Student's spending spree after flawed N$14m payout

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

Student's spending spree after flawed N$14m payout A Walter Sisulu University student who accidentally received a R14-million payment on her student debit card will be liable after allegedly spending more than R400 000.

University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo told TimesLIVE on Wednesday that a female student in the Eastern Cape had received the payment about five months ago.

“People started complaining after she started living a very lavish lifestyle‚“ Tukwayo said.

“Some students picked this up from the very lavish lifestyle she started living. We will also be looking into how this money was spent to buy some of the expensive goods‚“ Tukwayo said.

“We don't know how this happened … but she will be held liable to pay back the money she had spent‚“ she said.

Students on financial aid receive money for books and food.

“It was very callous and she did not report the matter immediately. She will definitely be held responsible‚“ she said.

Tukwayo said the university was meeting with the CEO of the company who administered the student debit cards - called Intellicard - and that the university's forensic team would also look into the matter.

Tukwayo added: “It was not a National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) mistake. It was an Intellicard mistake and we are not sure how that happened.”

An Intellicard is a financial card used by students who are financed by NSFAS.

TIMESLIVE

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Shot of the day

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Shot of the day

STUNNING: A picture taken on 22 August 2017 shows the sunset in the harbour of Saint-Malo, north-western France. Photo: NAMPA/AFP

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Ancestors must be turning in their graves

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ancestors must be turning in their graves For many years now the Ovaherero community have been embroiled in a bitter and sometimes nasty squabbling with regard to the annual commemoration of the Red Flag. Popularly known as Otjiserandu, the event is a gathering of the Herero people to remember and honour their departed chiefs. This year was no different as rival groups supporting Ovaherero paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro and OtjikaTjamuaha Royal House under the leadership of Chief Tjinaani Maharero squared off in a show signifying there is still no love lost between the two adversaries. The two factions disagree over where the commemoration should take place: plot number 1755 belonging to the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) or plot number 1756 leased to the Red Flag Regiment by the Okahandja municipality. In fact the OTA had applied in 2010 to buy the plot for almost N$300 000 to build its headquarters, but the Maharero Royal House objected to the sale, leading to a drawn-out battle, which also implicated urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa. In their objections, the Maharero Royal House, which is recognised by government, has argued that the site of the holy fire is important to all Ovaherero, and should not be sold to one clan. The infighting among the Ovaherero has reached boiling point and something needs to be done to avoid further escalation. Their peace-loving subjects are pretty much tired of disagreements and are praying for the fierce rivalry to end and for the feuding chiefs to smoke the peace pipe and reunite in the best interests of their community. This unnecessary conflict has created so much distress among the Ovaherero and it is regretful that the elders are the ones fuelling division and not leading by example. We can no longer allow anarchy and chaos to reign while the authorities watch on with folded arms. If government really cherishes the enormous role chiefs play in the development agenda of the country, then our leaders ought to intervene and find a lasting solution to this highly explosive standoff.

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SSC members urged to claim benefits

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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SSC members urged to claim benefits

The Social Security Commission (SSC) said unclaimed benefits become a liability because such funds do not return to the reserves of the parastatal for any other use - should they go unclaimed after a certain period.

Around 1 000 people have yet to claim their employment compensation while 260 have failed to claim maternity, sick and death fund benefits from the SSC.

The commission said in case of unclaimed death benefits, descendants can contact the SSC's finance department in Windhoek to arrange for the processing of such claims.

The reasons for the unclaimed benefits are usually due to incorrect banking details or banking accounts, wrong postal addresses and other contact details, failure to claim, no-one putting in a claim, and disputes amongst family members as to who the rightful beneficiaries are.

The SSC at least once a year publishes unclaimed monies in the Government Gazette. These are also placed on all notice boards at all SSC's branches and satellite offices, as well as notice boards of key stakeholders.

It intends to commence with a “call out” on NBC's language programmes in September to all listed claimants or beneficiaries to collect their money, said SSC's manager of communication and marketing, Unomengi Kauapirura.

CATHERINE SASMAN

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TB treatment makes a difference

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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TB treatment makes a differenceDOT makes medicine-taking simpler The directly observed treatment programme is improving the lives of TB patients, especially in northern Namibia.

Good primary healthcare is critical, but due to limited resources, retrieving treatment for diseases like tuberculosis has been an ongoing challenge for those suffering from the sickness.

With the help of directly observed treatment (DOT) points, this has eased the struggle and patients under TB treatment have made recoveries.

Namibian Sun visited the country's first DOT point at Oshikango, on the border of Namibia and Angola.

These centres have rung in change and one of the healthcare workers explained that Angolan citizens are also helped.

“Since we are so close to the border, we also have Angolan citizens coming in here to receive treatment. We cannot send them away.”

The TB-DOT health centres in Namibia are funded by the American government through their President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) programme and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Dutch KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, along with the health ministry are responsible for the implementation of the programme.

“Current data shows a downward trend in TB cases and an upward trend in TB-treatment success rates. That is good news, but it is critical to continue to provide comprehensive TB and HIV services in Namibia,” said US Ambassador Thomas Daughton at the Challenge TB Milestone event held earlier this year.

TB is a common airborne disease that affects all that are exposed to the bacteria.

In Namibia, TB and HIV co-infections are common and the diagnosis of one often leads to the other.

According to the health workers at the DOT centre in Oshikango, if a patient comes in with TB-like symptoms and they are tested positive for the disease, he or she is also advised to be tested for HIV.

Residents have applauded the US government for bringing the two services together under one roof.

In addition, a load has been lifted from the hospitals around the district as nurses and doctors now deal with fewer patients.

The DOT stations were set up to monitor the progress of patients under treatment as they are required to be under constant supervision.

“The patients receive their treatment daily at the DOT points, so we try our best to make sure we follow up with all our patients,” added another health worker.

Gottlieb (not his real name) has been on treatment for six months after he tested positive for TB at Engela District Hospital.

“I started my treatment there, but due to the distance, I stopped. I was supposed to finish my treatment, but I defaulted and the treatment stopped working,” says the 31-year-old farmworker at a village close to the border.

“When I used to go for treatment in Engela, I would have to use transport money and I am just a farmworker so I do not make a lot. This centre has really helped me,” he explained.

The second DOT centre Namibian Sun visited is in Tsumeb's Kuvukiland informal settlement.

Reaching out to the poor

Before the establishment of the DOT centres, these patients also had to walk long distances to get to the hospital.

According to Sylvia Haoses, the Tsumeb district TB and leprosy coordinator, many patients forfeited their treatment, in turn causing an increase in the spread of the disease.

“After the implementation of these centres, I can say I have seen a decrease in defaulted cases,” she said.

What started off as a dumping site with no water or electricity, the DOT in Kuvukiland has helped improve the lives of many including that of Hendrich Khaibab.

After he was diagnosed with TB last year, he started with his treatment every morning at the centre.

“I do not struggle at all to get here as it is close to where I live,” said the 46-year-old.

Haoses continued saying the number of patients with TB who had defaulted on their medication in Kuvukiland has been radically reduced from 21.5% to 7.6%.

“I can say with pride that the DOT centres contributed to this decline as more than 6 000 people stay here. We also have other informal settlements that come here and make use of our services.”

The clinic is operational from 07:00 to 16:00 so patients like Khaibab who start work at 08:00 are granted the opportunity to take their medicine.

Informal settlements are often overcrowded and poor sanitation is a nationwide problem.

Haoses said that this is a contributing factor to the high rate of TB in Kuvukiland.

“The shacks do not even have any windows so that worsens it.”

To date, 45 DOT points have been set up in eight regions.

From 2005 to 2015, they have been able to successfully treat 80% of the TB/HIV co-infected patients.

With plans of expanding these centres, a target of 100% of Namibians co-infected with HIV and TB will have access to these services by 2019.

TUNOHOLE MUNGOBA

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Six die in car crashes in Ohangwena

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Six die in car crashes in Ohangwena

Four people were killed in a road accident near Ohamatundu village on the Epembe-Oushake gravel road in the Ohangwena Region on Monday.

Confirming the accident on Tuesday, Sergeant Abner Kaume Iitumba said the accident took place at about 17:30.

According to Iitumba, the driver of a bakkie, in which the deceased persons and others were travelling, lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. Eleven other occupants of the vehicle sustained serious injuries and were admitted to the Eenhana District Hospital. Iitumba named the deceased persons as Martha Nghinandjovo, 45, from Oshishogolo village, Felix Nghoshi, 62, from Okalupalona village, Shipalanga Shapopi (age unknown), also from Okalupalona village, and seven-month-old Teofelus Hamatundu Matias.

The next of kin of the deceased persons have been informed of their death.

In another accident, a police officer and his driver died instantly on Tuesday at about 10:00 when their Toyota bakkie collided head-on with another Toyota bakkie on the Eenhana-Onandjokwe road.

Four occupants of the second vehicle sustained injuries and were rushed to the Eenhana District Hospital.

Iitumba said the accident happened near Omahenge village. The names of the deceased persons could not be released as their next of kin had not been informed of their death.

NAMPA

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LPM gathers at Mariental

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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LPM gathers at Mariental

Approximately 300 people attended the Landless People's Movement (LPM) meeting held at Mariental on Sunday.

Speaking in the absence of former parliamentarian turned land activist Bernadus Swartbooi, who could not attend due to personal issues, LPM working group committee member Meliza Minnaar said people should “unite in the name of ancestral land”.

“Every time we are turned away when we apply for land or urban land, only to see high-profile people being given land for next to nothing. Instead, we are forced to grab land and sit on it without sanitation and basic services,” Minnaar said.

She said she thought resettlement was for the poor, but instead people from other regions are resettled in the south, while those from the south who suffered at the hands of colonial forces are left out in the cold.

Minnaar said it is time people vote for “the right people” and stop voting for Swapo.

“I, Meliza Minnaar, in my personal capacity today say the Nama and Damara people should stop voting for Swapo. A lot of promises were made and still, after 27 years, we are living in poverty,” she fumed.

Henny Seibeb, an activist and member of the working group of the movement, said they want to ensure restorative justice for landless Namibians by reclaiming ancestral land and correcting the historical injustices of the past.

“Our objective is to advocate for fair and just land reform,” Seibeb said.

He said after 27 years of independence, promises of fair land distribution and serviced urban land had not been fulfilled.

He said the LPM will hold its own Landless People Conference in September to compile its own manifesto which they intend to hand over to the United Nations to prove to them that the Nama, Ovaherero and Damara people lost ancestral land.

The LPM conference is scheduled for 7 and 8 September.

NAMPA

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Ruacana shortcut to benefit the north

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Ruacana shortcut to benefit the north

NamPower is constructing a direct transmission line from the Ruacana hydropower station into the northern regions.

Despite the regions' proximity to the hydropower station, they are currently getting power through Omaruru and Tsumeb.

To shorten the transmission line, a new substation is planned south of Ruacana.

A 400kV power line will be built from the new Kunene substation to the existing Omatando substation to substantially increase the power supply capacity to Oshakati, Ondangwa and surrounding areas.

This line will form part of a bigger future project to create a 400kV northern ring. This will ensure redundant power supply to the northern regions and will cater for the integration of the future Baynes hydropower station.

Nampower managing director Kahenge Simson Haulofu outlined these plans during an information session at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair on Tuesday.

Haulofu said Nampower had embarked on an N$800 million project that included construction of the Kunene substation, refurbishment of the Omatando substation and the 190km transmission line between the two substations.

Nampower has contracted a Tsumeb-based company, Powerline 2000, to build the power line.

Haulofu said the Omatando substation would become the main substation supplying power to the north.

