Habre to appeal war crimes conviction

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Habre to appeal war crimes conviction Chad's former president Hissene Habre was to begin an appeal yesterday against his life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity after his conviction was hailed as a landmark for Africa.

The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union, sentenced Habre in May to life behind bars, an unprecedented ruling that was seen as a blow to the impunity long enjoyed by repressive rulers.

In July, Habre was further ordered to pay up to 30 000 euros (US$33 000) to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his rule, as well as to their relatives.

The 74-year-old has refused to recognise the court's authority but his court-appointed lawyers requested an appeal on his behalf.

"We were motivated to appeal by violations of the law and (the rights) of the defence and procedural errors," lawyer Mbaye Sene told AFP, saying he didn't want to reveal their "strategy".

It was not clear whether Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, would be in the dock on Monday, with court spokesman Marcel Mendy saying it was "unknown".

Ibrahima Diawara, another of Habre's lawyers, said his client was not planning to appear but could be compelled to do so by the court.

"Habre believes that this does not concern him at all. He will not appear. We will see whether the court will use force to force him to come," Diawara told AFP.

The hearing is expected to last several days, with the final decision expected by April 30.

The verdict will be final. If his conviction is upheld, Habre will serve his sentence in Senegal or in another AU country.

The verdict brought closure for relatives of up to 40 000 people killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured during Habre's time as president.

"The trial of Hissene Habre last year was the result of a tireless battle by thousands of victims and their relatives to ensure justice for crimes under international law committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990," said Gaetan Mootoo, West Africa researcher at Amnesty International.

"It gave hope to others around the world that it is possible to end impunity even where it is most entrenched," he said in a statement ahead of the appeal.

The trial set a global precedent as the first time a country had prosecuted the former leader of another nation for rights abuses, said US lawyer Reed Brody, who has worked with the victims of the Habre regime since 1999.

NAMPA/AFP

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Shot of the day

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Shot of the day STUNNING:These goats were pictured in this beautiful field of flowers after the recent rains in Grootfontein. Photo: TERTIA BRISLEY

N$3.5b and the right to know

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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N$3.5b and the right to know The N$3.5 billion fraud, money-laundering and tax evasion case involving a local customs clearing business and several Chinese nationals is currently the talk of town.

The high stakes matter and the case, which is before the Windhoek Magistrate's Court, has attracted huge interest since Namibian Sun broke the news just before Christmas last year. Owing to the high profile nature of the court case, there is a likelihood that this matter could drag on for a quite some time. The case has really raised eyebrows if one looks at the intense debate on social media. The media too, also struggled to get the facts from day one which proved to be futile, as the authorities have constantly sent us from pillar to post.

The police who are heading the investigation wouldn't elaborate when pressed on the matter last year, while the Bank of Namibia was also non-committal at the time.

It took almost two weeks for the central bank to pronounce itself on the matter.

It was only at the weekend that the bank managed to put together a media release, informing the public about the high profile case. Friday's court proceedings also proved helpful after it emerged that KPMG South Africa were called in to investigate possible money-laundering by the Bank of Namibia in June 2016, after the central bank had launched an investigation into the matter in February 2016.

As media people we fully understand that some investigations are sensitive and require extra preparation. It also takes time and care to obtain reliable results. But – this is just no ordinary case, and it is definitely in the public interest.

The public have the right to be informed about the general details of the case, especially in light of the fact that the matter is already before the court. The right of access to public information cannot be overemphasised.

Public institutions are there to serve the people and information sharing is just as critical. Instead of being reactive all the time, it is high time that our public institutions, who are supposed to “serve the public”, adopt proactive communication strategies.

NWR thanks locals for support

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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NWR thanks locals for support Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) says the support it received from Namibians in December was crucial in increasing its occupancy numbers during this period.

According to NWR domestic visitors were to thank for good occupancy at its resorts, with Popa Falls, Hardap, Gross Barmen and Waterberg Resort having been fully booked for the Christmas weekend. Torra Bay and Sesriem Camp had 100% occupancy during the whole of December.

NWR spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano says this proved once again that domestic travellers see value in exploring their country.

He says while many people returned to work this week, some opted to take their summer holidays in January, as most tourism establishments are still offering special incentives.

Nesongano says NWR offered a 60% discount at some of its less-visited establishments during December. The special offer continues until the end of January.

“It should be noted that there were a few hiccups that some of our clients experienced of which we have taken note and will address in due course. It is for this reason that we implore our clients to not write us off as we would want them to give us another opportunity during the coming months as we aim to run various specials that they will find appealing,” says NWR chief marketing officer Epson Kasuto.

He says it has become a trend for dissatisfied customers to complain on social media platforms.

