Namibian Sun

Doeseb raises football hopesNamibia Premier League (NPL) chairman Johnny Doeseb has hinted that there is good news in store for local football. Chairman hints at sponsorship good news 0

Namibia Premier League chairman Johnny Johnson Doeseb has hinted that there will be good news for local football this week.

The businessman, who is popularly known as JJD, posted a message on his Facebook page that suggests that the NPL has sourced funding for it to kick off its league activities.

“This week will be a memorable one for me and I can only thank God. I will equally make an announcement on NPL sponsorship and I am happy. Wishing you all a splendid day, my friends,” he posted yesterday.

The NPL had appeared to be in dire straits after mobile telecommunications company MTC had opted to end its 14-year association with the league.

Although the company had originally agreed to extend its sponsorship for another three years (to the tune of N$15 million per season), the NPL’s budget of N$24 million per season was considered out of their reach.

As a result they tasked the NPL with sourcing an additional N$9 million to complement their offer.

The NPL was unable to raise that amount within the stipulated time, resulting in MTC withdrawing its “conditional commitment” to sponsor the league.

MTC’s sponsorship withdrawal led to speculation that Namibia’s elite league may not kick off this season; an eventuality that most pundits agreed would be catastrophic for local football.

But Doeseb’s mysterious post has now led to optimism among some football fans on social media.

“I know JJD is a good guy and he didn’t fail again,” posted Iniesta Kanduuombe.

“If this man becomes secretary general of NFA (Namibia Football Association) great things will happen in Namibian football, I’m telling you,” Mike Thomas wrote.

Difficulty

Doeseb is seemingly playing his cards close to his chest and as such, details regarding the new funding have been hard to come by.

MTC had stated that even if the NPL raised the N$9 million now, it would not automatically mean that it would renew its sponsorship deal.

Instead, the company made it clear that while its door was still open, negotiations for an extension of the sponsorship would have to start from scratch.

It therefore remains to be seen if MTC will return as sponsor or whether Doeseb has sourced a new backer for the league.

Namibia’s football season traditionally runs from August to May, though it has occasionally kicked off later than scheduled a number of times in recent years.

The new season will see Tigers attempting to defend their NPL title.

Other teams in the 2016/17 season are African Stars (Windhoek), Black Africa (Windhoek), Blue Waters (Walvis Bay), Chief Santos (Tsumeb), Citizens (Windhoek), Civics (Windhoek), Eleven Arrows (Walvis Bay), Life Fighters (Otjiwarongo), Mighty Gunners (Otjiwarongo), Orlando Pirates (Windhoek), Rundu Chiefs (Rundu),Tura Magic (Windhoek), Unam (Windhoek), Young Africans (Gobabis) and Young Chiefs (Oshakati).

Guardiola asks for patienceThe Spanish coach has asked for patience after his team suffers its first defeat in the English Premier League this season. City suffer first loss in EPL 0

Pep Guardiola advised Manchester City’s supporters it will take up to three years for his methods to fully bear fruit after his side lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur.

City had avoided defeat in the first 11 games of Guardiola’s tenure as manager, but they were given a rude awakening at White Hart Lane on Sunday as Spurs trimmed their Premier League lead to a single point.

Guardiola declared Spurs are potential champions afterwards, but emphasised - as he had prior to the game - that his team are at a different stage in their development to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Asked if Spurs were title contenders, Guardiola replied: “They were last season. Why not? The same trainer, new players. In two, three years, my team will be better.

“In that sense it’s normal. In the Premier League there are many teams who can achieve that and Tottenham are one of them.”

He added: “They were the better team. It can happen sometimes.

“We play against one team that has been together the last two or three years, who last season were fighting until the end to win the Premier League.”

Aleksandar Kolarov, who struggled during City’s 3-3 Champions League draw at Celtic, gifted Spurs a ninth-minute lead when he inadvertently turned Danny Rose’s cross into his own net.

Son Heung-Min set up Dele Alli to sweep in Spurs’ second goal in the 37th minute and the hosts would have won with even more room to spare had Erik Lamela not seen a penalty parried by Claudio Bravo.

Alli described the result as a “big statement”, while Pochettino said his team had been “nearly perfect”.

The Argentine took particular satisfaction from the fact Spurs had prevented a Guardiola team from dominating possession until the latter stages.

“To play a great team like Man City, you need to do a fantastic job,” Pochettino said.

“In theory we are a team that want to have control always. In front was Manchester City, who want the same as us, then it’s a battle on the pitch.

“For that I feel very pleased because our players showed a big commitment with the philosophy. The way that we played was fantastic.”

EPL results

Sunday, 2 October

Burnley 0-1 Arsenal

Leicester City 0-0 Southampton

Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City

Manchester United 1–1 Stoke City

Omupolisi ngoka anuwa i ikutha epunda a pewa omboloha 0

Omunambelewa gwopolisi, Aini Mpingana Michael 28, ngoka atulwa iipandeko mOngwediva oshiwike sha piti sho a kutha mo epunda lyoomwedhi hamano okwa pewa omboloha yooN$1 000.

Yina yuunona uwali okwa holoka mompangulilo yamangestrata gwaShakati mEtine lya piti, nokonima nkene at ulwa miipandeko okwa kala moshipangelo shaShakati metonatelo lyopolisi. Oku li oshilyo shOpolisi yaNamibia na oha longele mosasiyona yaShakati. Okwa li a yi kiilonga mOmaandaha ihe okwa pula opo a shunekegumbo molwaashoka okwuuvite nawa, na kape na ngoka a fekele ngele oku na etegelelo.

Okwa kutha mo etegelelo ndyoka lyuule womwedhi heyali a longitha iinima yaashiwike na okwa tulwa miipandeko mOmaandaha sho okanona hoka ka adhika metoto lyiiyagaya kaaniilonga yamuni mOngwediva.

Okwa lopotwa kutya Michael okwa tula okanona hoka inaka koka natango monayilona onduudhe na okwe yi fala ketoto lyiiyagaya mOngwediva pamwe niiyagaya yilwe. Aaniilonga mboka oya mono onayilona ndjoka na oya tseyithile opolisi. Michael okwa monika sha landula okambaapila hoka ka adhika monayilona ndjoka.

