Time for a youth president

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Time for a youth president It is true that in every human being's lifetime, one's livelihood cycle is to live until they die, and the only permanent life facet is 'change', for what's more, better or worse. For instance not long ago Namibia was under colonialism and 27 years thereafter gained independence, but the roles played both by the youth and adults then were equally pivotal, both mentally and physically in resisting the apartheid regime under British rule and actively managing to convince the world/United Nations, that we were better off ruling ourselves.

I for one find our Namibian liberation struggle history to be very intriguing it is a beautiful and rich story – speaking of national heroes.

The execution and the courage our heroes showed; priceless.

As a result of the unity demonstrated during these liberation battles, we were able to achieve independence as a country, and thereafter the sustainable peace, tranquility and prosperity, “the blood of the fallen shall forever water our freedom, whilst the survivors lead our freedom” that we the contemporary society enjoy and embrace today and tomorrow.

The lack of engagement and commitment is the first issue I see with our contemporary heroes, because in my view, if you want to solve a problem, then involve both the victim and the culprit and help them find an amicable solution, by listening to both concerned parties' objections, before taking drastic measures (or stance), to cultivate a comprehensive environment that serves the well-being of the entire nation's security. Recently, the youth have encountered various tribulations and quite surprising not only did the relevant ministers or the president fail to resolve the matter by consulting the aggrieved; no stance was taken for either party on matters that seemed to be a conflict of interest by the Management and some Government officials.

Thus prompting my observation of the current administration – to remind them that their leadership of the Namibian government, is owed to the Namibian citizens that gave their consent and that the youth were equally eager to vote for the incumbents' administration to govern – and for once we would like to feel the presence of our leaders, to retain the faith we had in them during the elections.

The latest UNAM scandal for one, could have served as a great platform for the incumbents to intervene and hear our cries, but to the contrary, there has been no such constructive intervention or attempts at such matters from either government or the relevant agencies.

There have been calls, from time-to-time from students at the University for the incumbent's intervention, who also happen to be stakeholders of the institution to attend to the students' (also citizens of an independent and democratic Namibia) pleas, but unsurprisingly, it fell on deaf ears and the only hope for students is therefore to write and air their grievances on social media platforms, to help get the message across.

Therefore my question is this: Is this the contemporary culture we wish to nurture or do the current leaders feels that the youth's problems are not theirs for the taking? May I remind them, they were once young too and they looked to their elders and leaders for answers and they got them and they lived in a better and more progressive environment, we the youth for once would like to make them proud the same way President Geingob, Sam Nujoma and the late Toivo ya Toivo made the elders of their time happy and proud with their accomplishments.

Today however, there seems to be no hope for us, for youth empowerment. Why not nurture the current youth to become better versions of themselves? To give you something to be proud of, and if there is any truth in the saying that “the youth are the future”, then perhaps it is worth teaching and embracing the current youth with knowledge and wisdom for the future generation to acquire and benefit from equally, thus to remedy the situation. It's time the government takes care of the youth's needs and hearken to their cries.

It is time to enrich and equip them well for a better tomorrow, a tomorrow that they themselves will look forward to in their retirement. Unemployment rate, high poverty and crime statistics are all topped by the country's youth, whilst the “unfit and self-indulging” capitalists and the elite continue to capture our national wealth, selfishly.

What kind of a future are we cultivating? We, the youth, “the leaders of tomorrow”, for once, would like to appeal to the government to hear our voices and attend to our grievances.

Start with engagement, become involved in every decision made that involves even a mere reflection of this country's future.



*Romanus Mungamba is a final year Public Management student at the University of Namibia.

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Governors must be elected

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Governors must be elected Under the influence of alcohol, a mischievous youth sarcastically asked; “if a governor is renting someone's house, does it suggest the person is being governed by his or her landlord in a region s/he governs?” Analyzed closely, the story was aimed at capturing, positioning and winning public opinion on the matter of governors' supposedly poor conditions of service.

To start with, word from treasury is that governors' remuneration is similar, if not exactly equivalent to that of deputy ministers. You are correct in wondering why deputy ministers aren't renting. How is it possible that nurses and teachers, whose salaries are probably four times smaller than those of governors, can afford houses? Be reminded that in February 2013 about 239 politicians (governors included) benefited from a 15% salary increase. What is the way forward if the governors' self-actualisation moan is dismissed as dishonest? To answer that, we must shift the debate from their material aspirations to the challenges in local authorities of which “the status of governors” is one. The genesis of problems of local authorities can be understood from the seemingly unresolved dichotomy of the policy of decentralisation, on the one hand, and the unitary principle of the state on the other. In Article 1, our Constitution establishes our republic as a democratic and unitary state whose main organs are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, while providing the basis for decentralisation in Chapter 12. Decentralisation, therefore, has to take place in observation of the dictums of both Chapter 12 and Article 1.

The architecture of the Regional Councils Act 22 of 1992 somehow harmonised the decentralisation policy and the unitary state principle. Where problems remained, the Decentralisation Enabling Act, Act 33 of 2000 was roped in to regulate the decentralisation to encompass regional and local authority councils vis-à-vis functions vested in line ministries. It is the Second Regional Councils Amendment Act, Acy 16 of 2010 - read together with the Special Advisors and Regional Governors Appointment Amendment Act, Act 15 of 2010 - that caused the serious problems that we wish to discuss today. Five key problems can be identified. These are (1) Democratic deficit; (2) Alienation of the general will; (3) No legal basis of effective governance; (4) Encroachment and lack of legitimacy; and (5) Eyes-hands-accountability dichotomy.

