More cattle sold in NCA

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: SADC applauds Mozambican peace deal

There has been a 31.5% increase in cattle marketed at auctions in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) from the first half of 2018 to the first half of this year.

The latest statistics provided by the Meat Board of Namibia show that a total of 1 273 cattle were sold at auctions in the NCA from January to June this year, compared to 871 during the same period last year.

According to the Meat Board the same number of auctions (11) were held in 2018 and 2019, while the turnover generated last year amounted to about N$5.38 million and this year N$6.73 million was generated.

“The increase is mainly attributed to the severe drought affecting the Namibian meat industry,” the Meat Board said.

It was reported that on average around 16% of cattle offered were unsold.

Furthermore there has been a 9.5% increase in cattle slaughtered in the NCA this year, with a significant increase of around 226% in the price per head.

Statistics show that during the 2018 period 885 cattle were slaughtered at local abattoirs at an average price per head of N$3 122. This amounted to a total turnover of N$2.7 million. This year, 978 cattle were slaughtered at an average price per head of N$7 062 and a total turnover of N$6.9 million was realised. The Meat Board collected these statistics from the Ondangwa abattoir, Onhuno abattoir and the Meatco Mobile Slaughtering Unit (MSU).

“These increases could be attributed to an increase in the quality of cattle slaughtered in the Kavango East and West regions,” says the Meat Board.

It added that Meatco's MSU statistics revealed that out of a total of 413 cattle slaughtered at the unit between February and June this year, 151 carcasses were classified B grade, representing around 36%.

According to the Meat Board this is a result of in-depth advisory and mentoring services provided to farmers through which they were made aware of the benefit of improving their cattle genetics through cross-breeding.

“Producers residing in the NCA have been deprived of a formal livestock market since 2015 due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). NCA producers ever since had to rely on auctions and local abattoirs to market their livestock,” said the Meat Board.

The agriculture ministry, with the assistance of the Meat Board, is in the process of commissioning export abattoirs at Oshakati and Katima Mulilo.

“Once commissioned NCA cattle producers will have to ensure that there is a consistent supply of quality cattle to make the operations of these abattoirs sustainable,” said the Meat Board.

ELLANIE SMIT

↧

SADC applauds Mozambican peace deal

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Namvet wants 'refund'

≪ Previous: More cattle sold in NCA

SADC applauds Mozambican peace deal

President Hage Geingob, in his capacity as chairperson of SADC, has commended the government of Mozambique for concluding an election peace pledge agreement with the opposition, Renamo.

The president of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade, on Tuesday signed a pledge to conduct peaceful elections in October.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Maputo, Geingob described the agreement as one of the defining moments of his tenure as SADC chair.

“As outgoing chair of the SADC family, this final act of my tenure is without doubt one of the highlights of what has been a fulfilling year. Indeed, this is a crowning moment for me and I am pleased to have been invited to witness this momentous occasion.”

The Election Peace Pledge Agreement follows a peace accord marking an official end to the conflict between Renamo and the government that was signed by Nyusi and Momade in Beira on 1 August.

Geingob said this accomplishment by the people of Mozambique was not only a giant step forward for the region, but for the entire continent.

He said the peace accord was in line with the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration of the African Union, in which African heads of state pledged to silence the guns and end all wars on the continent by December 2020.

“Mozambique has shown that silencing the guns is not mere rhetoric. You have walked the walk. To buttress your commitment to silencing the guns, SADC urges all parties to implement the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process and in this regard, stands ready to support Mozambique in her preparations for an international conference to mobilise funds for the DDR process.”

Geingob said the work of achieving lasting peace had just started, but he was confident that Nyusi and Momade would carry out this process to its logical conclusion.

He said as Mozambique moved towards elections in October, SADC stood ready to support the country in line with the Revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and in the spirit of Pan-African solidarity.

“Following cyclones Idai and Kenneth, the people of Mozambique have endured a lot over the past few months. Despite these adversities of devastating proportion, Mozambicans have demonstrated resilience; they have remained hopeful and optimistic about their prospects for a better tomorrow,” said Geingob.

He also commended Nyusi for his foresight, stewardship and exemplary leadership during a very difficult period.

“I always say that one does not make peace with a friend, but one makes peace with an adversary.

“Today marks a glorious triumph for the people of Mozambique, the region and continent at large. For this is the day you say no to violence. This is the day you choose peace to prevail over conflict and this is the day you hold hands and march forward, towards the shared ideals of peace, development and prosperity.”

ELLANIE SMIT

↧

Namvet wants 'refund'

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Operation Kalahari Desert resumes

≪ Previous: SADC applauds Mozambican peace deal

Namvet wants 'refund'Takes fight to political front Ex-soldiers say they have been duped out of their wages and pension payouts.

The Namibia War Veterans Trust (Namvet) is once again demanding answers from the Swapo-led government, as well as Standard Bank Namibia, about the N$36 million paid out by the former apartheid South African government that was earmarked for former SWATF and Koevoet soldiers.

The former soldiers wrote a letter to finance minister Calle Schlettwein in June in which they asked that he “unlock the box file” presumably containing information about the millions, and make it public.

In the letter they claim the money was meant to be the monthly salaries of former SWATF and Koevoet members for eight months from May to December 1989.

They say only 37% of the ex-soldiers received N$1 300 each, while others received nothing.

President Hage Geingob said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2015 that N$12 million of this money had gone to the former SWATF/Koevoet members, N$12 million to former PLAN fighters, and the remaining N$12 million to the government.

However, Schlettwein responded to the Namvet letter on 12 July by saying that the N$36 million “was never deposited with treasury”.

“Was the money carried in a briefcase from South Africa?” asked Namvet leader Jabulani Ndeunyema. “We want to know the truth to end the hostile environment.”

Namvet says Geingob, who was the then prime minister, has to answer for the millions, claiming the money was “dubiously distributed, mismanaged and went missing”.

It also demands that Standard Bank Namibia, where the money was deposited, releases a document allegedly attached to the N$36 million specifying who the beneficiaries of the money ought to have been.

“We are very angry with the financial institution, and we demand that Standard Bank give an understandable response,” said Ndeunyema, adding that Standard Bank must acknowledge that it “failed to do the right thing”. Standard Bank Namibia said it is yet to investigate these claims. George Smieer, a former SWATF soldier and secretary of information and mobilisation of the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP), said at the press briefing shared with Namvet yesterday that he had met a certain Theron, then a manager at the Standard Bank head office in Windhoek, about the millions in the early 1990s. Smieer claimed that Theron informed him that he [Theron] had been under “extreme political pressure” to release the money to the Swapo leadership.

Smieer said he was informed by Theron that N$12 million of this money was given to the now defunct Development Brigade Corporation (DBC) in Ondangwa and “some millions” was used by Swapo “to buy buses”.

“Our view is that this was a criminal act,” said Smieer, adding that the ex-soldiers will demand the millions back from Standard Bank Namibia within the next two months.

“Standard Bank was under duress; there was a fear factor from the Swapo government,” Smieer said.

The ex-soldiers also demand pension payouts from sums directly deducted from their wages under the South African Defence Insurance Scheme, which they say they never received.

“These pension monies are still accumulating millions in interest. Every second our pension monies are increasing in value. Once we get that payout all of us will be multi-millionaires,” Smieer said.

