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Afcon 2021 dates changed

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Afcon 2021 dates changedAfcon 2021 dates changed The Brave Warriors' Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2021 qualifying matches have been brought forward after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) changed the hosting dates from June-July to the beginning of the year.

A letter sent to all CAF member general secretaries on 15 January said following a meeting on Wednesday, the organising committee, including stakeholders, representatives and the host country Cameroon, decided to move the finals dates from the June-July slot to 9 January to 6 February 2021 because of the unfavourable weather in the country at that time of year.

The new dates coincide with the Cameroonian rainy season.

The 2019 tournament in Egypt was the first one to be held in the summer.

Before that, the showpiece had been held in January and February, clashing with the European domestic season.

Cameroon had been scheduled to host the 2019 Cup of Nations but was stripped of the honour in November 2018.

At the time, CAF said the decision had been made because of delays in the progress of Cameroon's preparations.

The tournament was scheduled to take place in June and July but was changed.

It said, consequently, in order to accommodate this change, CAF has decided to modify the dates of the qualifiers of the Total Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 and the Federation of International Football Associations World Cup, Qatar 2022 qualifiers.

This means the Brave Warriors back-to-back away and home ties against Mali will now be played between 23 and 31 March 2020 instead of 31 August and 08 September, with the away trip to Chad to take place during the 01 to 09 June international break.

The Brave Warriors' final 2021 Afcon qualifier against Guinea at home will now be played during the September international break.

NAMPA

Nghipandulwa off to Brazil

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Nghipandulwa off to BrazilNghipandulwa off to BrazilExposure for local referee Namibian referee Samuel Nghipandula has been invited by an organisation called Referees Abroad (formerly known as Tournaments Abroad Referee Academy), who will take care of his accommodation during his stay in Brazil. One of Namibia's upcoming football referees, Samuel Nghipandula, left for Port Alegre, Brazil, on Friday to participate in the world-famous youth tournament, the 2020 IberCup, scheduled to take place from 19 to 26 January.

The 22-year-old Nghipandula told Nampa on that he was looking forward to participating in his second international tournament after excelling in a similar competition, the Gothia Cup, in China last year.The Namibian match official had an impressive performance, which led to him being afforded the opportunity to handle the final of the under-18 tournament between a team from Russia against Argentinian opponents.

“I gained so much experience in China last year. I am aiming to go and learn even more in Brazil so that I can become a better referee in the future,” he said.

He added that attending this tournament will help improve his development and accelerate his progress in achieving his lifelong dream of becoming an International Federation of Football Associations accredited match official.

“I call upon fellow upcoming Namibian match officials to sacrifice and utilise such opportunities so as to improve their performance and become top referees,” he said, adding that his return ticket to the competition was sponsored by a friend of his.

The IberCup Brazil is part of the prestigious youth football tournament series, organised in cooperation with Gremio Football Club, which will see an array of elite teams competing across a range of age categories from under-9 to under-14.

Famous teams like Juventus, Flamengo, Botafogo, Gremio, Roma, Vasco da Gama, River Plate and Boca Juniors will take part in the tournament.

NAMPA

Let's hope for a good year

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Let's hope for a good yearLet's hope for a good year JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA



It is no secret that the past two years were not the best for sport in the country, with so many negative reports going on. I wish 2020 will be different.

Namibia is already racing against time to get athletes to qualify to the Olympics.

Football in the country has been on hold and sponsors have decided to withdraw.

Many of the sport codes have been on life-support given that they do not have any fixed sponsorships.

Athletes are unable to fulfil their dreams of becoming world superstars because funding of sport in this country is not a priority.

The fact that there was no league football played disrupted the lives of many young footballers who were earning wages from their respective clubs.

Most of these players support their families with the earnings they make from football.

That is why we need some sort of restructuring in our sport codes to ensure that things are done differently in 2020.

I hope that administrators will fix their differences and the league will commence in 2020.

Yes, one would not be able to deny that there have been a few positives which occurred even when things were very bleak in Namibian sport.

One of the biggest highlights of 2019 was Helalia Johannes's incredible form, which saw her winning bronze at the world athletics championships.

Johannes Nambala was crowned world champion in the T13 400m race at the 2019 International Paralympic Committee World Para Athletics Championships.

Namibia's national cricket team booked its place at the T20 2020 World Cup, after trouncing Oman in T20 World Cup playoffs.

All these are remarkable achievements but I can assure you that this country is capable of achieving greater things with the talent we have.

Namibia is capable of having more athletes competing at the highest level.

The biggest thing that has been holding this country back is the inconsistency we find in our administration.

The lack of sponsorship from corporate Namibia has also hampered the growth of sport.

We all know that the youth are the future of this country and it is important that they get the necessary support from corporate Namibia.

Most of these young athletes aspiring to become future stars need help and that help lies with corporate Namibia.

It would be great if more youth tournaments are sponsored in order for the country to groom future stars to fulfil the adage “catch them while they are still young”.

I am not talking about only sponsoring football, netball, rugby and hockey, but all sport codes that fall under the Namibia Sports Commission need equal treatment.

I am also encouraging the companies that are already involved in sport funding to go the extra mile as far as creating more events is concerned.

What I do believe is of utmost importance is that corporate Namibia must not only focus on the main region (Khomas), but must expand to other regions where children are desperate to get involved in sport.

Lastly, the personal grudges which we all know exist between some of our leaders have to stop.

Now is the time that we throw away the football politics and the tribal issues.

People in football leadership must refrain from making empty promises because our football is in need of transformation.

It is about time that we let go of our personal egos and targets and think of the people that are directly affected by our decisions.

We will never be able to fix problems if our decisions are based on vengeance and piloted by power-hungry motives.

Enough is enough with this unwise administration that has been going on for so long in our beautiful game.



jesse@namibiansun.com

Let’s be consistent on flag use

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Let’s be consistent on flag useLet’s be consistent on flag use The police have been directed by cabinet to see to it that the national flag is used for what is outlined in law.

Cabinet secretary George Simataa’s letter to police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga, dated 14 January, seems to originate from the fact that certain Namibians have started wearing shirts bearing national colours while attending political activities.

In principle, the directive is correct. But in reality, the flag has been used for all kinds of unholy purposes for years without anyone acting.

It thus sounds hypocritical that when it has become too hot in the political kitchen, we suddenly want to act on the ‘abuse’ of the flag.

Everyone can tell where this sudden discomfort is coming from. But perhaps we also need to start interpreting the specific Act that pertains to the use of the national flag in a manner that is impartial and fair to all citizens.

So far selectivity has engulfed the manner in which we supposedly want the flag to be used, conveniently ignoring our own unholy abuse of that flag.

True, we have seen extraordinary scenes in the build-up to last year’s tightly contested elections armies of citizens attending political rallies in full gear of the national colours.

This was particularly a common sight at Panduleni Itula’s rallies. At Swapo rallies, similar scenarios were noticed too. Sometimes government vehicles carrying senior government figures arrived at party rallies with flags erected on their bonnets. This has gone on for decades.

How does this then become only an issue in 2019 and 2020 when the nation is at the crossroads of political uncertainty? What is good for the goose, as the say goes, must be good for the gander too.

We must park the hypocrisy and treat all citizens equally. We are of the view that indeed the flag must not be sabotaged for parochial political purposes – but this must apply to all and sundry.

Nation awaits EVM judgement with bated breath

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Nation awaits EVM judgement with bated breathNation awaits EVM judgement with bated breath Namibians must wait until February 6 to hear whether the Supreme Court will uphold the outcome of the November 27 general election or order a re-run of the vote if the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in that election is found to have lacked credibility.

During the landmark hearing in front of a five-judge bench, Advocate Jeremy Gauntlett, who argued on behalf of mainly independent candidate Panduleni Itula, said paper trail, which the EVMs used in that election lacked, serves as an indispensable check and balance in any election.

Itula brought to the Supreme Court a challenge against the use of the EVMs in the 2019 presidential elections. Official results show he came second in that election, against declared winner President Hage Geingob.





According to him, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has failed to satisfactorily dispel concerns over the security of EVMs after the unauthorised “farming-out” of EVMs in 2017.



Chief Justice Peter Shivute on Friday said the Supreme Court would deliver its judgement on or before 6 February 2020.



Itula dragged ECN to court and demanded a rerun of elections within 30 days as the main relief.



Through his legal team, the dentist who is lately described as a 'circumstantial politician' has called on the Supreme Court to declare invalid and unconstitutional the 2014 determination by the then minister of rural and urban development, Charles Namoloh, in which the Electoral Act 5 of 2014, with the exception of subsection 97(3)(4) which prescribes the use of a verifiable paper trail for every vote cast by a voter, and any vote cast is verified by a count of the paper trail.



According to Itula, the ministerial determination to set aside the provision for a paper trail is inconsistent with various provisions of the Namibian Constitution, and should be set aside.



Itula was represented by South African Senior Counsel Advocate Gauntlett, who is instructed by AngulaCo. Incorporated, while the respondents were represented by Senior Counsel Advocate William Mokhare.



On Friday, Gauntlett explained that this challenge is based on the Namibian Constitution, the principle of democracy, the doctrine of separation of powers and related constitutional principles and provisions.



Addressing the matter of jurisdiction, he pointed out that their application is specifically authorised by section 172 of the Electoral Act of 2014.



Section 172 stipulates that “any challenge relating to the return or outcome of the election” is to be determined by the Supreme Court as a court of first and final instance.



“A fundamental constitutional issue underlies this application,” said Gauntlett.



Gauntlett also pointed out that the minister had no powers to 'shelve' the provisions for a paper trail which is vital to safeguard the integrity of elections.



He also pointed out that the ECN is not constitutionally or statutorily authorised to select the election method stipulated in the Act when there is no legal or regulatory infrastructure providing the checks and balances intended by parliament.



“Yet the minister concedes that the ECN adopted alternative 'checks and balances' of its own. This is dispositive. The ECN made law. It usurped parliament's role,” he said.



No jurisdiction



Mokhare argued that the applicants failed to explain how the Supreme Court has the jurisdiction to hear the matter, and urged the court to dismiss this matter on that basis.



According to him the wording in Section 172 is unambiguous and has to be given its literal, grammatical meaning.



He also said the applicants had failed both in their founding papers and in their heads of argument to demonstrate that the relief they seek against the minister rural development falls under presidential electoral challenge in Section 172.



“The applicants dismiss the respondents' jurisdictional objection and mischaracterise the objection as the respondents attempt to avoid judicial scrutiny. This is far from the truth. Judicial scrutiny with regard to a challenge to presidential election is statutorily provided for in section 172. The jurisdiction of this court to hear and adjudicate matters as court of first instance is also provided for in Article 79(2) of the constitution. The applicants have failed both in their



Mokhare also argued that Itula's demands “inconvenienced” everybody including the court and he has failed to explain why this application was not launched at all for five years, and only launched on extreme urgent basis after the announcement of the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections.



According to Mokhare, the applicants have failed to make out a case for any of the relief they seek therefore the court should dismiss with costs which include one instructing and three instructed counsel.



“The applicants have known about this determination since 2014 and participated in the 2014 presidential and National Assembly elections where the same EVMs used in the 2019 elections were used in the 2014 elections without a paper trail and in terms of the Electoral Act in its current operation. None of the key applicants, including Itula who was and still is a member of Swapo, found the use of voting with EVMs with no paper trail as unlawful,” he said.



jemima@namibiansun.com

JEMIMA BEUKES

Policy bottlenecks harm Peugeot sales

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Policy bottlenecks harm Peugeot salesPolicy bottlenecks harm Peugeot salesOnly 93 vehicles made out of targeted 1 551 Regulatory glitches have dampened the pomp and fanfare that characterised the launch of the Walvis-based assembly plant a year ago. Only a paltry 93 vehicles – out of a targeted 1 551 - have been assembled at the Walvis Bay Peugeot plant since its launch by President Hage Geingob in December 2018.

The plant is struggling to get out of the starting blocks due to regulatory complications that continue to deny the company access to the highly sought-after Southern African region.

The struggle to sell vehicles in the 300 million people southern African market is said to come as a result of the lack of an agreement between Namibia and markets it hopes to export the vehicles to.

The vehicles are earmarked to be taken up by Peugeot Citroen South Africa. The plant assembles Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 5008 and Opel Grandland X models.

“The sales are struggling because we are waiting for a customs sales agreement to fall into place,” the plant's MD, Robert van Rooyen, said.

Van Rooyen said the plant would continue to assemble vehicles until the middle half of the year.

“We have a few shipments in place for the year so we have a bit of work on our hands,” he said.

Ultimately, it would be up to PSA to do with the vehicles as they pleased, Van Rooyen said.

Only 93 vehicles have been assembled so far in comparison to 1 551 that were earmarked to be built, Van Rooyen said. The assembly of 5 000 vehicles is earmarked by Peugeot, Van Rooyen said.

He would not provide sales figures, saying the goal was manufacturing. The Namibian government, Van Rooyen said, had bought a few vehicles.





A trade ministry official told Namibian Sun that customs agreements within the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) made it difficult for manufacturers that were keen on choosing destinations like Namibia for their plants, as 60% of a car components had to be assembled locally.



“The issue has to do with some additional duties that arise as a result of rules of origin aspects of the Southern African Development Community – Economic Partnership Agreements (SADC – EPA). As a country we thus are working and have been working on policy solutions towards that. People must restrain from blaming Sacu or South Africa.



“Rules of origin are a key provision in many trade agreements and could at times, if you were not highly observant, affect the development of your sectors downstream,” the official said.



At the national level, Namibia is making key inputs with respect to rules of origin for sectors such as the automotive industry.



According to officials, various trade agreements had been signed that were not advantageous and work was no under way to rectify agreements that would make it easier to sell locally manufactured vehicles.



According to the official, the ministry was trying to ensure that it could import a number of vehicle parts to enable assembly to take place. The current policy states that 60% of the vehicle's parts should be manufactured locally while 40% of the parts needed to assemble the vehicles can be imported.



“The ratios are being watered down. It is not a Peugeot matter but a policy matter. We are working on it,” the official said.

Erindi sale in Tweya’s hands

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Erindi sale in Tweya’s handsErindi sale in Tweya’s hands OGONE TLHAGE



Minister of industrialisation Tjekero Tweya is set to facilitate a public consultative process regarding the planned sale of the Erindi Private Game Reserve to Mexican billionaire Alberto Baillères.

The game reserve has been on the market for five years for nearly N$2 billion.

Baillères last year contested the conditions the Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC) had attached to the sale of the farm.

The main condition for the sale was that there may be no retrenchment of employees as a result of the transaction for a period of five years. The farm measures 65 000 hectares.

The Government Gazette also stipulated that such retrenchments do not include voluntary separation, resignations and voluntary early retirements and those retrenchments that are transaction specific.

A ministry of industrialisation official told Namibian Sun that trade minister Tjekero Tweya would now have to consult members of the public before making a final determination regarding the planned sale of Erindi to Baillères.

“The minister must issue a two-week public consultation process in a Government Gazette,” the official said. “The minister made a determination but it is still with the legal drafters.”

NaCC spokesperson Dina Gowases told Namibian Sun that the commission had already made its decision on the matter, adding that any further work on the deal now lay with the ministry of industrialisation.

“The Commission’s determination on the Erindi sale was contested by the buyer, who made a formal appeal to the minister of industrialisation, trade and SME development. Our determination is gazetted in the Government Gazette. The minister’s decision can be ascertained through [contact to the] relevant office,” Gowases said.

Baillères is the president of Mexico-based BAL Group, which has a proven and strong reputation, having operated for more than a century. BAL Group has diversified interests and Baillères has experience with managing several wildlife protection ranches in different parts of the world.

Baillères is a philanthropist who aims to transform Erindi into a world-class game reserve, in line with the ministry of environment and tourism's guidelines.

In his bid to buy the farm, he said his intention is to preserve Erindi for future generations and ensure that it continues to provide a sanctuary and safe environment for rare and valuable species such as elephants, black rhino, white rhino, wild dogs, cheetahs, leopards and lions, that are unique and an essential part of African culture and heritage.

Numerous attempts to get comment from Tweya proved futile.

Mbidi out of NFA race

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Mbidi out of NFA raceMbidi out of NFA raceOld guard is out Only four of the ten nominees vying for the Namibia Football Association presidential seat allegedly remain after integrity checks were conducted. Former Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Frans Mbidi and five others allegedly failed the integrity and verification checks for the presidential seat.

Mbidi was formerly tipped as favourite to win the race but sources suggest that he failed to be shortlisted because of the number of terms he has served as an NFA exco member.

Ten candidates were initially nominated, setting up a fierce presidential battle ahead of the historic congress slated for 22 February.

Black Africa's acting chairman Cassius Moetie, former chairman Ranga Haikali, NPL chairman Patrick Kauta and former NFA president Frans Mbidi were all nominated.

The list continued with former NFA executive member Mpasi Haingura, former NPL chairperson Johnny Doeseb, former NFA vice-president Naftal Ngalangi, Isak Fredericks, Mabos Vries and Kenneth Goaseb.

The names of the other five candidates who were omitted remain sketchy as the Fifa normalisation committee will only announce the names of shortlisted candidates this week.

“Yes, I can confirm that the checks were successfully conducted but I will not tell you who the shortlisted candidates are because it is confidential at the moment,” Fifa normalisation committee vice-chairperson Franco Cosmos said.

It has however been speculated that former NFA vice-president Naftal Ngalangi did not make the final list because he had already served eight years in the NFA executive committee position.

It is believed that the check conductors used Article 33 (3) which states: “The mandate of the president, the first vice-president, and the members of the executive committee is for four years after the end of the congress which elected them. They may be re-elected for one consecutive term.”

Mbidi had already served one term as an NFA executive member and the other term as president.

Mbidi was elected unopposed as NFA president in 2014, replacing John Muinjo in the hot seat.

In 2008, Mbidi acted as an NFA executive and he was officially appointed in 2010.

In 2014, he served as the president till 2018, making his total stay in NFA executive structures eight years.

Sources further revealed some candidates failed to be shortlisted because they have not served in any NFA executive before.

A source who prefers to remain anonymous speculated that some members were not shortlisted because they had illegally removed Mbidi from the presidency.

“There are rumours that suggest that former NFA exco members might be disqualified because they removed the former NFA president from office is a mockery of justice.

“First of all the former NFA president was never removed but was suspended or dismissed provisionally pending congress decision as per the statutory provision,” the source alleged.

The normalisation committee vice-chairperson rebuffed the claims, stating that that the checks were done in a constitutional manner.

Cosmos believes that people who are coming up with such allegations have dubious intentions towards football.

“This is pure lies coming from misinformed individuals who want to disrupt the process.

“Things were done according to the NFA constitution and everything was taken into consideration when this checks were being conducted,” Cosmos fumed.



Committee in charge of elections

In 2018, the previous NFA executive committee led by Mbidi failed to hold elections, leading to the appointment of a normalisation committee by Fifa, which will act as an electoral committee.

According to Fifa rules, none of the normalisation members will be eligible for any of the open positions on the NFA executive.



The constitution

The NFA constitution states that the organisation's executive committee will consist of 11 members: The president, first vice-president, second vice-president and six other members, with at least one being a woman.

The chairperson of the NPL executive committee and one representative from the nationwide first division streams, selected from the chairpersons of these streams, are also supposed to serve on the NFA executive.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

One child at a time

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One child at a timeOne child at a timeSharing the fruits of education Kinisha Evenson aims to change lives with her Say Yes to Education Foundation. Iréne-Mari van der Walt

Kinisha Evenson, a grade 12 student at Swakopmund Secondary School (SSS) is excited about what the coming year may bring for her Say Yes to Education Foundation.

She explains that the foundation has rather humble origins. “My dad has two farmworkers on his farm and they each have a son. I remember sitting with them one day and I asked them what they wanted to be. The oldest boy said he wanted to become a policeman, but he couldn’t because he wasn’t going to school,” she recalls.

Evenson also remembers the youngest boy, who is currently five years old, telling her that he wanted to learn to write his own name. “I immediately wanted to help them. I told my dad that I would buy some notebooks and stationery so they could learn to read and write and it started from there.”

She explains that this project was her own from the very beginning. “I never asked my parents to help. I told them about the project but I never wanted them to feel like they just had to give money away.”

Kinisha says she used her My Zone school newspaper to help spread the word of her work. “I had no team members; I did everything by myself and I wrote about the foundation for my school newspaper and I had people from schools all over town asking to volunteer.” Evenson then compiled a team of 24 volunteers.

The new year, however, has brought abundance. Evenson says more than 100 people have applied to volunteer for the foundation, but she had to turn the majority of them away. “I now have 42 volunteers, which will already be tough to manage. I’d like to take all of them, but we are full.”

Evenson hopes to host a movie night for less fortunate children. “I want them to be smaller children so I know I can manage the discipline,” she says.

“One of my mentors said that she could lend us a projector and, for now, it will be held at the Tamariskia Community Hall,” Evenson explains.

The Say Yes to Education Foundation currently has no sponsors, but Evenson is proud to say that they are hard at work to get a business on board in growing the foundation to greater heights.

Mind your choices

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Mind your choicesMind your choices Be smart about your subjects One minor decision can have a major impact, but only if you let it. Iréne-Mari van der Walt

Many students will face the same decision that generations of high school students before them have also faced: choosing their subjects.

Subject choice is a good example of the butterfly effect; your subject choices affect how eligible you are for certain institutions of higher learning and what programmes these institutions will take you in for.

This is a big decision for a teenager, but remember that everything is reversible. If you chose the wrong subject for your career choice, there are institutions that will allow you to do those subjects even after you completed high school and what’s an extra year in the grand scheme of things? Relax, you’ll be okay.

Keep the end in mind

Here’s some advice you’ve probably heard: Choose your subjects based on the career or field you’d like to pursue after school. The more detailed the information you have on what you want to do after school, the better, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t have it all planned out.

It’s all relative

Do not under any circumstances choose a subject because it’s easy. None of the subjects are easy. Choose a subject because you enjoy it and thus it’ll be easy for you. Interest in the work at hand will help you focus during classes and motivate you to invest time and effort into studying and preparing for classes. Mostly, enjoying your class will put you in a better mood overall. School isn’t meant to be a punishment, it’s meant to be a place of growth and learning.

Consider your personality and characteristics

If you’re not good at spelling and constantly find yourself struggling to find the right word, don’t take unnecessary languages – not all of us were meant to be authors. If you’re good with your hands, consider home ecology or craft & technology. If you’ve always been good at making money work, try your hand at accounting. If you’re extroverted, try to stay away from one-man subjects like computer studies.

Go with your instincts

The most important piece of advice is to trust your gut. The only person who truly knows you, and thus knows what’s best for you, is you. More than that, your instincts know things you don’t. Listen to the adults, take all the advice you can get, do all the research you can – all things considered, you’ll know what’s best for you.

The uniform, friend or foe?

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The uniform, friend or foe?The uniform, friend or foe?The untold truth of school wear In an ever-changing world where creativity and individuality have become one of the most precious currencies, the school uniform plagues learners. Why is it still enforced? Iréne-Mari van der Walt





School uniforms – bland, indifferent and at times uncomfortable. We all know why we loathe the school tie more than any other piece of clothing.

Many speech competitions have been inundated with learners questioning school uniform, but the answers to their questions remain unknown to most.

Hein Daiber, the principal of Private School Swakopmund (PSS), is a fan of the uniform. “I think, more than anything, it is tradition. It’s a badge of pride,” he says.

Daiber feels that it gives students a sense of belonging to their school and instils pride. It is the first step to moulding a learner who will be responsible, respectful and accountable for their actions, according to Daiber.

“Think of it as supporters at a soccer game. The people identify with the players on the field and those who came to support the players too, as if they were of the same kind,” he says, referencing sport supporters often wearing their team’s colours and uniform.

“If you think of Maslow’s hierarchy, this is one of the human needs,” he says of the sense of belonging he believes is created by school uniform.

Daiber is quick to disagree with the learner consensus that school uniforms are an enemy to individuality and self-expression. “There are other times when the learners can express themselves. Through their words, their comments, their actions, in their essays. Expression and individuality do not depend on any external factors. Individuality is about the internal factors instead,” he reasons.

On practicality, Daiber adds that it is more cost-effective to wear the same clothes day after day. “If you had to get so many extra Reebok shirts and Nike shoes that you could have enough to wear every day, you’d rack up quite the expense in the place of school uniform, and learners from more financially fortunate households would get more recognition than those who don’t,” he says.

He also believes uniform offers learners safety from preying eyes. “It is a more neutral, professional option. In bigger companies, one often sees a uniform,” he adds.

Trouble in paradise

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Trouble in paradiseTrouble in paradiseTrouble in paradise Namibia's women under-20 national team have been blasted for their shocking performance against Botswana. Coach Mamie Kasaona says people have no right to blame the women under-20 national team's humiliating defeat against Botswana on the players or coach. Rather, she says, the Fifa normalisation committee is liable.

The Young Gladiators suffered a 7-0 defeat to Botswana in the first leg of their Fifa Under-20 World Cup qualifiers at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Sunday.

It was a defeat that stirred criticism from many locals who questioned the level of the national team and the development of football in the country.

Many took the players and the Fifa normalisation committee (NC) to task, asking how the team could perform so poorly against their neighbours.

The coach, however, insisted that the fault lies with how the training camp was organised.

“People must ask these questions to the Fifa normalisation committee and not me. “The NFA was already aware in November that this match was scheduled for January, but we only started preparations last week.

“How can you expect to beat a team that already started preparing for this match in November?” Kasaona fumed. She added she was only called in recently to assemble the team that went up against Botswana.

Namibian Sun understands that most of the players had been on holiday and only returned days before the match took place.

“It is extremely difficult to get the players to full fitness in a short period of time. “I had no choice but to throw most of these young ladies in the game because we could definitely not postpone the match,” Kasaona said.

The NC however attributes the defeat to a lack of funding from the government and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

NC vice-chairperson Franco Cosmos says the coaching staff had the option to withdraw from the match but opted to play.

“It is unacceptable that they are putting the blame on the committee because they lost 7-0.

“We asked them if they are ready to play and they said that they will play even when we gave them an option to withdraw.

“People must understand that we have gone 18 international games without any assistance from the government and there was therefore no money to have these teams prepared earlier,” Cosmos said.

He further added that the committee's requests for funding from CAF have gone unanswered.

“CAF knows about our situation and that is why they understood when we withdrew the under-17 team from taking part in a similar competition.

“This is more of a bread-and-butter issue because these people were forcing to proceed with this match in order for them to get paid,” Cosmos said.

With the second leg still pending, Namibia's chances of qualifying for the football showpiece are just about over.

The Young Gladiators face an impossible task of having to score eight goals with no reply if they are to advance to the next stage.

A 7-0 victory over their counterparts away from home could force the match into extra-time and penalties.

The World Cup, which has been contested by under-20 national teams since 2002, will be hosted by Panama and Costa Rica in August.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Blitzboks guard against complacency

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Blitzboks guard against complacencyBlitzboks guard against complacency After 71 tournaments in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, one could expect Blitzboks sweeper Branco du Preez to show some reluctance in boarding another intercontinental flight to yet another tournament on the other side of the world.

This time, Du Preez and his fellow Springbok Sevens teammates departed from Cape Town for New Zealand, where the third tournament of the World Series will take place this weekend at FMG Stadium, with arrivals in Johannesburg, Sydney and Auckland before a final bus trip to Hamilton. Not so for Du Preez. In fact, the 29-year-old was all smiles and buzzing as the team left South Africa on Saturday. “Very excited to be part of the squad again, having missed the opening two tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town,” the most experienced Blitzbok of all time said.

The Blitzboks won the season-opener in Dubai and were losing finalists at their home tournament in Cape Town a week later, to share the lead on the log table with New Zealand, and Du Preez indicated that they are keen to continue that form.

“We started well in the past and managed to maintain that form, and that helped us to perform well in the World Series. From that perspective, two very important tournaments await us, with Sydney following a week after Hamilton, according to Du Preez.

“Good performances will stack up the points and that is what you are playing for, after all,” he added.

“We are not getting ahead of ourselves, though. The focus remains on Japan in our first match. Past experiences have shown that if we stick to what we want to achieve and trust our structures, the result looks after itself. So we are preparing for game one, day one, and making sure that through that performance we lay the foundation for us.” The format for the tournament in Hamilton has changed, with no quarter-finals taking place and only the four pool winners going into the cup semi-finals. For Du Preez and the Blitzboks, that does not change their attitude, despite the cut-throat reality of matches against England and Kenya later in the pool.

“We always aim to top our pool anyway, so nothing will really change in that regard. The pressure will be high as you cannot afford to drop a match, but we prepared well and will be ready to confront that.” The squad will be led by Stedman Gans, with Siviwe Soyizwapi out injured.

Du Preez gave the new captain the thumbs-up: “He has the attributes to do well. We are an experienced squad with a lot of senior players and all of us will support Stedman where needed,” said Du Preez.

Chris Dry (70 tournaments), Cecil Afrika (62), Justin Geduld (48) and Werner Kok (47) are all highly experienced stalwarts and will provide cool heads and proven ability.

Kok and Afrika, like Du Preez, make first appearances in the World Series, as will Muller du Plessis, Angelo Davids and Gans. “Those guys are very keen to go out and do the business. We love playing for each other, for our families and for our country and the knowledge that those opportunities are on the doorstep will make any long-haul flight a pretty short one,” said Du Preez.

NAMPA/ANA

Beste studente word vereer

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Beste studente word vereer Beste studente word vereer Privaatskool Karibib se uitblinkers Privaatskool Karibib gaan binnekort weer hul leerlinge beloof vir hul harde werk in die vorige skooljaar. Leandrea Louw

Privaatskool Karibib gaan op 23 Januarie hul jaarlikse sport-, kultuur- en akademiese prysuitdeling hou. Dié jaar se tema is "Moving Mountains With Your Dreams".

Mnr. Vincent Hockey, die skoolhoof, vertel omtrent 220 leerlinge gaan pryse in al drie die bogenoemde kategorieë ontvang.

Leerlinge sal verskeie pryse ontvang en die kategorieë sluit onder andere duxleerling, die hoërskool- en laerskool se skoolhooftoekenning, sportman en -vrou vir die laerskool en hoërskool, Deloitte se mees diverse leerling, die toppresteerders in die verskeie grade en -vakke en leerlinge wat die beste vordering getoon het in.

Verder word goeie akademiese prestasies (70% en hoër), uitstaande akademiese prestasies in ’n vak (80% en hoër), toekennings vir die mees toegewyde leerlinge en die toekenning vir leerlinge wat die hoogste persentasies in wiskunde ontvang het ook toegeken.

Hockey vertel dit is die eerste keer in baie jare wat die skool ’n gesamentlike prysuitdeling sal hê. “In die verlede is die laerskool en hoërskool se prysuitdelings apart gehou.”

Privaatskool Karibib het sowat 304 leerlinge vanaf graad 0 tot 12, waarvan 161 in die laerskool is en 143 in die hoërskool. 79 Leerlinge is in die koshuis woonagtig. “Ons leerlinge kom van regoor die SADC met die meeste van die buitelanders wat van Angola afkomstig is,” voeg Hockey by.

Die personeellede is ongeveer 39, waarvan 20 onderwysers is, twee administratiewe personeel, vyftien ondersteunende personeellede en twee vrywilliges is.

Die onderhoof van die laerskool is mnr. Mclyn Kasale en die onderhoof vir die hoërskool is mnr. Johannes Beukes.

Van Dijk leads charge

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Van Dijk leads chargeVan Dijk leads chargeMaguire fails to measure up Liverpool are again the meanest backline in the division thanks in large part to a run of eight consecutive clean sheets. Liverpool spent much of the last 30 years living in Manchester United's shadow, but their time to be crowned champions of England again is nigh.

A 2-0 win over United at Anfield put the European champions 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League and 30 points ahead of fifth-placed United, with a game in hand on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side just 22 matches into the season.

Even in United's heyday, as they reeled in and overtook Liverpool's record of 18 English titles by reaching 20 under Alex Ferguson, was there never such a gulf between the sides as there is now.

Sunday's scoreline flattered the visitors, who needed the aid of VAR and a tight offside call to deny Liverpool two more goals.

By then, United already trailed to Virgil van Dijk's header as the Dutchman towered above the man who replaced him as the world's most expensive defender, Harry Maguire, to put Liverpool on their way to a 13th consecutive league win.

Two years on from his £75 million move from Southampton, Van Dijk has been a transformative figure in turning Liverpool from flakey entertainers into serial winners under Jurgen Klopp. United tried to copy Liverpool's example when their long-running pursuit of Maguire ended with them paying Leicester £5 million more for the England international in August.

Maguire was even handed the United captaincy this week after the departure of Ashley Young to Inter Milan, but has not had nearly the same impact at both ends of the field. Van Dijk's opener was his 10th goal for Liverpool, four of which have come in the Premier League this season. “He's probably one of, if not the most prolific centre-halves in the league,” said Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose corner picked out Van Dijk.

“To have someone like that, who is going into the box and putting his head on the end of things, is fantastic.” Maguire has yet to net for his new club, but it is his failure to make a marked improvement to United's defence that has been the biggest disappointment.

Since the opening weekend of the season, United have kept just three clean sheets in the league.

As injuries robbed the Reds of goalkeeper Alisson Becker and his central defensive partners at different stages of the campaign, Van Dijk has been ever-present in the Liverpool defence, as he is yet to miss a minute of the league campaign.

After Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum had goals ruled out, Jordan Henderson hit the post and Mohamed Salah missed a glorious chance to kill United off, Liverpool had to withstand a nervy final 20 minutes before Salah added a second with virtually the last kick of the game. However, Van Dijk held firm, constantly in the right position to head clear or get his body in the way.

“He's showed that he's probably the best centre-half in the world over the last 18 months and he showed that again today,” added Alexander-Arnold.

“His defensive work probably goes a bit unnoticed because we're so used to seeing it but you can't take it for granted.

“He's always there in the right places, the amount of headers he was getting out of the box for us, winning headers off corners, is priceless for us.”

The drastically different returns on lavish fees splurged on Van Dijk and Maguire are symptomatic of how Liverpool have left United in their wake.

United have spent substantially more in the six-and-a-half years since Ferguson retired, but Liverpool's business has been far shrewder and they are now reaping their rewards.

NAMPA/AFP

NBF gets busy with Olympic qualifiers

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NBF gets busy with Olympic qualifiersNBF gets busy with Olympic qualifiers The Namibia Boxing Federation (NBF) is planning to send 12 boxers to Dakar, Senegal for a 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualification tournament, scheduled to take place from 20 to 29 February.

This was confirmed by NBF president Benjamin Rebang last Sunday in an interview with Nampa. Funds permitting, the federation would like to host a training camp in Zambia, he added.

“We would like to host a training camp for these boys. Unfortunately, that needs funding and we have made a submission to the line ministry. Hopefully something will come through,” Rebang said.

He added that they are also looking at hosting a tournament with their Angolan counterparts, who have indicated an interest in participating in a one-week training camp and tournament in Namibia before the qualifiers.

Rebang said they selected the 12 boxers during last year's National Amateur Boxing Championships, which took place in June at Katima Mulilo.

Depending on the boxers' performance at the African qualifying tournament in Senegal, they may send those who fail to qualify to Paris, France, where the world qualification event will take place from 13 to 24 May 2020.

Meanwhile, four boxers – Jonas Junias Jonas, Andreas Shikongo, Nestor Thomas and Try-Again Morning Ndevelo – are back home from America, where they participated in a two-week training camp under an Olympic scholarship.

Speaking to Nampa last Friday, Jonas said the training camp went well, although it was short.

“Hopefully we will get another country to go and prepare before the Olympic qualification, as promised,” he said.

Jonas said the team selected for the qualifiers is capable of making it to Tokyo 2020.

“It doesn't matter where the preparations take place. I have faith that six, if not more, boxers will make it to the Olympics this year,” he added.

NAMPA

Mathebula dies

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Mathebula diesMathebula dies Peter 'Terror' Mathebula, the first black South African boxer to win a world title, has died aged 67 near Johannesburg, his family said on Sunday.

“Our beloved father passed away three weeks after being admitted to hospital,” his daughter Thembi told AFP, without disclosing the cause of death.

Mathebula created history in Los Angeles in 1980 when he won a 15-round split decision over South Korean Tae-Shik Kim to be crowned the World Boxing Association flyweight champion.

Recalling the historic triumph years later, Mathebula said: “I thought I was dreaming and nearly collapsed after being overcome by joy.”

His reign lasted only three months, however, before losing to Argentine Santos Laciar on a seventh-round technical knockout in Soweto.

Mathebula subsequently suffered back-to-back defeats to Venezuelan Betulio Gonzalez and retired having won 36 bouts and lost nine.

Aged 31 when he quit, the fighter turned to coaching with considerable success.

“The legend has gone, long live the legend,” Boxing South Africa chief Tsholofelo Lejaka told South African media.

“Not only was Terror a boxing trailblazer, he was also a gentleman through and through.

“He helped shape South African boxing by becoming the first black world champion from this country.”

NAMPA/AFP

WHS onderwysers kry nuwe hemde

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WHS onderwysers kry nuwe hemdeWHS onderwysers kry nuwe hemde Mnr. Sam Kauapirura van Hollard Namibië se uitvoerende bestuur, met die portefeulje transformasie en korporatiewe kommunikasie, het Maandag Windhoek Hoërskool (WHS) besoek om nuwe geborgde hemde aan die personeellede van die skool te oorhandig. Me. Janine van Rooyen, ’n Engelse onderwyser by WHS, het gehelp om die borgskap van Hollard bekom om aan die onderwysers iets “uniek en spesiaal te kan gee wat hulle sal laat uitstaan.” Mnr. Hawie Engels, die skoolhoof, het die hemde namens die personeel ontvang.