“We welcome this approach, though at the same time we want to urge them that addressing any challenges that they may face with any of our team members on the spot will yield better results. Lastly, I want to emphasise that this is a Namibian company and its interest should be protected by all of us,” he says.

STAFF REPORTER

Holidaymakers stranded again

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Holidaymakers stranded againTravellers setting transport fares Scores of holidaymakers found themselves yet again stranded in the North. Typical with the end of the festive season holidays, holidaymakers who travel from the south to the northern part of the country are once again stranded and have no transport to take them back to work.

Bus drivers are working round the clock ferrying passengers between the northern and southern towns.

The demand for transport soars this time of the year when Namibians return to their work places and parents take their children to school at the end of the school holiday.

Yesterday afternoon, hundreds of travellers thronged the bus terminals, which had few buses. The stranded travellers are claiming that drivers are selective and they are only taking passengers that they know, or those without baggage. It is also alleged that desperate travellers are offering high fares so that they can secure a seat on the bus.

“I came to Ondangwa bus terminal from Uukwiyu-Uushona as early as 03:00, and now it is 14:00, but I have not gotten a bus yet. Any bus that is arriving it is said to be already reserved. I have to be on duty tomorrow in Windhoek, but I am just wondering,” said George Sheya. Empty buses that are believed to have already off-loaded passengers were observed at Oshivelo checkpoint rushing to the north to load again and a convoy of private cars and public buses heading south from the north.

Oshikoto Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Stephan Nuuyi has been advising motorists to make use of other alternative roads to avoid delays. A driver who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that it is bonus time for the drivers and they have to make use of the high demand for transport.

“For us Christmas has just come. We have to make sure we make as much money as possible. Most of the buses are having two or more drivers who are exchanging the driving roles. Customers are setting prices themselves, and we are just recovering the cost of driving empty buses from the south,” he said.



ILENI NANDJATO

IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING PHOTO: LEANDREA LOUW FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Erongo Salvage donated N$10 000 to the Promiseland Trust and another N$10 000 the Narraville Pensioners Trust. The Promiseland Trust is a non-profit organisation that provides vulnerable children a day care, play centre and soup kitchen. The Narraville Pensioners Trust was recently established to assist the pensioners of Narraville, but especially to start with plans for an old people's home in Narraville. Pictured during the donation handover are (L-R) Harold Davids (Erongo Salvage) Christian Kleinsmith (Narraville Pensioners Trust), Mary Thomas (Narraville Pensioners Trust) Geraldine Botha (Erongo Salvage), Naomi Alexander and Monty Maree (Narraville Pensioners Trust).

PHOTO: LEANDREA LOUW

An evaluation of the west & east interest in Africa

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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An evaluation of the west & east interest in Africa Western countries as well as the far East have increased their presence in Africa over a couple of decades.

The East, especially China's economic interest and investments in Africa have particularly been under scrutiny.

However, while some are optimistic, others are concerned as to what the East and West's real interest in Africa is all about.

Many have argued that the engagement of the Far East is apparently meant to repeat what western countries did decades ago when they exploited African resources through imperialism.

This has led many to question whether countries like China are the new colonisers, an exploiter or a partner in development. This shows that the East's involvement with Africa is not new. The first phase of East's engagement with Africa began during the Bandung Conference of Non-Aligned Nations in 1955 led by the Chinese.

There was a substantial improvement in the relationship towards the end of 1950s as a result of China's deteriorating ties with the Soviet Union. China was then looking for allies in Africa to establish a counter balance against Soviet hegemony and western imperialism. This relationship with Africa plummeted in the 1980s when China shifted its focus to domestic economic development.

Many Africans have mixed feelings about African politics regarding the problems, solutions and the improvements the continent has and is currently facing. As always there are diverse and numerous way to solve problems and find solutions. It can safely be said that the one thing we need as Africans is to determine our own fate without external forces and do so on our own behalf.

African countries mostly get the short end of the stick when it comes to international relations and foreign policy as they are deemed inferior at these platforms.

African countries soon after they gained independence had one party states and failing if not stagnant economies, which allowed the West to once again to infiltrate Africa through Economic Structural Adjustment Programmes – Structural Adjustment Programmes with specific conditions for African countries such as the multi-party elections and reducing government control of markets and financial institutions.

These Structural Adjustment programmes helped African countries that were in dire straits because of loans from International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF and aid from USAID. It led to investment by multinational companies which boosted the economies and much needed job creation at the time.

The common denominator for African countries when dealing with the West however, is that they is a guarantee that the West wants to have a say in the domestic policies of African countries and this has become the norm with reference to Libya that can now be placed among failing or failed states, and the involvement of the West forms a large part of the blame. This undermines the Governments in place in African countries which causes more harm than good. Once the sovereignty of countries is challenged and undermined it leads to political and economic unrest, which has been the case with Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, post 2011.

