A glimmer of democracy

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

A glimmer of democracy Gathering from the latest events that should be fresh in the minds of our people, democracy is indeed alive, in some quarters that is – and if the squeaky leaks are anything to go by... Nevertheless, we think there is hope for democracy in Namibia, albeit only a glimmer on a distant horizon at this point in time – there is hope, and without hope, dear fellow countrymen and –women, there is no future for our people. You see, the thing is like this – first, we had a Deputy Minister, Bernadus Swartbooi the honourable, who dared break rank and criticise his rather useless and (debatably) honourable senior counterpart in the ministry Utoni Nujoma. And let us be clear about this – there is not a single person in this here Namibia who has any doubt about the truthfulness of what the honourable Swartbooi said about his luminary counterpart – there is not even a 0.02% inkling of a doubt, we know it is indisputably true. Which brings us to the next issue – is it perhaps a dreadful fear of people breaking rank with the “powers that be” that has seen cause for this unreasonable demand for the honourable (and we say this with reverence) Swartbooi to apologise for his supposed “transgression”? This brings us to another glimmer of hope – the SPWC results – and the subsequent claims of rigging the ballot box. This emerged directly after the congress, from SPWC rank and file – no less. Is this another indication that somewhere in this wilderness of political hegemony that we find ourselves, that there is yet another glimmer of hope? Namibia is supposedly the land of the brave, but yet there is very little bravery when one looks around – people toe the line, they keep quiet and don''t get “involved”, they first look at which way the wind blows before they oppose or not. It is refreshing to see that there is a glimmer of hope for this hard won “democracy”. If people are not allowed free speech, who will be left to speak up for injustice when the “dissidents” and the principled have been silenced?

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PM wants proof

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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PM wants proof

The prime minister''s office has called on Namibians to submit proof of the alleged abuse of office to advance the private interests of individuals by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.

This follows media reports which questioned the relationship between the prominent businessman Vaino Nghipondoka and the PM.

In a statement issued by the OPM public relations officer Saima Shaanika the PM strongly rejects these accusations as false and malicious and emphasised that these accusations are baseless and aimed at tarnishing her name and track record.

“The Office of the Prime Minister has noted with concern recent reports in the media and other public platforms suggesting that the prime minister has used her position to advance the private interests of individuals at the expense of the interests of the state and the public,” said Shaanika.

She added that she has always upheld the highest standards of ethics and integrity in all her dealings and has never compromised or failed to protect the state or public interests.

“At no point in executing her public functions did she act in any manner that promoted the interests of her relatives or friends above those of the state and the larger Namibian public or to influence government decisions in favour of anyone,” she stated.

Shaanika also pointed out that as a policy maker, the prime minister has not been involved in decisions to allocate tenders as this function is administered by an autonomous body, the Tender Board of Namibia.

“Any individual who believes that he or she has evidence of interference by the prime minister in the allocations of state contracts in her current or previous public positions is challenged to bring such evidence out,” said Shaanika.

STAFF REPORTER

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Unity urged amongst councillors and administrators

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Unity urged amongst councillors and administrators

The permanent secretary in the urban and rural development ministry Daniel Nghidinua has urged political leaders and town council administrators to work together for effective service delivery.

Nghidinua made the remark at the official opening of the 16th Namibian Association of Local Authority Officials (Nalao) annual conference and general meeting held in Outapi in Omusati Region recently which was held under the theme ''Inspiring Excellence in Sustainable Urbanisation and Housing in Namibia''.

“It is vital and important to realise that local authorities cannot effectively play their assigned role if the local authority politicians and the administrators do not work together as a team,” Nghidinua said.

He pointed out that the ministry is disturbed by reports where town councillors and chief executives do not work as a team which results in the needs of the people such as the provision of affordable urban land and housing as well as sustainable urban development being neglected.

“The ministry is concerned about increased reported or noted incidents of disunity and squabbles between councillors and CEOs, which tend to take time and resources at the expense of services delivery and development,” he said.

“We have to work from the basic understanding that we are all on the same team and our success depends on team work and unity. It is important for local authorities to continue to recognise that their performance or non-performance reflects on the government in general, and is used by the public to judge services delivery by the government,” he further stated.

He highlighted some principles that will respond adequately to the challenges of accelerated services delivery and sustainable urbanisation.

Nghidinua said that shared vision and strategic priorities, improved teamwork and interface between political and administrative leadership, spatial planning, and commitment to balanced sustainable development stakeholder involvement and coordination, smart partnership and business process re-engineering are the principles that will enable towns to thrive as far a development is concerned.

Meanwhile at the Nalao annual general meeting and conference, Natangwe Walde Ndevashiya was elected as president of the association and Ole !Aibeb as his deputy while Matja Katurota was elected as the national treasurer.

Some of the decisions discussed is that local authorities promote inclusivity which entails that no one feels behind and to ensure that all residents under the local authorities have access to healthy, accessible, affordable and sustainable cities and towns.

Promoting environmental sustainability by promoting clean energy, sustainable waste management, as well as sustainable use of and resources in developing our urban areas by protecting ecosystems and biodiversity are also some of the decisions that were made during the deliberations.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Land ownership possible January 2017

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Land ownership possible January 2017Oranjemund is shaking the image of a privately-owned and diamond-mining controlled town with major transformation on the cards. Oranjemund transformation gains traction

By all appearances, 2017 will be a year of many firsts for Oranjemund. Private land ownership will become a reality for the first time while the Oryx-rich town is preparing to welcome an industrial park, community markets, a public health centre and a government school.

Oranjemund Town Council public relations officer, Glennadette Scholtz in conversation with Namibian Sun said: “In terms of the property ownership for the current improvements, an agreement to this effect shall be signed off between the council and the Namibia Diamond Corporation to allow residents to buy their current residential and commercial properties. This process will commence January 2017.”

“The town of Oranjemund has already made land available for commercial, industrial and residential development as part of town transformation and diversification of the local economy beyond a diamond-mining town only. Many of the land offers are for commercial, residential, general residential, heavy and light industries, agriculture, tourism, hospitality industries and the market appetite for the development is very positive so far. In fact, the first-ever Oranjemund Shopping Mall is already on the cards and an offer to that effect has already been made,” she added.

In addition to the shopping centre, discussions for an industrial park are also at an advanced stage. “Other developments for the town include the public health centre, the development of the government school, the industrial park, community markets, housing and land development, as well as hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation. Plans are also at an advanced stage for the planning and development of the Oranjemund industrial hub for heavy industries in support of the diversification plan of the local economy, which has been depending on mining for almost 100 year,” she added.

On the provision of water and electricity, Scholtz explained that Oranjemund would continue procuring electricity from the Namdeb through a NamPower-Eskom arrangement, viewing the non-availability of a direct link to the national grid as a risk.

“The town views the non-availability of the direct link to the national electricity grid as a major risk in terms of electricity supply to the town of Oranjemund and its surroundings. The council has brought it to the attention of NamPower, and we hope this will be addressed soonest. Nevertheless, the town is being provided with electricity from the mine, through Nampower-Eskom arrangement,” said Scholtz.

Regarding water supply, Oranjemund would in the meantime follow a process similar to what is used at Namdeb''s mines.

Explained Scholtz: “The supply of water to the town of Oranjemund is being run in-house through a contract with a private contractor. Our intention from the council is to equally do the abstraction, water production and distribution to town on our own or through the same principle as Namdeb does it, whichever way is cost effective to council. The Oranjemund Town Council has already engaged NamWater in this matter and we are busy with the final assessments on the way forward between ourselves and NamWater. Once the assessment is done, a final decision will be made, but for now council intents do the supply, production and distribution of water to the town itself.

OGONE TLHAGE

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Of African establishments and political power

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Of African establishments and political power

There have been interesting political developments in Africa. In The Gambia, the 22-year-long reign of Yahya Jammeh was cut short when he lost to Adama Barrow. In early December 2016, President Jammeh had initially accepted results and conceded defeat. He later made a U-turn to reject the same results he had accepted on national television. The Gambian people were long tired of Jammeh The title “Babili Mansa”can be translated as “Conqueror of Rivers”. In Ghana the people voted out President John Dramani Mahama choosing Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president. John Mahama conceded defeat honourably; a good development for Africa. Had Yahya Abdul-Aziz Awal Jemus Junkung Jammeh Naasiru Deen Babili Mansa not made a U-turn, we would be proclaiming a new dawn for Africa''s democracy. The writers of this edition are concerned about Africa. Their love for this continent is demonstrated by their sharp critique of the status quo.

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Nationalism’s role in Africa’s pursuit of unity

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Nationalism’s role in Africa’s pursuit of unity

Trying to conceptualise nationalism into one understandable subject may be an extremely complex task to undertake because the ''nationalism'' phenomenon has many manifestations as well as a variety of sources. To understand the concept, a pedigree of the historical experience has to be provided from the outset and an analysis of the basic concepts relating to the phenomenon has to be fully explained.

In the in-depth analysis of this piece of work, as may be seen, it is almost impossible to come up with a uniform definition of nationalism. In its most famous definition, nationalism is an ideological movement aimed at attaining and maintaining the identity, unity (through social cohesion) and autonomy (through national self-determination) of a “nation,” or a people united under a “national” banner. This entails that it is the most potent ideology in nation and state building and consolidation. However, as I will seek to illustrate, nationalism, particularly in the contemporary era, has also been a vehicle for disaffected ethnic or cultural communities to voice their dissatisfaction with the status quo. Therefore, in this modern day it is imperative to critically analyse the real essence of Nationalism, especially amongst the diaspora of Africans and those within the continent. Nationalism can be analysed through its relationship with economics, culture and the state. The relationship between the state and nationalism is mediated by two fundamental characteristics of the doctrine of the contemporary state, namely the notions of ''territoriality and sovereignty'' - whereas the state has to make-do with an area that''s within a defined territory, and controlled by a government. The history of Namibia provides numerous examples of the ways in which the restriction of movement across colonial boundaries contributed to the creation of national consciousness confined within state boundaries. In the early 1920s, for example, anti-colonial resistance in Namibia was closely associated with international and South African political movements such as Garveyism and the populist trade unionism of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union. A major response of the state was to restrict the movement of blacks both within Namibia and across its borders. After attaining independence, the severe reality had kicked in - governments needed to be set up and several countries had an organised administration in that regard, while some others did not. Economies also had to be established, however the industrial factories were minimal and hence there was a struggle to meet the need for manufactured goods. There was no other option but to import and export products. The communities also had to get along which yielded a few clashes due to their respective histories but some countries with few ethnic groups managed. The economic uncertainty has led to no government stability. An example of a current scenario would be South Africa – even though apartheid had been outlawed in 1990, there is still rife ignorance, unemployment, poverty and intense crime, amongst others.The present state of economic development in Africa is most easily assessed in terms of the degree of commercialisation of agriculture, labour and services. The various processes embraced within the concept “commercialisation” (cash-cropping, wage-earning, individualisation of land tenure, urbanisation) constitute a combined assault upon the structures and values of traditional African societies. The power of the chief or elders as custodians of the land and the integrity of the indigenous social structure within which rank, status, and role are determined mainly by age and religious position - all tend to be undermined by the expanding market economy. In the sense that is a primitive method to empower the traditional group economically. However, sometimes, a wealthy family dynasty can contribute highly to enhance the economic growth, but only on a macro-economic level, not a micro-level. The peasant-farmers for instance suffer the most.The challenges of nationalism in Africa''s quest to political unification and economic integration do not only come through the phases of imperialism, gaining sovereignty and post-independence era; but also through external factors. Nationalism can also cause instability when there is lack of fit between states and nations. Domestic instability and foreign intervention are often the result of such national instability. Nationalism also leads to multiple micro-states, as evident of the way African nations have started to spilt-up into smaller states as there is lack of inclusiveness in the operations of the country, especially in the decision-making process of government.In conclusion, nationalism has had both positive and negative aspects. The positives would be that nationalism has promoted democracy, self-government, steady economic growth and social, political, economic diversity. On the other hand, the negatives would be that nationalism has led to people being isolated in a social and psychological ways. There were feelings of either inferiority or superiority, which lead to dictatorships and aggression.

*Tuikila Kaiyamo is a final-year student studying towards a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) majoring in Political Studies and History at the University of Namibia.

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Of African establishments and political power

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Of African establishments and political power There have been interesting political developments in Africa. In The Gambia, the 22-year-long reign of Yahya Jammeh was cut short when he lost to Adama Barrow. In early December 2016, President Jammeh had initially accepted results and conceded defeat. He later made a U-turn to reject the same results he had accepted on national television. The Gambian people were long tired of Jammeh The title “Babili Mansa”can be translated as “Conqueror of Rivers”. In Ghana the people voted out President John Dramani Mahama choosing Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president. John Mahama conceded defeat honourably; a good development for Africa. Had Yahya Abdul-Aziz Awal Jemus Junkung Jammeh Naasiru Deen Babili Mansa not made a U-turn, we would be proclaiming a new dawn for Africa''s democracy. The writers of this edition are concerned about Africa. Their love for this continent is demonstrated by their sharp critique of the status quo.

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Economic impact of colonialism on Africa

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Economic impact of colonialism on Africa

Africa''s economy was diverse, driven by extensive trade routes that developed between cities and kingdoms. Some trade routes were over land and some involved navigating rivers, still others developed around port cities. Large African empires became wealthy due to their trade networks, for example Ancient Egypt, Nubia, Mali, Ashanti, and the Oyo Empire. After the Scramble for Africa in the 1880s and the partitioning of the continent among European powers, the continent''s former trade routes were replaced with new ones and its economies were radically changed. Colonial interests created new industries to feed European appetites for goods such as palm oil, rubber, cotton, precious metals, spices and other goods. Following the independence of African countries during the 20th century, economic, political and social upheaval consumed much of the continent. An economic rebound among some countries has been evident in recent years, however the dawn of the African economic boom (which is in place since 2000s) was similar to the Chinese economic boom that had emerged in Asia since late 1970s.

The economic impact of the colonisation of Africa has been debated. The opinions are biased between researchers, some of them consider that Europeans had a positive impact on Africa; others affirm that Africa''s development was slowed down by colonial rule. The principal aim of colonial rule in Africa by European colonial powers was to exploit natural wealth in the African continent at a low cost. Some writers, such as Walter Rodney in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, argue that these colonial policies are directly responsible for many of Africa''s modern problems. Critics of colonialism charge colonial rule with injuring African pride, self-worth and belief in themselves. Europeans also colonised African knowledge not just to claim it as their own, but also to disconnect Africans from their heritage and culture. Other post-colonial scholars, most notably Frantz Fanon continuing along this line, have argued that the true effects of colonialism are psychological and that domination by a foreign power creates a lasting sense of inferiority and subjugation that creates a barrier to growth and innovation. Such arguments posit that a new generation of Africans free of colonial thought and colonial mind-set is emerging and that this is driving economic transformation in Africa.

Historian Peter Duignan argued that Africa probably benefited from colonialism on balance. Although it had its faults, colonialism was probably “one of the most efficacious engines for cultural diffusion in world history”. These views, however, are controversial and are rejected by some who, on balance, see colonialism as bad. The economic historian David Kenneth has taken a kind of middle position, arguing that the effects of colonialism were actually limited and their main weakness wasn''t in deliberate underdevelopment, but in what it failed to do. Niall Ferguson agrees with his last point, arguing that colonialism''s main weaknesses were sins of omission. Analysis of the economies of African states finds that independent states such as Liberia and Ethiopia did not have better economic performance than their post-colonial counterparts. In particular the economic performance of former British colonies was better than both independent states and former French colonies. The seemingly intractable nature of Africa''s poverty has led to debate concerning its root causes. Endemic warfare and unrest, widespread corruption, and despotic regimes are both causes and effects of the continued economic problems. The decolonisation of Africa was fraught with instability aggravated by cold war conflict. Since the mid-20th century, the Cold War and increased and corruption and despotism have also contributed to Africa''s poor economy and not only colonialism. Scholars continue to debate whether Africa''s relative poverty predates colonialism. Jared Diamond argues in Guns, Germs, and Steel that Africa has always been poor due to a number of ecological factors affecting historical development. These factors include low population density, lack of domesticated livestock and plants and the north-south orientation of Africa''s geography. However Diamond''s theories have been criticised by some as a form of environmental determinism. Sub-Saharan Africa was relatively wealthy and technologically advanced until at least the seventeenth century. Some scholars who believe that Africa was generally poorer than the rest of the world throughout its history make exceptions for certain parts of Africa. Most of Africa has always been relatively poor, but Aksum, Ghana, Songhay, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe were probably as developed as their contemporaries anywhere in the world. The poverty of Africa at the onset of the colonial period was principally due to the demographic loss associated with the slave trade as well as other related societal shifts. The core objective of Western missionary intervention in Africa was to turn Africans into Christians, however Christian missionary activities were supplemented by economic imperialism and exploitation of African resources and its people. In order for Western imperialists to gain ownership of Africa''s rich economic resources, they emerged victorious through intellectual colonialisation and mis-education in which Africans where taught the values of a Christian church and a white Jesus, in the process indigenous Africans were given a bible and taught how to pray as deliverance from evil/sin. When Africans opened their eyes the white man took ownership of the land while the black man only had a bible in his hands. Given the past colonial injustices done to Africa and its people by Western imperialists there is still hope for Africa and its people. Africa has a great economic future, Africa will experience a “demographic dividend” by 2035 when its young and growing labour force will have fewer children and retired people as dependents as a proportion of the population, making it more demographically comparable to the US and Europe. The young and growing labour force will also move Africa forward.

*Edward Shati is a third year student studying towards a Bachelor of Education (Honours) at the University of Namibia.

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Land eviction averted

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Land eviction avertedCommunal land is state land An illegal fence erected at Oshana sheTemba must come down.

The High Court has settled a longstanding legal wrangling over a 3 600-hectare piece of land at Oshana sheTemba.

The land was allegedly illegally fenced off by a headman of the Ompugulu, Petrus Kalekela, and his wife Beata, who threatened to evict the residents from the land.

Judge Shafimana Ueitele last week interdicted the Kalekelas from evicting the residents and restrained them from interfering in the residents'' rights to graze and reside on the communal land.

The Kalekelas were given three months from 6 December, the date of judgement, to remove the fence they have erected around the area.

The battle over the land started in July 2014 when the Kalekela couple attempted to evict Erastus Naango from the land he had occupied since 1992 with permission from the late headman, Toteya Willibard Mwandingi. Naango said in his court application that the Kalekela couple had arrived in the area in 2005, erected a corrugated-iron house on the commonage and then left.

He said the house remained empty until November 2013 when the Kalekelas returned and fenced off 3 600 hectares of land in the area.

Concerned about this, Reinhold Asheela in February 2014 sought an audience with King Immanuel Kaulume Elifas of the Aandonga people. This attempt was allegedly thwarted by Joseph Ashino of the Ondonga traditional authority, who acts as the king''s secretary.

During that same month the Kalekela couple sent letters to villagers residing around Oshana sheTemba, ordering them to leave the area. The couple completed fencing off the 3 600 hectares in April 2014, enclosing some villages and excluding others.

Water points were outside the fenced area and the couple also installed gates at some points along the fence but movement of cattle to the water points was impeded and residents found it difficult to get to firewood. The applicants sought advice from the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) in March 2014. When the Kalekelas did not respond to a request to remove the fence by July that year, a lawsuit was filed.

Beata Kakeleka, who filed an opposing affidavit, claimed that her husband had been allocated a farming area by Mwandingi as far back as 1986.

She said the land allocated to her husband was not part of the commonage but a “farming area” and that the allocation was confirmed by the Ondonga traditional authority.

She claimed that during 1990 and 2005 Naango and others had started encroaching on parts of this farming area. She admitted that they had started erecting fences in 2005 but denied that they had fenced in any of the villages.

Judge Ueitele said communal land belongs to the state and must be kept in trust for the benefit of traditional communities living in those areas.

He reiterated that the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002 prohibits the erection of new fences without proper authorisation, a new arrangement that came into effect on 1 March 2003.

The Act further limits the size of allocations to 20 hectares for residential land rights and 50 hectares for a farming unit.

CATHERINE SASMAN

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Money-laundering, bribery case postponed

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Money-laundering, bribery case postponed

The case of a Chinese national who was arrested last week at the Kapps Farm Road Block on his way to the Hosea Kutako International Airport with U$33 500 (about N$ 469 000) has been postponed to next week.

Feng Jinquan (38) yesterday appeared before the Windhoek Magistrate''s Court, which postponed the case until 20 December for a Mandarin interpreter to be appointed by the court.

According to the police Feng has been charged with bribery and money laundering.

He was arrested on Friday morning at about 10:00 when the police searched the car he and another Chinese national were travelling in.

Several suitcases were found in the back of the vehicle and inside them U$33 500 was found wrapped and sealed in biscuit packets.

The other Chinese national, who was the driver of the vehicle, claimed that he knew nothing about the contents of the luggage and that he had only given his friend a lift to the airport. He said Feng was flying from Windhoek via Johannesburg and Hong Kong to Taiwan to visit friends and family.

According to the driver, who did not want to divulge his name, he had picked Feng up at his house.

Feng, who is living and working in Namibia, allegedly offered a bribe of N$4 200 to one of the sergeants who was questioning him.

Magistrate Gerrit Brand van Pletzen ordered that Feng must remain in custody at the Hosea Kutako police station.

The public prosecutor in the case is Hans Karel Thourob while Nambili Mhata is representing Feng.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Opuwo's Tjiuma retains position

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Opuwo's Tjiuma retains positionSaid to have governor''s support for office To the dismay of several councillors, there has been no change of power at Opuwo, with the entire council maintaining their positions.

Opuwo mayor Albert Tjiuma is believed to have gained political support from the governor of the Kunene Region, Angelika Muharukua, who, had asked Opuwo residents during her state of the region address to support the new office bearers.

The Opuwo town council re-elected all its office-bearers yesterday. Political sources at the town say some changes in councillors'' portfolios had been expected.

Tjiuma''s first term as mayor was marred by several challenges emanating from the Opuwo Community Concerned Group. The group took to the streets on 10 June, airing their dissatisfaction with the town''s CEO, whom they accused of having held back development for the past decade. The group demanded that the councillors not renew the CEO''s contract when it expired on 30 October.

Then, Tjiuma made headlines when he was accused by fellow councillors of conniving with the town''s CEO to advertise the position without a full council resolution.

In July the council meeting decided to wait until Alfons Tjitombo''s term of office ended on 30 October and to appoint an acting CEO. That person would have advertised the position and facilitated the recruitment process.

In September, councillors were surprised when they read in a newspaper that Tjiuma had gone ahead to advertised the position with a closing date of 12 October, 18 days before Tjitombo''s contract would come to an end.

According to councillors, that showed that Tjiuma wanted to make sure Tjitombo retained the position.

After this was reported by Namibian Sun, officials of the Urban and Rural Development Ministry instructed the town council to follow the correct procedures in filling the executive position.

The position was then re-advertised at the beginning of November and the closing date for applications was 2 December.

Alleged efforts both by Tjiuma and Muharukua to give Tjitombo another chance failed. This came after a council meeting in August where the majority of Opuwo councillors voted not to automatically renew the CEO''s contract.

Namibian Sun also exposed that Muharukua had allegedly tried to lobby the town councillors to automatically renew Tjitombo''s contract, but only the mayor and deputy mayor supported it. When his contract ended in October, the town appointed the head of the council''s maintenance department, Abel Katjoho, as acting CEO to facilitate the new CEO''s recruitment.

The Opuwo councillors are: mayor Albert Tjiuma, deputy mayor Elise Hihanguapo, chairperson of the management committee Richard Tjazapi, members of the management committee Wilhimina Nashua and Kunovandu Hepute, and ordinary councillors Stanley Kazombaruru and Kamutuua Tjeundo.

ILENI NANDJATO

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Nam students met halfway

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Nam students met halfway

University registrations next year are likely to be peaceful as students said they “can live” with the proposed 5% student fee increases by the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) and Unam.

At the start of this academic year, there were protests by local students regarding fee increases and calls for government to make tertiary education free and accessible for all. This action followed violent uprisings in South Africa in January and again in November, with the social media hash tag #feesmustfall.

Nust management declined to comment on whether it had any plans to increase student fees next year. But according to Nust student representative council president Oscar Mwandingi, the board approved a 5% increase at a recent council meeting.

Mwandingi, who is on the council by virtue of his position, said higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi reportedly issued a directive to tertiary institutions and ordered them not to increase fees by more than 5%.

“When the minister briefed the meeting she said the 5% must apply to tuition, accommodation and registration fees, but I requested that they must leave the registration as is, because some students will not be able to afford an increase during registration,” he said.

At Unam, things are much the same. During a special university council meeting held last month Unam approved a 5% student fee increase for 2017, 2.5% lower than the increase that applied for the 2016 academic year.

The council also approved a N$100 increase in Unam''s registration fee to N$1 650.

In addition, Namibian students are required to pay a minimum N$5 000 deposit on tuition fees on or before registration, while non-hostel Namibian students are required to pay a minimum deposit of N$6 650. International students are required to pay 100% of the registration and hostel fees, as well as 50% of all tuition fees. Therefore, at registration a non-hostel student from a SADC country will pay N$14 150 as minimum deposit and a non-SADC student will have to pay N$24 150.

In a recent statement Unam urged its students to sort out their financial enquiries before the start of registration next year.

A payment plan for Namibian students on the remaining balance is available by signing a debit order or settlement agreement at registration to pay off the outstanding balance by 30 June 2017.

This will particularly apply to non-bursary students.

Students who fail to pay outstanding fees by this date will be deregistered.

“This is being done in such a way, that by that time we believe students would have been able to settle their fees,” said Simon Namesho, public relations officer of Unam.

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Swartbooi still at large

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Swartbooi still at large

It has been two weeks since lands deputy minister Bernadus Swartbooi publicly accused his senior, minister Utoni Nujoma, of tribal preference in the manner he oversees the resettlement programme.

President Hage Geingob ordered Swartbooi to apologise within 24 hours for the remarks that sparked a national debate, but Swartbooi is nowhere to be found.

The president''s call for an apology from Swartbooi seems to have divided the country. A number of traditional leaders have pledged their support for Swartbooi, urging him not to apologise. There also has been a massive outpouring of support for Swartbooi on social media and very few members of the public have criticised his statements.

According to media reports, Swartbooi has written Geingob a letter in which he requested the president to say which laws he had broken that warranted an apology to Nujoma.

Namibian Sun contacted presidential affairs minister Frans Kapofi, who referred the enquiry to presidential press secretary Albertus Aochamub, who in turn failed to respond to calls and text messages.

In the meantime the /Khomanin landless people have thrown their weight behind Swartbooi and accused President Geingob of only reprimanding ministers from minority groups.

In a statement signed by Verona Kharuchas, the group said they had noted that every issue and grievance raised by minorities was regarded as tribalism or a threat to peace and stability in the country.

The /Khomanin landless people argue that there is no need for Swartbooi to apologise because his remarks on the current resettlement drive “spearheaded by Nujoma is true”.

“After the 1991 land conference the Ongandjera clan were given back their ancestral land. If ancestral land was not entertained by then, how did this clan get their land back? What is the difference of the claim that the landless /Khomanin were making to that of the Ongandjera?” asked Kharuchas.

Meanwhile, a high level Swapo Politburo meeting was taking place last night at the party headquarters in the capital at the time of going to press. Namibian Sun was reliably informed that the issue of deputy minister Swartbooi was high on the agenda.

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Swapo govt reprimanded

December 12, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Swapo govt reprimandedLiberation war, cultural and religious beliefs no excuse An international committee against torture has reprimanded the Namibian government on what it describes as a lackadaisical attitude towards human rights.

JANA-MARI SMITH

An international committee against torture has recommended that Namibia urgently take steps not only to improve the health and general care of HIV-infected prisoners and the protection of minority citizens and refugees, but also to protect women and children against violence and to investigate allegations of torture and inhumane treatment during the liberation struggle and the Caprivi uprising.

These, and many other human rights issues that require urgent attention, form part of a list of recommendations in the concluding report compiled by the Committee Against Torture (CAT) following its second periodic review of Namibia’s implementation of the provisions of the International Convention Against Torture.

Although Namibia submitted its second report with a 16-year delay, the committee in November welcomed the country’s efforts to submit it, and praised Namibia’s commitment to ratifying a host of international instruments including the convention’s anti-torture requirements.

Nevertheless, following a two-day dialogue in November based on reports submitted by government and human rights organisations, several gaps were identified in Namibia’s obligations under the convention.

A major point of concern is the lack of legislation that defines torture and protects citizens and others from such acts, the committee found.

Moreover, it expressed concern over the lack of information provided by the government on numerous issues it was tasked to address in its original report to the committee.

Weak prosecution

The issue of violence against women and children was addressed in the report, including the high prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence.

“The committee is also concerned at the low rate of prosecutions, the lack of an available protection mechanism for immediate protection orders and at information that cases of rape are being decided by customary courts that do not impose criminal liability and may not provide full compensation to victims,” the report states.

Included in the recommendations to address the issue of violence against women and children, the report advises that training of officials dealing with such incidents should be improved, in addition to putting in place effective measures to protect child victims.

The report strongly advises the state to discourage sexual violence cases from being settled outside of the formal justice system.

The committee’s report contains additional recommendations on measures to improve protection of members of the LGBTI community, and urges the Namibian government to decriminalise gay sex between consenting adults.

Child marriages and sexual initiation rites, among other harmful traditional practices, are highlighted as a concern.

Allegations that law enforcement officials and health workers torture and degrade sex workers should be investigated and punished, the report recommends.

War crimes

The Committee “is concerned that serious allegations of torture committed during the liberation struggle have not been investigated, which could lead to impunity for those crimes.”

During the discussions in Geneva in November, attended by a Namibian delegation headed by justice minister Albert Kawana, a Namibian delegation member told the CAT committee that “it was very dangerous to open the old wounds as the struggle had pitted brother against brother and sister against sister.”

The delegate, unnamed in a statement on the discussions issued by CAT, said the focus must be on the future and that “notwithstanding the amnesty, the leaders of the South West Africa People’s Organisation, the ruling party in the country today, had apologised for what had happened. It was the nature of war.”

Despite this appeal to the committee, the report concludes that although the state of emergency provided for statutes of limitations for “serious crimes such as torture”, government should “ensure that all allegations of acts of torture and ill-treatment are investigated, prosecuted and punished, including those committed during the liberation struggle and the state of emergency of August 1999.”

The report also notes a concern “of the excessively slow functioning of the judiciary and that pre-trial detention remains unacceptably lengthy, which is harmful for the detainees.”

The fact that juvenile offenders are often held together with adults is another point of concern, and the committee recommends that government should speed up efforts to modernise and reform the justice system and reduce pre-trial detention.

The report further notes that the CAT is “deeply concerned at reports of the high rate of HIV among prisoners, at the reluctance to take measures to prevent it and at the lack of official data on the total number of infected prisoners and their access to ARVs.”

During the November review, another member of the Namibian delegation told the committee that “the distribution of condoms in prisons was a culturally and religiously sensitive issue which would require extensive consultations with all stakeholders before a final decision was taken.”

In response, Sapana Pradhan-Malla, a committee expert and co-rapporteur for Namibia, said that while the sensitivity of the issue was understood, it was important to note that the lives of people were at stake.

The committee recommended that measures to effectively prevent and control the further spread of HIV/ Aids should be put in place, while also respecting the human rights of the affected detainees. Prison staff should be increases and the quality and quantity of food and water as well as health care should be improved.

A number of other recommendations, including the strengthening of the mandate and independence of the Office of the Ombudsman, are contained in the report.

Namibia was requested to provide follow-up information on the recommendations by December 2017, especially on the adoption of a prevention and combating of torture act, and on conditions of detention and the country’s stance to protect refugees from being sent back to countries where they risk torture.

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Bernadus Swartbooi is fired

December 13, 2016, 6:40 am

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Bernadus Swartbooi is fired

BREAKING NEWS

After a high-level meeting with President Geingob, Vice-President Nickey Iyambo, Prime Minister Saara Kuukongelwa and presidential affairs minister Frans Kapofi, the deputy lands minister Bernadus Swartbooi has been fired. This follows a hung Politburo meeting last night where sources inform the expulsion of Swartbooi from the party was discussed but no consensus could be reached. Two weeks ago, Swartbooi lashed out at his senior, lands minister Utoni Nujoma, saying the land redistribution programme was mismanaged. President Geingob demanded an apology which Swartbooi refused to provide.
STAFF REPORTER

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Still on ice

December 13, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Still on iceThird postponement frustrates Jaarman WBA Pan-African super welterweight champion Anthony Jaarman and his promoter, Kinda Nangolo of Kinda Promotions, are disappointed men.

Kinda Promotions has had to postpone Anthony Jaarman''s title defence for the third time.

Promoter Kinda Nangolo was left with no choice but to postpone the fight to next year, because South African boxer Nkululeko Mhlongo, who was to fight Jaarman for the WBA Pan-African title, is nursing a shoulder injury.

Mhlongo''s manager wrote to Nangolo that his boxer was unable to fight on 16 December as planned because of the injury he had sustained in a fight against France Ramabolu in October.

Nangolo decided to reschedule the fight for 4 March next year.

The fight was first postponed in April, and again last month.

Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, Jaarman said “I am very disappointed and speechless about the no-show.

“I have been working very hard for the fight and I was actually more than ready and was looking very good, my movement is great so I was really looking forward to giving a good show.

“I hope he is really injured because I want to fight him and not any other opponent because he is rated number one in Africa so if I fight another opponent then it is just a long road because I eventually have to fight him,” he said.

He said he would take a break this month and resume training in January.

Jaarman also said that the recent boxing politics had a negative effect on boxers.

“There are many odds in boxing, even out of the ring like politics with the boxing board, and such things really do affect a boxer and are killing boxing,” he said.

KAINO NGHITONGO

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Ishitile wins gold for Namibia at AUSC

December 13, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Ishitile wins gold for Namibia at AUSC

Namibia''s T11 athlete Lahja Ishitile won two gold medals at the 2016 African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five Under-20 Youth Games in Luanda, Angola.

Ishitile and her guide, David Ndailenga, won the T11, 100m sprint with a time of 13.13 seconds and T11 400m.

Sinelethu Nyanda of South Africa finished second while Beatrice Chimanikire of Zimbabwe finished third.

Ishitile''s medal was the third for Namibia at the games.

Also on Monday, Marungu Christopher won Namibia''s fourth medal, which was silver in the men''s T12, 100m. He finished behind Gasolina Orlando of Mozambique.

Sandro Diergaardt and Anjone Swanepoel won Namibia''s first medals at the AUSC Region Five Under-20 Youth Games. They won two bronze medals on Sunday in discus and long jump.

Namibia is competing in football (women), basketball (men), track and field, boxing, netball, swimming and tennis.

Meanwhile, the netball team were on Monday thrashed 19-54 by Botswana in their third game at the Games.

Botswana was fast and dominant from the beginning, which had the Namibians make errors their opponents capitalised on throughout the game.

In the first quarter, the Namibian players were already trailing 04-13. Botswana extended their lead in the second quarter to 11-27.

Namibia came out fighting in the third quarter but their efforts were in vain, as Botswana were cruising with a score of 15-40 points.

Botswana continued dominating in the fourth quarter as they made the Namibian girls'' dream of catching up impossible, when they scored 14 points to give them the 19-54 win.

Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa are competing in the netball category.

Speaking to Nampa after the game, Coach Sunette Burden said she was proud of her players'' fighting spirit, adding that they learn something every time they step on to the netball court, as they are not used to playing at this level.

“Losing two games in a row is a bit demotivating but the girls did their part… I hope going forward we can compete more at such competitions for the girls to gain more experience.”

Burden said the team is looking forward to play against South Africa in their last game of the group stages.

Namibia is currently fourth in the group after winning their opening game against Lesotho 34-14 and losing their second game, against Zimbabwe, 24-32.

Their game against South Africa is on Thursday at 16h30, Namibian time.

NAMPA

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Former captain mourns teammate

December 13, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Former captain mourns teammate

KAINO NGHITONGO

The football fraternity is mourning the departure of former Oshakati City and Blue Waters goalkeeper Banana Shiku.

Shiku passed on in the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital on Sunday.

His former Oshakati City captain, Styn Hamalwa, said it was sad to learn of the death of his friend, whom he had visited on Saturday.

Hamalwa said he will remember Shiku as a humble man, “peaceful and very disciplined”.

“I remember him on the field as one of those people that hated losing and always liked to be on top of his game, a hard-working player who liked being in command and shouting instructions to everyone even if he was not the captain,” he said, adding that Shiku would always take ownership when his team was playing, “because he didn’t like being defeated and had that brave heart of winning.”

He described Shiku as one of the players that Oshakati City was always afraid to lose to another team.

“He did a great job when it comes to football not only in Oshakati, so as a team, we were ever careful and scared to lose him because there were so many teams knocking and every team wanted the young man’s service but there was a time we lost him to Blue Waters but he came back and he was never left behind because he always kept the spirit,” he said.

Hamalwa further said Shiku was mostly played in the second half, “because he always had that energy that a team needs.”

“We have survived quite a few relegations and in most of those he played a very big role by saving us as mostly it was at the last two or three games and most of the time it was him who kept us in the league, so I can remember him as a hero,” he concluded.

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February a big month for Tobias’s academy

December 13, 2016, 2:00 pm

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February a big month for Tobias’s academy Two international fights lined up Vikapita Meroro has a date in Johannesburg on 4 February, while Japhet Uutoni will step into the ring in Dallas on 25 February.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

The MTC Nestor ‘Sunshine’ Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy will have a busy February, with two of its boxers involved in international fights.

First up will be cruiserweight boxer Vikapita ‘Beast Master’ Meroro, who will fight South Africa’s Kevin Lerena on 4 February at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

Meroro has a record of 33 fights, 28 wins and five losses, while the South African has 16 wins and one defeat from 17 fights.

The Namibian’s last fight was in Moscow, where he was knocked out by Russian Dmitry Kudryashov in May.

Trainer Nestor Tobias believes that his boxer has dusted himself off after the defeat and is ready to pounce again.

“Despite his last loss against a highly rated boxer, Meroro remains a good boxer and we have given him this opportunity to prove himself and return his confidence.

“He will have to sacrifice his holidays and dedicate the time to intensive training to ensure that he is physically and mentally ready come 4 February 2017,” Tobias said.

Current WBO junior flyweight international champion Japhet Uutoni will step into the ring with Angel Acosta from Puerto Rico for the final world title eliminator on 25 February.

The fight will take place in Dallas, Texas, and will be promoted by MC Cotto Promotions.

Tobias explained that a final world title eliminator is when two top-rated fighters are given an opportunity to fight each other, and the winner will become the mandatory challenger to fight the current world champion.

“In the case of the WBO junior flyweight title, the world title is vacant after the champion moved up one division. On 30 December number-one rated Moises Fuentes (Mexico) will fight number-two rated Kosei Tanaka (Japan) for the vacant world title, and the winner will have to fight the winner between Uutoni and Acosta,” he explained.

Uutoni is currently rated fourth by the WBO while Acosta is rated fifth in the junior flyweight division.

The Namibian boxer will go into the fight with a record of 13 fights, 12 wins and one loss, while Acosta is unbeaten with 15 straight wins.

“This is a big opportunity for Uutoni. He has worked hard since being an Olympic boxer. His big break is here now and he must win this fight if he wants to fight the world champion.

“We are also making history as MTC Sunshine by having our very first title fight in the USA. Iit is not easy to go and fight there but we are there now and humbled by the opportunity not just to be present but to go and compete and win.

“It is a real pity that we cannot stage the fight in Namibia due to financial constraints and that is why we had no option than to fight away,” said Tobias.

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Coastal Pirates dominate NIIHA

December 13, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Coastal Pirates dominate NIIHA Swakopmund''s Coastal Pirates hockey teams came out tops during the NIIHA championships held recently.

There were seven of their teams in the finals, being the top seeds in their divisions.

Coastal Pirates Inline Hockey Club''s PRO Vikki de Jager said: “Coming from the cool coast into the searing heat of Windhoek was a big adjustment, plus competitors had upped their game that day.

“There was fierce competition for the winning spots, with a number of teams experiencing scoring that went back and forth, and the very supportive spectators having their nerves stretched.”

The Coastal Pirates U-18s lost their place in the finals, allowing Kamikaze to take the gold, but in the U-10s the coastal team, who had lost only one match all season, were tied 1-1 at halftime in the final against Cazadores, but came back with strong determination to end the game with a 4-1 win.

De Jager said in a surprise turn, the Coastal Pirates under-eight team managed to beat Cazadores to secure a place in the finals.

“Then, after a 4-4 tie at the final whistle against the season''s almost unbeatable U-8 Scorpions team, managed to score the golden goal in match extra time.”

The Masters Division remained in the hands of the Badgers club, with their teams coming first and third.

The Scorpions Ladies, seeded third in the league, were delighted to win and take home the NIIHA Flag.

The Coastal Pirates Club won seven of the ten divisions.

The top four teams in each age division were selected from their accumulation of goals and points scored during the season in league tournaments held across the country. These teams then competed in make or break semi-finals and finals to establish the 2016 champions.

The 2016 NIIHA champions are:

Under 8

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Scorpions

3rd Cazadores

Under 18

1st Kamikaze

2nd Cazadores

3rd Badgers

Under 10

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Cazadores

3rd Scorpions

Ladies

1st Scorpions

2nd Kamikaze

3rd Badgers

Under 12

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Scorpions

3rd Coastal Pirates Black

Open

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Scorpions

3rd Badgers

Under 14

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Kamikaze Red

3rd Scorpions

Ladies Masters

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Scorpions

Under 16

1st Coastal Pirates

2nd Badgers Yellow

3rd Kamikaze Red

Masters

1st Badgers Yellow

2nd Scorpions

3rd Badgers Black

SPORT REPORTER

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