Geingob praises Cuba solidarity

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Geingob praises Cuba solidarity President Hage Geingob said Namibia as well as other African countries will continue to support all solidarity programmes with Cuba.

“Africa will continue to support the people of Cuba until the world witnesses the total elimination of economic and commercial limitations,” Geingob said yesterday during the official opening of the 5th Continental African Conference in Solidarity with Cuba in Windhoek.

The conference, which ends tomorrow, seeks to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the people of Cuba and its African counterparts.

In his address, Geingob spoke fondly of Cuba's contribution to Namibia's liberation struggle, adding that Africa and the Caribbean island continue to enjoy fraternal relations.

“Namibia and Cuba signed a number of agreements over the past several decades. In order to further enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the economic, scientific, technical, sport, education and health fields, Cuba and Namibia have established a joint commission for cooperation which is responsible for the identification of bilateral cooperation programmes,” Geingob said.

“Namibia's hosting of this important conference constitutes another platform to further strengthen the friendship and solidarity among our respective nations. This conference I trust, will lead to development of a common African strategy in terms of support to Cuba, during this difficult time due to economic blockade.”

Geingob believes the conference will be a step forward for the consolidation of the solidarity movements with Cuba and African countries.

Namibia is the fifth nation to host the Africa-Cuba solidarity conference. The first conference took place in South Africa in 1995 and it was chaired by the late statesman Nelson Mandela. In 1997, Ghana hosted the conference while Angola followed suit in 2010. In 2012, the conference was moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.



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Fishermen lodge complaint with ILO

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Fishermen lodge complaint with ILOAllege conflict of interest Despite the protracted industrial action and amendments to the labour law, workers say conditions at sea have worsened. Striking fishermen have lodged a complaint with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) accusing the Namibian government and fishing companies of forced labour and other human rights violations.

The workers, who have organised themselves as the United Fishermen of Namibia, gave the ILO notice in February of their intent to lay a formal complaint.

The complaint was made on 30 May.

The fishermen have been striking since October 2015 alleging gross irregular labour practices by fishing companies and unsafe environments.

President Hage Geingob has previously sympathised with the striking workers and after labour commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja met with industry players, amendments were made to the Labour Act which stipulate that fishermen shall not work more than nine hours and not more than five hours overtime per day.

Chairperson and spokesman of the United Fishermen of Namibia, Mathew Lungameni, on Monday said working conditions have not changed since the amendment to the labour law.

The fishermen call the amendments to the labour law an “eye-blind”, a ruse, to deceive the international community and the ILO.

“The situation has worsened,” claimed Lungameni, saying scab workers that have temporarily replaced the striking fishermen are working with no benefits and are forced to work under conditions likened to the former contract labour system and worsening health standards.

Lungameni said these scab workers are forced to work 21 to 36 consecutive hours per shift, that no improvements were made in safety and other employment conditions, and that the temporary workers still do not get overtime and night allowances as referred to in the amended Labour Act.

He said the fishing companies have also in the meantime employed unqualified safety personnel. Worse still, the protracted industrial action has taken its toll on the personal lives of the striking workers. Eighteen of the striking workers have since died.

Two of these were suicides.

Many cannot afford their lives anymore.

Namibia is a co-signatory to the ILO Convention, which among others stipulate that the state “shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people”.



'It is a legal strike'

The workers maintain that their strike is legal because they have acted within their rights to withhold their labour due to unsafe working conditions.

They accuse the government of having acted as a “neutral arbiter” between the striking workers and fishing companies instead of enforcing compliance with the labour law.

This, they say, is because of clear conflict of interest because many government leaders and officials are shareholders in the fishing sector.

Lungameni said this has the effect that workers' demands for greater safety and better working conditions are being ignored by the government.



Catherine Sasman

Murder suspects want judge to recuse himself

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Murder suspects want judge to recuse himself The legal shenanigans continue unabated in the murder trial of André Heckmaier as the two accused now want the recusal of the presiding judge in the matter.

Marcus Thomas, who from the near fatal attempt to escape from custody to an unsuccessful application to have him declared unfit to stand trial due to a suspected head injury after falling from the security fence of the Windhoek Correction Facility, now wants Judge Christie Liebenberg to recuse himself from the proceedings.

He stated that he filed, with a heavy heart, the application for the recusal of the presiding judge after deep introspection and consideration of the further conduct of the trial against him and his co-accused Kevin Donnell Townsend.

Liebenberg, after conclusions drawn by a panel of psychiatrists made a finding in the application to determine whether Thomas is fit to stand trial, that he was indeed capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act in respect of the charges and that he acted in accordance with an appreciation of the wrongfulness of his actions.

Thomas, in a sworn statement prepared and read on his behalf by his lawyer Kadhila Amoomo, has issues with this finding and understands that when objectively viewed that it has the meaning that he is capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of the acts.

According to Thomas, there was no enquiry made as to whether he had indeed acted.

“I have always denied this and I am surprised that the judge arrived at his conclusion when there was no factual enquiry made to establish that I acted,” he observed.

He maintained that the court therefore pre-judged the issue without first ensuring that a factual enquiry was conducted and denied that such a factual enquiry was conducted.

Thomas observed that this amounts to an irregularity vitiating the fairness of the proceedings and added that he was denied an opportunity to challenge any presentation that he acted.

He stated the presentation only emanated from expert witnesses in the form of psychiatrists and psychologists.

“All the witnesses who testified so far did not establish with facts that I acted wrongfully and which action constituted an offence,” he argued.

He emphasised that the court was not entitled to rule on the issue without a factual enquiry and that the continuation of the presiding officer with this trial under these circumstances referred to gross and vitiating irregularities which will make his trial partial.

“I have therefore reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of the presiding judge and have no choice but to apply for his recusal,” he concluded.

He stressed that he is afraid that the impartiality of the court has been compromised and that he will not be afforded conspicuous impartiality.

“I am afraid that justice will not be seen to be done should Liebenberg continue to preside over my case wherein I am facing serious charges,” he stated.

State Advocate Antonia Verhoef argued the court did not make a finding that Thomas committed the acts as stipulated in the indictment.

The court was aware of the fact that the finding of two psychiatrists is not based on a conclusion by them that he committed the acts.

