Omutumba gwoSwapo mOshikoto gwa kalekwa natango

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Omutumba gwoSwapo mOshikoto gwa kalekwa natango Nonando omutumba gwelelo lyoSwapo moshitopolwa shaShikoto ogwa Ii gwa kalekwa nokuundililwa kEtitatu lyoshiwike shika, omutumba ngoka natango inagu ningwa.

Amushanga-ndjai gwoSwapo, Nangolo Mbumba okwa lopotwa natango a kaleke kominute gwahugunina omutumba ngoka naashoka osha geyitha aakuthimbinga mboka ya ende okuza komahala ga yooloka okukakutha ombinga andola momutumba ngoka.

Omutumba ngoka tango ogwa li gwa kalekwa opo ku konaakonwe omadhina gaamboka taya ka kutha ombinga momutumba ngoka, ihe omukwatakanithi gwoshitopolwa shoka Armas Amukwiyu okwa popi kutya shoka hasho uupyakadhi we.

Okwa popi kutya ye okwa li a gwanitha po iinima ayihe mbyoka a li a lombwelwa a gwanithepo omanga omutumba ngoka inagu ningwa.

Okwa popi kutya aakuluntu yamwe mongundu oyali ya holola nokuli ekuthombinga lyawo momutumba.

Omutumba ngoka ogwa li gu na okukalako tango momasiku 24 gaJuni na ogwa undulilwa kOlyomakaya yapiti.

Inagu ningwa we mOlyomakaya na ogwa undulilwa kEtitatu lyoshiwike shika ihe inagu ningwa we natango.

Mombaapila ndjoka ya monika koNamibian Sun, Mbumba okwa popi mEtiyali kutya omutumba ngoka inagu vulu okuningwa molwaashoka aaleli yopashigwana mboka ya pewa oshitopolwa shoka itaya vulu okuholoka.

Amukwiyu okwa popi kutya ombaapila yaMbumba yomEtiyali otayi kwatelwa komeho komaiyuvo ge ihe ha kekotampango lyongundu.

“Nangame ondi uvite nayi. Ngele ope na oomaipulo ogendji ngoka kaagena omayamukulo mokati ketu, nangame kandi na omayamukulo ngoka, molwaashoka nangame otandi ipula kutya mbela uupyakadhi owuli peni,” Amukwiyu a lombwele aakuthimbinga mboka ya gongala mEtitatu mOmuthiya opo andola ya kala momutumba ngoka. Omukuthimbinga gumwe okwa nyana elelo lyoSwapo, kutya inali hala Amukwiyu molwaashoka ita yambidhidhwa we kOmupresidende Hage Geingob.

“Iinima mbika itayi ningwa molwaashoka Oshikoto oshi li mehalakano ihe otashi ningwa molwaashoka inaya hala omuntu gumwe ( Amukwiyu). Shoka kashi li pauyuuki molwaashoka oSwapo kayi shi yomuntu gumwe.”

“Ngele inaya hala Amukwiyu, naya popye owala kutya oya halela po lye.”

Amukwiyu okwa hogololwa a ka kuthe ombinga methigathano lyuukwatakanithi na ota kondjithwa kukansela nale gwoshikandjohogololo shaNayena Marx Nekongo.

Nekongo ina kala pomutumba ngoka gwa ningwa mEtitatu. Amukwiyu okwa popi kutya ota taamba ondjo ngele ongundu oye mu mono ondjo yokutaaguluka ekotampango lyongundu.

Omukokele gwoSwapo, Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, ngoka a li a hiwa onga gumwe gwomaapopi yasimana momutumba ngoka okwa li a thiki mOmuthiya mEtitatu na okwa pandula Amukwiyu. Okwa lombwele aakuthimbinga kutya naya kwatelepo uuwanawa woshilongo ihe ha oohandimwe.

“Omuna owala oshinima shimwe shoka mu na okukondjela noshinima shoka oshilongo sheni.”

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Oobiliyona tadhi ka longithwa mokutunga omagumbo

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Oobiliyona tadhi ka longithwa mokutunga omagumboNDP5 ya tulwa miilonga Omagumbo geli 25 000 gaantu mboka haya mono iiyeo yili pokati otaga ka tungwa okupitila moNational Development Plan (NDP5) onti- 5 okuya momvula yo2022. Oshimaliwa sha thika poobiliyona 1.4 otashi ka longithwa mokutunga omagumbo ngoka oshowo okuyambulapo onkalo yomagumbo galwe nonkalo yoluhepo mokati kaakwashigwana yaNamibia otayi ka shuna pevi okuza poopresenda 11 okuya poopresenda 5.

Omauvaneko ngoka ogeli mompangela ndjoka opo ya pitithwa yoNDP5, ndjoka ya nuninwa okutunga omagumbo geli o-5 000 kehe omvula muule woomvula ntano kongushu yoomiliyona 354.15 kehe omvula.

Natango konyala oobiliyona 4.9 nenge oomiliyona 975 odha pumbiwa kehe komvula opo dhi vule okuwapaleka ooplota dhili 6 500 ngaashi tashi uthwa koNDP5.

Ompangela yimwe moNDP5 okuyambulapo omalukanda gaali kehe omvula omanga omahala gokukala aakwashigwana ga thika po-21 taga ka totwapo moNamibia muule womvula ntano.

Ompangela oya kwatelwa po okuyambulapo onkalo yuuyogoki yaakwashigwana momagumbo ga thika po 12 500 kehe omvula noshimaliwa tashi tengenekelwa poobiliyona 2.4 otashi ka longithwa.

Oompangela ndhoka dhoNDP5 odha tseyithwa momutumba gwopaliamende kuLucia Iipumbu, ngoka e li omupeha minissta moshikondo shoompangela dhopaliko.

Iipumbu okwa yelitha kutya oompangela ndhoka odhili oshitopolwa shetulo miilonga lyoNDP5 ndjoka ya tulwa miilonga oshiwike shika sha landula etulo miilonga lyoNDP5 policy document ndyoka lya tulwa miilonga muMei.

Oompangela odha kwatela mo woo okushunitha pevi omwaalu gwaakwashigwana mboka ye na ompumbwe yiikulya, nokuyambulapo elongo lyoondya mokati kaakwashigwana muule woomvula ntano.

