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namib times SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6863 FRIDAY 15 MAY 2020 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Make use of temporary truck port at Walvis Bay The Namibian Police this week urged truck operators to make use of the temporary truck port that has been established in Walvis Bay’s new industrial area at the town’s eastern outskirts. The purpose of this temporary facility is to better manage the flow of trucks in and out of Walvis Bay with regard to Covid-19 quarantine measures. The facility was launched on May 5th and is a to quarantine in order to curb the spread of the joint-initiative by BIPCT, Namport, the virus. Namibian Police, Walvis Bay Corridor Group Thanks to efforts by the abovementioned instiand the Ministry of Health and Social Ser- tutions, the temporary truck port was estavices. blished in a relatively short period. The facility allows for safe parking for trucks, Having completed the project and getting it full ablution facilities for truck drivers, secu- ready to operate, the Namibian Police urged rity, an on-site clinic for Coronavirus screen- truck operators, both local and elsewhere in the ing and the availability of meals. country and SADC to make use of the facility. Walvis Bay is a goods transport hub. The port In this way truck drivers cannot pose a danger of Walvis Bay links several landlocked coun- to local communities and are also protected tries in Southern Africa with global markets. against being infected for instance by a local As the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a disease carrier of the virus. finding its strength to spread in people move- Inquiries can be lodged to Namport which is ment (transport) it is important that truck responsible for administering the standard opedrivers are regularly screened and subjected rating procedures of the facility.
Swakopmund man drank petrol and set himself alight - died a horrific death at his own hands The 28-year-old Ian Warrick Fortuin, believed to have been murdered in Swakopmund last week, in actual fact died a horrific death at his own hands. A post mortem examination carried out on Fortuin revealed this dramatic turn of events. Contrary to initial suspicions that he was murdered and his body dumped and set alight at a disused water pump station on the eastern outskirts of Swakopmund, Ian Warrick Fortuin, ingested a mixture of paraffin and petrol and set himself alight. The cause of death, according to the post mortem results, is poisoning from the petrol Warrick ingested. He set himself alight and suffered fatal burn injuries across 90 % of his body. An investigation into murder and obstruction of justice has now been halted. An inquest docket was opened. No suicide note was found on the scene, leaving many questions as to why Fortuin has The late Fortuin taken his life.
Ships stay two weeks at anchorage as part of Covid-19 quarantine measures Ships calling at Walvis Bay for ship repair services at Namdock must spend a compulsory two weeks at anchorage before entering the floating docks, as part of the company's ongoing measures to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. The time ships spent at sea, prior to arriving at Walvis Bay, is taken into consideration though and could realistically reduce this time spent at anchorage. This is according to a statement issued by Namdock earlier this week in which the company also announced that full operations have resumed – provided under strict guidelines and rules to combat the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The statement reads: “Established ship repair and wholly Namibian-owned company Namdock, strategically located on the west coast of Africa in Walvis Bay, has resumed full operations with effect from Tuesday 5 May 2020. This is in accordance with the inception of stage 2 of Namibia's national Covid-19 lockdown, which has seen the partial easing of restrictive measures thanks to the recent flattening of the very minimal in-country infection curve. This is according to Heritha Nankole Muyoba, Acting CEO of Namdock. “Over the past few weeks we have put strict personal protection and sanitisation measures in place, to ensure that we could safely resume fullcapacity operations when the time came. Our first priority is always the health and wellbeing of our valued staff and clients, and all business operations are conducted according to those priorities,” says Nankole Muyoba. “I am therefore happy to report that our repair and maintenance yard activities are once again fully operational. All facilities and staff members are adhering to the prescribed Covid-19 safety and sanitisation regulations. These include working in shifts and observing strict social distancing, regular temperature readings, handwashing, wearing of face masks, gloves and other prescribed personal protective equipment (PPE),” she explains. As a further precautionary lockdown measure, the Namibian Ports Authority Namport has instituted Continues on page 2
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Restaurants urged to open - take away only
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An eerie silence...
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Locker vom Hocker
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Swakop Striders do their bit....
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