Shifeta leads delegation to global conference

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

Shifeta leads delegation to global conference

Namibia will participate at this year's United Nations climate-change conference, also known as COP 25, which starts today.

The 25th Conference of Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place in Madrid from 2 to 13 December.

Namibia will be represented by several institutions and ministries and the delegation will be led by environment minister Pohamba Shifeta.

A key question for the thousands of people set to attend the COP25 negotiations is how countries will implement the Paris Climate Agreement. The agreement signed in 2016 sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. It also aims to strengthen countries' abilities to deal with the impacts of climate change and support them in their efforts. “In order to transfer and accelerate the actions on implementing the climate-change adaptation and mitigation initiatives, there is a need to ensure that key thematic areas of negotiation that are of important to Namibia including finance, adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer and capacity building are fully represented,” the environment ministry said in a statement. According to the ministry, the Paris Agreement strongly urges developed countries to scale up their levels of financial support with a concrete plan to reach a US$100 billion target a year by 2020, as well as technology transfer and enhance capacities. Therefore Namibia will during negotiations urge the scaling up of the levels of climate finance, by providing concrete pathways and accounting methodologies for the collective goal by developed countries to reach the target of US$100 billion a year by next year. The ministry said this should happen while striking a balance of the allocation between adaptation and mitigation through the significant increase of grant-based support for adaptation, and to provide adequate support for capacity building and technology transfer, as per the Paris Agreement.

The ministry further pointed out that the Paris Agreement agreed to establish a Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT). The CBIT will aim to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of developing countries to meet the enhanced transparency requirements in the Paris Agreement, leading up to 2020 and beyond.

The importance of financial support for capacity building to enable developing countries to meet the enhanced transparency requirements of the agreement in a timely manner is crucial for climate action, said the ministry. “Namibia is therefore, calling for an adequate capitalisation of the CBIT established in Paris by the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21).”

The ministry said the CBIT will strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of developing countries to meet the enhanced transparency requirements in the Paris Agreement, leading up to 2020 and beyond, as per the Paris Agreement.

It was also pointed out that industrialised countries are expected to provide financial assistance and technology transfer to help developing countries transition to a low-carbon economy.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Leopards down Arrows

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Leopards down ArrowsThrilling match ends with come-from-behind win Black Leopards beat Golden Arrows over the weekend.

South African outfit Black Leopards came back to defeat Lamontville Golden Arrows 2-1 in a Premiership match at the Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday evening.

The victory took Lidoda Duvha to ninth place on the league standings, while Abafana Bes'thende remained fourth on the table.

Abafana Bes'thende saw most of the ball in the opening stages of the game with Lidoda Duvha sitting too deep. However, the hosts' defence was exposed in the 16th minute, but Knox Mutizwa placed his effort wide of the target. Jonas Mendes, the Leopards goalkeeper, was called into action six minutes later and Guinea-Bissau international denied Danny Phiri from a free-kick.

The visitors continued to push for the opening goal and they were awarded a penalty after Seth Parusnath fouled in the Leopards box.

Mutizwa then stepped up and beat Mendes from the spot-kick to make it 1-0 to Arrows six minutes before halftime. Lidoda Duvha pressed Abafana Be'thende after the restart, with Mwape Musonda working hard in attack for the home side.

The reigning Absa Premiership Golden Boot winner was brilliantly denied twice by Arrows keeper Edmore Sibanda in the first 15 minutes of the second-half.

Leopards' pressure did pay off in the 69th minute when Lesedi Kapinga beat Sibanda with a well-taken shot to make it 1-1 much to the delight of the home crowd.

Arrows were struggling to contain the hosts, who took the lead for the first time in the 71st minute when Themba Ndlovu scored against the run of play to make it 2-1 to Leopards.

The visitors then fought for a late equalising goal, but the hosts stood firm at the back and ultimately, Leopards ran out 2-1 winners over Arrows on the night.

NAMPA/ANA

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Hamilton stunned by Ferrari compliment

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Hamilton stunned by Ferrari compliment

Lewis Hamilton said on Saturday that Mattia Binotto's glowing comments about him represented the first time in 13 years that anyone from Ferrari had paid him a compliment.

Asked if he would be interested in Hamilton's availability on the driver market in 2021, the Ferrari team chief had praised him as a driver and said “knowing he's available in 2021 can only make us happy”.

The six-time world champion, who grabbed his 88th pole position by topping qualifying for Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, said: “I think that's the first compliment I've had from Ferrari in these 13 years.

“I honestly don't remember them ever mentioning me, ever. So, thank you, and I'll take it. It doesn't really mean anything. It's all talk, but it's nice that, finally, it's taken all these years for them to recognise me, but I'm grateful.”

The 34-year-old Briton has been linked with a possible move to Ferrari when his current deal with Mercedes ends next year.

