Unemployed demand cement jobs

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Unemployed demand cement jobs Nearly 80 people at Otjiwarongo on Friday handed a petition to the Otjozondjupa regional governor's office, demanding the temporary halt of construction at the Whale Rock Cement factory.

The Whale Rock Cement factory, trading under Cheetah Cement, in March started construction on land located approximately six kilometres north of Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region.

The land belongs to the Otjiwarongo Municipality and is being leased to the cement factory for no less than 100 years.

On Friday, a group of unemployed people did not stage a demonstration but drafted a petition containing suggestions on how the cement factory should benefit people like them.

On 30 May, they staged a peaceful demonstration and claimed that some jobs like pushing wheelbarrows and mixing concrete are given to the Chinese contracted to build the factory.

The disgruntled job seekers on Friday said they want construction to stop until the president of the company, who is apparently in China, comes to Namibia and a meeting is held.

They also suggested that the total number of job opportunities at the site be split into half for Namibians and half for Chinese, while the Namibian government should intervene and ensure that working conditions as stipulated in the Labour Law be applied.

The special advisor to the Otjozondjupa regional governor, Moses Tjipurua !Omeb received the petition.

“I will forward your concerns to the governor, Otto Ipinge when he comes back in office and we will get back to you,”!Omeb said.

Whale Rock Cement employee relations officer, Willem /Nanub on 30 May told Nampa that about 80 Chinese and 10 to 20 Namibians are employed to build the administration block of the factory as the first phase.

/Nanub said the company will need more skilled and semi-skilled Namibians during the second phase of the project, when construction of the factory starts in August.

He said over 400 job opportunities will be created during the second phase.

NAMPA

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Young leaders get skills training

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Young leaders get skills training Youth voices on sustainable development United Nations resident coordinator, Kiki Gebho, said unless solutions to climate change and disasters are found, efforts to accelerate development and alleviate poverty will be thwarted.

Gbeho made the remarks in her keynote address at the 6th annual Model United Nations Namibia (MUNNAM) high school conference in Windhoek recently. “We will not accelerate development nor eradicate poverty if we do not find solutions to climate change and disasters,” Gbeho said.

The international programme was launched by the UN information centre in Namibia in 2012. Since its inception, over 500 students have been actively engaged in the programme to sharpen their leadership and writing skills, public-speaking and problem-solving skills using hands-on experiences.

This year's two conference themes are 'Harnessing the green economy to eradicate poverty' and 'Improving coordination in humanitarian responses to natural disasters and other emergencies'. The conference brought 75 learners from the Khomas, Erongo and Oshikoto regions participating in the two-day event.

Emphasising the importance of the two themes for the global population Gheho said the topics covered by the conference are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). The UNSDG is a global agenda of action aimed at eradicating poverty, saving the planet and ensuring prosperity for all by 2030.

The permanent secretary in the education ministry, Sanet Steenkamp, applauded the programme noting that the skills young delegates gain through the programme will heighten their global awareness. “It is imperative that we create a learning culture here in Namibia by asking challenging questions, engaging in discussions and coming up with creative solutions to said questions and by expanding your horizons beyond the curriculum and feeding your mind with knowledge and experience,” Steenkamp said.

The information officer at Windhoek's UN information centre Anthea Basson encouraged the students to continue fulfilling the diplomatic role, after the conference.



MICHAEL KAYUNDE

Unam partners with NSI

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Unam partners with NSI The University of Namibia (Unam) and the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) signed a three-year agreement in Windhoek last week.

The agreement signed between the two institutions will strengthen participation in areas of standards development and coordination, certification, testing and metrology.

The agreement further seeks to encourage the participation of activities under the national quality policy. It will also provide an opportunity for the NSI to utilise Unam's testing facilities for the demonstration of product conformity to applicable product standard as part of its conformity assessment procedures.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Unam's vice-chancellor, Lazarus Hangula highlighted the importance of the agreement stating that it comes at a time when Unam seeks to attain accreditation and certification of its laboratory in conformity with Namibian standards. “This memorandum of understanding will serve as a vehicle for harnessing cooperation between the two institutions in accreditation and certification,” said Hangula. The agreement will also foster provision for NSI to exhibit at Unam research and innovation days as well as at other career fairs.

In her speech, NSI CEO Chie Wasserfall, said the Cabinet-approved national quality policy that ensures Namibians produce quality products and services. “Through this cooperation agreement the NSI aims to ensure Unam will be able to fulfil government's directive through its active participation in the establishment of the quality association of Namibia as well as the laboratory association of Namibia,” said Wasserfall. Unam and NSI are also currently working together in the development of standards for its yoghurt and other dairy products from the Neudamn and Ogongo campuses respectively.

The NSI is Namibia's National Standard Body (NSB) responsible for coordinating all standardisation and quality assurance activities in the country. NSI also represents Namibia at regional and international standardisation activities.



MICHAEL KAYUNDE

BW launches BizzKids Competition

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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BW launches BizzKids CompetitionCompetition is back for the eighth time A competition for young entrepreneurs was launched by Bank Windhoek to allow young entrepreneurs to sell and promote their own products and services. Bank Windhoek launched its BizzKids competition at Beautiful Kidz in Katutura, Windhoek this past Friday.

The entrepreneurial competition designed to help scholars realise their business ideas, was established eight years ago and is a platform created for scholars across Namibia, between the ages of 8 and 18 to sell and promote their own products and services.

This year, the competition will be divided into two categories. Scholars between 8 to 13 years will be competing against each other and scholars between 14 -18 will compete in a separate category. Scholars are encouraged to enter the competition and win the opportunity to put their ideas and skills to test at the Bank Windhoek BizzKids Market, scheduled to take place on 27 and 28 October 2017, at Maerua Mall Shopping Centre, in Windhoek.

The Bank Windhoek BizzKids Competition's main objective is to educate the Namibian youth about entrepreneurship and give the young entrepreneurs an opportunity to enter a competition to win one of 20 exhibition stands (10 for each category) at the Bank Windhoek BizzKids Market.

Last year, Lize-Mari de Bod, 16, trading as “Colouring Crazy”, from Windhoek Gymnasium, was crowned the winner of the Bank Windhoek BizzKids Competition. She received prize money to the value of N$7 000 for herself and N$5 000 for her school. Lize-Mari inspired the judges with her talent to draw and create opportunities to bring families closer together by, using her drawings as a means of activity for families to relax, enjoy and bond by colouring in together as a family.

Nicole Groenewald ,8 and Sharoline Bock, 14, trading as “Nicole's Lucky Packets”, from St Paul's College, received the second prize of N$5 000 and in third place, for the prize money of N$3 000, was Katharina Bergemann ,11, Fiona von Koenen, 11, and Alexander Bergemann, 9, from Deutsche Privatschule Omaruru, who traded as “Sweet Friends”.

“By creating opportunities for entrepreneurship such as The Bank Windhoek BizzKids competition, it not only benefits learners from all socio-economic backgrounds, but it also teaches kids to think outside the box and it nurtures unconventional talents and skills. It is important for Namibia to encourage entrepreneurship amongst the youth in order to inspire entrepreneurial values at a young age. The Bank Windhoek BizzKids is one of the many ways in which Bank Windhoek contributes towards the development and growth of Namibia's economy,” said Jacquiline Pack, the banks's executive officer: marketing and corporate communication services.

“Entrepreneurship can have a positive impact on the mind-set of young people and their role in the society and the economy,” concluded Pack.

The closing date for entries is 31 August and the finalists will be announced on 22 September 2017.

For more information and to download the entry form, visit the Bank Windhoek website at www.bankwindhoek.com.na. Entry forms can also be obtained from all the Bank Windhoek branches and agencies countrywide.

Staff reporter

Sidewalk talk at NTE

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Sidewalk talk at NTE Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) awarded me an opportunity to work, as a My Zone intern, at the Namibia Tourism Expo and Motorshow, for the Expo Times.

My Zone is the youth brand of NMH. It was established in 2015, when Namibian schools started writing their own newspapers. With the aim of giving the youth a voice and developing a platform to grow young minds into confident, knowledgeable adults ready to take on the world, My Zone, become the youth's leading newspaper distributer.

The Expo Times is a special publication produced and distributed at the Namibia Tourism Expo. It is a vibrant, informative piece, initialised to alert the public on what to expect at the expo and encourage participation among the locals.

As the piece could be described as persuasive, we (the My Zone team) were expected to write brief, engaging and attractive fun articles.

I did not think it to be overwhelming when I first started off, but soon learned that it was going to be an excellent learning experience, and I can confidently say that it was.

The analytic, comprehension and interpretive skills that I obtained during this experience are an imperative addition to my career course and are applicable to my daily life encounters.

I worked among 16 other intelligent members of life-loving media enthusiasts, who thrived bringing news to the people. These young minds helped shape my understanding of media and what it takes to bring accurate news to the masses.

As we battled focusing with so much external stimuli, we really had to master our communication skills. We had to stay on course and work together to produce the paper we had aimed for.

It was further required of us to think fast and formulate perfection on our toes. We had to learn to work around our setbacks and be solution orientated by, focusing more on how to maximise our strengths in aim to give less power to our weaknesses. This definitely increased my appreciation for the team.

By awarding these opportunities to the youth, NMH stands by its purpose - to empower their local communities with knowledge. I strongly advise my fellow youth to participate in all available growing opportunities. These add valuable experience to your belt and can provide you with a little extra that will set you apart from your competitors.

The internship was more than just work experience. It allowed for personal growth and expression. Friendships were developed and strangers became one glorified and unified voice. Thank you to NMH for impacting our lives; may many more youngsters be fortunate enough to be fed by a group so dedicated and empowered to empower.

*A first-year Law (LLB) student at the University of Namibia, Undji is an ambitious young lady, prepared to take on the world and whatever challenges it may throw at her.

My Chevening journey

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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My Chevening journeyAt the precipice, launching a whole new way of life Natalia tells the story of having two wonderful opportunities thrown her way, all at once, and making the decision of her life. Hearing of my success in the Chevening scholarship application was one of those moments I will never forget. This is for two reasons – I remember thinking that it is all finally coming together, my long-held dream of furthering my studies after a not so successful attempt at doing an MA at Unam, but then also pained at the prospect of having to resign from my job as the director at LifeLine/ChildLine (LL/CL). You see, I got the email bearing great news on the afternoon of 31 May 2016, and I was to commence duty the very next day in my new portfolio - a position that I deemed the pinnacle of my career at the time.