Smieer further claimed that the former SWATF/Koevoet members are shareholders in the Seaside Hotel & Spa at Swakopmund – owned by the NDF Force Foundation – through their contributions made to the former SWA Defence Force Foundation.

Namvet enters political fray

The Namvet leadership yesterday also announced that it had formed a political party that intended to contest the November general elections. Namvet will make an official announcement in this regard on 15 August.

In the meantime, Ndeunyema said, Namvet had “suspended” its demand for war veteran status for the former SWATF/Koevoet members, since the new party would engage in a political dialogue on this matter from April next year.

Namvet member Simeon Papama said ex-SWATF/Koevoet members have been used as voting fodder by other political parties over the last 29 years.

“We got nothing in return. From now on we will represent ourselves,” Papama said.

CATHERINE SASMAN

↧

Operation Kalahari Desert resumes

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Anti-corruption crusade needs real teeth

≪ Previous: Namvet wants 'refund'

Operation Kalahari Desert resumes

The second phase of the joint anti-crime campaign known as Operation Kalahari Desert will resume on Monday, the police have announced.

Police spokesman Edwin Kanguatjivi said all participating members will undergo a three-day crash course focusing on proper conduct in the execution of their duties.

The first phase of the operation from 11 May to 30 June came under fire for several incidents of alleged brutality, including the shooting of 22-year-old Fambaune Black.

Kanguatjivi said “a few incidents of alleged misconduct” were investigated.

The nationwide anti-crime operation involves various stakeholders such as the Namibian Police, the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), the Correctional Services, and the Windhoek City Police. Kanguatjivi said the first phase of the operation registered “magnificent successes” against crime, resulting in calls from the public that combined operations with the NDF should continue. According to him 1 996 suspects were arrested during the first phase of the operation, 762 of them for serious offences such as murder, attempted murder and rape. Furthermore, 1 711 dangerous weapons were confiscated, 4 454 summonses issued, drugs to the value of N$683 072 confiscated and 284 head of stolen livestock recovered.

“We request the public to desist from any acts of lawlessness, undermining of authority, lack of cooperation, unruly and any other unbecoming behaviour. Such behaviour will not be tolerated at all,” said Kanguatjivi.

He added that the public should appreciate the efforts made by law-enforcement agencies to maintain law and order.

In November last year a similar campaign codenamed Operation Hornkranz was launched. Kanguatjivi said statistics proved that these operations made a substantial difference. Before Operation Hornkranz, the number of reported crimes in August 2018 stood at

8 947, in September at 8 656, in October at 8 927 and in November at 8 455. In comparison, 8 560 cases were recorded in December, dropping to 8 046 in January and 8 039 in February.

In March, when there was a break in Operation Hornkranz, the figure went up to 8 787 cases.

With the resumption of the operation in April, reported crimes dropped to 8 186, followed by 8158 in May and 7 379 in June. Meanwhile, the police say the crime rate has decreased in most regions.

The biggest drop has been in the Hardap Region, where the crime rate dropped more than 21% from the last quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of this year. The //Karas Region follows closely behind with a drop of 17%.

Only five regions saw an increase in crimes.

ELLANIE SMIT

↧

Anti-corruption crusade needs real teeth

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Town hall meeting fallout

≪ Previous: Operation Kalahari Desert resumes

Anti-corruption crusade needs real teeth

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been subjected to public scrutiny and criticism over the years, with many citizens still convinced that the country's anti-corruption crusade was targeting the small fish instead of gunning for the big fish who equally find themselves on the wrong end of the law. Even the recent corruption conviction of former education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa did little to change this long-held assertion by many. There is no doubt that faith in the ACC is a critical factor in shaping public opinion about how Namibia is doing in its efforts to combat the scourge of corruption, which has become more prevalent over the years. We have always maintained that political will is essential to fighting corruption and it is critical that a practical top-down government-led approach would make an impact. In our view, this high-level approach would include ensuring that the ACC has the necessary capacity and more teeth to tackle corruption tooth and nail. However, the underfunding of the ACC just further affirms that there appears to be a lack of political commitment to tackle graft, especially in the public service. There is already what appears to be a slack attitude coupled by lax prosecution of glaring instances of corruption considering that dockets are piling up at the Office of the Prosecutor-General. And then there is also the Office of the Ombudsman, which is equivalent to the Public Protector. The role of the ombudsman is to advocate for fair and effective administration, combat misappropriation or misuse of public resources, among many others. But this important office is consistently overlooked and this has rendered its inability to function efficiently and effectively discharge its duties. Ruthlessly implementing a zero tolerance stance against corruption at all levels would be hindered if the ACC and institutions such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Criminal Investigations Directorate of the Namibian police are not adequately funded.

↧

Town hall meeting fallout

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Geingob dragged into street renaming saga

≪ Previous: Anti-corruption crusade needs real teeth

Town hall meeting fallout

Omuthiya management committee chairperson Beata Nashongo says she will take unspecified action against former councillor Moses Amukoto for claiming at a presidential town hall meeting that she is corrupt.

However, mayor Katrina Uusiku, who was also implicated at the drama-filled gathering, said she will not take any action.

Amukoto interrupted President Hage Geingob's town hall meeting at Omuthiya last month to accuse Nashongo and Uusiku of allegedly facilitating rampant corruption at the town.

Despite Geingob trying to interject by urging Amukoto to avoid spreading “unfounded rumours while on record”, the former councillor was defiant and continued to allege that the two office-bearers are corrupt.

“The mayor of Omuthiya town is corrupt, she owns more than five plots without paying anything, and the chairperson of Omuthiya town is corrupt.

The person who can attest to this is the CEO of the town. I am not scared and ready for whatever that is coming,” Amukoto said.

Nashongo said this week she is will take an action against Amukoto, but did specify what action.

Nashongo is accused of having misused her power to push for the recruitment of a finance and human resource manager, who came second in an interview process with a score of 66.6%, at the expense of an internal candidate who came out tops with 77.8%.

“We recruit according to the need of the council and not whether we know the person or not. I will make sure I clear my name and I will not stop, but I will take an action against Amukoto,” Nashongo said.

New Era reported that outgoing CEO Samuel Mbango, in a letter addressed to urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga, singled out Uusiku, her deputy Heskiel Nanyeni, Nashongo and management committee member Enos Shipahu for allegedly using their positions for self-gratification.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating alleged corrupt practices at the Omuthiya town council after some Swapo members laid complaints against their representatives.

On 22 June, a group led by Amukoto and Swapo's Omuthiya district coordinator Magnus Nangombe calling itself 'Swapo Party Members, Supporters, Veterans and Sympathisers in Omuthiya District' submitted a petition against the Omuthiya town council to the party's regional coordinator for Oshikoto, Armas Amukwiyu.

Amukwiyu, who serves on the tender committee of the Omuthiya town council, was accused of similar corrupt practices.

In a petition handed over to Amukwiyu, the group alleged that corruption and other misbehaviours committed by the seven councillors representing Swapo at Omuthiya was destroying the party's image and they requested Amukwiyu to bring them to order.

The allegations

Uusiku is accused of influencing the council to employ her husband, Thomas Uusiku, as grader operator despite him not performing well in the job interview.

The group further alleged that the mayor had influenced the council to send her husband for grader operator training in South Africa at a monthly cost of N$100 000, which the council paid.

They further accused her of occupying several plots at the town without paying anything.

Nanyeni, who previously served as mayor, is accused of allocating himself a residential plot in Extension Five without paying.