While the Regional Councils Act, Act 22 of 1992 makes provision for members of the regional council (consisting of elected councilors) to democratically elect among themselves a person to serve as chairperson and governor of that respective region – the Special Advisors and Regional Governors Appointment Amendment Act, Act 15 of 2010 takes away this democratic practice exporting it solely to the President. This then creates a democratic deficit. Governors are the only high ranking political office bearers not subject to any form of the people's will. Councilors are elected; the President is also directly elected, not forgetting the mere fact that ministers are firstly elected into parliament, thus making governors the only officials not subject to popular public choice.

The Second Regional Councils Amendment Act, though giving some rights to appointed governors to attend the meetings of the regional council, legally discriminates and victimises governors by taking away their voting powers in these meetings, in so doing, birthing an effective governance quagmire. There exists a dilemma of encroachment and legitimacy.

Most government officials have clear reporting structures from themselves – through directors, the line ministers and eventually the President. It is unclear as to where appointed governors, who are viewed as a duplication of reporting structures, or encroaching thereon and lacking legal legitimacy, fit. Further to this, it is for this reason that some governors, after receiving cold shoulders, resort to intimidation and bullying tactics; sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't. Consider the case of a state-owned enterprise board of directors summoned by the appointed governor to explain their operations (which the governor disagrees with). Their operations are approved by their line minister (also appointed by the President). The governor informs them that he/she is the President's representative while the board responds that their operations are approved by their line minister – to whom they report.

Imagine what would happen should serious differences develop between the regional council chairperson and the governor. Wouldn't the governor be isolated? Governors are regarded, some proclaim, as 'the eyes and ears” of the President in the regions. They indirectly admit that someone else exists in the region, not them, who are the hands of the President – theirs is to see and listen. The governors themselves openly proclaim that they are accountable, not to people, but to the Commander-in-Chief.



*Abraham Vincent Kamati is a final year student teacher at the University of Namibia. He also serves as a Speaker of Student Parliament for all UNAM Campuses.

Examining the political system

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Examining the political system Each and every generation has its own time to determine what it will do with its own future. Whether to actively engage in the public debate of its affairs or to be a passive generation that stood by on the sidelines and watched its future being crafted by others.

Recently, the national broadcaster, NBC, reported two regional governors who are yet to give their State of the Region Address, unsurprising the governor of the mighty Kunene was one of the two. This is almost 3 months after President Hage Geingob had delivered his maiden State of the Nation Address, giving the results of his Harambee Prosperity Plan thus far, with some aspects yet to be actualised.

It has also become the norm in our African set up that leaders too often tend to shift the blame onto others without examining their individual roles in causing damage to the economy of the nation, the SME saga is a true testament to this reality.

In this column of the Astute Conversation, regular writer Romanus Mungamba and Abraham Vincent Kamati give us their take on the current state of affairs by explaining the need to elect result-driven leaders and maybe, just maybe, it could be time for a youthful President. Let's read their narratives.

NBC denies snubbing landless group

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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NBC denies snubbing landless group The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has denied claims by the Landless People's Movement (LPM) that its leaders are being denied an opportunity to be aired on the English and Damara/Nama radio stations.

The LPM last week said Bernadus Swartbooi, Henny Seibeb and Rosa Namises were barred access to the public facility because the broadcaster refused to interview them and does not air announcements by the movement.

Last Friday, Namises was allegedly “shoved out of the studios” by anchor Gerson Ore-Aob, and when asked, Ore-Aob reportedly said he did so on instructions by Damara/Nama station manager Joseph !Garab, “and by implication,” the NBC director-general Stanley Similo.

The NBC yesterday denied these claims.

Its chief commercial officer, Umbi Karuaihe-Upi, said Namises last week came to the Damara/Nama studio to make an announcement of an LPM meeting that was supposed to have taken place over the weekend.

“She [Namises] did not have a script so the producer said he would refer the matter to the manager [who was in a meeting at the time]. After some discussions with the producer Ms Namises was allowed to announce the message,” Karuaihe-Upi said.

Karuaihe-Upi said after the incident, the NBC had called Namises. She, in turn, reportedly said she was writing a letter to the NBC and claimed she was directed what to say on radio and told the LPM was not allowed on air.

“NBC told her that all announcements must be in writing for our managers to know if these are public or commercial items. If she comes for an interview next time she must speak to the manager so that the interview can be discussed in advance,” Karuaihe-Upi said.



LPM/NBC MEETING

The LPM insists that its leaders are being barred access to the national broadcaster despite “fruitful” discussions between the parties in May where assurance was given that the national broadcaster does not have a policy that rejects any social movement or activists from being interviewed and covered.

The May meeting was called after the LPM raised alarm over NBC journalists and radio announcers who alleged to be “generally reluctant” to cover LPM activities for fear of being fired.

The LPM alleges that former NBC director-general and current press secretary to the presidency, Albertus Aochamub; had “arm-twisted” Similo not to broadcast an interview with Seibeb on the 'One on One' television programme after the minister of land reform, Utoni Nujoma, had complained about it in a cabinet meeting.

