Desalination plant still up for grabs

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Desalination plant still up for grabs The sale of the Erongo desalination plant by Orano Mining Namibia to government is still being considered.

The plant one point attracted an asking price of US$200 million.

Orano Mining spokesperson Christine de Klerk said they were working towards a solution that will ensure that the plant can still be sold to government.

“We are still committed to work with the government of Namibia to find a solution for all parties, both state and private,” she said.

According to her, the plant is already fulfilling a critical role in water provision for the Erongo Region, and was supplying community and industry needs.

When asked what the future of the company's Trekkopje mine was and whether its sale was being considered, given the market conditions for uranium, De Klerk said: “The Trekkopje project was put under care and maintenance due to uranium market conditions and will be restarted when the market recovery justifies its business model.”

Following calls by Founding President Sam Nujoma to construct multiple desalination plants in Namibia, De Klerk said this would bode well for overall water security, as Orano was not a competitor in terms of the supply of potable water. Nujoma, during a visit to the University of Namibia's Henties Bay campus, called for the construction of additional desalination plants.

“We have never been in competition over potable water delivery, instead our desalination plant was originally built to supply Trekkopje mine and we are happy that we are able to play a positive part in the supply of water to the dry Erongo Region,” De Klerk said.

Agriculture ministry spokesperson Margaret Kalo referred all questions posed by Namibian Sun to State House. Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari referred Namibian Sun back to the ministry and NamWater, saying that State House does not deal with desalination. NamWater CEO Abraham Nehemia did not respond to calls and text messages.

He was sent an SMS asking whether the water utility was looking at acquiring the desalination plant on behalf of government.

Government had in 2016 rejected the purchase of the plant.

OGONE TLHAGE

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Shaningwa steps in

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Shaningwa steps inHigh-level committee to probe Otjozondjupa fracas The Swapo SG says the suspensions of six party leaders in Otjozondjupa were done prematurely, and before consultations took place with the politburo. Swapo has established a high-level committee to conduct a thorough investigation of the problems facing the party in Otjozondjupa.

This follows the unceremonious suspensions of six of the party's top leaders in the region, including Otjozondjupa governor Otto Iipinge, from all Swapo activities, which have since been overturned.

Last week Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa wrote a letter to the party's Otjozondjupa coordinator Susan Hikopua in which she said the suspensions were done prematurely, before consultations took place with the politburo.

Shaningwa said the suspensions were thus illegal and unprocedural.

Iipinge was suspended alongside Okahandja constituency councillor Steve Biko Boois, Otjiwarongo constituency councillor Julius Neumbo and Grootfontein councillor Jack Tsanigab, Grootfontein mayor Absai Haimene and Grootfontein constituency councillor Nelao Amagulu.

“It should be noted that the political bureau is concerned over the prolonged state of affairs of the party activities in the Otjozondjupa region.

In this regard, the political bureau resolved to establish a high-level committee to engage all those involved in Otjozondjupa regional matters, in order to get to the bottom of the problem,” Shaningwa wrote to Hikopua. The six previously Otjozondjupa Swapo stalwarts are accused of undermining the elected leadership in the region. They have also been accused of conducting illegal and “unauthorised renewal of mandates” within districts of Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein.

“A necessary corollary or consequence of the suspensions is that the suspended comrades must forthwith cease to engage themselves in any Swapo Party activities pending a pronouncement by the political bureau of the Swapo Party,” Hikopua said during a previous media interview. She also said the regional executive committee has on numerous occasions condemned these unsavoury actions. In particular, the leadership sought the intervention of the office of the secretary-general in order to restore normality.

“However, the Otto Iipinge-led group has rebuffed these bona fide attempts and vowed to take all necessary actions to remove the current leadership from their positions,” Hikopua said at the time.

She did not answer her cellphone last week, when approached for comment on the latest developments.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Bird flu claims another 19 penguins

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Bird flu claims another 19 penguins Namibia recorded a new H5N8 outbreak among its Jackass penguins recently.

The latest outbreak of the disease, commonly known as bird flu, was reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on 20 June.

It has hit Mercury Island, a coastal seabird conservation area off the coast of Lüderitz.

A total of 19 penguins have been killed so far by the disease.

It first detected in Jackass penguins on 2 February at a breeding site on Halifax Island, which is a small rocky island near Lüderitz. There a total 174 penguins were killed by the disease.

Another outbreak was also reported on Ichaboe Island in February.

The outbreaks have altogether killed 238 Jackass penguins.

OIE officials said the source of the virus are migratory waterfowl, but that all three outbreaks have been resolved.

Avian influenza is an infectious disease and all birds are thought to be susceptible, although some are more resistant to infection.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is characterised by sudden onset, severe illness and rapid death, with a mortality rate that can approach 100%. Common clinical signs include swelling and purple discoloration of the head, comb and wattle, swelling and red discoloration of the feet, bleeding of internal organs and muscles, greenish diarrhoea, twisting of the neck, staggering movement and paralysis of the wings and neck.