She said by citing the psychiatrists' findings that Thomas can understand and appreciate the concept of wrongfulness does not mean the court did prejudged the matter. Liebenberg reserved judgement to 3 July.



FRED GOEIEMAN

Maize imports halted

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Maize imports halted Namib Mills says maize imports for its Otavi mills stopped on 1 June this year in compliance with the market agreement.

According to the spokesperson of Namib Mills, Ashante Mannetti, the Namibian borders are closed for imports of maize on 1 May each year, provided there is sufficient local maize.

Mannetti said the local harvest is, however, late this year and import permits are still being issued on a monitored basis to millers.

This is to ensure that they have maize available for milling for them to be able to supply the market with maize meal.

According to her, during May, only 2 135 tonnes of local maize had been delivered to the silos in Otavi while the average tonnage milled per month is 3 040.

“This arrangement is therefore crucial for food security,” said Mannetti.

She was responding to questions from Namibian Sun regarding a complaint from a local producer who had said producers were unable to deliver maize to the mills at Otavi because of storage limitations due to an anticipated increase of maize from the north this year.

The producer claimed that maize is still being imported from South Africa while local maize harvests have to be moved to Windhoek.

Mannetti said that this complaint was based on incorrect information and it was addressed by the Agronomic Producers' Association to the complainant's satisfaction.

“Namib Mills has never refused producers access to the company's silos, provided that the conditions of the marketing agreement are adhered to.” According to her, storage capacity in Otavi is 17 640 tonnes. Namib Mills' allocation of maize harvested from the northern areas is about 27 500 tonnes.

“The discrepancy in storage space will be absorbed by milling activities in Otavi and Windhoek during the intake of the harvest which will last until the end of August.”

She also said temporary storage space is also available by means of silo bags (capacity of 170 tonnes each) in years of bumper harvests.

This concept was implemented in 2011/12 and it will be used again this year.

Mannetti further explained that because the allocated intake of maize in Otavi exceeds the tonnage used by the mills, part of the intake calculated at 60% has to be relocated to Windhoek for milling.

In accordance with the marketing agreement between the maize producers and the millers, the producer price is fixed as a mill door price.

Producers therefore have to pay the transport charges for this relocation from Otavi to Windhoek.

According to the latest crop survey done in March, the expected maize delivery from Namibian is about 69 144 tonnes while the estimated consumption for the country is about 150 000 tonnes.



ELLANIE SMIT

The night of the inferno

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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The night of the infernoTrucker fighting for life after blaze engulfed lorry A trucker is battling for his life and another is still reported missing after a horror blaze at the weekend. The small gap in the curtain of his sleeping cabin in his truck burnt a bright orange as he woke abruptly from his sleep.

Then came the flames.

In his pyjamas, he fled the horse of his truck running into the dark towards the service station to seek help and then, everything was in flames.

Over the weekend, Luka Kabwe, one of the surviving truck drivers of Friday night's inferno just outside Usakos, sat down for an interview. Kabwe is unharmed but Lisias Amukushu, a Grindrod Fuel Logistics tanker is badly burned and in ICU in Windhoek.

The third driver, possibly a Zambian national is missing and may be burnt to death in his truck.

The fire started just before 20:00 on Friday night.

Kabwe is a Zambian national and hails from Lusaka. All that remained of this truck was one tyre, still smouldering, and the steel frame.

On Friday night, three 18-wheeler trucks were parked on the B2, outside Usakos, to spend the night. Kabwe's truck was empty, another truck, also hailing from Zambia, was taking a load of maasbanker fish to that country and a third, a petrol tanker.

By Saturday morning, all three trucks lay in a pile of ash, soot and burnt metal. The fire burned high and drew much attention and traffic was halted until it had burned down sufficiently for one lane to be opened.

While talking to Kabwe on Saturday morning, he was still awaiting the arrival of the police that had already launched an investigation.

It is estimated that losses will amount to millions of dollars. The cause of the fire is however, still unknown.

Kabwe said he had been parked at the spot for a week, waiting for a new compressor.

“The compressor arrived on Friday and today [Saturday], small adjustments were due to be made. I was to leave for Walvis Bay to collect a load of maasbanker fish for the Zambian market,” he said.

“While I was sleeping, the two other trucks arrived. I only heard the one but at the time of the fire, I saw there was another truck also parked where we were.”

He says that he thought the fire had started in the 'middle' truck, the one carrying maasbanker fish. The wind, he said, carried the flames to his truck and then, it spread to the tanker which he says was the cause of the explosions heard and seen.

“I ran to the service station to get help but even with emergency services on the scene, nothing could be done and nothing could be saved. Now I am alone,” Kabwe said, as he looked at the police officer guarding the area which was demarcated. “I lost everything in my cabin, my things, my passport, travel documents and permits. I suppose when the police are finished here, they will help me to get the necessary papers so I can go home. Namibia is good to me but I miss my people.”



Des & Anneli Erasmus

Otjimbingwe farm dispute escalates

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Otjimbingwe farm dispute escalatesMining company says it has nothing to do with the dispute Small-scale farmers settled on the piece of land have been given eviction notices despite an earlier agreement that it would be incorporated into the communal area. The Tsoaxudaman Traditional Authority has not yet relinquished its battle for Farm Okongava No. 72 in the Erongo Region that has reportedly been awarded to the private company !Huni-/Urib Investments that plans to mine lithium on the land.

It is not clear exactly when the Ministry of Land Reform allocated the farm to !Huni-/Urib Investments as there were no public notifications on this since the farm was advertised for resettlement purposes in January 2016.

Similarly, the lands ministry remained silent on questions put to it regarding the matter.

Nevertheless, 28 families that the traditional authority had settled on the farm since 2015 have all been served with eviction orders by the attorney-general's office in March.

The eviction letters to the small farmers do not bear any government stamp, but they have been accused of occupying the farm illegally and were given 30 days to vacate the land.



Background

The government bought Farm Okongava from former Windhoek mayor Björn von Finkenstein in early 2014.

In January 2014 the Erongo governor Cleophas Mutjavikua wrote to former lands minister Alpheus !Naruseb to request that Farm Otjiuua No. 37 be added to the Otjimbingwe communal area, which is the smallest communal area in the country.

In April 2014 !Naruseb wrote that Farm Otjiuua No. 37 was advertised for possible allotment to prospective resettlement applicants and offered Farm Okongava No. 72 measuring 15 160 hectares as an alternative “for the expansion of the Otjimbingwe area”.

