SuperSport snubs Indongo fight

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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SuperSport snubs Indongo fight SuperSport will not be broadcasting the Terence Crawford and Julius Indongo fight slated for 19 August in the USA, Namibian Sun has established.

The decision comes after SuperSport had initially showed interest in buying the rights valued at US$25 000 only (N$3.3 million).

Indongo's promoter Nestor Tobias said that he was in shock that Africa's biggest sports channel would snub one of the world biggest boxing events involving an African boxer making history with an undisputed five belt world championship fight.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

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Namsov, Kandi Fishing donate generously

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Namsov, Kandi Fishing donate generouslyPoverty eradication ministry's efforts bolstered The Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare received a big cash injection this week. The Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare this week received two donations from NAMSOV Community Trust and Kandi Fishing. The two fishing companies donated N$2 500 000 and N$50 000 respectively.

Poverty eradication minister Zephania Kameeta said these donations would go a long way in assisting the less fortunate. According to Kameeta, poverty is multifaceted and requires different interventions in order to improve people's lives.

He said the Food Bank was just a small part of what the ministry was doing. Other efforts included the recent drilling of boreholes at Nehale Lya Mpingana Constituency in the Oshikoto Region. He emphasised that education remained key in the upliftment of people out of poverty.

“This investment you are making will change the lives of Namibian people meaningfully. These donations will sustainably improve the lives of Namibian people by empowering the ministry to proactively deliver on empowering Namibian socially so that they can become productive Namibians and enable them to equally give back to society,” Kameeta said.

He thanked the two fishing companies for responding to the call of the president to join hands with the government in the war against poverty.

STAFF REPORTER

Honorary doctorates for Namibians

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Honorary doctorates for Namibians Northern businessmen Erastus 'Chicco' Shapumba of the Chicco Group, Fysal Brenner of Fysal Fresh Produce and Namibia Institute of Pathology CEO Augustinus Katiti have received honorary doctorates of business administration from the Commonwealth University in London.

At a colourful event this past weekend in Dubai, the three Namibian community leaders were recognised for their outstanding leadership skills and corporate social responsibility.

“It is such a huge privilege to be recognised by an international university and to show that Namibia has good leaders in the business space. It is important that we continue to work hard and be more inspired to do our work as we try to contribute positively to the development of Namibia,” said Shapumba upon his arrival from Dubai.

NCCI chairman Tomas Iindji celebrated the recognition that Shapumba and Katiti had received internationally and thanked them for the service they provided to their fellow countrymen.

“We at the NCCI Northern Branch are proud of all that these three exemplary Namibians have accomplished, and thank them both for their service to Namibia. I hope you will all join the Chamber in congratulating them on receiving such a high honour,” said Iindji.

Commonwealth University is established as a private international university company fully owned by the Island Open Belize.

The university specialises in capacity building at degree level and executive education programmes designed to assist its graduates to be more effective on their jobs and to be proactive citizens in their communities.

STAFF REPORTER

Taking Namibia to the world

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Taking Namibia to the worldFreeda riding the international wave The Coca Cola Company, through their music flagship show, Coke Studio, has merged Coke Studio Africa and Coke Studio South Africa into one bigger and better Coke Studio Africa 2017. Coke Studio Africa is a non-competitive music collaboration show, which seeks to bring together and celebrate the diversity of African music and talent. It also gives upcoming artists the opportunity to work with some of the best local and international music and production talent. It brings together artists from different genres, eras and regions to create a modern and authentic African sound through musical fusion. The merger increases the number of participating countries to 16, up from 11 in previous editions. This season will be broadcasting more than 30 countries across Africa. The production now includes artistes from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Angola, Togo, Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, DRC, Ethiopia, and Cameroon.

Like the previous editions, Coke Studio aims to inspire and introduce Africa's music talents to a new and wider audience through interaction, collaboration and cooperation amongst musical artistes while also building a strong brand connection with Africa's young and growing population. Some of the renowned names this season include our own Freeda who says this has been one of the best experiences in her musical career so far. “I had a chance to work with great and talented artists. The Coke Studio team loved my music. I simply just had to go and do what I usually do. Glory be to God. My song, One Shot, was chosen for our team and we all had to do a remix of it, with Wawa and Kiff no Beat adding their unique flavours in French. It was amazing really,” she said.

From this month, the one hour show will air on One Africa TV every Saturday from 18:00 for 11 weeks.

Ma/gasia artists making a difference

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ma/gasia artists making a differenceFresh out of Omaruru with fresh melodies New kids on the block Ome Dessie and Costa's album Piri Gure that tackles social issues and will get you on your feet is out now. Ome Dessie and Costa a duo from Omaruru dropped their Ma/gaisa album titled Piri Gure is condemning irresponsible farm owners who do not to pay their workers amongst other social ills. The artists, in this album also targeted irresponsible mothers who claim child maintenance money but use the money for their personal use. “It's an open secret that many fathers and children end up victims when mothers claim to use the money for one thing while in reality the money is used to do something else. They buy Brazilian hair, drink alcohol to entertain friends and sometimes buy clothes for themselves. We must talk about these things,” the artists said.