Ompangela yimwe natango okushunitha pevi oluhepo noopresenda 37 ngaashi sha yelekwa mo-2010 okuya poopresenda 25 mo-2022 nokuyambulapo onkalo nawa yopaliko.

Kombinga yelongo, oompangela ndhoka odha kwatelamo etungo lyoosikola oompe kehe omvula nokuwapaleka nenge okuyambulapo ooskola 550 sigo 1 000 omvula kehe.

Uuklinika wuli 7 otawu patululwa nuumvo, oshowo utatu momvula twa taalela omanga muule woomvula ndatu twa taalela uuklinika u-7 tawu kala tawu patuluwa kehe komvula.

Oshipangelo shimwe shopashitopolwa otaku pangelwa shipatululwe momvula yo-2021/22.

Ondokumende ndjoka oya kwatelwamo ooprograma 80 ndhoka tadhi ka tulwa miilonga okupitila moopoloyeka 178 muule woomvula ntano.

Pashimaliwa, ompangela ndjoka otayi pula oshimaliwa shoobiliyona 164 muule woomvula ntano.

OMUTOOLINKUNDANA GWOMENI

Air Zim sacks half its workforce

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Air Zim sacks half its workforceDebt-ridden airline lays off 200 Air Zimbabwe has retrenched 200 employees out of 424, saying the organisation is over-bloated. Air Zimbabwe has laid off 200 employees - nearly half its workforce - to try to stay in the air, Zimbabwe state media reported Wednesday, as the country's economic troubles deepen.

Under long-time leader President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe has suffered mass unemployment, a collapse of many public services and banknote shortages as foreign investors have fled.

According to Bloomberg News, the southern African country's economy has halved since 2000.

“We have retrenched 200 employees out of the 424,” Air Zimbabwe chairman Chipo Dyanda was quoted as saying in the Herald newspaper.

“The organisation is over-bloated.”

This is the latest bad news to hit the troubled national carrier, which in May was added to a list of airlines banned from EU airspace over safety concerns.

The airline, which flies to South Africa and Tanzania as well as on domestic routes between Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, has over US$300 million in debts.

According to a letter seen by AFP, the state-owned company said it was acting “to contain operational costs and save the national airline's viability as a going concern.”

Affected workers were sent on paid leave on Tuesday and will receive three months' salary and compensation for loss of employment, the letter said.

The 93-year-old Mugabe, currently on a medical trip to Singapore, has sometimes chartered Air Zimbabwe planes, forcing the cancellation of scheduled flights.



NAMPA/AFP

Angelina and Shiloh take on Namibia

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Angelina and Shiloh take on Namibia Angelina Jolie is visiting Namibia to inaugurate the newly founded Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary named after her daughter.

Established through the collaboration of the N/a'an ku sê Foundation, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation and the Namibian government, the sanctuary is used to rescue and rehabilitate elephants and rhinos which have fallen victim to poaching incidents or abuse.

Angelina and her children, including Shiloh, visited the new sanctuary, where the first young elephants due to be released to the new reserve are.

The N/a'an ku sê Foundation, established in 2006 and founded by Dr Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren, strives to conserve the wildlife, landscapes and Namibian cultures using a range of vital conservation projects and have made significant impact over the past 11 years.

Angelina met Marlice van Vuuren about 16 years ago.

After visiting the foundation in December 2010, she committed funds for various projects, and the generosity of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has advanced many projects of the N/a'an ku sê Foundation ever since.

A main area of research focuses on the mitigation of human-carnivore conflict, the scientific data resulting from the GPS collaring of wild carnivores providing a platform from which to systematically address the complex facets of conflict and assist farmers and landowners in their quest to co-exist with Namibia's wildlife peacefully.

Upon her departure, Angelina said, “It is a privilege to work with N/a'an ku sê and to be able to contribute to conservation in Namibia.”

Angelina concluded her Namibian visit with a private meeting with President Hage Geingob and the First Lady, Monica Geingos, to discuss conservation in Namibia and her family's on-going commitment to the country.



Staff reporter

booming

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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boomingRight direction for the entertainment industry Namibia is fast becoming a top film location country and a number of international movies have been shot in the country including the fifth instalment of Michael Bay's highly successful Transformers series that was shot at locations throughout Namibia. With beautiful landscapes such as the dunes, coastal planes and the vast savannah lands that are well maintained and taken care of, who wouldn't want to have such scenery in their films. tjil caught up with local film producer Guy Nockels of Namib Film and his team to find out what the international exposure of the country by the entertainment sector means.



tjil (T): Being a location scouter for visiting producers, what does this kind of coverage mean largely for Namibia?

Namib Film

(NF): We as a company expose Namibia to the international entertainment industry, enabling the world at large to notice Namibia and bring in more productions.



T: When international film directors use our country as a location do they use Namibian actors as well or do they come with their own?

NF: It all depends on the requirements from the script and the studio. Most Hollywood feature films bring in their own actors. These films financed by studios, need the main stream actors to market their film. Independent films tend to use local actors in supporting roles, if they can find the right person. For independent films this is a financial decision. We use local people in both Hollywood and independent films. With our variety of ethnicity in our country, we are able to portray most types of cultures.



T: From your experience, what and how does Namibia benefit from such exposures?

NF: Namibia benefits financially from this.

It increases local work opportunities for our people, especially the transport, catering and accommodation industry benefits financially. Flight of the Phoenix is a good example as they employed up to 280 crew members a day, including about 130 Namibians. It advances tourism; people tend to watch a movie and want to visit the location. There is no doubt that the tourism industry benefits from this.



T: In terms of protecting and conserving the environment, how safe is it to use tourist attraction sites such the dunes?

NF: As film makers and local film makers would prefer that productions coming into Namibia use a local company to be responsible for locations. Our local companies know and adhere to the rules and regulations set by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. MET has strict rules on the use of national parks and we take the responsibility to ensure that foreigners adhere to the rules.



T: What does the future hold for Namibia being a film location, from your perspective?

NF: Namibia is a desert location and is used as such. With more marketing we can make the international productions aware that Namibia has more to offer than the dunes, we have cosmopolitan locations, the Caprivi and Bushveld, to name a few locations. By creating awareness of our other locations we can increase the amount of productions to Namibia and benefit financially as a country, not just as a film destination but also as a tourism destination.