In August 2015 the new lands minister Utoni Nujoma strengthened the assurance that the farm would be allocated for the extension of the Otjimbingwe communal area.

Then, he wrote to Mutjavikua in a letter dated 10 August 2015 that the ministry was in the “final stages of processing the request” that the farm be incorporated into Otjimbingwe.

Nujoma wrote that the ministry was “still seized with the technical processes required to ensure the incorporation of the farm into the said communal area”.

“It is envisaged that once finalised this farm will benefit the community of Otjimbingwe through alleviating the grazing pressure and allow general population decongestion of the aforesaid communal area. It is also the thinking of the ministry that this farm be allocated to successful farmers and those with a large number of livestock from Otjimbingwe area to address the challenges associated with the prevailing grazing and carrying capacity circumstances,” Nujoma wrote.

In this same letter Nujoma wrote that the farm would not be advertised when the processes were finalised.

With this undertaking the Tsoaxudaman authority started to settle small farmers on 900-hectare portions of Farm Okongava since August 2015.

The Tsoaxudaman authority therefore reacted with shock and outrage when the lands ministry advertised Farm Okongava No. 72 for resettlement for large and small stock farming purposes in January 2016.



Begging

The Tsoaxudaman authority then wrote various letters to Nujoma, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and Mutjavikua, and sought an audience with President Hage Geingob as well as the Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Zephania Kameeta, who hails from Otjimbingwe.





The Tsoaxudaman authority has formally requested that the farm be incorporated into the Otjimbingwe communal area and pleaded with Nujoma to withdraw the advertisement.

In January 2016 Mutjavikua also wrote a letter to Geingob in which he said the “regional leadership” was “experiencing a serious lack of cooperation with the Ministry of Land Reform to bring about an amicable solution on land-related matters including this issue of Okongava”.

Mutjavikua added that the “mutual agreement” reached with !Naruseb was “totally disregarded” by the ministry.



U-turns

A senior traditional councillor of the Tsoaxudaman authority said Mutjavikua's stance has since then changed dramatically.

“From the outset we have had a very good working relationship with governor Mutjavikua,” said senior councillor of the Tsoaxudaman authority, Jonathan Neumbo. “We got on well with the governor up until a point when things started to happen.”

Mutjavikua has since publicly stated that the Tsoaxudaman chiefs have settled “people from the street” onto Farm Okongava.



!Huni-/Urib Investments

“Before anything gets messed up [or misunderstood] the farm belongs to the government,” commented one of the shareholders and directors of !Huni-/Urib Investments, Thomas Mushimba.

Mushimba, a cousin of Nujoma, denied that !Huni-/Urib Investments is occupying the entire 15 000 hectares of Farm Okongava, saying it is currently occupying only a “small area” that used to be part of the “old farm” where a former mining enterprise, Rubikon Mine, was located.

“No-one was allocated the farm. Everyone there was illegal. Before we came in there was a dispute. It has nothing to do with us,” said Mushimba.

Mushimba, however, did say that !Huni-/Urib Investments is “negotiating” with the government to find a solution for the evicted small-scale farmers.

One possible solution he contemplated out loud is the possibility of the company buying an alternative farm and hand this over to the government for possible occupation by the evicted farmers.

!Huni-/Urib, which means “gold” in Damara/Nama, belongs to a consortium, said Mushimba.

According to the company records at the Registrar of Companies, Mushimba and Swakopmund-based businessman Mark Erwin Welthagen are equal shareholders in !Huni-/Urib Investments.

The other director of !Huni-/Urib Investments is South African national Gert Nell.

Other directors who have resigned in February are Ivo Alberto Fernandes de Gouveira and Uwe Heinz Bachmann.

Mushimba and Nell are directors of a company called Desert Lion Energy Inc., which is owned by !Huni-/Urib Investments, and which runs the “Rubikon lithium project in Namibia”.

According to a company brochure of Desert Lion Energy, Mushimba forms part of the Namibian management team and is “assisting with logistics and management of government and social relations”.

Nell has 18 years of experience in the mining industry with a “proven track record of metallurgical processing, innovation and project delivery in Namibia and around the world”.

On the same brochure under the title “support from Namibian government” Mushimba and Tim Johnston (president and CEO of Desert Lion Energy) pose on a photo with former President Sam Nujoma during a visit to the founding president in the middle of February.

What is to become of the small farmers is not yet clear. They have, however, vowed not to leave the matter unchallenged.



CATHERINE SASMAN

Namibian drug mule arrested in Brazil

June 5, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Namibian drug mule arrested in Brazil Another young Namibian woman has been arrested in Brazil for drug trafficking.

Details about the incident are still sketchy but police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi yesterday confirmed to Namibian Sun that the woman was arrested on 24 May at the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil.

Dedre Anzell Strauss, who is in her early 30s, was arrested at the airport for being in possession of cocaine.

Kanguatjivi could, however, not confirm the amount of cocaine that she was carrying with her.

He said that Strauss left Namibia on 17 May on a South African Airways flight and was on her way back from Brazil on 24 May.

It is alleged that she left the country with her boyfriend who hails from Brazil.

This arrest follows barely a month after a 33-year-old Namibian woman was arrested for smuggling cocaine into South Africa from Brazil.

In this incident Lena de Waal was arrested at the end of April at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg travelling from Sao Palo in Brazil.

The South African Hawks discovered 5kg of cocaine to the value of N$2 million, which was concealed and wrapped in foil hidden inside her luggage.

According to Kanguatjivi, De Waal is married to an Angolan.

Kanguatjivi yesterday issued a stern warning to young women not to fall victim to unscrupulous foreigners who recruit them as drug mules.

He pointed out that these incidents of Namibian women being used in these crimes are becoming more and more common.





“I want to warn these women not to fall prey to these sugar-coated stories. If you are arrested in a country like Brazil with drugs you will sit for a very long time,” he said.

In January it was also reported that 28kg of ecstasy and cocaine, estimated at more than R8 million, was intercepted at the O.R. Tambo International Airport.

A sniffer dog had reacted positively to a shipment that came from Sao Paulo via Johannesburg which was in transit to Windhoek.

Twelve containers of cream were confirmed to contain 15kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth N$4 315 500.