The duo said Piri Gure was just a dummy concept which wanted to test the interest of the public and turned out to be good forcing them to produce more songs for the album. Today, many of their songs are popular in Omaruru and are on demand because of their dynamic dance moves, great lyrics and sounds. Although they come from a town which is deprived of basic needs for artist such as well-equipped recording studios, Ome Dessie and Costa's love for music forces them to travel far just to get the best people on board to produce their music. “We have to come to Windhoek or go to Swakopmund to producers. It's costly but music is our passion and we know the importance of music in a community. Artists play an important role in the community,” they said.

The album is for everyone who enjoys good music. It is available in Omaruru and surrounding towns and on request from Ome Dessie and Costa.

June Shimuoshili

Superstar who sparks light wherever she goes

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Superstar who sparks light wherever she goesEsperance is the unstoppable girl Esperance Luvindao is the ultimate definition of someone living life to the fullest and who does not let anything stop her from achieving what she wants. Today, she's living the dream life of an entertainer.

“It's like rain on your skin on a hot summer's day. That's what it feels like to find something that you are genuinely good at.” This is how poet, author, Miss Grand 2016, host and soon-to-be medical doctor, Esperance Luvindao, describes her life. Luvindao speaks to tjil about her latest project titled Broken Light and her career.



tjil (T): Who is Esperance?

Esperance (E): I am the last-born of five children. I matriculated from St Paul's College and went to study medicine at Unam. While some people have a passion for numbers, I have a passion for blood and body parts. The things people call disgusting like blood and nasty cuts in casualty at the end of the month, I'm the guy for that, lol. The genuine gratitude from a patient after you've helped make them feel better or the tears of appreciation of a mother after you helped save her baby is what makes it worth it. I am also a writer, poet, model and presenter.



T: That's quite a handful. How do you get it all done?

E: Everyone asks me the same question, hahaha. Well, to be honest, you make time for what is important and hierarchy is what keeps me going. God first, family second, school third. Everything else comes thereafter. I would go insane if I did not have anything to relieve the pressure of medical school. I don't know where the love for pageantry, presenting and writing came from but, growing up people would tell me that I was a jack of all trades. I play the drums, I'm a dancer and I sing. But focus is the key. My family is so supportive and that is helpful.



T: Let's talk about your modelling career, when did that start?

E: I am unapologetically myself and that is the most powerful thing a woman can be. I started modelling in 2010 when I joined a modelling agency. I started taking part in local pageants and fashion shows until my crowning as Miss Grand Namibia 2016. I took part in Miss Grand because I knew that it would launch me to another level of skill and confidence. People always underestimate how life changing these international pageants is. I know for a fact that, a woman who has taken part in a national or international pageant always comes out braver and more determined to be the best that they can be. Unfortunately, I could not travel for Miss Grand international in Las Vegas' last October as I was about to sit for my fourth year exams. Pageants are gold. They build women from a perspective not many understand. If I could suggest one thing to all pageants around the world is that their projects should be lifelong. Your responsibility to the community does not end when you hand over your crown.



T: Tell us more about your event hosting career?

E: I would host local shows within my community and it was something I enjoyed doing. The NAMAs was my first big stage event to host and the highlight of my hosting career. I knew I had worked hard for this opportunity and I gave it my all at the auditions. It opened me up to a world of opportunities, allowed people to see my talent and my phone has been buzzing ever since, lol. Miss Namibia was another huge opportunity. I always thought 2017 would be the year I actually took part in Miss Namibia but being on the other side of it made me see how much work those women put into it, and I truly appreciate them for that. It was a phenomenal experience to interview the previous Miss Namibia queens and rub shoulders with the likes of Michelle McLean.



T: Let's talk about Esperance the poetess.

E: Poetry, now that is my area of expertise. I started in 2011 and it has been great and pressurising at the same time. People don't want cliché, they want art. So you constantly have to keep improving. When I started I was good but now I am even better. Time and experience grooms your skill. If you are willing to grow, it is inevitable. I opened for Da Truth when he came here; I performed at Spoken Word and events too. I have so much planned and so much to do it feels like I am forever working on a project. My upcoming project is the launch of my first poetry video. It will be soon so, keep your eyes on me.



T: When did the writer in you emerge?

E: I started writing in 2007. I just never had the courage to put my work out there. I love writing fiction. It is a burst of creativity that needs nothing to exist. My written pieces are rather extreme, but they get people thinking, and dreaming or even crying and that is the most beautiful part, evoking emotion with art. Broken Light is my short story that I launched this week means the world to me. It's something I have been working on for quite a while. Launching it meant I was putting work out there for the world to scrutinise. It meant that I was taking another step in my journey as an author and it meant that I had grown. Writing is about more than just being good at English. I learnt that and now I am ready to share my talent with the world. I am working on my book that will be a Namibian birthed fiction masterpiece. In the meantime I believe that Namibian writers should receive much more credit. I look forward to the days when we have Namibian annual writers' awards. I look forward to the day when writers are celebrated for the stars they are.

June Shimuoshili

Rhythm City actor dies in hijacking

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Rhythm City actor dies in hijacking It has been confirmed that Rhythm City actor Dumi Masilela, died at the age of 29 on Wednesday night following an attempted hijacking incident in Tembisa, South Africa.

The actor played the role of the street kid Sifiso Ngema since his first appearance in the soap in January 2013.

According to police spokesperson Kay Makhubele, Masilela and his friend were shot while driving on Wednesday night. Other than being an actor Masilela was also a professional soccer player who played for Supersport United and Highlands Park, but had to end his career after a car accident. The actor got married to actress Simphiwe Ngema in an intimate traditional wedding earlier this year, according to e.tv.

Michael Pocock, e.tv manager, confirmed the news of Masilela's death. The TV channel released an official statement on Thursday: “It is with great sadness that e.tv confirms the passing of Dumi Masilela. He passed in hijacking on Wednesday 2 August. Dumi played the role of Sifiso on Rhythm City for the past five years. E.TV sends their condolences to Dumi's family, friends and Rhythm City colleagues,” he said. Rhythm City publicist Mpumi Phillips also confirmed that Masilela's aunt had died after receiving news of his death.

News 24

Recipe to celebrate International Beer Day

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Recipe to celebrate International Beer DayFunny ways to enjoy your beer Regardless of the negative perceptions people have about beer, every cloud has a silver lining and today we are sharing a delicious bread recipe that uses beer. International Beer Day (IBD) is a global event to celebrate beer that is celebrated in pubs, breweries, and backyards. It's a day for beer lovers everywhere to raise a toast to our brewers and bartenders to rejoice the greatness of beer. IBD is celebrated on the first Friday of August and it was founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, California. Since its inception, IDB has grown from a small localised event in the western United States into a worldwide celebration spanning 207 cities, 50 countries and six continents. Specifically, IDB has declared three purposes: to gather with friends and enjoy the taste of beer, to celebrate those responsible for brewing and serving beer and to unite the world under the banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations on one day.

There are many ways to enjoy beer with friends and family. Tjil found a treasured old beer bread recipe that goes well with everything including your potjie on a cold winter night from eclecticrecipes.com.

Ingredients

Three cups self-rising flour, one to four tablespoons sugar, four tablespoons melted butter, and one and a half cups beer.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 °C. Lightly grease a 114.3cm loaf pan. Mix the flour, sugar, three tablespoons of the melted butter and the beer and stir until fairly smooth. Don't worry if there are a scattering of small lumps. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Drizzle with the remaining one tablespoon melted butter. Bake the bread for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove the bread from the oven. After five minutes, turn it out onto a rack to cool. Wait until the bread cools completely before slicing. Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature. Serve it as you wish.

Staff reporter

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Celebrating Namibians

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Celebrating Namibians Simply You magazine just announced that they will be hosting their own awards show to acknowledge those who work in the fashion, entertainment and arts industries. The creative arts industries has been pinning and lamenting for another awards ceremony besides the NAMAs, Namibia's biggest music awards show. We only have a few award ceremonies that celebrate the work of our artists and creative people alike and initiatives like the one being introduced by Simply You magazine is very important. They help our industry and our creative people to improve through review and inspiration. During a time when the economy is going through a rough patch, some areas are more important than sustaining the psyche and reputation of our entertainment industry. Award shows highlight the talents of artists regardless of the economic hardships.

Award shows for me have made it possible for us to take a look at our standards and to reflect on a few achievements over a period of time. Award shows have also become a way for the industry to look at ways to improve how we conduct ourselves and how to grow the industry in future.

Such shows celebrate the spirit of innovation that is so critical to our industry to remain relevant in future. From them, we learn how people are living and what makes them unique. We also see how the public reacts to the kind of content creative people share with them. Now, more than ever, the award shows are helping us track the progress of our artists and we document what they do throughout their careers through this award show. Sure, there are people who walk around thinking they are bigger and better than everyone else and are more important, more intelligent and more talented than anyone else in the room because they win awards.

Hopefully, the award show would be welcomed with open arms by the people and by companies who want to support the organisers. It is such initiatives that make our entertainment industry “bigger and better”. These initiatives allow the industry to grow and improve as time goes by. However, with award ceremonies come drama, controversies and politics. Maybe this time around, we will learn from a few mistakes that previous award shows encountered.

While we are talking about award ceremonies, a few Namibian artists were nominated for the African Muzik Magazine Awards (Afrimma). The Dogg, Sally Boss Madam and Chikune will be competing for the top slot at the ceremony slated for 8 October. The Dogg is nominated in the Best Male Southern Africa category, while Sally and Chikune are both competing for the Best Female Southern Africa award. To vote for the Namibian artists, visit afrimma.com.

June Shimuoshili

june@namibiansun.com

Weathering the storm

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Weathering the stormCan your business survive a recession? The current economic climate should not be the reason many businesses opt to close. The Namibian economy entered into a full recession in June this year. The poor performance was mainly ascribed to the construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and hotel and restaurant sectors.

FNB Namibia's head of commercial banking, Fanie Steenkamp, recently advised entrepreneurs how to bullet-proof their businesses against business cycles.

“Every day we read about vehicle sales that are down, unemployment that is up, and closures at companies,” he said.

“Managing a business through an economic recession may be the toughest challenge an entrepreneur is faced with; but, if you do not fall prey to panic, a downturn may present an opportunity to the business to confront its ineffective areas and remedy them.”

He also advised entrepreneurs to weather the storm and not opt to close.

“Before taking obvious decisions to avoid difficulty in a downturn, rather analyse your business model diligently and identify where the opportunities are to execute the core of what you do better, faster and more efficiently. With the right attitude in leadership, the current downturn could result in you strengthening your business as opposed to killing it,” Steenkamp advised.

STAFF REPORTER

House prices fall incrementally

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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House prices fall incrementally0.8% decrease in prices House prices are expected to decelerate this year, according to FNB Namibia's latest Housing Price Index. Persistently weak economic growth, rising unemployment and weak household disposable income growth have begun to weaken property prices in Namibia.

House prices fell marginally by 0.8% and have been waning since December 2016.

This is according to the latest Housing Price Index (HPI) released by FNB Namibia yesterday.

“For the month of April, the average annual rate of growth has fallen to 7.0% in nominal terms, despite the very strong price growth in the coastal and southern regions. When adjusted for inflation and according to new methodologies, the real house prices fell marginally by 0.8% and have been negative month to month since December 2016,” said Josephat Nambashu, market research analyst at FNB Namibia.

Evidently, the search for secure neighbourhoods with adequate amenities influenced significantly the price dynamics in the capital. High-income suburbs such as Klein Windhoek, Academia and Olympia are currently enduring negative price growth, while Auasblick, Eros, Finckenstein and Kleine Kuppe are enjoying abnormally high price appreciation. This divergent trend is typical of a market in transition, Nambashu explained.

Property prices in the high-income suburbs were expected to trend downwards while middle-income areas were expected to show more consistency, said Nambashu.

“Given the negative economic data, we do expect the high-income suburbs to trend downwards with more consistency. The middle-income suburbs are a bit more consistent, with prices increasing in the double-digit range, with the exception of Academia (-21.6%) and Hochland Park (5.7%). The decline in Academia is ascribed to the land that was auctioned in 2014 and as such should not be mistaken for weakening underlying fundamentals.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Nambashu found that lower-income buyers displayed divergent trends in their appetite for property.

“Low-income suburbs showed very divergent trends as well, with prices increasing by as much as 24.1% in Okuryangava, while falling by as much as 4.5% in Wanaheda. During economic downturns, we generally see property prices in the lower-income segments strengthening as households downsize, resulting in higher demand for low-income suburbs,” said Nambashu.

“For April, housing volumes were down by 6.9%, and although recovering from the November low, the rising unemployment along with disposable income pressures do not give us much comfort in continued recovery. Our Estate Agent Survey suggests that trading activity across the market is deteriorating and that properties are spending as much as 25 weeks on the market and particularly in the high-income space.

“With residential construction activity expected to remain subdued, transactions may deteriorate even further, while properties spend even longer on the market before being sold. We do, however, expect volumes to grow from strength to strength in the northern property market, but this will certainly not be sufficient to stop the decline from the rest of the market.”

According to Nambashu, the outlook for house prices is expected to decelerate for the rest of 2017.

“In conclusion, we wish to state that, after averaging 10% increase during the 2016 year, we expect growth to decelerate for the remainder of 2017. This view is supported by the weak economic data and the persistently low volume data in the housing market and therefore we expect the HPI to average 6.2% this year,” he concluded.

STAFF REPORTER

Paratus launches revved-up cloud

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Paratus launches revved-up cloud Paratus launched its revved-up cloud services this week which it believes will offer additional resilience solutions to prospective and continuing clients.

Explaining the concept behind cloud, Paratus managing director John D'Alton pointed to the term as all-encompassing, consisting of various services.

“It is clear that the key drivers towards cloud services stems from initial capital investment, ongoing operational and maintenance costs as well as requiring dedicated resources to manage information communication technology efficiently,” said D'Alton.

According to him, owning information technology infrastructure such as servers and applications creates complexity and requires valuable business resources to manage and maintain. Increased complexity means increased direct and indirect hidden costs.

Cloud, D'Alton explained, was being utilised on an almost daily basis for very complex, but even very basic purposes.

“If you own a smartphone, you are most likely already utilising some key functionalities of cloud services in your daily life such as Google Drive, iCloud drive, Dropbox or other online backup facilities,” he added. Beyond the individual case, the corporate world was looking for alternatives of driving towards lower operational costs and cloud offerings were the best solution leveraging all the benefits against almost zero capital requirements.

“Ultimately, cloud service provides your business with more value from your information technology investment, which makes perfect business sense,” D'Alton said.

STAFF REPORTER

China unfazed by Trump outbursts

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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China unfazed by Trump outburstsExperts say his North Korea rants won't get attention US president, Donald Trump, expects action from China against North Korea that the eastern giant will never take, observers say. Finger-pointing over North Korea's flourishing weapons programme has pushed the world's two biggest economies towards a high-stakes impasse, but observers warn that Trump-style outbursts are no way to get China to bend to the United States' will.

Washington and Beijing have long traded blame over the failure to rein in the North, but a breakthrough in missile technology has raised the spectre of a strike by Pyongyang on American cities, escalating the rhetoric.

“I am very disappointed in China,” President Donald Trump tweeted after the North boasted last week that the entire mainland US was within range of its intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk.”

China, North Korea's main trade partner and ally, has repeatedly countered that it does not hold the key to the crisis and rejected Trump's attempts to link the issue to the trade relationship.

While China's restrained official responses have played the foil to Trump's 140-character outbursts, state media has been less muted.

“Trump is quite a personality,” said an opinion piece published by Xinhua state news agency Monday.

“But emotional venting cannot become a guiding policy for solving the nuclear issue... and even less should (the US) stab China in the back.”

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stepped in on Tuesday to warn that the relationship with China had reached “a pivot point”.

“Can we work through those differences in a way without it leading to open conflict and find the solutions that are necessary to serve us both?” he asked in a briefing to reporters.

Trump has repeatedly urged China to use its economic sway over North Korea to curb the regime's nuclear programme, while Beijing insists dialogue is the only practical way forward.

Tillerson has derided China and Russia as “economic enablers” that bear “unique and special responsibility” for the growing threat posed by the North.

And US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spurned a UN response to the latest ICBM launch in favour of bomber flights and missile defence system tests, saying the time for talk on North Korea was “over”.

Such admonishments will not change the way China operates, analysts say.

“Trump might be brash and have an 'in your face' blunt style, but Beijing's approach to Washington stays relatively the same,” Xu Guoqi, a Sino-US relations expert at the University of Hong Kong, told AFP.

“While Trump tweets his positions to the world, Beijing keeps its cards closer to its chest. (China) will never dance to Trump's tune.”

And with “today's America weaker and more isolated in the world,” China has even less reason to respond, he said. China has reacted with caution to Trump's unpredictable remarks, which have ranged from describing the country as a “currency manipulator” to calling President Xi Jinping “a very good man”.

Relations had warmed following Trump's pledge to honour the key “One China” policy and Xi's visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida this April, but they have since soured again over North Korea.

If the US does not ease off against an implacable China, observers believe a deterioration is inevitable.

“If the Americans continue to blame China while shifting away from its own obligation to defuse the crisis, the two powers are likely to have more quarrels,” said Zhong Zhenming, a Sino-US relations expert at Shanghai's Tongji University.

“(This is) exactly the result Pyongyang hopes to see,” he told AFP.

In June, the US slapped unprecedented sanctions on a Chinese bank accused of laundering North Korean cash after Trump tweeted that China's efforts to curtail North Korea's nuclear programme had “not worked out”.

Yet analysts said Trump will stop short of following through on repeated threats to start a trade war -- his main bargaining chip thus far.

“Neither China nor America could afford a trade war,” Zhong said.

An editorial in the state-run Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid, warned that the US would lose in a trade dispute with China, which as the top holder of US treasury bonds “is actually supporting the dollar.”

“Washington had better not threaten China with trade since China has the tools to safeguard its economic interests,” it said.

– Nampa/AFP

YANAN WANG

Preach Pastor Tjeripo, preach!

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Preach Pastor Tjeripo, preach! You have not lived until you witness a village pastor going about his Sunday routine! Eish, these men of the cloth know just how to move you – so much so that you would be seeing the gates of heaven opening up for you and Jesus calling out your name.

I always make sure I am the first under the tree that has now come to be known as ‘our church’, so that I do not miss a word the pastor says as he preaches the gospel. My good friend Tjeripo was of course always in tow – he is not much of a believer but he reckons its either Jesus or Mma Mutlkasi, our local sangoma. Thank God he chose the first option!

Tjeripo grew so much in faith that he was last weekend asked to stand in for the local village pastor, after the elderly man of the cloth was taken ill. I had to give in and allow my learned friend to lead us to the Promised Land – or at least die trying.

I had my reservations at first – I mean, Tjeripo’s knowledge of the Bible is as good as an Eskimo’s desert survival instincts!

Tjeripo confidently opened his sermon with a quote out of John 3:16, which talks about the importance of repentance. That was easy, I thought – I mean, if you haven’t heard of that piece of scripture before – you probably never held a Bible in your hands.

As Tjeripo went on with his sermon, I could see a sister going almost crazy with admiration and willingly helping my friend with his sermon. For instance, every time Tjeripo says “Congregation, the time for change is now. Repent now,” she would shout

“AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, HALLELUJAH, THE LORD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME - ALL THE TIME LORD IS GOOD!”

As she says this, she would jump onto the edge of her seat, with eyes closed and raise her right hand as if attempting to wave down a speeding taxi. Eish, I could almost swear I heard her say ‘Amen’, when Tjeripo asked “Who wants to go to hell?” The same sister would also be seen frequenting the cloak room especially when Tjeripo preached about the “power of a woman”, and how women won the battle in biblical times.

Her high heels (didn’t know you could wear those to church) produced a deafening noise as she made the cloakroom her second sermon venue! Dear friends, if you always wanted to show off your new outfit and never got the chance to do it, the church is just the place where you can outsmart them all.

Gone are the days when going to church meant wearing oversized long skirts and ‘formal’ shoes; the modern church has seemingly carved a clothing niche for itself and long skirts do not feature on the list!

Let’s face it, if you have some classy outfits in your wardrobe and you are not a business executive, chances are your outfits will turn into moth material lest you do something about it. Anyway, my brother Tjeripo was spitting salvation – he was surely moving souls up there. I could see a granny here and an uncle there slowly nodding in agreement.

Ja, that’s how I know my friend – he is never afraid to take a leap of faith. After the service, an old uncle called us to one side, thanked Tjeripo and pushed a scribbled note into his hands before disappearing. We slowly unfolded the note, and studied its contents …

1. Next time sip rather than gulp on the hidden wine below the pulpit

2. There are 10 commandments, not 12

3. There are 12 disciples, not 10

4. We do not refer to the cross as the ‘Big T’

5. The recommended grace before meals is not ‘Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub. Yeah God!’

6. We do not refer to Our Saviour, Jesus and His disciples as ‘J.C. and the Boys’

7. David slew Goliath; he did not ‘kick the crap out of him’.

8. Last, but not least, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are never referred to as ‘Big Daddy, Junior, and the Spook’.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I guess my good friend failed dismally – but he converted quite a few souls that Sunday!

Until then…

Tjatindi@gmail.com

Accountability is a cornerstone

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Accountability is a cornerstone We can preach as much as we want but the current public accountability mechanisms are not as efficient and effective as the powers that be claim it is.

There is a great fear that the lack of accountability has corroded public respect for political leaders as well as their counterparts in the corporate world.

Whilst public office-bearers are answerable to the appointing authority, there is a growing culture within government whereby certain officials wield so much influence to such an extent that they seem to be accountable to no one.

Like in any democracy, ultimately government is accountable to the citizens of the country and must maintain openness and accountability all the time, especially when it comes to decisions made.

From a public service point of view, our leaders cannot only commit themselves to transparency, accountability and the rule of law, while shying away from duly informing the citizenry on important matters.

While the presidency has led by example by always entertaining media enquiries, the same cannot be said about certain ministries and government agencies. Journalists are in most cases sent from pillar to post in the execution of their duties.

This has had a negative impact on the country's citizens who use the various media platforms for relevant news and information. The selective dissemination of information discourages public participation in policymaking and this does not augur well for a democracy like Namibia where a strong emphasis should be placed on greater accountability and transparency.

One of the best ways to deepen our hard-won democracy is to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in both public and private sectors. By doing so, citizens are given the necessary space to hold their leaders accountable, while continuing to demand increased space for public participation.

We sincerely hope that ministers and state-owned enterprises will start arranging regular media events to openly discuss pertinent issues around their operations.

The public is crying out for the integrity and selfless service of open leaders who are willing to frankly engage the Fourth Estate on issues of public interest.

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Germany to apologise but…

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Germany to apologise but… Germany is convinced that there is no need for financial compensation and believes that the atrocities committed against the Nama and Ovaherero people during the 1904-08 genocide was justified.

It also believes that an amicable solution can only be reached through discussions in a historical context, and not through a court case.

These were comments made by the German Ambassador to Namibia, Christian-Matthias Schlaga on 15 June during the annual general meeting of the Schools Association of Windhoek that runs the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek (DHPS).

According to him, the German government will focus on the way in which the term 'genocide' is used.

“Germany is ready to apologise for the crimes committed in this period. It is important for Germany that this apology is accepted as the end of the political-moral debate. We will therefore discuss the necessary details of an apology,” he said.

This appears to be the spirit of the German government's official response on the 1904-08 Nama and Ovaherero genocide, contained in the 'German Position Paper' handed over by Schlaga to the Namibia's special envoy Zed Ngavirue on 29 June.

The Namibian government demands an official apology and reparations, while descendants of the Nama and Ovaherero genocide victims have resorted to a federal court in the United States to claim justice.

To date, the German government has been very vague on what it is prepared to offer and has insisted that “throwing” around money will not fix things.

Germany's special envoy, Ruprecht Polenz, last year sneered at “this idea floating around that there will be money flowing across the continent.”

He made it very clear that this will not happen, but promised that negotiations may be concluded this year. This however did not materialise as negotiations are still on-going.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Rundu residents give council seven days

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Rundu residents give council seven days Disgruntled residents of Kehemu and Kaisosi settlements on Wednesday gave the Rundu Town Council seven days to respond to their plight of land or they will erect illegal shacks.

The more than 100 frustrated residents met with the town council as early as 09:00 on Wednesday, following their illegal occupation of land at the 'golf' course near the Kavango River on Monday.

Representatives of the two parties met with council behind closed doors for about four hours to deliberate on the way forward.

A panel of 12 people, who went to state their case on their behalf, represented the residents.

Their spokesperson, Joshua Kasinda told Nampa after the meeting they decided to give the town council seven days to respond.

As the beginning of a solution to the land issue, Kasinda said, council provided them with forms to complete and thereby register themselves for council to quantify the magnitude of the landless issue.

He said the council explained that the former 'golf' course was sold to two entities, Chic Chic Trading and Nyime Trading, for developing.

“We will fill in the forms and submit them tomorrow to council. However, we are expecting them to respond within seven days,” said Kasinda.

While waiting for the outcome of the discussions, the crowd sang and chanted that they did not want discrimination as the land does not belong to anyone but God.

At a media conference after the meeting, the town council's acting CEO Mathew Naironga did not reveal much, only to say that an amicable solution was agreed upon, and for the frustrated residents to submit a list of their names.

Naironga stressed that failure to comply with the agreement and vacate the land will result in the Namibian police being called in to forcefully remove residents and maintain order.

NAMPA

Poultry smuggling of grave concern

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Poultry smuggling of grave concernHealth of humans and animals at serious risk The illegal importation of live chickens caused the past two outbreaks of Newcastle disease and now, the ministry grapples with smuggling of frozen cuts too. Opportunistic Angolans have taken advantage of the current shortage of chicken in the country and are smuggling frozen cuts through the Oshikango border into Namibia.

The cuts are being sold at open markets in the town and reports have it that people from across the region are flocking to buy these bulk packs for roughly N$200 a-piece.

However, thousands of live birds are also being smuggled from Angola into Namibia and sold illegally in the Northern Communal Areas.

The permanent secretary in the agriculture ministry, Percy Misika told Namibian Sun that there have been reports of poultry smuggling since the downturn in the Angolan economy.

According to him the ministry is aware of the smuggling of live birds from Angola into Namibia, however, it was not aware that frozen chicken was also being illegally imported into Namibia.

He said the smuggling of live birds from Angola was reported earlier this year when it resulted in the outbreak of Newcastle disease in northern Namibia.

Last year, these smuggling activities also resulted in several outbreaks of Newcastle disease in the north and killed approximately 4 000 chickens. The newly recorded outbreaks this year has resulted in the deaths of 21 chickens while another 102 chickens had to be killed or disposed of.

According to the ministry it is currently not investigating any specific cases of poultry smuggling.

“However we have been on high alert at all our border posts, ever since the outbreak of Newcastle disease this year,” said Misika.

“The challenge is the porous nature of the border, which allows people to use the un-gazetted entry points and bypass official controls. And in that way it is very difficult to stop this illegal trade.”

Misika says Namibia has very strict import requirements that are certified to the highest standards. This is aimed at protecting animal and human health and is why the country only allows products that meet its requirements to be brought into the country.

“With chicken we are concerned about Newcastle disease and the highly pathogenic bird flu (H5N8), as well as a multitude of other diseases that can be transmitted through chicken.

On top of that we are concerned whether healthy chickens were slaughtered or whether they were processed in a clean environment to prevent food-borne diseases such as Salmonella and Compylobacter,” when he explained the risks of smuggling chickens into Namibia.

According to him Angola has not proposed any facilities that meet the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) requirements for compartmentalisation, for the safe trade of poultry and poultry products.

And without viable facilities there is no basis for an agreement with Namibia to import poultry products Angola, he said.

Misika however does not attribute the illegal importation of frozen chicken from Angola to an increase of chicken prices due to restrictions Namibia put in place since the outbreak of bird flu in South Africa.

“The prices of poultry have remained stable throughout the period when restrictions were imposed; however we believe that it's just opportunistic speculation that is driving this illegal import.

And it has to do with the economic situation in Angola and not because of the restrictions of chicken from South Africa.”

Misika added that the ministry is still discouraging the public from engaging in the illegal trade of poultry and poultry products, in the interest of their own health and safety, and that of the animals.

In addition the ministry encourages bona fide traders from Angola to approach the veterinary authorities of Angola to legitimise their operations.

Meanwhile, in South Africa another poultry producer has confirmed an outbreak of H5N8 at a breeding farm in Standerton, Mpumalanga.

The agricultural department in South Africa has already confirmed 10 outbreaks of the disease, with four on commercial chicken farms. The outbreaks are all in Mpumalanga and Gauteng.



ELLANIE SMIT

Chinese human slaughter hogwash

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Chinese human slaughter hogwash The abuse of social media platforms in Namibia has come under the spotlight again with photos and voice clips being circulated alleging Chinese nationals have slaughtered a person and packaged the meat.

The material is being circulated on Facebook and on WhatsApp groups claiming that it happened in Namibia. The sound clip warns the Namibian public to be careful and keep a watchful eye on their children as four Chinese nationals were arrested for human slaughter.

According to the clip, the four Chinese were caught slaughtering humans in a container.

He warns that people have to be very careful as other suspects are still at large and their whereabouts unknown.

The recording urges people to send it on to warn people, adding it is not known whether children or adults are being targeted.

“Be very careful especially with children walking alone from school,” he says.

The photos, circulated with the voice clip, show several Chinese who have been arrested by authorities, some who are dressed in black uniforms, and in one photo there is a dead body on the ground.

The uniforms in the photos are not those of Namibian law enforcement.

Police spokesperson Edwin Kanguatjivi assured the public that there is absolutely no truth in the materials circulated and that this did not happen in Namibia.

Kanguatjivi further confirmed that the photos originate from an incident in Angola when five Chinese nationals robbed and killed another Chinese to steal his money.

“The body was exhumed and there was no cannibalism, he was robbed and murdered. People should desist from spreading false information.”

He issued a stern warning to Namibians saying the abuse of social media can be very dangerous.

“Social media can be a very helpful tool to distribute information, but with the abuse of social media and misleading information being spread, people do not know what to trust anymore.”

Kanguatjivi added that this type of material on social media can result in the public becoming angry and frustrated towards Chinese nationals.

It could lead to xenophobic violence. “What if someone comes across a Chinese national and attacks him?”

The proposed Electronic Transactions and Cybercrime Bill, when enacted, will criminalise malicious communications, especially where the intention of the perpetrator is to harm or injure the dignity of another person or group of persons.

ELLANIE SMIT

Namibia scores zero on breastfeeding

August 3, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Namibia scores zero on breastfeedingNo health facility meets global standards Namibia has performed dismally on an international scorecard for the recommended standards for breastfeeding. Health facilities in Namibia do not fully meet recommended standards for breastfeeding as stipulated by Unicef and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and has therefore scored a zero in the latest global scorecard.

This means not one of the country's hospitals or maternity facilities are baby-friendly or adhere to global breastfeeding principles.

The Global Breastfeeding Scorecard was released at the start of World Breastfeeding Week alongside a new analysis demonstrating that an annual investment of only N$62 per newborn is required to increase the global rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months to 50% by 2025.

The health ministry spokesperson Libita Manga this week confirmed that Namibia last undertook a mother-baby friendly evaluation 20 years ago in 1995.

“During the introduction of the baby friendly initiative, aggressive strategies were undertaken that saw most of state maternity facilities awarded the Mother-Baby Friendly initiative award,” she said.

She added the 10 steps of breastfeeding are still not adhered to despite the ministry's rigorous breastfeeding campaign.

According to WHO medical officer for child and adolescent health in Namibia, Dr Mary Nana Ama Brantuo, baby-friendly hospitals are subjected to a process which establishes whether it adheres to the 10 breastfeeding steps.

These steps look at whether babies are put on their mother's breast when they are born, whether they sleep with their mothers, if the hospital has a written policy which promotes breastfeeding, whether the health workers have been trained and oriented.

Mothers should also be encouraged to room with their babies which means they must be given time to bond and to breastfeed on demand.

These hospitals must also encourage mothers not to use artificial teats or pacifiers and should foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them upon discharge from the hospital or clinic.

Brantuo, pointed out that civil society can play an important role to advocate and promote breastfeeding and the importance of baby-friendly hospitals.

She added that some countries form a baby-friendly hospital initiative authority to ensure their facilities are assessed regularly.

Namibia at present does not have such an initiative or committee.

“In Namibia, we do not have that… I do not think we have that. We discussed the possibility to set up something like that last year,” she said.



Breastfeeding

According to the Global Scorecard on Breastfeeding, 71% of babies born in Namibia are put on the breast within one hour of birth.

It further states that only 49% of babies born in Namibia are exclusively breastfed for the first five months.

It also states that 64% continue to breastfeed until they are one year old while only 21% still breastfeed until they are two years old.

Namibia's exclusive breastfeeding rates were last measured in 2013.

Global picture

Meanwhile, no country in the world fully meets recommended standards for breastfeeding, according to the report.

A joint Unicef and WHO press release issued on Monday stated that it was found that of the 194 countries evaluated only 40% of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively and only 23 countries have exclusive breastfeeding rates above 60%.



JEMIMA BEUKES