The untold story of Nakathila

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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The untold story of NakathilaTeam 'No Respect' still believes in tittles The Featherweight boxer who fights for the MTC Nestor Sunshine Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy Jeremiah 'No Respect' Nakathila reveals some of his hopes and wishes.

A sergeant in the Namibian Police force and a man with principles, boxer Jeremiah Nakathila has been one of the most impressive fighters of the current generation.

His tremendous record of 11 professional fights with seven knockouts and only one defeat to his name has earned the 26-year old tonnes of respect.

Just like many successful boxers, his admiration for American boxing great Floyd Mayweather keeps him moving despite the hurdles along his journey.

Born on 17 December 1989 at Eunda-Uukolonkadhi in the Omusati Region, the boxer remains hopeful of winning a world title.

Nakathila attended school at the Ombome Combined School before going to Sam Nuyoma High School in the northern region of the country.

The journey of him becoming one of the most respected Namibians in the ring began way back when he was just 19.

“I loved boxing ever since I was young, but the only way I could make my dreams come alive was by making a move to Windhoek.

“I did that and so I joined the Soweto Boxing Club owned by Tobias Nashilongo and Elifas Namundjebo back in 2009,” Nakathila said.

In his early career, 'No respect' grew confidence and fought amateur fights in Cuba, Spain, Morocco, South Africa and Botswana whereby he bagged countless victories.

He was then introduced to the professional boxing world in a debut fight against fellow Namibian David Shinuna in 2013.

Nakathila's debut was one he will never forget after sending his Namibian opponent down to the canvas.

This was a sign that a new kid with the ability to dance in the ring had emerged and it was inevitable that he is destined for greatness.

After his debut fight, Nakathila went on to win eight of his fights before he getting his first crack at an African title.

The title fight happened in a night that Nakathila could not afford to lose if he was to continue with his remarkable boxing career.

The man from Eunda-Uukolonkadhi passed his first biggest test when he defeated Jasper Seroka by a knockout to clinch the interim WBO Africa Super Featherweight title on 6 August 2016.

“That was one of the happiest days of my life, because I had finally won an African title which opened doors for me.

“Boxing has been my passion and winning that title meant so much for me,” Nakathila remembers the famous night.

Winning the famous title put the brave Nakathila in demand as his name began expanding in the boxing world.

It only took a few months and the Namibian got a crack at fighting for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title fight in Moscow.

Nakathila faced Evgeny Chuprakov away from home on 18 November 2016 in a night where he had hoped for a knockout against a dangerous Russian boxer.

Things did however not turn out as planned for the Namibian and he lost his first professional bout of his career after putting up a great show against one of the world's dangerous fighters.

“That fight has so far been my biggest disappointment because I so badly wanted to win to have a possible chance of fighting for a world title,” he said.

Since then, Nakathila has been back in the gym working hard and chasing his dreams of winning a world title one day.

“Apart from boxing, I do enjoy swimming and I also do love teaching people how to drive because I find it very fun,” he said.

His advice to young and upcoming boxers is that they must never think of giving up on their dreams regardless of how tough it is.

“The young must also study hard and at the same time take part in their favourite sports with discipline and consistency.”

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

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Unicef heaps praise on girls' programme

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Unicef heaps praise on girls' programmeGirlz & Goals a lesson for others – De Sousa Unicef's national committee of both Germany and the UK have kept the programme alive.

The country's popular development programme for the girl child, NFA Galz & Goals has been praised by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) representative in Namibia, Micaela Marques de Sousa.

The programme has so far reached 3 000 girls and has yielded results that De Sousa says is an inspiring story.

Unicef has recently reaffirmed its commitment towards developmental assistance for the programme with a financial boost of N$1.6 million.

In an interview with Sport Wrap De Sousa explained that under the new agreement Unicef intends to support the Galz & Goals league this year, build the capacity of NFA for managing the women's league, and make the programme sustainable by developing and implementing a five-year strategic plan.

De Sousa mentioned that they are proud of the partnership with NFA as its administrators have also shown passion for sport development.

“Unicef is proud to work with the NFA because the administrators are not just doing it because it is a job, but because it is a passion and that is what matters.

“Our evaluation has stipulated that we have to document more of this story because I think Namibia has a very positive story to tell and this is one of the best stories we have heard in girls' sports, and an exciting story that other countries can learn from,” she said.

She added that the fact that the programme has also been expanded to eight regions thus far is also an exciting story for them that will offer more lessons for other countries.

She also commended the work being done by volunteers and has pledged with sport lovers to also join.

“The work being done by the volunteers is really commendable and would like to plead with many others to also join and help the Namibian child,” she said.

De Sousa maintained that she cannot talk about maladministration for the programme because of the passion that exists among the leaders within NFA. “It is really an amazing investment to engage the girls.”

Programme evaluation

She mentioned that the programme has been an exemplary collaboration this far and has yielded excellent results in ensuring that children in and out of school are provided an opportunity to engage in sports, particularly girls.

“The programme has really demonstrated that over and above all the girls who have participated in this programme are more likely to be positive with their school work and able to engage with others in a positive way and even communicate effectively,” she said. De Sousa was also pleased that the programme has promoted life skills and that it has evolved in a way that the girls are able to appreciate that there is time for everything.

“Sport promotes the well-being of a child, and that is where you have these positive results of children in school and what we dream to see is to see every Namibian child being able to participate in sports,” she said.

Apart from the eight regions in which the programme is already active, plans are also underway to expand it to the Zambezi and Oshana regions.

Meanwhile, De Sousa pointed out that the programme would have not seen light of the day had it not been because of the contributions by the national committees of Germany and the UK for Unicef.

KAINO NGHITONGO

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Green hopes to remain in the national team

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Green hopes to remain in the national teamPlayer predicts good future Green hopes to continue impressing the senior national team coach, so that he remains in the team.

Namibia's former U-19 captain Zane will now be challenging for places in the senior team. Green who has now moved to the senior team said the experience gained from the T20 Desert Cup in Dubai contributes a lot to his career.

Speaking to Namibian Sun recently, the 20-year-old Green said, “although he only played in the last game against Afghanistan, he enjoyed the level at which the game was played.”

“Even though we did not win, I like the level of cricket played as it was more competitive and I learned a lot [in] that one game,” he said.

He said despite only having less than a month to train for the competition while other teams had months, he is proud to have formed part of the team.

He is now determined to work extra hard to keep his place in the national team.

“From now on I have to really work hard so that I can remain in the national team.

“Being part of the national team will however not come easy as I will have to really impress the coach in every match that I get a chance,” he said.

Green is currently a second year student at the University of Johannesburg, pursuing a degree in Sport Psychology.

Although he will no longer play for the U-19 team, he had a message for the team he captained.

“The current U-19 team should believe that anything is possible but should set their mind to it and they can achieve it and even perform better than the team I captained,” he said.

KAINO NGHITONGO

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Board members are not cherry picked

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Board members are not cherry picked We all know that the state of sport in this country is in shambles yet we are hearing about how individuals are milking the organisations they are appointed to administer.

It is frustrating that we get people in positions which they just use to benefit themselves and not giving the organisations that they are leading the attention they need.

The recent report about the boxing board is what angers many people that are in sport for the love of it and not for self-enrichment. We should condemn this kind of behaviour in the strongest terms.

These kind of reports about board members of non-profit organisations hell-bent on emptying the coffers of such institutions, expose mean leadership that we do not need and especially now when sport in this country is in a tornado. Everything seems to be spiralling backwards, rather than forward.

Not only was I shocked about the financial figures in that report but the response given that board members have full time jobs and many a times have to sacrifice their private time to attend to boxing issues.

Firstly, I would like to point out that when you are appointed as a board member, you have a choice to say no. If you feel that you are not able to have extra work on your shoulders say so at the beginning. We do not expect you to come and tell the nation lame excuses, that you have full time jobs while the country has so many passionate administrators and who are maybe better than yourselves and who can do a better job.

It is for this reason that I am questioning the criteria used by the authorities when appointing these board members. Does it have only to do with your qualification and specialisation or does previous involvement in sports also count?

We have to clearly point out that being a qualified whatever, does not make one a good sport administrator and that should be embedded in the minds of the authorities who appoint board members.

Such turn of events like the abuse of office by board members and squandering of the organisation’s money is fuelled by our out-dated Sport Act and a reminder that we need to review such it as a matter of urgency for the sake of the poor sportsmen and women of this country.

The Boxing Act is one such piece of legislation that is being taken for granted and the loophole of this act is being used to benefit some people.

As far as my memory can take me back, the current board’s priority was to review the Boxing Act and we do not know if that has been done.

I am fully aware that due to the lack of sport programmes offered in the country, it has been hard for a lot of our administrators to gain the necessary knowledge in sports management, but that does not give them the green light to milk the sport coffers dry.

The lack of such programmes should however also not be used to justify random picking of people to run sports entities. Rather, we should get qualified people who are able to run institutions and at the same time serve the interests of the athletes.

It is against this background that I stick to my view that when authorities appoint these leaders, they should consider their sport qualifications and also relevance of their experience in sports not only at professional level but from grassroots.

Board members must be able to understand and be empathetic when our sportsmen and women are going through tough times in their careers.

Being a board member should also not be seen as a cash cow but rather as work that one is doing out of their own good will and love of the game.

Those who have so far been exposed for milking organisations should however be brought to book and no money should be paid to such board members for some time. We cannot afford to have such people running sport institutions, especially during this crucial time when sport is in financial doldrums.

kaino@namibiansun.com

KAINO NGHITONGO

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Mad Maroons defeat Bullets

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Mad Maroons defeat Bullets Martins makes perfect start to season Some hockey teams began their campaign with thrilling results while others are still struggling to find their form in the indoor hockey league.

Defending Bank Windhoek indoor hockey league champions Mad Maroons began their campaign with a perfect start after defeating Burgundy Bullets 12-2 in Windhoek.

Star man Siyabonga Martins played a crucial role for his team after tormenting his opponents with some electric runs and shots.

The player managed to put five past the Bullets in a one-sided match which was mostly played in the half of Burgundy Bullets.

The Mad Maroons are early favourites of the league even if it is still the early stages of the league.

DTS will also be a team to watch out for after showing their mettle against a good Wanderers team.

Wanderers will also be looking to improve on their consistency after their defeat at the hands of DTS.

Both Mad Maroons and Burgundy Bullets are teams entered by Windhoek Old Boys hockey club.

In the other matches, BDO Wanderers also beat the Bullets 2-1 in a tightly contested hockey match in the capital.

Wanderers could however not carry on with their impressive form after suffering a 6-2 defeat against DTS.

In the women’s premier league, Saints overcame the newcomers Trustco United by 5-0.

A record number of teams have entered in the three different Men’s and Women’s National Indoor Leagues.

More than 50 teams, approximately 470 to 500 hockey players, from 12 clubs are participating in the Bank Windhoek National Indoor Hockey League this year.

The matches are being played at the at the DTS Hall, International Hall at the Show Grounds, the Dome Sports Complex in Swakopmund and the Wanderers Hall.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

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US Muslim ban shocks

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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US Muslim ban shocksRetaliation on the cards for Trump's latest move A tit-for-tat response is highly likely according to experts after US president Donald Trump enacted new, anti-Muslim immigration laws.

In Somalia, people are reacting with dismay and warnings that countries could retaliate against the United States' new immigration and visa policies with restrictive policies of their own.

“I am shocked beyond words. This will mean that my new husband will never be able to join me in the US,” said Fatima Ashkir, a Somali-American woman from Florida who came to Mogadishu to marry her Somali boyfriend.

Others say they are not surprised at President Donald Trump's executive order imposing a three-month ban on refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Somalia.

“His intentions of hurting rather than to help were clear from the very beginning,” said Ahmed Abdullahi, a university student in Mogadishu. “But you have to know that this will have a serious effect on relations between Americans and the Muslim world. A tit-for-tat response by Muslim countries, in which Americans could be barred from entering countries affected, is likely to be seen.”

In Egypt, Cairo airport officials say five US-bound Iraqi migrants from one family who have been prevented from boarding an EgyptAir flight to New York's JFK airport would return to Iraq.

They said the five will spend Saturday night at Cairo airport and leave for Irbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region, Sunday morning.

They added that the sixth US-bound migrant, a Yemeni national, left the airport to return to Cairo, where he resides.

The officials said Saturday's action at the airport was the first since President Donald Trump imposed a three-month ban on refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

The officials said the six migrants, escorted by officials from the UN refugee agency, were stopped from boarding the plane after authorities at Cairo airport contacted their counterparts at JFK airport.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

In the meanwhile, a spokesperson for Czech President Milos Zeman on Saturday praised Donald Trump's anti-migrant steps, saying the new US president simply cared about the safety of Americans.

“US President Trump protects his country...he's concerned with the safety of his citizens. Exactly what EU elites do not do,” said Zeman's spokesperson Jiri Ovcacek.

In office for a week, Trump signed an order to boost the vetting of potential immigrants and refugees, seeking to keep “radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America.”

The move has sparked criticism among rights groups as well as at the United Nations which called on the US to continue its long tradition of welcoming refugees.

The pro-Russian Zeman, a 72-year-old veteran leftwinger and ex-Communist, who endorsed Trump before the election last year, has criticised immigration from Muslim countries.

He once called the wave of refugees “an organised invasion” and said Muslims were “impossible to integrate.

“The safety of Czech citizens is a priority. Now we have allies in the US,” said Ovcacek.

Migration is a prominent political issue in the Czech Republic, despite refugees largely avoiding the ex-Communist EU and Nato member state of 10.5 million people, heading instead to wealthier countries in western Europe.

– Additional reporting by News24

NAMPA/AFP

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Self-regulation is needed

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Self-regulation is needed If there is one weakness human beings have, it is the inability to self-regulate. Whether we are at a party, drinking, we often fail to recognise our own limits. We often see people so drunk they can barely talk or stand. The same goes for eating. Obesity has become quite common even in Namibia, where so many go hungry. We often eat far beyond our bodies' needs. Spending and retail therapy too applies, as does sex and the desire for power and control.

Self-regulation is tricky. It is a difficult principle to apply in your life if you are starving, poor or hungry. When there is always need, there will always be greed. On a far higher level, social pressure causes those who do not have so much need, and have so much of the basics wanting their lives, also to ignore self-regulation.

A case in point is the recent release of a pornographic video on social media.

Public comment is centred mostly around the fact that the woman was married and was cheating. In other words, it would have been okay had her husband released the video? Or is she more deserving of such humiliation because she was with her lover?

We do not know the facts surrounding her life or her marriage and even if those things were in order, we cannot possibly want to have the kind of society where, if you do not succumb to blackmail, you may be publicly degraded.

There are only two steps our government can take to ensure that self-regulation becomes more commonplace. In the first instance, take away the want and need of so many of our people. Give each man and woman a tangible tomorrow, the knowledge where their next meal will come from, and self-regulation will slowly follow. In the second instance, get the cybercrime bill passed, soonest. It is after all, 2017 and social media and the worldwide web are not new concepts. It is savage that a person, one who is engaging in a private and intimate moment in her life, could be so exposed to the world. Savage indeed. Self-regulation is key. Let us get that in our society.

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SHOT OF THE DAY

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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SHOT OF THE DAY

LET’S GO THAT WAY: Bison run across a snow-covered field near the village of Rybnitsa, some 290 kilometres northwest of Minsk, Belarus. PHOTO: NAMPA/AFP

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Thorn in the side of councils

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Thorn in the side of councilsIllegal vending remains a challenge everywhere Driven by unemployment and poverty, vendors selling foodstuff in towns and villages in the north of Namibia remain a serious challenge for town councils who need to maintain law and order.

They claim that they do it for their survival, but town councils do not see it that way. Vendors operating at prohibited areas have become a headache for a number of northern towns who seem unable to find a lasting solution to this problem.

While some councils hire private security companies to deal with the illegal vendors, their presence does not solve what is becoming a burning issue, because the vendors choose either to ignore council's orders or fight back when their items are confiscated.

The traders, who operate at non-designated vending points, are lured by the high volumes of people moving around in those areas, especially at taxi ranks, driven by poverty, unemployment or low-paid

jobs.

Although their arguments are genuine, town councils also have bona fide reasons why they want people at some areas and not others because there are issues such as safety and the image of the town that have to be preserved.

The issue of vending at prohibited areas is a national issue and in northern Namibia, it is more rampant in towns that include Omuthiya, Ondangwa, Oshakati, Ongwediva, Outapi, Okahao, Eenhana and Helao Nafidi. In these towns, some vendors have opted to leave the open markets built by the councils to peddle their goods along the main roads.

In a town such as Okahao there is no open market constructed by the council but Namibian Sun is reliably informed that plans are underway to build one.

While councils make an effort to solve this issue by convening meetings with the vendors or erecting signs that clearly state that hawkers are not allowed to sell at certain areas, in a town such as Ondangwa, vendors even sell their wares around or under such signs.

Oshakati mayor, Angelus Iyambo and the town's CEO, Werner Iita both explained the efforts Oshakati Town Council has made to regulate street vendors.

This follows last week Friday's incident where some of Shilimela Security Services officers almost squared off with vendors operating under a tree at the well-known Omugongo gwaNgandjera in the Uupindi location.

The officers arrived prepared to confiscate the vendors' goods but abandoned the idea after realising that the vendors were not prepared to leave or give the officers the pleasure of a triumph.

Iita shed light on the ad-hoc tender Shilimela Security Services has won each year for the past three years. The current one-year contract which started in July 2016 will end in June this and the tender will be re-advertised. The security companies are hired to remove street vendors who are operating at unauthorised areas.

Shilimela Security Services was also contracted by Ondangwa Town council back in 2014 to render similar services but no such relationship exists now as Ondangwa now only makes use of the Namibian police.

Consistent with what all town councils say when asked to explain why they want to remove street vendors, Iyambo said the council's decision is to be proactive in order to avoid tragedies especially to the vendors selling at Uupindi which is near a petrol station.

“We set up meetings and talk to them where we ask them why they don't want us to lead them if they are the ones that voted us in to power. In most cases they do not have answers but they just request for more time. But, we cannot allow for more time as bad things can happen at any time,” Iyambo said.

“If you look at those street vendors operating under the tree near Fysal, they are making fires there to cook their food and they are just near the petrol station which is not safe,” Iyambo further said.

“Just imagine if anything goes wrong, how many lives will be lost and council will be held responsible for it,” he added.

However, a physical check at the location showed no sign of fires and the vendors were selling various fruits and cooked food such as green mealies.

When approached for comment, the vendors argued that the reason why they don't want to move from that area is because the taxis loading passengers going to Okahao operate from there and they target the taxi drivers and the passengers saying if they have to move to somewhere else, they won't be able to get customers and earn a living.

“Town council must just wait because where they want us to go, there is no business for us, if you look [pointing to the taxis] our customers come from there and that's why we are here. If we move we will not eat as well,” one of the vendors said.

“As you can see, no one is making fires here therefore their argument is not valid regarding the petrol station and the tragedy that can happen. We cook our things at home and come and sell here,” she added.

In order to portray a good image of the town, Ondangwa Town Council has been appealing to the illegal vendors not to operate near or on the road reserves.

Early last year, the town council representatives gave street vendors selling at prohibited areas alongside the main road a 24-hour ultimatum to vacate those spots. However, the decision was reversed by the mayor, Paavo Amwele who recalled the vendors to continue operating at the undesignated spots.

He argued that he was not happy with the manner in which the vendors were asked to vacate the areas where they were operating from adding that the people have nowhere to go.

Since then, council has not taken any action with regards to the vendors but according to an Ondangwa spokesperson, Petrina Shitalangaho, council has registered all the vendors selling at prohibited areas with the aim of solving the situation amicably.

“Ondangwa Town Council at the moment has registered all the vendors selling at prohibited areas around town, and is busy working on mechanisms that will move them off the streets without leaving them stranded and jobless,” Shitalangaho said.

Regarding the image of the town, Shitalangaho said they risk losing current and potential investors if the issue is not addressed.

“Illegal trading has negatively affected the image of the town. One fears that we may lose out on current and potential investors if the situation persists,” she said

Meanwhile in Ongwediva, the situation is not as severe as in other towns where vendors are everywhere.

A large number of mobile vendors sell their items from containers on bicycles. These vendors sometimes use the public road to cross to the other side or move to another position since they are not allowed to trade at one spot for more than an hour. In the process of relocating, they sometimes cause traffic

jams. Ongwediva spokesperson, Jackson Muma said they have not encountered many problems regarding vendors operating at areas not designated for trading. He said vendors found selling at such places are reminded that their actions are illegal and in most cases they comply and stop selling at those places.

“We have had meetings with them and because of that we have a good working relationship with them. There are some that operate at non-designated areas for trading but we communicate with them,” he said.

Other towns such as Helao Nafidi, Eenhana, Outapi and Okahao, the issue of illegal vendors also persists. The town councils are working hard to address the issue. Their biggest challenge is the resistance from the vendors and it makes it difficult for the issue to be solved. Their argument of wanting to fight poverty holds water.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Angola upgrades Calueque

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Angola upgrades CaluequeNamibians in the north will benefit The Angolan government has rehabilitated the Calueque Dam in accordance with a 1964 agreement that will benefit northern Namibians.

The Angolan government has spent about N$2.7 billion to rehabilitate the Calueque Dam in the Cunene River Basin in southern Angola for the benefit of Namibians.

The rehabilitation includes the installation of three new water pumps and other state-of-the-art facilities to increase water supply to a population of about two million people in southern Angola and northern Namibian in regions such as Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana, Kunene and Oshikoto through the 1964 Cunene River Scheme Agreement. The dam also supplies water to the Ruacana hydroelectric power station.