He said Ferrari were “a team that I've always appreciated over the years, so to earn respect from someone from there, that's obviously very high up, is not a bad thing”. He dismissed suggestions that he was looking for a move to Maranello whose drivers this season are former world champion Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.

“I think they've got two great drivers as it is. Who knows what the driver market's going to be doing over the next year, but, if I'm really honest, I'm not really focussed on that right this second.”

NAMPA/AFP

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Kings lose to Connacht in Pro14 clash

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Kings lose to Connacht in Pro14 clash

John Porch scored two tries as Connacht moved up to second in the Conference B of the Pro14 competition with a hard-fought 24-12 victory against the Southern Kings on Saturday evening in Galway.

The Aussie speedster crossed once in each half, while further scores from Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham settled a bonus-point win for the home side. The Kings remain at the foot of the conference with just a single win this season, but they impressed and scored two tries through Erich Cronje and Scott van Breda.

Connacht, who arrived with four wins from six league games, started impressively, with Ireland international centre Aki powering over in the 12th minute.

However, the Port Elizabeth side, filled with confidence from securing their first-ever Pro14 away win at Ospreys last time out, hit back as centre Erich Cronje wrestled his way over four minutes later.

But it was Connacht who showed greater forward power and they moved ahead mid-way through the first half thanks to tries from prop Finlay Bealham and wing Porch. The Kings hit back on the stroke of half-time through fullback Van Breda, who only joined on loan from Worcester Warriors this week. Connacht strengthened their advantage early in the second half, as Conor Fitzgerald and Aki combined to release Porch, who sprinted in for his second try in the corner. With two predatory tries, the wing made the difference as the Irish province once again showed how dangerous they will be this season.

Scorers: Connacht 24 - Tries: Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, John Porch (2); Conversions: Conor Fitzgerald (2).

Southern Kings 12 - Tries: Erich Cronje, Scott van Breda; Conversion: Van Breda.

NAMPA/ANA

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Boudjellalto to sell control of Toulon

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Boudjellalto to sell control of Toulon

Toulon's outspoken president Mourad Boudjellal is set to sell his controlling share in the French Top 14 club, sports daily L'Equipe reported on Saturday.

The 80-year-old pharmaceuticals magnate Bernard Lemaitre, who currently holds a 44% stake in Toulon, will become majority shareholder on Monday, the paper suggested.

Boudjellal, 59, a comic-book publisher with a flair for public relations, is set to remain as club president for the time being, but is thought to be targeting the presidency of the French national league.

His tenure at the 111-year-old club has brought unprecedented success, with three European Cups and France's Top 14 title in 2014.

Since taking over sole control in 2007, Boudjellal has bought a series of world-class players such as Ma'a Nonu, Sonny Bill Williams, Jonny Wilkinson and Bryan Habana.

His latest headline capture was South African World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth.

Contacted by AFP, neither he nor Lemaitre would comment on the news.

Toulon is currently fifth in the Top 14, 15 points behind leaders Lyon.

NAMPA/AFP

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Messi in tight race

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Messi in tight raceRapinoe expected to grab women's Ballon d'Or The biggest names in world football will descend on Paris today for the 2019 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, with Lionel Messi and Fifa Women's World Cup superstar Megan Rapinoe tipped to leave with the top honours.

It would be an enormous shock if Megan Rapinoe does not depart the Chatelet Theatre, the biggest prize in women's football, as she returns to France for the 2019 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony.

She was the driving force on and off the field for the United States, as they retained their Fifa Women's Wold Cup title earlier this year in Paris.

The suspense surrounds the identity of the men's winner, 12 months after Croatia's Luka Modric claimed the crown thanks to his exploits in dragging his country to the World Cup final and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.

That ended a decade in which Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had won the Ballon d'Or five times each, but the smart money now is on the Barcelona man claiming number six.

There are 30 nominees in total for the prize, organised by France Football magazine and voted for by 180 journalists from around the world.

Among the names is Ronaldo, as well as several of the stars of the Liverpool side who won the Champions League, chief among them Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk.

At one point he looked like the favourite, but Messi already pipped him to Fifa's The Best title in September.

The 32-year-old top-scored in La Liga last season with 36 goals, as Barcelona won the title. He did not have a great Copa America with Argentina, but his genius is undeniable.

“If you give the Ballon d'Or to the best player of this generation, then you should give it always to Lionel Messi. That's how it is,” admitted Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

“But if you give it to the best player of last season, then it was Virgil van Dijk. I don't know exactly how it will work, but that is how I see it.”

The value of individual honours in football is debatable, and the timing unsatisfactory, coming midway through the European club season.

Yet surely nobody could suggest Rapinoe would not be a deserving winner of just the second women's Ballon d'Or, an award voted for by a panel of 48 journalists.

Norway's Ada Hegerberg won it in 2018, but will not retain her title after missing the World Cup.

Among the stars of that tournament to be nominated are England's Lucy Bronze, Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema, Australia's Sam Kerr and the United States trio of Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle and Tobin Heath.

However Rapinoe, the 34-year-old feminist icon and outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump, should add this honour to those of Golden Boot winner for top scorer and Golden Ball for best player at the World Cup.

Even her supposed rivals seem to be rooting for her. “She does lots of things off the pitch, but I think she is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or, mainly due to her performances during the World Cup,” Bronze told France Football.

NAMPA/AFP

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O'Shea replaces Melville

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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O'Shea replaces Melville

Conor O'Shea, who stepped down as Italy head coach earlier this month, is to become the English Rugby Football Union's director of performance, it was announced on Friday.

The 49-year-old former Ireland international, who resigned from the Italy post after a three-year spell, but with a year remaining on his contract, will replace Nigel Melville.

Melville, 58, also announced on Friday he would be leaving to “pursue new opportunities”.

O'Shea, capped 35 times and who as director of rugby at Harlequins oversaw their 2012 Premiership title win, will take up his new post next year.

“There is an exciting vision at the RFU. It is not just about winning tomorrow, but also about sustaining success and winning long into the future,” he said.

“We can really look forward to rejuvenating and re-energising the performance pathway to help, support and push England rugby on.”

The RFU said O'Shea would “manage the England player, coaching and match officials pathways across men's and women's 15s and Sevens programmes”.

“He will work closely with England men's head coach Eddie Jones, however, the England team remains the responsibility of Jones who will continue to report directly to chief executive Bill Sweeney,” the RFU said in a statement.

During Melville's three-year tenure, England reached the World Cup final in Japan, where they were beaten by South Africa.

The former England scrumhalf also acted as the RFU's interim chief executive in the first half of 2019, ahead of Sweeney's arrival as CEO in May.

NAMPA/AFP

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Swartbooi's land strategy pays dividends

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Swartbooi's land strategy pays dividends

Political commentators were left impressed with Landless Peoples Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi's strategy to focus on one central issue - ancestral land claims.

While not a breakaway party from Swapo in the technical sense, the LPM's growth was centred on the former deputy land reform minister, who at the time of its formation was still a Swapo member.

Political commentators Hoze Riruako and Nico Horn said the LPM, because of its stance on land, had offered voters something else, in stark contrast to other breakaway parties formed out of Swapo, such as the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) and the Congress of Democrats (CoD).

Although Swartbooi could only mustered about 3% of the total presidential votes, Horn and Riruako both felt it was a worthy achievement from the LPM leader. The LPM garnered 5% of the National Assembly vote, giving them four parliamentary, although opposition are still disputing some of the outcomes in the constituencies.

“Swapo breakaway parties do not have a long life. I think Swartbooi did very well. It is a specific case that he deals with; he was very focused,” Horn said in his analysis. He, however, felt that Swartbooi's votes came from a small constituency. Riruako said Swartbooi had focused on an issue government had failed at.

“Swartbooi used land as an issue. Government has not made major strides. He took something so important to many people and that made people vote for him,” said Riruako.

He said Swartbooi's focus on land also gave him an advantage over some of the other candidates running for presidency.

“The biggest issue for him was to put the basis of his party on land,” said Riruako.

“People see a person with guts; if you need things, you need a person who has guts. Swartbooi himself is a firebrand, he is vibrant,” Riruako added.

“The LPM surprised all of us. I thought they were a southern-based political party,” Riruako added.

Academic Andrew Niikando was also impressed with the LPM's showing at the polls.

“The LPM did well; they have gained a significant amount of voters,” he said briefly.

OGONE TLHAGE

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Mixed feelings over Kavango vote

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Mixed feelings over Kavango vote

Political commentators have expressed mixed feelings over how people in Kavango East and Kavango West voted in the 2019 general election, despite being among the poorest regions in the country.

Swapo received 24 264 votes in Kavango West and 30 107 in Kavango East in the National Assembly poll, while President Geingob received a combined 54 006 votes from the two regions in the presidential poll

Commentators said some may have voted with the hope that things will get better, while others argued that emotional ties with the ruling party may have held sway over conscience.

Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah was one of those who argued that the two Kavango regions voted in an anticipation that things will change for the better.

Kamwanyah also argued that Geingob and Swapo should reflect on the overall outcomes of the presidential and National Assembly elections and use them as a roadmap when addressing national issues. “We must also know that people vote because of hope, hoping that things will be better. I think that is the message the Kavango people are giving. They are saying: 'Look at us, we are still standing with you and we are hoping that you will look at our situation',” Kamwanyah said. “I think the president should listen carefully, not to only where he was not voted for, but to the people who voted for him and interpret what is that message they are trying to give.” Kamwanyah also dealt with Geingob's claim during a town hall meeting before the elections that Kavangos had voted overwhelmingly for the DTA in the 1989 elections.