At LL/CL, I started out as an associate facilitator, then became a project officer, a curriculum developer and later, the counseling programme manager. My ethos was always 110% dedication and hard work. Working with like-minded colleagues and with excellent supervisors in this dynamic environment, and with the nature of our work addressing such an important need in society, there was no shortage of inspiration to always give your best. Still, I was humbled when I was appointed as the national director. At 30, being at the helm of such a well-lauded and vibrant organisation was indeed a daunting task, even more so with receding funding and uncertainty about the organisation's sustainability. I drew inspiration from those before me and would seek out their wise counsel regularly. Also, I cannot recall reading so much on management processes – from donor fund administration to HR practice – 16 hour work days soon became my new normal. The support I received was nothing short of amazing, and I remain grateful for the opportunity to lead and to work with my dedicated colleagues.

Chevening scholarships place high emphasis on leadership and networking skills and harnessing these to improve development outcomes in different countries. This spoke directly to my desire to make a difference in society and I could not help but get excited on fulfilling my ambition of doing a Masters in International Social Development. On the other hand, being promoted meant that I could make this difference in more strategic ways and was in line with my career aspirations. The fact that these two goals are not mutually exclusive and yet they seemed to be coming all at once was a source of endless thoughts and uncertainty. That I got the scholarship results on the eve of starting in my new position was really bittersweet; what a really difficult decision to make!

My Chevening journey started in September 2016, after registering for the MA in International Social Development at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich; which has an excellent reputation for development studies and is currently ranked overall at number 12 on the UK league tables.

Attending the Chevening orientation in October in London will remain one of the most memorable days of my life – a gathering of 1 900 students from all over the world was absolutely phenomenal. Realising that I was one of those, and a successful candidate from 40 000+ applications the world over was simply moving. It was then that the prestige of this scholarship dawned on me; distinguished personalities from British academia, political life and even the royal house were at hand on the day to inspire our Chevening journey.

The Chevening farewell ceremony will be held in July and looking back I am truly grateful for this opportunity to study abroad – it has been a steep learning curve, it has contributed to my self-confidence, enriched my worldview, and makes me believe that anything is possible, with courage, determination and a leap of faith. I am just getting started!

*A Chevening schlorship recipient, Natalia is a determined young woman who wants to inspire other young women to take up opportunities granted to them.

Are young presenters transforming the airwaves?

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Are young presenters transforming the airwaves? The Namibian industry radio is still young, vibrant full of potential.

For those who started in the radio industry way back it was always about the passion and the eagerness to inform the listener. Radio has been connecting people of all ages over the years, creating household names for presenters.

In a transforming society, information remains key and radio presenters have a great role to play in this regard, but are radio presenters equipped with tools to do this job? It's not always about playing the latest music, sharing entertainment news, but how we turn those things into an element of teaching listeners something new because there is always something new to do and a different way in which you can do it. As much as you want to make your listeners laugh or happy by playing their favourite songs, do you not think it will be more fun to leave them thinking about something they need to change in their life? Radio has always being about making a connection with just one listener, just being able to touch one soul is more than enough.

A show's popularity is not dependent by the number of calls you get. Sometimes you get listeners that just enjoy your show but will never call which doesn't make you a bad presenter at all. What people don't get is that you just don't walk in and do a show without research and proper planning because a listener can immediately realise when you don't know anything about what you are trying to share with them. Always try to localise, so the listener is able to relate to what you are talking about, most importantly always respect your listener, you don't know better just because you are on radio.

It's very clear that we have a lot of young hungry people who want to take the airwaves by storm, which is a good thing. However, with the radio industry being so small it takes a whole lot more than just having a good voice these days - just like any other career radio requires time, focus and dedication.

If you want to be famous overnight then radio is not for you, but if you to build a brand for yourself by growing with your listeners, you have to be consistent with your energy. Always show up because there is someone waiting to hear your voice. It takes time for people to trust you. Radio is about habit and that's what most presenters don't understand.

As a young presenter always be open to learning… you will find listeners that will challenge you on air, take that as a learning opportunity and improve your programme.

What I would love to see is more young people taking up management roles at radio stations, because the majority of presenters on air currently in the country are young and come with fresh ideas.

The young radio presenters have the potential to take the radio industry to the next level by creative thinking and pushing the envelope. In a times like these where radio is competing with so many things, playing the latest songs is not enough to capture the listener. For the growth of this industry new blood is always needed which comes with new ideas. Let's take hands and transform the radio industry, let's make radio amazing.

* Johannes is a second-year student at the Collage of the Arts studying Radio Production. He is a radio presenter at Base FM.

My Chevening journey

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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My Chevening journeyFamous for the wrong reasons Namibia’s roads are deadly and while some say curses and speed are involved, it may be something else entirely. According to the World Health Organisation, Namibia is ranked number-one in the world as the country with the highest number of deaths caused by road crashes.

What really causes accidents on our roads? Some people say our roads are cursed, some say accidents are caused by reckless driving but the majority thinks road accidents are caused by speeding.

Well, I personally believe that reckless driving and ignorance about road rules are the main causes of car accidents in our country. Even though speed does contribute to car accidents, I still believe it is not the main cause.

Reckless driving is when the driver of a vehicle drives irresponsibly and cares less about other road users, including pedestrians. Such anarchy includes changing lanes without indicating to inform other road users that you are moving from one lane to the other, changing lanes without looking in your side mirror to make sure it is safe to do so.

Some people, mostly our young drivers are the ones who cause most of the accidents. I mean, lean-backs look cool but they are so silly when you are a driver, one looks like they are about to take a nap. Do these lean-back drivers don’t even have a clear view of where they are going? Can they even react properly in case of an emergency to avoid an accident? I don’t think they can, and it is small things like these, that cause car accidents.

These days, drivers of fast cars have a tendency to drive their cars at fast speeds because “my car is fast, so I will just take 3 to 5 seconds to overtake on a blind rise”. Really!? Your car is fast but do you know how fast the car on the other side of the blind rise is driving? No you don’t. In fact the driver of an oncoming vehicle can also say “my car is fast, I can overtake in 2 seconds….” That is silly, reckless and thoughtless driving which can lead to the death of innocent people and other road users who comply with road rules.

Our roads are not cursed; our drivers are just irresponsible and careless. This mentality is robbing us of the lives of innocent citizens. It’s time to change and to be responsible citizens who care not only for their lives but the lives of other citizens as well.

JOSEPH TEOFELUS

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Comedy joy

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Comedy joyHe makes people happy ‘Free Your Mind’ comedian, Kristian Hafunda, talks about his comedic journey and what inspires him as a funny man. Kristian Hafunda Yambeulu Hafunda Jr, popularly known as Kris with the ‘K’ in the comedy sphere, has been steadily making a name for himself one joke and one laugh at a time. The comedian is well known for his quirky, sharp and witty puns about everyday life situations.

He credits himself as a visionary and likes to explore places in order to get content for his stand-up comedy stints. “I am a lot of things, ‘a visionary’, I love exploring and finding things that I think would make my life easier in the future, like acquainting myself with people that I believe have beautiful visions and are optimists too,” shared Hafunda.

He grew up in Oshakati but moved to Windhoek at a young age and says ever since he moved to the capital he has been a headache for his parents. “Growing up in such a city, you go through a lot, like other kids. I would leave the house at 09:00 to explore and meet up with others and come back home around 23:00 or 00:00 knowing there is a beating waiting for me. But, I would still do it the next day, until my guardians gave up on giving me physical discipline. For me, going out was very beneficial because I made a lot of friends,” recalls Hafunda.

He says he maintained his good looks and great English when his mom moved to Ohangwena Region and that where the comedian completed his secondary school. “When I was 11 my mom moved to Okongo Yeengulu and I went to live with her there, and before I went there I was very handsome (light skin with good hair) speaking nice English. Some ladies say I still look nice to date. It’s in Okongo where I attended my high school at Oshela SSS and not a lot of people speak English in Okongo. I learnt to blend in by speaking Oshiwambo but still maintained using English. I saved it for a rainy day,” joked Hafunda.

Hafunda is a media student at the University of Namibia (Unam) and majored in broadcasting and drama. “I am doing my Honours degree in Arts and Media studies, majoring in broadcasting and Drama as the second major at the University of Namibia,” shared Hafunda.

The comedian says he has perfected his storytelling abilities and humour in comedy through observation and studying his surroundings at all times. “I am very observant, when I see something interesting I try to combine it with humour and it works perfectly for me. I don’t try sometimes it’s just like God opens up my brain cap and pours some funny stuff in there. Even though it comes easy to me, I make sure I put in the work to try and reach perfection,” said Hafunda. The modern-day jester says he makes fun of almost everything besides politics because he likes to mind his own business.

“I joke about everything that includes race, gender, household-related issues, religion, entertainment and education but I am not really into politics. I just love minding my own business because I think it’s good for my health. Some of my best jokes I did on stage revolve around the gay community and being broke. It is best if you watch me do them than just say them,” said Hafunda.

The comic has been making jokes professionally now for three years after he joined the only platform for comedians in Namibia called Free Your Mind in 2014. “I attended Free Your Mind comedy rehearsals and shows for a whole year, trying to find who I am and if that is what I really wanted to do, because I didn’t know much about comedy. Slick The Dick, Popyeni Kaxuxwena, and Ndemufayo Kaxuxwena, and other Free Your Mind comics helped me to understand. I finally broke through, in 2015 that’s when I first got on stage and performed at University of Namibia,” shared Hafunda.

Soon after performing at the Free Your Mind show, the young comic started seeing traction in his career and even won a few awards along the way and he performed outside the country. “In 2015 I took part in a competition organised by Free Your Mind called the Last Comic Standing and I was the runner-Up of the six comics and at the end of the year, I was crowned with a trophy as the Free Your Mind Best Newcomer, Comic of the Year, and went on tour to perform in South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It was quite an adventure,” said Hafunda.

The comic plans on having his one-man stand-up comedy show later this year and remained tight-lipped saying it is going to be a huge show for his career. “On 1 September I will be having my first one-man show at the University of Namibia, with all the details still to be revealed,” said Hafunda.

He encourages aspiring comedians to have the passion and confidence for comedy if they want to make a career and living out of making jokes. “Have a reason why you really want to do comedy, have specific audience that you want to perform for and what kind of comedy do you want to do. You need to have confidence too and always be well prepared before going on stage, because most of the people coming to watch you don’t care about your excuses, they just want the quality show that suits the money they have spent,” said Hafunda.

He says one major stumbling block for him as a comic is financial support and backing that is needed for him to fulfil the goals he has for his comedy career. “Finance is a major problem. We do not have a lot of people in Namibia that support comedy financially. What level of confidence do you think a comic will have when they want to make their own show and bring humour to the people but know they are not being backed up financially?” questioned Hafunda.

The comedian says he has a lot planned for 2018 and hopes he can share his world with those that enjoy his comedy. “What is next? All I can say if you want to witness something big by Kris with a ‘K’, you have to wait for 2018 because I have something big under construction,” said Hafunda.

Shona Ngava

Fostering charity work

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Fostering charity workDetermined to make her community a better place Jasmine Goagoses is the co-founder of a charity organisation and she shares with The Zone the importance of charity and being selfless. Goagoses, a receptionist at a local motor vehicle assessment company, defines charity as the thought and action that is instinctive when it comes to helping a person or solving a situation. “It is something that is instinctive. You cannot force charity and you cannot teach it either, you have to feel it and react with love,” said Goagoses. She explained to The Zone that she formed a charity organisation called Namkid with her friends because she wishes to make a world a better place. Namkid was formed in 2015 and to date, the charity organisation has hosted five charity events mainly targeted at young people. “My friends and I share a common vision and we wish to see no social ills prevailing in our community… that is why we founded Namkid,” she said.

She explains that she does not want to see beggars look for a few cents for their next meal. “I do not want someone to be worried about what they are going to eat, or worried about where they are going to sleep.” Goagoses deeply wants to see people in her community happy and she wants women in particular to be able to walk freely in the streets at whatever time of the day or night without fear of getting raped. She maintains that in order to make her wishes come true she started doing small things that make an impact in her community. “I know I may not change the world, but I hope to inspire someone to take over from where I will end,” she said.

Goagoses calls on young people to clean up their communities and summons those with the necessary means to feed those who are starving. “As young people we need to be more selfless and it is not about who is seeing you do this work. At the same time, do not be embarrassed to do the right thing in your communities,” she said.

Goagoses acknowledges that changing the world cannot be done individually and that is why she works with a team that shares common goals and visions. She explains the importance of charity by stating that each one of us as human beings have had our fair share of suffering and these experiences are supposed to teach us to not want others to go through the same ordeals. “We feel the cold while we have blankets and sometimes even heaters on… now imagine a person sleeping under a bridge,” she said.

She further noted that anyone would not want to be in a situation like that and if you know of a person in a situation like that, as a human being she thinks it should be natural to help those that are suffering.

Goagoses commends a handful of young Namibian people that have come up with solutions to social problems in their communities. “I applaud the young people trying to do something to solve these social problems in our communities, this is evident by the number of charity organisations and non-governmental organisations that are led by young people,” said Goagoses.

However she feels some of these young leaders want their own glory pointing out that there is no teamwork among different charity organisations that are led by young people. “Everyone or every charity organisation wants to change the world alone and get the recognition alone. We lack a sense of unity and working together.” Goagoses believes that the youth need to come together and recognise that these issues affect many people and thus requires a collective effort to solve.

Goagoses shared with The Zone that for their next event Namkid is planning a social splash. The social splash will be an event were Namkid will employ five artists to showcase five canvases around Windhoek. “These five canvases will have topics aligned to contemporary social issues that Namibia is facing at the moment - from baby dumping, motor vehicle accidents, poverty, gender-based violence and tribalism,” Goagoses shared. She further explained that the aim of the social splash initiative is to use art as a platform to try and solve social issues that Namibia is facing as a country. “We are going to have five artists to paint on these canvases; each artist will have a topic.” After the canvases are painted they will be revealed on 21 October at the Katutura Youth Complex stadium at a fundraising concert with a special guest artist from South Africa.

Goagoses shared that the response from the corporate world to sponsor charity events has been great but there is still room for improvement. “Having companies getting on board to sponsor our charity events has given us a sense of validation to accomplish what we want to,” Goagoses said. She admits that corporate companies sometimes are hesitant to help in terms of sponsoring charity events because of the prevailing economic climate. But overall Goagoses is grateful that corporate companies in Namibia are not too busy focusing on making profit, they do invest time and money in their own social responsibility programmes.

MICHAEL KAYUNDE

A tribute to Andimba

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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A tribute to Andimba I hardly get political in this column but for just for one day, I will let myself go and just express myself and hope it would not land me in trouble. We recently lost an icon in the Namibian political field. This icon I speak about has been a prominent and important figure in Namibian history and his contributions towards Namibia can only be compared to any other person. The person I speak of is the larger than life character called Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo.

Much like most of the millennia in Namibia, the first place I heard about Ya Toivo was in out-dated history books in the history classes at various schools countrywide. The late Ya Toivo was a true statesman and was a man admired by many and respected by many people.

I can only see him in the same light and breath as other African political giants such as Julius Nyerere, Hosea Kutako and Nelson Mandela. Since the announcement of his death, many of my young peers took to social media and paid their respects while pouring out condolence messages to the fallen Namibian struggle and liberation hero. It was really remarkable and sad at the same time that the youth celebrated Ya Toivo like they did. Firstly, the youth are generally reactionary people. We have had a legend amongst us for such a long time and only chose this one time to honour him on social media and all the while, we were quiet and did not make any mention of him at all. At least what we should have done over the years was to check on him and make strides to celebrate him while he was still alive and not when he is gone. Shame on the youth who think they've done enough because they have posted something on social media with regard to Ya Toivo's death. Some people only resorted to posting comments about him on social media for a few mentions and likes…such is the society we live in. However, it was great seeing many young people share genuine and honest stories about how Ya Toivo impacted their lives.