Nashongo, is accused of nepotism when employing council staff.

Shipahu is accused of facilitating the sale of the Swapo Party Women's Council property, Erf No 2 in Omuthiya Proper, after he signed the sale document as witness. Shipahu is further accused of allocating himself multiple plots without paying for them.

Councillor Samuel Shivute, the former chairperson of the council's management committee, is also accused of overseeing the sale of a Swapo Party property. While he was the chairman of the management committee, he also allegedly allocated multiple plots to his relatives.

↧

Geingob dragged into street renaming saga

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Hepatitis E kills 5 in two weeks

≪ Previous: Town hall meeting fallout

Geingob dragged into street renaming saga

More than a month after the Windhoek City Council gave the final green light to rename Bismarck Street in honour of the late Namibian liberation hero Simeon Lineekela Shixungileni, a local lawyer this week appealed to President Hage Geingob to urge the council to reconsider this decision.

In a four-page newspaper insert, Andreas Vaatz asks the president urge the councillors “not to pursue the name change of Bismarck Street to the unwieldy, cumbersome and long street name of Simeon Lineekela Shixungileni Street.”

Instead, he proposes the street be renamed Pohamba Street, because former president Hifikepunye Pohamba “is well known to all of us, we all know that he has done a lot of good things for Windhoek and the country and in my view, had this name been chosen, I think everyone in the street would have agreed to honour him for what he has done for the country.”

Vaatz has long objected to the renaming of Bismarck Street, as per the June council agenda, as well as threatened a lawsuit since the name was first proposed in 2014 by then Swapo Party Youth League member Job Amupanda.

Numerous others, mostly the owners of businesses located on the street, also unsuccessfully objected to the renaming last year, citing numerous factors, including the cost of changing branding and other business materials, the name's length and difficulty to pronounce.

Nevertheless, in June the council approved a 2018 resolution to rename Bismarck Street in honour of Shixungileni, or a shortened version of his name.

Amupanda yesterday praised council's decision, saying he was “delighted, better late than never”, that his campaign for the name change has finally reaped rewards.

He pointed out that the decision comes after Shixungileni, who passed away in 2014, died “in abject poverty” without being “recognised effectively in his lifetime”.

Amupanda stressed that the name change was not only in memory of a liberation hero who has received too little recognition in Namibia, but also an effort to unite Namibians and to work towards a united national identity.

“Bismarck ought to have been removed a long time ago,” Amupanda added, saying it was a “scandal” that his name was still honoured in Namibia, although the “crime of Namibia's genocide can be put at his doorstep.”

In 2014 he wrote to the council that it would be fitting to rename the street after Shixungileni “not only for the purpose of forging a national identity, but also to correct a wrong.”

He underlined further that Bismarck, as the “author of colonialism”, played a critical role in bringing “100 years of brutality, oppression, subjugation, loss of life, land, culture, and dignity” to Namibians.

Final decision

While the council took note of the objections, and investigated them, the City's street and place naming committee advised that renaming the street in honour of Shixungileni was “within the context of promoting a cohesive national identity and nation building.”

The committee said the renaming signified that “communities are prepared and willing to accept change that embraces community inclusivity and unity to promote local knowledge as opposed to narratives of ancient foreign origins.”

The renaming was in view of the municipality's aim of “accommodating the aspirations of the previously colonised people and promote production of knowledge on indigenous national leaders.”

Among several objections detailed in yesterday's insert, Vaatz claims that Bismarck was also a hero and an admired leader of one of the ethnic groups of Namibia, and it could be seen as unreasonable and unfair to rename the street for a hero of one of the other ethnic groups.

Moreover, he argues the new name is “long and most unwieldy”, and that it is “exceptionally difficult to pronounce and even less likely to be remembered.”

Amupanda yesterday said many of Vaatz's arguments were “disgusting”, including the assertion that Bismarck is a hero to German-speaking citizens of Namibia.

“We can't live in a country where Bismarck is called a hero,” Amupanda stressed. He added that anyone who regards Bismarck a hero “is embracing and nostalgic about colonialism.”

He also noted that it's insulting to argue Shixungileni is difficult to pronounce, considering there are many street names, including German names, that are equally difficult to pronounce for many.

Amupanda stressed that it is crucial to work towards decolonising the country, and Windhoek, by forging a space that allows Namibians to live within a space where they recognise their “own history and identity. We are not in Germany, we are in Namibia.”

Amupanda further suggested that the money Vaatz paid for the inserts and their distribution could be better spent on the poor, and particularly in addressing the lack of housing in informal settlements.

↧

Hepatitis E kills 5 in two weeks

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Company news in brief

≪ Previous: Geingob dragged into street renaming saga

Hepatitis E kills 5 in two weeksHighest number of new infections yet Namibia's hepatitis epidemic is gathering speed at an alarming rate, with five people dying in the last two weeks of July alone.

Five more people died from hepatitis E in the last two weeks of July, while nearly 230 new infections were recorded during that time, marking the highest number of new infections since the outbreak began in late 2017.

Twenty-eight new infections were recorded daily, on average, in a single week.

Moreover, the latest report on the outbreak shows that 77% of the 5 940 people diagnosed with hepatitis E are unemployed and dependent on communal water taps.

The situation report on the hepatitis E outbreak for the two-week period 15 and 29 July shows that a total of 229 people were newly infected during that time, bringing the total number of new infections to 5 940, up from 5 711 cases by 14 July. Moreover, the death toll increased to 53, up from 48 deaths by 14 July.

The report highlights further that while new infections continue to fluctuate, the 199 new infections recorded in just one week, between 22 and 29 July, marks the “highest number of cases since the outbreak”.

The report states that 4 563 of the people infected so far were unemployed Namibians living in informal settlements.

Further, 4 550 of those infected were found to depend on communal water taps, while 55% of those infected, or 3 242, ate food bought from street vendors.

Research has also found that about 9% of new cases, or 549 people, were hospitalised.

Meanwhile, the report issued this week confirms that the hepatitis A outbreak in the Omusati Region continues to affect more people, with 66 cases reported to date, up from 51 cases by mid-July.

The report also notes that since the start of the outbreak, 122 persons have been diagnosed with hepatitis A, while 164 were diagnosed with hepatitis B.

Ten people were co-infected with hepatitis A and E, while 62 were co-infected with hepatitis E and B. Four patients had all three strains of hepatitis.

The Khomas Region remains the most affected area with 3 819 of the confirmed cases, followed by the Erongo Region where 1 349 cases have been reported.

The report notes that as part of the response activities to curb the now nearly two-year hepatitis E outbreak, Unicef and the City of Windhoek continue to implement the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach in Windhoek.

CLTS is tailor-made for urban settings without compromising set city standards. The hepatitis task force, which includes city councillors, has been established and blocks were identified and mapping of sanitation centres has been conducted, the report notes.

The Oshana Region is experiencing a lack of space to put up toilets and pit latrines in some informal settlements, while in the Khomas Region water transportation and refilling of tanks remains a challenge. This is apparently because NamWater, which usually provides water to the tanks, has stopped the service.

The report highlights that vandalism and theft of public water and sanitation facilities remains a major challenge in the Khomas Region.

JANA-MARI SMITH

↧

Company news in brief

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Agriculture's secret weapon: empowering women

≪ Previous: Hepatitis E kills 5 in two weeks

Company news in brief

Moody’s: Eskom urgently needs turnaround plan

South Africa's state power utility Eskom urgently needs a turnaround plan as its capital structure is unsustainable, credit ratings agency Moody's said on Tuesday in a report which sent the rand to a two-month low.