Although H5N8 is not known to infect humans, other strains like the H5N1 and H7N9 can be transmitted to humans.

ELLANIE SMIT

Goalless draws mar Afcon

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Goalless draws mar AfconGhana, Cameroon struggle A procession of goalless draws have taken the shine of what has so far been a thrilling Afcon 2019. Defending champions Cameroon and four-time winners Ghana drew 0-0 at the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) on Saturday, leaving both on perilous ground.

The result means that Cameroon still lead Group F, with Ghana in second place, but either could miss out on qualifying for the last 16 if they slip up in the final round of games.

Cameroon play Benin and Ghana face Guinea-Bissau.

Christian Bassogog had two of the best opportunities to give Cameroon a victory in Ismailia that would have sent them through to the knockout rounds with a game to spare.

His shot just before halftime was saved by Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori, who leaped high to his right to keep the ball out.

Bassogog's goal-bound effort in the 76th minute was blocked by the chest of defender Jonathan Mensah. Mensah felt the full-force of the shot and slipped to his knees. He took a moment to recover from the blow.

Ghana substitute Owusu Kwabena hit the crossbar with three minutes to go, after pouncing on a Cameroon error. He bore down on goal and fired a shot past Ofori that ricocheted off the frame.

Ghana was hampered, though, by the early loss of influential winger Christian Atsu to injury. Atsu left the field within the first 15 minutes with a right-leg injury he suffered taking a shot at goal.

Ghana has a squad dripping with talent, but hasn't given any indication that this could be the year when the West Africans end a 37-year wait for a title. Ghana were unimpressive in a 2-2 draw with Benin in their opening match.

Neither Benin nor Guinea-Bissau took advantage of the Cameroon-Ghana stalemate in the last match of the day, as neither could clinch their first victory at Afcon 2019. Benin are still winless after 11 games at the tournament since making their debut in 2004. They did have the best of Saturday's games, with striker Steve Mounie missing the clearest chance when he headed over the bar from a free-kick, with the goal at his mercy, deep in the second half.

Mounie slammed both hands against the crossbar in frustration, encapsulating a day that wasn't a glowing advert for Africa's top tournament.

Even the presence of a player called Pele wearing the number 10 jersey didn't help. Guinea-Bissau's 27-year-old Portugal-born forward shares the name and shirt number of arguably the greatest soccer player ever.

Group F is also wide open after there were no goals between Angola and Mauritania. That game was the first 0-0 of the tournament and apparently inspired a succession of such results.

Angola's Geraldo had a late goal ruled out for offside and tournament debutant Mauritania recovered from a 1-4 hammering by Mali in the opening round to hold the Angolans.

Mali lead the group by two points from Tunisia, but Angola and Mauritania are not out of contention for the knockout stage. Mauritania is a country of four million people in northwest Africa that sits almost entirely in the Sahara desert. They were one of the big surprises when they qualified for the tournament.

The top two teams from each of the six groups will make up the last 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.

Hosts Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco have already qualified for the round of 16.

NAMPA/AP

Yafai outpoints Jimenez

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Yafai outpoints Jimenez Britain's Khalid Yafai retained his WBA super flyweight crown with a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Dominican Norbelto Jimenez on Saturday night.

Yafai, was was coming off a hand injury, outpointed Jimenez on all the judges' scorecards, winning 119-107, 118-108, 117-109 at the Dunkin' Donuts Centre arena in Providence, Rhode Island.

Yafai, 26-0 with 15 knockouts, dominated the fight, chasing his underdog opponent around the ring; but he was also booed several times by the crowd for throwing low blows.

The British boxer, whose parents are from Yemen, needed this victory over mandatory challenger Jimenez to put himself in position for bigger fights.

Japan's Kazuto Ioka won the WBO super flyweight crown a week ago and Mexico's Juan Francisco Estrada took the WBC crown in April, but Yafai could be looking at a unification bout against Filipino star Jerwin Ancajas, who defended his IBF crown for the seventh time last month by beating Japan's Ryuichi Funai.

Jimenez failed in his second attempt at the WBA crown, after missing out in a draw against Japan's Kohei Kono in 2014.

He was making his first appearance in the United States and now has a career record of 29-9, with four draws.

Yafai fought on a card that also featured hometown hero Demetrius Andrade.

Andrade retained his 160-pound belt for the second time, as he knocked Maciej Sulecki down in the first round and eventually outpointed him in a dazzling performance, to stay on track for a potential fight with Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin.

All three judges scored it 120-107 for southpaw Andrade, who improved to 28-0 with 17 KOs.

The 31-year-old Andrade gave hometown fans a thrill in the opening round, when he wobbled Poland's Sulecki with a left hand and then floored him with another left to the top of the head moments later.

NAMPA/AFP

Argentina wait for Messi magic

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Argentina wait for Messi magic For the last dozen years, Argentina have been waiting for global superstar Lionel Messi to lead their football team to a major international trophy.

But when the country needed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner most, Messi failed to emulate the feat of Diego Maradona in 1986 when he almost single-handedly won the World Cup.

Four times Messi has lined up with Argentina in a major final - the 2014 World Cup and Copa America in 2007, 2015 and 2016 - but every time they lost.

He has often come under criticism for failing to reproduce his Barcelona form when wearing the sky blue and white jersey of the national team.

Now, ahead of a mouth-watering Copa semi-final against hosts Brazil in Belo Horizonte, the Argentines are simply waiting for Messi to turn up.

“This is the match for Messi to appear,” screamed Ole newspaper's online edition, after Argentina beat Venezuela 2-0 to secure the Brazil semi-final.

Ironically, at this tournament, while Argentina's performances have been improving steadily, Messi has, if anything, become less influential.

Argentina were all at sea in their opening 0-2 defeat to Colombia and needed a Messi penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw with Paraguay.

But in the 2-0 win over Qatar that qualified Argentina for the knockout rounds, and the quarterfinal victory over Venezuela by the same score, Messi became an increasingly peripheral figure.

He admitted as much after the Venezuela match, saying: “I'm not at my best level, I'm not playing how I hoped I would. I'm not having my best Copa America.”

Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva is not so convinced, though.

“For me, Messi is the best player in history, the best I've ever seen play. It's a privilege to play against him,” said a player who hails from the country that produced Pele, Garincha, Socrates, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

Messi turned 32 during the tournament and while he doesn't appear close to retirement, it cannot be too many years away.

His game has changed over the years and he no longer produces the same kind, or quantity of, darting runs at the heart of opposition defences.

He plays deeper than he used to, passes more and is more selective with his runs.

He also rests more than he used to and took an eight-month break from the national team following the World Cup in Russia, only returning in March in a 1-3 friendly defeat to Venezuela.

But he is more than just the star of the team these days, he is the leader and captains both club and country.

During the club season, Messi took the lead in defending Philippe Coutinho, whom he will oppose on Tuesday, from criticism levelled at the Brazilian playmaker in the Catalan press.

Messi also defended Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde against the brickbats.

And here, while his and Argentina's attacking performances have been nothing to enthuse about, Messi took the time to praise the team's defensive efforts.

“Defensively we didn't have any problems and the team was very solid at all times,” he said, following the Venezuela victory, which he described as a “complete” performance.

And Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledges that Messi brings much more than just brilliance on the field.

“For me he gives an essential contribution on the pitch, and if you saw everything he brings in the dressing room...” said Scaloni.

“Messi is Messi, he's the best.”

Before the tournament began, much of the talk was about whether Messi could ever land “the one”.

He's won the Champions League four times, La Liga 10 times and the Copa del Rey six times with Barcelona, but nothing major with Argentina, who haven't won anything since 1993.

Tuesday's semi-final in Belo Horizonte looks tailor-made for the Messi of old.

Brazil have yet to concede a goal in the competition, but despite victories of 5-0 over Peru and 3-0 against Bolivia, they looked ponderous and lacking imagination in their 0-0 draws against Venezuela and Paraguay.

The semi-final promises to be a tight affair, in which a moment of Messi magic could be enough to settle it.

Argentina is waiting and praying for just such a moment.

NAMPA/AFP

Coping with agri disasters

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Coping with agri disastersRisk management strategy coming Agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb says it is well-documented that conflicts and climate-related disasters are the main contributors to food insecurity and hunger. Namibia is in the process of developing a disaster risk management strategy for agriculture that once implemented, is expected to build resilience in the sector, particularly in rural areas where the majority of the people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

The strategy is being developed under the new Country Programming Framework (CPF), which was recently launched together with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

This is according to agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb, who was speaking at 41st session of the FAO conference, which took place from 22 to 29 June in Rome, Italy.

The conference is being held under the theme 'Migration, Agriculture and Rural Development'.

!Naruseb said according to 2017 statistics there were 258 million international migrants, of which 68.5 million people were forcefully displaced by conflict, while 23.5 million were displaced by climate-related disasters.

“The power to reduce forced migration, and climate-induced migration-related disasters are in our hands. All that is needed is political will, resources and proper planning,” he said.

According to !Naruseb it has been proven that migration has the potential to play a critical role in agriculture and rural development.

“Our governments should therefore tap into and exploit this potential for the benefit of sustainable agriculture and rural development. This will in turn contribute to the reduction of involuntary migration of people from rural areas.”

He said implementing a combination of policies and strategies at different points along the dynamic spectrum of migration will fast-track the realisation of the aspirations of the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and the achievement of the objectives of the Global Compact for Migration.

According to him it will also complement the implementation and enhance the impact of policies and programmes on the promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural development.

“We are meeting at time when global statistics show that the number of hungry people in the world continues to be high, with 821 million people undernourished and 113 million people experiencing acute hunger and requiring urgent emergency assistance.”