Kamwanyah said even after Geingob made those remarks, which many perceived as an insult, the Kavangos went out in their numbers and voted for the incumbent.

Political analyst Frederico Links said Swapo has always relied on the Kavango vote.

“Swapo has always relied on the Kavango regions; that's their bedrock of support. If you look at the previous elections, it has always been a runaway, landslide for Swapo... They can take that for granted, and they do.

“I don't know what other parties can do or what needs to be done, so that the people in those regions change their mind. There seems to be a disconnect between their lived reality and the national political leadership not providing for them. People don't seem to connect these two things,” Links argued. Professor Nico Horn said there is an emotional relationship between the people of the Kavango regions and Swapo.

“I think there is an emotional tie between Swapo and the north. They are a strong voting power,” Horn added.

Kenya Kambowe

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'Unite the divided nation'

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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'Unite the divided nation'Leaders urged to condemn inflammatory utterances Social media platforms have been awash with hate speech, insults and tribal labelling, especially among the youth.

Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah says all political parties and presidential candidates who took part in the 2019 general election should come out strongly and condemn the inflammatory behaviour and utterances of their followers, some of whom are threatening the peace and stability of the country following the polls.

Kamwanyah was asked yesterday what he made of the hate speech, insults and tribal labelling, especially among the youth, who are personally attacking one another - something being observed on various social media platforms.

Apart from citizens making these wild and threatening statements, some political party leaders have also gone to an extent of saying they will strive to make the country ungovernable during President Hage Geingob's next five-year presidential term. Kamwanyah argued that bold leadership will be required from all stakeholders to unite Namibians and called on party leaders to strongly condemn what is happening on social media.

“You see, in moments like these leadership matters, and I think the leadership of all the parties involved and all the camps that are involved, they are the ones to set the trend and move the country forward in unity,” Kamwanyah said.

“When you have a leadership that is not taking a lead, then it creates a vacuum, especially for anybody to say whatever they want. That is what we are seeing on social media, and they are not just Swapo supporters, but supporters of all other parties saying a lot of mean things to each other, but we do not see leadership from the parties to condemn the behaviour and disassociate themselves.”

Kamwanyah also made reference to the aftermath of the 2017 Swapo congress.

The two intra-party camps that contested against each other - Team Harambee led by Geingob and Team Swapo led by former youth minister Jerry Ekandjo and former Prime Minister Nahas Angula - remain at loggerheads.

Kamwanyah pointed out that Geingob failed to unite Swapo members after the congress, which had resulted in swathes of support for independent presidential candidate Panduleni Itula.

“This is another aspect I think the president should also rein in, in terms of uniting people, because the president is for everybody, no matter if he is elected by less individuals,” Kamwanyah said.

“He should be seen above the water and not siding with any camp. I think that is the main problem why they could not unite Swapo, because the president was seen abiding with one camp, instead of being a leader to the whole party. Leadership matters.”

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Footballers and education

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Footballers and education Limba Mupetami

For those who enjoy the game, a football match can produce beautiful trickery and shots on goal that many of us compare with pure acts of brilliance.

However, despite the great moves and split-second decisions that come as the result of quick thinking, many people consider football players to be undereducated, overpaid athletes who don't invest too much in their education.

As much as this might sound like stereotyping, many local players don't take much time to get behind the books to gain higher education.

Yes, it's true that football offers lucrative salaries and pretty much a secure future, still it's always a good idea to work on a backup strategy, just in case an injury interrupts your sporting career.

I know a lot of coaches and clubs don't really care about what a footballer has studied at school or in college, as the only thing that really matters is their consistent use of their talent the fans see on the pitch.

But you see, education is important, as we saw a few weeks back when Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o decided to go back to school.

He announced he will be taking on business management studies at Harvard Business School in the United States. This decision, he said, was based on giving back to Africa.

It's a brilliant step, I think, and I'm sure he has accumulated much wealth throughout his professional football years. And now he wants to make sure he continues to spend that money wisely. Whatever plans he may have, good for him.

If you are a role model on the field, take it a bit further and motivate those looking up to you that you can be a doctor and still play football. Look at a guy like Ronald 'Stigga' Ketjijere, former captain of the Brave Warriors, who studied law while plying his trade in South Africa.

Despite the pressure of attending training, and playing matches throughout the season, he found time to study.

The same goes for Andres Iniesta. The famous Spanish midfielder is the epitome of one of the most intelligent players in Europe. He is also an accomplished scholar. He holds a biology degree, as well as a degree in sports science.

Another is Juan Mata. The Spanish international holds a degree in journalism, which he obtained in Madrid. He is still pursuing other studies. Then there is Chelsea's former player and current manager Frank Lampard.

The English national excelled in Latin. All of these guys have and had a lot of pressure, due to club and international commitments, but they gave few or no excuses when it came to getting an education. Be like those guys. Have a plan.

limba@namibiansun.com

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Otjinene win All Stars tourney

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Otjinene win All Stars tourneyTjikundi’s goal seals triumph Teams from Otjombinde, Ovitoto, Omongua, Otjinene, Okondjatu, Gam, Epukiro and Okotjituuo battled it out in the All Stars Top Eight tourney.

NAMPA

Otjinene won the first edition of the All Stars Top Eight football tournament that ended at the Khomasdal Stadium on Wednesday.

The competition was held under the auspices of the Namibia Rural Sport Development Federation (NRSDF) and started on 22 November.

It saw eight football teams from Otjombinde, Ovitoto, Omongua, Otjinene, Okondjatu, Gam, Epukiro and Okotjituuo competing for N$10 000.

In the first semi-final Otjinene defeated Otjombinde 8-7 on penalties, after a goalless draw, to book their place in the final.

Okotjituuo locked horns with Epukiro and won 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the second semi-final.

Otjinene then won the tourney after defeating Okotjituuo 1-0 in the final, to walk away with N$5 000, a trophy and 20 gold medals.

Mbandee Tjikundi scored the winning goal for Otjinene.

Okotjituuo pocketed N$2 500 and 20 silver medals, while Epukiro and Otjombinde received N$1 250 each as the losing semi-finalists.

The NRSDF also held a curtain-raiser competition before the final for regional premier league players from Erongo, Otjozondjupa, Khomas and Omaheke, who competed for N$12 000 in prize money.

Erongo defeated Khomas 1-0 in the first game, while Omaheke overcame Otjozondjupa 4-2 on penalties, after a goalless draw in the second match.

A solitary goal from Koviao Muundjua for Omaheke was enough to win the curtain-raiser competition against Erongo.

Omaheke pocketed N$8 400 as the winners, while Erongo took home N$3 600 as runners-up.

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The real winners of Election 2019

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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The real winners of Election 2019

Election 2019 has come and gone, although there are still ongoing squabbling over the results.

The polls have been a difficult one for the nation. They came amid a plethora of social and economic challenges. It is therefore unsurprising that the ruling party and its presidential candidate, who also had to overcome a bruising battle with a fellow Swapo member who stood as an independent candidate, were punished significantly by voters. The Landless People's Movement (LPM) impressed in their first election, while smatterings of votes went to smaller opposition parties. However, if truth be told, the biggest winners were undoubtedly the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM). Their presidential candidate, McHenry Venaani, may have failed to impress in what turned out to be a two-horse presidential race, but his party will have 16 MPs in next year's newly constituted National Assembly. This is up from the five they managed to garner following the 2014 general election. When Venaani took over the then DTA in 2013, there was little hope for the ailing party. In the 2009 general election under Katuutire Kaura the party has scraped together two seats after receiving about 3% of the vote. A year after Venaani become party leader, there was a better showing at the polls: 44 271 votes (5%) and five seats. As the results for 2019 filtered in, the PDM had already surpassed this figure with only 30% of the country's 121 constituencies counted. The ECN's election.na website showed by late yesterday that with 94% of the constituencies collated, the PDM stood on 16.55% of the National Assembly vote (126 880 votes). Also, many areas in Khomas, the coast, the south and the north have now been added to the PDM's strongholds. More tellingly, Swapo's two-thirds majority has been resigned to the dustbin. Venaani, himself a youngster by political standards, now has a team at his disposal that can built a solid foundation for future elections. The extra party parliamentary funding will also not hurt.

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'Fishrot Six' festive season release bid today

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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'Fishrot Six' festive season release bid today

The 'Fishrot Six' are set to return to the Windhoek Magistrate's Court today to apply for bail, after a drama-filled appearance Friday in which the South African members of their legal team were arrested and found guilty of entering Namibia without work permits.

The six suspects are former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau and former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, former Investec Asset Management executives Ricardo Gustavo and James Hatuikulipi, as well as James' cousin and Esau's son-in-law Tamson 'Fitty' Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo.

Moments before the court proceedings were set to kick off on Friday, immigration officials arrived at court to arrest prominent South African lawyers Mike Hellens and Dawie Joubert and confiscated their passports.

Two other lawyers, advocate Tinashe Chibwana and Gilroy Kasper, stepped in after 14:00 to represent the accused.

Chibwana asked the court to postpone the matter to today, because of the difficulties that occurred earlier. “This morning, the representatives of accused one and two were arrested. We request that the matter be postponed for a bail application hearing on Monday. We did not foresee the events of today and need more time to prepare,” Chibwana said.

Hellens and Joubert were fined N$10 000 each after pleading guilty to two counts of contravening the Namibia Immigration Control Act in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court. They are both well-known for having represented former South African president Jacob Zuma.

Begging for mercy

Advocate Esi Schimming-Chase, who represented the two South African legal eagles, appealed to Magistrate Venasius Alweendo to show them mercy and consider their families.

Schimming-Chase asked the court to consider that these lawyers had never been convicted before, and have had illustrious careers. They were also very sorry. “We request the court to take into consideration mercy. May this court consider a fine. They admit what they have done.”

State prosecutor Cliff Lutibezi emphasised that the duo are seasoned lawyers and were disrespecting Namibian laws.

“A fine would be sufficient, but must have an effect leaving the accused feeling they have been punished. An alternative prison term must be submitted.” Lutibezi said.

jemima@namibiansun.com

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Hage's headache over who to 'save'

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Hage's headache over who to 'save'

With 13 ministers and deputy ministers falling beyond the 63 seats that Swapo gained for the National Assembly in the just-ended general election, President Hage Geingob faces a stern test of character when deciding who to include on his list of eight presidential nominees to parliament.

Senior ministers Erkki Nghimtina (labour and social welfare) and Charles Namoloh (safety and security) did not make the cut.

Also not making the list of those voted into parliament on the Swapo list are deputy ministers Anna Shiweda (agriculture), Maureen Hinda-Mbuende (international relations), Becky Ndjoze-Ojo (higher education), Veikko Nekundi (public enterprises) and Lidwina Shapwa (justice).

They are joined in the cold by deputy ministers James Sankwasa (works), Piet van der Walt (economic development), Engel Nawatiseb (ICT), Priscilla Beukes (poverty eradication), Chief Ankama (OPM) and Tommy Nambahu (labour). Swapo had an electoral performance to forget, after losing 14 seats in the National Assembly. From the 77 seats attained in 2014, the party could only muster 63 this time.

Like many of its liberation struggle peers in Southern Africa, the party lost its two-thirds majority in the process, after getting just below 66% of the vote. A two-thirds majority is attained through 66.67% of the overall vote.

Swapo presidential candidate Hage Geingob lost 30% of the smashing 86.7% he attained in 2014 to get 56.25% this year - the lowest return by a Namibian sitting head of state. It is also the first time the party beat its presidential candidate in a general election in Namibia.

Swapo was punished at the polls by mostly urban youth, who are battling socio-economic hardships such as record unemployment rates, in which they are the main victims.

Corruption scandals and the party's perceived lack of political will to deal with such occurrences, exacerbated by the inclusion of criminal convicts on the party list for parliament, also angered the lion's share of the voting public.

With the economy stuck in recession for years, with no clear plan to pull it out of its doldrums, there was little success the ruling party could boast about to the electorate.

Internal divisions in the party, fuelled by a perceived lack of leadership to unite rival factions, might have had some members voting for the opposition, which made major inroads into Swapo's support base.

This was evident in particularly the official opposition PDM increasing its share of the National Assembly seats from five to 16.

Both Swapo and Geingob have voters in the north and north-eastern regions to thank for their otherwise unimpressive performance.

As if the performance was not bad enough, President Geingob now has a fresh challenge on his hand when he appoints his nominees to parliament.

Already, his minister of economic affairs Obeth Kandjoze is not on the parliamentary list. This might mean including him on the list of new parliamentary nominees.

Swapo chief whip in the National Assembly Eveline Nawases-Taeyele is also outside the threshold of those voted into parliament and may look to Geingob for salvation.

The non-voting members are appointed for various reasons, such as youth or tribal inclusion, or as was the case for nominating Kandjoze and Dr Bernard Haufiku in 2015, to inject technocrats into a system dominated largely by politicians with no specialised technical skills.

STAFF REPORTER

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Bulldozing days over

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Bulldozing days overLoss of two-thirds majority curtails party's powers The ruling party's loss of two-thirds parliamentary majority means it may no longer amend the country's constitution willy-nilly, as has become the norm.

Swapo's tight stranglehold on parliament has been broken following the release of the seventh Presidential and National Assembly election results, ending its power to amend and change the country's constitution.

Swapo lost its two-thirds majority for the first time since 1994 after it got 65% of the vote, translating to 63 seats in the lower house of parliament. The party received 80% in the last election in 2014, winning itself 77 seats out of the total of 96.

It marks the first time that the party's stronghold on parliament has been removed since 1994, when it gained its first two-thirds majority.

Without its two-thirds majority, Swapo will not be able to amend the constitution like it did in 1999, when it gave former president Sam Nujoma an additional term in office. It will also not be able to force through constitutional amendments like it did in 2014 that allowed for the creation of the vice-president position.

Those amendments also increased National Assembly seats from 72 to 96.

Swapo will also not be able to amend existing legislation without backing from the opposition, as was the case with the Marine Resources Act in 2015.

Ironically, it was this amendment that allowed former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau to allocate fishing quotas to Icelandic company Samherji, through state-owned enterprise Fishcor, allegedly in return for kickbacks.

Esau has been arrested in connection with the bribery scandal and is expected in court today for a bail hearing with five other suspects in the matter.