A week ago Eskom reported a mammoth R20.7 billion annual loss, and its outgoing chief executive said the firm needs to change its outdated business model to escape a "death spiral".

"The company's operational and financial performance has deteriorated, indicating the extent of the challenges facing Eskom in meeting its debt obligations absent government support," Moody's said in a note.

Moody's said the cash injections from the state were credit positive for Eskom but would do no more than stabilise the company's debt burden, and a long-term solution would still be needed.

Eskom is regularly cited by ratings agencies as one of the main threats to South Africa's creditworthiness and economic growth. – Nampa/Reuters

SA regulator punishes Bank of Baroda

A South African regulator has imposed a reduced penalty of R400 000 on the local unit of India's Bank of Baroda for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FIC).

The Prudential Authority (PA) said the penalty follows an on-site inspection in 2014 that found deficiencies relating to compliance, as well as weaknesses in controls to counter potential money laundering and terrorist financing.

In 2016, the PA conducted a follow-up inspection, which found that some deficiencies in controls remained.

Following that, the Bank of Baroda was slapped with administrative sanctions, including a combined financial penalty of R11 million for non-compliance with the FIC Act and deficiencies in respect of money laundering controls, the PA said.

Baroda's South African division was thrust into the spotlight three years ago when it started working with the Indian-born Guptas after corporate South Africa, including all four major banks, turned its back on the family's businesses due to reputational risks. – Nampa/Reuters

Glencore to halt production at Mutanda

Glencore Plc will halt production at Mutanda mine, the world's largest cobalt mine, from the end of this year after a slump in prices for cobalt, Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

The company will shut the mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo because it is "no longer economically viable", the FT said, citing a letter to employees of the mine.

Glencore declined to comment on the report.

Glencore said last week it faced a US$350 million hit after cobalt prices halved and has begun an overhaul of its under-performing Africa business. – Nampa/Reuters

HSBC agrees to settlement of Belgian tax fraud

HSBC's Swiss private banking arm has agreed to pay nearly 300 million euro (US$336 million) to settle a tax fraud case in Belgium, Belgian prosecutors said on Tuesday, the latest blow for the Alpine state's banking sector from the EU.

The settlement comes after a French court in February ordered UBS, another Swiss lender, to pay 4.5 billion euro in penalties for illegally soliciting clients and laundering the proceeds of tax evasion. UBS, which is under investigation in Belgium for a similar case, denies the charges.

Swiss banks have been exposed to such legal challenges since 2004, when Bern agreed to apply a European Union tax on the savings income of its lenders' EU clients.

The Belgian prosecutors said in a statement that HSBC was "charged by a prosecutor in 2014 for serious and organised tax fraud, forgery and falsification of records, money-laundering and illegal use of financial intermediaries."

They alleged that HSBC helped and encouraged the avoidance of the EU savings tax by creating off-shore companies in Panama and other tax havens in the Caribbean for wealthy Belgian clients "with no other purpose but to hide money". A spokesman for HSBC declined to comment. – Nampa/Reuters

Delhi rejects AB InBev plea to lift ban

Authorities in New Delhi have rejected a plea by Anheuser-Busch InBev to temporarily lift a 3-year ban while it hears the global brewer's appeal, a senior government source told Reuters.

AB InBev, the world's largest brewer, has been barred from selling its products in the critical New Delhi market for allegedly evading local taxes, Reuters reported last week. The company has denied the allegations.

A three-year investigation by authorities in India's capital found that SABMiller - acquired by AB InBev in 2016 for around US$100 billion - used duplicate barcodes on beer bottles supplied to retailers that year, allowing it to pay lower levies.

AB InBev has appealed against the ban to the Commissioner of Excise in the Delhi city government, two government sources with direct knowledge said. The ban order was passed by a deputy commissioner of the division.

AB InBev, which counts popular beer brands such as Budweiser, Hoegaarden and Stella Artois in its portfolio, said the city's allegations dated back to 2016 before its takeover of SABMiller and it looked forward to receiving a "fair hearing". – Nampa/Reuters

↧

Agriculture's secret weapon: empowering women

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Millions face starvation in Zimbabwe

≪ Previous: Company news in brief

Agriculture's secret weapon: empowering womenNot just a man’s world Closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase yields on women's farms by 20%-30%, potentially reducing the number of hungry people in the world by close to a fifth. There's a lack of recognition of land rights to women both officially and traditionally - men normally have land and they distribute it to the boys, not the girls. - Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Coordinator: Indigenous Women and Peoples Association Chad

Patrick Galey and Laure Fillon - Women farmers face the brunt of the threat posed by climate change, yet they may hold the key to helping limit its fallout, according to a landmark UN report to be released this week.

Although they make up more than half the agricultural labour force in developing nations, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), women farmers are far less likely than men to own the land they till.

This makes it difficult for them to invest in sustainable practices that would enhance yields while protecting Nature.

Methods such as proper fertiliser management, buying better and more drought resistant seeds as well as mechanical equipment to boost productivity, can help humanity tread that delicate path between food security and climate change mitigation, experts say.

World meets

Scientists and policymakers from around the world are gathered in Geneva to finalise the most detailed scientific assessment yet of the impact that industrial agriculture, deforestation, and food waste have on our planet.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report is expected to lay out the stark trade-offs facing a world struggling to feed 10 billion people by 2050 while avoiding catastrophic global warming.

A draft summary of the vast assessment said that empowering women would bring "co-benefits to household food security and sustainable land management."

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, coordinator of the Indigenous Women and Peoples Association of Chad, works with women farmers in the landlocked African nation.

"There's a lack of recognition of land rights to women both officially and traditionally - men normally have land and they distribute it to the boys, not the girls," she told AFP.

"Most of the time women farmers are the ones feeding the communities whereas the men are selling and doing it for their businesses."

Gender gap

The IPCC report is expected to address the need to boost nutrition in poorer nations while slashing food waste and loss, which are a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

The FAO says closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase yields on women's farms by 20%-30%, potentially reducing the number of hungry people in the world by close to a fifth.

Teresa Anderson, climate policy coordinator for ActionAid, said governments had for too long seen agriculture as a male-only sector.

"Policymakers often assume that man is the default human, or the default farmer," she said.

"But women farmers do things differently and face specific challenges in agriculture precisely because they are women."

In developing nations, women farmers are often also tasked with raising families, lack access to male-dominated trading markets, and have little protection against extortion or theft.

They are also uniquely vulnerable to drought, flash-floods and land degradation made worse by climate change.

In Chad, Ibrahim encouraged women farmers to form cooperatives to close the power imbalance with their male peers.

"This way they have better voices among the community and better production. It helped them to generate more revenue, and that's empowered them in terms of the decisions they can take."

She also worked with women, many of whom were innumerate, on an accounting system based on weights and bars, allowing them to carry out more precise stock-takes - vital when the rainy season comes.

Land tenure

Ibrahim wants to see land tenure laws brought into the 21st century, allowing women to club together and buy the land they work, increasing their ability to plan long-term and think sustainably.

"This is important not only to communities but also to industry, as small farms feed million of people," she said.

Fernanda Carvalho, global policy manager for WWF's Climate and Energy Practice, said women could also prove pivotal in the generational shift away from high-carbon diets.