According to !Naruseb it is also documented that conflicts and climate-change disasters are the main contributors to food insecurity and hunger.

“This harsh reality is evident in our sub-region, where countries, including Namibia, just experienced El Niño-induced droughts, while others experienced devastating floods and extreme weather conditions caused by cyclones Idai and Kenneth.”

He said the effects of the two cyclones resulted in the death of over 1 000 people and the overwhelming destruction of agricultural and other economic infrastructure.

Furthermore, the combined impact of cyclones, floods and droughts left 30 million people food-insecure.

“The frequent occurrence of these climate change-related disasters is an indication that our journey towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the attainment of its goals will be protracted and full of hurdles, thus critically slowing down our pace towards the achievement of SDG 2 and related goals.”

!Naruseb said the solutions that are required to end conflicts, and reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security, are within reach.

According to him efforts should therefore be tripled to end conflicts and accelerate the implementation of the Paris Declaration on Climate Change.

Namibia continues to implement climate-friendly policies and programmes, and has been implementing climate-smart agriculture initiatives with the assistance of FAO.



ELLANIE SMIT

Staying safe during earthquakes

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Staying safe during earthquakes Namibians have been urged to go outside, if possible, when an earthquake occurs.

This follows after an earthquake that occurred last Wednesday about 26 kilometres southeast of Omaruru.

The earthquake hit the Waldfrieden Roman Catholic Mission and its surroundings.

The mines ministry confirmed the earthquake on Friday, saying five local seismic stations at Windhoek, Tsumeb, Kamanjab, Opuwo and Rundu, which are part of the Namibian Seismological Network, recorded the event and collated preliminary data.

Seismic phases were picked from these stations for analysis and the event was located at a depth of 15 kilometres with local magnitude of 3.6 on the Richter scale.

“Preliminary indications indicated that the current epicentre of the event was located in the area where there are ancient faults, which are zones of weaknesses underground. The historical records show that the current location is one of the known seismic zones in the country,” said the ministry.

It further provided several safety measures that Namibians should take in case of an earthquake.

The ministry said people that are indoors should, if possible, rather go outdoors, stand near doorframes or seek refuge under a table.

“If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees and power lines.”

The ministry further advised that overhead cabinets should be closed and that people should stay and face away from windows and also watch out for falling objects.

“If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a safe place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.”

According to the ministry, Namibia has a low frequency of earthquakes, mostly with low intensity events. Earthquakes are natural, but unpredictable. Historic records indicate that the magnitudes are relatively low and their occurrence infrequent.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Epic Classic Clashes

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Epic Classic Clashes Schools participating in the FNB Classic Clashes were at it again this past weekend.

In rugby, Elnatan Private School from Stampriet travelled all the way to the capital to play against Windhoek High School (WHS) at the Vegkop Stadium on Saturday.

The game had everyone at the edge of their seats throughout, with the match starting off well for both teams. Before halftime, however, Elnatan had a few injuries and the game began to slow, with both teams defending well. After halftime though, WHS didn't waste any time: They played their hearts out and won 60-3.

After the match, Elnatan captain Cornè Esterhuizen said: “My team played very well but due to injuries, in the second half, we couldn't catch up.”

He added that WHS has a great team and played very well.

Rikus van Staden of WHS was chosen as the man of the match. “It was a great game and Elnatan played very well,” he said.

He added he is thankful for this platform that First National Bank (FNB) provides for the schools.



Netball

On Friday, Academia Secondary School's netball team beat perennial rivals Augustineum Secondary School 14-12.

Augustineum were slow out of the blocks, as they lost the first quarter 6-4.

They did not help their own cause in the second quarter, as they continued to lose possession unnecessarily. This led to them being outscored by 10 points to eight at halftime. In the third quarter, Academia continued to lead by outscoring their opponents 2-1, taking their overall lead to 12-9. At the end of the last quarter, the game ended 14-12 in favour of Academia.

The player of the match award went to wing goal defender Kimberly Kauejao from Academia.

According to Academia coach Zinzi Matros the game was tough and competitive, but they managed to pull through.

Augustineum coach Tuundja Ujava said they had a good game, but the deserving team won. “Both of the teams are strong and the game could have gone either way,” she said.





Justicia Shipena & Octavia Tsibes

Egyptian football chiefs under fire

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Egyptian football chiefs under fire Although the Egyptian Football Association has forgiven striker Amr Warda and allowed him back at Afcon 2019, the decision has not gone down well with staunch supporters of women's rights.

To make the incident more contentious, Warda has found backing from Egypt superstar Mohamed Salah and this may also dent the Liverpool star's popularity.

The controversy started when Warda was accused of sending tweets to an English-Egyptian model who laid a complaint against him with Egypt's attorney-general.

Having stood up for women's rights in the past, Salah's call for Warda to be given a second chance has not impressed many.

Despite Egyptian football authorities forgiving him, Warda's ban was still in force for the team's final group game against Uganda yesterday.

However, he but he will be available for selection for the second round.

After his teammates showed their support, the player publicly apologised on Thursday.

Salah's tweet said he believed that everyone should be given a second chance and that those in the wrong needed to be guided and education, and not shunned.

Egyptian Football Association president Hani Abu Reda met with the players and technical staff on Thursday.

In a statement, the president said he was impressed with the solidarity between the players and their decision to forgive Warda and reduce the suspension. The decision to effectively overturn the suspension has caused a split among sections of Egyptian society, with most women furious with the Egyptian football authorities.

Some have called for women to boycott Egypt matches, while one male Egyptian fan has spoken online of people now willing the team on to fail.

This is quite a statement as the country seeks to win the Afcon tournament for a record-extending eighth time.

NAMPA/ANA

Global battles ahead

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Global battles ahead Over 60 Namibian inline hockey players took part in a training camp at The Dome in Swakopmund, in preparation for various upcoming international tournaments.

The Namibia senior and junior men teams are getting ready to participate at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain from 27 June to 14 July, while the u/10 and under u/12s will compete in the United States at the State Wars competition, taking place from 23 July to 4 August.

Namibia Ice and Inline Hockey Association (NIIHA) sports officer, Trish Hammond, said the training camp's goal was to improve the overall skill levels of each player and to build a team.

“As the team members participate in more camps, the level of comfort and awareness grows. The camps aim to teach tactics, advanced defence and offence, and increase each player's hockey IQ.”

The senior men will play Sweden, China and Mexico in the round-robin stage in Barcelona. The junior men will play Italy, New Zealand and Ireland.

The u/10 and u/12 groups will compete in various age divisions. The State Wars competition will accommodate teams from across the United States and Canada, as well as sides from 15 other countries.

“Our goal is to be competitive. We have a small crop of players. They work hard and give their all to represent Namibia with passion, pride and honour. Obviously, we plan to and would like to win, and improve on the previous year's success, but so does every other country.”

Hammond added that playing in international tournaments provides exposure to the players, which enables them to improve their level of play.

Namibia has been sending teams almost every year since 2013. This dedication has led to Namibia's rise in the world rankings. The senior ladies competed for three consecutive years, and finished as high as sixth in the world. They have never failed to make it into the top eight.

Youth development has led to participation at tournaments like NARCh and the Sparta Cup. The experience the players gain is a contributing towards making Namibia a genuine force in the world of inline hockey.

“The greater benefit is that the players who go overseas bring their experience back to the rest of the community here in Namibia and it helps to continue the push to grow hockey right here. The last couple of years, when Namibia shows up at a tournament, people are starting to take notice and worry about playing us. It's a fantastic switch from when we started all this,” Hammond said.

The Namibian senior men's team that participated in the training camp included Tiago Kutz (captain), Wim van der Plas (assistant captain), Chayton Haberl (assistant captain), Liam Strydom, Alex Wirtz, Amandus Rottcher, Sean Liechti, Max Finkeldey, Natangue Kaperu, Ivan Reviglio, Ulfried Cramer and Ruben Bacher.





Adolf Kaure

Go-karting action at Swakop

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Go-karting action at Swakop The Namibian National Karting Championship Leg 4 took place at the Swakopmund go-karting track on Saturday. Racers took part in the maxterino, four-stroke, junior max, senior max and masters categories.

After exciting speeds being recorded on the course, which featured quick turns and overtaking, the results were as follows:



Maxterino

Jadrique Rhodes (best time - 33.88 seconds, 19 points)

Michael Fourie (best time - 39.08 seconds, 9 points)

Jadyn van Zyl (best time - 35.21 seconds, 7 points)

Four-stroke

Chazlo Mara (best time - 34.18 seconds, 21 points)

Heinrich Roos (best time - 33.70 seconds, 14 points)

Junior max

Guido Bidoli (best time - 29.19 seconds, 20 points)

Justus Beulker (best time - 31.32 seconds, 17 points)

Lo-Andre Bruwer (best time - 30.39 seconds, 13 points)

Senior max

Athi Mankonkwana (best time - 27.76 seconds, 27 points)

Ivan Vorster (best time - 27.99 seconds, 16 points)

Gerhard Breed (best time - 31.55 seconds, 14 points)

Masters

Hans Muschkat (best time - 28.65 seconds, 24 points)

Jorg Goldbeck (best time - 28.19 seconds, 18 points)

Martin Kruger (best time - 31.44 seconds, 13 points)

Adolf Kaure

Victory over Titans hailed

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Victory over Titans hailedSolid performances by Namibia, SA franchise The touring South African cricket franchise lost their opening match against their Namibian hosts. The Namibian first cricket team defeated the Multiply Titans by two wickets in a tightly contested T20 match played at the Sparta cricket grounds in Walvis Bay on Friday.

Namibia won the toss and sent the Titans in to bat first.

The Titans scored 92 runs from their 20 overs (120 balls). Opening batsman Andrea Agathagelou was their top scorer with 41 runs, including three 4s and two 6s, from 38 balls.

Pikkie Ya France was Namibia's best bowler, taking three wickets in four overs for 11 runs. Namibia replied with 93 runs from 119 balls. Captain Merwe Erasmus was the star performer for Namibia with the bat. He led by example and scored 60 runs, including three 4s, from 39 balls. This earned him the man of the match award.

Tsepo Moreki was the best-performing bowler for the Titans, with three wickets for seven runs in three overs. Etienne Beukes took two wickets for 14 runs in three overs.



Victory hailed

Cricket Namibia manager of development and age group coach, Dee Thakur, hailed the victory as an important one for the country.

“This is a massive win and signals exciting times for Namibian cricket. No matter who plays for the Titans, the fact remains that they are a franchise.

This opportunity provided the players with a feel of what they can expect from competitive sides. Our captain, Erasmus, really kept calm and did what was required from him,” Thakur said.

The Multiply Titans are on a maiden tour of Namibia for a two-match exhibition T20 tournament. The next match kicked off yesterday at the United Cricket Club in Windhoek at 13:00.

The tour kick-started winter training for the Titans, after a two-month break, following the conclusion of the 2018/19 season.

It also gave young school cricketers an exciting opportunity to take to the field alongside the Sky Blues. Dian Neethling and Ettienne Beukes of Walvis Bay Private High School were named in the squad to play in the opening T20, while Michael Laubscher (Windhoek Gymnasium) and Divan la Cock (Windhoek High School) feature in the second match.

Namibia, coached by former Titans stalwart Pierre de Bruyn, recently progressed through to the Twenty20 World Cup Global Qualifiers.

Otis Finck

Mbumba cracks whip on Rundu abattoir

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Mbumba cracks whip on Rundu abattoir Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba wants the Rundu abattoir, which has been under construction since 2014, to be completed as soon as possible, before farmers lose their livestock to the devastating drought.

Mbumba visited the abattoir last week, where he was informed that the N$123 million project is likely to be completed by November - a timeframe that did not sit well with the vice-president.

“We are facing a drought this year; farmers want to sell their animals, so that they can have some money in their pockets. We are in June now, we are still going to face July, August and September and the animals in Kavango East Region are still looking good, but if we allow things to run up to November, then the animals will be in a much poorer condition, so we want this abattoir to be completed,” Mbumba said.

It has been three months since agriculture ministry executive director Percy Misika told Namibian Sun that the procurement process for the abattoir to be completed was in its final stages.

Kavango East state veterinarian Ludgerus Amushila told the media last week that the abattoir is 75% complete and about N$78 million of the N$123 million budget had been spent.

Initially N$110 million was budgeted for the project.

When asked why the budget had increased by N$13 million, Amushila said he was not at liberty to talk about the reasons.

Once operational, the abattoir will have the capacity to slaughter about 100 cattle per day, as well as a substantial number of small livestock.

Currently farmers sell their livestock at Meatco's mobile abattoir, which is stationed at the Matumbo Ribebe quarantine camp, some 60 kilometres south of Rundu.

The mobile abattoir only has the capacity to slaughter about 90 cattle per month.

According Kavango East Regional Farmers Union (KERFU) chairperson Adolf Muremi there are about 900 cattle waiting to be slaughtered at the mobile abattoir and some farmers have given up.

Muremi has for years been calling for the Rundu abattoir to be completed.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Even a child knows govt has failed - Venaani

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Even a child knows govt has failed - Venaani Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani says his party will not only be focusing on exposing Swapo's failures, but will also be presenting the electorate with an alternative government strategy.

“I don't want to spend a lot of time on them (Swapo), because even a child knows that the government has failed (under) them,” Venaani said on Saturday in Rundu, during the official launch of PDM's national election taskforce.

“It is enough that we know what is happening in this country. Namibians are in agreement that the current ruling party has failed dismally in all their facets; but it's not enough for us to say that the ruling party has failed, it is more than equal a task to present an alternative Namibia to Namibians.”

Venaani said the N$730 million Swapo headquarters debacle demonstrates how the ruling party has been captured by the Chinese government.

Venaani said it does not make sense that funds for the project are being loaned from a Chinese company and not a financial institution.

“The relationship between China and Swapo is eroding the sovereignty of Namibia,” Venaani said.

He explained that PDM's national election taskforce will be responsible for monitoring the 2019 national election process and for ensuring that the party's national strategy is implemented.

“Our election strategy will be based on two foundations - a people-centred approach to reach out to the people and an alternative-centred strategy. We are the alternative for the country,” he said.

Venaani also spoke on how important access to water is for the development of the country, especially in regions where water sources are abundant.

Making reference to youth unemployment rate in Kavango East, which stands at over 60%, as well as the poor living conditions of the people, Venaani said this should not have been the case.

He said many developed countries have invested heavily in their agriculture sectors, because of having access to water.

However, this was not the case in Namibia, as people living along Okavango, Zambezi and Kunene rivers are some of the poorest in the country.

“Everywhere in the world where you have water, you must have development. The reason why this country in not developing is because we have a serious water shortage. You cannot drive and propel economic development without water, you cannot propel a modern agricultural programme without water,” Venaani said.

He said once the PDM is elected into power and he becomes president of the country, priority will be given to the construction of two desalination plants at coastal towns.

He said water will be made accessible to all Namibians, especially in rural areas, where thousands of farmers have to travel long distances in order to get water.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Swapo courses unaccredited

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Swapo courses unaccreditedNQA engaging ruling party Swapo is yet to hand in a formal application to the NQA to have its party school courses accredited. The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) is yet to accredit the courses offered by the Swapo Party School.

Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa was recently quoted as saying at the party school's first graduation ceremony that its political science certificate - awarded to three people at the event - was accredited by the NQA.

However, Asnath Kaperu, deputy CEO of the NQA, said discussions were held between the Swapo Party School specifically regarding the accreditation process and criteria.

She said following the engagement, the NQA is still awaiting for a formal application from the Swapo Party School.

Asked against what standards this political science certificate is benchmarked and whether it can be accredited, Kaperu said the NQA council, which is the highest decision-making body of the institution, must satisfy itself that training providers have met the “relevant requirements”, and therefore has the capacity to provide courses in line with national standards.

She said the NQA has over the years granted accreditation to various organisations including churches, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and community organisations that provide training services.

The NQA's requirements for accreditation are stipulated in the accreditation regulations that must be adhered to by every training provider that wishes to obtain accreditation from the NQA.

“Some of the requirements are that the institution must be a registered entity, that it is financially sound and sustainable, employs appropriately qualified teaching and other personnel, has designed relevant courses and implemented policies on learner assessments,” Kaperu said.

She said accreditation is confirmation by the NQA that an institution has the capacity to provide specified courses and that it assesses the performance of people enrolled for such courses.

“The principles of accreditation require that the NQA verifies that quality standards are complied with by all training providers operating in Namibia. These requirements are put in place to safeguard the standards and integrity of education provided in Namibia,” Kaperu added.



CATHERINE SASMAN

Support disability sports

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Support disability sports It was recently reported that Disability Sports Namibia is struggling with sport facilities and are the victims of the unequal distribution of funds.

The lack of funding for sport codes has continued to hamper the progress of the country's sporting federations.

It is no secret that all sport codes in the country are facing a torrid time, which has been exacerbated by the struggling Namibian economy and severe government budget cuts.

In 2016, the Paralympic team brought home gold and silver medals from the Rio Paralympics.

The country was jumping for joy, because our sons and daughters delivered spectacular results.

To all our surprise, three years later, corporate Namibia and the government is yet to really pump money into disability sports.

The government has continued to fail our athletes, who carry the hopes of this great nation at global sporting events.

It is such a shame that even with so many big multinational and local companies in the country, sport remains underfunded.

It must be said that some corporates are doing their best to keep sport alive.

Companies like Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL), MTC, NamPower, FNB, Standard Bank and Bank Windhoek have been doing their utmost to keep the hopes and dreams of young athletes and national teams burning.

They are, however, not the only companies that are based in this beautiful country, and it is therefore important that others come on board to rescue sport.

There are also so many black-owned companies that don't plough back into society.

Many will agree with me that foreign companies in this country also need to come to the party.

One hardly hears that a foreign company has sponsored a sports code or an individual athlete seeking assistance.

All their profits are being exported back their countries, in order to benefit their own people.

I want to urge any individual reading this to step up and help the Paralympic team.

It is important that we invest in these young and vibrant athletes, who can become global stars.

We have to realise that sport can actually reduce poverty and must therefore be a priority in Namibia.

My advice to sport codes administrators is that they recruit professional marketing personnel.

I have observed that many of our sport codes lack marketing skills to attract sponsors.

Someone like Ananias Shikongo, who has won numerous gold medals on the international stage, should have had global sponsor by now.

Athletes in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, who win global competitions, get sponsorships from multinational companies.

They become brand ambassadors for companies like Nike and Adidas, to name a few.

These athletes appear in television adverts all over the world. They make enough money to sustain themselves and their families.

However, it appears as if the Namibia Paralympics Committee and the sports ministry have failed to open a similar door for our Paralympic champions.

As a country, we tend to celebrate victories, but when the celebrations have died down, people go back to their normal lives, as if nothing important has happened.

I can tell you that other countries have the energy to celebrate their athletes for a lifetime.

It is time that we, as Namibians and the local corporate world, change our approach towards sport.

Track records in supporting sport and other worthy causes should be used when evaluating which businesses we support as Namibians.

Giving back should be a major part of corporate responsibility, if they want us to make use of their goods and services.



jesse@namibiansun.com

Rural football delights

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Rural football delightsPetrus Kavhura Cup reaches new heights Deep in Kavango East, football is a game that is cherished by teams and fans alike. Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Petrus Kavhura Cup (PKC) spokesperson Poulus Haingura has praised the intensity of the players and the support from avid fans of the tourney.

The annual tournament started three weeks ago, with teams from Kavango East battling it out for top prizes.

Haingura believes the support and quality of the football has improved since the tournament’s inception.

“As the organisers, we are happy with the amount of support we received from the locals and the teams. We also thank our sponsor, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), for being a part of this great initiative.

“I can assure the teams that have advanced to the next stage that the money and medals are ready for those that will be the eventual winners.

“The quality of football continues to improve which is a very good thing for football in this area,” Haingura said.

The competition is currently at the elimination round stage and is expected to end in November.

The champions of the competition will walk away with N$10 000, while the runners-up take home N$6 000.

The third-place finishers will get N$4 000 for their efforts, while the fourth-place finishers will be compensated with N$2 500.

Recognised by the sports ministry and the Namibia Football Association (NFA), under the Kavango East second division, the cup is aimed at developing sport at a rural level.

The PKC is played in the Ndonga-Linena and Ndiyona constituencies, with over 30 teams competing against each other annually.

“The final matches of the competition will be played in November and I can promise you that there will be fireworks.

“The community around the Kavango West Region are always excited by this competition,” Haingura added.

Last year’s winners, Rucara Brave Fighters, walked away with a floating trophy, 30 gold medals and N$10 000.

Makandu Young Stars received 30 silver medals and N$6 000, while Gumma Golden City, who have won the tournament twice since its inception in 2016, finished third, and walked away with 30 bronze medals and N$4 000.

Power Stars finished fourth and were awarded N$2 500. All the quarterfinal losers received consolation prizes of N$1 000 each, while the round of 16 losers received N$700.

Geingob preaches 'accelerated growth'

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Geingob preaches 'accelerated growth'N$219m RA headquarters inaugurated The Roads Authority headquarters, which had initially not been safe for staff occupation, has been repaired and officially inaugurated. President Hage Geingob says it is his “firm belief” that with the construction of the new Roads Authority (RA) building, which has enabled the parastatal to fill critical positions, “we are witnessing the dawn of a period of accelerated growth and the modernisation of Namibia's road network”. He was speaking last week at the inauguration of the new RA head office, which houses southern and west wings and was built at a cost of N$219 million. “As government, we have made a commitment to continue the renovation, upgrading, maintenance and expansion of critical sections of our road network, with a view to ensuring safe and convenient travelling, stimulating economic activities and facilitating the movement of goods and services within Namibia and across our borders,” Geingob said.

He said since independence, government has invested greatly in expanding the existing road network and upgrading the country's roads. He added government has invested in other transport infrastructure development, such as railways, ports and aviation, in order to meet national demand and position Namibia as the gateway to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). “As Namibians, we should feel a sense of pride in having a road network in place, which cannot only support our domestic developmental aspirations, but also those of our region and the continent as a whole,” Geingob said. The RA also used the opportunity to make a N$12 million donation towards government's drought relief programme.

The seven-storey building has two basement levels and is located on the corner of David Hosea Meroro Road and Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue. The construction contract for the building was awarded to Namibia Construction in 2013 and construction started in 2014. Although construction on the building was completed in March 2017, RA employees were unable to occupy the southern wing of the new building because of safety concerns. Repairs were conducted and RA employees now occupy the entire building.

-Additional reporting by Nampa

OGONE TLHAGE

Namibia is all we have

June 30, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Namibia is all we have The frequent infighting in Swapo has taken centre stage once again, at the expense of contemporary national issues.

As Namibians debate issues of national concern, including the sale of the Erindi Private Game Reserve to Mexican billionaire Alberto Baillères, some Swapo loyalists have their knives out for each other. Interestingly, the elders in the party have taken a back seat and are allowing the young people to cancel each out on social media platforms.

There is no doubt that the ruling party is still nursing a terrible hangover of the vicious campaigning that preceded the 2017 elective congress, where President Hage Geingob and his slate emerged victorious. The party is deeply divided and Namibians in general are starting to bear the brunt of Swapo's internal war.

With 2019 being an election year, one would have hoped that the warring factions would bury the hatchet for good and close ranks to work in unison ahead of what is expected to be a gruelling campaign season.

However, that does not seem to be the case. Let it be clear that we are in no way discouraging dissent.

As a democratic movement, Swapo should know that any attempt to crush dissent is bad for democracy. What is needed is a real battle of ideas that also involves the party faithful.

Senior party leaders should also not dodge responsibility and shy away from heated debates and questions asked by patriotic Namibians, who have the nation's interests at heart.

Our country faces a number of challenges at the moment and we must allow, especially young people, to become actively involved in shaping Namibia's future.

This includes speaking truth to power and consistently seeking answers from those holding the levers of power. We must be able to put our irreconcilable differences aside and chart a new way forward, which is in the best interest of our country and her people.

Venomous personal clashes need to be shelved so that the battle of ideas can take centre stage.