A few years ago seven Namibian women were arrested for the possession of drugs in Brazil and were held in prisons in Sao Paolo at that time.

The women were all between the ages of 20 and 40, and were arrested during the course of 2011.

The women were allegedly trying to take the drugs out of that country for destinations in southern Africa.

At that time police said Namibian women were being used as drug couriers (mules) after they were recruited by foreign drug dealers operating in Namibia and neighbouring South Africa.

According to an article about drug mules in prison in Brazil, the international airport at Sao Paulo is the main exit point for drug mules carrying cocaine.

Many of the women in prison for drug trafficking have never committed a crime before and if caught they face sentences up to 15 years in jail, with the right of two phone calls a year.

The article says that traffickers are skilled in identifying desperate and vulnerable women and promise them that nothing will go wrong, but many times before they even reach the airport an anonymous phone call is placed to the police by the same people who employed them to carry the drugs.



ELLANIE SMIT

Mburumba Kerina’s wife dies

June 6, 2017, 10:33 am

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Mburumba Kerina’s wife dies Naomi Kerina, the wife of veteran politician Mburumba Kerina, has died.
President of the DTA of Namibia, McHenry Venaani announced this in the National Assembly this afternoon.
Kerina died on Monday.
Details on the cause of death were not disclosed.
Mburumba Kerina is a well-known Namibian politician who played a key role in naming Namibia.
Reading a short message conveyed by President Hage Geingob on the passing of Kerina’s wife, Speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi wished Kerina strength during this difficult time.
Mburumba and Naomi Kerina got married on 6 May 2017 at Okomumbonde in the Omaheke Region.

NAMPA

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JJD ridicules NPL dissolution plan

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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JJD ridicules NPL dissolution planFormer chairman finally speaks out Nearly five months after resigning from his position as Namibia Premier League (NPL) chairman, Johnny 'JJD' Doeseb has criticised some of the ideas clubs have. Former Namibia Premier League (NPL) chairman Johnny Doeseb is appealing to the clubs not to continue with the dissolution plan they have.

Namibian Sun yesterday caught up with the man who decided to step down from the chair in February.

At the time of his resignation, Doeseb cited his decision to leave the league as due to the insults and abuse he got from certain individuals in the football fraternity.

This was after the Namibia Premier League under the stewardship of Doeseb failed to start after failing to secure a sponsorship.

Since his departure, the league has been tainted with scandal and confusion, after the interim committee was replaced by an NFA ad hoc committee.

The commotion in the NPL was followed by a call to dissolve the league from some of the biggest clubs in the country.

African Stars, Olrando Pirates and Tigers have been plotting to table a motion to dissolve the league at a general assembly of a date still to be announced.

However, Doeseb fears that this will have further implications on the already troubled NPL.

In fact, the former chairman is urging all 16 clubs to united and work on the constitution of the league.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Namibian Sun for the first time since resigning, Doeseb said: “I thought that things would get better after I resigned.

“People said I was the obstacle and so I was forced to believe that things will finally kick-off once I am gone.

“I was wrong because football matters have now worsened since I left office.

“Personally, as a football lover, I do strongly believe that dissolving the Namibia Premier League is not the best of options.”

Doeseb is encouraging all the football club owners to act maturely by accepting that they have all failed football.

“People are at each other's throats just because of power, but it is actually at the expense of Namibian football,” he said.

He admitted that what has happened over the years has brought football to the knees.

“This has actually been a bad thing which can have a positive outcome if all people can unite.

“Firstly, clubs must advocate for the league to start in August, and also collectively fix the NPL constitution. “After this, the clubs must hold an elective meeting whereby new leaders must emerge.

“After having all the structures in place with legitimate leaders, now they can go look for sponsors.”

Doeseb felt that the State House and NFA will not be able to solve the league's problems like the clubs themselves can do.

He called on the football players union to avoid being mixed up in the quarrels between leaders of the NPL and NFA.

“All stakeholders must now rebuild a positive image of football by not getting involved in petty issues with football leaders.

“The thing about everyone trying to play boss will definitely be the end of our football.”

As for his personal life, Doeseb remarked that he was relaxed and able to spend time with his family and focus on his business.

“The economic situation in the country has not been good for business, but we are steadily recovering.”

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Jones not swayed by losses

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Jones not swayed by losses The Windhoek Draught Welwitschias coach Lyn Jones is adamant that the development plan of the team will succeed despite the losses they have suffered.

The Welwitschias suffered at the hands of the Vodacom Blue Bulls last weekend in a one-sided Super Sport Rugby Challenge match and will now meet the Xerox Lions on Saturday at the Hage Geingob Stadium in the second leg of their challenge.

In their first encounter with the Lions, the team went down 112-14 but Jones said that the team has their eyes on the ball as fitness is improving as players have realised what is at stake.

Jones said that the supporters will have the opportunity to see new players come to the foray as close to 15 senior players will not be available for the weekend's match due to the fact that they will be participating in the World Rugby Nations Cup qualifiers in Uruguay on the same day.

He said that the team was disappointed by last weekend's game but that there are many positive aspects to the game too. “Young players made their debut and this enables us as coaches and players to gel as a team. He also said that their approach will focus more on starting the game strong and ending it in the same manner.

“Our plan is always to win a game, how to execute it, is the challenge. We understand the task at hand and will continue to keep the spirits up as we are determined to improve each and every time,” Jones said.

He further said that confidence is the key to winning games. “We need to work hard, believe in ourselves and make each and every player better for the future.”

Jones also responded to statements made by some coaches from South Africa that the Welwitschias are giving their teams in the rugby challenge a false sense of winning due to the fact that they have lost most of their games and just won one against the Valke. “In a match, the opponent gives the team a 5% push to excel and if that is not there than they haven't achieved anything. With us it's about keeping our heads up and working hard. We don't give any team false hope. Each game is different and because of that each strategy is different,” he said.



Limba Mupetami

Seaflower aids hockey enthusiasts

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Seaflower aids hockey enthusiasts The Namibia Hockey Union (NHU) and Seaflower Group of Companies successfully conducted coaching clinics for coaches and children of primary schools in Lüderitz over the weekend.

Four coaches from the two primary schools received basic training in hockey from the NHU and thereafter were able to teach basic hockey skills to about 40 learners that participated in the event.