"We need transformational change in the food sector, and women have a key role in co-parenting and providing education in the long-term effect in diet and a shift in consumption patterns," she told AFP. – Nampa/AFP

↧

Millions face starvation in Zimbabwe

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Africa Briefs

≪ Previous: Agriculture's secret weapon: empowering women

Millions face starvation in ZimbabweUN appeals for aid President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday declared the drought a national disaster. We don't have the luxury of fiddling while Rome burns. - David Beasley, Executive director: UN World Food Programme

HARARE - The United Nations has increased its aid appeal for Zimbabwe to US$331.5 million to help it recover from drought that has driven millions to the brink of starvation as well as a cyclone that hit eastern regions earlier this year.

The El Niño-induced drought cut the maize harvest by half and is responsible for low water levels at the biggest hydro plant Kariba that has reduced power generation and triggered rolling power cuts.

The drought comes with Zimbabweans enduring the worst economic crisis in a decade - prices of staples such as sugar, cooking oil and rice have more than doubled since June, jacking up inflation to 175.66%.

David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, said 2.3 million people in rural Zimbabwe need emergency food aid now and the figure would increase to 5.5 million during the lean season up to March next year.

The government estimates another 2.2 million people in urban areas also require food aid, bringing the total to 7.7 million, more than half of the Southern African nation's population.

The US$331.5 million would be used for food aid, provision of water and sanitation and cash handouts to stricken families.

"We are talking about people who truly are marching towards starvation if we are not here to help them," Beasley told diplomats, aid agencies and government officials at the launch of Zimbabwe's humanitarian appeal to international donors.

"We are facing a drought unlike any that we have seen in a long time. We don't have the luxury of fiddling while Rome burns."

The United Nations had previously appealed for US$294 million but as the impact of the drought has spread, it needed more funding.

Government

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday declared the drought a national disaster.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube told the same meeting that the government was surprised by the impact of the drought on power generation.

Another government official told reporters earlier on Tuesday that Zimbabwe would import 400 MW of electricity from neighbouring South Africa's Eskom after agreeing to make weekly payments of US$890 000 to clear its debt.

This was after a treasury official said on Monday Zimbabwe would ramp up electricity imports over the next few weeks, potentially easing rolling power cuts, after agreeing to clear its debt to a regional power utility.

"The impact of weather goes beyond the vulnerable, it is affecting production in the manufacturing sector, agriculture and everywhere, and this is an impact again that was not anticipated," Ncube said.

The hope and euphoria that greeted long-time leader Robert Mugabe's departure after a coup in 2017 has gradually turned to despair as Mnangagwa has failed to revive the economy or usher in meaningful political reforms.

Amid rising discontent over the state of the economy, the main opposition party said it was planning street demonstrations next week to protest against the government's handling of the economy. – Nampa/Reuters

↧

Africa Briefs

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Uncertain peace prospects in Mozambique

≪ Previous: Millions face starvation in Zimbabwe

Africa Briefs

Harare to legalise growing of industrial hemp

Zimbabwe will change its laws to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp for export, cabinet ministers said, adding that the government saw the plant as a future substitute for tobacco, the country's biggest export earning crop.

Industrial hemp is a strain of a cannabis species that is grown specifically for industrial uses of its derived products. Its fibre is used in textiles and paper, and it also produces edible seeds.

Zimbabwe's laws only allow cultivation of cannabis for medical and scientific uses.

Authorities said last year in April that Zimbabweans could apply for licences to grow cannabis for medical and research purposes, but the process has been slow as authorities try to put in place laws to ensure cannabis farms are secure.

"The minister of justice has been directed to say 'go and make amendments' to the criminal code in our system so that people who will grow hemp don't have to be criminalised," commerce minister July Moyo said.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told the same meeting on Tuesday that "industrial hemp will widen the country's industrial and export base."– Nampa/Reuters

Ethiopia opens up banking to its diaspora

Ethiopia's parliament passed a bill to open up the country's financial sector to an estimated five million of its citizens who have taken other nationalities, including allowing them to buy shares in local banks and start lending businesses.

The changes are part of a raft of economic reforms initiated by prime minister Abiy Ahmed when he came to power last year, partly aimed at boosting the country's foreign exchange reserves, which had dropped precariously low.

Ethiopia's banking sector, which is closed to foreign investment and is still one of the most tightly state-controlled in Africa, is dominated by the two oldest and most profitable institutions, Awash Bank and Dashen.

Abiy's government is also opening up other key sectors of the economy to foreign investment. It plans to offer two telecoms licences to foreign firms, which have been jostling to start operating in one of the world's last major closed telecom markets.

Ethiopia's population is young and growing rapidly, and the economy has been expanding at a near double-digit annual rate for more than a decade. – Nampa/Reuters

Libya's government steps up defence spending

Libya's internationally recognised government has allocated 40 million Libyan dinars (US$28.5 million) for its defence ministry, stepping up spending to fend off an eastern offensive as the war enters a fifth month.

The government also granted each of its soldiers 3 000 dinars as a reward for fighting the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) force of Khalifa Haftar, which started in April a campaign to take Tripoli in western Libya.

Authorities gave no details on the military spending. They had in April budgeted up to 2 billion dinars (US$1.43 billion) to cover medical treatment for the wounded, aid for displaced people and other "emergency" war costs.

The government did not say how it plans to fund the defence spending.

According to central bank data, Libya in the first six months earned 11.1 billion dinars from a hard currency transaction fee, imposed last year. – Nampa/Reuters

Sudan gets massive boost from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has deposited US$250 million into the central bank of Sudan to support its financial position, the Saudi finance ministry said.

The deposit is part of a package with the United Arab Emirates worth US$500 million announced in April. Both countries pledged an overall US$3 billion in aid, with the rest going towards fuel, wheat and medicine.

The deposit is not a grant to Sudan but rather a loan, a Saudi finance ministry official said. It is aimed at alleviating pressure on the Sudanese pound and achieving stability in its exchange rate, the ministry said.

In April, mass protests led the Sudanese army to topple longtime president Omar al Bashir. But Sudan's economy is still haunted by Bashir's legacy - the penalties imposed for his support of militant groups and for the offensive he launched to crush rebels in the western region of Darfur.

Since Sudan is still listed by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism and has US$1.3 billion of IMF arrears, it is unable to tap the International Monetary Fund and World Bank for support. Sudanese banks have struggled to re-establish correspondent relationships with foreign banks. – Nampa/Reuters

↧

Uncertain peace prospects in Mozambique

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: US-Africa trade lagging despite free access

≪ Previous: Africa Briefs

Uncertain peace prospects in MozambiqueElection could make, break pact Analysts say the new accord offers the best hope yet for a lasting solution to the conflict. All of us have to be optimistic, because if nobody believes in peace, there will be no peace. - Felipe Donoso, Mission head: ICRC

MAPUTO - With a handshake and a hug, Mozambique's leaders hoped on Tuesday to close the book on a decades-long conflict. But an election in October and new causes of violence mean lasting peace is far from assured.

After fighting on opposite sides of a civil war that erupted following independence from Portugal and killed more than one million people between 1977 and 1992, the ruling Frelimo party and former guerrilla movement Renamo signed a ceasefire that ended the worst of the bloodshed.

However, violence has flared periodically in the years since, especially around elections.

President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade smiled broadly and embraced after signing the deal, which encompasses a permanent end to hostilities and constitutional changes, as well as the disarming and reintegration of Renamo fighters into the security forces or civilian life.

