoek on Tuesday, NaCC Chief Executive Officer Vitalis Ndalikokule stated that by signing this MoU, the competition authorities will promote competition in the two countries by addressing anti-competitive activities in accordance with the two countries’ laws and regulations in order to facilitate the development and operation of well-functioning markets in the two countries.

“Now that we are ready to sign or formalise the cooperation agreement between our competition agencies, let us remember that the benefits of a cooperation framework like this MoU will only be realised with good execution of the MoU,” he said.

Ndalikokule added that the implementation of the MoU will benefit all competition authorities as well as the two countries by creating a fair playing field in the market through competition.

CCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Tebelelo Pule stated that by signing the MoU, the two agencies are upholding the spirit of the SADC Declaration on Regional Cooperation in Competition and Consumer Policies, which advocates formalised and cross-border cooperation, as well as the SACU Regional Cooperation Framework on Competition Policy and Unfair Trade Practices.

“This MoU will help our two governments carry out their missions and accomplish their strategic objectives. We commit to sharing experiences in the practical enforcement of competition law; collaborative planning and start of investigations; and staff exchanges as we formalise our cooperation by signing this MoU today,” she said.

She stated that if these projects are effectively implemented in this spirit of cooperation, they will yield significant benefits for the two institutions and, by extension, the people of Botswana and Namibia.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The outgoing president of the African Road Maintenance Fund Association (ARMFA), Ali Ipinge, has called on African road funds to reposition themselves and adopt new revenue collection instruments in the face of global threats.

He made the call at the ARMFA presidential handover ceremony in Swakopmund on Tuesday.

Ipinge, who is also the chief executive officer of the Road Fund Administration (RFA), said that the user-pay principle is one instrument that has proven to provide financial stability for road maintenance and generate value and benefits for road users and the public globally.

“Countries such as Namibia, Mozambique and Zambia have also positioned themselves to not only fund road maintenance and rehabilitation from road user charges, but are going beyond their traditional mandate and undertaking new development and construction with government support,” he said.

Ipinge said such approaches allow for better planning and offer end-to-end solutions to prioritise road development.

“The idea of Africa migrating to fourth generation road funds, as developed countries have done, is therefore not far-fetched,” he stated, adding that with the correct application of these principles, Africa will achieve its development goals as enshrined in Agenda 2063.

Ipinge also called for the construction and design of climate-resilient roads of high standard following increased flooding and other natural disasters on the continent, which have caused damage to roads and loss of life.

The new president of ARMFA, Moussa Essaie, who is also the CEO of the Cameroon Road Fund, said the improvement of road infrastructure relies on both a dynamic partnership and active synergy between stakeholders.

Essaie said the recruitment of the executive secretary, who will be responsible for drafting and implementing an operational action plan for each of the association’s objectives in its strategic plan, is crucial for ARMFA.

“Additionally, we will prepare advocacy files for recognition, on the one hand with the African Union and international organisations concerning road maintenance financing, and on the other hand with the governments of member countries for the sustainability and harmonious development of road maintenance funds,” he said.

ARMFA was established in 2003. Its objectives include developing a network for the exchange of experiences and information on the practices for financing road maintenance in Africa and the operation of the funds.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency