Land grabbers at it again

May 8, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Land grabbers at it againPolice fire rubber bullets at Walvis Bay More than a thousand people defied police orders to stop erecting shacks on municipal land at Walvis Bay yesterday. The Walvis Bay police had their hands full yesterday trying to remove illegal squatters from municipal land in Kuisebmond.

The situation escalated when the police resorted to firing rubber bullets at stone-throwing squatters.

According to the regional police commander, Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu, four people were slightly injured in the altercation. He confirmed that one arrest had been made on the grounds of interference. The woman who was arrested was allegedly carrying a bottle filled with petrol.

According to community activist Kenneth Iilonga, the plot between Granite and Atlas streets in Kuisebmond has been vacant for years.

“The municipality keeps on saying that there is no land for the people, but what about these plots,” he asked.

Iilonga claimed that the municipality only catered to the rich.

“Many of these people are asked to pay rent on other premises that ranges between N$800 and N$1 000 where they don't even have ablution facilities to relieve themselves,” he charged.

The estimated 1 200 landless people had erected tents and shacks on the empty plot last week, which were removed by the police over the weekend.

Commissioner Nelumbu said the squatters then deliberately erected new shacks in the presence of the police officers.

“We were at the site on Friday, speaking through a loudspeaker telling the people not to erect their shacks, yet they chose to do it anyway.

“These people should refrain from taking land illegally and being violent toward the police. This is clear defiance against the police and the law, and we will not allow them to do as they wish,” he warned.

LEANDREA LOUW

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Ondonga royal family wins in court

May 8, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ondonga royal family wins in court An urgent High Court application brought by the dismissed councillors of the Ondonga Traditional Authority has been dismissed, with costs.

The applicants, led by John Walenga, had sought unhindered access to their king, Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, and sought an order from the court interdicting and restricting the queen, Sesilia Ndapandula Elifas, from preventing such access.

While he said he would provide reasons for his judgement on Wednesday, Judge Shafimana Uietele said that the council members who had brought the application were not authorised to do so as they had been dismissed.

Lawyers representing the queen, Elias Shikongo and Sandra Miller, had told the court that the applicants could not bring an application in the name of the traditional authority as they had all been dismissed from their positions.

The applicants, on the other hand, had asked the court for unhindered access to the king as well as an order that the king undergo two separate medical examinations as well as one psychological evaluation to determine his fitness to hold office.





Based on these outcomes, they also asked that the court then declare the king unfit for his duties.





Last month Elifas suspended the Ondonga traditional council chairperson Peter Kauluma, traditional council spokesperson Joseph Asino and senior councillors Walenga, Tonata Ngulu, Kashona Malulu, Joseph Akawa, Fillemon Nambili and Vilho Kamanya.

In his founding affidavit, Walenga said that the king's health had deteriorated to such an extent that he could no longer take care of himself.

He said the king's memory was failing, at times he was unable to recognise familiar people, and he was often lost in thought.

He further told the court that he was concerned that the king was vulnerable to manipulation with this ailing health and that the entire traditional authority was on the brink of falling apart through the actions of the queen.

He cited examples of stock theft although he added that since no one kept records of the stock numbers of the authority, no one knew how many animals had gone missing.

“There is a leadership crisis because the king is not fit. He is old and isolated from his traditional support structure,” Walenga said.

The queen denied these allegations.

She told the court that the king might be weakened physically but was capable of performing his duties.

She also vehemently denied allegations by Walenga that the decision to suspend the said councillors on 13 April had not been made by the king. In the letter dismissing the eight councillors, the king also appointed Ester Gwashamba Nepando as a new senior councillor and withdrew the nomination of Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo as his designated successor.

In her papers, the queen denied that Nangolo was appointed as the king's successor and said that Walenga and his cohorts were responsible for the split in the authority.

Walenga and his co-applicants were represented by George Coleman and Saima Nambinga.

JACQUELINE LOUW

Man strangles elderly aunt

May 8, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Man strangles elderly aunt An 86-year-old woman was strangled to death, allegedly by her nephew who had accused her of being a witch.

The incident took place on Friday morning at Tjova in the Mukwe Constituency.

The suspect allegedly used a rope to strangle his aunt, whom the police have identified as Natuwana Mayinga.

The suspect was due to appear in the Rundu Magistrate's Court yesterday.

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her 15-year-old brother at Okahao on Thursday. The mother noticed the rape the following day. Police investigations continue.

Another other rape case at the weekend also involved a 15-year-old girl. The incident happened between Thursday and Friday at Otjovatjimba in the Kunene Region. The girl was allegedly abducted by a 37-year-old man. A suspect has been arrested.

At Elavi a 14-year-old boy was allegedly raped, threatened with a knife and assaulted by an 18-year-old suspect.

It is alleged that after the suspect gave the keys of his room to the victim to unlock it, he followed him and raped him.

A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her 58-year-old uncle at Onhiiwa last Thursday.



Murders

The police at the weekend reported three murders and four deaths that are still under investigation.

A 19-year-old man died at Okahandja after he was stabbed in the neck in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It is alleged that the deceased was walking alone on his way home when he was attacked by a group of armed men just after midnight. The suspects, aged 18, 20, and 17, have been arrested.

The police are also investigating the death of a 40-year-old man who was awaiting trial.

According to the police, Leonard Masesne Salufu died in the Katima Mulilo state hospital. He had been arrested in March on a charge of possession of protected resources.





ELLANIE SMIT

Baby elephants sold to Dubai zoo

May 8, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Baby elephants sold to Dubai zooScientists decry cruel capture of wild elephants The government has approved the export of five baby elephants by a game farm in the Grootfontein district. Namibia is planning to sell five baby elephants to a zoo in Dubai. This was confirmed yesterday by the minister of environment and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, who told Namibian Sun that a permit had been issued to export these elephants to Dubai.

According to Shifeta the elephants are between four and eight years old and are owned by Eden Game Farm, a private game farm in the Grootfontein district.

Shifeta could not confirm the sale price, saying that it was the owner's prerogative to set the price.

According to Shifeta the export will take place this year, if all goes according to plan.

He said the process went back a long time, but the ministry only became involved last year when an export permit was applied for.

Shifeta stressed that in line with CITES requirements the United Arab Emirates CITES Scientific Authority satisfied itself by issuing an import permit before the export permit was issued by Namibia.

The export of elephants is sanctioned under CITES regulations, as long as trade in individual animals doesn't threaten the long-term survival of the species.

Shifeta explained that prior to the issuance of the import permit the Namibian CITES management authority also had to satisfy itself that the elephants would not be used for primarily commercial purposes.

Shifeta said an export permit was issued to Eden Game Farm - a registered game dealer and a farm owned by a Swedish national - after it had been determined that the export would not be detrimental to the elephants' survival and that the elephants were obtained legally.





At the end of last year there was an international outcry after 37 baby elephants were forcibly taken from their mothers in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park and flown to Chinese zoos, despite outrage against previous exports. A number of baby elephants died shortly after being shipped to China in 2012 and 2015.

Asked about this, Shifeta said he was not worried about the same happening in Namibia as the exporter had satisfied all the relevant compliance procedures.



Shifeta said the baby elephants would be kept in isolation after capture and would be inspected to ascertain whether they were in a good condition before being exported.



Shifeta said although baby elephants were not often separated from their herds, it had been done before in translocations.

“When they are separated, they have to be tamed. They will now have to spend time in a different environment and in a contained space. It is a process to get used to and we have to make sure that they do not get stressed.”

Dr Betsy Fox of the Elephant-Human Relations Association told Namibian Sun that she disagreed with the idea of removing young elephants from their herds, describing it as “kidnapping them from their mothers”.

According to her the environment ministry has removed young elephants from their mothers in the past and they were sold at auctions to game farms.

“Take it from a person that has physically participated in this capturing. It is a bad idea. The fact is that elephants just do not make good zoo animals.”

According to her young elephants need to grow up with their families and learn from adults how to behave.

She said the young elephants that were previously sold to game farms grew up to be problem animals and were shot.

“It is a horrendous thing to disrupt the herd and can make it aggressive, which is dangerous if it takes place in a tourist area.”

Fox further says that young elephants experience trauma when they are captured, separated from their herds and then transported to an alien environment.

“They can experience severe depression. It is not worth the money to appease the Arabs. To go in and physically take them, to dart them and keep them away from their families... it is ugly.”

In 2013 Namibia exported ten rhinos and five elephants to a zoo in Cuba, concluding a massive translocation project of 135 animals taken from its national parks.

Despite animal rights groups protesting the capture of these wild animals, the 'Noah's Ark' project continued.



According to international zoological regulations, it is highly questionable and unethical to allow wild-caught animals to be kept in zoos.

ELLANIE SMIT

Nampower gets 8% more

May 9, 2017, 6:08 am

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Nampower gets 8% more The Electricity Control Board has approved an increase of 8% in the price of electricity delivered by NamPower to its clients, both bulk and private. According to the board, NamPower had an under recovery of N$1.3 billion during the 2015/16 financial year when the sub-region had experienced a major shortfall in the supply of electricity. The company had to secure power from emergency power stations to keep the lights on, but it came at a high cost. The price increase is effective 1 July, the start of the 2017/18 financial year for the parastatal. Local authorities and municipalities are soon to respond with an accompanying increase in power delivery to their clients.
STAFF REPORTER

Mother, baby killed in crash

May 8, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Mother, baby killed in crash The Otavi-Otjiwarongo B1 road this afternoon claimed another two lives when a mother and baby died in an accident after the GWM pickup they were travelling in collided into a stationary truck. The accident is believed to have taken place at around 16:30. Emergency services had to use the Jaws of Life to remove the trapped bodies.

NSC spends N$1.5 million

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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NSC spends N$1.5 millionWaits for more from ministry The banking details of some sport codes are wanted in order for them to receive their administration funds from the sports commission. The Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) has so far transferred close to N$1.5 million to sport codes and federations, Namibian Sun has established.

The process started last month, with most of the codes receiving their administration fees over the past few weeks.

Category A codes each received N$50 000, while the B codes got N$30 000 and C codes N$15 000.

The category A codes are athletics, cricket, football, boxing, rugby, hockey and volleyball.

Some sport codes are yet to receive their grants because they have not provided their banking details to the NSC.

The Ministry of Sports allocated N$21.6 million to the NSC for its own administration and to distribute to sport codes and umbrella bodies.

The commission has not received the entire N$21.6 million from the ministry, though.

NSC chief administrator Simataa Mwiya confirmed that the commission had disbursed N$1.5 million so far.

“I would estimate that we have more or less spent N$1.5 million on the sport codes and umbrella bodies.

“We have been trying our best to hand over all the funds as soon as we can.

“The only challenge is that we do not have the entire N$21.6 million and it will therefore take time to distribute all the funds at the same time,” Mwiya said.

He further revealed that some of the codes and umbrella bodies had received a chunk of their international participation budget because they had events to compete in.

Basketball and athletics are among the codes that got something from the international participation budget.

N$890 000 has been allocated to category B and C sports for international participation.

Football will get N$3.3 million, while athletics, boxing, netball and cricket will receive N$150 000 for international competitions.

Volleyball and hockey will receive N$100 000 each for international competitions, while N$500 000 has been allocated to rugby.

“I will also like to urge all the codes that have not submitted their banking details to do so.

“Our plan is to ensure that all sport codes get their administration funds before the end of this month,” he said.





JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

Play for your legacy

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Play for your legacy The Windhoek Draught Welwitschias centre, Darryl de la Harpe, is urging local rugby players to play for their legacy each time they run onto the field.

The Welwitschias centre said this at a media briefing yesterday ahead of Sunday's away game against the Steval Pumas at the Bill Jardine Stadium in Johannesburg.

This is after they were torn apart last weekend by the Golden Lions 112-14 in Alberton, South Africa.

The Welwitschias are finding the going tough in South Africa's provincial second-tier rugby competition, losing all their matches by large margins both home and away.

De la Harpe said their last game was an eye-opener for the local players as they got to see what hard work meant. He also said they took lessons from last weekend's game and knew how to correct the mistakes they made on the field.

He urged all the players to stop thinking like amateurs and act like professionals. The centre also said that players should put in extra effort to get fit and stop making excuses after each game. He said they had been working very hard on their defence and the players' attitude was positive.

The coach of the team, Lyn Jones, said he was happy with their performance so far, as they had shown ability and promise throughout their games.

He said losing by a large margin sometimes happened, but that his players were learning the reality of the standard of play required to put a meal on the table. “Say no to barbecues and yes to a training session,” he said.

Jones added that the future of rugby lay in the hands of the stakeholders, as his team was working hard to improve all aspects of the game in order to be ready for the second round of the rugby challenge starting in August.

He stressed that players should know that rugby is 90% attitude and 10 % skill and that they had a chance of winning if everyone applied themselves well.

The match starts at 13:00, South African time.



Squad list:

Collen Smith, Shaun du Preez, Andries Rossouw, Thomas Kali, Max Kasiringua, Rohan Kitshoff, Leneve Damens, Victor Rodriguez, Eugene Jantjies, Theuns Kotze, Gino Wilson, Darryl de la Harpe, JC Greyling, Lesley Klim and David Philander.



Reserves:

Orbet Nortje, Christo McNish, Ruan Ludick, Adrian Booysen, Cameron Klassen and Heinrich Smith.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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SA plans for world cup 2023

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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SA plans for world cup 2023 SA Rugby on Tuesday confirmed that it was on track to submit a compelling bid to bring a vibrant, profitable and spectacular Rugby World Cup to South Africa in 2023.

This is following the lifting of a suspension from the right to host mega sporting events.

The way was cleared for SA Rugby to submit a bid as a result of the latest report by the Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) set up by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to monitor the pace of transformation in sport.

Thulas Nxesi, the minister for sport and recreation, reported at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Tuesday that rugby had met the targets set out in the Transformation Charter.

“I would like to congratulate rugby, cricket and netball on their improved scores. You were clearly willing to walk the extra mile.

“Their right to bid for and host major sporting events, which was revoked before, is hereby immediately reinstated.

“But we would like to re-emphasise our expectations for sporting federations to take charge and provide leadership at school and club levels.”





NAMPA/ANA

Amateur boxers are training hard

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Amateur boxers are training hard Amateur boxers at Otjiwarongo are training hard in preparation for the MTC Sunshine Regional Cup this weekend.

The event is set to take place at the Swanevelder Hall at Orwetoveni in Otjiwarongo from Thursday until Saturday.

Twelve amateur boxers at the Otjiwarongo Amateur Boxing Academy have been training hard for the past two months for this event.

Sixteen-year-old Wellem Williams said he could not wait for Thursday.

“I am a talented boxer; I want to showcase my talent,” he said.

Otja Tjihero, 23, who has been boxing since 2013, said he was an experienced fighter, and for him experience was the most important tool in boxing.

Another Otjiwarongo boxer, Jeremiah Vaino, 32, said he would deal with any boxer that came his way at the tournament.

Vaino wants to take his boxing to a professional level.

The chairperson of the Otjozondjupa Regional Boxing Federation, Onesmus Kalipi, told Nampa on Monday that the ten best amateur boxers from each region and individual boxing clubs, such as the Namibian Defence Force and Namibian Police Force, would exchange blows at the event.

The tournament is aimed at creating an opportunity for emerging boxers to be identified and selected to join bigger clubs and become professional boxers.

“The amateur boxers need to grow their careers and this is their opportunity to come and showcase their talent,” he said.

The tournament has been staged in Windhoek for the past four years as part of the Nestor Sunshine Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy sponsored by mobile phone service provider MTC.

The top boxers will receive gold, silver and bronze medals.

Entrance is free.

The Otjiwarongo Amateur Boxing Academy acquired a hall at the Paresis Sports Stadium from the town's municipality last month.

The academy started formal boxing activities in March 2016 and had been training its boxers in the open parking area of the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service at Otjiwarongo.

NAMPA

Hardap football season starts

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Hardap football season starts The Hardap Region Football Association Second Division will start its 2017 league on Sunday at Mariental, Maltahöhe and Rehoboth.

The league will run until November this year.

At the Rehoboth football field, defending champions Reho Madrid Football Club (FC) will lock horns with erstwhile Namibia Premier League campaigners Friends FC.

Friends are expected to gun for revenge after they were defeated by Madrid during the Hardap Debmarine elimination matches in February.

Friends' team manager, Murs Markus, said although his team was not ready for the league, they had no choice but to play.

He said fans should not expect much from the team because they had been inactive since the Debmarine matches and would only start with preparations on Tuesday.

“We asked for a postponement but the annual general meeting last Saturday decided the league should commence,” Markus said.

League rookies Untouchables, who at the end of last season acquired the status of relegated former Southern Stream First Division (SSFD) outfit Hardap Boys, will be put to test by recent winners of the Hardap Debmarine round, Bee Bob Brothers in Mariental.

The 'Mariental Derby' will see Black Morocco Chiefs (BMC) in a fierce battle with their biggest rivals, Flying Eagles. The two teams are the most supported in Mariental, with fans singing and drumming until the final whistle.

Maltahöhe will also see the 'Dawes Derby' between White Cosmos and Daweb Stars, while in Rehoboth Latinos will lock horns with neighbours Spiders.

Fixtures:

Mariental Stadium

Hardap Correctional Facility vs Gochas United – 11:00

Bee Bob Brothers vs Untouchables – 13:00

Namibian Police Force (NamPol) vs Gibeon - 15h:00

Black Morocco Chiefs vs Flying Eagles – 17:00

Maltahöhe football field

Daweb Stars vs White Cosmos – 12:00. Rehoboth Stadium

Friends vs Reho Madrid – 12:00

Latinos vs Spiders – 15:00

NAMPA

Kahiriri at it again

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Kahiriri at it againNAFPU drafts petition Olsen Kahiriri has embarked on a journey to voice his views about the problems arising in football. The Namibia Football Players Union (NAFPU) is busy preparing a petition to the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), the NFA president and the minister of sport.

The petition has been written to raise the concerns NAFPU has about the current state of Namibian football.

Sport minister Jerry Ekandjo, NSC chief administrator Simataa Mwiya and NFA president Frans Mbidi are expected to receive the petition on Thursday.

A cloud of uncertainty has hung over Namibian football for more than a year now.

Kahiriri has been leading the pack that is calling for the transformation of Namibian football.

The former politician has voiced his concern about Namibian football on various social media platforms.

Some feel the outspoken secretary-general is causing nothing but havoc in football. Others support what the players' union has been advocating.

Some in football circles feel that is about time that the long-serving NFA leaders make way for new leadership.

The league's problems started when its former sponsor, MTC, withdrew at the end of the 2015/16 season. The reason was that the league had failed to raise the additional N$9 million that was required.

That later resulted in the resignation of former league chairman Johnny Doeseb.

Doeseb's resignation was followed by his former colleagues of the NPL management committee.

Tension between the NFA and NPL interim committee sparked further controversy when the NFA removed the interim committee and appointed an ad-hoc committee for the NPL last month.

The committee's mandate was to ensure the commencement of the elite league on 12 May.

The committee was also asked to organise an NPL congress to elect a new executive committee.

It remains to be seen whether the league will kick off on the scheduled date.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

Harrison set for finger surgery

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Harrison set for finger surgery Hurdles world record holder Keni Harrison will have surgery on a broken finger on Thursday but the American hopes to be back racing in less than a month, her coach told Reuters on Monday.

Harrison broke the bone when she hit a hurdle in warm-ups before Friday's Diamond League meeting in Doha. Despite the pain, she went on to win the race.

Doctors will determine when she is able to race again but “she'll be ready to hurdle in about three weeks,” coach Edrick Floreal said in a telephone interview

Harrison returned to sprint workouts on Monday, posting a video of the session on her Twitter account.

“There's no danger,” Floreal said, adding that the injury was to the middle finger of her left hand.

“She has a cast on the hand, so she is able to practice. She can't move the arm-swing really crazy but the hand doesn't hurt moving it back and forth.”

A specialist will insert a pin in her broken finger on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky, allowing her to hurdle again in practice.

Her next major race will be the US nationals/world championships trials in Sacramento, California on June 22-25.

Harrison may not need to compete in the hurdles there to make the U.S. team for August's world championships in London.

As the 2016 Diamond League champion in the 100 metres hurdles, Harrison has a wild card entry into the world championships and needs only to run in any event at the U.S. nationals to collect the free pass.

“She could run the 100 or 200,” Floreal said.

Harrison will be looking forward to a return to the London track.

Days after failing to make the US team for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Harrison broke the 100m hurdles world record there last July, clocking 12.20 seconds.

The record had stood for 28 years.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Infantino will talk to Muntari

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Infantino will talk to MuntariRacism must end The Ghanaian went through an emotional time after suffering verbal abuse from fans while playing for his club. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he intends to talk with Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari, the victim of racist abuse in Italian football, and vowed to fight racist “idiots”.

Muntari was booked for complaining about racist abuse during a match at Cagliari and subsequently suspended, although that sanction was later lifted.

The Ghanaian then walked off the field in protest in the final minutes of the game.

Infantino told reporters on Tuesday that he intended to talk with Muntari and would give him FIFA's “full solidarity”.

The FIFA president also said he would be discussing the issue with Italian Football Federation President Carlo Tavecchio about the issue.

“Of course I will speak to Tavecchio, I will speak to Muntari as well... we will work together,” Infantino, who is in Bahrain for Thursday's FIFA Congress said.

Asked what could be done about the issue, Infantino said: “Fight. Continue to fight. It's good to bring these things out when they happen. We have to work. We have to work on the people.”

Infantino said the protocol, established by UEFA in Europe, with a series of stadium announcements leading up to a possible stopping of the game, should be applied.

“Unfortunately idiots, there are always idiots everywhere but we have to fight them,” he said.

Muntari said he had complained that parts of the crowd, including a group of children, had hurled racist insults at him from the start of the game in Cagliari on April 30.

The player said the referee told him to stop talking to the crowd and ended up showing him the yellow card for dissent in the 90th minute.

The decision to punish Muntari has been widely criticised and the player himself has said FIFA and UEFA are not taking the issue of racism seriously.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Who will Lady Luck favour at World Cup draw?

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Who will Lady Luck favour at World Cup draw? Rugby's leading nations will be hoping for a big slice of luck at today's 2019 World Cup draw, where seedings stacked with dangerous teams could throw up more than one 'Pool of Death'.

More than two years before the tournament in Japan, the draw ceremony in historic Kyoto could go a long way to deciding who will lift the trophy in Yokohama on 2 November 2019.

England fell victim to a nightmare scenario at the last World Cup, where the hosts failed to reach the knock-out stages after being drawn against Wales, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.

This time around, for the tournament's first edition in Asia, New Zealand, England, Australia and Ireland make up the top seeds to be divided among the four pools of five.

The second band of seeds is Scotland, Wales, South Africa and France, while the third contains dangerous floaters in Argentina, the 2015 semi-finalists, Georgia, Italy and hosts Japan.

Another eight teams from Oceania, Europe, the Americas and Africa will be added after qualifying, with 10th-ranked Fiji, Tonga and Samoa among the leading contenders.

It raises the possibility of New Zealand, the two-time defending champions, South Africa, Argentina and Samoa all landing in the same pool, along with a host of other treacherous combinations.

A strong showing by Japan is considered crucial for attendances and atmosphere as the World Cup arrives, for the first time, in a country where rugby isn't a mainstream sport.

But the Brave Blossoms, who stunned South Africa at the last World Cup, are bullish, with winger Akihito Yamada saying he hoped to draw England and their ex-Japan coach Eddie Jones.

“I'd like to get Eddie's team, England. I want him to see Japan's new style of rugby after four years,” insisted Yamada.

Captain Shota Horie said: “All the teams will be strong so I don't have any real preferred opposition. The first game will be key so we will prepare for that as if our lives depend on it.”

Steve Hansen's New Zealand are striving to complete a hat-trick of World Cup victories, while England, up to second in the rankings under Jones, are dreaming of ending the All Blacks' dominance.

South Africa, Australia, Wales and France are likely to be revamped and revitalised by 2019, while Argentina and Japan will look to build on their successes of 2015.

Rugby is striving to make inroads into Asia, including China, where World Rugby announced a $100 million investment from Alisports, an offshoot of e-commerce giant Alibaba, last year.

Participation in Asia has almost doubled since 2009 to more than 500,000 players, according to the governing body, which hopes to have one million new players in the region by 2019.

The World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums across Japan, with 75 percent of the population living within an hour's drive from a match venue, organisers say.



Seedings for Wednesday's draw

Band One: New Zealand, England, Australia, Ireland

Band Two: Scotland, Wales, South Africa, France

Band Three: Argentina, Japan, Georgia, Italy

Band Four: Oceania 1, Americas 1, Europe 1, Africa 1

Band Five: Oceania 2, Americas 2, Winner of play-off between Europe 2 and Oceania 3, Repechage Winner

NAMPA/AFP

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Blues smell EPL triumph

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Blues smell EPL triumphConte is a happy man Chelsea has managed to get closer to winning the English league after cruising past Middlesbrough on Monday. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side were another little step from the Premier League title after they crushed Middlesbrough 3-0 to move to within touching distance of glory.

Tottenham Hotspur's surprise defeat at West Ham United last week handed Chelsea the initiative and they can now seal a second title triumph in three years if they win at West Bromwich Albion on Friday.

“We're very close. We must be honest. But we need to do another little step and win another game,” Conte told reporters after Monday's match, which condemned Middlesbrough to relegation.

“For sure now I'm a bit relaxed. This step was big for us, a big win.

“Now we need to do another step. We have the possibility to do this on Friday against West Brom.

“For sure it won't be easy, because West Brom is a really good team, a physical team, and we must pay great attention.

“We are very close, but we need another step to become champions of the Premier League, which would be a fantastic achievement for us.”

While victory at West Brom will deliver the title, Chelsea also have home games against Watford and Sunderland in which to snare the three points they need to make it across the finish line.

Cesc Fabregas was Chelsea's match-winner, inventively creating goals for Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic either side of half-time at a festive Stamford Bridge.

Marcos Alonso also found the net in the first half.

Fabregas began the season on the bench after new signing N'Golo Kante took his place, but he has played an increasingly prominent role in recent weeks.

“Cesc is one of the best examples of our season,” Conte said.

“Because in this season, Cesc at the start didn't play a lot. And then through hard work, he improved a lot. And then he's playing in every game.

“This development of Cesc is our development, because we started the season with a lot of problems. But through hard work, together we found the right way.

“Cesc is showing (himself) to be a fantastic player and I'm pleased for him.

“I saw in this season that he put himself in this team in every moment, if he played or didn't play. Now he deserves this.”

Needing victory to stand a realistic chance of preserving their top-flight status, Boro succumbed to a defeat that sent them into the Championship alongside northeast rivals Sunderland.

Conte made a point of saluting Boro's travelling fans after the game.

“It's great to see a team that got relegated and to see the fans clapping the players and the players staying there to receive the applause and to clap the fans,” said the Italian.

“It's important to celebrate your win, but also to have great respect and clap this type of situation.

“Because I think this situation happens only in England. In Italy it's very, very difficult to see a team getting relegated and the players receive (applause).”

Boro manager Steve Agnew said his dressing room was “devastated”.

“We've worked so hard for a number of years to get back into the Premier League and we know how tough the Premier League is,” he said. “Obviously we've come up short.”

Agnew, who took over in a caretaker capacity after Aitor Karanka was sacked in March, would not be drawn on whether he would like the role on a permanent basis.

“I don't think it's about my situation. It's about the football club,” he said.

“We all know it's a Premier League football club in terms of everything about it – the supporters, the stadium, the training ground. The infrastructure is all there.

“So we have to finish the season strong. We have two games to go. We need to gain more points.

“And then everything moving forward will be towards getting Middlesbrough Football Club back into the Premier League as soon as possible.”

NAMPA/AFP

Brave Warriors get a biokineticist

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Brave Warriors get a biokineticist The Brave Warriors have enlisted the help of biokineticist Charl Botha to work on their fitness ahead of the football schedule that starts in June.

Botha, who has been working as a biokineticist for six years, is optimistic things will improve for the Brave Warriors ahead of their international assignments.

“Through some training techniques used during training, the players are at a high probability of injury, due to substantial loading.

“This comes off as a challenge and we try to avoid by engaging in dynamic warm-ups as well as strengthening and neuromuscular training, which helps awaken the players' muscles,” he said.

Botha said this type of training was a big mental shift for the players. Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti felt that the addition of Botha to the team was important to allow the technical team to concentrate on the tactical part of training.

“He joins us three times a week and he is adding value. He knows a lot in terms of player conditioning, muscle building and strengthening and that can help to bring our players to the competitive level we require,” Mannetti said.

Mannetti added that the Warriors were behind schedule with their training and April was all about working on their conditioning and diet.

“May is the month we work and work hard. I have kept all the last players of the training squad I had and we need to still work with them and only later, hopefully after two weeks, can we finalise a squad ready to compete,” Mannetti said.

SPORT REPORTER

Ohangwena kayi na omunambelewa gwoCRO uule womimvo mbali

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ohangwena kayi na omunambelewa gwoCRO uule womimvo mbali Momvula yo-2015, Elelo lyoshitopolwa shaHangwena olya ningi uukonaakono womapulaapulo opo ku vule okumonika omunambelewa gwoCRO opo kupingenepo Daniel Kashikola ngoka a ningi oshilyo shomutumba gwopaliamende oshowo omupeha minista gwOshikondo shOpolisi mo-2015.

Elelo okwa lopotwa lya ndopa okuya moonkundathana nOminista yEyambulepo lyOondoolopa nIitopolwa, Sophia Shaningwa sho lya ningi omagwedhelepo gomuulikwa gwawo.

Iilyo yelelo lyoshitopolwa shoka oya ningi omutumba naShaningwa mOmaandaha tayi pula omayele ge kutya otaya vulu okupula ngiini komeho.

Okwa lopotwa kutya Shaningwa oshowo Okomitiye yoPublic Service Commission oya tindi okutaambako omuulikwa gwelelo ndyoka, taya popi kutya elelo inali landula omilandu dhomondjila.

Konima yomapulaapulo okwa hololwa kutya elelo lyoshitopolwa olya gandjwa omuulikwa gawo kOkomisi yAaniilonga yEpangelo iikando iyali ihe okomisi ndjoka oya tindi ihe nonando ongaaka elelo lyoshitopolwa olya ndjiki oonyala mevi.

“Eeno oshili kutya otwa ningi omakonaakono gomapulaapulo omimvo mbali dha piti. Monena oshikumungu shika osha piyagana molwaashoka otwa manitha nale omapulaapulo na otwa ulike omuhogololwa gwetu ihe okomisi yaaniilonga yepangelo oye tu pe elombwelo opo tu ninge oshinima shimwe,” Ndawanifa ta ti.

“Oshinima shimwe oshoka kutya ompango yelelo lyiitopolwa otayi utha kutya omauliko gwomunambelewa gwoCRO ga ningwe mekwatathano nominista. Sho twa ningi euliko lyetu ina tu ninga ekwatathano nOminista yIitopolwa, Sophia Shaningwa, onkene itatu vulu okuya komeho nekuto miilonga lyomunambelewa ngoka, sigo minista a ningi etokolo yemwene.”

Ndawanifa okwa popi kutya shoka itashi ti oye na oontamanana pokati kelelo lyawo nokomisi yaaniilonga ihe oya pumbwa owala okutula pomahala iinima yilwe. Oshizemo shomutumba gwomOmaandaha kashi shiwike natango, namushanga muuministeli wIitopolwa, Daniel Nghidinwa, ina vula okupopya sha kombinga yomutumba ngoka gwa ningwa. Omunambelewa omukomeho nale gwomayakulo ga kwaluheke , Phillip Uusiku, oshowo Omukomeho gwoompangela, Fellep Shilongo, oyo ya kala taya longo pehala ndyoka.

ILENI NANDJATO

Ombala yaNdonga ya sindanapo oshipotha

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ombala yaNdonga ya sindanapo oshipothaOmupanguli otaka gandja omatompelo ge nena Eindilo lyomeendelelo ndyoka lya li lya ningwa mOmpangu yoPombanda kookansela yElelo lyaNdonga mboka ya kuthwa kiilonga olya ekelwahi. Eindilo ndyoka lya kwatelwa komeho kuJohn Walenga, moka ya pula opo ompangu yi ninge etokolo opo ya vule okukala taya mono omukwaniilwa gwawo Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, nokwiindika omunyekadhi gwaNdonga Sesilia Ndapandula Elifas a kale tiidhopo miikumungu yelelo lyoshilongo shoka oya ekelwahi.

Nonando opo ta gandja omatompelo getokolo lye nena, Omupanguli

Shafimana Uietele okwa popi kutya iilyo yelelo ndyoka mbyoka ya ningi eindilo ndyoka kayi na uuthemba okuninga eindilo ndyoka molwaashoka oya kuthwa miilonga.

Omukalelipo gwopaveta gwomunyekadhi, Elias Shikongo naSandra Miller, oya lombwele ompangu kutya oonakuinga eindilo ndyoka itaya vulu okuninga eindilo lyoludhi ndoka medhina lyElelo lyaNdonga molwaashoka ayehe oya tidhwa miilonga.

Oonakuninga eindilo oya pula opo ya vule okupewa epitikilo lyokukala taya yi mekwatathano nomukwaniilwa na oya pula woo opo omukwaniilwa a ningilwe omaakonaakono gopaali guunamiti opo ku talike ngele okuli tuu monkalo ta vulu okukwatela komeho elelo lyoshilongo shoka.

Omwedhi gwa piti, Elifas okwa kutha miilonga omunashipundi gwelelo lyaNdonga, Peter Kauluma, omupopiliko gwelelo ndyoka, Joseph Asino oshowo omalenga omanene ngaashi Walenga, Tonata Ngulu, Kashona Malulu, Joseph Akawa, Fillemon Nambili naVilho Kamanya.

Momukanda gweindilo ndyoka ya ningi, Walenga okwa popi kutya onkalo yuukolele womukwaniilwa oya nayipala noonkondo sigo oponkatu kutya ita vulu okwiisila oshisho yemwene.

Okwa popi kutya omukwaniilwa ota dhimbwa unene nomathimbo gamwe ita vulu okudhimbulula aapopepi naye . Okwa tsikile kutya oku na uumbanda kutya omukwaniilwa ota vulu okukala e li moshiponga shokukengelelwa omolwa uundjolowele we nelelo lyoshilongo shoka otali vulu okutekapo omolwa omaihumbato gomunyekadhi.

Okwa popi kombinga yiimuna yelelo ndyoka, ta gwedha po kutya molwaashoka kape na ngoka e na omwaalu kutya iimuna mbyoka oyi li ingapi nena iimuna otayi vulu okukala ya kana.

“Elelo oli li moshiponga molwaashoka omukwaniilwa ke na uukolele ye okwa kulupa na ota ikalekelwa okuza keyambidhidho lye lyelelo,” Walenga ta ti.

Omunyekadhi okwa tindi oohapu ndhoka, ta ti nonando omukwaniilwa ota monika a nika uunkundi ota gwanitha po iilonga ye. Okwa ekelehi natango omapopyo ga ningwa kuWalenga kutya etokolo lyokukutha miilonga ookansela yelelo ndyoka inali za komukwaniilwa. Momukanda moka omukwaniilwa a kutha miilonga ookansela mboka okwa ulike woo natango Ester Gwashamba Nepando onga elenga enene na okwa kutha oonkondo euliko lya Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo onga omulanduli gwe.

Momukanda gwe, omunyekadhi okwa tindi kutya Nangolo okwa ulikwa onga omulanduli gwomukwaniilwa na okwa gwedhwapo kutya Walenga pamwe nayakwawo oyo taya e ta etokopo melelo ndyoka.

JACQUELINE LOUW

Kudumo a ningi omuleli gUukwangali

May 9, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Kudumo a ningi omuleli gUukwangali Eugene Siwombe Kudumo mEtitano okwa tulwa koshipundi shuuleli wElelo lyoUkwangali Traditional Authority.

Etulo koshipundi lyaKudumo olya ningwa konima yoontamanana dhuule woomvula mbali ndhoka dha etitha nokuli oshikumungu shoka shi ye mompangu yopombada. Ekondjelo lyoshipundi shuulei wUukwangali olya landula eso lyomukwaniilwa nale Sitentu Daniel Mpasi mo- 2014.

Sha landula eso lyaMpasi, Kudumo okwa tulwa koshipundi onga omukwaniilwa mo-2015 molwaashoka oye a li omuulikwa gwaMpasi, ihe ope na ongundu yimwe ndjoka inayi nyanyukilwa euliko lye. Ongundu ndjoka oya popi kutya Kudumo okwa ulikwa inaku landulwa omilandu.

Oshikumungu shoka osha yi sigo omompangu yopombanda mo-2015 ndjoka ya kutha oonkondo euliko lyaKudumo ihe okwa tsikile nokula omulelo gwelelo ndyoka. Omwedhi gwa piti, ominista Sophia Shaningwa naye okwa kuthwa ombinga moshikumungu shoka ta popile ekutho koshipundi lyaKudumo ihe okwa li e mu shuna koshipundi konima yoowili 11.

Metitano Kudumo okwa ningi omukwaniilwa gUukwangali omuti-21.

Pethimbo lyoshipopiwa she Kudumo okwa pula aantu ayehe naye a kwatelwamo opo ya kaleke kokule omayooloko gawo omolwa uuwanawa waakwashigwana melelo lyUukwangali Traditional Authority.

“Otandi zimine kutya okwa kala omaupyakadhi gamwe melelo lyetu konima yeso lyOmukwaniilwa Sitentu Mpasi. Nonando ongaaka otandi pula aantu ayehe nangame ndiikwatelamo opo omayooloko getu tu ga kaleleke kokule muuwanawa welelo lyetu,” Kudumo ta ti.

Kudumo okwa pula ombili nelongelokumwe mokati koshigwana she nokuninga omauvaneko kutya ombelewa ye otayi kala ya patulukila kehe gumwe.

“Kehe omuleli okwa pumbwa aalanduli aawanawa opo ku vule okukondopekwa ongushu yomuleli naashoka osho nda tegelela melelo lyetu lyUukwangali. Onga omukwaniilwa gweni otandi uvaneke kutya otandi ka kwatela komeho aaalelwa yandje sigo oompoka puthike owino yandje,” Kudumo a popi.

Moshipopiwa shaminista Shaningwa, shoka sha leshwa pehala lye kuPhilip Tjerije omugandjimayele gwowina miikumungu yopamithigululwakalo, Shaningwa okwa popi kutya Kudumo onga omukwaniilwa gUukwangali oku na oshinakugwanithwa shokugamenena po nokukalelapo oompango dhomalelo gopamuthigululwakalo.

Moshipopiwa she Shaningwa okwa tothamo iinakugwanithwa niilonga yomukwaniilwa na okwa tsu omuthindo kutya omukwaniilwa na longele kumwe naalelwa ye opo ku yandwe iikolokosha.

“Ngoye Kudumo pamwe nelelo lyoye oshowo oshigwana omwa pumbwa okulongela kumwe opo mu gwanithepo nokukalekapo oompango dhelelo lyopamuthigululwakalo, pakuninga ngaaka otamu kaleke kokule oontamanana niikolokosha melelo. Aalelwa yoye oya tegelela elelo lyoye li tale koompumbwe dhawo nokuya kwatela komeho pashiholewa oshiwanawa. Oya tegelela wu kale omuhwahwameki gwombili nuukumwe mokati koshigwana shoye,” Shaningwa ta ti.

Shaningwa okwa pula woo ookansela yelelo lyUukwangali oshowo aaleli miitopolwa iyali yaKavango ya yambidhidhe Kudumo.

KENYA KAMBOWE