Omunahambo mohambo yaKaapanda ke wetikeYina yomunamimvo 25, Fillipus Jurius ngoka a kanene mohambo yominista nale, Joel Kaapanda, moka a li a kutwa onga omulithi gwiimuna okwa holola kutya okwa uvithwa nayi komakonaakono taga ende kashona moshipotha shoka. Ofamili yanakukana ya hala Kaapanda a popye kutya omukwawo okuuka peni 0

Omvula yimwe monena ya piti, konima nkene Elizabeth Akooko a gandja ombinzi ye opo ku kaningwe omakonaakono goDNA, okumona ngele iipongolo yomuntu, mbyoka ya monika oyomona ngoka akanene mohambo yominista nale yOmauyelele nOmakwatathano momudhingoloko gwaNamatanga mOshitopolwa shaMusati.

Opolisi oya popi kutya opwa li uupyakadhi miizemo mbyoka yombinzi ihe oye yi tuma komalelo gomondjila na oya tegelela okumona iizemo mbyoka mbala.

Shoka osha popiwa kuregional crime investigator gOmusati Omupevi Komufala, Bonifatias Kanyetu.

“Otatu indile kunakuvala ngoka a hala omayamukulo ge opo iidhidhimike. Otwa li nuupyakadhi womakonaakono goDNA ndjoka ihe otwa mana nomakonaakono ngashiingeyi otwa tegelela owala omayamukulo ngoka,” Kanyetu ta ti.

Akooko okwa popi kutya okwa limbililwa noonkondo na ita vulu we okutegelea. Okwa popi kutya ethimbo ele lya piti sho opolisi yemu kutha ombinzi ihe ngashiingeyi itayi mu lombwele sha.

Okwa popi kutya oku uvite nale nayi omolwa omona ngoka a kana ihe natango opolisi otayi mu uvitha nayi. Okwa popi kutya momukalo ngoka mwa kana omona oshowo omukalo ngoka eshi uvu otashi halutha nayi.

“Momasiku ga-4 gAguste omvula ya piti, onda uvu etumwalaka moradio yoNBC yOshiwambo kutya Jurius okwa kana. Kanda li ndi shi ngele oha longo onga omulithi gwiimuna. Okwa kuthwa pofamili ya he mOnyaanya. Onda kutha ko onomola ndjoka ga gandjwa pethimbo etumwalaka ndyoka lya pitithwa naasho nda dhenge ongodhi ndjoka onda tseyithilwa kutya oyominista nale Joel Kaapanda. Onda uvu nayi noonkondo okutseya kutya omumwandje okwa na okupitila moradio. Otashi ehameke noonkondo na otashi ulike okwaahasimaneka aathigona,” Akoko ta ti.

Omutenya gwomasiku 31 Juli, 2015, Jurius okwa falwa kohambo yaKaapanda mOnamatanga kuPinias Nashilongo ngoka e li omukwanezimo gwaKaapanda na ina monika we okuza kesiku ndyoka. Nashilongo okwa lopota kopolisi yaKahao kutya Julius okwa kana momasiku ga 4 gaAguste nomesiku ndyoka okwiitsuwa omudhimba gwomuntu gwa ninga nayi momudhingoloko ngoka. Opolisi yaKahao oya patulula epeko lyomapulaapulo. Opolisi oya popi kutya inayi vula okudhimbulula omudhimba molwaashoka ogwa li gwa yonagulwa kiilikama.

Opolisi oya koleke olopota yaakwanezimo kutya Kaapanda okwa lombwele ofamili ndjoka kutya omanga Jurius ina kana okwa dhengele Kaapanda ongodhi ta popi kutya pohambo ope na aantu mboka yemu ningile omatilitho geso, na okwa li uuvu omakuthilo.

“Kaapanda ineshi kutha ko onga oshinima shi na oshilonga na okwa li e na okulopota oshiningwanima shoka kopolisi meendelelo, ihe okwa tegelele omasiku gatatu opo a tume omuntu kohambo. Otwe mu pula e tu fale kohambo ye ihe okwa tindi, ota holeke shike?” Frieda Mulunga, yinagona yaJurius a popi.

Omakonaakono otaga tsikile-Epangelo 0

Epangelo olya popi kutya omakonaakono gooskola gopashigwana ngoka ga tameke moshilongo otaga tsikile nonando aalongiskola okwa tegelelwa ya ye mekanka.

Momukanda gwiikundaneki ngoka gwa pitithwa kepangelo mehuliloshiwike ogwa popi kutya, epangelo olya simaneka uuthemba waaniilonga yawo mbyoka taya kutha ombinga momakanka geli paveta, ihe shampa owala itaku thindilwa pevi uuthemba waanona opo yamone elongo nokushanga omakonaakono gawo pambili.

Omukanda ngoka gwa pitithwa kuamushanga takalele mOmbelewa yOmuprima minister ogwa popi kutya epangelo otali ka kwashilipaleka kutya omakonaakono oga shangwa ngaashi sha pangelwa.

Sha landula sho epangelo nehangano lyaaniilonga lya adha okwena kwa thita moonkundathana dhi na sha noondjambi dhaalongiskola. Omupokati moonkundathana dhoka okwa tokola opo ku gandjwe ethimbo lyomasiku gaheyali nokonima yomasiku ngoka aalongi otaya yi mekanka.

Epangelo olya popi kutya muule womasiku ngoka inaga gwana opo li ninge oompangela dhokufala aaiyambi kooskola opo ya ka taalele omakonaakono.

Kombinga yehala moka tapu kala aalongi mboka taya kutha ombinga mekanka, okwa tokolwa opo aalongiskola ya kale oshinano shoometa 500 okuza poskola,nonando epangelo olya holola kutya oshinano shoka oshishona na otashi vulika shi ka ye moshipala aanaskola pethimbo lyootundi nenge lyomakonaakono.

Molwaashoka omugandji gwiilonga ina pitikwa okukuta miilonga aaniilonga yalwe taya futwa uuna aaniilonga ye li mekanka, epangelo otali ka longitha aayiyambi nonando omukalo ngoka inagu tothwamo mEkotampango lyAaniilonga nepangelo oli li moonkundathana nahahende gwalyo.

Aanafaalama taya ka kundathanaOshiwike shika aanafaalama otaya ka gongala pamwe nokukundathana omikundu dhoka dha taalela oshikondo shawo, petimbo lyomitumba dhuunafaalama dhopaali dhoka tadhi ningwa oshiwike shika mOvenduka. Omuloka gwankundipala ogumwe gwomuupyakadhi wa taalela aanafaalama moshilongo 0

Aanafaalama oya taalela omaupyakadhi ga yooloka ngoka taga yi moshipala ongeshefa yawo.

Gamwe gomomaupyakadhi ngoka ongaashi epato lyuutomeno waMeatco, oshikukuta oshowo oomilandu omipe dhoka dha tulwa miilonga ngetashiya ketumo momalanditho gopondje , oshowo oondando dhili pevi noonkondo okutumbulapo owala yimwe po.

Ngoka omaupyakadhi gamwe po taga ka kundathanwa pethimbo lyOmutumba gwOkomvula omuti-70 gwoCongress of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) oshowo Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO) Congress dhoka tadhi ningilwa mOvenduka oshiwike shika.

Kwiikwatelelwa kolopota ndjoka ya pitithwa koLPO, konima nkene kwa dhidhilikwa omuloka omuwanawa mo-2012 ndjika omvula ontitatu oshilongo tashi dhengwa koshikukuta oshinene.

Oya popi woo kutya omukundu omunene gwa dhenge oshikondo shoka, etulo miilonga lyomilandu omipe dhaSouth Afrika, dhoka dha tulwa miilonga mesiku lyotango lyaJuli mo-2016.

Uupyakadhi wulwe ishewe ompumbwe yomeya ndjoka ya taalela oshilongo.

Ngele ompumbwe yomeya oya tsikile nena oondama dhomeya moshilongo otadhi ka kala amwasha naashoka otashi etitha Ovenduka yi kale kayi na omeya na otashi ka guma iilonga yehangano lyoMeatco oshowo uutomeno wulwe.

Olopota oya holola ishewe kutya uupyakadhi wumwe, iilonga yepangelo oshowo oshikondo shUunamapya ngetashiya mekwatelo komeho lyoshikondo.

Oya popi kutya oshikondo shoompangela nOmayambulepo gOongeshefa kashi na uuyuuki na itashi longele kumwe naanafaalama.

Olopota oyah olola kutya okugandja owala iiholelwa yimwe po ongaashi omaipulo giilonga moAgricultural Business Development (AgriBusDev) oshowo moAgricultural Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA).

Olopota yokomumvo yoNAU oya popi kutya oshikondo shuunamapya osha taalela uupyakadhi wiiyemo omolwa omuloka gwa nkundipala ngoka gwa dhidhilikwa moshilongo omimvo adhihe dhika dha piti.

Oya holola woo uupyakadhi wendjekepo lyiifuta yevi oshowo ompango ompe yiifuta yomidhingoloko ndjoka ya tulwa miilonga.

Oya popi kutya iifuta yolusheno nayo oya tulwa pombanda noopresenda 16 nonando ondando yonyama muuyuni otayi shuna pevi.

Debate heats up as nuclear plan stallsExactly how long South Africa will have to wait for an authoritative decision on its nuclear future remains unclear. Caution urged against debt lock 0

South Africa will have to wait a little longer before pressing ahead with a highly contentious and very costly expansion of its ageing nuclear power stations.

Last week was supposed to mark a key step forward in plans formulated back in 2010, but at the 11th hour the government balked.

Early last month, the energy ministry announced it would finally issue a tender for the construction of between six and eight power stations with a combined capacity of 9 600 megawatt on Friday, September 30.

But on Thursday, the ministry pulled the plug, announcing the procurement process had been postponed to allow for further consultations.

But it reiterated its commitment to a programme the government says is essential to meeting rising demand for electricity.

Five years after the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan, South Africa’s project, coupled with the green light given the Hinckley Point plant in Britain, had been set to consolidate a global resumption of nuclear energy development.

In a continent where two thirds of the population lack electricity, South Africa is the only country with a civilian nuclear industry, with two reactors in service for the past 30 years.

Ninety percent of electricity in South Africa is generated by polluting coal-fired power stations.

Supply falls well short of demand. Few South Africans have forgotten how in 2008 shortages were so severe that goldmines, a pillar of the economy, had to shut down.

It’s all about the money

“This country requires more electrical power generated to enable more industrialisation, which will create more jobs,” Knox Msebenzi, managing director of Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA),” toldAFP.

“With an ageing coal fleet in South Africa that will be coming off our national grid in huge ‘chunks’ between 2025 and 2035... there is a desperate need to substitute these baseload stations... and nuclear power stations are a perfect match for this,” he added.

Like everywhere else in the world, when it comes to energy, the N-word is the subject of hot debate in South Africa.

Money is one of the biggest bones of contention.

Critics put the cost of the programme at more than R1 trillion.

According to South African energy expert Chris Yelland, the electricity produced by the proposed plants would cost between 1.3 and 1.5 rand per kilowatt/hour, compared to R1.05 for a new coal-fired power station and one rand for a blend of new solar, wind and gas plants.

For Yelland, who heads EE Publishers, which specialises in energy news and analysis, South Africa has no immediate need for nuclear power plants.

“Nobody knows what will be the electricity demand in the years to come. If you use the wrong figures, you might build a project much bigger than necessary,” he said.

“Nuclear is a huge commitment that ties your hands for 70, 80 up to 100 years, it’s not flexible,” he said.

Nuclear will lock Africa in debt – Greenpeace

Other African countries faced with electricity shortages are also eyeing nuclear as the way forward.

Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation and its number two oil producer, and Kenya have signed preliminary agreements with Russia and China.

Nigeria has identified two potential sites for reactors, but the project is stuck over its financing for now.

“These nuclear reactors are being peddled to African countries who are desperate for electricity and energy security but who are going to be locked into these agreements which will drive up their price of electricity, but also lock them into this debt and dangerous source of electricity,” warned Melita Steele, senior climate and energy campaign manager at Greenpeace.

“So as far as Greenpeace is concerned, nuclear is a distraction to real solutions to energy supply on the African continent,” she said.

Even before it was announced - and then postponed - the procurement tender was the subject of legal challenges by several NGOs.

Brian Molefe, CEO of national electricity provider Eskom and ardent nuclear proponent, insists the rows are counterproductive.

“If we continue with the bickering instead of doing something, we’ll be in the same position in 2035 as we were in 2008. I say this because of bitter experience,” he told parliament last week.

Announcing the postponement, the energy ministry insisted it was still fully committed to its nuclear programme.

Yelland was having none of it.

“This new delay shows that the government doesn’t have any answers yet to some very basic questions, the first one being ‘can we afford it?’”

MultiChoice trims its decoder prices 0

Pay-TV operator MultiChoice has designed a smaller hard drive for the latest DStv Explora in order to make the decoder affordable in the face of a weakening rand.

The company’s group general manager for broadcast technology, Nyiko Shiburi, this week told journalists at the launch of the new DStv Explora that big cost items on the decoders - the processor and the hard drive - were fully imported, thus exposing the company to currency fluctuation risks.

He said the recent weakening of the rand compared with the dollar made the items more expensive.

But Shiburi said MultiChoice had kept its own input costs down by, for instance, designing a streamlined hard drive that was smaller to keep the decoder affordable.

The other components of the decoder are manufactured in East London.

“Our view is that stuff that can be manufactured in South Africa should be manufactured in South Africa. We are proud that the decoder is manufactured in South Africa,” he said on the sidelines of the launch.

Shiburi said as a result of the smaller hard drive, users would record less on their decoders but added that the sheer volume of content available on Catch Up, Catch Up Plus and ShowMax services would make up for the reduction.

“The streamlined version means we can continue to offer all our customers the chance to own an Explora at an affordable price, despite our weakened rand,” Shiburi said.

MultiChoice said the Explora would cost R1 499 “and this price will be fixed until the end of 2017”.

SA to name preferred bidders for gas projects 0 South Africa will announce preferred bidders for multibillion-dollar gas-to-power projects by the end of March as part of efforts to diversify electricity production away from more environmentally damaging coal plants, a government document shows.

Tender documents in May last year asked consortia to submit plans to build South Africa’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, gas-fired power plants, storage facilities and transmission pipelines, according to a department of energy memorandum released on Monday and seen by Reuters.

Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell are among more than 100 bidders for the gas projects, which South Africa hopes will add more than 3 000 megawatts (MW) to its current power production capacity of 42 000 MW.

A separate 600 MW gas-fired power plant is also being developed in parallel by the department of energy’s independent power producers unit.

South Africa already imports gas from neighbouring Mozambique and could buy LNG from major African producers such as Nigeria and Angola, analysts said.

“The current global gas and LNG market conditions are expected to represent an opportunity for South Africa to achieve an economically beneficial pricing arrangement in the oil and gas cycle,” the document said.

The department of energy has a preference for floating regasification and storage facilities due to the speed with which they can be built.

The most likely location for new gas-fired power plants are at Richards Bay and Coega, the document said.

Tobacco growers seek inclusion 0

The International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) has accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of side-lining the industry when making decisions that had an effect on it.

ITGA president Francois van der Merwe said the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control had banned dozens of officials representing tobacco growing countries from participation in its conference in Delhi, India, next month.

“We have been trying to engage the WHO on health matters so that any differences they have with our industry can be resolved. We have written to them since 2012 and they haven’t responded in the last four years. Now I have just written to UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and I hope his intervention in this regard will help,” said Van der Merwe.

Economic role

Van der Merwe said the group wanted the health organisation to look beyond health to what he called a significant role that the industry played in job creation, eradicating poverty and paying taxes to governments.

Tobacco earnings contribute nearly 20% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in countries such as Zimbabwe and the crop alone accounts for 40% of exports.

Van der Merwe said in South Africa the industry contributed about R16 billion to the Treasury last year through taxes.

He said big corporations such as British American Tobacco (BAT) were important players in the economy.

“We are also employing between 10 000 and 12 000 people of which 8 000 of them are from the rural areas. Most of these people are breadwinners in their families so I can say around 35 000 people make a living through the tobacco industry,” Van der Merwe said.

He said the industry employed more than 50 000 globally and contributed to countries’ GDPs through taxes.

“The industry should be supported and be included in the processes that affect them but the governments tend to distance themselves,” Van der Merwe said, adding that ITGA had commissioned an independent study on the industry’s overall impact in communities.

“One of the issues that the ITGA doesn’t agree with is the proposal by the WHO to reduce nicotine in cigarettes by a large percentage.

“They want to reduce nicotine in tobacco plants 10 times. Those are extreme measures. It is like taking the sugar out of the sweets,” he said.

He said banning the industry from conferences would not solve the situation as counterfeits still flocked into most countries.

“The industry is facing 25 percent of illicit trade and it costs the government about R4bn a year in lost taxes.

Ban Ki-moon was yet to respond to the ITGA’s letter.

Farmers gather to address challengesFarmers will gather this week to discuss some of the major challenges facing their industry at two of the most important conferences on the agricultural calendar. Report bemoans non-transparent directorates 0

The agriculture sector is confronted with increasingly difficult circumstances to maintain sustainable production. Some of these include the closing of the Meatco feedlot, the drought, new stringent export requirements as well as low producer prices.

These are among the challenges to be discussed at the 70th congress of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) and the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO) congress in Windhoek.

Annual reports released by these two organisations prior to the conferences both cite drought as a major challenge for the sector.

According to the LPO report, this year marks the third consecutive year of serious drought for Namibia, following a series of good rainy seasons experienced until 2012.

It also cites the implementation of revised import regulations by the South African authorities on all livestock from Namibia from 1 July 2016.

“The next crisis hitting Namibia is the water shortage,” the report states.

Low rain resulted in a lack of water inflow for two consecutive years into dams that provide water to Windhoek.

“If this water shortage continues, it is estimated that dams will run dry. This means that Windhoek will have no water, and the first to be forced to downsize their activities are industries such as Meatco and other abattoirs.”

