Canadian-owned Northern Graphite Mine has retrenched 32 employees by giving them a verbal notice followed by a written notice of retrenchment from Country Director, Sam Januarie.

Their notices were issued today, and their last working day is July 31, 2023.

The employees who received the notices visited Otjozondjupa Governor James Uerikua and Chairperson of the Regional Council Marlayn Mbakera, who invited Januarie and Labour Commissioner Kleofas Gaingob.

Otjiwarongo Secondary School was recently awarded the best-performing government school in the Otjozondjupa Region for the year 2022.

The overall best-performing school award went to Educate Academy, a private school in Otjiwarongo.

The best-performing learners both for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level and the Advanced Subsidiary received a trophy, a certificate, and N$420.

Three of the best-performing learners were from Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein secondary schools, respectively, while Edugate and Karstveld academies each had two.

As the first school semester nears its end, Otjozondjupa Chief Education Officer Markus Munenge has reiterated that a lot more needs to be done to help improve satisfactory results in the field of science in his region.
  
Munenge remarked this while delivering the keynote speech at Otjiwarongo's Paresis Secondary School, where B2Gold Namibia unveiled its 'Little Shop of Physics' mobile van, aimed at igniting a love for physics amongst learners.

Five-year-old Otjozondjupa resident Tekla Tumuna, who went missing at the start of January, has still not been found almost four months after her mysterious disappearance.

This was confirmed by the police public relations department.

According to the police, Tekla Tumunu went missing on Tuesday, January 10th, from their home at farm Omukandi Na:59 in the Kalkveld district.

Tumuna was left with her 20-year-old sibling.

Tumunu is slender, dark in complexion, and speaks Otjiherero.

President Hage Geingob helped kick off the new rural electrification project Kalkfeld settlement in the Otjozondjupa Region on Sunday. 

The peri-urban rural electrification under CENORED, is targeting to connect 100 housing units that were constructed in 2015.

The houses to be electrified were built under the Shack Dwellers Federation.

Some areas in the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions have started to receive rainfall as of late January.

However, most farming communities are of the opinion that they are hoping to record above-average rainfall as grazing land has been in a deplorable state. 

nbc News team talked to some farmers in communal areas to hear about rainfall patterns in their areas. 

A seasonal farmer at Otjombinde Nokia Hange is worried as up to now not enough rainfall was received in the village.

The Roads Authority (RA) will undertake a feasibility study on the condition of the Okahandja-Otjiwarongo road.

According to Sydney Boois, who is the Transportation Executive at the RA, the study is to determine the technical, economic, environmental, and social viability of the B1 road's preservation.

Otjozondjupa was identified as one of the regions with the highest statistics of road carnage in the country.

In an effort to amplify the message of road safety, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology joined the campaign to help spread the message, especially during the festive season.

In an interview with nbc News, Deputy Minister Emma Theofelus invited everyone to participate in road safety interventions.

In the midst of the rainy season and the Christmas season, Theofelus reaffirmed the government's commitment to the national road safety campaign and urged drivers to conduct checks and balances at home before hitting the national roads.

The Otjozondjupa Governor, James Uerikua has warned that corruption can cause a  decline in the economy, high unemployment and political mistrust if not effectively dealt with. 

Uerikua, who is the Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan in Otjozondjupa has called on all stakeholders to maximize the implementation of this plan to fight corruption.

Namibia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, that facilitated the launch of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugogelwa-Amadhila is calling on the leadership of the Otjozondjupa Region to up their game in terms of performance and implement the Performance Management System in their respective offices.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by the top leadership of the region, such as Governor James Uerikua and Regional Chairperson Marlayn Mbakera, visited the Kalkfeld settlement, where only about 100 of its 4000 inhabitants are employed.