*June Shimuoshili with additional writing from www.thelocationguide.com

Laughter without boundaries

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Laughter without boundariesCelebrating over 100 comedy shows Through his fans' support, Fernando Tafish decided to take his comedy to the next level and organised a SADC comedy tour. Here, tjil caught up with the funny guy who bared it all. Fernando Filipe, whose stage name is Fernando Tafish, believes that he was born with the talent of making people laugh to their core.

It all started with him making his classmates and peers laugh to the point that no teachers in both primary and high school wanted him to contribute during lessons as it ended in the classmates laughing out loud and rolling on the floor.

“It's really funny because no one in my family is funny… if that makes sense. So I am the unique and odd one out,” says Tafish. Tafish, who grew up in between Namibia and Angola due to his father's job, decided to take his talent to another level when his friends and fellow comedians Slick the Dick and Chicken convinced him to step onto the Free Your Mind stage for 15 minutes in 2009 and he has never looked back since. On his first gig, he was awarded Best Comedian of the night.

He says it meant a lot given the fact that he was new and he went up against established comedians.

“That night was my biggest motivator and until today I have never looked back. I can safely say I have done over 100 gigs to date. I am very funny but if you don't know me you might not believe I'm a comedian until you get used to me,” he says.

Tafish is a stand-up comedian who gets his jokes from day-to-day activities.

He refers to himself as a dry comedian which means he gets his jokes from situations that are considered serious and sometimes sensitive to many.

“I criticise what is happening around me and matters that I can relate to with my audience,” he said.

He says comedy as art is a strong educational tool which can have an impact on the majority who wouldn't know what is happening around them.

His process of coming up with a joke has him jotting down something he has witnessed.

He goes home to expand on it until it matures enough for his audience to hear.

“It might take a year or two to expand a 30-second joke into a five-minute one.

“The manner in which a joke is delivered is very important and should be well-mastered to such an extent where you can repeat a joke to the same audience and still have them laughing out loud each time. Joking is not a joke,” says Tafish.

Tafish applauds the Free Your Mind creators because through them, more people are aware of stand-up comedy in the country and according to him, the comedy industry is slowly growing.

The corporate world is including comedy in their entertainment budgets and Tafish says with this, it is safe to say one can make a living from comedy.

“If you are smart and good you can make good money by being a comedian. What Free Your Mind does is give comedians exposure, a name and somewhere to start off their career,” he says.

Tafish is the first Namibian comedian to be nominated in the Savannah Comics Choice Awards South Africa which will take place on 9 September in Johannesburg.

He is running against Basket Mouth from Nigeria, Carl Joshua from Zimbabwe, Musapo from Lesotho and Salvador from Uganda in the category Best Pan African Comedian of the year.

The comedian felt it was high time Namibian comedians made a name internationally.

This led him to organising a one-man show across SADC called Crack up Africa. Starting this Sunday 16 July, Tafish will be visiting countries such as Angola, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and lastly have a grand show in Namibia on 7 August.

“The word crack in English has many definitions.

“It can be drugs or laughter and the point is to have Africa laughing since laughing is also a drug and a very addictive one… hence the name of the tour,” says Tafish. He will also be recording his first DVD with material from his tour.

Tickets for the show at the Warehouse are N$100 in advance and N$150 at the door.

His fans can find out more about his tour by following him on his social media accounts at Fernando Tafish.

Fast facts about Fernando Tafish

The last book he has read is Alerto ao Mundo.

His favourite dish is rice, beans and fish.

His favourite drink is a cup of tea.

Last text message sent read 'Ok I will'.

The one thing people don't know about him is the fact that he is down to earth.





































June Shimuoshili

Operation save a rhino

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Operation save a rhinoMiss Namibia to begin her charity work Suné January vowed to educate the nation to on anti-poaching as part of her charity program plans on leaving a mark. Intelligence Support against Poaching (ISAP) Namibia welcomed its newest member to the organisation; Miss Namibia 2017, Suné January, who on the night she was crowned vowed to make a difference to the anti-poaching campaign. January says she will be an ambassador of ISAP and will ensure that ISAP’s efforts to combat poaching are realised. “I hope to educate the nation because I don’t believe a lot of people are aware of the facilities they can use to report poaching in their communities. Poaching is a real crisis we are facing,” said January.

ISAP follows a strong belief that it only takes keen interest and a vigilant pair of eyes on the ground to make a difference. With this in mind, ISAP has created the ISAP free ISAP mobile application that allows the public and tourists to report suspicious activities that could be poaching related and other environmental issues of concern as they happen. “ISAP’s role is not limited to the gathering of intelligence, but also to support other platforms that contribute to the prevention of environmental crimes and offences. In addition, ISAP assists with the development, protection and sustainable use of all animals and plant species,” said Tinus Hansen of ISAP.

ISAP is urging the public to augment their effort by being policemen on the ground and to report any suspicious persons or any poaching activities by downloading the ISAP app on Google store and sending the information as a text message to 55555 or on their social media pages.

June Shimuoshili

Address real issues

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Address real issues This weekend will go down in the entertainment history books of Namibia as the Namibian Society for Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) holds its annual general meeting. On the cards is the appointment of the new Nascam board and there will also be an analysis of the 2016 financial statements, and possible amendment of the Nascam constitution.For many years, Nascam has come under fire over a host of issues. Many Namibian artists have accused the music body of discord and not protecting the artists' interests. They have been blamed of not paying artist royalty fees for their songs played on radio and television.

As much as fingers are being pointed to the music body, I believe the Namibian artists are not united and therefore, nothing fruitful may come out of their squealing. In fact, many artists are members of Nascam but only a few know what the body stands for or what copyright is. At the end of the day, we make noise yet we do not even know our rights as members of Nascam. We need to come out of the ignorance cocoon considering there is much more to making music than being behind the mic and making accusations. Our mentalities need to change because we won't even know when we are being taken for a ride at the end of the day. Lastly, until Namibian artists put aside their differences and put their heads together to tackle issues they are facing in the industry then efforts such as holding an AGM are a waste of time. Issues such as playlists from radio stations not being recorded and the high fees that are charged for interviews are issues that artists need to tackle. These are real issues that need to be questioned with the right mindset so that come the AGM, the right questions can be asked. Google what copyright means and look at what is happening in neighbouring countriesand how things are run there and pitch those ideas at the AGM. That's one of the right ways to start rolling the solutions ball.

When electing the new board, please don't elect friends or people that will only be part of it for the title or financial gain. Choose someone who has the interests of the industry at heart. Choose someone who is devoted to music and has general knowledge of the music industry to be able to make decisions for musicians from all corners of Namibia. It's not about a certain genre but it is about music. This meeting is for all artists. It won't make sense if you don't attend and later complain about lacks in the industry later.

June Shimuoshili

june@namibiansun.com

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Operation save a rhino

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Operation save a rhinoZambezi and Kavango artists’ music workshop a success Suné January vowed to educate the nation to on anti-poaching as part of her future plans. Intelligence Support against Poaching (ISAP) Namibia welcomed its newest member to the organisation; Miss Namibia 2017, Suné January, who on the night she was crowned vowed to make a difference to the anti-poaching campaign. January says she will be an ambassador of ISAP and will ensure that ISAP's efforts to combat poaching are realised. “I hope to educate the nation because I don't believe a lot of people are aware of the facilities they can use to report poaching in their communities. Poaching is a real crisis we are facing,” said January.

ISAP follows a strong belief that it only takes keen interest and a vigilant pair of eyes on the ground to make a difference. With this in mind, ISAP has created the ISAP free ISAP mobile application that allows the public and tourists to report suspicious activities that could be poaching related and other environmental issues of concern as they happen. “ISAP's role is not limited to the gathering of intelligence, but also to support other platforms that contribute to the prevention of environmental crimes and offences. In addition, ISAP assists with the development, protection and sustainable use of all animals and plant species,” said Tinus Hansen of ISAP.

ISAP is urging the public to augment their effort by being policemen on the ground and to report any suspicious persons or any poaching activities by downloading the ISAP app on Google store and sending the information as a text message to 55555 or on their social media pages.

June Shimuoshili







[MA1]

China says upholds UN sanctions

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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China says upholds UN sanctionsAs North Korea trade rises China has repeatedly said it is fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on nuclear-armed North Korea and there is nothing wrong with what it terms “normal” trade with Pyongyang. China insisted yesterday it was abiding by UN sanctions on North Korea despite a jump in its trade with the nuclear-armed nation that comes amid growing US calls for Beijing to rein in its neighbour.

Sino-US relations have soured in recent weeks as President Donald Trump has urged Beijing to step up diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions.

Tensions rose after North Korea's test this month of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the US mainland.

Despite Washington's calls for action, trade between China and its neighbour increased 10.5% to US$2.5 billion in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, including a 29.1% jump in exports.

But customs administration spokesman Huang Songping said Beijing was upholding the UN sanctions against the regime of Kim Jong-Un.

“Simple accumulated data cannot be used as evidence to question China's severe attitude in carrying out UN Security Council resolutions,” Huang told a news briefing.

He pointed to a 13.2% drop in imports from North Korea in the same period as an example of the pressure, adding that there have been sharp decreases every month since March.

“UN Security Council sanctions are not a total ban on shipments. Trade related to DPRK people's livelihood, especially those that reflect humanitarianism should not be influenced by the sanctions,” Huang said.

China announced in February the suspension of coal imports from the North, striking a blow at a major source of income for the hermit state.

Huang said coal imports dropped by three-quarters in the first half, and all those shipments had been made before February 18.

Trump has complained that trade increased between the two despite calling on his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to use the nation's unique diplomatic and economic clout over North Korea as leverage.

“Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!” Trump tweeted on July 5.

Previous Chinese customs data showed two-way trade with the North had risen 30.6% in dollar terms in the first three months of the year.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Sunday that Washington would crank up pressure on China to ensure it implements sanctions over the missile test.

She told the Security Council last week that the US planned a new resolution that would also ensure existing measures are enforced.

“We're going to push hard against China because 90% of the trade that happens with North Korea is from China, and so while they have been helpful, they need to do more,” she told CBS television.

The Trump administration angered China last month by imposing sanctions on a Chinese bank accused of laundering North Korean cash and approving a US$1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province.



NAMPA/AFP

EU gives N$7m for promotion of renewable energy

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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EU gives N$7m for promotion of renewable energy The European Union (EU) has awarded N$7 million to the Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) to promote renewable energy in Namibia.

The NRCS, in partnership with the Spanish Red Cross, will implement the project titled 'Promoting Renewable Energy for Climate Change Mitigation Initiatives in Namibia'.

Speaking at the launch of the project here Wednesday, NRCS Secretary-General Naemi Heita said the project aims to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change within rural vulnerable communities in Namibia, by promoting the use of renewable forms of energy and energy efficient technologies.

The project will facilitate the distribution of solar lamps to 200 households, construct 200 improved biomass cooking stoves, and install 10 energy efficient on-farm irrigation water pumps in 10 selected communities in the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions.

It will also offer demonstration workshops to disseminate the benefits of energy efficient technologies.

“It will target households and small scale farmers to increase the usage of renewable forms of energy and energy efficiency technologies in their daily life,” she said.

Namibia is currently not able to generate sufficient electricity to meet its needs and as a result, is importing nearly 60% of its electricity from countries in the region, much of which is generated from fossil fuels.

According to the 2011 Namibia Population and Housing Census, about 19% of rural communities have access to electricity and about 71% in urban communities. Nationally, only 45% of people have access to electricity.

Speaking at the same event, EU Ambassador to Namibia, Jana Hybášková said the Namibian government has prioritised to reduce energy dependence on its neighbouring countries and is focusing on generating clean renewable energy, and such actions on climate change is a key priority for the EU.

“Under the mitigation component, the EU is supporting Namibia to reduce its vulnerability of the rural population to the adverse impacts of climate change,” said Hybášková.



NAMPA

SAP suspends SA execs over 'R100m kickbacks'

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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SAP suspends SA execs over 'R100m kickbacks' Software multinational firm SAP has suspended South Africa's management team after a #GuptaLeaks exposé by AmaBhungane and Scorpio revealed it allegedly paid a Gupta front R100m in kickbacks for state business.

SAP has initiated an independent external investigation as well as an internal probe into the matter.

The current management team has been placed on leave pending the findings of the review, SAP said in a statement on Wednesday. This team includes Brett Parker (MD Africa), Lawrence Kandaswami (MD South Africa), Deena Pillay (CFO South Africa) and Mehmood Khan (COO Africa).

“SAP has initiated an independent investigation spearheaded by a multinational law firm and overseen by executive board member Adaire Fox-Martin to vigorously review contracts awarded by SAP South Africa,” the firm said.

“SAP has also launched an internal review as part of its utmost commitment to compliance and will make the results of the investigation public once it is concluded.

“Full transparency and integrity are imperative at our company, and we will not tolerate any misconduct,” said Fox-Martin, who is coming to South Africa to address the concerns of customers, partners and employees.

“As a company we're initiating a very thorough and very vigorous investigation,” she told Reuters.

SAP said the media reports raised questions surrounding contracts and third-party business practices in the country. “SAP rigorously investigates any allegations of wrongdoing in any of the more than 180 countries where it operates,” it said.

SAP SA strongly rejected allegations of kickbacks on Tuesday.

AmaBhungane and Scorpio revealed that in August 2015, SAP signed a “sales commission” agreement with CAD House, what they call “a small Gupta-controlled company that specialises in selling 3D printers”.

In the view of the investigative units, the terms suggest “a thinly-disguised kickback arrangement: If the Gupta company were the 'effective cause' of SAP landing a Transnet contract worth R100m or more, it would get 10%”.

SAP ended up paying CAD House R99.9m, which to the units suggest that SAP “used the Gupta influence network to drive sales of a billion rand to Transnet and other state-owned companies”.

In a statement, SAP said the accusations made around the use and payment of subcontractors are unfounded and unsubstantiated.

“SAP is dedicated to conducting every aspect of our business responsibly and in accordance with the highest global compliance and legal standards,” according to the statement.

“As part of its day to day business, SAP SA engages various subcontractors, SMEs and partners and it has always been and will continue to be SAP's policy to partner with a wide pool of organisations that qualify for our partner programme, if those organisations successfully meet the exacting criteria of our global due diligence and certification processes.”

SAP said it has taken strong exception to the allegations and is investigating possible action.



NEWS24

Culture of mentorship necessary

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Culture of mentorship necessary OGONE TLHAGE

First Lady Monica Geingos has stressed that it is important to create mentorship networks. She addressed a room full of women yesterday where she shared learning experiences and what she had learnt.

Geingos also said that the former first lady, Penehupifo Pohamba, had been a mentor to her before her move to State House.

“The former first lady has been a mentor to me. She took me around the State House residence and showed me what the public does not see. The most important parts are the mechanics inside the machine,” said Geingos.

Although she acknowledged that she had been successful in her own right, she emphasised that it was still important to seek mentorship from others as well.

“I’m not too big to be mentored, you need mentorship when you are at your most powerful, success is its own worst enemy. There’s always a new standard to improve upon, you have to keep moving yourself up and how do you stop yourself from stagnating.

“It takes humility to go from mentor to mentee,” said Geingos.

She called on those seeking mentorship to be specific about why they sought mentorship.

“When you seek mentorship, you must be specific in what you need. You must all be able to bring something to the table. You must also give, do for others. You must bring something to the table. We must be able to trust each other in mentor relationships,” stressed Geingob.

Invited guest and founder of Ndalo Media, Khanyi Dhlomo, shared the importance of media. According to her, it was through mentorship relationships that she was able to create her company which has now spun off two magazines, ‘Destiny’ and ‘Destiny Men’.

“It is not about the name and the person, mentorship comes from different sources, it does not always come in the way that you would expect,” said Dhlomo, whose mentor turned out to be Naspers board chairman Koos Bekker.

According to Dhlomo, their relationship blossomed during her time at Media 24 when she was the editor of women’s magazine ‘True Love’.

“So strong was the relationship that there was a promise to support studies remained,” said Dhlomo, who had left to work for Tourism South Africa in Paris, France, for a two-year stint, thereafter progressing to study at Harvard for her MBA.

“When I created Ndalo Media I was able to go into a 50/50 partnership with Media 24. Even though I gave up 50% of my business, I got the opportunity to get something much bigger. My family and I have also been able to buy back the business,” said Dhlomo of her path with her mentor.

Entrepreneur Jerry Muadinohamba stressed the need for mentorship programmes to exist.

“We need to create a culture of mentorship, you should have a Key Performance Indicator targets and a number of people to mentor. That way it becomes a norm. We need to create that culture and move away from people driven management,” said Muadinohamba.

Tura Expo needs support

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Tura Expo needs supportFundraising activities far from target The organising committee of the Katutura Expo is calling on individuals and corporates to support its fundraising campaign. OGONE TLHAGE



Katutura Central Constituency councillor Ambrosius Kandjii is calling on corporates and even individuals to support this year’s Katutura Expo. According to him, the expo is far from reaching the targets set for a successful event.

He recently briefed Namibian Sun on the progress made by the organisers.

“Corporates are coming on very slowly, by now we have 13 that have confirmed out of 40 last year at this stage of the organising. Our uphill is sponsorship and we acknowledge that most are struggling,” said Kandjii.

“We’ve secured N$100 000 but need N$1 million but we are not giving up. The event has to take place,” Kandjii said.

“We did manage here and there but we are still pushing very hard. The local organising committee is trying to make sure we reach our success,” added Kandjii.

He said there was considerable interest from small exhibitors but because the ministry of trade had a reduced budget, the number of subsidised small and medium enterprises would be small.

“The interest shown by small and medium enterprises is coming up very well, the only problem we have is with the ministry of trade, which says its budget has been cut. It is also affecting other small and medium enterprises who would have wanted to exhibit at the expo under the ministry’s sponsorship. But we are working to find an alternative,” said Kandjii.

The organising committee was also making efforts to raise money, Kandjii pointed out.

“We will have a gala dinner on 22 July. We will sell tickets to the expo to individuals for N$600, couples or pairs for N$1 000 and corporates for N$10 000,” Kandjii said.

“Overall the progress we are making is quite average. We are moving, we are pushing very well. Overall we are getting there but the progress is very slow. The local organising committee is trying to make sure we reach our success,” he said.

“The City of Windhoek has been very helpful to make sure the venue is clean and prepared.”

For the first time, there has been overwhelming interest from the agriculture sector, with calls for dog and chicken owners to exhibit their prized possessions.

“The agricultural exhibitions look very promising this year. We expect over 100 cattle and small livestock to be put on exhibition this year. People have also shown interest to bring dogs and chickens to the expo.

“There has also been overwhelming interest from people who want to braai kapana. The applicants have been very overwhelming,” he said.

Ex-Brazil leader Lula gets nearly 10 years

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ex-Brazil leader Lula gets nearly 10 yearsSentenced for corruption and money laundering Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sentenced to nine and a half years in jail for corruption and money laundering. Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for graft in a stark fall from grace for the iconic leftist leader.

Lula, who ruled Brazil from 2003-2010, was convicted and handed a 9.5-year prison term on Wednesday for accepting a luxury seaside apartment and US$1.1 million, the latest twist in a giant corruption probe engulfing Latin America's largest economy.

But anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro said the 71-year-old Lula would remain free pending an appeal - something his lawyers immediately said they would lodge.

“We are appealing and will prove his innocence,” the lawyers said in a statement sent to AFP.

The conviction nevertheless landed a heavy blow on the prospect of Lula making a political comeback in presidential elections due in October next year.

The verdict also sent a dramatic message to much of Brazil's political class that they, too, risked falling afoul of the anti-graft drive.

Even the current president, Michel Temer, has been charged with taking bribes and several of his ministers have resigned after corruption claims were made.

The sea change has come about because of Operation “Car Wash,” a sweeping probe looking into a giant embezzlement and kickbacks scheme involving state-owned oil group Petrobras, construction firms and several political parties - Lula's Workers' Party chief among them.

But while many Brazilians welcome the long-overdue clean-up, the uncertainty is hobbling their country's struggle to exit from a historic recession.

The verdict against Lula “all but rules him out of the running for next year's presidential election,” said Capital Economics, an economic analysis firm.

It said the court's decision was “likely to give a near-term boost to Brazilian markets” as the likelihood waned of Lula, a former union leader, returning to power and quashing needed economic reforms championed by Temer.

Lula has repeatedly denied taking any bribes during or after his presidency.

He has described the investigation against him as a campaign to prevent his return to power.

The Workers' Party called Lula's conviction and sentence “an attack on democracy” and Brazil's constitution, accusing the judge of bias.

Lula was “serene” upon receiving the news, though he felt “a natural indignation, like anyone convicted without proof,” said one of his lawyers, Cristiano Zanin Martins.

Another lawyer, Valeska Zanin Martins, added: “They want to leave Lula out of the presidential race, and Lula leads the polls.”

The conviction focused on allegations that Lula received the triplex apartment and cash as bribes from one of Brazil's biggest construction companies, OAS.

The judge ordered that the apartment be confiscated.

“Between the crimes of corruption and money laundering, there are sufficient grounds for sentences totalling nine years and six months of incarceration,” Moro said in his verdict.

The sentence by Moro - whose wide popularity in Brazil for his anti-corruption work has prompted some to see him as a possible presidential candidate - fed into broader political ructions in Brazil.

Lula's chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached and booted from office last year, with Temer, her vice president, taking over.

Two weeks ago, Moro sentenced an influential minister in the Lula and Rousseff governments, Antonio Palocci, to 12 years in prison for corruption.

Palocci played a central role in the “Car Wash” scheme, most of which unfolded when Lula's Workers' Party was in power from 2003 to 2016.

Prosecutors said Palocci was a pointman in the flow of “bribes between the Odebrecht construction group and intermediaries of the Workers' Party,” laundering more than US$10 million used for party campaign finances.

Odebrecht, an industrial conglomerate with projects around the world, named Palocci “the Italian” in its list of code names for politicians regularly taking bribes in exchange for lucrative contracts with Petrobras and other favours.

The apartment bribe is one of five corruption cases stacked against Lula.

Others include allegations that Odebrecht gave US$3.7 million to Lula so he could buy land to build the Lula Institution highlighting his political legacy, and that he received a kickback in Brazil's purchase of Swedish warplanes.



NAMPA/AFP

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UN identifies 38 new probable mass graves in DRC

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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UN identifies 38 new probable mass graves in DRC Another 38 probable mass graves have been discovered in DR Congo in the country's troubled central region of Kasai, the United Nations said Wednesday.

At least 80 mass graves have now been identified in the region that has seen a major spike in violence between security forces and a tribal militia since September.

The international community has voiced alarm over the violence, which has claimed the lives of more than 3 000 people, according to statistics compiled by the Roman Catholic church.

The UN's MONUSCO peacekeeping mission had previously spoken of “more than 400 dead” while about 1.3 million people are estimated to have fled their homes in the Kasai provinces.

The investigative mission this month found the latest mass graves in the Diboko and Sumbula areas of the Kamonia territory, the UN said.

The violence began last year when Kamwina Nsapu, a tribal chieftain in territory near the southern border with Angola, openly challenged the authority of President Joseph Kabila's government, provoking a crackdown by security forces.

Nsapu was killed in a police operation in August 2016, but his armed followers fight on in the belief he is still alive, because he was buried by the regime without respect for traditional rites accorded leaders of his stature which would have opened the way to a rightful succession.

Last February, MONUSCO accused the Kamwina Nsapu militia of “atrocities... including the recruiting and use of child soldiers,” but also condemned “a disproportionate use of force” by government troops.

Two western experts sent to investigate the conflict by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres went missing in March and their bodies were found in a shallow grave by peacekeepers a fortnight later.

The government blamed the tribal militia for their murders.



NAMPA/AFP

I am an African, and proud of it

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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I am an African, and proud of it Dear friends, there are only a few things in life a person can’t fake, and your true identity tops the list. When it comes to revealing who you really are, you may succeed in fooling some of the people all the time, or fooling all the people some of the time - but you can’t probably fool all the people all of the time.

I, for one, could not have wished to be anything else than being an African. Oh I love Africa and her people. You see, my friends, in Africa the price on the tag on a product is a mere indication of the range that you should be prepared to negotiate from, and you end up paying anything between N$100 and N$1 000 more, or a thousand rand less, depending on the strength of your negotiation skills.

I am told Europeans would not really mind if you greet them or not before asking for directions. Aikona! Not in Africa. If you miss a greeting, you most certainly are going to camp in the jungle for the night!

In Namibia for instance, you can lead a 20 minute conversation with a certain ethnic group starting with “Walelepo…!” and keep it going by replying “eeeeeehh…eeeeeh…eeeeeeh” in numerous different tone-levels for the next half an hour! Amazingly, the other person understands exactly what you are saying.

I am told that such greeting is never complete without inquiring about the state of health of everyone and everything at home – including the livestock and garden implements. Anything short of that is half-cooked and would be ruled out as mere pretence.

This, my dear friends, is the continent where every toothpaste is Colgate, every soap is Surf and every soft drink is Coca Cola or Fanta. You see, here we believe that choices, or rather the availability thereof tends to corrupt - so, the less choices you have, the better for you, your family and the entire human race.

You may laugh now, but it is true; that is why I never settle for the first item I see on the street market – I look around for an hour or so before returning to pay for it. Come to think of it, isn’t it funny that I always come back for it anyway?

Only in Africa would you pass by someone’s house and you know what they will be having for dinner from the smells that emanate from their houses. You see, here you know well never to question what you’re eating (even if it tastes like cooking oil), because sometimes you just don’t want to know!

Oh, I love Africa. Here, celebrities are not movie makers or those who would set the lights of Hollywood alive, but soccer players. You see, everyone in Africa plays soccer - from the tiniest infant to the bent-back oldie across the street.

Did you ever have to sit-in on a conversation among five men or more, each one claiming to be the best analyst of the last match between Chelsea and Manchester United? Or listen to them predicting, with innate accuracy, the coming weekend’s game between Liverpool and Manchester City?

Our economists and mathematicians might not be winning international prizes, or receive accolades for one or another project, but we are naturals when it comes to counting. Oh yeah, we may use a different approach, but we get there anyway. How on earth do you think the old shepherd from your village, who cannot count to save his life, tells when a goat is missing from the herd?

In Africa, you arrive at work on time as usual and your boss - making her rounds, peeks in and remarks with surprise, "Oh, you're here!" If you come late the next day, you will be told “You are always late…”

After a staff meeting, your boss would suggest, "you need to work at making others more comfortable with you...why don't you smile more often?" That will, of cause, be followed by the conversation on how many facial muscles you use when smiling as opposed to frowning

It is only in Africa where, after returning from a trip, a white co-worker would run to you on Monday morning and extend their arms to touch yours and say, "Hey I'm darker than you".

Until then…

tjatindi@gmail.com

MEN COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY FROM WOMEN

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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MEN COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY FROM WOMEN By KAGHUGONGO VHUMBU WASHINGERESHU

It’s an old age discussion and problem; men and women communicate differently. You have heard it in the best seller from Dr. Gray, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, you hear about it on the talk shows and definitely hear it from males and females alike; ‘‘he just won’t listen.’’ ‘‘She complains too much.’’ It is not all in our minds, there’s scientific evidence that we just don’t talk the same ‘‘language’’. From body language and facial expressions to the way we speak to one another; the different are drastic. According to Dr. Deborah Tannen, who wrote the book You Just Don’t Understand, said that ‘‘Communication is not as simply as saying what you mean. How you say what you mean is crucial, and differs from one person to the next.’’ She goes on to say childhood is where most of our communication skills are learned and boys and girls are from two different subcultures.

There are many ways in which the two genders differs in communication, out of many I am going to look at the best five strategies for our discussion, these big five will come with their examples to easy the comprehension of the topic at hand. The big five are as follows; number one, attitude towards task vs relationships, way of processing information, leadership style, communication style and the last one is, talk time.

Allow me to start with attitude towards task vs. relationship. Our mother, sisters and aunts are people who treasures and values the opinions of others at work place, by doing this, they first build the friendship bridge to connect with those they are around with, so that they can be comfortable to share their ideas or ask others their opinion on the way forward to get the work done. While their male counterparts, are task oriented, the first thing in the mind is to get the work done and how to get it done by any means necessary, they don’t look around to make friendship at first, they focus on the job at hand first, as the work goes on and progress they will get to know each other at the project or place and build their friendship according to the level of each person’s performance. Moving further, we look at how female and male gender processes information? Female always do that by speaking it out loud to themselves, in other word we say they think out loud, this always give confusion to men, men thinks maybe the person is asking for advice or just not sure of what to do, that is why they are asking or sharing the information for everyone to know whether it is right or wrong. This behaviour makes a man to conclude it as a sign of weakness, because you cannot expose your plan for everyone to know it while it’s at a prematurely level or far from a completed idea. Male process their information internal and quietly. Women misinterpret this and think that their counterpart are not ready to share ideas because they got that silent atmosphere when their doing their thinking internally.

Furthermore, leadership style between the two parties is far different from each other; men are task-oriented while women are relationship-oriented leaders. Task-oriented leader are oppressive, direct and controlling, their behaviours are concentrate on performing the job that the work group face and thus similar to those of the initiating the job, and meeting the production goals. These take-charge leadership traits are emulated by men’s characteristics when it comes to communication. As stated above, men are very goal-oriented when it comes to the way in which they approach communication as they use conversation to achieve results, preserve independence, dominance, and maintain their status in the hierarchical social order. Thus, men’s communication style, based primarily on control and power, mirrors their task-oriented leadership style quite perfectly. This aggressive approach is primarily why men emerge more often as leaders than women in the workplace. Female leaders tend to assume more of a caretaker role, possible because of their stereotypical role as a caretaker to their husband and children in the household.