Mr 56%

Geingob secured 56% of the votes in 2019, down from the smashing 87% he had gained in 2014 when he was elected as president for the first time.

It was also the first time in the country's history that a Swapo presidential candidate gained lesser votes than the party.

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) made massive inroads, securing 16% of the votes cast, up from the 5% it managed to get in 2014. The official opposition has thus tripled its parliamentary seats from five to 16.

New kids on the block, the Landless People's Movement (LPM), secured 4% of the votes cast, translating into four seats in the National Assembly.

Former official opposition Rally for Democracy and Progress' downward spiral continued unabated, with the party securing a single seat for its president Mike Kavekotora.

The party got eight seats in 2009 when it made its debut in a national election.

The United Democratic Front (UDF), the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) and the Republican Party (RP) each got two seats. The Christian Democratic Voice (CDV) and Swanu got one seat each, while the Congress of Democrats (CoD), United People's Movement (UPM) and Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) did not make it to parliament.

Despite the good showing by the opposition, the results in some constituencies are being challenged. Opposition party leaders were also conspicuous in their absence at the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) when Geingob was declared the winner, save for Nudo's Esther Muinjangue, on Saturday evening.

Swapo may eye alliances

Commenting on the results, constitutional law expert Professor Nico Horn said while Swapo had lost its dominance in parliament, it could still potentially enforce its preferred legal amendments.

“With the growth of smaller parties; Swapo could get an alliance party. They just need one person to support their any amendments that the part may want to make in the future. It is an emotional thing, in practice, it is not going to change anything,” he said.

Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah welcomed the development, saying it would improve accountability.

“It is about checks and balances. The two-thirds majority meant that they could make unilateral decisions at the legislative and executive branches of government,” said Kamwanyah. According to him, it was now up to the opposition parties to bring their part to the table.

“We hope the opposition will bring their fight to the party,” he said.

The loss of support for Geingob and Swapo, Kamwanyah said, also showed that the electorate had lost faith.

“It is a big message for President Geingob and Swapo. The president and the party have a divided mandate. It is up to them to interpret what it means, the people are not happy with the way things have been done,” he said.

Wounded tiger?

Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) director Graham Hopwood said improvements on the ground could see citizens support Geingob again.

“If people see improvements on the ground they will warm to Swapo again. A more humble and responsive approach to leadership could help him win back support,” said Hopwood.

He was concerned that Geingob could potentially react negatively to the loss of support.

“The 30% loss in support for president Geingob is dramatic. It is unclear how he and the government will react to this. They could retreat further into their shells and become more dismissive of criticism. If they do that they could pay a high political cost as I think the constant denial of responsibility and beating down of valid criticism is one factor that has annoyed many voters,” Hopwood said.

Hopwood also felt that it was time for Geingob to change his tune on corruption and, instead of making excuses such processes, systems and institutions behind which he often hides, take immediate action on things that are within his purview such as removing the corrupt and those charged with corruption from the party list.

“Instead of always blaming external factors he also needs to accept a measure of responsibility for the state of the economy as well,” he added.

OGONE TLHAGE

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City endorses Desert Dash

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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City endorses Desert Dash

The City of Windhoek has officially recognised the Nedbank Desert Dash by handing over a symbolic 'Key to the City' to Nedbank.

This follows engagements between the city and Nedbank as the sponsor of the race, which sees cyclists racing from Windhoek to Swakopmund through the desert over 24 hours.

Speaking at the handover ceremony Nedbank managing director Lionel Matthews said the business value of the Desert Dash in the two municipalities is there for everyone to see, and is estimated to be between N$20 million to 25 million.

“Windhoek is the city that sees the riders off and Swakopmund is the city that receives them, and we have reached out to these two cities.

“It usually feels like the cyclists are invading these two cities. I almost get a sense that people feel like we are invading their towns, hence we decided to reach out to the leaders,” Matthews said.The two cities come to a standstill when the event takes place and it was thus important to give recognition to both Windhoek and Swakopmund, he said.

Matthews added that the Nedbank Desert Dash is a landmark event for Namibia that attracts cyclists from all over the world to test their endurance across the Namib Desert, and is the largest single-stage solo mountain bike event in the world.

Over 1 000 cyclists have registered to partake in the event and 300 of these will come from South Africa, while 100 are from Europe, Australia and America. Windhoek mayor Muesee Kazapua said the event falls in line with the city's commitment to promoting sports equally.

“It also speaks volumes to our transformational strategic plan for the city, which we approved for the period of 2017/22, of being a smart city on urban sustainable transportation,” he said.

The sustainable transportation system, he said, will see more and more people using cycling as a mode of transport in Windhoek.

The 2019 Nedbank Desert Dash will kick off at 15:00 from the Grove Mall in the capital on 6 December and will end in Swakopmund on 7 December.

NAMPA

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Desert Storm ready to hit

December 1, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Desert Storm ready to hit'Rising of the Stars' to hook boxing fans Unbeaten World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa featherweight champion Sakaria 'Desert Storm' Lukas is ready to take on Malawi's Yamikikani Mkandawire on 6 December.

Sakaria 'Desert Storm' Lukas is ready to step into the ring to exchange leather with Malawi's Yamikikani Mkandawire, according to his trainer Immanuel 'Imms' Moses.

Moses said the boxer wants to win in spectacular fashion on Friday and prove he is the best in the business.

“We can't overlook this fight. We trained like this fight is a championship fight. Lukas is rated number six by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and number nine by the World Boxing Association (WBA). This is very big for Desert Storm,” emphasised Moses.

He added they are operating on a tight budget, as they don't have a committed sponsor.

“I'm doing this through hard work, but I will never forget to thank my people who are always there to assist. These people include John Endjala Investment, Ready Bites Meat Market, Mikel Jes, 3Dimension Printing and Profile Investment.

“And my international partner Scott Farrell of Global Boxing, Sean Gibson the president of Manny Pacquio Promotions and Room Air for sponsoring us with boxing gloves for our fight,” Moses said.

He further called corporates to support them by buying tables, as this will cover expenses.

Lukas said he is ready to take care of his opponent and further urged boxing fans to make their way to the venue to see him in action.

The showdown, themed 'Rising Stars of Africa', will take place at the Paragon Crescent Suites in Windhoek. The boxing event is promoted by AC Boxing Promotions, in association with Kinda Promotions.

Lukas boasts a record of 22 fights, all of them wins, whereas his opponent has a record of 15 fights, with seven wins, one draw and seven losses.

The undercard fights on the night are as follows:

Flaime Nangolo versus David Johannes, Max Iipinge versus Hedison Nghipondoka, Ebenestus Kaangundue versus Kagiso Bagwasi of Botswana, Steven Bagwasi versus Sheehama Sakaria, Kathano Ogaketse from Botswana versus David Shinua and Matias Hamunyela versus Nghikevali Mathew.

Tickets for the event are available at AC Boxing Academy and Paragon, and sell for N$200. A table for 10 costs N$10 000.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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Ni hao PSS!

December 2, 2019, 2:00 pm

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Ni hao PSS!Swakopmund school teaches Chinese Private School Swakopmund embraces cultural diversity

Iréne-Mari van der Walt

Private School Swakopmund (PSS) started hosting the Confucius Institute over the past year.

The Confucius Institute opened in 2004 and has since aimed to spread the Chinese language and culture throughout the world.

It operates as a volunteer programme whereby Chinese citizens are trained and sent to Confucius Institute centres worldwide to teach Mandarin Chinese.

In the Confucius Institute’s learning programme, the Chinese language is taught at six levels, of which PSS currently offers the first.

Students begin by learning pinyin, the official Romanisation of the language, before learning hànzì (Chinese characters).

Throughout the past year, PSS students have learned to make Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) and celebrated the Chinese mid-autumn festival with a scavenger hunt.

The Chinese mid-autumn festival is a harvest festival that is celebrated during the autumn full moon. This tradition dates back to the Shang Dynasty in China.

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NamSTEM is going places

December 2, 2019, 2:00 pm

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NamSTEM is going places Nine learners from Walvis Bay recently attended the South African Youth Engineering and Science Symposium (SAYESS) in Pretoria, South Africa.

Leandrea Louw

The learners are Lauryn Maanda, Reginelda Stefanus, Penny Kashidukila and Naftali Shinyama (from De Duine Secondary School), Josephine Amavila, Jasmine Sitzer, Blommie Awases and Killian Beukes (from Duneside High School), Elizabeth Kashimbode (from Flamingo Secondary School) and Selma Shimi (from !Nara Primary School).

These learners were chosen after their participation in the second annual Walvis Bay Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair hosted by the Namibia Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Association (NamSTEM).

The founder of NamStem, Anastacia de Klerk, says these types of competitions are important because they help expose learners to new environments.

“At the same time it broadens their outlook in life and also awards them with new opportunities.”

NamSTEM is spearheading numerous youth development projects.

One of its recent projects was the second annual Diabetes Fundraising Project.

De Klerk, who was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in 2016, said she started the initiative to help raise funds for learners who cannot afford medical aid.

To help with fundraising she sold a gebra (flower), with a keyring and a pamphlet on diabetes for N$50 each.

“In terms of awareness we did great this year since we managed to distribute more pamphlets. We distributed pamphlets at the various clinics and the state hospital in Walvis Bay.

“We are in the process of creating awareness posters for the health facilities in Walvis Bay. As for the funding, we didn’t raise as much money as we did previously but every little counts and we remain positive. Next year we will be doing more in terms of fundraising, but we are going to start earlier in the year.”

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