Foto Mariselle Stofberg

Idees wat vlerke kry

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Idees wat vlerke kryIdees wat vlerke kryOneindige moontlikhede Die African Pathfinder Leaders Initiative (APLI) is gereed om ‘n nuwe generasie van inloedryke jongmense te kweek. Justicia Shipena

Hul gemeenskapsopleiding vir die jaar het amptelik op 15 Januarie, by die Katutura-jeugsentrum, afgeskop. Dié jaar het APLI ‘n totaal van vyftien lede gewerf.

Die APLI-gemeenskapsprogram bied toegang tot uitgebreide opleiding deur die volgende drie hoofaspekte te integreer: leierskapsontwikkeling, geemeenskapsontwikkeling en entrepreneurskap. Die opleiding word deur plaaslike- en internasionale kenners in die bogenoemde gebiede aangebied.

Volgens mnr. Sem Uutoni, die stigter van die APLI, wil hulle entrepreneurs en jong leiers regoor Namibië kweek. Die span poog om leierskapsopleiding te bied wat die jeug sal toerus met die nodige persoonlike- en professionele vaardighede en –kennis om ‘n sosiale impak te maak.

APLI wil ook gereedskap aan jongmense bied om aktief by te dra tot sosio-ekenomiese ontwikkeling in hul gemeenskappe.

Die program word grotendeels aangebied vir mense tussen 18- en 25 jaar, en bestaan uit vierdaagse inwoonkursusse deur die jaar.

Me. Emma Kantema-Gaomas, die jeugminister se uitvoerende direkteur, het by die openingseremonie gesê dit is van uiterse belang vir jeugbemagtiging, om allerdaagse toegang tot hulpbronne en geleenthede aan te spreek.

“Werkloosheid onder jongmense in Namibië word tans teen 46,1% geskat.”

Volgens Kantema-Gaomas spruit APLI se pogings om innoveerders en jong leiers in diverse velde regoor Namibië te kweek uit die tekort aan vaardighede, hulpbronne en netwerke wat jongmense nodig het om hul doelwitte te bereik en om by te dra tot gemeenskapsgroei.

“Dit is noodsaaklik om geleenthede te skep wat die strewe na die gees van Ubumtu sowel as Pan-Afrikanisme, in organisasies onder jeugleiding, aanwakker.”

Sy het verder bygevoeg dat die jeugministerie, saam met ander belanghebbendes, onlangs die derde hersiening van die Nasionale Jeugbeleid voltooi het. Dít sal die proses van jeugontwikkeling deur intervensieprogramme kataliseer.

“Geleenthede soos die 121 jeug-kiesafdelings fasiliteer ondernemings op kiesafdelingsvlak,” het sy gesê.

Mnr. Walter Parrs, ‘n verteenwoordiger van die Amerikaanse ambassade, het sy ervaringe gedeel en deelnemers aangemoedig om iets te doen waarin hulle kan floreer.

Een van die APLI-deelnemers, me. Ainley Amunyela, het gesê sy wil haar vaardighede verskerp en dít gebruik om die mense rondom haar se lewens te verbeter.

A passion for biology… and poetry

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A passion for biology… and poetryA passion for biology… and poetry Yandi du Plessis

Jacques Rossouw is a hardworking, purpose-driven 22-year old student currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences at the North-West University (NWU) in Potchefstroom. Growing up at Omaruru and attending Moria Private School at Outjo, he is a long way from home. He decided on pharmaceutical sciences after receiving a bursary. Of course, it helps that he has a keen interest in biology and a desire to help others. However, there were times when he doubted whether he had chosen the right study course.

The other big challenge he faced was the online admissions process. Especially for an international student, the process can be quite rigorous.

According to Rossouw, freedom is one of the perks associated with the campus experience. “I’ve never had this much control over my own life before. There’s no one to tell you what you can and cannot do.”

He also enjoys the fact that he has more free time to focus on other activities like sports. He finds it refreshing to start over in a place where nobody knows you. Being exposed to new people and new ideas can be refreshing.

“Nothing is expected of you from people who know your parents and expect you to behave in a certain way.” However, he acknowledges that it’s a big responsibility.

The importance of budgeting dawned on him when he started managing his own expenses.

“The biggest surprise I got was how fast money runs out.” Just about every student can attest to this. Not immediately spending all your money in one place takes self-control.

His favourite place on the NWU campus is the Calvyn Fountain in front of the law building, especially at night.

“It’s beautiful, and also romantic. Swimming in the Calvyn is part of the Potch experience. You have to do it at least once.”

He also enjoys visiting the Wag-‘n-Bietjie women’s residence because “they make the best coffee.”

Although Rossouw is a big dreamer (he dreams of owning his own tropical island one day), he likes to think he can be realistic and responsible when it comes to important matters. He plans to continue with his master’s degree next year.

His advice to the next generation of university students is, “Be prepared to do things on your own. Your parents can’t do everything for you anymore. Study hard, otherwise you’re just wasting time and money. Being able to attend university is a blessing, not a right.”

Facts about Jacques:

1. He sucks at English (according to him).

2. He tries his best to be a nerd.

3. He likes writing poems.
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