Seaflower, which partnered with NHU, donated hockey sticks and balls to the value of N$9 200 to the two primary schools, namely Nautilus and Helene van Rijn after they attended the coaching course. The equipment will enable the learners to acquire training and to hone their skills in the game.

Since 2015 the NHU has conducted coaching clinics to schools in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, Mariental, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, and now also Lüderitz.

Erwin Haindura, coach of the senior women's indoor national team said that the coaching course was successful in its quest to engage youngsters and to get them interested in playing hockey.

Haindura also said that the fishing company not only donated equipment to schools, but is also the official sponsor of the senior women's indoor hockey national team that will compete at the upcoming Indoor African Cup of Nations scheduled for 23 to 25 June at the Dome in Swakopmund.

He further added that the NHU will conduct more coaching clinics this year in Omaruru, Outjo and Oshakati, and that the course will be sponsored by Bank Windhoek.



Limba Mupetami

Extending the game

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Extending the gameBasketball experts team up The Namibian Basketball Federation has developed grassroots programmes in the north in order to create interest amongst the youth. The Namibian Basketball Federation (NBF) has joined hands with basketball experts in the north, and developed a national plan which focuses on training coaches and officials to grow the game locally.

Pondo Nailenge and Paul Isernhike, with the help of Manuel Carballo, Malakia Matias and Ramah Mumba from NBF, came up with the initiative to start programmes in the northern regions and to establish a committee for basketball development.

The committee has shown impressive growth despite the fact that many youngsters still need to get used to playing basketball. Pondo Nailenge, who lives in Ongwediva, serves as the committee chairman and development officer of the northern region while Paul Isernhinke, a volunteer from Germany, holds the position of acting coordinator. Nailenge lamented that the committee is still in need of assistance. “Facilities and equipment are the two biggest issues that the team has to deal with even though NBF has worked hard this year in ensuring that basketball is not only played in Khomas, it's now developed in other regions too.”

He said that they are excited with this new move and are willing to follow the plans they have set up. “We hope to get more support and funds in order for us to grow the programmes and get more coaches, as the north has the most potential to produce good basketball players.”

“Ongwediva was deemed best as the heart of basketball for the north mainly because the most interest was shown there.

Basketball facilities are scarce at the moment but thanks to the help of the GIZ, the court at the Volumbula Vocational Training Centre has been renovated,” said Andrew Masungo, the president of NBF.

Another project being worked on is the Oshana Basketball Academy which is similar to the successful Windhoek-based programme, BAS foundation.

“The academy's aim - just like that of the BAS Foundation - will be to focus on education, life skills and basketball as an everyday after-school programme,” Masungo said.

Masungo further added that the open programme is only available for rookies at the moment hence the team aims to expand it to a junior level in the future.



Limba Mupetami

Chinese 'sack race' claims coaches

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Chinese 'sack race' claims coachesLeague surrounded by violence More than a third of teams in the 16-strong Super League have been affected in a season which has also been rocked by claims of racism and violence. High expectations in the big-spending Chinese Super League have triggered a spate of departures, with six coaches shown the door in the space of just one month.

Jiangsu Suning, who have slumped to 15th in the table after finishing second last year, are the biggest club involved after Choi Yong-Soo departed last week.

Beijing Guoan, Tianjin Teda, Guizhou Zhicheng Chongqing Lifan and Changchun Yatai have also parted ways with their coaches in recent weeks.

It comes as the Super League enjoys unprecedented visibility, broadcasting in Britain and other countries under a new TV deal and featuring several big stars including Oscar and Carlos Tevez.

Chinese teams smashed the Asian transfer record five times in 12 months after President Xi Jinping signalled his desire to turn China into a football power.

Mark Dreyer, founder of the China Sports Insider website, said the managerial turmoil reflected the rising ambitions of Chinese clubs.

“In the English Premier League, there's always the managerial sack race - who's going to get sacked first?” Dreyer told AFP.

“This is just another global football trend that has come to China.

“The fact is that when you have clubs spending a lot of money, the pressure is on for them to perform, and inevitably in football, it's the managers that get the responsibility.”

The sudden influx of well-paid foreign players has also created teething problems this season with two of them, Hulk and Ezequiel Lavezzi, accused of racism.

Shanghai SIPG's Hulk was investigated over an alleged racially motivated assault on a rival team's coach, a claim both he and his club deny.

Lavezzi also caused a storm when publicity photos emerged of him pulling back the corners of his eyelids in a 'slant-eyed' pose.

The managerial sackings come halfway through the season and as China approaches its summer transfer window, meaning any new coach has an opportunity to hire players and start rebuilding his team.

However, they may find their spending limited after China levied a 100 percent tax on transfer fees for loss-making clubs, in a bid to reign in player purchases.

Seventh-placed Beijing Guoan showed Portuguese coach Jose Gonzalez the door after they lost to Chongqing Lifan on Friday, their fifth defeat of the season.

“Right now the team is going through its most difficult period but we are confident that we can quickly get back on track,” the club said, announcing the dismissal.

Jia Xiuquan of Henan Jianye, meanwhile, quit to “assume responsibility” for his team's poor ranking after 12 rounds.

Henan are 14th in the table, just above second-to-last Jiangsu Suning - whose owners, Suning Commerce Group, also bankroll Italy's Inter Milan.

South Korea's Choi decided to “terminate his contract in advance”, according to Jiangsu, less than a year after he took the reins.

His departure was announced came last Thursday, one day after Jiangsu's AFC Champions League exit at the hands of Shanghai SIPG.

Choi, who has gone back to his old team FC Seoul, said foreign coaches were not entirely to blame for their Chinese teams' failings.

“Chinese players' understanding (of football) is relatively weak” despite the clubs' high-quality facilities and coaching staff, he said, according to the South China Morning Post.

“If you use the same tactics, Korean players will carry it out 85% of the time, but Chinese players will only carry it out less than 60% of the time, and that makes it hard for foreign coaches to display their ability.”

NAMPA/AFP

Lions bank on order

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Lions bank on order The British and Irish Lions are hoping the 'chaos' of the training ground will bring about the improvement they need to beat the world champions All Blacks in the three-test series, backs coach Rob Howley said on Tuesday.

The Lions face the Auckland Blues in their second tour match on Wednesday and will be desperate to put down a marker after a laboured 13-7 victory over a New Zealand Barbarians side made up largely of semi-professionals last weekend.