The LPM said this interview with Seibeb was difficult to cancel after it was announced on social media. However, it claimed, the interview was nonetheless “censored” by the office of the presidency.

Aochamub scoffed at the allegations, saying: “Someone has a very rich imagination. They should not give us powers which we do not have. They should also not insult those that are in charge of running the NBC. They [NBC staff] are not anyone's stooges or puppets.”

The LPM said attempts to “suffocate” freedom of speech are unacceptable, saying the NBC cannot be a mouthpiece of the powers that be because it is funded by taxpayers' money.

“[Taxpayers] are diverse ideologically, politically and economically. Democratic pluralism is sacrosanct. It cannot be that only views seemed to be praising government are heard and those viewed to critique government are excluded,” the LPM said.

The movement wants the offices of the Ombudsman and the media ombudsman to investigate this matter.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Another delay in Heckmair murder trial

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Another delay in Heckmair murder trial American murder accused Marcus Thomas has applied for leave to appeal against the dismissal of his bid to have the presiding judge recused from the trial.

Earlier this month the High Court ruled that Thomas had failed to show reasonable grounds for the recusal of Judge Christie Liebenberg.

Thomas had argued that the judge would not bring an impartial mind to bear when adjudicating the matter.

Thomas and co-accused Kevin Townsend allegedly plotted and committed the murder of André Heckmair in Windhoek in early 2011.

The two Americans are charged with one count of murder, one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of contravening the Ammunitions Act and one count of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

Judge Liebenberg last year ruled that Thomas was mentally fit to stand trial.

“It is evident that the court at no stage made any findings on the alleged commission of the offences charged and that the same charges still had to be proved during the trial,” Liebenberg stated when he dismissed Thomas's application for his recusal.

Judge Liebenberg yesterday postponed the case to 28 August for hearing arguments on the application for leave to appeal.

FRED GOEIEMAN

Rehoboth is dying - CEO

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Rehoboth is dying - CEOTown council in chaotic mess The Rehoboth council has financial problems that cannot be solved without intervention by the central government, its CEO says. Rehoboth Town Council chief executive officer Christophe Uirab says the town is on the brink of collapse.

Uirab said in a recent interview that he was trying to make sense of a chaotic environment as a result of piled-up debts, years of mismanagement and alleged corruption.

According to him he is forced to run council affairs on an ad-hoc basis since there is “no money” in reserve and the council can only deliver services such as water and electricity with the daily payments from residents.

Rehoboth residents owe the council N$106 million for services rendered and according to Uirab the affluent suburbs such as Blocks D and A must subsidise non-paying areas such as Blocks E and C.

“And do you know currently even the council employees here are standing collectively at N$1.3 million, an individual owes about N$30 to 40 000. How can it be? I have never seen this at any other municipality but in this place it has happened,” he exclaimed.

He added that about 95% of Block E residents owed the council N$20 000 or more.

Uirab said the council had entered into a prepaid arrangement with NamWater but it was expected to pay monthly instalments of N$700 000 in an effort to clear its N$29 million outstanding debt.

“If we do not pay that, then they will deduct the money from the money that we have paid for the units. And the worst part is that they can only update the units if they have received proof of payment, they are not keeping in mind that there are long queues in the bank or that all signatories are not always in the office,” lamented Uirab.

According to him, it costs the council N$2.5 million per month to supply the town with water, 40% of which is lost to burst pipes.

The council is however, often only able to scrape together N$500 000 or less hence the frequent disconnections.



Infrastructure

According to Uirab the town cannot afford to maintain the water infrastructure and the town's streets without government intervention.

“I receive a lot of complaints from residents, but we do not even have a grader and no heavy-duty machine to fix the roads,” he said.

Meanwhile, for the last few weeks the town has been flooded with sewage, which is threatening residents' health as well as the groundwater resource.

“It is really a big problem. As a result the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has revoked our permit and declared us unfit to manage the evaporation pond,” said Uirab.

He added that the sewerage infrastructure, which dates back to the apartheid government more than three decades ago, was no longer reliable.

“We simply do not have the capacity to manage the pumping station, if any problem arises then we must call in the help of private companies,” he said.

The council is currently making use of Harley Investments, owned by Tommie Besser, to assist them with the sewage problem.

According to Besser it would cost the government about N$4 million to replace the entire system, while the council is expected to cough up about N$100 000 to fix and maintain a pump.

“This problem is not unique to Rehoboth, you must understand that. It is however unfortunate that all five pumps gave in. But at the moment we have three that work. The one in Block A, which is the central one that feeds into most neighbourhoods, is out of order,” he said.

He said it takes up to four to six weeks for a part to be delivered from overseas since it is not locally available.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Westair reassures Air Namibia

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Westair reassures Air Namibia Air Namibia will be able to continue using the four planes it leased from a French airline, which have been sold to Westair.

In a statement issued by Westair yesterday the company gave its reassurance that the planes would remain available to Air Namibia.

“The only change is that the aircraft will no longer be foreign owned, but will be owned by Namibians. Additionally, this new venture enables the renewal and upgrade of the current domestic and regional fleet, and will address the issues of dispatch reliability that could have negatively impacted the traveling public in the long run,” the statement said.

According to Westair it intends to honour all the terms of the current lease of the aircraft.

Air Namibia learned on Wednesday that the four planes, leased since 2011 from Air France, are now owned by the Namibian aviation company Westair.

The transaction between Westair and Air France transpired without the knowledge of Air Namibia's board or management.

Air Namibia has a valid and legally binding lease agreement with Air France/ HOP for the utilisation of the four Embraer Jet aircraft. These aircraft are currently used on domestic routes and some regional routes.

The lease agreement with HOP terminates during the first quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the fact that Air Namibia might be overcharged when leasing planes from Westair.

Reportedly Air Namibia currently pays about US$70 000 per month for leasing a 37-seater.

“At this stage Westair is not in a position to disclose any contractual obligations other than confirming that the lease terms will not change from the current terms as stipulated in the contract between HOP (Air France) and Air Namibia.

“Westair will not under any circumstance overcharge Air Namibia and prices will remain as per industry standards, with the added benefit that the lease fees will now stay within the country as Air Namibia will pay a local lessor,” said Westair



According to the company the recent influx of five regional airlines and six international airlines, with very little reciprocity, has highlighted the need for the airline to promote aviation business within the country by supporting local businesses such as Air Namibia.



“As a 100% Namibian-owned company, we believe in promoting and supporting business within our borders. During the past 50 years of the existence of Westair Aviation we have continually expanded the company's core business areas of aircraft acquisition, aircraft refurbishment, aircraft leases and direct aircraft operations. This new venture is in alignment with the Westair core values of doing business in Namibia, whilst unlocking the economies of scale,” the company further said in its statement.



The Westair Group is comprised of a team of Namibian aviation experts who are dedicated to promoting business in the sub-region.



ELLANIE SMIT

IAAF suspends Frank

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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IAAF suspends FrankPayment probe against Namibian continues The Namibian sprint legend has been suspended while being investigated over alleged corruption. STAFF REPORTER



The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) yesterday provisionally suspended its council member and Namibian sprint legend Frank Fredericks over corruption allegations.

Fredericks is under investigation for alleged corruption suspected of being linked to the 2016 Olympics hosting vote. Fredericks was placed under investigation in March this year after having been paid nearly N$4 million by a disgraced IAAF official.

He reportedly received the amount on 2 October 2009 - the same day Rio de Janeiro won the 2016 Olympic hosting vote in a four-city contest. A request by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for an interim ban on Fredericks was granted by the IAAF disciplinary panel.

Fredericks could not be reached for comment yesterday, but the AIU statement noted that he had indicated that he intended to contest suspension at a provisional hearing.

“Mr Fredericks enjoys the presumption of innocence until the conclusion of that investigative process and any disciplinary process which may follow depending on the results of the investigation. The investigation will be led by Sir Anthony Hooper, a former judge of the English Court of Appeal and an experienced investigator in the context of sports integrity,” the AIU stated in a statement.

According to reports, Fredericks had received US$299 300 (equivalent to N$3.9 million) from sports businessman Papa Massata Diack, the son of former International Olympics Committee (IOC) member and IAAF president Lamine Diack, in 2009.

A French-led investigation has since been under way to find out whether large sums were paid to buy the votes that determined the host cities of the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Games, while Tokyo will host the 2020 Games.

“An order for provisional suspension is not any early indication of guilt or innocence and orders for provisional suspension may be sought by the Athletics Integrity Unit and imposed by the Disciplinary Tribunal on a precautionary basis in cases where the interests of the sport favour the suspension of an IAAF office holder, employee or participant in the sport pending investigation of potential ethical breaches in the sport,” the AIU said.

Fredericks has denied wrongdoing, claiming the money was for contracted consultancy work. He previously offered to step aside from his IOC work and his IAAF duties except his seat on the ruling council.

‘Nothing untoward’

In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde, Fredericks defended the payment, saying it had “nothing whatsoever to do with the Olympic Games”.

“The amount of US$300 000 paid by Pamodzi Sports Consulting to Yemi Limited was paid pursuant to the terms of a contract dated 11 March 2007,” Fredericks was quoted as saying by Le Monde.

“I had the idea to develop a relay championship. In addition I supported the IAAF Marketing Programme, the African Athletics Programme, the IAAF Continental Programme and the African Athletics Championships.

“My attendance at various events and promotional efforts is documented and accordingly these services can be substantiated by other evidence.

“Payment was in respect of services rendered in the period 2007 to 2011. The payment has nothing whatsoever to do with the Olympic Games.

“By the way, I was not an IAAF board member at the time, but an IAAF ambassador, and did not breach any regulation or rule of ethics.”

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Half a billion needed to complete Etosha fence

July 17, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Half a billion needed to complete Etosha fence Efforts to erect an elephant- and predator-proof fence around Etosha National Park and managing the human-wildlife conflict have been thwarted by logistical and financial challenges.

The fencing project which started six years ago has only covered 112km of the 822km.

According to the minister of environment and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, the ministry started the construction and electrification of the elephant- and predator-proof fence in 2011.

“Over the past six years, only 112 kilometres of the fence have been upgraded and 710 kilometres remain.”

According to him, the slightly more than 700km that still need to be upgraded and completed will cost at least N$500 million.

“Quotations are between N$1 to 2 million per kilometre. It will take half a billion dollars to get the fence completed. Without this money, we will not be able to finish it,” Shifeta said.

