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LPM: No vote without land

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LPM: No vote without landLPM: No vote without landSays corruption is unstoppable The movement says political parties should answer how they have supported communities in their needs. Days after his departure from the Swapo Party, ousted member of parliament Bernadus Swartbooi told residents at Grootfontein's Blikkiesdorp and Leonardsheuwel not to vote for any political party come 2019 unless they can prove that they have delivered on their land reform promises.

“People must look carefully where they vote. It is those people who do not have land that decide who gets into government,” said Swartbooi, who unrelentingly continues his crusade for, among others, ancestral land rights under the banner of the Landless People's Movement (LPM).

“We will ask political parties 'where were you?' and if you did not support us in our needs, we will not allow you to sell us out again on false hope,” he said.

A sizable crowd of a couple of hundred - including a large number of young children, which is usual fare at such gatherings - attended the public meeting on Saturday on a cleared open space at Blikkiesdorp with a small contingent of police officers watching the proceedings from the side line.

The LPM organised the gathering to amplify its demand for equitable redistribution of urban and farmland.

The group reiterated that it is not a political party but will remain a movement advancing community interests.

At one point during the gathering an LPM activist proposed burning a Swapo scarf, but he was quickly reprimanded that community matters should not be confused with party political squabbles.

Traditional chief of Khorixas, Petrus Ukongo, introduced as an LPM activist, at the gathering said the fight for independence was for urban and rural land, as well as decent housing.

Instead, he said, over the last 27 years land has been apportioned to the politically well-connected and “strangers, foreigners” while local communities are being pushed to the margins.

Addressing the crowd, Swartbooi said the black government of Namibia should be “ashamed” for not having lived up to its election promises.

“Basic promises such as decent housing and access to land have not been delivered on. It is a shame and disappointment,” said Swartbooi.

He said while the German and apartheid regimes have delivered “milk and honey” for the Germans and Afrikaners, the Swapo government is only taking care of its own kith and kin.

“What went wrong in the minds, hearts and souls of those black we have voted for? Black people today are in a worse situation than during the period of apartheid,” he charged.

What “happened”, Swartbooi offered, is that “1991 was the point where those who lost land were sold out”.

“People, however, had hope because for the first time in 100 years we were led by our own people. We trusted them and were prepared to give them time, but nothing has happened in 27 years, and nothing will ever happen with this government,” he charged.

He accused the ruling party of having embarked on a self-enriching feeding frenzy from 1995, emboldened by major electoral victories since then.

“They started to eat from the future of our children and the growth in corruption became unstoppable,” Swartbooi charged. “The ACC [Anti-Corruption Commission] did not help because the establishment of the ACC was meant to catch small fish and not stop or to keep account of those that cause this country from going

bankrupt.”

He denounced claims that a demand for ancestral land is a tribal tirade against the Aawambo, saying land in the northern part of the country should be developed under an agrarian land reform programme so that “they” do not steal land from those who have not yet gotten back their land “dispossessed” during the colonial and apartheid eras.

“Is it tribal to demand a return of your land? Is it tribal to demand decent housing? What about the fact that there are people who have never lost any land? Give the land back to those who have lost their land,” he said.

Catherine Sasman

SA landowner strips four farms of game

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SA landowner strips four farms of gameSA landowner strips four farms of gameSaid to be harvesting after offering land to government After offering four farms for sale to government, the South African owner is said to be harvesting all the game, some allegedly illegally, on the land. Farmers in the area of Steinhausen are in uproar because their South African neighbour plundered the natural resources on several farms he owns after offering the properties for sale to government.

The South African owner of farms Riverside, Joyce, Heatherbelle and a part of Tweeling in the Steinhausen district, has illegally been live-capturing game on his land for the purposes of sale.

Charges have been made at the Gobabis police against the farm owner, farm manager and also the game capturing company.

The main charge against the accused are the illegal capturing of game, however with investigations into the case continuing more charges may be added and others may also be charged.

Farm owners in the district are also preparing a civil suit against their South African neighbour to make sure he does not walk off scot-free.

The incident stems from middle July this year when neighbours became aware that of a lot of activity taking was place on the farm units belonging to the South African national.

Game capturing trucks as well as a helicopter were spotted on the farms, while trucks were seen transporting loads of carcasses and meat.

The news soon spread that live capturing, night harvesting and the culling of game were taking place on the farms that have been offered to lands ministry for sale.

Although the owner has a permit for the shooting and selling of game, he does not have a permit for the capture of live animals on the farms.

The allegations are furthermore that the permit for 'shoot and sell' was also exceeded by reusing it over and over again.





The Ministry of Environment and Tourism confirmed that they have been informed about the incident and that investigations are continuing.

According to the permanent secretary Dr Malan Lindeque, the South African farm owner, the farm manager and the game capturing company have been all been charged.

The ministry confirmed that preliminary investigations have indicated that live game was captured by a registered game dealer known to Namibian Sun without a capturing permit.

Investigations will also determine who authorised the capture of the game, the owner or farm manager, or both.

The farm unit has a valid permit for the shooting and selling of 150 oryx and red hartebeest which has been withdrawn because some animals were live-captured. Investigations are underway to determine whether numbers were exceeded as alleged.

“Once all the facts have been established, our laws are clear and we will follow the law to the letter to make sure the wrongdoers are appropriately dealt with,” Lindeque said.

While species such as springbok and oryx were involved in these illegal activities, the ministry pointed out that makes it worse are the fact that the protected species were also captured.

This, Lindeque says, will make penalties much harsher under the new wildlife crime laws that were recently passed by parliament.

Farmers from the Steinhausen district told Namibian Sun that huge quantities of game were apparently involved in the live game capturing.

Sources say that the farm manager has allegedly admitted to the live capture of 185 animals, however investigations are still on-going.

Sources also claim that the permit for shoot-and-sell was being reused over and over again. Apparently trucks with loads of carcasses and meat were being transported to a local meat supplying company in Okahandja.

