Quantcast
Channel: Namibian Sun
Viewing all 36395 articles
Browse latest View live

AFCON could see Billiat clinching overseas move

0
0
AFCON could see Billiat clinching overseas moveAFCON could see Billiat clinching overseas move Former Bayern Munich and Ghana international defender Samuel Kuffour says Mamelodi Sundowns winger Khama Billiat will surely find himself playing in Europe soon.

It's been Billiat's club teammate, Keagan Dolly, who has been grabbing headlines over a possible move to Europe, with French side Montpellier and Greek team Olympiakos both reportedly interested.

In the latest development in the Dolly situation, Montpellier are said to be offering Downs the amount stipulated in the buyout clause of the playmaker's contract (1.7 million euro, around R24 million).

The 2012 French champions are believed to be willing to pay in full upfront, with no conditions attached and the possibility of the transfer fee increasing once the Bafana midfielder plays a certain number of games in Ligue 1.

Manchester City have also been linked to the former Ajax Cape Town man. But with the English club appearing to be offering no more than an unconfirmed trial, added to the difficulties in obtaining a work permit in England, and it appears that City are not an option.

However, it's been 2015/ 16 PSL Player of the Season and Billiat who has been Sundowns' real star man over the last 18 months - indeed since joining from Ajax Cape Town in 2013, he has got better and better, adding a clinical goal-scoring edge to the undoubted skill and pace his game possesses.

Not only has the wonderfully-gifted 26-year-old Billiat terrorised PSL defences, but he also played a major role in helping Sundowns win the CAF Champions League and was voted only behind teammate and Ugandan international keeper Denis Onyango on CAF's 'Best Player Based in Africa' list.

Currently in Gabon at the 2017 African Cup of Nations with Zimbabwe, Billiat did his chances of getting scouted no harm with an outstanding display in Sunday night's 2-2 draw with Algeria.

“I think Billiat is one the best African talents I have seen in a long time. This guy can be on another level because he has everything. I think you have to move him to Europe,” Kuffour said during his post-match analysis.

“It would be very disappointing for Africa not to seem him playing here. But in terms of his career and what he can do at 26 years, you have to move him to Europe.”

Kuffour, a European Champions League winner with Bayern, offered further praise for the diminutive Sundowns attacker: “He is amazing to watch. For me being a defender it would be very difficult to play against this boy. He is small and you don't know what he is going to do. He is so quick with the ball he has everything. For me I would love to see him go outside [overseas] for his future.”

Next up for Zimbabwe are Senegal and Tunisia: more chances for Billiat to impress the international audience.

Masandawana boss Patrice Motsepe recently admitted that some of the club's recent signings had been bought as the potential backup should the likes of Dolly, Billiat or Leonardo Castro depart.

Billiat has in the past made no secret of his desire to further his career in Europe, and having claimed nearly all there is to win at club level on the continent, he must surely be thinking about new challenges while moving into the prime of his career.

He was linked with Belgium Pro League teams Club Brugge and KV Oostende in November last year, with the asking price speculated to be in the R30 million region.

NAMPA/ANA

Kalekeni kashona ontotwaveta yevi - OTA

0
0
Kalekeni kashona ontotwaveta yevi - OTAKalekeni kashona ontotwaveta yevi - OTAYa pula opo omutumba gwevi guningwe omanga inaku manithwa ontotwaveta yevi OvaHerero Traditional Authority oya popi kutya ontotwaveta yevi otayi ka kala owala mondjila ngele oya ningwa konima yomutumba omutiyali gwevi gwopashigwana. Ø

Omuleli gwo OvaHerero Traditional Authority (OTA), Vekuii Rukoro, okwa pula Ominista yEtalululo lyEvi, Utoni Nujoma opo yi lelepeke omasiku ga hugunina gokugandja omaiyuvo kombinga yontotwaveta yevi, sigo kwa ningwa omutumba gwevi ngoka tagu pangelwa okuningwa momwedhi Sepetemba.

Rukoro okwa popi kutya okukaleka manga ontotwaveta ndjoka otashi ti woo naku kalekwe manga ooprograma adhihe dhetulululo, egandjo lyevi kohi yoveta yomidhigululwakalo oshowo momalelo giitopolwa oshowo ekaleko lyelando lyevi kepangelo.

Nujoma okwa pula oshigwana shi gandje omaiyuvo gasho nomagwedhelepo kombinga yontotwaveta yevi omanga omasiku 15 gaJanuari inaga thikana.

Elelo ndyoka momukanda ngoka lya shangele Nujoma momasiku 9 gaJanuari olya popi kutya omasiku o-15 Januari ethimbo efupi noonkondo okugandja ompito kaantu ya gandje omaiyuvo gawo, sho ontotwaveta ndjoka ya tulwa poshitaafula ethimbo efupi owala omanga oKrismesa inayi ninga.

Oya popi kutya onkalo yoshikukuta ndjoka tayi dhenge aanafaalama naanamapya moshilongo inayi gandja ompito opo aakuthimbinga ayehe ya vule okugandja omaiyuvo gawo.

OTA oya popi kutya naku gandjwe ethimbo lya gwana opo ku vule okuningwa oonkundathana omanga omutumba gwevi inagu ningwa molwaashoka okumanitha ontotwaveta ndjoka omanga omutumba inagu ningwa itashi ka gandja iizemo iiwanawa.

Ongundu oya pula woo oonkundathana okuza koombinga adhihe unene poondondo dhopevi omanga omutumba ngoka tagu pangelwa okuningwa inagu ningwa.

“Emanitho lyotontwaveta ndjoka otali ka ningwa okuza momayele notseyo konima yomutumba.”

CATHERINE SASMAN

A dhipaga omumwayinagona omolwa ekaya

0
0
A dhipaga omumwayinagona omolwa ekayaA dhipaga omumwayinagona omolwa ekaya Elelo lyOpamuthigululwakalo gwOvaherero olya popi kutya ontotwaveta yevi otayi ka kala owala mondjila ngele oya ningwa konima yomutumba gwevi omutiyali gwopashigwana. Omuleli gwo OvaHerero Traditional Authority (OTA), Vekuii Rukoro, okwa pula Ominista yEtalululo lyEvi, Utoni Nujoma opo yi lelepeke omasiku ga hugunina gokugandja omaiyuvo kombinga yontotwaveta yevi, sigo kwa ningwa omutumba gwevi ngoka tagu pangelwa gu ka ningwe momwedhi Sepetemba.

Rukoro okwa popi kutya okukaleka manga ontotwaveta ndjoka otashi ti woo naku kalekwe manga ooprograma adhihe dhetulululo, egandjo lyevi kohi yoveta yomidhigululwakalo oshowo momalelo giitopolwa oshowo ekaleko lyelando lyevi kepangelo. Nujoma okwa pula oshigwana shi gandje omaiyuvo gasho nomagwedhelepo kombinga yontotwaveta yevi omanga omasiku 15 gaJanuari inaga thikana. Elelo ndyoka momukanda ngoka lya shangele Nujoma momasiku 9 gaJanuari olya popi kutya omasiku o-15 Januari ethimbo efupi noonkondo okugandja ompito kaantu ya gandje omaiyuvo gawo, sho ontotwaveta ndjoka ya tulwa poshitaafula ethimbo efupi owala omanga oKrismesa inayi ninga.

Oya popi kutya onkalo yoshikukuta ndjoka tayi dhenge aanafaalama naanamapya moshilongo inayi gandja ompito opo aakuthimbinga ayehe ya vule okugandja omaiyuvo gawo.

OTA oya popi kutya naku gandjwe ethimbo lya gwana opo ku vule okuningwa oonkundathana omanga omutumba gwevi inagu ningwa molwaashoka okumanitha ontotwaveta ndjoka omanga omutumba inagu ningwa itashi ka gandja iizemo iiwanawa. Ongundu oya pula woo oonkundathana okuza koombinga adhihe unene poondondo dhopevi omanga omutumba ngoka tagu pangelwa okuningwa inagu ningwa.

“Emanitho lyotontwaveta ndjoka otali ka ningwa okuza momayele notseyo konima yomutumba.”

CATHERINE SASMAN

Omulilo gwa hanagulapo oombashu 13 mOmbaye

0
0
Omulilo gwa hanagulapo oombashu 13 mOmbayeOmulilo gwa hanagulapo oombashu 13 mOmbaye Omulilo ngoka ga tukuka momudhingoloko gwaKuisebmond mOlyomakaya ogwa thigi aanona yahetatu ka ye na omizalo dhoskola oshowo omambo, sho omulilo gwa hanagulapo oombashu dha thika po-13, konima owala yegumbo lyamayola gwondoolopa.

Aantu ya thika po-30 oya gumwa koshiponga shoka, na otaya fekele kutya omulilo ogwa etithwa kumushiinda ngoka a thigi ombiga kesiga kayi na omutonateli.

“Kandi shi kutya otandi ningi ngiini molwaashoka kandi na iimaliwa yokulanda omuzalo gwoskola gumwe,” Riana Awases, 31, a lombwele oNampa, omolwa omizalo dhuunona we uwali wuukadhona dhoka dha hanagulwapo komulilo.

Omuvali gumwe, omunamimvo 38 Rachel Motabe, okwa gu kombanda yombashu ye nokweehama mongolo, sho a li ta kambadhala okudhima omulilo.

“Kanda li tandi vulu okukala nda takalo nda mwena omanga omulilo tagu hanagulapo omaliko getu,” Motabe ngoka e li komampango a popi.

Mayola gwaMbaye, Immanuel Wilfred okwa adhika ta ulike uukwawo wanankali naashiinda she mboka ya kanitha omagumbo gawo. Okwa popi kutya ookadhima mulilo oya longo nuudhigu okudhima omulilo ngoka molwaashoka ogwa taandelele meendelelo.





Wilfred okwa popi kutya elele lyondoolopa olya mona ekanitho lyaakwashigwana na otali ka kambadhala okuya kwatha.

Okwa popi kutya okwa pula ehangano lyErongo Regional Electricity Distributor li yambidhidhe mokulanda omizalo dhoskola na okwa popi kutya oye na woo oondya ooshona dhoka ya gongele okuza maanangeshefa.

Wilfred okwa popi kutya okwaahena evi omukundu omunene gwa talela aakwashigwana kondoolopa ndjoka yokomunkulofuta na uupyakadhi womililo otawu vulu owala okukandulwa po uuna aantu ya mono omagumbo gomakuma.

Okwa tsikile kutya elelo lyondoolpa olya li tali pangele okutululula aantu ya thika po-50 000 mofaalama 37 mOmbaye popepi noDune 7 ihe eindilo lyawo olya tindwa koNamibia Planning Advisory Board (Nampab).

Elelo ndyoka lyoNampab olya ulikwa kominista yeyambulepo lyoondoolopa niitopolwa na oli na oshinakugwanithwa shokukwatela komeho oompangela dhoondoolopa momalelo agehe goondoolopa.

Wilfred okwa popi kutya elelo ngashiingeyi olya ninga eindilo lyofaalama 33 na olya tegelela eyamukulo.

NAMPA

Ekwato lyoohi shaali paveta otali dhipaga omilonga mOnooli

0
0
Ekwato lyoohi shaali paveta otali dhipaga omilonga mOnooliEkwato lyoohi shaali paveta otali dhipaga omilonga mOnooliAakwati yoohi otaya longitha oonete nonando inaku pitikwa okulongithwa oonete ngele taku kwatwa oohi momilonga Omukanda ngoka tagu pula e yo moshipala lyekwato lyoohi shaahe li paveta unene momulonga gwaKavango naZambezi ogwa shayinwa kaantu ya thika pe-1000 okutameka Etitano lya piti. Omukanda gu li kohi yoshipalanyolo, ‘Give the Rivers Back to Namibia and Her People”, gwa nuninwa Uuministeli wOohi nOonzo dhOmomeya, otagu pula opo epangelo li ye moshipala onkalo ndjoka ya nayipala kwiikwatelelwa kaatseyinawa.

“Okukwata oohi shaali paveta moNamibia otashi nayi paleke onkalo. Onkalo ndjoka yokukwata oohi dhomalanditho nokudhi tuma pondje yoshilongo oya tula moshiponga omilonga oshowo uushitwe. Aakwashigwana yuuvite nayi molwaashoka uuthiga wawo wopaushitwe owa tulwa moshiponga nomaludhi goohi dha yooloka otaga hulithwa po na itashi ka monika we, Omukanda ngoka tagu adhika koChange.org, gwa holola.

Okavideo kuule woominute ntano hoka keli pamwe nomukanda ngoka, otaka ulike nkene nkalo ndjoka tayi tula moshiponga omilonga omolwa ekwato lyoohi dhomalanditho omanene momilonga gwaKavango naZambezi.

Aatseyinawa mokavideo moka oya kunkilile kutya onkalo ndjoka otayi e ta ekanitho lyomaludhi goodhi ngoka itaga ka monika we naashoka otashi dhipaga po thilu omilonga.

Mokavideo omuna woo omathano gaayuli yoohi inaya pitikwa taya longitha omikalo dha yooloka dhokukwata oohi moka mwa kwatelwa elongitho lyonete ndyoka inali nika owala oshiponga koohi , ihe nokiinamwenyo yilwe iikwawo yomefuta ngaashi woo uudhila.

Oshinima shimwe eitaalo lya puka, ndyoka li li mokati kaakwashigwana kutya oohi ihadhi pu po, na ope na omulandithi goohi gumwe ngoka a kwatwa mokavideo ta popi kutya “oohi ihadhi pu po” na “Kalunga otedhi hupitha.”

Mokavideo moka natango otamu monika omukwati gwoohi ngoka a kokele momudhingloko moka ta popi kutya: “Onda kala tandi kwata oohi mpaka onkalamwenyo yandje ayihe, otwa kala tu na oohi odhindji ihe katu na we oohi ngashiingeyi.”

Okwa popi kutya uupyakadhi mboka otawu etithwa kaakwati yoohi oyendji noonete odhindji dhokukwata oohi.

Aatseyinawa oya popi kutya elongitho lyoonete olya nika unene oshiponga monkalo ndjoka unene sho aakwati yoohi taya longitha oonete nokwiidhimbika ompango ndjoka inayi pitika ekwato lyoohi taku longithwa oonete.

Okavideo hoka oka ulike nkene iinamwenyo yilwe yomefuta, mwa kwatelwa uudhila, iikokoloki noongandu tayi kwatwa noonete.

Omukanda ngoka ogwa tulwa miilonga oshiwike sha piti, konima yomwedhi gumwe sho epangelo lya tseyitha pashigwana omaiyuvo taga holola ekato lyoohi shaa heli paveta. Okwa tulwa po woo oondjindikila dhokukwata oohi uuleo omwedhi ndatu momulonga gwaZambezi nogwaChobe opo ku gandjwe ompito koohi dhi koke.

Kwiikwatelelwa ketseyithnlynomola 296, elongitho lyonete moNamiba uuna taku kwatwa oohi kali li paveta ie nonado ongaaka onete odho tadhi etitha oshiponga oshinene.

Kaagwelipo yamwe po kepandja lyoFacebook oya holola kutya, onkatu yi na okukatulwa, ehulithepo lyoonete mokukwata oohi.

“Shoka osha simana noonkondo molwaashoka oonete otadhi ya moshilongo okupitila moZambia okuza koChina na otadhi hanagulapo omilonga gwaZambezi naKavango,” omugwedhelipo gumwe ngoka a holola kutya oompangela dhoka otadhi ningwa woo moZambia, a popi.

Aatotipo naakwateli komeho yomukanda ngoka oshowo okavideo hoka inaya vula okumonika omanga onkundana ndjika inayi nyanyangidhwa.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Carlyle to buy Global Credit Ratings

0
0
Carlyle to buy Global Credit RatingsCarlyle to buy Global Credit Ratings Carlyle Group has agreed to acquire Johannesburg-based ratings agency Global Credit Ratings (GCR), a spokeswoman for the US buyout fund said yesterday.

Terms of the acquisition, which was first reported by the Financial Times, were not disclosed. Carlyle raised US$698 million for its Africa buyout fund in 2014, exceeding its US$500 million target.

In November, Carlyle, which has US$169 billion of assets under management, agreed to acquire a majority share of CMC Networks, a pan-African telecommunications business.

In September, it agreed to buy a majority share of Amrod, a supplier of promotional products and clothing in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Uranium pressures bite hard

0
0
Uranium pressures bite hardUranium pressures bite hardProducers contemplate production cuts There is idle capacity around the world that can be brought back into production, but the fundamentals suggest that demand will outstrip supply in the medium Uranium-focused resource companies paid attention to the changing uranium landscape this week after major producer Kazakhstan said it would curtail output by 10%, pushing spot prices higher.

One of them was project developer U3O8 Corp, which is focused on uranium and by-product commodities at its three projects in Argentina, Colombia and Guyana.

“I do believe that we have seen the bottom of the uranium market and that this rally is the start of a sustainable uptrend.

There is idle capacity around the world that can be brought back into production, but the fundamentals suggest that demand will outstrip supply in the medium term.

The key, in the short term is to have low-cost production,” president and chief executive officer Richard Spencer told Mining Weekly Online. To this end, the company is currently busy with studies to reduce costs at its near-term Laguna Salada project, in Argentina. U3O8 believes that the project's higher grade and lower processing costs make it a unique opportunity. “We are privileged to have a deposit that is flat-lying and close to surface, which means that we can start mining in the highest-grade area of the deposit from day one,” he said in an interview.



Resource expansion

U3O8's preliminary economic assessment on Laguna Salada defines the cost of production by grade, allowing management to task the field crews with specific grade targets.

“We used to talk about doubling the size of the resource at Laguna Salada but, on limited budgets during this brutal downturn in the uranium market, this was too big a step to realistically achieve.

We changed course: we asked the field crews to find an additional year's worth of low-cost production material, that is, a million pounds of high-grade gravel.

“The team did more than deliver on that task, they found a style of uranium and vanadium mineralisation that we had not seen at Laguna Salada before and it's high-grade. It's a bonus over and above the mineralised gravels, results of which we will be releasing shortly,” he explained.

U3O8 had on Wednesday announced assays from a second type of uranium-vanadium mineralisation that occurs in addition to the typical mineralised gravel at La Rosada, an area that lies within the larger Laguna Salada project.

Trenching over the last couple of months has shown that uranium-vanadium in the volcanic rock constitutes a target in its own right, adding to the potential of the La Rosada target.

Since becoming involved at Laguna Salada, U3O8 has expanded the mineralised footprint by about 200 ha, but Spencer expects that figure to grow quickly as the company extends exploration efforts in the new area.



Cost reduction

“Our focus is squarely on reducing estimated production costs at the Laguna Salada deposit. One way of achieving that goal is by delineating additional higher grade material,” said Spencer.

U3O8 is focusing on concentrating the Laguna Salada gravel's uranium into a smaller proportion of the gravel. Current results show that 82% of the gravel's uranium can be concentrated by sieving the pebbles and coarse material away from the fine material that represents only 9% of the gravel's original weight.

“We're testing a method that achieved significantly better results on a similar deposit. If the new method works more efficiently than our current method, we would process less material, which would lower operating costs, and in addition, the processing plant would be smaller, which would lower the capital cost of building a plant,” Spencer stated.

A reduction in both operating and capital costs, combined with higher grades, would have a marked impact on the economics of the project, it is likely to make Laguna Salada one of the lowest-cost potential producers in the industry, according to Spencer.

Following test-work on concentrating more of the uranium into a smaller component of the gravel, U3O8 expects to be able to start pilot plant test-work that will give it more precise cost estimates that can be incorporated into a feasibility study.

In parallel with the feasibility study, management plans to incrementally double the size of the resource, concentrating on areas with higher, grade potential and looking for about one million pounds at a time.

“Once a positive feasibility study is completed, we will be in a position to take a mine decision. The budget to complete all of this work and reach a mine decision is about $7 million over two years,” Spencer advised.



Project upside

Spencer pointed out that vanadium accounts for about 14% of revenue in the economic assessment at Laguna Salada.

“Not only is the vanadium market slipping into deficit this year, but we're starting to see exponential demand growth from the battery industry from lithium-ion batteries that have a vanadium component, and also from vanadium redox batteries that have huge energy storage capacity potential.

Given these fundamentals, we are putting a lot of emphasis on vanadium: there is room to improve the efficiency with which we leach and extract the vanadium,” he said.

Further, Spencer noted that Laguna Salada is located in the 'Roaring Forties', a latitude renowned for its wind in the southern hemisphere.

Patagonia has one of the best wind resources in the world and U3O8 is looking carefully at the economics of using wind turbines to provide power for the project.

“If this proves to be economically sensible, we have an opportunity to produce uranium that has a miniscule carbon footprint.

This would mean that U3O8 is contributing to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions all the way from the mine face, to production of electricity by nuclear reactors, to storage of power through its vanadium.

This is a truly exciting opportunity,” Spencer said.

MINING WEEKLY

Moody's fined for shoddy ratings

0
0
Moody's fined for shoddy ratingsMoody's fined for shoddy ratingsPenalty of US$864 million Moody's says it stands behind the integrity of its ratings despite allegations that the firm contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Credit-rating agency Moody's has agreed to pay nearly US$864 million to settle with US federal and state authorities over its ratings of risky mortgage securities in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis, the department of justice said on Friday.

Moody's reached the deal with the justice department, 21 states and the District of Columbia, resolving allegations that the firm contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the department said in a statement.

“Moody's failed to adhere to its own credit-rating standards and fell short on its pledge of transparency in the run-up to the 'Great Recession',” principal deputy associate attorney-general Bill Baer said in the statement.

S&P Global's Standard & Poor's entered into a similar accord in 2015 paying out US$1.37 billion. Standard and Poor's is the world's largest ratings firm, followed by Moody's.

Moody's said it would pay a US$437.5 million penalty to the US Justice Department, and the remaining US$426 million would be split among the states and Washington DC. As part of its settlement, Moody's also agreed to measures designed to ensure the integrity of credit ratings going forward, including keeping analytic employees out of commercial-related discussions.

The rating agency's chief executive also must certify compliance with the measures for at least five years. Moody's said it stood behind the integrity of its ratings and noted that the settlement contained no finding of a violation of law or admission of liability. Moody's said it already had implemented some of the compliance measures in the agreement.

Moody's ratings were “directly influenced by the demands of the powerful investment banking clients who issued the securities and paid Moody's to rate them,” Connecticut attorney-general George Jepsen said in a statement on Friday.



THE GUARDIAN

2015 Ruby World Cup pools

0
0
2015 Ruby World Cup pools2015 Ruby World Cup pools A0 45.25

A1 65.00

A2 65.00

A3 65.00

A4 51.75

A5 46.75

A6 46.75

AB0 41.25

AB1 51.50

AB2 51.50

AB3 51.50

AB4 45.25

AB5 41.25

AB6 41.25

B0 38.75

B1 50.00

B2 50.00

B3 50.00

B4 42.25

B5 38.25

B6 38.25

C0 34.75

C1 47.75

C2 47.75

C3 47.75

C4 39.25

C5 36.25

C6 36.25

Schlettwein leads delegation to Africa-France summit

0
0
Schlettwein leads delegation to Africa-France summitSchlettwein leads delegation to Africa-France summit Finance minister Calle Schlettwein was recently in Bamako, Mali, to attend the 27th session of the Africa-French summit which ended on Saturday.

Schlettwein was delegated by President Hage Geingob to represent him at the invitation of French president François Hollande.

The summit, with the theme 'Partnership, Peace and Emergence', was aimed at strengthening ties between African countries and France.

Schlettwein led a delegation consisting of the deputy minister of international relations and cooperation, Peya Mushelenga, Tuliameni Kalomoh, special advisor to Mushelenga, ambassador to France Frieda Iithete and ambassador to Senegal Trudie Amulungu.

STAFF REPORTER

Micro-lenders may not keep bank cards

0
0
Micro-lenders may not keep bank cardsMicro-lenders may not keep bank cards The Namibia Financial Institutions' Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) has warned micro-lenders not to withhold customers' identity documents, bank cards and personal identification numbers (PINs) as guarantee of repayment.

Namfisa spokesperson Victoria Muranda says micro-lenders are not allowed to keep customers' ATM cards and PINs.

“Micro-lenders have been directed by the authority not to retain consumers' bank cards and PINs as this practice ... is illegal and prohibited,” she said.

Muranda reminded cash-loan companies to adhere to Government Notice 196 of 2004, which stipulates that the interest charged by micro-lenders may not be more than twice the average prime rate.

Namibia's prime rate is 10.75%, and Muranda said the maximum interest rate may not exceed 21.5%. She urged customers to inform the complaints department at the Namfisa head office in Windhoek of micro-lenders that do not adhere to the regulations.

Muranda said 277 registered micro-lenders are monitored by Namfisa. Fifty-five were deregistered in 2016 due to various factors such as non-compliance with registration conditions, dormancy and voluntary request.

She said during the third quarter of 2016, Namfisa statistics revealed that N$856 563 430 had been lent by micro-lenders in Namibia.

The owner of Pika Quickloan, Albert Georg Piechazwk, told Nampa on Monday that he was not aware of the practice of withholding borrowers' personal documents, cards and PINs.

“We do not keep clients' ID cards, neither bank pins, which is against the rules,” he said.

He said borrowers were required to provide their IDs, bank statements of the last three months and their latest payslip, which are copied and then handed back.

NAMPA

PPP consultation to start soon

0
0
PPP consultation to start soonPPP consultation to start soonPublic input invited A parliamentary committee will conduct public hearings on the Public-Private Partnership Bill from 23 January to 6 February. Public consultations on the Public-Private Partnership Bill are expected to start soon, says parliamentary spokesperson Pamela Mate.

“The objectives of the bill are to promote private-sector participation in public service delivery through projects; enable private-sector investment for public infrastructure, assets or services; create frameworks, ensure oversight and governance on selected projects; ensure the creation of trained personnel to deal with public-private partnership projects; ensure fairness, transparency, equity and competition in awarding projects; and to provide for principles, framework and guiding procedures to assist entities during the initiation, preparation, procurement and management and implementation of projects,” she explained.

“In this regard, the Select Committee will conduct public hearings in the regions on the bill from 23 January 2017 to 6 February 2017 to give stakeholders such as regional councils, local authorities, the business community, tertiary educational institutions, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, and members of the public the opportunity to make concrete written or oral submissions on any of the provisions of the bill,” Mate said.

The formalisation of the public-private-partnership framework is at an advanced stage, finance minister Calle Schlettwein said at an event in November last year.

Said Schlettwein: “Government has made steady progress towards the public-private-partnership agenda. In line with the policy, the Public-Private Partnerships Directorate has been set up at the Ministry of Finance since April last year.

The formulation of the PPP legislation is also at an advanced stage. The draft bill, as many of you would know, is now before the National Assembly.”

STAFF REPORTER

Help for small farmers

0
0
Help for small farmersHelp for small farmersSACAU seeks to transform small-scale farming African agriculture will be a focus at this year’s WEF meeting in Davos with a spotlight on assisting small-scale farmers. The Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) CEO Ishmael Sunga will join global leaders in Davos-Klosters in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 47th annual meeting taking place this week until 20 January, in order to promote African agriculture. This year's annual meeting will focus on “Responsive and Responsible Leadership".

SACAU will participate in discussions on agriculture and Sunga will present in a public session on ‘Envisioning a Food Secure Future’. Sunga will address, among others, how to design and leverage technology for smallholder farmers, identifying priorities in advancing Africa’s agriculture agenda through multi-stakeholder collaboration and the new vision for agriculture.

“Emerging technology innovations have the potential to revolutionise the way food is produced, packaged, distributed and consumed. It is important then that we look at opportunities not just for commercial farming but also for smallholder farmers,” said Sunga.

“Smallholder farmers produce as much as 80% of the food consumed in some parts of the developing world, yet they make up a majority of the world’s undernourished population,” he noted.

“We must proactively seek out the best technologies for smallholder farmers if we want to connect them to new resources that can help them navigate the myriad of challenges the face each day,” said Sunga.

SACAU recognises the importance of information communication technologies and the potential it has to transform and further enhance the state of agriculture for both smallholder and large-scale farmers.

“It is our duty to ensure smallholder farmers are not left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Sunga. “We must, therefore, ensure that there is a strong digital infrastructure for smallholder farmers to access tools which empower them to make their own decisions about their farms and businesses,” he added.

“From artificial intelligence, to precision agriculture, to the internet of things, emerging technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way food is consumed, handled and produced. But which technologies could most powerfully transform the lives of smallholder farmers? These, after all, are the people who produce as much as 80% of the food consumed in some parts of the developing world, yet make up a majority of the world’s undernourished population.”

He lists five technologies have the potential to connect smallholder farmers to new resources, information, knowledge and markets.

1. Improved access to electricity to increase efficiency and reduce food loss

Access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy enables smallholders to improve efficiencies in land preparation, planting, irrigation and harvesting. It also allows them to use certain methods for storing, cooling and preserving goods. The ability of smallholder farmers to participate in global food systems depends on their access to electricity.

2. Increased internet connectivity to access information and knowledge

The vast majority of smallholder farmers live in remote areas, where good, fast internet connectivity reaches less than 30% of the population. Women constitute almost half of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, yet they are less likely to access the internet than men in the same communities.

If this “digital divide” were closed, smallholder farmers could access information and knowledge-related to weather, rainfall or market demand, allowing them to grow and harvest food more efficiently.

3. Mobile devices and platforms connect smallholder farmers to markets

Connectivity is not only about access to information – it is also about access to services. For example, mobile banking can give smallholder farmers access to formal financial services such as banking and loans, which they all too often lack.

4. Unique identifiers improve data about farmers, for farmers

Data about smallholder farmers in developing economies is largely based on samples and extrapolations, and is thus unreliable or incomplete. With unique identifiers, businesses could offer tailored services, policy-makers could make more informed decisions, and knowledge institutions could make better assessments of farmers’ circumstances.

5. Geospatial analysis to help farmers make informed decisions

If geospatial technologies were easy to download and use, a smallholder in Colombia could discover the distance to the nearest river, or a farmer in Malawi could use sensors to more efficiently manage their farm.

“It is therefore our duty to ensure smallholder farmers are not left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Strong digital infrastructure is crucial for smallholders to access and create tools that empower them to make decisions about their farms and businesses. As innovation evolves, let’s continue to question how the benefits of technology are being shared and how these benefits can nurture the smallholder farmers who feed the world,” he concluded.

*Ishmael Sunga is the CEO of the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU)

BIZCOMMUNITY

Pastor who says Mugabe will die arrested

0
0
Pastor who says Mugabe will die arrestedPastor who says Mugabe will die arrested A pastor who prophesied that President Robert Mugabe would die on October 17 was arrested in Harare on Monday, his lawyer said.

Patrick Mugadza has been told he undermined the authority of the longtime Zimbabwean leader, who turns 93 next month. He was later charged with criminal nuisance, according to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

The pastor made the prophecy last week. Mugadza first came to prominence in December 2015 when he was arrested for staging a one-man protest against Mugabe in Victoria Falls. Gift Mtisi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said: “He was arrested on charges of undermining the authority of the president.”

“They are claiming he made a public statement – I think at a press conference – that President Robert Mugabe would die on 17 October [2017] unless he prays. “He says it's not an offence [because] he just conveyed God's message, a prophetic message. Upon arrest he was told of the charge but he hasn't been formally charged.”

Mugabe's health is a regular subject for speculation in Zimbabwe.

Mugadza is understood to have been arrested at a court in the capital where he was due to go on trial for wearing Zimbabwe's national flag without permission in November last year.

Anti-government protesters last year turned the Zimbabwe flag into a symbol of opposition to Mugabe's long rule. The pastor draped his over his shoulders. Prosecutors said he “disrespected” the national symbol.































NEWS24

MH370 hunt ends

0
0
MH370 hunt endsMH370 hunt endsNo aircraft and very few answers Search crews have ended their probe of Indian Ocean and have found no signs the wreckage of flight MH370. After nearly three years, the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 ended in futility and frustration on Tuesday, as crews completed their deep-sea search of a desolate stretch of the Indian Ocean without finding a trace of the plane.

The Joint Agency Coordination Center in Australia, which has helped lead the $160 million hunt for the Boeing 777 in remote waters west of Australia, said the search had officially been suspended after crews finished their fruitless sweep of the 120 000-square kilometre search zone.

“Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting-edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,” the agency said in a statement.

“Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended.”

Officials investigating the plane's disappearance have recommended search crews head north to a new area identified in a recent analysis as a possible crash site. But the Australian government has already nixed that idea.

Last year, Australia, Malaysia and China - which have each helped fund the search - agreed that the hunt would be suspended once the search zone was exhausted unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints the plane's specific location.

Since no technology currently exists that can tell investigators exactly where the plane is, that effectively means the most expensive, complex search in aviation history is over.

NAMPA/AP

Barrow's son killed

0
0
Barrow's son killedBarrow's son killed An eight-year-old son of The Gambia's president-elect Adama Barrow has died after being bitten by dogs, a family source said Monday, days before his contested inauguration.

Barrow, who is in Senegal, is scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday, but President Yahya Jammeh has declared he will not step down by then.

“President-elect Barrow's son, Habibou, died yesterday evening (Sunday) after he was bitten by dogs,” the family source said.

Habibou was one of 51-year-old Barrow's five children.

The boy was “buried this afternoon (Monday) in the cemetery in Kanifing,” a suburb of the capital Banjul, watched by “several hundred sympathisers”.

No further details were available from Barrow himself or his entourage about the circumstances of the death.

The small west African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed Barrow's December election victory and refused to cede power.

Leaders of neighbouring countries and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) have repeatedly called on the long-serving strongman to leave office peacefully, so far to no avail.

Barrow's spokesperson on Sunday insisted he would be sworn in as planned on Thursday. Until then he plans to stay in Senegal, where he arrived at the weekend after attending an African summit in Bamako.







NAMPA/AFP

Shot of the day

0
0
Shot of the dayShot of the day DEAD AND BURIED: A Syrian man rides a bicycle past a cemetery in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus. PHOTO: NAMPA/AFP

What a sorry state

0
0
What a sorry stateWhat a sorry state There appears to be no end in sight to the cash flow problems besetting our government, with the authorities facing increasing fiscal pressure on the back of a rapid decline in tax revenues and the country's budget deficit, which widened sharply to 8.3% of the GDP during 2015/16. The financial crisis that we are in is very real and it will take time to recover from it. Likewise, we need strong and decisive political will to stop the excessive spending of our meagre government resources. Whilst budget cuts were announced last year, it remains to be seen whether the authorities actually suspended expenditure on unproductive assets, government vehicles and the most commonly abused – travel allowances. It is unimaginable that as we write this editorial the ministry of education reportedly owes millions of Namibian dollars in unpaid water accounts, leading to water interruptions and stoppages at more than 20 government schools.

Tough days are predicted at the ministry following confirmation by the permanent secretary Sanet Steenkamp that the provision of free education was under threat from the budget cuts instituted last year by Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein.

Perhaps we should have re-prioritised expenditure before grandly declaring education free? After all - lack of planning and affordability will inevitably lead to implementation failures – this is logical. Many ministries and government agencies have been told to review their expenditure and reduce costs such as daily subsistence allowances, overtime and other operational expenditure. In the case of the ministry of education, the authorities have suspended the construction of all planned office buildings such as classrooms, libraries and community development centres, among others.

What a sorry state.

On the other hand the high unemployment rate will continue to persist as companies – especially in the private sector – bear the brunt, because the authorities have no money to pay for services rendered.

This does not augur well for our troubled economy. If government does not contain its spending and bring down debt levels to avoid credit rating downgrades, then we are doomed and will find the going even tougher in 2017.

Mandume's legacy lives on

0
0
Mandume's legacy    lives onMandume's legacy lives onCourageous leader of the people King to the day for six years, 2017 marks the centenary of one of Namibia's most enigmatic royals, King Mandume Ya Ndemufayo. This year, 6 February marks the centenary of the death of one of Namibia's most feisty kings, Mandume Ya Ndemufayo.

The Oukwanyama Traditional Authority (OTA) is planning a centenary commemoration of the death of King Mandume who became the king of the Aakwanyama at the age of 17 and ruled between 1911 and 1917.

Highly underrated in Namibian history, Mandume was a spirited and fair man and made a very good king for his people, even though he was thrust onto the throne by his uncle Nande, as there was no male heir in Nande's line.

Often referred to as the 'lion warrior of Namibia's floodplains', Mandume was crowned king in 1911 at the tender age of 17 and reigned for only six years. In this short time he made major inroads and thus, he remains with us today - his life and his battles cast in stone and sure in the history of this country.

How could such a short reign make such an impact that a century later he is still remembered and revered?

The greatest controversy surrounding the life and times of Mandume is the whereabouts of his skull.

Much of oral tradition says it is kept in the monument of what is now known as Palm Tree Park at the corners of Bahnhoff Street and Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue while other sources say it is in Germany.

The fact is, his head, after being severed by the South African forces after the siege at Oihole, was indeed taken to Windhoek.

What became of it is not known and remains speculation to this day.

But we will get to that later.

Let us start at the beginning.

Born circa 1894, Mandume was crowned king after his uncle, Nande, died on February 5, 1911.

Nande had played a manoeuvring game with both the Portuguese and the Germans, making promises to both and avoiding confrontation.

The Oukwanyama kingdom stretched from Angola through into the then Deutsch Südwestafrika and he had made concessions which included the provision of migrant labourers.

After his death, Mandume took over and he did not tolerate the colonial presence in his kingdom.

Every report makes it clear that this young king had but one goal – the unification of his kingdom, and sovereignty and freedom within his own territory.

In her MA thesis, Napandulwe Shiweda writes that, “He is represented in both written and oral accounts as having from the first, a coherent, integrated vision of necessary internal change.”



Pioneering and modern reforms

Mandume is known for six major reforms in the day-to-day running of the kingdom.

The first was a law issued that no unripe fruit especially from the omuandi trees was allowed to be picked.

These trees in particular had suffered from droughts and the unripe fruit was beaten off or whole branches were pulled off.

Offenders were forced to eat all the unripe fruit they had picked.

Secondly, Mandume placed a ban on random shooting and would not permit the carrying of firearms to festivals and celebrations.

Third, he set out to limit the powers of his omalenga (regional headmen) and centralised the authority of the kingship.

The headmen had been trading with the Portuguese and had also, in their various parts of the kingdom, removed the more affluent members of the community so as to appropriate their cattle and crops.

If they were wealthy, they were able to make decisions regarding poisoning and witchcraft.

This was detrimental to the kingdom.

Another reform was to stop all cattle raids that did not carry his personal consent.

Not only did he assent his central authority in this way, he was also able to curtail the accumulation of wealth by the headmen and ensured good relations with neighbours.

Offenders were made to drink all the milk of the cattle they raided until they became ill.

He also made changes with regard to women.

They were allowed for the first time to own cattle and severe penalties were issued for those guilty of rape.

Women were also no longer forced to have abortions if they fell pregnant before marriage.

Finally, he expelled Portuguese traders who had established themselves in the kingdom because of their over-inflated prices.

With these modern and advanced reforms, Mandume began to restore the status of the Aakwanyama and consequently, began to attract the attention of the colonial forces in the country. That he was aggressive is so, but that he was proud and did not fear external forces, is also so.



Mandume's death

It is important to mention that during the late 1800s the kingdom of the Aakwanyama was divided by Germany and Portugal with a man-made border. The Portuguese wanted the border to be six miles further south and the Germans wanted it to be six miles north.

As no agreement could be reached, a neutral zone of seven miles was created. Eventually, in 1914, a battle ensued and by 1915, the union was running Namibia on behalf of the British Crown.

During that year, Mandume fought the Portuguese army and after being defeated, he moved his capital across the border into the neutral zone to Oihole.

Now, the king presided over his kingdom from the neutral zone.

During September of that year, he signed a treaty with Major Stanley Pritchard for protection against the Portuguese.

One of the conditions of the agreement was that he, along with all his subjects, was not allowed to enter Angola.

In 1916, a “buffer state” was created between Namibia and Angola to which Mandume had no access whatsoever.

He was not able to reach his subjects resident in Angola.

He was not party to that agreement and for this reason, the union officials began to appear untrustworthy to the young king.

Chaos took hold on the Angolan side of the kingdom with cattle raids and unabated violence.

Mandume entered the Angolan side of his kingdom twice to establish law and order and to protect his people.

He had to apologise on both occasions.

The third time, he and 70 soldiers killed a Portuguese headman and reclaimed the cattle he had stolen.

The South Africans accused him of travelling 120 miles into Angola with 800 soldiers and said he had killed several people.

After this he also clashed with the Portuguese, defeating them and managing to obtain horses, two maxims (automatic guns), other rifles and even two cars. The colonial power in Namibia was concerned.

Mandume, already difficult to control, had managed to secure substantial firepower and through the battle, had managed to unite his people.

He was now, a real and tangible threat.



Surrender was not an option

Mandume is quoted as having said that surrender was never an option.

“If the English want me, I am here and they can come and fetch me. I am not a steenbok of the veld, I am a man, and not a woman and I will fight until my last bullet is expended.” On February 6, 1917, Mandume's kraal at Oilhole was attacked by the Union. Various sources have noted that when he met with colonial forces, he would dress in western clothes but on this day, he was dressed in full traditional garb. He was hopelessly outnumbered and died in the battle. The cause of death was gunfire.

And the controversy begins.

South African reports state that Mandume was killed by their forces in a siege that took but a few hours. Oral tradition states that Mandume killed himself and the siege took three days.

Fact: Mandume said he would never be taken alive.

Fact: Mandume was dressed in traditional garb on the day of the battle.

Fact: The distance between the three maxim bullet wounds across his chest was too close for the position he was found at.

If shot at that position, the wounds would have been further apart.

Fact: His body was moved, whether by himself or another, after the maxim gunfire hit him.

Fact: A single bullet wound, according to most sources, was found in his neck.

After the years following Mandume's death, the Namibian/Angolan border was moved further south and finalised in 1926.

Mandume's remains, interred at Oihole, are now in Angola.



Was it suicide?

The late Vilho Kaulinge, a boy at the time of the siege at Oihole, said that Mandume had stated he preferred to die at Oihole than move again.

He said Mandume shot himself, that he had said he would never be taken alive. Kaulinge also said that when they took Mandume's belongings south to Ondonga he was shown Mandume's head, severed from the body.

The union troops said that they had not killed him, but he had taken his own life. A man by the name of Slapjan du Plessis was 17 and a union soldier at the time of the siege. He said the siege did not take an hour or two, but rather three days and that Mandume killed himself some distance away from the kraal at Oihole.



Mandume's head

Mandume's head was paraded throughout the kingdom by the union to show his subjects that he was dead and no doubt, as a show of force.

Almost all the sources agree that he was decapitated after his death. Some believe that his head is buried in the memorial at Palm Tree Park where 12 palm trees were planted for the 12 Union soldiers who died in the battle.

What we do know is that the head was in Windhoek.

We have several reports of this although some prefer anonymity. Others have also reported seeing Mandumes's head in Windhoek.

Three oral accounts in Shiweda's thesis say that the memorial, unveiled on February 6, 1918, was guarded 24 hours a day.

The position of the memorial is no coincidence. All visitors coming to Windhoek, most travelled by train, saw it and the migrant labourers, travelling mostly to Walvis Bay, saw it too. Some believe Mandume's head was taken to Germany, some say that it was studied and some still believe it is inside the monument.

Digging up Mandume's grave or tearing down the monument which they say stands as a testament to their king, will be, in Aakwanyama values, desecrating both the body and the memory of the king.

Hence, we will never know.



*Our deepest appreciation is extended to Dr Jeremy Silvester and Napandulwe Shiweda. Shiweda's thesis is entitled Mandume Ya Ndemufayo's Memorials in Namibia and Angola (2005).

Bail ruling on Monday

0
0
Bail ruling on MondayBail ruling on MondayHearing postponed for ruling The State and the defence yesterday wrapped up their arguments in a massive fraud and money-laundering case in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court. FRED GOEIEMAN



The two Chinese nationals and a Namibian allegedly involved in the N$3.5 billion money-laundering fraud will hear on Monday whether they will be released on bail.

Magistrate Sebby Alweendo Venatius postponed the matter yesterday after hearing arguments by the State and defence counsel.

Defence lawyer Sisa Namandje maintained that the State did not have a strong case.

He argued that on technical and procedural aspects the State’s case was bound to collapse.

According to him the State has dirty hands due to the “abusive procedure” in the arrest of his Chinese clients, Huizhong Tao and Huan Jinrong. The two, together with Julius Laurentius, are charged with three counts of money laundering and one of fraud.

Namandje alleged that the police did not have a warrant to search Huizhong’s home.

“If there was such a search warrant they should have produced it in court,” he argued.

He asked the court to grant his clients bail of N$50 000 and N$100 000, which they would be able to pay.

“We are living in hard times in Namibia where the police are even unable to provide transport to court orderlies. They have announced that they will forthwith cease to subsidise officers studying at tertiary institutions,” he said, justifying the bail amounts he requested.

In his argument Namandje said there was a difference between the State’s case in a court of law and its case on the charge sheet.

He further argued that in Namibia accused persons were entitled to docket disclosure by the police and that the State prosecutor had the public duty to prosecute in a fair and just manner.

“The State must be exemplary in all its conduct. The State prosecutor does not have the right to force things and if the Supreme Court makes a ruling the State must respect it,” Namandje emphasised.

He further came down hard on Chief Inspector John Mutongwe, the investigating officer in the case.

Mutongwe apparently during cross-examination remarked: “Please do not force me to say something which will favour the accused.”

The defence lawyer said the investigating officer should be fair to the accused.

“The court should not condone this type of action that will prejudice accused persons,” he submitted.

He said it was not clear whether the accused acquired the property in a dubious manner, whether they possessed it unlawfully, or imported or exported it illegally.

“You cannot just arrest and bring people to court because you want to charge them,” he argued.

Namandje further said that the State did not place evidence before court to substantiate the fraud charge.

According to him the High Court had cautioned investigating officers and prosecutors to refrain from allegations that they could not verify.

He added that even foreign fishermen arrested for illegal fishing, who lived on their vessels, were granted bail.

Louis Botes (SC), appearing for Laurentius, argued that the seriousness of the offence alone had no relevance to the purpose of bail and added that in granting bail the spirit of the constitution should be the guideline and not the public interest.

He further argued that the fact that investigations were not completed should allow bail to be granted.

On the issue that the accused may interfere with State witnesses, he said no witnesses were mentioned and it was not stated whether their statements had been taken.

“The court is entitled to grant bail because the State did not put its case forward,” Botes submitted.

He added there was no case made against his client on the charge of money laundering.

Botes further argued that there was no evidence that his client was aware of irregularities in the company and that the auditor admitted he could not point a finger at Laurentius.

“You do not arrest people and keep them in custody. This is a court of law and not court of suspicion,” he argued.

Rowen van Wyk is appearing for the State.
Viewing all 36395 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images