He said one of the reasons why the fence had taken so long to complete was because tenders were awarded to companies that did not have the competence to do the work and “were just taking chances”.

“They were unable to the job and did not have the necessary skills and abandoned the job.”

Shifeta said action would be taken against farmers living adjacent to the park who put up their fences against the Etosha boundary fence. He said the ministry had repeatedly requested the farmers to remove their fences but they ignored it.

“Action will be taken and now the only thing I can do is to go to court if they do not take down these fences. Etosha is by law a national park and it is no longer part of communal land,” the minister said.

The park boundary borders the Oshikoto, Oshana, Omusati and Kunene regions. This boundary consists of different types of fences but the main one is a 1.2-metre-high stock-proof fence.

Commenting on human-wildlife conflict, Shifeta said 25 lions had killed so far this year. Nineteen of these were killed illegally while the rest were killed by ministry officials or professional hunters after being declared problem animals.

Six of the lions were killed illegally in the Omusati Region, and one in Oshana, In the Kunene Region three lions were poisoned and nine shot. No arrests have been made.

Shifeta said the estimated lion population in Namibia currently stood at 700, with 430 lions in Etosha. The park's carrying capacity is about 350 lions.

“Lions escape from the Etosha National Park now and then. They are attracted by livestock that graze along the Etosha National Park because farmers established cattle posts or graze livestock close to the park,” the minister said.

With regard to the investigation into lions shot by David 'Kambwa' Sheehama Kambwa, a police docket was opened and forwarded to the office of the prosecutor-general.

Shifeta said the investigation found that the number of livestock Kambwa claimed to have been killed by lions was inflated.

In an effort to address the increasing human-wildlife conflict, Shifeta said the ministry had developed a lion management plan.

“One of the strategies is to determine the number of animals that can be removed when there are conflict problems. Response to the conflict should be quick, based on information made available. Population numbers should be maintained to scientifically accepted carrying capacities.”

The plan for Etosha includes capturing and moving lions to other areas where they will not cause conflict.



“Lions that leave Etosha will be captured, branded and translocated to identified areas. Should such animals continue to cause problems then they can be destroyed. Reduction management strategies also include trophy hunting of certain animals,” Shifeta said.

ELLANIE SMIT

Suspects nabbed with N$2m worth of cocaine

July 18, 2017, 9:15 am

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Suspects nabbed with N$2m worth of cocaine Two adults, a 43-year-old Congolese male and an Angolan woman, 47, were arrested yesterday morning at the corner of Daan Viljoen and Otjomuise roads. According to the police, at about 06:00, 4.1 kg of cocaine, valued at N$2 million, was seized from the two suspects. The police say it is alleged that the suspects’ vehicle a Toyota Corolla, N35540W, skipped a red robot and hit another Corolla, a taxi. The police say that after hitting the taxi, the male suspect grabbed a bag from his vehicle and tried to flee the scene but the taxi driver caught him and held him back. The police were called and upon their arrival they found a bag of four blocks of suspected cocaine in the suspects’ vehicle. The Congolese male is married to a Namibian female and they were both arrested and are in police custody. They are expected to appear in court soon and police investigation continues.
Staff Reporter

Another Academia learner dies after Western Bypass crash

July 18, 2017, 9:58 am

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Another Academia learner dies after Western Bypass crash Another Academia Secondary School learner who was involved in an accident on Windhoek’s Western Bypass on 19 June, has died.
The 18-year-old Vistorina Hofeni passed away in the Paramount Private Hospital in the capital on Saturday.
Hofeni suffered head and spinal injuries.
Three other learners were with her in the taxi that collided head-on with another sedan. One of them, Tjiunatjo Kangorondueza, died on 1 July and was laid to rest in Okakarara, Otjozondjupa Region on Saturday.
The other two survived the accident with minor injuries.
The 26-year-old taxi driver who was transporting them from school that fateful day, died on the spot. His taxi was forced into oncoming traffic after it was rear-ended by a pick-up.
In an interview with Nampa on Monday, Namibian Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi said the police have opened a case of culpable homicide and investigations are underway.
“At the moment, no one is found guilty yet as the case will be submitted to the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court,” said Shikwambi.

Health PS suspended

July 18, 2017, 10:18 am

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Health PS suspended Health permanent secretary Andreas Mwoombola has been suspended with immediate effect over alleged misconduct, Secretary to Cabinet George Simataa has announced in a statement a while ago. “The purpose of the suspension is to enable unhindered investigation to be carried out in the said allegation of misconduct,” he said. In the interim, Bertha Katjivena will be acting as permanent secretary.

STAFF REPORTER

Nafpu and NFA come to terms

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Nafpu and NFA come to termsMore developments on the cards The players’ union has been ironing out its differences with the national football body in order to improve the working conditions of players. JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA



The Namibia Football Players Union (Nafpu) and the Namibia Football Association (NFA) are finally getting along, Nafpu secretary-general Olsen Kahiriri has revealed.

The two bodies have been involved in a nasty verbal clash about legal matters involving the players.

Nafpu has demanded that the NFA set up a dispute resolution chamber in order to ensure that all the players are legally protected.

The NFA was reluctant to accept the demands of Nafpu, leading to tension between the two bodies.

Kahiriri told the media yesterday that the relationship was finally turning rosy after years of enmity.

“The relationship between Nafpu and the NFA has moved to a new level were engagement has come into place.

“This is strictly because FIFA has adopted new strategies and has also spoken to the NFA about the situation,” Kahiriri said.

He felt that the peace between them and the NFA would enable Nafpu to nullify the contracts of many players who have been inactive for 14 months.

Kahiriri said some players had complained to Nafpu that the clubs were refusing to release them even though they failed to honour the players’ contracts.

“It is our duty to sit down with these clubs and the NFA in order to make sure that the players are released or given new proper contracts,” he said.

The other thing that NAFPU is strongly advocating for is that the players’ salaries must be increased.

They feel that would improve the quality of the national team and the living conditions of the players.

Nafpu has partnered with other trade unions which have enabled it to come up with a research programme that will benefit workers, including the players.

Nafpu, the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUNCA) and other sister unions have been involved in a workshop with personnel from Wits University.

Warren McGregor of Wits University will be assisting the trade unions on a research programme on the conditions of workers.

The Labour Resource and Research Institute of Namibia will assist the unions in conducting the research.

The unions believe that the results of the research can give them an idea as to what more can be done to help workers.

“We want to do research in terms of the working relations of workers in Namibia,” Nafpu president Sylvester Goraseb told reporters.

Ketjijere sounds positive - Mannetti

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ketjijere sounds positive - Mannetti JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti has confirmed that national team skipper Ronald Ketjijere will be up for selection, despite an injury scare.

It was reported yesterday in a local daily that the player could miss the second leg of the African Nations Championships (CHAN) qualifiers against Zimbabwe after picking up a muscle injury.

“On Monday, I was a bit worried about his situation because he was complaining about muscle pain.

“I spoke to him on Tuesday morning and he sounded much better, which gives me confidence that he will play in the second leg.

“He has had the problem for a few days now, but he will hopefully be ready for the match,” Mannetti said yesterday.

The Warriors took a slender lead when they defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 in the first leg at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Sunday.

Another player who might not play in the next fixture is midfielder Oswaldo Xamseb.

“I do believe that the team is okay and everyone will be ready for the next game, but Oswaldo has some concerning problems which I will have to assess.

“The victory for us was something remarkable, but we are surely not out of danger yet.”

The team will travel to Zimbabwe were they will be hoping to qualify to the next round on Friday.

Namibia beats Falcons

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Namibia beats FalconsCraven Week lights up Gerswin Mouton's hat-trick helped Namibia open their 2017 Craven Week account with a strong 52-26 victory over the Falcons in the opening match of day two. Trailing 19-31 at the half-time interval, Namibia turned on the style in the second half to outscore their opponents by eight tries to five.

Falcons dominated early exchanges and found reward in the seventh minute when their pressure paid off. Loose forward Thabo Ndimande used his massive frame to power his way over the try line for the opening score. Dylan Schwartz added the extras to take a 7-0 lead after seven minutes.

Ndimande had his second soon after as he ran a straight line to cut through Namibia's defence. Schwartz popped over the easy conversion to extend the lead to 4-0 after 10 minutes.

Straight running was the order of the day for the Falcons as they bagged their third try through wing Wesley Noeth. Schwartz added his third conversion to ensure a 21-0 lead after 13 minutes.

It was then Namibia's turn to get their hands on the ball. They managed to string a few phases together and found reward in the 18th minute when they grabbed their first try of the game. Justin Muir ran onto the ball at pace from close range and bashed over. Denna Bruwer popped over the conversion to trail 7-21.

Namibia reduced the deficit further a few minutes later as they created an overlap and Le Roux Booysen had the easiest of scores in the left corner. Bruwer was unsuccessful with the conversion as they trailed 12-21.

However, Schwartz was on target in the 27th minute with his first successful penalty of the game before Ruben Beytell added his side's fourth try. Schwartz was once again on target to extend their lead to 31-12.

Namibia finished the half on the front foot though as loose forward Gilad Plaatjies dotted down his side's third try just before the break. Bruwer popped over the conversion as they trailed 19-31 at the break.

Namibia came out firing and bagged the first points of the second half when Gerswin Mouton scored his side's fourth try. Bruwer added the extras to trail 26-31 in the 38th minute. They took a 33-31 lead soon after when Bruwer converted his own try before extending their lead a minute later.

Plaatjies benefitted from a loose ball at the restart and the loose forward cantered over for his second try of the game. Bruwer's conversion took his side's lead to 40-31 after 48 minutes.

It took 14 minutes for the next points to be scored and it was worth the wait. An excellent break by Muir saw him cut through the Falcons' defence. He was brought down just before the try line but not before he offloaded to Mouton, who strolled over for his brace. Bruwer's conversion stretched their lead to 47-36 after 62 minutes.

Namibia started turning on the style as the match drew to a close. Flyhalf Bruwer mesmerised the Falcons defence before chipping ahead. Mouton raced after it and dotted down to grab his hat-trick. Bruwer missed the conversion but the damage was done.



For Namibia:

Tries: Justin Muir, Le Roux Booysen, Gilad Plaatjies: two tries each, Gerswin Mouton, and Denzo Bruwer, three tries each.

Six conversions: Denzo Bruwer.