In the second last analysis, we look at the nonverbal communication style. Men and women differ significantly in their propensity use of nonverbal communication, their skills in interpreting it and their meaning. Women are better than men at interpreting nonverbal signal and use it more often than men. Finally, man always talk more than women during meeting and any other work related discussion compared to their female counterpart, this is so because men take communication as an opportunity to exercise their dominance and power. They have got the confidence to expresses themselves wrong or right. Women are always speak less because they are afraid of how people perceive their idea, they are afraid to make mistakes and like to follow or lead from behind. Men use to get more time in talking by forcefully interrupting women whenever it’s their chance to talk in board meeting or any kind; this is caused by the communication different which lead to assumptions of what the other member of the opposite more special women is about to say.

Lastly, women and men need to learn these differences to avoid miscommunication which can result in conflict if it’s not well observed. It’s important that we must learn the big five to help us understand the behaviour of women and women to learn the communication behaviour of men to improve our relationship and understanding of one another.

Swapo must embrace change

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Swapo must embrace change There appears to be no serious battle of ideas in the ruling party at the moment as the comrades gear up for the much-anticipated national congress that will elect a new leadership in November. Swapo has struggled to move away from the traditional way of doing things. The party has clearly not yet embraced change and this is evident from the manner in which it is being run. Despite having the financial means and the resources at its disposal to set the agenda on a number of issues relevant to the situation in the country, the party has not been proactive enough. Both old and young have adopted a lax attitude towards bread and butter issues and only resurface with new promises when it is election time. The party is no longer setting the agenda, especially in parliament where lively debate should be the norm. The party leaders are committing some terrible mistakes in government and there is no internal noise about it. Even the young and budding politicians have all of a sudden become political vuvuzelas and are only there to fight the battles of the elders instead of representing the masses of unemployed and downtrodden youth in Namibia. No serious attention is given to job creation, public healthcare and education amongst other priority areas. With so many problems facing our nation, it is incumbent upon the youth leaders to provide direction to the top political and government leadership in order to move our country forward. These young people are educated and are aware of their needs in society and thus should not use petty politicking to sabotage the dreams and aspirations of the thousands of youths looking up to them for leadership in this country. As the race intensifies for the party presidency and other leading positions at stake at this year's congress, the battle of ideas must take precedence before petty politicking. Prospective candidates must come up with innovative, fresh and proactive ideas to run this country. We respect the fact that Swapo is a liberation movement, but times have changed now and it is no longer relevant to keep some archaic and obsolete traditions alive.

African skies to open next year

July 13, 2017, 4:00 pm

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African skies to open next year The launch is imminent of Africa's first single air transport market and an initiative to connect the continent through aviation to boost tourism, economic growth and development.

At the moment 20 countries have subscribed to the programme that include South Africa, Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Togo and Zimbabwe.

The initiative is seen to be a game-changer for growth prospects in the continent as current air-transport in Africa is on average twice as expensive as in the rest of the world and it is estimated that over 40 countries will have signed by January 2018.

According to the head of the transport and tourism division at the African Union, David Kajange, Africa has become the most expensive air transport market in the world because of individual national policies and regulations, which hinder air connectivity.

The initiative is not the first one.

The single African air transport market forms part of an Open Skies for Africa vision, envisioned in the 1980s.

It culminated in the adoption of the Yamoussoukro Decision of African heads of state in November 1999.

The Yamoussoukro Decision, which was signed by 44 heads of state in 1999, including Namibia, was supposed to be a continental liberalisation programme, but the quest for many African governments to protect weak national airlines had largely prevented its implementation.

The AU realised it was going to be very difficult to have all 44 countries wake up one day and say “all of our markets are open”, therefore the AU civil aviation decided to get countries immediately willing to open their markets to sign the declaration.

A single air transport market is one of the goals of AU's Agenda 2063.

The agenda hopes to connect the whole of Africa through aviation to achieve integration and boost intra-Africa trade.

It aims at opening up heavily protected domestic sectors to increase competition, reduce costs and boost the number of passengers travelling across African skies.

The announcement that African skies would open next year follows the release of a new tourism report that also critiques the initiative, saying there has been no progress made towards a single air transport market in Africa.



'Pipe dream'

Despite the economic benefits that would accrue from open skies, recently it has been described as a pipe dream.

Most states have failed to actually implement the agreement and protectionism still reigns supreme.

For some reason, national airlines continue to be seen as symbols of national pride in a way that few other services are, the report says.

Given the geographical shape of the continent, the reluctance of more than 70% of countries to become involved makes it difficult to create the liberalised sector that was originally envisaged.

As a result, African states are often better connected with other parts of the world than they are with each other.

“The damaging effects of the lack of air connectivity and the opportunities that air transport offers for regional integration have long been recognised by African governments, but opening up the skies has been a lengthy process,” the report says.

Air services between African states have been predominantly regulated on the basis of restrictive bilateral agreements.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said more jobs could be generated and additional economic growth could be achieved in Namibia if intra-African markets are opened up to allow for greater airline transport connectivity.

Raphael Kuuchi, vice-president for Africa at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on the profound economic benefits of liberalisation for Africa.

“IATA's most recent study found that if Namibia and 11 other key African countries were to open their air transport markets, this would result in an extra 155 000 jobs being created and US$1.3 billion in additional annual GDP being generated for those country's economies.”

IATA's study looked at Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda.

On Namibia alone, it found that market liberalisation would result in 10,600 additional jobs and US$94.2 million (roughly N$1.2 billion).

The report commissioned by IATA found that liberalisation would cause airfares to fall between 25% and 37% in the 12 countries, making air travel more affordable to more people, therefore stimulating an 81% increase in traffic flows between the 12 countries within three years.

The bulk of this growth would reportedly be on air services linking Namibia with Angola and South Africa.



Supportive

According to spokesperson of Air Namibia, Paul Nakawa, the impact of a single air transport market for Africa depends on the extent of the opening of the skies and also on the number of countries that will participate.

“It will not help much if only a handful of countries will participate and be a part of. The Namibian Government already subscribes to opening of the skies. This is seen from their decision to be signatory to the Yamoussoukro declaration.”

According him, if the skies were to open fully at same level as the European Union has done for their member states, it will be meaningful and will create opportunities for African airlines to be more productive. “We wait to see details on the extent of the opening and who will participate before we can respond with specifics. The Namibian market is quite small and not very attractive to many foreign airlines, but we have interest in those other bigger markets and we will position ourselves to develop the opportunity when it comes.”



ELLANIE SMIT