Howley, an assistant coach on the last two Lions tours, said the key to the success of the campaign would be in getting the players to the point where they were able to make good decisions on the fly.

“It's a work in progress,” the Welshman told reporters in Auckland. “While we're obviously still working on our foundations, we want to have a framework whereby players have the ability to play what's in front of them.

“Rugby is dictated by speed of ball, by numbers in the defensive line, and it's important we are able to adapt and play what we see.

“One thing which the players have enjoyed, we call it rugby chaos, 15 against 15, it's really unstructured. We're all aware of the pace of the game in the southern hemisphere, and it's important we get up to speed as quickly possible.”

Howley said it was not just having to play a game four days after landing in New Zealand that had led to such a poor performance in Whangarei, suggesting the wet weather and a couple of other factors had played their parts.

“Sometimes enthusiasm, the excitement of wearing that Lions jersey, sometimes that brings anxiety,” said the 2001 Lion.

“Some of it is down to that and some of it is straightforward unforced errors. And we need to improve on that.”

The Lions, who are aiming to give all 41 members of the squad a chance to play for their place in the test side, will put out a completely different starting side on Wednesday at Eden Park.

“We want to be clinical, we want to be relentless in our processes, we want to be ruthless because in a couple of weeks' time we're playing the most ruthless team in world rugby,” Howley said.

“We have to keep hold of the ball and put the defence under pressure.

“It's obviously going to be a step up, we're well aware of that.”

NAMPA/REUTERS

Omukiintu OmuNamibia a kwatwa niingangamithi moBrazil

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Omukiintu OmuNamibia a kwatwa niingangamithi moBrazil Omukiintu omunyasha OmuNamibia okwa tulwa miipandeko moBrazil sho a adhika niingangaithi.

Uuyelele kombinga yetulo miipandeko ndyoka inawu zamo natango ihe omunambelewa Omupopiliko gwOpolisi yaNamibia, Omupeha Komufala Edwin Kanguatjivi okwa koleke koNamibian Sun kutya omukiintu ngoka okwa tulwa miipandeko momasiku 24 Mei moSao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport moBrazil.

Dedre Anzell Strauss, ngoka e li moomvula dhe dho-30 okwa tulilwa miipandeko pokapale komatukodhila sho a adhika niingangamithi.

Kanguatjivi ina vula okuholola kutya okwa adhika niingangamithi yongushu yi thike pamwe. Okwa popi kutya Strauss okwa thigi po Namibia momasiku 17 gaMei noSouth African Airways na okwa li molweendo lwe okugalukila kegumbo sho a tulwa miipandeko.

Otaku popiwa kutya moNamibia okwa zi mo nohonda ye ndjoka yi li omukwashigwana gwaBrazil.

Etulo miipandeko ndika olya landula ndyoka lya ningwa konima yomwedhi gumwe sho omunamimvo 33 a tulwa miipandeko sho a adhika niingangamithi moSouth Afrika okuza koBrazil.





Lena de Waal okwa tulwa miipandeko pehulilo lyaApilili pokapale kaO.R. Tambo International Airport moJohannesburg omanga a li molweendo okuza koSao Palo moBrazil.

Omukiintu ngoka okwa adhika nookilograma ntano dhococaine dhongushu yomiliyona 2.

Pahapu dhaKanguatjivi, De Waal okwa hokanwa komukwashigwana gwaAngola.

Kanguatjivi okwa kunkilile aakiintu kaya ninge iihakanwa yaazaizai mboka taye ya tula mongeshefa ndjoka.

Okwa popi kutya iiningwanima mbyoka otayi londo pombanda moshilongo naakiintu aanyasha otaya ningi iihakanwa.

MuJanuari okwa lopotwa ookg 28 dhiingangamithi dhongushu yoomiliyona 8 ya kwatwako pokapale kaO.R. Tambo International Airport.

Natango iingangamithi yoo 15kg yongushu yo N$4 315 500 oya kwatwako.

Oomvula dha piti, aakiintu AaNamibia yaheyali oya tulwa miipandeko sho ya adhika niingangamihi moBrazil na oyali ya tulwa moondholongo dhaSao Paolo.

Aakiintu mboka oyoomvula dhili pokati ko-20 no 40 naayehe oya tulwa miipandeko mo-2011.

Aakiintu oyendji aanyasha otaya gwile moshiponga shokulongithwa onga aatutili yiingangamithi miilongo yomuumbugantu waAfrika moka poompito odhindji haya tulwa miipandeko nokupewa omageelo gondholongo dhoomvula okuya sigo opo-15.

ELLANIE SMIT

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E li monkalo yanayipala sha landula oshiponga shomulilo

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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E li monkalo yanayipala sha landula oshiponga shomuliloKakushiwike shoka sha etitha omulilo Omuhingi gweloli okwa lopotwa ta kondjo nomwenyo gwe omanga mukwawo a kana sha landula oshiponga shomulilo shoka sha hwikepo omaloli gatatu mehuliloshiwike. Mehuliloshiwike, Luka Kabwe, gumwe gwomaalumentu mboka ya hupu moshiponga shomulilo shoka sha holoka ongulohi yEtitano pondje yaUsakos okwa ningi oonkundathana noshifokundaneki shika. Kabwe okwa hupa na ina mona oshiponga omanga Lisias Amukushu, a pi nayi na okuli monkalo ya nayipala moICU moshipangelo mOvenduka.

Omuhingi gweloli omutitatu ngoka kwa lopotwa kutya omukwashigwana gwaZambia ke wetike sha landula oshiponga shoka na otaku fekelwa kutya okwa yi ontuku okuza pehala lyoshiponga nenge okwa pila moshiponga shoka.

Omulilo nguka ogwa tukuka ongulohi yEtitano lyopotundi -20:00. Kabwe okuli omukwashigwana gwaZambia a za koLusaka naashoka sha hupupo peloli lye elola owala.

Ongulohi yEtitano omaloli gomalola o-18 oga li ga kankama mondjila yoB2, pondje yondoolopa yaUsakos.

Ololi yaKabwe kaya li yi na sha omanga omaloli omakwawo ga za nako koZambia yimwe oyali tayi fala oohi omanga okwawo oyali ya humbata otenga yomahooli.

Kabwe sho a ningwa naye oonkundathana mOlyomakaya okwa li a tegelela natango opolisi yi thike opo yi vule okuninga omakonaakono.