This was confirmed by NamWater's head for northern regions Dr Kaliki Kambanda. She told Namibian Sun that the two countries are benefiting well from the established bilateral agreement.

Kambanda said that the rehabilitated dam has increased the volume of water supplied to both Namibia and Angola. She added that it is also a critical water source for the two countries which needs good maintenance.

The rehabilitated dam is an 18-metre deep composite structure with earth-fill flanks and a central mass concrete spillway. It has a pump station, situated on the southern bank of the Cunene River, which will supply a peak flow of 7.4 cubic metres per second - of which 1.4 is intended for utilisation on new Angolan irrigation projects, whilst six will be allocated for use by Namibia.

The two governments are now taking on a new project of rehabilitating the facilities that take water from the dam to the people. In Namibia, water from Calueque is purified in Outapi, Ogongo, Oshakati and Olushandja.

Last week, Angolan water and energy minister, Joao Borges and Namibian mines and energy minister Obeth Kandjoze launched the trans-boundary water supply project that will complement the newly rehabilitated facilities.

“The newly launched project is important to us because the whole of northern Namibia depends on the water supply that we get from Calueque.

Water is transported from the dam to canals through pipelines. Canals take water to the purification plants. This new project is aimed at formalising all the channels that transport water to the purification plants,” Kambanda said.

NamWater's head of communication Johannes Shigwedha said the new project is important because the facilities at the Calueque Dam are new and their pumping pressure is very effective, while the water transporting channels are aged.

“We have to maintain these facilities to keep up with the pressure from Calueque. If we do not, the pipes and canal will be damaged due to pressure and will cost NamWater a lot of money in repairs,” Shigwedha said.

ILENI NANDJATO

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AR goes continental

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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AR goes continental

The African Union's newly-elected commissioner for African diaspora and external affairs Job Amupanda has promised that Africa will never be the same again as his election marks the era of radical and fearless youth.

The African Youth Commission is the pan African youth version of the African Union Commission, representing the voice of youth and regional youth organisations across the African continent and diaspora. It serves as a unique platform for young people from 55 African countries (including the Kingdom of Morocco).

Amupanda, who was elected in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week, made it clear that the message of his brainchild Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement will be spread all over the continent.

“The youth of Africa have been following the AR and its clear philosophy since 2014. In May 2016, we were invited to be part of the Banjul+10 Summit in The Gambia.

It was at this summit that African youth got to know about the AR movement and began to pursue radical programmes in their countries. Some of the youth, for example in The Gambia went on to become radical activists that agitated for the removal of dictator Yahya Jammeh, and some of them were just released from prison,” he said.

As part of his vision for his portfolio, Amupanda plans to work hard to mobilise and connect African youth in the diaspora with those living on the African continent.

“To contextualise this further it is important to locate the concentration of the African diaspora. There are more than 50 million in Brazil, more than 40 million are in the United States, more than eight million in Haiti, four million in Colombia, three million in France and more than two million in Jamaica, Venezuela and the United Kingdom, to mention but a few,” he said.

The measures that will be employed to locate these youth include the establishment of an African Diaspora Youth Consciousness Network in each region, organising and coordinating the African Diaspora Annual Conference.

He also plans to revive Marcus Garvey's 'Back-to-Africa' narratives particularly aimed at attracting economically abled African youth to return and invest in Africa.“One of my first meetings will be at the German-African Forum.

This year we will be setting up the frameworks and a strategic plan. We have already asked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help us with these programmes,” he said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Fifth rhino poaching suspect denied bail

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Fifth rhino poaching suspect denied bail

Another suspect has been arrested in the Gobabis rhino poaching case in which two white rhinos were killed and two others critically wounded.

The fifth suspect appeared in the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court on Friday and was denied bail.

The 39-year-old, Zee Shekumba, was employed at farm Khainas near Gobabis where the poaching took place. He was also charged under the Nature Conservation Ordinance for the hunting of specially protected game. If convicted, Shekumba could face a maximum jail term of 20 years, a fine of N$200 000, or both.

He was arrested on 25 January at Khainas by the Gobabis police.

Magistrate Godwin Chidzane explained Shekumba’s rights and he chose to apply for a government lawyer. The case was postponed to 31 March for further police investigations and legal aid feedback. Public prosecutor Anneli Aupokolo opposed bail and the accused was remanded in custody.

Shekumba, along with four other men including murder, robbery and rhino-poaching accused Gerson Kandjii (51), stand accused of illegally entering farm Khainas on 22 December and shooting a white rhino bull and cow which was in the process of giving birth.

They further wounded another bull and cow which managed to flee. The rhinos sustained serious injuries but survived the onslaught.

The men sawed off the horns of the dead rhino, which have not been recovered to date.

Shekumba’s case has been married to the poaching case of Kandjii, who is also the former physiotherapist for the Brave Warriors, Erwin Tjiteere (37), Domingo Justice Moma (32) and David Stephanus (35).

On 31 March Shekumba will join Stephanus, Kandjii, Moma and Tjiteere in the dock.

When contacted for comment on the arrest of the fifth poaching suspect, the Commissioner of the Omaheke Region, Josephat Abel, said he had no knowledge about any arrest and according to him no poaching suspect had been arrested.

In January, Kandjii was also charged with illegal possession of ammunition after the police discovered 46 cartridges for a hunting rifle in his possession. That case was postponed to 12 April.

Stephanus was linked to Kandjii in a previous case dating back to a rhino poaching investigation in 2014.

Kandjii is also linked with Moma and Tjiteere in a murder and robbery case dating back to the killing of Reinhard Schmidt on the hunting farm Hoodia in the Kalkrand District in February.

Together with three others, Stephanus and Kandjii were arrested in November 2014 for poaching critically endangered black rhinos in Etosha National Park.

They were additionally charged with possession of a firearm without licence and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Police at the time reported that they seized thousands of dollars when the gang was arrested.

Both men were released on bail and failed to return to court in August 2016 and a warrant of arrest was issued. The suspects have not been rearrested.

That case was postponed to 27 February at Okahao.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Dippenaar trial postponed

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Dippenaar trial postponedGerman victim to testify in July The murder trial of Jandré Dippenaar has been postponed for six months.

Following a heated debate in court after Jandré Dippenaar's counsel, Advocate Louis Botes objected in the strongest of terms against the state prosecutor Hezekiel Ipinge's request that Antonia Joschko, the other survivor of the horror crash in December 2014 testify in Swakopmund, the trial has been postponed to 12 July this year.

According to Botes, “The agreement between the state and the defence was that Joschko would only testify later. The defence is by no means ready to cross-examine the witness.”

Joschko, who resides in Germany, arrived to attend the trial.

“We tried to secure the presence of South African experts at the trial but it is not possible at this time and hence, we cannot cross-examine the witness,” Botes told Magistrate Gaynor Poulton in the Swakopmund Regional Court on Friday.

Magistrate Poulton subsequently postponed the matter and Joschko will testify between 12 and 14 July this year. Thereafter, the trial will continue on 20 November.

Earlier last week, an eyewitness to the accident, Ian Stevenson, testified in court that he was on his way to Henties Bay on that fateful afternoon of December 29. His wife and step-daughter were in another vehicle behind him.

“I continued to look in my rear- and sideview mirrors to see if they were still following me,” he told the court.

He testified that he saw a white FJ Cruiser, driven by Jandré Dippenaar, overtaking his wife and instead of making use of the space between his and her vehicle, he continued overtaking his vehicle too, and the three vehicles in front of him.

“My vehicle, a Volkswagen Amarok bakkie shook as he passed me at high speed. He continued to overtake three vehicles in front of me and then he disappeared over a rise,” Stevenson testified.

“Moments later I saw black smoke.”

He told the court when he arrived at the accident scene he told his wife to proceed to Henties Bay. Dippenaar and Antonia Joschko had both been taken out of their respective vehicles. He tried to assist members of the public to remove a young girl from the Ford Ranger bakkie. They turned the car over but could not reach her. The FJ Cruiser was burning at this point.

Dippenaar is charged with six counts of murder, reckless driving, driving without a driver's licence and fraud.

JESSICA BOTES

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Our forgotten children

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Our forgotten childrenPromoted learners have nowhere to go It is Groundhog Day for many of our children in the Omusati Region as they are stuck in Grade 4 after being promoted, but there is nowhere else to go.

Hundreds of marginalised people in the Omusati Region are forced to continue the cycle of poverty and lack of education because they have nowhere to go to complete their schooling. Hundreds complete only to the junior primary phase as government has failed to extend the curriculum at their community schools because it is “too expensive”.

This was confirmed by the regional director for education for Omusati Laban Shapange. He told Namibian Sun that they could not do a curriculum extension at these schools due to the populations residing in these communities.

The most affected communities are Onamatanga, Uutsathima, Okeeholongo, Amarika, Onghaanghaa, Amaupa, Olumhelengwa, Okeendapa, Okatyeithi and Amaupa. These places are found in the Okahao, Otamanzi and Ruacana constituencies. In these communities kindergarten or pre-primary education is not administered and children only start schooling in Grade 1 and complete their schooling in Grade 4.

“It is true that learners from schools in those communities are suffering, but we cannot extend their curriculum due to the number of learners found in those communities. You will only find few learners in the class and hiring teachers to teach at those schools under curriculum extension will be a costly exercise,” Shapange said.

Joel Nakanyala, school principal at Dr Ndeutala Angolo Primary School in Onghaangha that also ends at Grade 4 confirmed Shapange's remarks, but he said the numbers of learners in their schools are few due to high dropout rates. He said parents have no trust in education since schools have been in their communities for a long time but they have not produced anything tangible. Year after year, children are completing school at Grade 4 and become cattle herders or give birth at young age.

“There is nothing motivating these parents and learners to stay in school. Those who finished Grade 4 are sitting at home and this applies pressure on those in school to drop out and join them. Every year we enrol many learners in Grade 1, but only few will reach Grade 4,” Nakanyala explained.

Nakanyala said parents are say that at Grade 4, the children are too young to continue their schooling far away from home because there where they must go there are no hostels.

Children that have gone are oftentimes returning home claiming they were mistreated at houses where they were accommodated while attending school.

“I use my car to go from house to house collecting all the learners who are absent, but parents are saying that their children need to look after livestock because there is nothing they will get from school,” he said.

Shapange also confirmed that Nakanyala's statement is true and that a decision was taken to extend the curriculum at Amarika Primary School, including the construction of hostel to accommodate learners from other communities.

To further compound matters, in 2015 most of these schools were stripped of their Grade 4 class when government implemented a new curriculum that took Grade 4 from the junior primary education phase. “Under the new curriculum, Grade 4 is are no longer a class teaching year, but a subject teaching year which requires two or more teachers to teach different subjects together with other junior primary classes. It was better for us to remove Grade 4 from those schools and their learners then end at Grade 3, rater than hiring extra teachers to teach one class,” Shapange explained.

Nakanyala said that he refuse his Grade 4 class from being removed.

“Ending at Grade 3 was just too painful for me. We do not have kindergarten or pre-primary classes and our learners are ending at Grade 3? I refused that and even called the inspector to come to the school to see the situation,” Nakanyala said.

He said that this year his school registered 35 learners from Grades 1 to 4. In Grade 4 there are four learners who have already been promoted to Grade 5, but since they have nowhere to go, their parents sent them back to school.

“After the story of the Amarika young ladies who returned to school, parents of Onghaangha also decided to bring their children back to school. But the problem is that they have to repeat a class they already promoted from because we have no mandate to teach them Grade 5 subjects.” he said.

ILENI NANDJATO

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Kazenambo on trial for cop assault

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Kazenambo on trial for cop assault

Outspoken politician and former Cabinet minister Kazenambo Kazenambo on Friday appeared in the Gobabis Regional Court on charges of crimen injuria, assault on a member of the police, resisting a member of the police and also compelling a police officer to abstain from exercising his powers.

The charges stem from events that took place on 7 May at the Gam checkpoint in the Otjinene Region when he apparently threatened, cursed at and assaulted a member of the police after the officer tried to inspect his vehicle at the Gam veterinary checkpoint.

On Friday Kazenambo appeared in court after the Office of the Prosecutor-General decided that he should be arraigned in the Gobabis Regional Court for the above-mentioned charges.

Gobabis Regional Court Magistrate Ileni Velikoshi explained his rights to him and Kazenambo indicated that he will engage the services of a privately instructed lawyer from Dr Weder, Kauta and Hoveka law firm.

On request from prosecutor Salomon Kanyemba, who appeared for the state, Kazenambo was released on a warning until 23 March when his trail will start.

According to the charge sheet Kazenambo on 7 May unlawfully and intentionally insulted and impaired the dignity of Constable Eneas Kunasha when he swore at him and used obscene language by saying to him “F*ck you M'wambo” and “You are a poor M'wambo” in his presence.

Kazenambo is further accused of assaulting Kunasha by pushing him and grabbing him by the collar.

Also he stands accused of unlawfully resisting and obstructing Kunasha in exercising his powers or duties.

Kazenambo has also been accused that he intentionally compelled Kunasha from doing any act in respect of exercising his powers and or the performance of his duties and threatened him with the use of violence if he tried to inspect his vehicle or take down his vehicle details.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Maize meal drops by 12%

January 29, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Maize meal drops by 12% Namib Mills has announced a price decrease on all of its products, except sugar, effective 7 February.

It is anticipated that that towards the end of the year maize prices can further drop.

According to the CEO of Namib Mills, Ian Collard, these price decreases are due to the improved rainfall over the maize production areas in southern Africa as well as the strengthening of the Namibian dollar against the American dollar.

Top Score (maize meal) will decrease by 12%, Bakpro (baking flour) will decrease with 6%, Meme Mahangu meal will also decrease with 6% and Rice King with 7%.

According to Collard due to the fact that most soft commodities are exposed to the exchange rate, the improvement of the Namibian dollar against the greenback has made these products' raw material more affordable.

Collard explained that our currency has strengthened dramatically since last year when the rand was very volatile. Conditions have however improved as of late.

Further to this the newly-elected Trump administration has caused uncertainty for the American dollar and also, the rand may also be undervalued.

Explaining the decrease in the price of maize Collard said that Namibia is still exposed to the current volatile pricing on SAFEX, the commodity exchange in South Africa.

He said after prices sky-rocketed in 2016, following the drought, improved rainfall across sub-region has boosted sentiment for a high maize crop in 2017, thus the 'supply and demand' is better balanced, resulting in lower raw maize prices.

It is expected that Namibia will produce between 50 000 to 60 000 tonnes of maize this year which is at least double the 30 000 that was harvested last year, said Collard.

He added that he is not worried that there will ever be a shortage of maize supply in Namibia, because the world produces 70 million tonnes and what Namibia consumes is but a “drop in the bucket”.

The expected harvest would have been more but due to the outbreak of the bollworm in the north of the country at some green schemes it is likely that the harvest will be affected.

“The current levels for white maize ex-Randfontein in South Africa are around N$3 500 per tonne, compared to N$5 000 a short while ago,” Collard said.

He explained that even though the price of maize last year increased with between 70% and 80%, Namib Mills only increased its price by 25% in total.

“Even though the raw material increases, luckily the cost of transport and operating cost did not increase,” he explained.

“There are other costs that are therefore not exposed to these increases.”

With regards to the price of wheat he explained that is currently quite inexpensive, the reasons being that Eastern Europe and Russia have been coming on stream the past few years regarding consistent wheat supply.

“This, along with very competitive shipping rates, due to the down-turn in the world economy made wheat rather cheap in historical terms.”

According to Collard the local drought in Namibia during 2015/16 resulted in a very small mahangu harvest which necessitated imports from abroad.

There is also a certain scarcity of the product, as the only excess mahangu-producing country is India, he said.

Rice prices also decreased due to the strengthening of the currency. Rice is imported from Asia.

“Sugar prices remain unchanged as Namibia cannot benefit from decreased international landed prices due to South Africa failing to reduce the import duties, as prescribed in the sugar duty formula of SACU.”

Collard said that although price decreases have been announced there are still certain areas that put pressure on inflation for the food industry.

According to him these include electricity increases such as the one that the 10% increase that was announced last year in July last year. According to Collard Namib Mills already forks out a massive N$2.2 million electricity bill per month and it is expected that another electricity increase above inflation will be announced this year.

Furthermore he said that water increases, salary and wage increases, higher expected interest rates and higher indirect taxes all put pressure on the industry.

ELLANIE SMIT

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New AU chairperson named

January 30, 2017, 7:24 am

≫ Next: NRU holds successful U-20 trials

≪ Previous: Maize meal drops by 12%

New AU chairperson named

Chad’s foreign minister Moussa Faki Mahamat is the next AU Commission chairperson.
The results were informally announced by jubilation in the halls of the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa shortly before 17:00 east African time.
Mahamat is said to have received 28 votes in the final round of voting, while Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamad got 24 heads of state behind her.
Lobbying for the post was intense in the months ahead of the election. Mahamat’s nomination was said to have been handed in just before the deadline three months ago.
He is also Chad’s former prime minister and is known as a veteran statesman and diplomat, as well as a pan-Africanist who speaks French, English and Arabic.
Mahamat succeeds Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was lobbying for a woman to follow her. She will be returning to South Africa in April after a handover period.
-NEWS24

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NRU holds successful U-20 trials

January 30, 2017, 2:00 pm

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NRU holds successful U-20 trials

The Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) held successful under-20 rugby trials at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday in preparation for two upcoming international tournaments.

The trials were attended by about 65 boys, who displayed impressive talent as they tried to impress the coaches.

The trials were held under the supervision of national team coach Rodger Thompson, who told Nampa he was impressed by the talent and skill displayed.

“We are looking at assembling a squad of about 50 junior players who will take part in various training camps in preparation for the African Cup from 17 to 23 April and the World Junior Rugby Trophy from 26 August till 11 September in Uruguay,” he said.

The venue for the African Cup is not yet known.

Namibia qualified for the Junior World Rugby Trophy when they won the U-19 Africa Cup in August last year. They beat Zimbabwe 42-29 in the final in Windhoek.

Thompson said the training group should be finalised by the end of this week, with the first training camp starting next week.

“We want to assemble a squad of 50 players whom we will work with through our national academy set-up,” he added.

The players eligible for selection must have been born between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 1998.

Thompson said everything went well during the trials, even though the players lacked fitness after the off-season. They did not experience any major injuries during the trials.

“Most of our players are not from a professional set-up, so they obviously did not follow any fully fledged off-season programme. With regard to the technical skill and natural talent, I was impressed,” he said.

Thompson said it was imperative to harness this talent at an early age so as to equip the budding rugby stars with proper conditioning, fitness and technical skills early in their careers to help them develop into world-class players.

Plans for the training camps are at an advanced stage. The union is likely to engage South African university teams to play friendly games in preparation for the two upcoming tournaments.

Last year Namibia played in the Africa Cup bronze final for the first time ever, where they lost 44-30 to Fiji to finish fourth overall.

The coach said they planned to improve on last year's performance.

NAMPA

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Kasu introduces Valentine's Cup

January 30, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Kasu introduces Valentine's CupLocal football continues to grow Football lovers will have a chance to watch football next month as local clubs will battle it out in the Valentine's Cup about a fortnight from now.

The Katutura Sports Union (Kasu) will hold its annual Valentine's Cup early next month, chairperson Kuveri Tjonga announced yesterday.

The competition will see football teams challenging each other for medals, prize money and a trophy at the Katutura Youth Complex.

Netball teams will also be part of the tournament.

“The Katutura Sports Union wishes a prosperous year to all and takes this opportunity to invite clubs/teams interested in participating in our football tournament

“The registration fee for all interested teams/clubs will be N$1 500 and the tournament draw will take place on 7 February at Namibia Primary School,” Tjonga said.

The opening games of the tournament are expected to start on 11 February while the final games will be played between 18 and 19 February.

The winners of the football games will walk away with N$10 000 while the runners-up will take home N$5 000.

The teams that bow out in the semi-finals will receive N$2 500 each for their efforts.

The netball champions will receive N$5 000, while the losing finalists will get N$2 500 and the losing semi-finalists N$1 200 each.

“The tournament is worth N$30 000 and this was all made possible by Kau Van Rooi Stud, Kakero Urban Planning Consultants and Nation Kavari.

“Anyone who is interested in registering for the tournament must feel free to come at our offices.

“I do believe that the competition will be bigger and better this year given the amount which has been invested in it,” Tjonga said.

Tjonga called upon anyone who is willing to sponsor the competition to come on board. Kasu would welcome any donations from members of the community.

The tournament, which used to be held at the Khomasdal Stadium, will be held at the Katutura Youth Complex this year because the other stadium is closed.

STAFF REPORTER

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Chapecoense win first match since air disaster

January 30, 2017, 2:00 pm

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Chapecoense win first match since air disaster Brazilian Serie A club Chapecoense have won their first competitive match since the November plane crash that killed most of their players and coaching staff.

The team affectionately known as Chape overcame Internacional de Lages 2-1 in the first round of the Catarinense state championship before a capacity crowd at their Conda Arena on Sunday.

It followed draws against Palmeiras and Joinville in the past week.

“Our aim was to make the fans feel happy again,” Chapecoense coach Vagner Mancini said.

“To have their support today and feel their affection is very important. The roar after the second goal was intense and gave everybody a lift.

“It was an assured performance and we had more chances than Internacional, but in my opinion we were a bit inconsistent. We need more matches to iron out our problems.”

Seventy-one people died, including 19 Chapecoense players, when the LaMia plane carrying the Brazilian club's squad slammed into a hillside near Medellin, Colombia.

The tragedy occurred just two days before Chapecoense were due to play Atletico Nacional in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana

final.

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