The rise of the East specifically China and India and the coming together of B.R.I.C.S (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have helped create some equilibrium.

Mixed feelings and notions towards China investing in Africa however, cannot be ignored as they have injected much into Africa. The vast infrastructural developments across the continent can be attributed to African leaders accepting the “look East” policy over the past decade.

The look East policy can be deemed as neo-colonialism by pro-Africa pundits that have the perception that the Chinese are here to do more harm than good.

It is no secret that the African continent is the cradle of mankind and has an abundance of raw materials that are not accessible to the rest of the world. In any investment transaction the investing party must be sold on why they should invest and in Africa's case, raw materials and minerals is what we bring to the table when seeking investment.

Besides military power and supremacy, the African continent can be deemed to be at the centre of the feud between East and West through trade relations and investment.

The stance taken by the East in their foreign policy has given them a strong hold on the African continent.

The Chinese do not interfere in the domestic politics of any country where they are investing or invest in. Could this be the reason that African leaders have looked east for socio-economic development for their countries?

The matter at hand is that Africa determines its future without interference from the rest of the world, to not just sit at the bargaining table, but bargain as well.

The reality is no matter what ally we as Africans choose to partner and conduct trade with, none of them have the raw material potential that the African continent has.

It is a fact that everyone that does business with Africa has noticed and to this end, Africa needs to move towards manufacturing the goods it needs from the raw materials extracted and determine the market the value of products produced. The future needs our own input to ensure that we add value to our raw materials and own the means of production.



*Farai Munoriarwa is fourth year student studying towards a Bachelors in Media and Political Studies (Honours) at the University of Namibia.

Africa our beginning – and our end

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Africa our beginning – and our end We must openly proclaim this truth; since the generation of Thomas Sankara, Patrice Lumumba, Julius Nyerere, Sekou Toure, Kwame Nkrumah and others – the generations of African leaders that followed after them were characterized as thieves and opportunists.

It is that generation that is responsible for the chaos we are currently experiencing in Africa today. They were supposed to take the lead and fight for economic freedom.

It is a generation that has become brutal, demanding accolades and respect when none is due.

African traditions are abused to keep these charlatans in leadership positions. But as our students have stated in previous weeks, the end is near for these clowns! The youth will not give up on Africa.

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The dream Is “Africa unite”

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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The dream Is “Africa unite” I had a dream for Africa about African unity, but the truth is, it was as challenging as the reality I woke up to.

Ever since colonisation came to pass, many scholars engaged and debated on African identity's core fundamentals, without any further ado I would like to explore the concept at hand in terms of African culture. Unlike the Westerners believe in individualistic lifestyles (cultures) as opposed to African Ubuntu (togetherness) or Africanism, the Western motives are geared towards profit maximization on all economic fronts by a few capitalists with common profit-making goals, for instance this system works well for developed countries, because before globalisation and the free market system adopted by the majority of the world, these country's had already developed to advanced levels, which contemporary Africa had yet to obtain.

But to highlight some of the mechanisms involved in nation-building such as economic and political cohesiveness, one cannot help, but wonder if this is not exactly same criteria's used by the west, partly if not wholly, which the Ubuntu concept entails, and if so, there should be a conspiracy theory behind the western culture of individualism's revelations to the developing world, because this means that before that they had to work in unity to build their states for the wellbeing of everyone in those countries – the results of that are the good and healthy living standards their residents currently enjoy. Therefore the question is why our African capitalist brothers and sisters are enslaved to this system? Or is wealth and stock accumulation all that drives them? The bad news is that even when they focus on wealth accumulation, their products and services targets (consumers) will soon be unable to afford their expensive products. A comparative analysis can be placed on Angola's economic downfall that is closing many enterprises and estate mogul businesses. All this points to the failure of an individualistic system in Africa where all states should focus on, is state development on both the economic and political front and to this end, it is very important to minimize the impact of an individualistic system in favor of Ubuntu (or togetherness) paying more attention to the wellbeing of all Africans (white or black and poor or rich) by providing basic services and products at a reasonable prices that are affordable to everyone in order to retain a robust number of consumers for foreseeable future. Simply because we don't have the capacity and right measures to operate capitalistically, we need to cultivate the importance of the wellbeing of the entire society and promote better living standards that contribute to an increase in the productiveness and effectiveness of African countries labour forces, which would ensure the building of harmonious African states.

Although much critique will be directed at this text, pointing out that the Western states development owes us, because of slavery, etc. In other parts of the world countries protect themselves and we need some level of cohesiveness in the society for such initiatives to be carried out constructively without causing tension and fear between the citizens of those overlooked, because it's important for members of society to feel a sense of inclusiveness and acknowledgement.

What I am getting to/at is that although capitalism and the free market system ensures value for goods and services, only few individuals benefit in short- to medium-term, but if you look at other statistical aspects in society such as on human development, you will find that future objectives are guaranteed to fail in this instance.

If for example the current youth or labour's active population cannot afford basic human needs such as shelter, food and proper clothing, to what extent does it have a psychological impact on their wellbeing leading to demoralisation, since morale is a key component of good performance.

How do we expect them (our citizens and our people) to be productive and effective while living in sub-standard conditions, which translates and contribute to low life expectancy? In conclusion although capitalism comes with key advantages it's important to analyze its impact on major social issues before the citizens of Africa are completely marginalised.



*Romanus Mungamba is a 3rd year student studying towards a Bachelor of Public Management at the University of Namibia.

Teachers blamed for Eluwa results

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Teachers blamed for Eluwa resultsWhistleblowers reveal school chaos Teachers at the Eluwa Special School at Ongwe allegedly spend most of their working hours doing other things outside school. The deteriorating performance of Eluwa Special School at Ongwediva in the Oshana Region has been blamed on teachers and education officers who are not doing their jobs.

This allegation was made by some teachers at the school who wanted to remain anonymous.

They came forward after Namibian Sun published a report on the dismal grade 10 examination results of the country's three schools for visually and hearing-impaired children.

The sources claimed that there was no teaching taking place at Eluwa. Teachers allegedly spend most of their working hours doing other things outside school.

The sources also claimed that school inspectors and subject advisors in the Ompundja education circuit did not visit Eluwa to monitor teaching and spend time with teachers and learners.

Offering classes from pre-primary to grade 10, Eluwa is the only school for visually and hearing-impaired learners in northern Namibia. Last year it had 33 candidates for the grade 10 JSC examination, but only one was promoted to grade 11. Twenty-four of the candidates obtained no points at all.

“Many people were surprised by your [Namibian Sun's] report, but it has been the same over the years. It was only in 2009 or 2010 when we recorded over five learners who made it to grade 11, but other years' performance was just like that.

“This is because we, the teachers of Eluwa, are not committed to performing our duties. We spend most of our classroom time performing non-teaching functions outside classrooms or outside the school,” one source said.

The source said in such conditions one cannot expect learners to perform.

“Eluwa consists of learners with special needs. Therefore, it also requires special teachers who can give special attention to these special learners. Otherwise the future of Eluwa learners will never be bright.”

Another source claimed that during the Oshakati Totem Expo some teachers abandoned their work to conduct private business at the trade show. Others who stayed away claimed that they were attending workshops.

“Imagine a teacher away from school for a month or so, but you expect learners to pass. The school inspector and his team of subject advisors must wake up and start doing their job if they care about Eluwa learners' future,” said another source.

The deputy director for programme quality assurance in the Oshana regional education directorate, Gerhard Ndafenongo, could not be reached for comment.

Earlier, Ndafenongo had told Namibian Sun that Eluwa's performance was a source of concern, but he attributed it to the absence of a school principal.

He said the school had been without a principal for the past two years. A new principal was to start in the new school year, which begins tomorrow. At a regional education symposium held in June, regional education director Hileni Amukana said school principals would sign performance agreements.

Amukana called on all education staff to scrutinise their work and rededicate themselves to their core functions. She said school principals needed to take school leadership seriously. They should monitor teaching and focus on academic performance, while inspectors should regularly visit the worst-performing schools.

ILENI NANDJATO

Dam levels remain critical

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Dam levels remain critical Several of Namibia's dams, including the Von Bach Dam, have received inflow following rain in the past week.

During the past week NamWater has measured an inflow of more than 10.6 million cubic metres of water.

The bulk of the inflow was recorded at Namibia's largest reservoir, the Hardap Dam at Mariental.

The Von Bach Dam, which is currently the only dam supplying Windhoek with water, received 0.243 million cubic metres of water. That resulted in the dam level rising from 6.3% last week to 6.4%, according to the latest dam bulletin released yesterday.

The other two supply dams to central Namibia - Omatako and Swakoppoort - did not receive any inflow. Their levels are 1.1% and 5.9% respectively.

The total capacity of storage dams in central Namibia is now 6.4%, compared to 13.6% at the same time last year.

The Hardap Dam received inflow of 8.815 million cubic metres, raising its level from 26.7% to 29.7%.

The Naute Dam near Keetmanshoop received inflow of 1.734 million cubic metres, which pushed its level from 68.7% to 70.8%.

The Dreihuk Dam, which was empty, received 0.320 million cubic metres of water and the level currently stands at 2.1%. Currently the total level of Namibia's dams stands at 26.2% of their capacity. This is up from 24.6% last week, but still much less than last year, when the dams were 32% full.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau predicts that it will be partly cloudy and hot to very hot with scattered thundershowers over the northeast and east.