Another concern raised by farmers in the area is the fact that the farms owned by the South African have been registered as having game-proof fences, but it only has normal livestock fences on the farms.

Meanwhile farmers are in the process of also making a civil case against the owner of the farm.

“The fact that the farms have been offered for government for sale and natural resources are being plundered on these farms before being sold, is of grave concern. When the new owners come in there will be no more game left, which is in the current climate more important than cattle.”

Farmers Namibian Sun spoke to from the area said that they are worried that the young farm manager will be persuaded to take the blame for the entire ordeal and that the owner will walk away scot free.

According to the ministry the investigation team is currently on the ground gathering further information.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Omaheke police, Marcellus Maritshane confirmed the charges and said that no arrests have been made yet.

ELLANIE SMIT

Second Endjala apology incomplete

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Second Endjala apology incompleteSecond Endjala apology incomplete It appears as though the governor for Omusati Region, Erginus Endjala, has not taken President Hage Geingob's instruction to offer a sincere apology, seriously.

In a statement issued by State House press secretary Albertus Aochamub, Geingob ordered Endjala to prepare an apology that is unreserved, unequivocal and unconditional for widely reported tribal remarks. However, Endjala only issued a one-sentence apology that does not appear to be complete.

In his second apology, Endjala stated that he has had time to deeply reflect on what he said and therefore wishes to unequivocally apologise.

President Geingob had written a strongly worded letter on 27 July to Endjala in which he said the apology issued last Monday falls far short of a comprehensive statement of regret.

A day after Geingob's letter, Endjala issued an apology on Friday saying, “Since the social media distribution of my recorded tribal utterances, I have taken time to deeply reflect and I have realised that my utterances fell short of the standard expected of a leader of a constitutional office bearer and indeed a direct representative of the President in the Omusati Region.”

“I therefore wish to unequivocally apologise for….”

This is in contrast to the State House letter that reportedly quotes Endjala's first apology “I apologise if it offended or inconvenienced anybody.”











Geingob had said to Endjala, “As my representative in the region I expect you to uphold the highest standards of leadership and constitutional principles, especially with regards to fostering peace and harmonious relations in the region. Your unfortunate tribal utterances therefore are counterproductive and diminishing our concerted effort to build an inclusive Namibian House – where all tribes and races live in unity and harmony.”

Endjala came under fire following the circulation of various recordings involving him and a female friend. The tapes went viral, prompting outrage, especially on social media.

At a hastily arranged media briefing last Monday, Endjala denied being a tribalist, saying he had been trapped by his long-time friend, Taimi Tekla Iimbili, with whom he engaged in various lengthy conversations busy making their rounds on social media.

He accused Iimbili of spreading the audio recording. “During this conversation, Taimi Tekla Iimbili had probing questions, with ulterior motives, whereby she specifically tried to lead me into that particular discussion, with her questions as set, which led to me innocently answering without knowing that I was being trapped for a specific reason, to portray me as a tribalist, which I am not,” said Endjala.

In first the recording Endjala is heard making mocking remarks about the political situation in the Oshikoto Region and the leadership disputes within the Ondonga Traditional Authority.

In the conversation Endjala also made reference to issues of the liberation struggle, labelling the Aandonga people as “ambitious and power hungry”.

Endjala went on to say that the current chaos in Swapo was being instigated by youth activist Job Amupanda and Swapo's Oshikoto regional coordinator, Armas Amukwiyu. Both Amupanda and Amukwiyu are Oshindonga speakers.

In another recording at a certain Simon Andjamba's house in Windhoek, he revealed that the company that won the tender to construct the home affairs ministry's head office in Windhoek has inflated the tender with N$40 million that could be used for political campaigns.

“They (Amukwiyu camp) are not on good terms politically. They were claiming that they have N$40 million for their campaigns that they obtained after they inflated the home affairs head office in Windhoek. Their company that won the tender sold the N$1 billion tender to the Chinese. They always do ethical dealings. After getting a tender they give it away to the Chinese and get their commissions,” said Endjala.

Endjala also stated in that recording that he was going to consult Founding President Sam Nujoma not to allow the controversial referral hospital not to be established in Oshana Region. He also suggested that his Oshana counterpart, Clemens Kashuupulwa, be sent into a foreign mission and get a new governor for the region.

“I have a meeting with tatekulu tomorrow afternoon and I am going to see how I can consult with him. My wish is that it will be only the two of us then I will advise him on three items. First is that the he must advise the health minister to remove the planned referral hospital from Oshana Region and take it either to Ohangwena and their district hospital must go ahead,” he said.

Endjala said that health minister Dr Bernard Haufiku is just a medical doctor without administration skills. He suggested that mines and energy deputy minister, Kornelia Shilunga is the best successor for Kashuupulwa.



ILENI NANDJATO

Govt to settle outstanding payments next month

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 Govt to settle outstanding payments next month Govt to settle outstanding payments next month President Hage Geingob today reassured service providers and contractors that the government will settle all outstanding payments by the end of August.
“We have realised that one key factor fuelling discontent and opinion is the occurrence of unsettled invoices. We deeply regret the accumulation of unsettled invoices that came about as a result of weak revenue collection, due to the economic downturn. We understand the serious impact this has on business operations, in particular on small and medium sized enterprises. We sympathise with those businesses that had to close down as a result of the economic downturn and those employees who lost jobs as a result of such foreclosures,” said Geingob who was addressing the media at State House on the state of the economy and other pertinent issues.
“At this stage, I just want provide personal assurance to all affected stakeholders that government has resolved to settle all outstanding invoices by the end of August 2017.”
Geingob also said the country’s economy was on recovery path. “Liquidity conditions have recovered remarkably. It is true that 2016 was one of the challenging periods from an economic viewpoint for Namibia but also globally,” he said.

STAFF REPORTER


Fuel price unchanged for August

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Fuel price unchanged for AugustFuel price unchanged for August The fuel price for August will remain unchanged. In a release by the mines and energy ministry, Minister Obeth Kandjoze said although the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), along with other producers, are complying with the agreed-upon 1.8 million barrels per day, “oil prices still held near multi-month lows up to June”.
“Hence, the production cut by OPEC has not yet made an impact on the global inventory as US sales have increased. On Monday, OPEC agreed that Nigeria would join the pact by capping, or even cutting its output from 1.8 million barrels per day, once it stabilises at that level, from 1.7 million,” the minister said.
Good news for consumers is that there is a distinct possibility that the oil price could be headed to the low US$40s mark in the months to come.
The exchange rate between the Namibia dollar and US dollar has weakened implying that importing oil has become more costly in July but over- and under-recoveries on unleaded fuel and 50 and 500ppm diesel do not warrant any fuel price adjustment.

STAFF REPORTER

Indongo gets official passport

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Indongo gets official passport Indongo gets official passport
President Hage Geingob today gave Namibia’s top boxer Julius Indongo an official blue passport. Indongo’s promoter Nestor Tobias was also given the same passport by the Head of State. The travel document makes it easier for the two to travel to United States with limited control from officials of that country. Indongo and his delegation leaves for America on Wednesday where he will be fighting the American boxer Terence Crawford for the unified WBA, WBC, WB0, IBF and IBO belts on 19 August.
JESSE KAURAISA

Magic guard against complacency

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Magic guard against complacency Magic guard against complacency Shipanga wary of Gunners threat The dates and venues for the Debmarine Namibia Cup semi-finals are still to be confirmed as the remaining four teams prepare for a tough showdown. JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA



Tura Magic coach Paulus Shipanga insists his side will avoid getting complacent heading into the Debmarine Namibia Cup semi-finals.

The team defeated premier league side Civics by a solid goal from striker Itamunua Keimuine at Gobabis over the weekend.

Magic now face Mighty Gunners, who were victorious against Try Again FC in the quarter-finals.

“I am very happy with how the boys played over the weekend and by the fact that we are in the semi-finals.

“I can however tell you now that it is not over yet because we still have a strong Mighty Gunners team between us and the final.

“Our plan is to do whatever it takes for the players not to get too comfortable,” Shipanga said.

He attributed his team’s great display in the competition to the fact that some of his players have been active with the national football team.

But Shipanga felt that there was more work to be done in order for the team to advance to the final.

“It would be nice if we could go all the way to the final, but it is important that we get the first job done.

“The good thing is that my players have been active and that has helped us through this competition.”

The other teams in the semi-final are Young Chiefs and Young African, who also had a successful weekend.

The four remaining teams will each receive an N$20 000 to prepare for the matches.

The two finalists will each receive N$30 000 to help prepare for the title-deciding match on 25 November.

School netball league ends

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School netball league endsSchool netball league ends SPORT REPORTER

The 2017 Bank Windhoek Schools’ Netball Super League concluded over the weekend, with Windhoek High School scooping the top prize in the under-19 A division.

Windhoek Gymnasium came second in what was described as some of the best netball action seen of late in the U-19 A division.

Liezel Garbers, chairperson of the Bank Windhoek Schools’ Netball Super League, thanked the bank for its support.

“We want to thank Bank Windhoek for its support and all schools for their commitment and dedication throughout the season. At the end, all teams showed true sportsmanship. We want to thank all umpires, coaches and parents for supporting the Bank Windhoek Schools’ Netball Super League.”

Results: (Prize money in brackets)

U-15

A-DIVISION:

1. Windhoek Gymnasium (N$7000)

2. Elnatan (N$5000)

3. WHS (N$3000)

B-DIVISION

1. Tsumeb Gymnasium (N$5000)

2. Windhoek Afrikaans Private School (N$3000)

3. Pro-Ed Academy (N$2000)

U-17

A-DIVISION

1. Windhoek Gymnasium (N$7000)

2. Walvis Bay Private High School (N$5000)

3. Tsumeb Gymnasium (N$3000)

B-DIVISION

1. Duinesig (N$5000)

2. WHS (N$3000)

3. Elnatan (N$2000)

U-19

A-DIVISION

1. WHS (N$7000)

2. Windhoek Gymnasium (N$5000)

3. Elnatan (N$3000)

B-DIVISION

1. WAP (N$5000)

2. Edugate (N$3000)

3. Agri College (N$2000)

Erongo gears for Metropolitan Cup

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Erongo gears for Metropolitan Cup  Erongo gears for Metropolitan Cup SPORT REPORTER

Swakopmund is preparing for the hosting of the tenth annual Metropolitan Swabou 2017 Summer Cup.

The tournament will be held between 15 and 19 September, with netball and football matches on the cards.

This will be the first time in nine years that the tournament is held at the coastal town.

Spicing up the tournament will be new arrivals Kavango East Region, who will battle Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Omusati, Karas, Hardap, and Erongo.

Junior secondary school teams in the under-19 age group will be represented at the tournament.

Organisers say the Metropolitan tournament has benefited the youth as it has identified talented athletes that could be moulded into academic and sport success stories.

“Having reached a milestone of ten years, Metropolitan Swabou has over the years partnered with the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service to give back to the future generation through sports and recreation,” the organisers said.

Metropolitan Swabou has set aside N$450 000 for the hosting and organising of the tournament.

Teams that finish in first, second, third and fourth positions are expected to receive prize money ranging from N$15 000 to N$4 000.

“The theme for the Summer Cup this year will be ‘Diversity’ – embracing and promoting diversity throughout our anatomy as a country, recognising that the range of talents, skills and perspectives that the netball and soccer players bring from various backgrounds and cultures is fundamental to the success of Namibia moving forward,” the organisers said.

Vries joins Baroka

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Vries joins BarokaVries joins BarokaTo compete for number one spot The goalkeeper was released by his former club, Maritzburg United, at the end of the 2016/17 season. KICKOFF



Namibian goalkeeper Virgil Vries has signed a one-year contract with South African Premiership team Baroka FC, the club confirmed on Sunday.

Baroka FC CEO Morgan Mammila says the club was happy with the players they had signed and would only sign special players.

He said this after confirming the signing of former Maritzburg United goalkeeper Virgil Vries, who will compete for the number one jersey with Oscarine Masuluke.

“Vries has signed a one-year contract and has a one-year option. He brings valuable experience having played regularly for Maritzburg and also for his country Namibia.

“Vries recently played in the Cosafa Cup and will be ready to fight Masuluke for the number one spot.”

Baroka conceded soft goals last season and they believe Vries could be the man to help the team improve at the back.

“In the PSL we need competition. The competition of both goalkeepers will benefit the team and the players themselves. His experience will help us a lot because we want to do well this season,” Mammila told KickOff.com.

Baroka recently promised to make a shock signing in the transfer market, but Mammila says they are done.

He said the club did not want to sign average players, unless they could find a special player.

“We have finished, but if Lionel Messi comes, we won’t say no. We will only sign special players. We won’t sign average players,” he reiterated.

Track king Bolt eyes final hurrah

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Track king Bolt eyes final hurrahTrack king Bolt eyes final hurrah NAMPA/AFP

Sprint superstar Usain Bolt will seek a final golden hurrah when he takes to the track at the IAAF World Championships in London this week.

Bolt has dominated sprinting since taking double individual gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, going on to win a further six Olympic gold medals and also picking up 11 world titles.

World records of 9.58 and 19.19sec in the 100 and 200m when winning in the 2009 Berlin worlds were followed by the towering Jamaican winning consecutive world gold medals in the 100, 200 and 4x100m relay in 2011, 2013 and 2015, with the exception of a false start in the 100m in Daegu in 2015.

The 30-year-old scored triple gold at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in London and Rio, his sole hiccup being stripped of his 2008 Olympic relay gold after teammate Nesta Carter failed a drugs test.

It is a staggering tally for a track athlete who has admitted he wants to go out on a high as athletics seeks to turn a new page.

"My main aim is just to win (in London). I just want to retire on a winning note," Bolt said recently in Monaco, where he won the 100m in 9.95sec, dipping under the 10sec barrier after two sluggish outings in Kingston and Ostrava.

Bolt has opted not to defend his 200m world title, meaning he will not race against South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk, the athlete Bolt has tipped to take over as the next track and field superstar.

World and Olympic 400m champion Van Niekerk, who will attempt an audacious 200-400m double in London, added: "Usain has been a massive inspiration.

"But I've still got quite a long way to go before I even get close to the heights that Usain has reached."

One of the stand-out moments of the 2012 Olympics at the same stadium in east London was 'Super Saturday', when Britain won three gold medals in the space of an hour to set the packed stadium alight.

Omunafaalama a tulilwa mo iipotha

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Omunafaalama a tulilwa mo iipothaOmunafaalama a tulilwa mo iipotha Aanafaalama momudhingoloko gwaSteinhausen otaya nyenyeta omolwa omushiinda shawo ngoka e li omukwashigwana gwaSouth Afrika, ngoka aniwa ta hanagula po oonzo dhopaushitwe ndhoka tadhi adhika moofaalama dhe konima sho a tokola okulandithapo omahala ge ngoka kepangelo.

Mwene gwoofaalama dhedhina, Riverside, Joyce Heatherbelle momudhingoloko gwaSteinhausen okwa lopotwa ta kwatamo iiyamakuti moofaalama dhe nokuyi landitha po.

Iipotha oya patululwa nopolisi yaGobabis, na oya tulilwa mo mwene gwofaalama ndjoka, menindjela gwofaalama oshowo ehangano ndyoka tali kwata mo iiyamakuti mbyoka mofaalama ndhoka.

Oshipotha oshinene shoka sha patululwa okukwatamo iiyamakuti mbyoka ihe otashi vulika ku kagwedhwe iipotha oyindji naantu oyendji pamwe otaya ka tulilwa mo woo iipotha

Onkalo ndjoka oya dhidhilikwa mokati komwedhi Juli, sho aashiinda yoofaalama ndhoka dhomukwashigwana gwaSouth Afrika, ya dhidhilike kutya iiyamakuti mofaalama ndjoka otayi kwatwa mo.

Okwa monika kutya iiyamakuti mofaalama ndjoka otayi kwatwa ko nomwenyo yo yimwe otayi dhipagwa, okuza mofaalama ndjoka tayi landithwa po kuuministeli womavi.

Nonando mwene gwofaalama okuna epitiko lyokuyaha, nokulanditha onyama ke na epitiko lyokukwata nomwenyo iiyamakuti mofaalama ndjoka.

Uuministeli wOmidhingoloko nOmatalelepo owa koleke kutya owa tseyithilwa kombinga yonkalo ndjoka na otaya tsikile nomakonaakono. Pahapu dhamushanga guuministeli mboka, Dr Malan Lindeque, okwa popi kutya mwene gwofaalama ndjoka oshowo ehangano ndyoka tali kwata iiyamakuti mbyoka oya tulilwa mo iipotha.

Uuministeli owa koleke kutya omakonaakono gopetameko otaga ulike kutya ehangano ndyoka tali kwata iiyamakuti, kali na omukanda gwepitiko gwokushininga.

Ofaalama yi na omukanda pitiko gwokuyaha nokulanditha, ihe okwa dhidhilikwa kutya iinamwenyo yimwe oya kwatwa nomwenyo nomukanda ngoka ogwa kuthwa oonkondo.

Okwa tsikile kutya omakonaakono otaga tsikile, na okwa hololwa kutya iiyamakuti yimwe mbyoka yiindikwa okukwatwa nayo oya kwatwa.

Aanafaalama mboka ya ningwa nayo oonkundathana koshifokundaneki shoNamibian Sun, oya holola kutya oye wete kutya menindjela gwofaalama ndjoka oye owala ta ka kala muudhigu, omanga mwene gwofaalama ta mangululwa. Omupeha Komufala gwOpolisi yaMaheke, Marcellus Maritshane, okwa koleke iipotha mbyoka na okwa popi kutya kape na ngoka a tulwa miipandeko natango.

ELLANIE SMIT

Endjala iiyadha momeya omapyu

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Endjala iiyadha momeya omapyuEndjala iiyadha momeya omapyuEndjala a gandja ombili ontiyali Otashi ulike kutya ngoloneya gwoshitopolwa shaMusati, ina kuthako neitulemo elombwelo lyomupresidende Hage Geingob opo a gandje ombili yopashigwana. Momukanda gwopambelewa ngoka gwa pitithwa Kegumbo lyEpangelo, Amushanga gwiikumungu yiikundaneki

Albertus Aochamub, okwa popi kutya Geingob okwa gandja elombwelo kuEndjala opo a gandje ombili yashewa omolwa omapopyo guukwamuhoko ngoka a ningi, ihe Endjala okwa gandja owala ombili yetumbulo limwe, ndjoka ku wetike kutya inayi ihwa po.

Omupresidende okwa shangele Endjala omukanda momasiku 27 gaJuli, tagu holola kutya ombili ndjoka ya gandjwa mOmaandaha itayi holola eimono lyombedhi shili.

Konima yesiku limwe shoGeingob a shangele Endjala ombaapila, okwa gandja ombili mEtitano ta popi kutya “Sho okwa topolelwathana komapandja gomakwatathano gopainternet ewi lyandje tandi popi uukwamuhoko, onda kutha ethimbo nokuya muule na onda mono kutya omalaka gandje ngoka otaga kutha ongushu yuuleli, naashoka sha tegelelwa okuza kungame onga omuleli gwoshigwana, nomukalelipo gwomupresidende Hage Geingob moshitopolwa shaMusati”

Endjala okwa tsikile kutya ota gandja ombili, sho a ningi nomatumbulo taga ulike kutya ota gandja owala ombili ngiika molwaashoka ke na nkene, naashoka osha tulwa woo kumwe nomatumbulo ngoka a ningi pethimbo a gandja ombili yotango, sho a popi kutya ota gandja ombili ngele ope na mboka uuvitha nayi nomatumbulo ge.

Endjala okwiiyadha muupyakadhi sha landula oonkundathana dhe dhopauwene ndhoka dha kwatwa, na okwa uvika ta popi omalaka taga holola uukwamuhoko. Pethimbo a gandja ombli yotango, Endjala okwa popi kutya aniwa okwa kengelelwa kugumwe gwomookuume ke, a tumbulwa kedhina kutya oTaimi Tekla Iimbili.

Tango Endjala okwa uvika ta nyana onkalo yopapolotika moshitopolwa shaShikoto oshowo omananathano ngoka geli mElelo lyoPamuthigululwakalo mOndonga.

Okwa tsikile kombinga yiikumungu yekondjelomanguluko, ta popi kutya Aandonga oya sa ondjala yuuleli. Ngoloneya okwa popi kutya iikolokosha mbyoka yi li mongundu tayi pangele monena otayi hwahwamekwa unene kuJob Amupanda oshowo omukwatakanithi gwongundu yoSwapo, mOshikoto Armas Amukwiyu mboka ayehe yeli aapopi yelaka lyOshindonga.

Mewi lye limwe ndyoka lya kwatwa, Endjala okwa uvika ta popi kutya ehangano ndyoka aniwa olya sindana po tendela yokutunga oombelewa oonene dhUuministeli wOmatembu mOvenduka, olya pula oshimaliwa oshindji noonkondo notenda ndjoka yongushu yoomiliyona 40, ta popi kutya iimaliwa mbyoka oyali yi na okukala ya longithwa miinima yilwe.

“OoAmukwiyu kaye li monkalo ombwaanawa yopapolotika. Otaya popi kutya oye na oomiliyona 40 dhomahwahwameko ndhoka ya mono konima sho ya tula pombanda noonkondo ondando yotendela yokutunga oombelewa dhuuministeli womatembu. Ehangano lyawo ndyoka lya sindanapo otendela ndjoka, olya landitha po otendela ndjoka kaaChina kongushu yoombiliyona yimwe. Aluhe osho haya ningi, uuna ya mono otendela ohaye yi landitha po kaaChina opo yamone okomisi.”

Okwa popi woo kutya otaka ninga oonkundathana nomukokoli presidende Sam Nujoma opo ka pitike oshipangelo oshinene shoka tashi pangelwa okutungwa monooli kashi tungwe moshitopolwa shaShana, ta gwedha po woo kutya ngoloneya gwaShana, Clemens Kashuupulwa, opo a tumwe pondje yoshilongo sho oshitopolwa shi pewe ngoloneya omupe.

Endjala okwa tsikile kutya ominista yuundjolowele, Bernard Haufiku okuli owala omundohotola ngoka ke na ontseyo yelelo, na okwa popi kutya omupeha minista gwiikwamina niikwankondo Kornelia Shilunga oye a pumbwa okupingena po Kashuupulwa.

ILENI NANDJATO

Iikolokosha yevi moTsintsabis

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Iikolokosha yevi moTsintsabisIikolokosha yevi moTsintsabis Elelo lyopamuthigulukalo oshowo Uuministeli wOmavi otaya kondjo omolwa egandjo nelanditho lyevi moTsintsabis moshikandjohogololo shaGuinas moshitopolwa shaShikoto.

Tsintsabis oya ningwa ehala lyomalukalwa okutameko mo 1993 nuumwene wehala ndyoka owuli kohi yuuministeli womavi, ihe egandjo nelanditho lyevi olya kuthwa kelelo lyopamuthigululwalo nonkalo ndjoka oya kala nokushunitha monima omayambulepo gehala ndyoka.

Ehala ndyoka oli li egumbo kaakwashigwana ya thika po-8000 na otali adhika oshinano shookilometa 60 muuzilo waTsumeb.

Omupeha omukomeho muuministeli womavi, Melanie Iiputa, okwa popi kutya onkalo yomoTsintsabis otayi etithwa kiikolokosha pokati kuuministeli oshowo elelo lyopamudhigululwakalo.

“Ekondololo lyehala ndyoka li li kohi yuuministeli, sigo uuna mpoka tapu ka pitithwa omukanda gwopapangelo kutya elelo lyopamuthigululwakalo nali idhope mo melelo lyehala ndyoka, onkene uuministeli womavi owo wu na oshinakugwanithwa shokugandja evi momudhingoloko ngoka.”

Elelo lyopamuthigululakalo olya popi kutya olya pewa oonkondo kuuministeli opo li kondolole oTsintsabis mwa kwatelwa egandjo lyevi.

Iputa okwa pataneke omapopyo ngoka, ta popi kutya elelo olya pewa owala oshinakugwanithwa shokuungaunga niikumungu yoshigwana ihe haku gandja evi, naashoka otashi shunitha pevi omayambulepo.

Mwene gwomukunda Oshivelo melelo lyOndonga Traditional Authority na oku li omugandjimayele kungoloneya gwaShikoto, Erwin Nation Nashikaku, okwa popi kutya konima nkene oshilongo sha manguluka epangelo olya kala nokutula miilonga oompango ndhoka tadhi kutha momake gelelo lyopamudhigululwakalo evi.

Nashikaku okwa popi kutya omalelo gopamuthigululwakalo oga kala taga kwathele epangelo miikumungu yevi omanga oshilongo inashi manguluka naashoka sha manguluka epangelo kehe omvula otali tula owala miilonga oompangu ndhoka tadhi patele pondje omalelo gopamuthigilulwakalo.

Tsintsabis oya totwapo mo- 1915 sho epangelo lyuukoloni lyaGermany lya tula po osasiyona yopolisi ya nuninwa okukondolola aanafaalama momudhingoloko ngoka.

Mehala ndyoka omwa kala unene aakwashigwana yomuhoko gwaaHai//Om ihe konima sho oshilongo sha manguluka omihoko dhimwe odha tembukile woo mehala ndyoka.

Opo andola ku yambulwepo ehala ndyoka, okwa totwapo okomitiye, ihe okwa monika kutya kayi na ontseyo yasha meyambulepo lyehala. Shoka osha etitha uuministeli wevi opo wu gandje oshinakugwanithwa shokukondolola ehala momake gomalelo gopamuthigululwakalo. Pahapu dhangoloneya gwaShikoto, Henock Kankoshi, sho elelo lyopamudhigululwakalo lya pewa oshinakugwanithwa, inali yelithilwa kombinga yiilonga yawo.

Okwa popi kutya elelo olya tameke tali gandja evi nonando inali pitikwa okushi ninga, naashoka osha ningitha iilonga yuuministeli iidhigu sho ya hala okuyambulapo ehala ndyoka molwaashoka evi olya gandjwa nale kaakwashigwana.

ILENI NANDJATO

Economic rebound bypasses Spain's poorest neighbourhood

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Economic rebound bypasses Spain's poorest neighbourhoodEconomic rebound bypasses Spain's poorest neighbourhood Elvira Montadas pushes her neighbour in a wheelchair along a badly paved sidewalk, past crumbling buildings, in return for some pocket change.

This is one of the odd jobs allowing her to survive in Spain's poorest neighbourhood - Los Pajaritos in Seville, the country's fourth largest city famous for its Alcazar palace.

A divorced mother of two teenage daughters, 49-year-old Montadas has not held a steady job for years. So she helps her disabled neighbour, cleans homes or irons clothes whenever she can to earn some cash.

If she runs low on food, she turns to charities like the Red Cross.

“My life right now is screwed,” Montadas told AFP as she pushed the wheelchair through Los Pajaritos, her long hair tied in a ponytail.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday applauded data that showed Spain's economic activity is on the verge of recovering pre-crisis levels and the jobless rate has dropped to 17.2%, its lowest level in eight years.

But in Los Pajaritos, a neighbourhood of around 21 000 residents located just a few kilometres from Seville landmarks such as the Giralda tower, the good economic data contrasts sharply with the reality of daily life.

The average annual income per household in Los Pajaritos is 12 307 euros. By comparison in Spain's richest neighbourhood, El Viso in Madrid, it is 113 001 euros.

The unemployment rate in the area is 56%.

“My daughters are well fed, we have never gone hungry, but that is because I am knocking on doors and thank God the doors open, but I am tired of calling on people all day,” Montadas said at her sparsely decorated apartment.

Many of the homes in the neighbourhood are illegally hooked up to the electricity network.

Montadas receives a monthly state unemployment benefit of 312 euros.

She spends 110 euros on the mortgage on her apartment, 40 euros for the building's common expenses, another 40 euros for insurance and ten euros for her mobile phone. The rest goes towards food, leaving four euros a day for the family's remaining expenses.

“I don't have enough to even start to live, but I make a living,” she said.

Montadas said she uses a lot of peas and chickpeas. Sometimes there is meat which she gets from charities or neighbours.

Fish is “a luxury”, as are yoghurts, which her daughters, Andrea, 18, and Maria Luisa, 14, frequently ask for, she added. Last Christmas there were no gifts.

“They don't understand, how shoes or a dress are a huge expense,” said Montadas, her eyes tearing up.

“I feel bad, I get down, but what can I do, if I break down, the house will come down because I am the pillar.”

The family's problems are mounting. Maria Luisa suffers from developmental delays while Andrea, the oldest daughter, has dropped out of high school.

“She says she wants to live,” said Montadas.

Maria Jose Herranz, a coordinator with a charity called Candelaria which distributes aid in the neighbourhood, said she believes the unemployment rate in Los Pajaritos is much higher than the official rate and “easily” stands at around 80%.