Despite the admiration from the Namibian public, African nations and international audience, I still believe that history has left a void in terms of projecting Ya Toivo's true story. The man I read about in the history books and the man I see being remembered all over the world are two different people. The man in the history books has been downgraded and not much of his story has been detailed in our books. There is a lot of depth and background lacking in Ya Toivo's section in our history books especially the ones in schools. The bigger than life character is not highlighted like I believe he should in the history books. I've learnt more about him from other people than I ever will in a book. The story in the books usually revolves around his prison trial, his imprisonment at Robben Island for 16 years and a mere mention as one of the founding fathers of the then Owambo People Organisation (OPO) which is now known as the South West African Peoples Organisation (SWAPO). I think the man that the world is remembering today is a revolutionary nationalist leader.

I for one will forever be moved by the speech he made at his trial in South Africa. “We are Namibians, and not South Africans. We do not now, and will not in the future, recognise your right to govern us, to make laws for us in which we have no say, to treat our country as if it were your property and us as if you were our masters,” he said. He was a leader who did not submit to any authority and judging from that speech one is easily moved by his good oratory skills and charm.

I am grateful to Ya Toivo for all that he has done for our country. He has proven that he was a true son of the soil and may his legacy live on



Until next time. Peri nawa



shona@namibiansun.com

Furore over release of Gaddafi's son

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Furore over release of Gaddafi's sonLibya's city councils, militia groups and national security council reject move The release of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi by the military council of the city Zintan, has caused an uproar in the country with some saying the move was illegal and others, premature. The military and city council of the Libyan city Zintan (180 km southeast Tripoli) has objected to the release of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, who has been freed by the militia detaining him in the city, a statement released by the council said.

“The military and city councils of Zintan strongly condemn the statement of the Information Office of Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion, regarding the illegal release of the detainee Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, which claims that the release was based on the amnesty law,” the statement said.

“This act is collusion and betrayal to the martyrs and a stab to the military establishment that they claim to belong to,” the statement added.

A militia group from Zintan called Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion, which was detaining Gaddafi, announced on Saturday they freed Gaddafi based on an amnesty law issued by the eastern-based parliament in 2015.

Gaddafi was sentenced to death in absentia by the Tripoli appeal court in July 2015 for suppressing the 2011 uprising and killing of protesters. He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity during the uprising. The international court is demanding the Libyan authorities to extradite him for trial.

The national defence and security committee of the eastern-based parliament demanded that all detainees of the former regime must not be released without a court verdict.

Moreover, Tripoli attorney-general in-charge, Ibrahim Masoud Ali, said that the release of Gaddafi was illegal, and that the “amnesty he needs to be released required a legal waiver from the families of the victims. Moreover, the suspect is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.”

Ali said that the office is investigating into those involved in the release of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.

Libya's Committee of Defence and National Security also called on the Libyan parliament not to release political prisoners before verdicts.

“Those who are detaining former regime officials are not entitled to release any of them until after clear verdicts have been issued acquitting them of all charges, in order to safeguard the security of the country,” the statement said.

“This is an attempt by the House of Representatives and the Committee of Defence and National Security to contribute to the stability of national peace and the preservation of the social fabric,” the statement said.

Gaddafi was arrested in November 2011 by an armed group from Zintan while he was attempting to flee Libya toward Niger. Since then, he was held in a secret prison in the city.

Meanwhile, the parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk declared it does not recognise the court's verdicts, claiming the court was “run by militias and an illegitimate government,” in reference to the government appointed by the outgoing parliament in Tripoli.

NAMPA/XINHUA

Shot of the day

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Shot of the day LEGENDARY: Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts after winning his final race in home country during the Racers Grand Prix at the national stadium in Kingston, Jamaica over the weekend. Bolt partied with his devoted fans in an emotional farewell at the National Stadium on Saturday as he ran his final race on Jamaican soil. Bolt is retiring in August following the London World Championships. Photo: NAMPA/AFP

Let's uphold what Andimba stood for

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Let's uphold what Andimba stood for There has been an outpouring of grief, sadness and memories in the wake of struggle hero Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo's passing last week Friday.

Namibians from all walks of life have united in mourning one of the nation's greatest sons, social networking sites abuzz with messages of grief and at the same time also celebrating the life of a legend.

Ya Toivo has been eulogised as a true patriot by his struggle peers as well as for being a man with strong beliefs and convictions. The Nelson Mandela Foundation through its CEO said that the late South African icon, Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned at the same time as Ya Toivo on Robben Island, spoke fondly of his militancy and stubborn rebelliousness.

Now that Ya Toivo has finished his journey here on earth, it is only proper that the current generation of leaders emulate his wise example, which includes a legacy of selflessness.

As his wife Vicki described him, Ya Toivo was determined, honest, brave, respectful, friendly, tolerant, wise, stubborn, candid, and fit, among other characteristics.

It will indeed be difficult to fill the shoes of this gallant son of the soil who lived an incredible life.

Although Ya Toivo is no more, his remarkable deeds for our motherland are deeply appreciated and it is up to us to live up to the legacy that he has left for us. In turn, we should leave a legacy that is worthy of our children and for the future generations of our motherland, Namibia. Just like Ya Toivo, it is our moral obligation to make every effort to be living symbols of freedom and hope.

We have a significant role to ensure that justice and peace become the essential elements of our lives as Namibians.

Ya Toivo's words should continue to inspire us every day in the fight for a better Namibia.

We must transform his vision into action and we must work tirelessly to ensure a better Namibia for all.

Rest easy gentle giant.

Treason retrial delayed until July

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Treason retrial delayed until July The retrial of seven men facing charges of high treason for the failed attempt to secede the Caprivi (now Zambezi) Region from the rest of Namibia was Monday delayed to 4 July.

The retrial was supposed to kick off on Monday before Acting High Court Judge Petrus Unengu, but could once again not proceed because prosecution representative, State Advocate Neville Wamambo was not present before court due to other official commitments.

State Advocate Constance Moyo was standing in for Wamambo during Monday's postponement.

The seven suspects are Progress Kenyoka Munuma; Manuel Manepelo Makendano; Shine Samulandela Samulandela; Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa; Diamond Samunzala Salufu; Hoster Simasiku Ntombo; and John Mazila Ntambwe.

They are implicated in a failed secession attempt on 2 August 1999.

The seven suffered a legal blow on 22 August 2016 when the Supreme Court dismissed their application in which they were appealing the dismissal of their joint application, challenging the Windhoek High Court's jurisdiction to try them on high treason charges.

Their appeal application was dismissed by Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb, with Chief Justice Peter Shivute, Judges of Appeal Fred Chomba and David Smuts, as well as Acting Judge of Appeals Yvonne Mokgoro concurring with the ruling.

However, an appeal application by appellant, Boster Mubuyaeta Samuele, was successful and he was set free that day.

The men remain in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility until their next court appearance.

NAMPA

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N$100m to pay out farmers

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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N$100m to pay out farmers The expanding town of Helao Nafidi in its recent council-approved 2017/18 budget indicated that they will need roughly N$100 million to compensate crop farmers.

The costly financial exercise will be funded by the capital development fund which has secured financial resources as government only approved an amount of close to N$11 million towards Helao Nafidi for capital projects this

year.

Ever since it was proclaimed a town in 2004 it has been one of the local authorities faced with many challenges pertaining to the expansion of its boundaries to acquire land for development projects in the three districts of Oshikango, Engela and Ohangwena.

This is reason for budgeting N$100 million from the capital development fund of just over N$110 million for compensation to crop farmers while N$8 million has been budgeted for the construction of services and infrastructure at Engela and Omafo.

Further to this, council also budgeted N$1.4 million for the maintenance of roads, N$1 million for electrified street lights on the main road and N$250 000 for the upgrading of the business expo centre.

For the year 2017/18 council has approved a budgeted amount of close to N$55 million, including the source of funding for capital projects.

This however, still needs to be sent to the urban and rural development ministry for approval.

Council has also increased some of its tariffs to meet inflationary costs which is said to be in line with ministerial directives of 2017.

Water, sewage, removal of sewerage water, renting of council's immovable and movable property and the approval of building plans have been increased by 10% while sanitation services and issuing of fitness certificates have increased with 8 and 20% respectively.

With over N$15 million budgeted for salaries, a N$2 million increase from that of approved last year, salary increments have been restricted to the new standardised salary structure where staff members who were at middle level will be upgraded while those who were at lower level have been moved to middle level.

An estimated amount of N$110 000 has been budgeted for travelling and subsistence (S&T) which is N$10 000 more than what was approved in the 2016/17 budget.



KENYA KAMBOWE

Swapo sets congress date

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Swapo sets congress dateElective meeting set for 23-26 November A new Swapo leadership will be elected in November this year. The elective congress of the ruling party will take place between 23-26 November this year.

Swapo announced in a statement yesterday that the central committee meeting held at the weekend has endorsed a proposal to have the elective congress in Windhoek.

The much-anticipated meeting will elect a new leadership of the party, with the positions of president, vice-president, secretary-general and deputy secretary-general set to be contested.

Acting Swapo president Hage Geingob is expected to be challenged although his supporters want him to stand unopposed.

The names of Jerry Ekandjo and Helmut Angula have all been linked to the Swapo presidency and potential Geingob challengers.

Both Angula and Ekandjo have since dismissed reports linking them to the Swapo presidency.

About 600 delegates will convene in Windhoek for the four-day conference.

The regions have been given until the end of June to complete their conferences, which will determine the candidates and delegates to the sixth ordinary congress of the ruling party.

Swapo also announced that the central committee has accepted the outcome of the Grootfontein district conference.

The conference was marred by controversy last month and police had to be called in to restore order among members, who had branded the event as unconstitutional.

The Namibian also reported that three new leaders, including district coordinator John Haimbodi, district mobilisation officer Lovisa Iyambo, and Anna Ochurus, the new district treasurer, were locked out of the Swapo offices when they turned up for work.



Live within your means

Meanwhile, Swapo is encouraging Namibians to learn to live within their means given the tight economic situation in the country.

The party wants government to continue moving into more sustainable fiscal trajectory.