The report also addressed the role and functions of government in the livestock industry and organised agriculture.

It says the Directorate of Planning and Business Development in particular is not transparent and its actions are not executed in line and in cooperation with the industry.

It says to mention just a few examples there is uncertainty regarding the function of the Agricultural Business Development (AgriBusDev) and the Agricultural Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA) in the meat industry.

Furthermore it says levy financing for agricultural unions was withdrawn and uncertainty exists whether this will continue.

The annual report of the NAU says there are numerous challenges in the agricultural sector which put pressure on the profitability of the producer. Due to the below-average rainfall since 2013 production conditions (rangeland) are poor to critical in certain parts.

According to the report interest rates and inflation increased and put pressure on food prices, which as a result keep on rising.

“Besides the increase of land tax, a new environmental tax has been implemented.”

Also the report states that electricity tariffs were increased by 16% and even though meat prices increased globally, Namibian producer prices are still under pressure.

“The NAU’s viewpoint with regard to land tax is very clear. The NAU committed itself to the payment of land tax as a contribution towards land reform in Namibia,” it said.

The NAU says that land valuations must be realistic and determined according to the Act and Regulations.

The union added that land tax must in all cases be reasonable, fair and affordable.

“There are shortcomings in the current model according to which land tax is determined. Consequently the current land valuations are questioned. Land tax which is paid according to the current rate and values is in our opinion not fair and affordable.”

Therefore, the union said it is negotiating with the ministries of finance, agriculture and land reform to adapt the rate of land tax.

Guard your mailA local bank has warned customers of a new method whereby scammers try to borrow from micro-lenders with stolen records. Swindlers steal data for cash-loans 0

Bank Windhoek yesterday warned that fraudsters are borrowing money from micro-lenders using other people’s falsified information.

“This is a well-known method used by fraudsters. They obtain your original bank statements, and then photocopy your bank details on to a falsified template,” says Johnny Truter, forensic services manager at Bank Windhoek.

“These individuals would then approach micro-lending agencies to obtain loans, or stores to obtain credit in your name,” he warns.

“Not only is this identity theft, but it will also have an influence on your credit record when micro-lenders or stores obtain judgement against you for non-payment - this while the client is unaware of the fraud committed in their name.”

Truter advised people to be careful who they provide personal financial information to, particularly in the case of bank statements.

In order to protect your information, he suggests keeping all bank statements, tax forms, receipts and other documents in a central location instead of in random places around the home. Such place should ideally be a fireproof safe or cabinet.

Another easy habit to form, he says, is filing new receipts and paperwork immediately rather than leaving them lying around.

“Immediately inform financial service providers like banks, insurers, investment companies and asset managers when personal particulars have changed, especially a post-office box number, to prevent mail with personal financial information, like bank statements, falling into the wrong hands,” Truter advises.

When using email to conduct financial affairs, he recommends that users remain aware of the risks involved.

DENVER ISAACS

Teachers' union slammed for 'malicious' strike threats 0

The country’s youngest employers’ organisation has added its voice to the debate on whether teachers should be allowed to strike for higher pay.

Namibia National Employers’ Organisation (NaNEO) secretary-general Emmanuel Hangulah said union leaders urging teachers to strike during examinations are “malicious”.

“Nantu (Namibia National Teachers Union) is being irrational in that they have instigated professional teachers on their (Nantu’s) failing teachers all along, hence making up with an uncalled-for strike, unaware of the possible consequences they might befall, for example no work, no pay [sic],” Hangulah said.

Acknowledging teachers’ constitutional right to strike, he said this right must be exercised responsibly – which was not the case now, given the exams and the government’s explanation of the country’s precarious financial position.

“Trade unions, much as they have the right to exist, should have the broader interests of their members at heart, rather than being naïve to reality,” Hangulah said.

“The state president has on numerous occasions during engagement with the unions, as at Workers’ Day and State House courtesy calls, called on unions to engage employers with proposals like shareholding in companies, but these have not yielded fruit because there are no strategic plans within unions, where they could meet government in deliberating on tangible socio-economic, or socio-political aspects affecting their members and their well-being.”

The organisation said it stood behind the government’s intended 5% salary increase for teachers, rejecting the union’s call for 8%.

“Dr Hage Geingob in his recent remarks was very vivid in saying everyone would have liked more money, if resources permit. Unfortunately, such cannot be due to various reasons tabled, and such reasons cited are not flaws but real, and their effects can be felt across all corners of the country,” the NaNEO leader said.

DENVER ISAACS

Desperate university students plan guerrilla-style protestsAs a desperately tight window for the resumption of lectures at universities around the country starts to close, students at the centre of the fees revolt are planning guerrilla-style protest tactics to disrupt lectures this week. #FeesMustFall in full swing at most SA universities 0

At Wits University, where students voted overwhelmingly in a poll to return to class, militant protesters plotted ways to continue the disruptions, including occupying certain campus buildings from midnight last night, while a handful suggested openly taking up arms.

Wits academics are expected to return to the campus today and lectures are to resume tomorrow under increased security.

At a meeting in the Solomon Mahlangu Hall at Wits yesterday, it was suggested that protesting students "fight fire with fire" and carry firearms.

"We can get AK47s. Those who have connections can assist. Even if it''s just knives. We have to fight back when the system responds with violence," one student said.

However, he was shouted down.

Students at the meeting have decided to form small, highly mobile groups to target "specific academic nerve centres" to disrupt and ensure a complete shutdown of the university. They said it was easy for the police and security guards to tackle large groups but that small groups would create difficulties for the security personnel.

They agreed that students should cover their faces during the protests to avoid identification and devised plans for occupying campus buildings overnight and holding night vigils.

The calls for continued protests and intensified violence are being made despite a poll at Wits and demonstrations at UCT in favour of a return to lectures. In the poll at Wits on Thursday, 77% of the 21 000 students who responded, and 91% of the university''s academics, said they wanted to return to classes.

On Friday 3 000 students and staff at University of Cape Town held a silent protest demanding that the institution re-open tomorrow. A smaller group opposed them.

Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan University students said yesterday that their protests would continue "no matter what".

The results of the Wits poll and the UCT demonstrations reveal that there are profound divisions in the #FeesMustFall movement, which education specialists say are along political party lines.

EFF commander-in-chief Julius Malema told The Times yesterday that his party fully supported the protests - but they should be peaceful. "We have always condemned the burning of institutions of higher learning, schools, and particularly libraries - burning knowledge is unacceptable."

But, said Malema, although the closure of universities and the loss of an academic year would be "unfortunate", "there is a price to be paid in any revolution. There has to be a fight. It''s a justifiable fight".

He said students were being tortured and arrested because they were demanding free education.

"It''s a good thing to die for. Don''t be scared to die on the field for fighting for a good thing; you will die a martyr."

Wits spokesman Shirona Patel said staff would return to work today. She said the security presence would be gradually reduced if there were no disruptions, violence, and destruction of property or infringement on the rights of others. "We urge staff and students to work with us as we re-open this week. Together, we can still save the 2016 academic year while continuing the struggle for free education for the poor and the ''missing middle''."

She said the university was willing to talk to student leaders.

Ahmed Essop, a research associate at the University of Johannesburg''s Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, said divisions among the student body were not helping the cause.

''''My sense is that, unlike last year when students were united across party lines and had the broad support of students generally and also lots of public support, I think it''s clear that, this time, they''re divided along party-political lines.

''''Also, with the violence and burning of infrastructure they have lost the public support that they had behind them,'''' Essop said.

Violence erupted after the government announced that universities would determine their own tuition rates for 2017, with increases capped at 8%. The state will raise subsidies for poor students.

With their finances already stretched by the government''s decision to limit tuition fees this year after student riots in 2015, the universities say they might not be able to continue operating.

"We are very anxious," said Ahmed Bawa, CEO of Universities SA. ''''There is no possibility as far as I can tell that the state will find the money to meet the no-fees demand.''''

If classes do not resume soon, students will have to finish their courses in 2017, leaving no room for new students, according to the UCT vice-chancellor, Max Price.

At least R600 million of damage has been caused to campus property across the country since the protests started a year ago.

- Additional reporting by Bloomberg

BBC

Internet dangers filter throughA study revealing the trends amongst teenagers in Namibia with regards to information and communication technology, aka the internet, revealed some interesting, and worrying, trends. Namibia’s children are no better off than those in the first world 0

The influx of information and communication technology (ICT) has introduced Namibia’s children and their families to an array of digital experiences. The enormous potential of mobile phones, internet and other ICT facilities is undisputed and positive differences are seen in how children and young people communicate, learn, access information and express opinions on matters pertinent to their development.

The field research was comprised of a survey of 735 young people between the ages of 13 and 17. The study is called ‘Voices of children: An exploratory research study on knowledge, attitudes and practices of information and communication technology (ICT) use and online safety risks by children in Namibia’.

This is Namibia’s first exploratory research on knowledge, attitudes and practices of ICT use by, and online safety risks of, children. The report is said to be a “milestone in the process of mobilising national and international action to respond to the emerging risks facing children when they go online.”

According to the study, as they welcome realities of increased technology penetration in Namibia, members of society also need to be aware of the significant threats which have infiltrated the lives of children and young people via the virtual online space.

In many instances, the online environment has introduced children to age-inappropriate content, exposed them to child sexual abuse offenders and created a new platform for bullying, scenarios which penetrate into the children’s off-line experiences.

Less than one in 10% of the participants did not use the internet, with smartphones being the most popular form of device used to access the internet, with other popular devices including laptops and personal computers, and school computers – where available.

The primary site for internet access is the home, either in a private room or not. The most popular activity online reported by both young males and females is watching videos, movies, or TV online, with 46 % of boys and 43 % of girls doing this more than once a day.

Other popular online activities include school work, particularly for girls, the use of social networking sites, and looking for health information. The main difference between the internet use of boys and girls can be seen in the playing of online games, with boys far more likely to participate in that activity.

Self-reported knowledge of the internet is higher among boys than girls, with self-reported knowledge of the internet rising with age also.

Just under half (47%) of young people reported that they spoke to their parents, guardians or caregiver about their online experiences, and what they do online, with no significant differences by age or gender.

According to the respondents in the study, teachers have a greater knowledge of the internet, and are more likely to monitor, supervise and provide guidance on their students’ internet use, than parents, guardians or caregivers.

Boys are however, also more likely to report that they had lied about their age online than girls (40% versus 31%), and were, in general, respondents of an older age.

Respondents demonstrated only moderate levels of knowledge of concepts or constructs related to the internet (pornography; Facebook; cyber bulling; phishing; and sexting) with just 66 % of definitions identified correctly.

The definition most respondents identified correctly was that for Facebook (91%) with phishing being the least likely to be answered correctly (44%). Girls were more likely to answer correctly for all definitions, apart from pornography, with knowledge levels overall increasing with increasing age.

Types of information most likely to be shared online among the total sample were, in order, gender (71%); hobbies (61%); school details (60%); actual name (53%); and age and or date of birth (51%), with the least likely to be shared detail being of parents’ bank details (2%) and other details of parents (4%); details about their property at home (11%).

The most prevalent forms of negative experiences are images of a sexual or violent nature. For example, 68% of respondents reported having seen sexual content they did not wish to see, while 31% had been sent sexually explicit images of people

Meet the unstoppable dynamic Ashwyn MberiFrom being actor, an MC, and a poet, this young man is trying to conquer the world, and he seems to be well on his way. Nothing can stop those that are determined to reach their goals 0

Born Ashwyn Taurai Mberi, the dynamic 25-year-old Zimbabwean native has been taking the local media and entertainment industries by storm since he stepped onto Namibian soil.

Ashwyn hails from Zimbabwe, which he says is his “first home” with the roots of his identity dwelling there, and Zimbabwe being a place that he deeply cares for. “I am grateful to be part of the Namibian family,” and added that his passion and plans for the future are at home, and here in the land of the brave.

A student of English and drama at Unam, Ashwyn shares that he is passionate about the equality of the sexes, with racial and economic equality and freedom of expression also topping that list.

Ashwyn said that he is inspired by the idea of seeing “a better Africa with role models for African children that not side-lined for international talent.” As his idols, Ashywn holds Childish Gambino and Kanye West in high regard, with both encapsulating “confidence and relentless ambition that creates and influences almost every trend in popular culture”.

He says that he believes that he is going to be “one of the leading voices influencing and inspiring young African children to be the best versions of themselves”.

“I’m driven by the need to break barriers so that when young children dream of making it, they don’t see any walls preventing them from taking their craft as far as possible,” Mberi shared.

He said that he no longer gets nervous, and that it has been that way since he was 13. “The more you are on stage, the more it becomes a part of you and I have grabbed many opportunities to be on stage over the last decade,” he said.

In his short but impactful career, Ashwyn says that MC’ing the United Nations Preserving Cultural Heritage event last year was one of the highlights of his career; with hosting the NAMAs 2014 and 2015 also one of the moments he cherishes the most in his career.

“For acting I was nominated for best male actor at the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards 2014 and performing the role of Sipho Makhaya in ‘Nothing but the Truth’ this year’ (which was directed by David Ndjavera),” were some of the highlights of this theatre career so far, Ashwyn divulged.

For Ashwyn, the stage means that he is at his calmest and that it is also, according to him, when he feels the “most joy”. “I enjoy connecting with people and I feed off their energy when I’m on stage, it means the world to me,” he shared.

Some of the earlier lessons that he learned in the industry was to “pay attention to your audience” and “always adjust your delivery accordingly”. Mberi shared that “MC’ing is about connection” and pointed out that “you can’t connect to people if you are self-involved”.

In terms of the challenges that Ashwyn has faced as a young creative, he points to the fact that it’s always difficult to “get backing I need for my ideas”. “As an artist I have many creative ideas which only need cooperative support in order to reach their maximum capacity for influence, but it is difficult to get funding behind it,” he shared, adding that he is still “knocking on all the necessary doors” and said that he is determined to “eventually feel the business world to see the value of the creative art”.

He says that he would like to start a “public speaking school in Windhoek, hopefully land a nomination at next year’s awards show,” adding that performing at the “Grahamstown Art Festival in South Africa” being one of the things he would still like to achieve in the, foreseeable future.

In terms of the media and entertainment industry, and the way in which it treats or accepts young people, Ashwyn said that he believes that the situation is not so bad at the moment, with more guidance needed, and certainly more respect for the industry, both from corporates and individuals needed.

He believes also, that any young person can take the stage like he has, if you put in the work. “If you are diligent and you refuse to adapt to the present standards, if you are determined to push the envelope, you will achieve everything you want to,” he encouraged.

One of the most rewarding things about being an artist, for Ashwyn has been the ability to make people happy and talk about issues most people would be uncomfortable addressing, and added that, “Often I am just a vessel for what people need to hear and talk about. This is important and I don’t take it lightly,” he emphasised.

Ashwyn shared, in terms of his values that he doesn’t believe in doing anything without adding value to it. “If Ashwyn touches any piece of work, it must be left better than it was before I got involved,” he affirmed.

He says that he keeps a healthy work-life balance, by making sure that he does everything before it is due, and shared that he doesn’t procrastinate, saying that it’s amazing how much time you have to spare if you decide to do everything on time or before it is due.

In the future, Ashwyn says that he would be considering enrolling for media and journalism studies, with a film school application also in the pipeline. In the next ten years, Mberi plans on “taking both the Namibian and Zimbabwean flags to Broadway and Hollywood, and any place where the world will get to see the beauty and potential of these two nations.”

He is busy directing his play called ‘Remote,Control,’ that is part of the Goethe Institute’s Mind-Set Dialogues, Questioning Gender Stereotypes which follows the lives of four afro-millennials, over a course of a day. The play will be showing on 13 October at the Theatre School in Windhoek, at 19:15.

Bored with being beaten up and attacked in Namibia 0 I woke up to another week in Windhoek, very pissed off and apathetic, walking around in a way that speaks volumes about the way that I feel about my country and its people - again. For the last four weeks I seem to constantly be in situations where either something is being stolen from me, or I have to endure some sort of physical violence, that just throws me completely off the rails.

Honestly though, I am actually not as pissed off as I used to be a year or two ago when I was a victim of theft or assault. When we talk about rape in Namibia, we always consider that the rape figures in the country, obviously, don’t factor in the unreported rape cases, of which we believe that there are quite a few.

I have come to find that it is the same for violent assault and instances involving theft or robberies. Last weekend, right in front of the Hilton I was attacked by ten young men that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but reached me just in time to put their boots to my head several times, before they accepted that I wasn’t hiding anything else on my body that they needed.

One second I was offering the one young man a cigarette that he has asked for, the next, five men were kicking my head in, with my three female friends, having no choice but to find some sort of safety before they too fell victim to savage inclinations of the Namibian youth.

I remember clearly to be very relaxed after my attack, as if to suggest that what had happened was just another unintended consequence of living in Namibia, something that I couldn’t really do much about. You see, that’s just it, as a queer black man in this country, I have become used to being called names, being beaten by men I don’t even know from a bar of soap, no less had an interaction with, or even just being picked up in a club and being thrown across the room for no reason.

I am also tired of buying new phones, mostly because I don’t have the damn money, and it would be nice to keep my contacts and not have to start all over every time I find myself falling victim to these petty criminals.

I was also stunned this weekend when these boys were kicking in my head, at the silent and almost blasé expression on the faces of the about five or six girls that were with the boys when they took to my body. I was wondering if this is normal for them, to see their friends or boyfriends attack other people and there is just nothing they could or wanted to do about it.

Two minutes after the incident, two police officers drove past a franticly manic Keith that could still see the group that violated him in the distance down Independence Avenue, but could not get any form or justice, no matter how small, because the police simply just wouldn’t stop.

And that is the Namibia that I am slowly becoming use to. The violence that is experienced by my queer, black, poor and Khoisan body, is something that I can say has slowly become one of the constant and neverending features of a life lived in this country. It is not to suggest that these crimes don’t happen in other countries, but a lot of us think or believe that we are safer in Namibia compared to other African countries. That might be true, but who is it true for? I can tell you that although I don’t live in a crime- and poverty-ridden neighbourhood, violence still seems to find its way to me, no matter how fancy the boots are that I am wearing, or how many overpriced drinks I go and sit and have at the Hilton.

A friend looked at me after the attack, and said that she wishes that she had my calm. I wanted to casually slap her (because I know she meant well) but I really wanted to explain to her that it wasn’t joy or calm, I was just bored with being attacked and feeling like a victim. I am very sensitive to what it is that I feel, and I am not going to allow myself to feel like a victim, no matter how shitty things get.

One can get addicted to that feeling of wanting and needing better, hating Namibia and believing that the grass is greener on the other side. In a lot of ways, for a queer black man these things are true; there are other liberties to be enjoyed on the other side of the world, yet leaving Namibia with a hateful spirit and heart is just not going to be me.

At this point, I have no advice or recommendations about what to do, or how it is that we must fix this. I am really just in pain both physically and emotionally. I find that this is the one thing that I can contribute now to this conversation; my pain. Namibia seems to have a mind of its own, and I don’t really know what it is thinking. In the meantime, I am going to just heal this broken feeling and try and wake up feeling more positive about my country tomorrow, before I get my spirit broken completely and permanently.

keith@namibiansun.com

Disaster in EthiopiaA religious festival in the state of Oromia in Ethiopia turned into tragedy when a stampede began after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Witnesses say there are many more dead 0

Dozens of people were crushed to death Sunday in a stampede after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse an anti-government protest that grew out of a massive religious festival, witnesses said. The Oromia regional government confirmed the death toll at 52.

“I almost died in that place today,” said one shaken protester who gave his name only as Elias. Mud-covered and shoeless, he said he had been dragged out of a deep ditch that many people fell into as they tried to flee.

The first to fall in had suffocated, he said.

“Many people have managed to get out alive, but I’m sure many more others were down there,” he said. “It is really shocking.”

The stampede occurred in one of the East African country’s most politically sensitive regions, Oromia, which has seen months of sometimes deadly demonstrations demanding wider freedoms.

Tear gas and rubber bullets

An estimated 2 million people were attending the annual Irrecha thanksgiving festival in the town of Bishoftu, southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa, when people began chanting slogans against the government, according to witnesses.

The chanting crowds pressed toward a stage where religious leaders were speaking, the witnesses said, and some threw rocks and plastic bottles.

Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, and people tried to flee. Some were crushed in nearby ditches, witnesses said.

In its statement, the Oromia regional government blamed “evil acts masterminded by forces who are irresponsible,” and it denied that the deaths were caused by any actions by security forces.

Mulatu Gemechu of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress told The Associated Press that his sources at hospitals said at least 52 people were dead as of Sunday evening, but he thought the figure would rise.

The protesters were peaceful and did not carry anything to harm police, he said.

Before the stampede, an AP reporter saw small groups of people walking in the crowd and holding up their crossed wrists in a popular gesture of protest.

Three days of national mourning

The reporter also saw police firing tear gas and, later, several injured people.

The crossed-wrists gesture has been used widely as a sign of peaceful resistance and is meant to symbolise being handcuffed by security forces.

It was in the spotlight at the Rio Olympics, when Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa, who is from the Oromia region, crossed his wrists while finishing in second place.

He hasn’t returned to the country since, saying his life could be in danger.

Ethiopia’s government, a close security ally of the West, has been accused often of silencing dissent, at times blocking internet access.

The months of anti-government protests and the sometimes harsh government response have raised international concern.

The US recently spoke out against what it called the excessive use of force against protesters, describing the situation in Ethiopia as “extremely serious”.

On Sunday, many people in Ethiopia turned their Twitter and Facebook profiles to solid black and expressed anger at the government over the deaths.

The regional government declared three days of national mourning.

Forum on varsity fees 0

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande is expected to convene a multi-stakeholder forum consultative meeting at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Monday.

The aim of the meeting is to seek a solution to the situation in higher education and resume the 2016 academic programme.

On Saturday, Nzimande said the ministers in higher education had met with student leaders for more than three hours in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, to discuss violent protests which have been taking place at several institutions of higher learning across the country.

Students and police have clashed a number of times, with the latter using stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse protesting students.

Nzimande announced in September that universities could determine their own fee increments, but they should not exceed 8%. He said they had looked at the challenges at hand from all sides and concluded that the best approach would be to allow individual universities to determine the level of the increases that their institutions would require. President Jacob Zuma was also expected to officially open the Higher Education Stakeholder Summit at Emperors Palace on Monday. Various sectors will be brought together including business, labour, religious leaders, students, parents and university management.

Sanitary pads should be free 0 The fact that in 2016, sanitary pads remain a luxury for many in Namibia and in other countries, is a stark and brutal reminder of just how much we continue to fail our girls. A social media ‘meme’, which reads that sex is a choice, and menstruation isn’t, has been making rounds on those platforms. The meme questions why condoms are free and sanitary pads not. These kinds of questions aren’t way out of line. A lack of sanitary pads has catastrophic implications for many girls and women. It often denies them their right to dignity; we continue to read horror stories about how young girls use leaves and unhygienic methods to control the blood flow during menstruation. A local NGO has been distributing reusable sanitary pads to hundreds of rural girls, with a local daily reporting that a “vast number of rural girls who come from poor backgrounds and communities were using mattress stuffing, newspapers and cloths when menstruating due to the fact that they could not afford disposable sanitary pads from the stores”. It is no secret that many young girls stay away from school during the menstruation period, scared and embarrassed. This is not only sad, it is shameful that in 2016, we are party to making young girls feel ashamed and embarrassed by something as biologically normal as menstruation, but more than that, we significantly diminish their quality of life because of menstruation. Children, more specifically the girl child, remain some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and we have a moral responsibility to protect especially them. We need to applaud DTA leader McHenry Venaani for intentions to table a motion in support of providing free sanitary pads. It is a long time coming, but better late than never. It is also refreshing to hear motions that directly affect the poor, and which seek to improve their lives directly. We can only hope for a favourable outcome,