NAMPA/AFP

China manufacturing expansion slows in July

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China manufacturing expansion slows in JulyChina manufacturing expansion slows in July China's manufacturing activity faltered in June, official data showed yesterday, as experts warn of a slowdown in the world's second largest economy.

China registered steady growth during the first half of the year with stronger-than-expected GDP and exports growth, but the positive momentum will be hard to maintain as the country looks to adopt stricter financial regulations aimed at controlling the country's debt-fuelled investments.

The latest purchasing managers' index (PMI), a gauge of factory conditions, came in at 51.4 in July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, down from the 51.7 reading in June.

Anything above 50 is considered growth while a figure below points to contraction. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected a reading of 51.5.

Expansion in supply and demand has slowed down due to extreme weather across the country, where intense heat and flooding in some areas have hindered manufacturing activity, NBS analyst Zhao Qinghe said in a statement.

“July's PMI signals a slight softening of the manufacturing sector,” Raymond Yeung of Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. told Bloomberg.

“External demand will likely drop in the summer, and third quarter GDP growth isn't expected to hit 6.9%.”

“China's growth momentum may have waned at the start of Q3,” Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a note.

“We anticipate further weakness ahead as the crackdown on financial risks weighs on credit expansion and economic growth.”

NAMPA/AFP

Pick n Pay profit slumps

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Pick n Pay profit slumpsPick n Pay profit slumpsRetailer forks out for retrenchment plan The streamlined retailer says the financial benefit of its voluntary retrenchment plan will only be realised from the 2019 financial year. Pick n Pay said it expects half-year headline earnings per share (Heps) to be down over 20%, after a voluntary severance programme in April 2017 saw the retailer cut back 10% of its roles and functions.

Pick n Pay said in a statement yesterday that the financial benefit of the voluntary retrenchment plan will only be realised from the 2019 financial year, “with significant positive impact on operating costs, making the group more competitive and sustainable”.

The full cost will be expensed in the first half of the 2018 financial year, it said. As a result, Heps is expected to be down more than 20% (17 cents) to 82.43 cents, in the 26-week period ended August 28 2016.

“The Voluntary Severance Programme is one of several steps we have taken to make our business more competitive in what is a tough trading environment,” said Pick n Pay CEO Richard Brasher.

“For reasons of timing, it will have a material impact on our half-year result.

“But it has made us a leaner and more efficient business, and the reduction in our costs will give us more headroom to provide customers with even lower prices and better value. Our plan is on track and we are a stronger and more sustainable group as a result.”

Having delivered on the first stage of its strategy, to stabilise the finances and operations of the business, Pick n Pay said it is making progress in its second stage, which is to change the trajectory of its performance and restore a sustainable profit margin.

This has resulted in permanent price reductions across more than 1 300 fresh and grocery products, “providing vital assistance to customers in a difficult economy”.

It has also modernised the Smart Shopper loyalty programme to deliver customers “immediate and tailored weekly discounts on products, reducing the emphasis on awarding points linked automatically to spend”.

Progress has also been made in improving the centralised supply chain to deliver more efficient product replenishment, improve on-shelf availability, and reduce cost.

In addition, action has been taken to improve the efficiency and productivity of staff in all areas of the business.



Voluntary severance programme

Pick n Pay said it identified opportunities earlier this year to remove around 10% of its roles and functions across its Pick n Pay head office, regional structure, store operations and supply chain.

“These roles and functions were no longer required due to improvements in organisation, planning and technology,” it said.

To remove these roles and functions from the business, Pick n Pay embarked on a voluntary severance programme, through which employees were offered 1.5 weeks of pay per completed year of service, plus four weeks of notice pay.

“This programme has now been completed. It was conducted in accordance with the longstanding positive values of the group. Participation by employees was entirely voluntary, and the process did not give rise to any labour dispute or other disruption of the group's operations,” the retailer said.

“Through improved ways of working and greater productivity, the group has been able to minimise the impact of the programme on its operations and on customer service.”

Pick n Pay said it is confident that the voluntary severance programme “is a significant step in making the business more competitive and more sustainable”.



NEWS24

Kenyan retailer battles for survival

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Kenyan retailer battles for survivalKenyan retailer battles for survivalTurmoil engulfs supermarket success Nakumatt Kenya’s retailer Nakumatt needs outside expertise and fresh ideas as the downturn continues to bite. NAMPA/AFP



The butcher is closed, metres of shelves are empty save for a single brand of shampoo and, worst of all, the toilet paper is out of stock.

Once a Kenyan success story, homegrown Nakumatt supermarkets are grappling with product shortages so severe even the country's best-known cartoonist has taken notice, lampooning the company's slogan in a recent drawing as, "You need it, we don't have it".

The dizzying fall of East Africa's largest retailer has been blamed on a combination of bad management, misguided expansion plans and increased competition, and many industry insiders say the damage wrought on the company is so severe that it may not survive.

"It's what I call a perfect storm, where a series of events have come together to create the position that we're in," said Andrew Dixon, a former executive with Britain's Tesco supermarket recently hired to head up Nakumatt's marketing.

The chain's position today is indeed a tenuous one: Nakumatt has become so bad at paying its bills that some suppliers demand to be paid upfront or refuse to deliver. The landlord of one supermarket recently raided the premises and seized merchandise in lieu of unpaid rent.

It wasn't always like this.

Nakumatt's transformation from a one-store mattress retailer into a region-spanning grocery empire is a fairy-tale saga in a country where entrepreneurship is a cardinal virtue.

The chain's story starts in 1979 in Kenya's Indian community, when a father, fresh off of the bankruptcy of another business, started a mattress store with his two sons in the Rift Valley town of Nakuru.

The store was named "Nakuru Mattresses," which was later contracted to Nakumatt and what would become one of the best known brands in East Africa.

The shop flourished and by the mid-1980s the family opened their first store in the capital Nairobi.

The current difficulties have seen two Nairobi stores and three in Uganda shuttered.

However the business still employs 7 000 people and has 45 stores in Kenya, eight in Uganda, three in Rwanda, five in Tanzania and does annual sales of US$600 million (511 million euros), according to Dixon.

Dixon has identified three reasons for Nakumatt's struggles.

The first was a stroke of bad luck - the October 2013 attack by jihadists on the Westgate mall in Nairobi that left 67 people dead and destroyed Nakumatt's flagship store, which Dixon said accounted for 10 percent of the company's turnover.

The second is the proliferation of malls in the capital. In its policy of expansion, Nakumatt has had to commit to opening new markets years in advance, and sometimes, when they finally do open, they end up not being as successful as expected.

The final blow is Kenya's economic growth, which, while strong, is less than Nakumatt anticipated.

"We had originally put together a business plan which had assumed a certain growth in the economy. That growth has now slowed," Dixon said, adding that the retail sector's share of GDP has dropped from 12% to 6%.

Sources among Nakumatt's competitors point to a fourth reason: the company's acquisition at the end of 2016 of minority shareholder John Harun Mwau's stake in the chain for a sum Kenyan media reported to be at least US$30 million.

In 2011, American investigators froze Mwau's assets in the United States over allegations that he was involved in drug trafficking, a charge he denies.

The businessman and politician's scandalous reputation was seen as hampering Nakumatt's quest to convince investors to inject US$75 million into the company.

The time for Nakumatt to sort out its affairs is running out.

Wholesalers, who have relied for years on Nakumatt's business to connect them with Kenya's rising middle class, are losing patience.

So, too, are mall owners, who have watched the balance of unpaid rent from the stores grow by the month.

The landlord of one shopping centre in Nairobi's northern outskirts grew so tired of waiting that in early July they raided the Nakumatt on their premises, seizing trucks, televisions, trolley and refrigerators to auction in a bid to recover 51 million shillings (US$491 000) in unpaid rent.

Julien Garcier, managing director of market research company Sagaci, said Nakumatt did not only need new investors, but fresh ideas and outside expertise.

"Yes, they have been around for a long time, but above all, it's a family business and they are now facing a fairly sudden rise in competition and their lack of know-how is making them make expensive mistakes," Garcier said.

That competition is not just from local brands like Tuskys, Chandarana and Naivas, but also from France's Carrefour and American chain WalMart, both of which have recently emerged - albeit on a small scale - on the scene in Kenya.

At the opening of a WalMart-owned Game supermarket in 2015, a local television station came across Nakumatt boss Atul Shah browsing the aisles, who made what seemed to be an admission of weakness.

"The biggest trouble I go through is, what next?" he told the journalists. "Always, we're looking for ideas."

Ongwediva starts its OATF preparations

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Ongwediva starts its OATF preparationsOngwediva starts its OATF preparations NAMPA

The Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF) preparatory committee raised more than N$1 million at its official launch and fundraising event on Saturday.

Last year, the committee raised more than N$1.2 million.

On Saturday, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) pledged the highest amount of N$462 500 to continue being the main sponsor of the event, followed by Standard Bank and First National Bank with N$150 000 and N$145 000, respectively.

Other companies that contributed significantly are the Ongwediva MediPark Private Hospital with N$42 000 and Namibia Airports Company and Bidvest Namibia with N$30 000 each.

“OATF has over the years developed into a leading national and international trade and exhibition event on the Namibian business calendar and continues to draw interest from all sectors of our country,” Joseph Mundjindi, MTC’s sponsorship and promotions manager, said at the launch.

Mundjindi said the OATF is held for the Ongwediva Town Council to create opportunities that facilitate trade and business links between local and foreign businesses.

The trade fair further serves as an opportunity for exposure for the products and services of small and medium enterprises, in addition to creating a platform for smart partnerships with established corporate entities.

Ongwediva is hosting the OATF for the 18th time, with 'Towards the Transformation of Namibia’s Exhibition Landscape' as the theme this year.

Oshana regional governor Clemens Kashuupulwa attended the event, among others.

Ruling party's business arm dominates Rwandan economy

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Ruling party's business arm dominates Rwandan economyRuling party's business arm dominates Rwandan economy NAMPA/AFP

Rwanda's ruling party has tightly controlled the political sphere for over two decades, but it is also accused of monopolising the economy via its very own conglomerate: Crystal Ventures.

The investment arm of the Rwandan Patriotic Front is the country's top private employer, with assets estimated at US$500 million (426 million euros). It is present in almost every sector, from food processing to private security, building materials and real estate.

The company, formerly named Tristar, was born in 1995, a year after the then rebel RPF seized Kigali and put an end to a 100-day genocide which left 800 000 people, mostly from the Tutsi minority, dead.

With the country shattered and not a franc left in the treasury, the new authorities did not want to sit around and wait for a private sector to materialise and rebuild the nation.

"We wanted to see a difference made in our country where nobody was coming to invest," President Paul Kagame told a summit on investment in Africa in March.

The RPF delved into its war chest from the 1990-1994 civil war, built up with contributions from the Tutsi diaspora, to create the company and jump-start the private sector.

The precise ownership of the company is not clear. On its website it says it chooses investments to "make a significant impact on the socioeconomic landscape".

In 1998 Crystal Ventures partnered with South African telecoms giant MTN to put in place a mobile network in Rwanda.

In 2015 the investment company sold its 20 percent stake in MTN Rwandacell, but observers remain concerned about the stranglehold Crystal Ventures has on the economy and whether this could scare away private investors.

A western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the economy was "dominated by the party (RPF) and interests surrounding the party."

He referred to another conglomerate attached to the defence ministry: Horizon. One of its branches is the country's leading construction company, building roads and focusing on infrastructure development.

As Rwanda tries to draw in foreign investors "we are not sure that the private sector is as free and transparent as it should be," he told AFP, adding that in some sectors, such as dairy which is dominated by Crystal Ventures, there is no place for competition.

Kagame insists there is no favourable treatment in awarding tenders.

"I would challenge anybody to bring any fact ... there has been good competition," he said.
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