Otaku tengenekwa kutya ekanitho ndyoka olyoomiliyona odhindji, noshiyetithi shomulilo kashi shiwikwe natango.

Kabwe okwa popi kutya okwa kala pehala ndyoka uule woshiwike a tegelelwa oshinima shimwe shololi shoka sha thiki mEtitano na okwa li owala a tegelela shi pangelwe opo a tsikile nolweendo lwe okuya mOmbaye a ka tale oohi dha nuninwa omalanditho gaZambia.

“Omanga nda li nda kotha oomaloli omakwawo gaali oge yapo. Onda uvu owala limwe sho lye ya ihe onda ka mona kutya ope na omaloli gatatu sho omulilo gwa tukuka.”



Okwa popi kutya ota fekele kutya omulilo ogwa tukuka meloli ndyoka lya li pokati lya humbata ohi nombepo oya etitha omulilo ngoka gu taandele sigo okeloli lye oshowo ekwawo.

“Onda tondoka opo ndi ka konge ekwatho posasiyona yomahooli ihe nonando onda mono ekwatho kape na shoka sha vulu okuningwa nenge okuhupithwa. Ngashiingeyi ondili ongame awike,” Kabwe ta ti.

“Onda kanitha iinima yandje ayihe oombapila dhandje dhomalweendo na ondiinekela kutya uuna opolisi yamana nena otayi kwathandje opo ndi mone omikanda dhokuya kegumbo. AaNamibia oye li nawa ihe onda hala okushuna kegumbo.”

DES & ANNELI ERASMUS

Aalongi momeya ya fala omanyenyeto gawo koILO

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Aalongi momeya ya fala omanyenyeto gawo koILO Aaniilonga yomomeya mboka yeli kenkanka moNamibia oya fala omanyenyeto gawo kehangano lyoInternational Labour Organisation (ILO) taya popi kutya epangelo lyaNamibia pamwe nomahangano gokukwata oohi otaya yi pambambo uuthemba waaniilonga.

Aaniilonga mboka yiimanga kumwe onga

United Fishermen of Namibia, oga gandja etseyitho koILO muFebruali gwonuumvo nenyenyeto lyawo lyopambelewa oye li ningi momasiku 30 gaMei.

Aaniilonga mboka oya kala mekanka okutameka omwedhi Kotomba gwo-2015.

Presidende Hage Geingob okwa li a holola ohenda omolwa aaniilonga mboka nokonima sho amushanga gwAaniilonga, Bro-Mathew Shinguadja a ningi omutumba nookadhenga moshikondo shoka okwa ningwa omalunduluko mEkotampango lyAaniilonga, ndyoka lya utha kutya aaniilonga inaya longa oowili dhi vulithe pomugoyi nenge oowili dholutayima dhi vulithe putano mesiku.





Omunashipundi nomupopiliko gwo United Fishermen of Namibia, Mathew Lungameni, okwa popi kutya onkalo yiiilonga yawo inayi lunduluka nonando okwa ningwa omalunduluko ngoka.

Okwa popi kutya omalunduluko ngoka oga ningwa owala opo ga dhenge iihwa omeho ehangano lyoILO.

“Onkalo oya nayipala noonkondo,” Lungameni ta ti.

Okwa popi kutya aaniilonga yopokathimbo oya pingenepo aaniilonga mboka yeli menkanka na otaya longo monkalo yiilonga ya nayipala noonkondo na kaye na omauwanawa gasha, nonkalo yuundjolowele moka taya longele oya nayipala.

Lungameni okwa popi kutya aaniilonga mboka otaya thiminikwa okulonga oowili 21 sigo 36 na inaku ningwa omalunduluko gasha monkalo yawo yuundjolowele miiilonga. Okwa popi kutya aaniilonga mboka ihaya mono iifuta yomalutayi nenge yokulonga uusiku ngaashi sha ningwa andola momalunduluko mEkotamango lyAaniilonga.

Okwa popi kutya omahangano ngoka oga kuta miilonga aaniilonga yegameno inaya pyokoka.

Okwa popi kutya onkalo yekanka oya nayipaleka oonkalamwenyo dhaaniilonga mboka.

Okwa popi kutya aaniilonga mboka yeli mekanka, 18 oya hulitha nomaso gaali ogeli omaikuthomwenyo.

Oyendji itaya vulu we okuhupa. Namibia okuli oshilyo shoILO ndjoka tayi hwahwameke onkalonawa yaantu.

Nonando otaku popiwa kutya ekanka ndyoka kali li paveta, aaniilonga oya ndjiki oonyala mevi kutya ekanka lyawo oli li paveta molwaashoka otaya nyenyeta kombinga wuuthemba wawo noonkalo dhawo dhiilonga inadhi gamenwa moka haya longele.

Oya popi kutya epangelo olya gama kombinga yomahangano gokukwata oohi pehala lyokukala omupokati nokuthindila miilonga oompango dhaaniilonga.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Aahingi yomaloli yanyenyeta

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Aahingi yomaloli yanyenyetaYa hala onkalo yawo yiilonga yi nawapalekwe Oshiwike sha piti aahingi yomaloli giinano iile oya mono ompito opo ya popye omaupyakadhi gawo na amushanga gwUuministeli wAaniilonga, Bro-Matthew Shingudja. Uuministeli wAaniilonga monena owu li moonkundathana noInternational Labour Organisation opo ku vule okuningwa omapekaapeko kombinga yonkalonawa yiilonga yaahingi yomaloli giinano iile.

Onga oonkambadhala dhokukondolola oshikondo shoka sha simana noonkondo omahangano gomaloli giinano iile, aahingi, omahangano omakalelipo gaaniilonga, aanambelewa yepangelo, Roads Authority, iilyo yoNaTIS, Namibia Employers’ Federation oshowo Namibia Logistics Association oye ya pamwe opo ya kundathane oshikumungu shoka.

Omuhingi gweloli Sebedeus Gawanab, okwa popi kutya “Ohatu longo iilonga oyindji , ohatu thigi po woo omagumbo getu nofamili dhetu opo tuye kiilonga,” Okwa pula opo yapewe omauwanawa guunamiti, openzela, omauwanawa giifuta yomagumbo niihauto oshoo okukutha po omukalo gwokufuta aahingi yomaloli mokilometa kehe.