"With this agreement we are saying that we may disagree, but we always use dialogue to settle our differences," Nyusi said at an event in Maputo's Peace Square in front of dignitaries including South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa and presidents of other neighbouring states.

"Never again should election results dictate the state of peace in Mozambique."

Analysts say the new accord offers the best hope yet for a lasting solution to the conflict.

"All of us have to be optimistic, because if nobody believes in peace, there will be no peace," said Felipe Donoso, head of mission for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Mozambique.

New page

Nyusi and Momade both hope the deal will score them political points ahead of presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections on 15 October.

The poll could make or break the agreement, experts said. It will be the first time Renamo, now the country's main opposition party, can compete for provincial governorships, satisfying demands for political inclusion and control over areas they dominate.

The governorships offer a chance for Renamo to demonstrate it is a functioning political party with the capacity to govern effectively, said Edward Hobey-Hamsher, senior Africa analyst at British-based risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

He and other experts interviewed by Reuters cited this as a main reason the agreement might succeed where its predecessors had failed.

Elections

However, if Renamo does not achieve its election goals of winning governorships and feels cheated by Frelimo, the accord could quickly come undone.

"Then the whole thing will collapse," said Joseph Hanlon, a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.

Already, there have been accusations of voter registration fraud.

Renamo's Momade said at the ceremony that the deal sealed a future of peace and reconciliation, but noted that changes in government through free and fair elections should be the rule rather than the exception.

"We have just opened a new page in the history of our country," he said.

The disarmament process will be far from complete by the time of the election. So far about 50 out of more than 5 000 Renamo fighters have been registered, a process that started last week in Gorongosa, where Renamo's headquarters are located.

Hardliners

But only a handful of guns were handed over and Renamo will likely hang onto its heavier and better weapons, at least until after the poll, and could sell some them to other groups, analysts said.

Both Frelimo and Renamo contain groups of hardliners unenthusiastic about the process. A Renamo general and an

uncertain number of other fighters have in recent weeks disavowed Momade, threatening violence and refusing to give up their weapons while he remains in charge.

"They are now completely outside of the peace agreement," said Johanna Nilsson, a Sweden-based academic. "The fact Renamo cannot control them is of course problematic."

Peace with benefits

The split between Renamo and Frelimo has defined Mozambique since the 1970s, when the country was a front in the Cold War.

But while a lasting peace deal has been a long time in the making, analysts say the rivalry between the former foes is no longer the primary conflict threatening the country.

An Islamist insurgency in the impoverished north is stretching the government's military resources and increasing the imperative for an accord with Renamo.

Since 2017, Islamist attacks have killed more than 250 people. The roots of that crisis could hold lessons for the government as it attempts to deal with Renamo.

Located on Southern Africa's Indian Ocean coast, Mozambique is one of the world’s least-developed nations, but is starting to tap huge coal and natural gas deposits.

Poverty

Residents in the Cabo Delgado region remain mired in poverty, even as a growing number of multinational corporations head there to develop one of the biggest offshore gas finds in a decade - estimated to be worth at least US$30 billion.

"Poverty is the fuel of the present violence in northern Mozambique," said Eleanor Beevor, a research analyst at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"The grievances around this inequality could become much worse if ordinary people don't benefit from the growing oil and gas industries in northern Mozambique."

A lack of economic opportunities in Renamo's central heartland could also fuel violence, much as it has in the north, said Adriano Nuvunga, director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Development (CEDE) in Maputo.

"This peace, it needs to bring benefits," he told Reuters.

Mirko Manzoni, the United Nations special envoy for Mozambique, who has been closely involved in the negotiations, said most Renamo fighters just want a way to provide a future for their families.

"We would like to make sure this is the last reintegration," he said. "So we are really trying ... to make sure the reintegration will provide a prospect better than guns."– Nampa/Reuters

↧

US-Africa trade lagging despite free access

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: World food prices ease for second month running

≪ Previous: Uncertain peace prospects in Mozambique

US-Africa trade lagging despite free accessNam’s annual exports drop AGOA has not led to the trade diversification hoped for, a US trade representative told a forum in Ivory Coast this week. I do not think that AGOA has been the game-changer for many countries on the continent that we hoped it would be. - Constance Hamilton, Assistant US trade representative for Africa

Trade between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa is in the doldrums despite a 2000 US law designed to boost access the American market, a conference in Ivory Coast has been told.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act, which in 2015 was extended to 2025, provides tariff-free access on 6 500 products to 39 countries, ranging from oil and agricultural goods to textiles, farm and handicrafts.

The latest data supplied by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) shows Namibia exported N$670 million worth of goods to the US in the first quarter of 2019, up 135% from the same three months in 2018.

This made the US Namibia’s tenth biggest export market in the first quarter. By comparison, exports to China – Namibia’s biggest market in the quarter under review – exceeded N$5.4 billion.

Namibia imported N$450 million worth of goods from the US in the first quarter, a drop of 31% compared to the same quarter last year.

AGOA

US-Africa trade quadrupled in value from 2002 to 2008, a year when it reached US$100 billion, but fell back in 2017 to just US$39 billion, according to figures compiled by the US agency USAID.

The surplus is widely in Africa's favour, but most exports to the US are in oil or petroleum-based products, not the industrialised goods that provide a value-added boost to local economies.

"I do not think that AGOA has been the game-changer for many countries on the continent that we hoped it would be," Constance Hamilton, assistant US trade representative for Africa, told the 18th AGOA Forum, ending in the Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan on Tuesday.

"AGOA has not led to the trade diversification for which we originally hoped," she said in remarks on Monday.

"Petroleum products continued to account for the largest portion of AGOA imports, with a 67% share," Hamilton said.

"And the volume of AGOA trade remains modest. In the AGOA clothing sector, for example, we get about US$1 billion per year from Africa," he said, adding that this amounted to just one percent of all US clothing imports.

The United States is Africa's third biggest trade partner after the European Union and China. But Africa attracts only about one percent of all US foreign investment.

Deputy US trade representative Curtis Mahoney said Washington had drawn up a "variety of new initiatives" to "lay the groundwork for an even closer trade and investment partnership".

AfCFTA

"We will combine the promise of the AfCFTA with these new US initiatives and help maximise the potential of US-Africa trade," he said.

The AfCFTA - the African Continental Free Trade Area - is a scheme for demolishing trade barriers among the 55-member African Union.

The long-negotiated agreement was ceremonially launched at a summit in July, but will need a year to become operational, the AU says.

According to the conclusions of a pre-forum meeting of ministers ahead of the Abidjan conference, only 18 out of 39 countries have set down a national strategy for exploiting the benefits of the AGOA.

Many African companies either do not know of the advantages that are on offer, or they do not know how to use them, the ministers found.

Prosper Africa

In July, US ambassador to Namibia, Lisa Johnson, introduced the local media to Prosper Africa, the US government’s initiative to sustainably increase two-way trade and investment between the superpower and Africa.

Johnson said Prosper Africa will help advance Americans and Africa prosperity and security, supporting jobs and demonstrating superior value of transparent markets and private enterprises for driving growth.

“With six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world and over one billion consumers, Africa is poised to play a pivotal role in the global economy. Meanwhile, producers in Africa see a US consumer market of more than 300 million people that already has purchasing power of US$300 trillion; the largest in the world,” she said. - Own report and Nampa/Reuters

↧

World food prices ease for second month running

August 7, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Stars plan surprise attack

≪ Previous: US-Africa trade lagging despite free access

World food prices ease for second month running

ROME - World food prices eased for a second month running in July after five consecutive monthly gains, pushed down by falls in the prices of some cereals, dairy products and sugar, the United Nations food agency has said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 170.9 points last month from a downwardly revised 172.7 points in June.

That figure was previously given as 173.0.

The FAO did not update its forecast for world cereal production. The next estimate will come on 5 September.

The FAO cereal price index fell 2.7% from June due to lower wheat and maize prices, but was still up 4.1% from its level in July last year. FAO's all rice price index marked its fifth successive month of stability, the agency said.

Commodities

The FAO dairy price index fell 2.9% from June, the second straight month of decline, and the index value was down almost 3% compared with the corresponding month last year. Quotations for butter declined the most, followed by cheese and Whole Milk Powder (WMP).

The FAO sugar price index was down 0.6% in July from the month before, mainly on expectations for higher sugarcane yields in India, the world’s largest sugar producer, following above average rainfalls in the main sugar producing regions.

By contrast, the vegetable oil price index gained 0.8% from the previous month, with firmer soy and sunflower oil prices more than offsetting a further drop in palm oil values. The index was still 11% below last year's corresponding level.

The meat price index rose 0.6% in July from June, posting the sixth consecutive moderate month-on-month increase. – Nampa/Reuters

↧

Stars plan surprise attack

August 8, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Ramatex set for Clash of the Titans

≪ Previous: World food prices ease for second month running

Stars plan surprise attackHome ground to work for Namibians African Stars head coach Mohammed Gargo says his team is up for the challenge tomorrow when they face KCCA of Uganda in the first leg of the Caf preliminary round at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.

The Caf first leg will be the first match for the newly appointed Mohammed Gargo, who says they don't want to reveal who will feature in the match or to reveal the list to the media as they want to keep their plans a secret until the match kicks off.

Gargo replaced Bobby Samaria, who is currently serving as the interim coach of the Namibia national football team.

“We want to unleash it tomorrow against Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) thus the reason why we want to hide our secret weapons,” Gargo said.

He added that they are having a bit of a tough time as most of the club players were in the Brave Warriors camp after playing Comoros at home and away for the Chan qualifiers, giving him little time to work with the players.

But Gargo believes that the players are good individually and going into the match won't be a problem.

The coach emphasised that his left full back, Edmund Kambanda, is suffering from a hamstring injury and that they don't see him recovering anytime soon.

“We won't risk the player and will have to find a replacement. This is our job and we have to fix it,” he said.

He said he trusts the capabilities of the rest of the players and that they will give their all for the match.

Gargo also stressed the importance of supporters, saying that they are the 12th man and should turn up in numbers to support the players. He is also pleased with the reception he has received at the club.

“Stars are a big team. They are well organised with a capable chairman, Patrick Kauta. I'm grateful to fall in their hands and to stick to the strict mandate of doing well for the club,” added Gargo.

Gargo has been tasked to win the 2019/20 Namibian Premier League and also make it to the group stage of the 2019/20 Caf Champions League.

With those instructions, the Namibians will be hoping to pick up a positive result in the first leg in order to have the upper hand in the return leg, which will be played on 23 August at Star Times Stadium, Lugogo in Kampala.

Last weekend they tested themselves against Botswana's top club and frequent Caf Champions League participants, Township Rollers, and played to a 1-1 draw in Tlokweng.

In addition, on Wednesday they revealed new signings to the club, namely McDonald Geiseb, Kambanda, Mbemutjia Mata, Deon Tjizumaue, Marcel Papama and Romeo Kasume.

The Ugandans are also prepared for the Namibians and have named a strong squad for the first battle which includes three debutants.

KCCA squad consists of:

Goalkeepers: Lukwago Charles (captain) and Jamil Malyamungu.

Defenders: Peter Magambo, Ssenjobe Eric, Kato Samuel, Fillbert Obenchan, Kizza Mustafa, Achai Herbert and Musana Hassan.

Midfielders: Bukenya Lawrence, Muzamiru Mutyaba, Sadam Juma, Gift Ali Abubakar, Kasozi Nicholas.

Forwards: Sadat Anaku, Okello Allan, Mike Mutyaba and Kaddu Patrick.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

↧

Ramatex set for Clash of the Titans

August 8, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Copa Coca-Cola finals set for Rehoboth

≪ Previous: Stars plan surprise attack

Ramatex set for Clash of the Titans

The Salute Boxing Academy (SBA) will host its second boxing bonanza for the year themed 'Clash of the Titans' at the Ramatex Hall in Windhoek on Saturday.

There will be 13 bouts, with the main fight featuring Albinius 'Danny Boy' Felesiano, who will face Zimbabwe's Peter Pambeni.

Felesiano has a total of 21 fights, 18 wins, two losses and one draw, whereas his opponent Pambeni has a total of 13 fights, 12 wins and one loss.

In the featherweight fight Natanael Kakololo will exchange leather with South Africa's Toto Helebe. Kakololo has 10 fights, 8 wins, one loss and one draw to his name. His opponent is more experienced with 27 fights, 20 wins and seven losses.

The middleweight will see Lukas Ndafoluma against Zimbabwe's Enock Msabudzi.

Ndafoluma boasts a record of 19 fights, 16 wins, two losses and one no contest.

His opponent has 10 fights, all of which he has won.

The Namibian national super featherweight title will also be on the line. The title will be contested by Lazarus Shaningwa and David Shinuna.

Shaningwa has a record of two fights, both of them wins, whereas Shinuna has 10 fights, five wins, three losses and two draws.

Other bouts on the evening will include:

Super bantamweight: Marten Mukungu vs Gustav Petrus

Light flyweight: Erastus Jonas vs Leonard Gawanab

Flyweight: Ruben Kandimba vs Festus Simon

Super bantamweight: Lazarus Namalambo vs Immanuel Andeleki

Light heavyweight: Mejandjae Kasuto vs Limbani Lano (Malawi)

Middleweight: Anthony Jarmann vs Simon Tcheta (Malawi)

Heavyweight: Igor Shevadzutkyi (Ukraine) vs Alick Gogoda (Malawi)

Heavyweight: Kasera Sirongo vs Johannes Nekongo

Heavyweight: Taras Neadachyn (Ukraine) vs Akeem Tijani (Nigeria)

LIMBA MUPETAMI

↧

Copa Coca-Cola finals set for Rehoboth

August 8, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Old Mutual Victory Race ready for take-off

≪ Previous: Ramatex set for Clash of the Titans

Copa Coca-Cola finals set for Rehoboth

The Namibia Schools Sports Union's Solly Duiker says preparations for the Copa Coca-Cola Under-15 national finals are on track and that they expect fireworks.

“Everything is great and the games are expected to start today,” he said.

The matches will be played at Rehoboth High School by 14 boys' teams representing all the regions of Namibia.

Under-15 girls' teams from four regions, namely Erongo, Khomas, Karas and Omaheke, will play exhibition matches. More girls' teams expected to compete next year.

Namibia launched the Copa Coca-Cola tournament in May to nurture and identify soccer talent at grassroots level.

The tournament is run by Namibia Schools Sports Union (NSSU) and sponsored by Coca-Cola and its bottling partner Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in association with the government of Namibia.

“We are expecting a thrilling tournament. Preparations have gone well and all is set for the national finals. As sponsors, we are glad that Namibia has joined more than 68 other countries who participate in this tournament. “This will go a long way in giving Namibian teenagers opportunities and exposure as well as the development of Namibian soccer,” said Moitshepi Sefako, Coca-Cola franchise manager for Namibia and Botswana. According to a statement released by the organisers, the Copa Coca-Cola schools' tournament is an annual, grassroots football tournament which aims to identify, nurture and reward the best in young football talent.

It is a premier grassroots tournament that unlocks the ambitious dreams and possibilities of the world's football stars. It has nurtured many stars over the last 30 years.

In Africa, Copa Coca-Cola is played in 22 countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda, Congo, Swaziland, Nigeria and South Africa, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mauritius and Burundi.

Outside the continent, Copa Coca-Cola is played by 1.3 million players in 68 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

↧

Old Mutual Victory Race ready for take-off

August 8, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Omukithi gwoHepatitis E gwadhipaga aantu yatano miiwike iyali

≪ Previous: Copa Coca-Cola finals set for Rehoboth

Old Mutual Victory Race ready for take-offLong-standing race to pull crowds This year's Old Mutual Victory Race will focus on giving road runners a memorable and exciting experience.

The 19th Old Mutual Victory Race will take place on 17 August at the Tony Rust Race Track on the outskirts of Windhoek.

The route runs along the Sam Nujoma/Daan Viljoen roadblock, offering mesmerising out-of-city-views at the break of day, while the mountainous terrain provides a variety of challenges for both serious and novice runners.

There will be plenty of food and drinks for sale by local vendors, a children's fun area and exciting cash prizes for individuals, corporates and sports clubs are up for grabs.

The Victory Race series is an important event on Namibia's sport calendar and has been hosted as a series of races in five towns around the country for the past 18 years, including a category for paralympic athletes and school participants.

This year, the race will only take place in Windhoek, while the organisers will conduct a full impact assessment to inform the way forward.

The series has also played a central role in identifying athletics talent and promoting athletics in Namibia.

A notable figure is Namibia's Commonwealth champion Helalia Johannes, who participated in the race in 2003 and has since thrived as a runner both nationally and internationally, with the proud support from Old Mutual.

The registration fees for the event are as follows: 5 km runners (N$30, race starts at 08:00), N$50 – 10 km runners (race starts at 07:30), N$100 – 21 km runners (race starts at 07:00) and individuals under 18 can enter for free.

Registration for the race is open until 13 August. Entry tickets are available with EventsToday online (www.eventstoday.com.na), on PayToday and on Airtime City vending machines.

Corporates should register with Ndatala Angula (andatala@oldmutual.com).

No registration will take place on number collection day or on the day of the race. Number collection will take place at the new Old Mutual Wernhil branch on Friday, 16 August from 13:00 to 19:00 in Windhoek.

For more information on the event, contact Ndatala Angula at andtala@oldmutual.com or +264 61 299 3247.

↧

Omukithi gwoHepatitis E gwadhipaga aantu yatano miiwike iyali

August 8, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Helao Nafidi ta tembudha etoto lye lyiiyagaya

≪ Previous: Old Mutual Victory Race ready for take-off

Omukithi gwoHepatitis E gwadhipaga aantu yatano miiwike iyaliOndjele yiipotha iipe yomukithi ngoka oyi li pombanda noonkondo Omukithi gwoHhepatitis ngoka gwa lopotwa gwa tukuka ishewe moNamibia, ogwe ya tagu endelele noonkondo sho kwa lopotwa kutya ogwa faalela oomwenyo dhaantu yatano muule wiiwike iyali.

Aantu yatano okwa lopotwa ya hulitha muule wiiwike iyali yapiti omanga iipotha iipe yomukithi ngoka yi li 230 ya lopotwa, nokweetitha pombanda omwaalu gwiipotha iipe yomukithi gwohepatitis okuyeleka niipotha mbyoka yali ya lopotwa momvula yo 2017.

Iipotha 28 oya lopotwa mesiku konyala oshiwike kehe.

Natango olopota kombinga yetukuko lyomukithi ngoka oya holola kutya oopresenda 77 dhaantu yeli po 5 940 mboka ya kwatwa komukithi ngoka ihaya longo na oyiikolelela koopomba dhomeya dhaayehe.

Olopota ndjoka ya pitithwa kombinga yetukuko lyomukithi ngoka pokati komasiku 15 sigo 29 ga Juli, oya ulike kutya aantu yeli po 229 oya kwatwa komukithi ngoka pethimbo ndyoka nokweeta omwaalu gwiipotha iipe po 5 940 okuza po 5 711 momasiku 14 gaJuli.

Natango omwaalu gwaantu mboka ya hulitha komukithi ngoka ogwa londo okuza po 53 okuza pomaso 48 okuya momasiku 14 gaJuli.

Olopota oya tsikile kutya iipotha iipe onkene tayi tsikile nokulopotwa sho kwa lopotwa iipotha iipe yi li 199 muule woshiwike shimwe, pokati komasiku 22 no 29 gaJuli, nomwaalu ngoka oguli pombanda noonkondo konima nkene kwa tukuka omukithi ngoka.

Olopota oya holola kutya aantu ye li po 4 563 mboka ya kwatwa komukithi ngoka AaNamibia ihaya longo na ohaya zi momalukanda.

Okwa hololwa natango kutya aantu yeli po 4 550 mboka ya kwatwa oyiikolelela komeya goomoopomba dhaayehe omanga oopresenda 55 dhaamboka ya kwatwa nenge ye li po 3 342 ya li iikulya ye yi landa okuza kaalandithi yomomapandanda.

Omapekaapeko oga holola kutya oopresenda 9 dhiipotha iipe, aantu yeli po 549 oya taambelwa miipangelo. Lwopokati mpoka okwa lopota kutya omukithi gwohepatitis A ngoka gwa lopotwa moshitopolwa shaMusati otagu tsikile nokutaandela, na okwa lopotwa iipotha 66 konena okuza kiipotha 51 ya li ya lopotwa mokati komwedhi Juli.

Olopota oya tsikile kutya konima nkene kwa tukuka omikithi dhoka, aantu yeli pe 122 oya monika omukithi gwohepatitis A omanga ye li 164 ya monika omukithi gwohepatitis B. Oshitopolwa shaKhomas osho shi li ponomola yotango shi na iipotha yomukithi gwohepatitis B yi li pombanda sho mwa lopotwa iipotha 3 819, sha landulwa kErongo moka mwa lopotwa iipotha 1 349.

Olopota oya holola kutya onga ekandeko lyomukithi ngoka ngashiingeyi tagu ningi oomvula mbali, Unicef oshowo City of Windhoek otaya tsikile nokutula miilonga oCommunity Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) mOvenduka.

Oshitopolwa shaShana osha taalela omukundu gwompumbwe yomahala gokutula uundjugo momalukanda omanga oshitopolwa shaKhomas sha taalela omukundu gwokundalaspota omeya oshowo okutopolela ootenga dhomeya omeya, konima shoNamWater ngoka a kala ha tula omeya meetenga dhoka e shi hulitha po.

Natango olopota oya holola kutya eyonagulo nuumbudhi womeya gaayehe oshowo iikwathitho yuuyogoki oshi li omukundu gwa taalela oshitopolwa shaKhomas.

JANA-MARI SMITH

↧

Latest Images