ELLANIE SMIT

Rundu police suspend search for drowned man

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Rundu police suspend search for drowned man The Rundu police have suspended the search for the body of 31-year-old Joseph Tjiwawa, who drowned late last year in the Okavango River.

Tjiwawa drowned around 14:00 on 30 December 2016 at Rundu Beach. According to the police he was intoxicated.

Two of his male friends who threw him into the river were charged with murder.

“He has not yet been found…. we suspended it now, we conducted searches for nearly 10 days but nothing,” Deputy Commissioner Willie Bampton said yesterday.

Speculation is that a crocodile might have eaten the body.

Bampton explained that if the body was still in the water it should have surfaced within three days but that did not happen.

The suspects, Mureni Thomas Musore (24) and Toloshi Jonas Kambinda (32) appeared in the Rundu Magistrate's Court on 3 January on a murder charge.

They were not granted bail and the case was postponed to 6 March.

Rundu residents have suggested that the town council should employ lifeguards at the riverfront. Attempts to get comment from the council were unsuccessful yesterday.

According to past media reports the town council had planned to include the recruitment of lifeguards in its latest five-year strategic plan, but it wasn't done.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Human trafficking suspect nabbed in Zambezi

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Human trafficking suspect nabbed in Zambezi A Congolese national was arrested by police in the Zambezi Region on Sunday afternoon for allegedly attempting to smuggle two Tanzanian men out of Namibia.

Warrant Officer Kisco Sitali yesterday confirmed to Namibian Sun that they were investigating a case of human trafficking after a 32-year-old Congolese national was arrested on Sunday at the Kongolo checkpoint, about 110km from Katima Mulilo.

According to Sitali the victims are 24 and 32 years old.

Sitali said the suspect was a refugee from the Osire Refugee Camp. When the three arrived by bus at the checkpoint the police noticed that the suspect had a permit from the camp valid from 23 November to 23 December.

The man stated fishing as his reason for visiting Katima Mulilo, although the fishing season only opens in March.

As the police became more suspicious, they discovered that the two victims were together with the suspect on the bus.

When they questioned them the suspect claimed that all of them were from Osire Refugee Camp and that the other two men had lost their permits.

However, when the two victims were questioned it became apparent that they did not know where they were being taken. They explained that the suspect had smuggled them into Namibia from Zambia through the river, Sitali said.

According to him the victims were apparently destined for South Africa.

The suspect is to appear before the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court today.

Julius accused of interference

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Julius accused of interferenceInvestigator opposed to bail in customs fraud case The police officer heading the investigation into a N$3.5 billion customs fraud case is opposed to bail being granted, saying the three accused might leave the country. STAFF REPORTER



Laurantius Julius, accused of money laundering and fraud charges in the N$3.5 billion customs fraud case, has meddled in the investigation, Nampol Chief Inspector John Mutongwe has charged.

Mutongwe was called as a State witness and testified that there were suspicions of interference by Julius, who owns Extreme Customs Clearing Services and Organised Freight, two businesses fingered in the case.

Mutongwe heads a police task team with six other members, he told State prosecutor Rowen Beukes.

Irregularities were uncovered towards the end of 2015 and subsequently brought to the attention of the police.

Mutongwe informed the court that his team collected documents from Nedbank and FNB Namibia. According to him, the documents revealed transactions involving Extreme Customs Clearing Services and ten Chinese importers and the alleged under-declarations.

Mutongwe said that Julius had been tipped-off about a possible investigation into irregularities concerning his businesses. It was also strange to Mutongwe that Julius wanted to correct mistakes his clearing business had made, suggesting that Julius should not have made mistakes in the first place.

Mutongwe further suggested that the Chinese importers together with Julius formed a syndicate.

The three suspects in the case have been identified as a flight risk, according to Mutongwe.

When cross-examined by Louis Botes, who is representing Julius, and Sisa Namandje, who is representing Chinese nationals Huizhong Tau and Huang Jinrong, Mutongwe repeatedly stated that he was against the court granting the three accused bail, because the accused were likely to leave the country.

Mutongwe said there were no bail conditions he would be satisfied with.

The bail hearing continues in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court this morning.

Magistrate Venatius Alweendo is presiding.

Police say no to vigilante justice

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Police say no to vigilante justice The Windhoek City Police on Sunday pleaded with Namibians not to take the law into their own hands.

This followed the beating of a suspected thief by Goreangab residents on Saturday and the arrest of one of the men who attacked him.

Hundreds of comments on social media praised and supported the civilian action taken against the suspected thief, who had been caught red-handed. Many listed previous experiences of delayed police response, while others said petty theft was not deterred by lenient laws.

“These idiots steal people's belongings, sell them and when arrested they are released on bail or given warnings … People are tired of working hard to provide for themselves and then come those who believe they are professional thieves,” one comment read.







Another commentator noted that “we are tired as a nation and the public should not be blamed for taking the law into their own hands.”

According to the City Police, the suspect broke into a shack on Saturday morning where he stole between N$400 and N$500 and a wallet, a 4.5kg gas cylinder and a cellphone.

Shortly after he had fled the scene of the crime residents confronted him and discovered the stolen goods on him.

A group of residents responded by assaulting the suspect, police said yesterday. One man was later arrested after the suspect had identified him to the police. He was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The thief was also arrested and a case of housebreaking and theft was opened against him.

City Police Constable Edmund Khoaseb warned that vigilante action would only worsen crime in the country.

“If you take the law into your own hands, then we are not law-abiding citizens anymore, we are law-breaking citizens. Two wrongs do not make a right,” he said.

He added that the country is governed by laws and citizens should not attempt to “seek their own justice” but should rely on the relevant authorities to do so.

The City Police on Sunday posted three photographs showing the injuries sustained by the suspected thief, whose name has not been made public yet.

The photographs were posted alongside text urging Namibians not to break the law in the name of justice.

“Please don't violate the due process of law! This suspect was attacked yesterday by public members after being caught stealing at Goreangab. He sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital. The City Police hereby request the public to refrain from taking the law in their own hands. Always call the police and let the law take its course,” the Facebook post read.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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Pilot recruitment questioned

January 9, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Pilot recruitment questionedAir Namibia denies accusations of racism Air Namibia says it tries to ensure a “fair and balanced pilot complement reflecting the present-day demographics” of Namibia. Air Namibia is once again accused of excluding white Namibian men from recruitment as pilots while shortlisting and interviewing unsuitably qualified black candidates.

The airline on 5 October last year advertised vacancies for ERJ 135 pilots with among the requisite commercial pilot licences and a minimum of 250 hours' flying experience.

The advertisement did specify that Namibian citizens from previously disadvantaged groups were “encouraged” to apply but it did not stipulate that white male citizens would not be considered for these positions.

According to sources preferring anonymity, at least four white male applicants had commercial airline transport licences but were not considered for the shortlist.

It is understood that each of the four applicants had about 4 000 hours' flying experience; one of the applicants had 6 000 hours' experience.

It is alleged that some of the black candidates who have since been interviewed do not have commercial flying licences and have fewer flying hours than the white applicants. It is further alleged that Air Namibia last recruited white male pilots in 2012, and has lost many of its white male captains due to poor and frustrating working conditions.

Air Namibia spokesman Paul Nakawa has denied all these allegations and insisted that the airline was the “biggest equal opportunity employer” in the country.

He said recruitment at the airline complied with the Affirmative Action (AA) Act and Labour Act and that all Namibians were considered during the recruitment process.

He said the white male captains had left for greener pastures.

While not directly responding to the allegation that some of the shortlisted black candidates do not have commercial flying licences, Nakawa merely stated that in the heavily regulated aviation sector no pilot would be allowed without the requisite licence.

Nakawa further said that Air Namibia employed pilots “based on operations requirements and with a view to growing market share and confidence”.





According to him Air Namibia currently employs 35 previously disadvantaged pilots as opposed to 41 previously advantaged ones, with seven ad hoc pilots. He said ad hoc pilots were used based on “urgent and crucial operations requirements”.

Nakawa said Air Namibia was trying to establish a “fair and balanced pilot complement reflecting the present-day demographics” of Namibia.

Nakawa further denied an allegation that some of the black pilots had not been approved by a Swiss flying school to fly the Embraer jet because they did not have the requisite experience and had to return to Namibia, which allegedly cost the company millions.

“Air Namibia has an obligation, as a responsible employer, to train local Namibian pilots and the airline will continue to do so with tremendous resources committed for this purpose,” said Nakawa.

According to him it has cost Air Namibia more than N$8 million to train pilots. This excludes “soft” training courses.

Asked whether Air Namibia was recruiting foreigners instead of white Namibians as alleged, Nakawa said: “With the emphasis of colour identification being rather distasteful, Namibia as a nation does not have the requisite skilled labour force required to fly the type of aircraft operated by Air Namibia, therefore the commitment of the airline and its leadership to ensure the conscious and continuous training of pilots.”

CATHERINE SASMAN

Mbidi not in favour of 48 teams

January 10, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Mbidi not in favour of 48 teams Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Frans Mbidi is not in support of the 48 World Cup teams expansion as unanimously approved by FIFA's ruling council yesterday.

Mbidi told Namibian Sun yesterday that the expansion of the number of teams was a “brilliant” idea, though.

“I think the expansion is a brilliant idea but the expansion to 48 teams is just too much as the initial plan was only 40. I am not really sure how it went up to 48 and I think it is a high number that would compromise the quality of the competition,” he said.

He said the World Cup was a high level football competition and only the best got the chance to compete, “so for me I would be comfortable with 40 teams and not 48.”

FIFA's ruling council unanimously approved an expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, with a format of 16 groups of three nations.

“The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team #WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams,” a tweet from FIFA's official account said.

The decision marks a major coup for the body's president Gianni Infantino, who has made enlarging football's showcase event the centrepiece of his young administration.

The controversial proposal has faced criticism from some of the sport's most powerful voices, including warnings that it would dilute the quality of play and overburden already exhausted players.

But Infantino had in recent weeks voiced confidence that his flagship project would be approved.

While noting that a bigger tournament would bring in more money, the FIFA chief has also argued that more World Cup berths would help drive football's global growth.

Africa and Asia could be the big winners in a larger format with a rise in their number of places, currently at 5 and 4.5 respectively.

But in order to smooth over scepticism about World Cup reform within UEFA, it is likely that Europe will also see its allotments rise above the current 13 places.

A source close to FIFA told AFP that under the new format Europe could get 16 places, with Africa earning nine.

But the information remained unconfirmed and world football's governing body was not expected to immediately announce its final decision on allotments.

The powerful council officially weighed five proposals during Tuesday's meeting at FIFA's snow-covered Zurich headquarters, including maintaining the status quo of 32-teams.

The landmark decision to expand the tournament is the latest overhaul of the World Cup, which has seen its global popularity and financial might surge since the inaugural edition in 1930.

That contest, won by Uruguay, had just 13 countries.

The World Cup expanded to 24 teams in 1982 in Spain before moving to its current 32-team version at France 1998.

- additional reporting NAMPA/AFP

SPORT REPORTER

Club owners dig deep into their pockets

January 10, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Club owners dig deep into their pockets'We do it for the love of football' The NPL chairman is not the only football executive paying his staff from his own pocket – club owners are in the same predicament. Just like NPL chairman Johnny Jonson Doeseb, who is said to have paid his staff from his own pocket, local football club owners are hard pressed to stay afloat.

Namibian Sun spoke to club executives to shed light on the operations of their clubs.

Tura Magic executive Isack Hamata said the running of a club from a financial perspective is not easy.

“We spend between N$80 000 and N$90 000 per month, so we spend more than our income and the question is, where does the income come from?”, he said.

The football fraternity is abuzz about Doeseb's decision to pay the premier league's staff with his own money, as reported in a local daily last week.

According to Hamata, Tura Magic has a responsibility towards its players, just like Doeseb has towards those he has hired at the NPL.

“Just like JJD who took money out of his pocket because he has a responsibility towards those people that he hired at NPL, we also have a responsibility towards the players, and it is not easy but you have signed a contract so you must honour that and when we let players go it is because we cannot afford them,” he said.

Hamata said he and his partners knew from the outset what they were getting themselves into, and since day one they had to fork out money to keep the club running.

“You only have a pool of income that is this much yet your expenditure is more than what you are getting in, so we knew that from the get go when we started that you must be realistic as you are not going to win the league or cup but at least you can keep players and can put bread on their table and can still compete on the field of play,” he said.

He said the club decided to keep salaries low, as the football structures in the country also do not allow huge salaries. The running of a football club becomes too taxing for some, who opt to walk away and sell their clubs. According to Hamata he and his partners too had thoughts of packing it in, but had always considered the future of the players.

Citizens Football Club co-owner David Goagoseb concurred with Hamata. “Most of the time the grant we get is not enough, and most of the time we have to add money for the travelling and accommodation and that comes from our pockets,” he said.

“We have been in this game for so many years and there are times that you have to sacrifice your children at home and spend the last money that you had on the club's activities,” he said.

Although Citizens are not paying their players full salaries now because of the absence of the league, Goagoseb said they were assisting their players to take care of their needs.

One of the country's big guns, African Stars, are not exempt from the challenges faced by other club owners. According to the team's director, Brian Makari, the grant they receive is not enough and they rely on individuals to pump in money into the club.

“The grant that we get is not enough at all so most of the time we must get something from somewhere else that has to be from the pockets because clubs do not have sponsors and I believe most of the clubs get money from individuals and in our case we get money from individuals,” he said.

Makari said despite the challenges, Stars continued to take care of their players.

“We have been paying our players and we have also been paying our players' medical aid,” he said.

One of the biggest clubs in Namibia, Orlando Pirates, is still unable to pay its players, while Black Africa released its players and coaching staff last year as the financial crisis in football started to bite.

KAINO NGHITONGO

Aussie player hit with seven-year ban

January 10, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Aussie player hit with seven-year ban Australia's Nick Lindahl has been banned for seven years and fined US$35 000 for corruption, with two others also sanctioned as tennis authorities step up their fight against match-fixing ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Lindahl, who reached a career-high ranking of 187, was found guilty of contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event and failing to cooperate with a Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) investigation.

The case related to his offer to throw a match at a Futures tournament in Australia in 2013 and a refusal to provide his mobile phone for forensic investigations on the TIU's request.

“Although Mr Lindahl, 28, retired from the sport in 2013, today's decision prevents him from resuming playing professional tennis for the seven years of the ban,” the TIU said in a statement.

“He is also prohibited from attending any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport for that period.”

Lindahl was convicted in an Australian court last year for “using corrupt conduct information” and fined Aus$1,000 over the same incident.

Two other players, Brandon Walkin and Isaac Frost, were also disciplined after being found guilty of corruption at the same tournament.

Walkin, ranked 1,066, was slapped with a six-month suspension for passing a corrupt proposal to another party on behalf of Lindahl. His punishment was suspended for six months, meaning he is free to continue playing.

Frost, ranked 1,515, was found guilty of refusing to supply his phone for analysis. He has already served a one-month suspension, the TIU revealed, with no further action taken.

The sanctions come just days after police in Australia said an 18-year-old had been charged with match-fixing at a tournament in Victoria last October.

He was widely named in local media as Oliver Anderson, an emerging star who is the reigning Australian Open boys champion and was reportedly approached to drop a set.

The claim underlined concerns about corruption in tennis as the world's leading players assemble in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the season, starting next week.

Reacting to the Anderson news, world number one Andy Murray urged severe punishments for anyone found cheating.

“If it's happening, there should be the most severe punishments for whoever is involved in it,” Murray said, in views backed by his rival Novak Djokovic.

Last month, Spanish police arrested 34 people, including low-ranking players, from a network that fixed matches in Spain and Portugal.

And in September, South African player Joshua Chetty was banned for life after being found guilty of match-fixing charges.

Last year's Australian Open was blighted by bombshell media allegations that match-fixing was rife and that authorities had done little to counter the issue.

Citing leaked files, the BBC and Buzzfeed said players who had reached the top 50 had been repeatedly suspected of fixing matches but had never faced action.

It sparked an independent review headed by barrister Adam Lewis QC, a London-based expert on sports law, aimed at shaking up the Tennis Integrity Unit.

In the wake of the revelations, Australian tennis authorities boosted measures to fight the scourge, including having anti-corruption officers at all sanctioned events and blocking gambling websites via public wifi at tournaments.

They also increased prize money at lower levels of the sport in a bid to counter the lure of easy cash to fix games at events where there is little media scrutiny.

NAMPA/AFP

Kunamuene in Gabon

January 10, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Kunamuene in GabonNFA official coordinates Afcon NFA president Frans Mbidi has confirmed that there is a Namibian representing the country as a coordinator at the 2017 African Cup of Nations tournament. The Namibia Football Association's head of competitions, Titus Kunamuene, has been selected as one of the venue coordinators at the 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon.

The Namibian left for Gabon last week to coordinate events at the prestigious African tournament.

NFA president Frans Mbidi said Kunamuene's involvement at the competition would benefit Namibia as far as hosting events of such magnitude in the future is concerned.

Speaking in an interview yesterday Mbidi said: “We are proud to announce that one of our own has been given a huge task at the competition.

“This is something very positive for the country given that Kunamuene will gain so much experience from coordinating a venue.”

Mbidi felt that Kunamuene would prove his worth to African football.

Mbidi also said that Kunamuene's departure to Gabon was a sign that Namibia was being recognised as an important country on the global stage.

“We are sure that he will be updating us from Gabon as to whatever is happening at the tournament,” Mbidi said.

Kunamuene's group will host the Group D first-round matches, featuring Ghana, Egypt, Mali and Uganda.

Mbidi also revealed that he had turned down an offer from Cosafa for him to be present at the tournament in the early stages.

The Cosafa vice-president said he could not go at the moment because of the financial situation in Namibian football.

“I will perhaps just go to the final of the competition once everything at home is sorted.

“It would have been important if our national team coach Ricardo Mannetti had travelled to Gabon, but that is extremely difficult because of the financial situation.

“However, there is nothing much to worry about given that we at least have someone representing the Land of the Brave at the tournament.”

The 31st edition of the African Cup of Nations will see 16 teams challenging each other for Africa's greatest football trophy.

Gabon will open the competition on Saturday with a game against Guinea-Bissau, while 2015 champions Ivory Coast begin their assignment against Togo.

The tournament will be played in four cities with each offering one venue for the games. Stade de l'Amitié [in Libreville], Stade de Franceville [in Franceville], Stade d'Oyem [in Oyem] and Stade de Port-Gentil in Port-Gentil will host the matches.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA