JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 24– One person has died, and two others remain missing after heavy rains triggered flooding in New Hanover in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province on Sunday night, the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs said on Monday.

The body of a woman in her 40s was recovered in the affected area, the department said, noting that severe weather and flooding have impacted several parts of the province.

Department spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila told Xinhua over the phone that search-and-rescue teams have intensified efforts to locate two missing individuals, a man and a woman, who are still unaccounted for.

“Preliminary information indicates that multiple residential properties have been severely damaged or destroyed, with flood-prone informal settlements being particularly hard hit,” he said.

Thulasizwe Buthelezi, a member of the executive council for cooperative governance and traditional affairs in KZN, urged residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, as more rainfall is forecast in parts of the province this week.

He said the provincial government, working with non-governmental organizations, is providing assistance to those displaced by the floods. Namibia Daily News / Xinhua

WINDHOEK, Nov. 24 — Namibia on Monday released the State of Skills Demand and Supply Report, which highlights a structural imbalance between the skills supplied by the workforce and those demanded by employers in major sectors of the economy.

Launched by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, the report shows shortages across more than 73 occupations, with high demand in agriculture, manufacturing, retail, administrative services, health and social work, education, transport, public administration, defense and accommodation services.

The report states that tertiary-education attainment increased from 5.8 percent in 2011 to 11.8 percent in 2023, while there is an oversupply of graduates in business, public administration, education and social sciences and an undersupply in agriculture, manufacturing, engineering and physical planning.

Meanwhile, the report also states that basic-education promotion rates remain low at the senior secondary level, with a 47.3 percent promotion rate and high repetition and school-leaving rates.

According to the report, the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector had a low throughput, with only 14 percent of trainees graduating in 2020.

It also stated that there is roughly one TVET trainee for every 28 basic education students. Namibia‘s labor-market indicators show an unemployment rate of 36.9 percent and a youth unemployment rate of 44.4 percent.

The report said that foundational skills remain a concern, with literacy and numeracy performance at low levels in early grades. Namibia Daily News / Xinhua

WINDHOEK, Nov. 24– Namibia on Monday released the State of Skills Demand and Supply Report, which highlights a structural imbalance between the skills supplied by the workforce and those demanded by employers in major sectors of the economy.

Launched by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, the report shows shortages across more than 73 occupations, with high demand in agriculture, manufacturing, retail, administrative services, health and social work, education, transport, public administration, defense and accommodation services.

The report states that tertiary-education attainment increased from 5.8 percent in 2011 to 11.8 percent in 2023, while there is an oversupply of graduates in business, public administration, education and social sciences and an undersupply in agriculture, manufacturing, engineering and physical planning.

Meanwhile, the report also states that basic-education promotion rates remain low at the senior secondary level, with a 47.3 percent promotion rate and high repetition and school-leaving rates.

According to the report, the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector had a low throughput, with only 14 percent of trainees graduating in 2020.

It also stated that there is roughly one TVET trainee for every 28 basic education students. Namibia‘s labor-market indicators show an unemployment rate of 36.9 percent and a youth unemployment rate of 44.4 percent.

The report said that foundational skills remain a concern, with literacy and numeracy performance at low levels in early grades. Namibia Daily News / Xinhua

WINDHOEK, Nov. 24– Namibia has confirmed an outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) after lab tests established the presence of the CCHF virus in a patient who was hospitalized on Nov. 18 and died the day after in Windhoek, the capital.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Social Services said it has activated response measures, including contact tracing, surveillance and community-level public health interventions, to prevent further transmission.

“We urge the public not to panic as we are taking all necessary steps to contain the situation,” the statement said.

The CCHF is a severe viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted through bites from infected ticks, contact with infected animals or exposure to bodily fluids of infected individuals.

The ministry noted that Namibia previously recorded seven confirmed cases and four deaths between 2016 and 2023.

It urged members of the public to reduce the risk of infection by wearing protective clothing in bushy areas, checking for ticks after outdoor activities, handling livestock safely, and avoiding close contact with suspected or confirmed cases.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as necessary,” the ministry said.  Namibia Daily News / Xinhua