RUGBY365.COM

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Malan and Nel off to archery games

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Malan and Nel off to archery games Top-ranked archers IIana Malan and Louw Nel are set to leave for the World Archery Games in Wroclaw, Poland on 25 July, to compete for the top spot against 24 archers from around the world.

Malan will face off against experienced archers like Toja Ellison from the US and YunSoo Song from Korea, while Nel will have Reo Wilde from the US and Riaan Crowther from South Africa to contend with.

The two took part in the Dornhuegel Shoot tournament with 20 other archers over the weekend. The archers were surprised to experience balmy weather with unexpected bursts of wind in Tsumeb.

“I am excited about the games. I have prepared myself well. The scores were great in Tsumeb and I hope to carry that over to the World Games,” Nel said.

Goetz Nederlof, manager at Dornhuegel Guest Farm and also a compound participant, hailed the competition a great success and promised to make it a popular annual event.

All archers participated in a “fun shoot” with a grand prize of a weekend for four at the guest farm. Lucky archer Bianca Karsten's arrow hit the closest to the mark.

Results from the Dornhuegel Shoot tournament:

Recurve men: Paul Grobler: gold, recurve master Pieter van Eeden won gold and Quinn Reddig took gold in the recurve cadet women category. Recurve cadet men, Adriaan Grobler took gold.

Compound women: Ilana Malan: gold and Bianca Karsten: silver.

Compound men: Louw Nel won gold. Jaques van der Merwe took silver, Jaco Vermaak won bronze.

Compound master men: Anton Zietsman: gold, and Moritz Hoof silver. Compound junior women Brigitte Tietz won gold and compound cadet men Dirk de Bod took gold, Duan Engelbrecht walked away with silver and third place went to Christiaan Louw. In the compound under–13 boys' category, gold went to CJ Button and silver was won by Timmy De Wee. Mia Karsten won gold in the compound girls' under-13.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Enduro series enters round five

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Enduro series enters round fiveRiders to take on Ababis There will be more thrills and chills at the Bank Windhoek Enduro Championship with some of the riders separated by tiny margins. The Bank Windhoek Namibian Enduro Championship is entering the final stages of the championship season this coming weekend.

Round five of seven will be taking place at Ababis, close to Karibib.

In the open motorbike class, Marcel Henle (KTM) and Henner Rusch (KTM) have two victories and 74 championship points each after four events, and round five of the season in Ababis will see one of the two taking the lead.

Equally tight, Kai Hennes (KTM) and Corner Visser (Sherco) are tied on 39 Points for third place.

Joern Greiter's (KTM) winning streak was interrupted in the Senior Motorbike Riders' Class at the last event in Uis, where he finished fourth after winning all races of the season before. David Brown (KTM) and Werner Wiese (KTM) closed the gap in the championship and are back in contention for the top spot.

In the Clubman's Motorbike Class, championship leader Jurgen Gladis (KTM) is on home turf and is the favourite to extend his lead over second-placed youngster Liam Gilchrust (Husqvarna).

However, Duard Wiese (KTM) has been in strong form recently, scoring a victory in Otjihase and finishing second in Uis.

Teddy Kausch (KTM) and young talent Keanu Weber-Trianus (KTM) are developing an interesting competition for the lead in the Off-road Bike Class.

Weber-Trianus finished on top of the podium at Uis, and will seek to repeat this at Ababis.

In the Development Class for youngsters, Dylan Hilfiker (KTM) has a comfortable championship lead. Levin Quinger (KTM) is expected to provide him with a challenge for first place finish at Ababis.

In the Open Quads Class, J L Oppermann (Honda) has accumulated a comfortable gap to the second and third placed riders, while 2016 champion Shannon Rowland (Honda) will seek to remain in the lead of the Ladies Quad Class.

Sport Reporter

Mourinho pleased as Lukaku opens account

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Mourinho pleased as Lukaku opens account Romelu Lukaku bagged his first goal in a Manchester United shirt on Monday as the 10-man Premier League giants laboured to a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake in Utah.

Lukaku, who joined the Red Devils from Everton in a reported 75 million pound (U$98.2 million) transfer last week, fired United ahead on 38 minutes, latching on to a low cross from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The 24-year-old Belgian international striker had also been involved in United's equalizer scored by Mkhitaryan in the 29th minute after Luis Silva had given Salt Lake a shock early lead.

Lukaku used his strength and physical presence to hold off the Real defence to feed Jesse Lingard, who provided the pass for Mkhitaryan to score

United manager Jose Mourinho was pleased with Lukaku's display, saying the former Chelsea player was now a “top striker.”

“It's just nice for him, not important for me,” Mourinho said of Lukaku's first United goal.

“Before he scored the goal I told him I love everything you do on the pitch. Don't be worried about scoring or not scoring. He gets behind people, works and presses well. Like everything he does.

“It's easy to feel it because he was my player four years ago his evolution has been great. He's now a top striker. The goal is just a detail, not important.”

United's win was marred by the second-half dismissal of Antonio Valencia for a reckless lunge on Sebastian Saucedo.

Valencia was given his marching orders after a lengthy consultation between the match referee and Mourinho.

“The referee asked me to change the player and I didn't because I don't agree with the card,” Mourinho said, before appearing to suggest Saucedo was to blame.

“(He) was really aggressive in the second half. That's what happens. Some other actions were a bit dangerous,” Mourinho said.

“It's young people with enthusiasm playing against Manchester United but it's a friendly match and it's a different mentality.”

The United goals were the rare highlights of a disjoined first half performance from Mourinho's side, which had travelled to Utah earlier Monday from their Los Angeles training camp.

For much of the opening half United were second best, with their defence being given a torrid time by a team who are languishing near the foot of Major League Soccer's Western Conference.

The lively attacking trio of Luis Silva, Joao Plata and Jefferson Savarino often left United's defence scrambling to get into position, with Phil Jones finding the movement of the Salt Lake front two hard to deal with.

A surging run from Savarino set up Silva's opening goal on 23 minutes.

United however responded swiftly with Mkhitaryan's equaliser just before the half hour mark.

Real coach Mike Petke, with one eye on his team's MLS fixture in Portland today, withdrew his entire starting line-up at the 30-minute mark, and United capitalized to take the lead through Lukaku.

Mourinho also fielded a new starting XI for the second half, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial leading the line for United.

United again struggled to impose themselves however, and their frustration boiled over when Antonio Valencia was sent off for a reckless lunge on Sebastian Saucedo midway through the second half.

United will face Manchester City in Houston tomorrow in the third game of their US tour.



NAMPA/AFP

Kafer to make Australia great again

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Kafer to make Australia great again Former Wallabies back Rod Kafer wants to help make Australian rugby great again after being charged with setting up a National Coaching Advisory Panel, his first official role in the game for more than a decade.

The TV pundit and businessman, widely regarded down under as one of the sharpest observers of the game, has been recruited by the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) as part of a drive to arrest the decline of the 15-man code.

His first priority in his role, Kafer said, would be to tap into the "tremendous amount" of rugby knowledge that exists around the country and return to a time when Australian rugby was renowned for its invention.

"We all remember when rugby was great, and what it brought to us, and we need to get back there," he told reporters.

"When Australia was great, we recognised that there was a team who were innovative, they were thoughtful, they were prepared to bring something a little bit different.

"We need to establish in Australia a concept of a unity of purpose. What are we about? What are things that when somebody looks at an Australian rugby team play, they can immediately identify?"

Australian rugby has struggled at test and Super Rugby level this year on the pitch, while the process of cutting either the Western Force or Melbourne Rebels for next season has proved a public relations disaster off it.

Kafer played 12 times for the Wallabies in 1999 and 2000, including two Rugby World Cup matches in 1999 at the tournament where Australia won a second Webb Ellis Cup.

Although the Wallabies were once famed for playing running rugby, Kafer thought the job of the new panel would be about more fundamental issues than imposing central strictures over what style of game to play.

"We have to determine what the right mechanism for rugby today is," he said.

"But every player that gets to Super Rugby level should be able to catch and pass the ball consistently under pressure.

"We should position players who get into professional rugby with a skill-set appropriate for the level of the game they are playing, and we probably don't always get that at the moment."

Kafer, whose only coaching experience was 18 months at English club Saracens, said restructuring the game, particularly at high performance level, was "critical" and more should be done to keep in touch with Australian coaching talent abroad.

"Every player and coach has a part to play in developing future Wallabies, Wallaroos and Olympians, and the more resources we provide to improve those players the better our future will be," he added.

"It's a privilege to be joining the ARU and trying to make a difference, rather than just voicing an opinion on it, as many of us do."

NAMPA/REUTERS

Klopp backs Sturridge

July 18, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Klopp backs Sturridge Striker expected to score more Daniel Sturridge has recovered from an injury plugged 2016/17 premier league season. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp plans to unleash an injury-free Daniel Sturridge in the new season with the England striker back at training, fully fit and focused.

"It's the best condition he has been in since I have been here," Klopp told reporters in Hong Kong on Tuesday ahead of his second full campaign as Liverpool manager.

Sturridge has been troubled by a spate of injuries since joining the Reds from Premier League rivals Chelsea in 2013 and hip problems restricted his impact to just seven goals from 27 appearances last season.

The 27-year-old has recently been linked with a big-money move to China, but Klopp insisted Sturridge was going nowhere, backing him to return to the kind of form that almost helped bring Liverpool a league title in his first season on Merseyside.

"He has been part of a full pre-season so far so that is very positive.”

"It has been quite intense what we have done and he has pretty much been part of each session so that is good. He is in good physical shape."

Amid fanfare over the arrival of record signing Mohamed Salah to Liverpool, signed from Roma last month for an estimated U$45 million, Klopp said his primary focus was on seeing his club improve on last season's fourth-place finish.

"Sometimes (the news) is all about bringing in new players but the main thing is how do we improve the players we had last season," said the former Dortmund coach, currently playing a waiting game on key transfer targets Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk.

"The good thing is we did not lose any player that we want and I expect a lot of improvement from the players we have."

Salah is one of two new signings Liverpool has brought with them to Hong Kong.

The Egypt international has hit the ground running with the Reds, scoring in his first friendly against Wigan last week, while striker Dominic Solanke will also be looking to impress his new boss following the 19-year-old's free transfer from Chelsea.

But Klopp refused to be drawn on Leipzig midfielder Keita or van Dijk, the Southampton defender.

"It is what it is and the transfer market is open until 31 August," said the German, whose team kick off their Premier League campaign at Watford on August 12.

"I have all the players I want, until now. I'm still relaxed."

NAMPA/AFP