“Otwa hala woo tu kale hatu futwa olutayima ko taku hulithwa po omukalo gwokutugeela omolwa omahooli ngoka twa longithwa. Ohandi mono ondjambi yooN$2 500 nongele inandi holola ookilometa ndhoka dha hinga nena oyo owala ondjambi tandi mono ndjoka.”

Okwa gwedha po woo kombinga yegameno lyaahingi yomaloli.

“Omahangano oga hala okukuta miilonga aahingi mboka aashona na inaga hala tu wayimine omahangano gaaniilonga. Oye na ko owala nokuninga iimaliwa. Huka ohatu popi owala iimaliwa na onda loloka ihe onda pumbwa iimaliwa. Ngele otaya futu oshimaliwa shoocenda 20 mokilometa yimwe nena ondi na okuhinga sigo okoDurban nokugaluka opo ndi mone o-N$700 oshowo oshimaliwa shooN$100 yiikulya. Okayaha konyama noshithima oke na oN$45 omanga nokuli inandi dhilaadhila okulanda omeya gokunwa nenge okofi. Dhilaadhila kombinga yaamwameme moZambia mboka ya kala mo uule woomwedhi ntano hoka nongele ohaya mono ondjambi yooN$2 500 otaya hupu ngiini? Otwa pumbwa okukala tu na ondjambi ya kola otaku kuthwa po iifuta yomokilometa,” omuhingi ngoka a lombwele Shingudja.

Omuleli gwehangano ekalelipo lyaaniiilonga, Josef Garueb okwa popi kutya oonkambadhala okukondolola oshikondo shoka odha zi nale.

Garueb okwa popi kutya omahangano ogendji oga hala okukuta miilonga aakwashigwana yaZambia molwaashoka oyo ye a obiliha.

“Omahangano ngoka ogendji ogeli ompinge nomahangano gaaniilonga na ohaga kutu miilonga nokutitha miilonga ethimbo kehe ndyoka ya hala. Gamwe kage na mo nokuli oombelewa muka na owu na okudhengela koombelewa dhawo moSouth Afrika opo mu kwatathane.

Natu taleni kompango ndjoka tayi kondolola oondjambi dhaaniilonga oshowo oonkalonawa yaaniilonga.”

Amushanga-ndjai gwoNamibia Employers’ Federation, Tim Parkhouse okwa popi kutya, “Shika oshikando shotango tandi kutha ombinga moonkundathana dha guma aahingi yomaloli giinano iile. Ondi mu uvite kombinga yoowili dhiilonga oonde oshowo omikundu ndhoka tadhi etithwa komahangano gomoshitopolwa ihe inatu popyeni kutya omahangano agehe osho geli ngaaka. Itashi kala pauyuuki. Otwa pumbwa eningo lyomapekaapeko lyamanguluka tu tale kutya otatu popi oolye na otatu popi shike.”

Okwa popi kutya ina mona natango eindilo lyomukwashigwana gwaZambia omuhingi gweloli ngoka a hala okukutwa miilonga moNamibia na ita popi omilandu omipe dhoshikondo shoka.

Harald Schmidt gwoNamibia Logistics Association okwa tsu kumwe naParkhouse na okwa popi kutya eningo lyomapekaapeko olya pumbiwa.

AUGETTO GRAIG

Okahandja Cold Storage certified top in Africa

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Okahandja Cold Storage certified top in Africa After converting the Okahandja Abattoir into an export cold storage facility early in the year, many protocols have been finalised and since the beginning of May, the facility has been certified and is fully operational.

According to Meatco the facility received an AA rating from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) certification body and is currently the first cold storage in Africa rated as such.

The audit was conducted on 27 and 28 April by Deborah Wortelhock from Kiwa PAI in the United Kingdom (UK).

During the audit, Meatco received only three minor non-conformances which led to the cold storage receiving an AA rating. The rating amounts to 98% of the overall percentage. For any facility to obtain a similar rating, there should be less than five minor non-conformances.

According to the company, Meatco's Okahandja Cold Storage is the first business unit in the company to receive this rating, since the abattoirs in Windhoek and Okahandja only received an A rating in the past.

Other good news is that on 2 May, Meatco received an Approval Certification from the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) following an audit that was conducted.

“It is important for our customers, especially those in the UK, to know that we are serious about what we do and that our product stems from an approved quality system. With the controls we have in place, we can ensure the highest quality product through the complete process - from the slaughtering plant, cold storage, and distribution channels, right to the client,” Meatco said.

This achievement proves that clients both locally and internationally continue to receive a product and service that is of the highest standard. The certification can also unlock potential clients for Meatco because our rating will now appear on the BRC Checker website as an AA certified business.

According to Meatco the cold storage currently provides a local company with storage services. However, with the upcoming peak season, the facility will be utilised for Meatco products only.

As part of Meatco's strategy of cost cutting, minimal structural renovations were done to the facility. The abattoir and cutting plant will continue being maintained for future use should cattle numbers increase.

STAFF RERPORTER

Agriculture identified as critical in NDP5

June 6, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Agriculture identified as critical in NDP5 Agricultural has been identified has one of the critical sectors in the newly introduced Fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) to further grow the economy of Namibia.

President of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Ryno van der Merwe, who is also a commissioner on the National Planning Commission attended the introduction of the NDP5 last week at State House when President Hage Geingob officially launched the plan.

According to the union against the background of the limited contribution of the previous National Development Plans, it is expected that the NDP5 will make an even bigger contribution towards economic growth in Namibia.

The plan rests on the four pillars of inclusive and sustainable growth, building capable and healthy human resources, sustainability of the environment and increased resilience against droughts and increase good corporate management through effective organisations

According to the unions the agricultural sector was identified as one of the strategic sectors to accomplish economic growth.

The reason is that a third of the Namibian work force is directly or indirectly involved in the agricultural sector. It is expected from the agricultural sector to increase production in order to be less dependent on imports.

The union said that strategies that have been identified to reach this include guidance to small scale farmers, mechanisms to agricultural production , expansion of the Green Scheme, to obtain land for re-settlement and, to support small scale farmers with infrastructure and access to markets

Through the NDP5 period it will also be strived to increase the local demand for agricultural products by supporting local purchases as well as to benefit local products through tender procedures.

STAFF REPORTER