“The central committee noted with concern the current economic situation which affects many countries. It took note of the government's efforts which were taken last year to bring the medium-term expenditure in line with the reduction in revenue. In this regard, the central committee meeting encouraged the government to hold on to the more sustainable fiscal trajectory,” said the statement.

“The central committee further called on the Namibian people to adopt a culture of saving and living within their available means, especially during these trying times. It noted that no country in the world is immune to economic hardship. The central committee further noted with appreciation the efforts of the government in fighting corruption and mismanagement of public resources.”



STAFF REPORTER

Locals must run economy

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Locals must run economyDeputy finance minister tells young politicians Natangwe Ithete wants young people to be at the forefront of the country's economic development. In a no-holds-barred speech, the deputy minister of finance, Natangwe Ithete, has called on young people to take charge of the country and avoid further exploitation by foreigners whom he claims are a drain on Namibia's economy. “

We have so many foreigners coming to our country, stealing our economy, stealing our money, exploiting our people giving them unskilled jobs and training… and not skilled training which will enable them to develop our country.

It's about time as a government that we must concentrate on direct investment,” said Ithete, who was addressing the Swapo Party Youth League Oshana regional conference at the weekend.

Ithete stressed “enough is enough” and that the youth and government should work together to find amicable solutions to grow the economy.

He indicated foreigners only come to Namibia for certain tenders, saying they don't plough back into local communities.

“We need foreigners in this country, they are more than welcome but when they come here, they must come and directly invest in the economy of our country by building malls, clinics and schools for us and one day when they leave, the buildings they built for us will not leave with them,” Ithete said.

“They are just here providing us services and they are also just stealing our money, stealing even our N$200 million at SME bank, these things must stop.

“As SPYL we must take the centre stage in advising government for some of these things to stop.”

He encouraged the SPYL members to correct and advise government where it is not making the best of decisions.

“As SPYL, let us correct and advise government where government is getting off the road. The economy of the country is in our hands,” he said.



Land question

Ithete also strongly spoke on the issue of land in the country saying it is about time government pulls up its socks and address the burning national issue.

He said the time is up for Namibians to get what rightfully belongs to them, saying this was the purpose of the liberation struggle, which claimed the lives of thousands of Namibians.

Ithete said the concept of willing-buyer, willing-seller was not working arguing those in charge of getting the land back should strengthen their efforts because the youth are ready to take back what their forefathers and mothers fought for.

He said Namibians are not free if they are not in charge of the land. “We are not even supposed to buy the land as they killed our people and now we have to buy it back. It is about time we as young people say enough is enough. If those ones in positions do not want to bring the land back, if they think our elders went into exile to fight for mahala and not for the land, they are lying to themselves. We are not yet free until we have the land in our hands,” Ithete said.



KENYA KAMBOWE

MTC to expand coverage for farming areas

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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MTC to expand coverage for farming areas Following the phasing out of cheques for payments towards the end of this year, MTC plans extensive expansion to its infrastructure in order to improve the needs for communication, especially in rural areas.

According to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), MTC plans to cover 100% of the country with either 2G or 3G towers by 2020.

“Naturally there will still be places where there will be no reception due to the topography, and those farms will have to put up alternative towers so that they will have full coverage,” said the union. According to the NAU, a big problem that MTC experiences at this stage is that there is no standard agreement which can be entered into with farmers for the availability of space for the erection of reception towers. According to the union many of these towers will be a non-profit investment for MTC but the company sees it as part of their social contribution to make communication in rural areas available. The NAU has appealed to farmers on whose farms towers might be erected to give their cooperation and to enter into the agreement in the same spirit. Farmers in Namibia - especially those who live in remote areas where there is no network availability- expressed concern about the phasing out of cheques in the local banking system when it was first announced about two years ago.

The use of cheques in Namibia has declined by almost 50% during the past six years. In 2015 alone the total volume of cheque transactions dropped from N$2.4 million to N$2.2 million - a decline of 12%.

The complete phasing out of cheques will be by 31 December this year.

According to the Payments Association of Namibia (PAN), during the last six years the use of cheques in Namibia has declined steadily as consumers have access to a greater range of more convenient payment options. This decline in the number of cheques used as a payment method, the uncertainty of payment receipts, the possibility of fraud and escalating processing cost related to maintaining an outdated infrastructure necessitated the review of payment method choices.



ELLANIE SMIT

Erongo police crack down on crime

June 12, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Erongo police crack down on crime Erongo police last week confiscated dozens of knives, guns, scissors, pangas and other dangerous weapons, as well as illegal drugs, during a week-long stop and search operation in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

Deputy commissioner Erastus Iikuyu said the stop and search operations were conducted between 3 and 11 June, as part of a crime prevention strategy.

The areas patrolled by NamPol officers included Mondesa and DRC in Swakopmund, as well as Kuisebmond and Tutaleni suburbs in Walvis Bay.

Dozens of knives as well as scissors were confiscated, often from patrons attending bars and shebeens in the target areas.

Police also arrested two suspects who were charged for possession of dangerous weapons, pangas, and two more suspects were arrested after they were found in possession of illegal drugs, including crack cocaine and cannabis.

NamPol officers confiscated weapons including licensed firearms, found on drunk suspects who were informed that they could collect their weapons once they are sober.

Of late, there have been a large number of break-ins at homes and robberies at the coast and the crackdown and increase of police visibility was welcomed by residents.

JANA-MARI SMITH