“This is a direct feed link to the regions, avoiding the longer routes that sometimes experience many interruptions that leave the regions without power although they are close to the Ruacana hydropower station. The current link supplies them from Ruacana to Omaruru and then Tsumeb. If anything happens on that line there is no power in the north and that is what we don't want anymore,” Haulofu explained.

ILENI NANDJATO

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NHE boss sniffs at PPP model

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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NHE boss sniffs at PPP modelPrivately built homes too costly The CEO of the National Housing Enterprise has criticised the public-private partnerships employed by town councils to speed up housing delivery.

National Housing Enterprise (NHE) chief executive officer Gisbertus Mukulu says as long as private developers service land and build houses, property prices will remain high.

Talking to Namibian Sun at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair, Mukulu said developers would only be able to build affordable houses if councils gave them serviced land to build on.

Mukulu was responding to a question as to whether public-private partnership (PPP) agreements between local authorities and developers are a good solution for low-cost housing.

“I do not think that after a developer has serviced the land and constructed the houses, the house will be affordable and people will buy,” Mukulu said.

Of late, local authorities have been entering into multimillion-dollar partnerships with developers to build houses for low- and middle-income earners.

Mukulu, who heads the parastatal tasked with housing, says councils may fail to reap the anticipated results.

He bases this argument on the number of houses that remain unoccupied long after they have been completed in a country with a housing backlog of over 100 000 units.

Urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa on several occasions has expressed concern about the issue of unoccupied houses despite the high demand for housing.

In a presentation at a briefing session, Mukulu said the NHE had a waiting list of about 86 103 people wanting homes.

He said the housing development in the four O-regions so far stood at 1 799 units, of which 1 425 were NHE project houses, 333 fell under the Mass Housing Programme and 37 were under the NHE rented housing scheme.

Mukulu further said that the NHE currently owned 416 serviced plots and 2 981 unserviced plots countrywide. It had been offered 837 serviced plots by local authorities.

He said the most pressing constraint for the state-owned enterprise was the unavailability of serviced land.

Other challenges included the exorbitant land prices charged by local authorities, limited financial resources and the lengthy land delivery process, which he said were hampering the NHE's efforts to build affordable houses.

Some of the people at the meeting raised concern about the need to update the NHE waiting list.

NHE northern branch manager Donald Tjikune responded that the waiting list was only updated when the NHE had a project in a particular area.

Tjikune said it would be a costly exercise to seek new information from everyone on the waiting list.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Traditional group opposes donkey abattoir

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Traditional group opposes donkey abattoir

The Donkib Ge cultural group, organisers of the annual donkey meat festival, have asked the government to reconsider a proposal by a Chinese interest group to establish a donkey abattoir in Namibia.

The cultural group, through its project manager Abner Xoagub, said Namibia does not have enough donkeys to justify an abattoir.

“Namibia's donkey population is around 200 000 and a formal national count needs to be done. The fact is that we do not have any legal framework protecting or facilitating registration and protection of donkeys in Namibia,” said Xoagub.

It would be risky and counterproductive for the agricultural sector to allow such an abattoir or mass harvesting of donkeys, he said.

The group also argued that China's donkey population had plummeted because no precautions were taken.

“The problem is that China's donkey population has plummeted since 1990, from 11 million to around 6 million, largely because of intensive farming to cater for meat and skin products,” said Xoagub.

He also said that no studies had been conducted to support the viability of a donkey abattoir.

“No feasibility or sustainability studies have been conducted to assess the long-term viability of the commercial farming of a new species of domesticated livestock donkey,” said Xoagub.

According to him, there has been no evidence that donkeys could be farmed commercially and successfully in the Southern African region.

“Donkeys have never been farmed for any by-product in Southern Africa. It's a massive step, taking a new domesticated species for commercial gain,” Xoagub said.

Several issues have been raised about the application by Fu Hai Trading, including the quality and authenticity of its business plan and accusations that the process has been shrouded in secrecy.

According to sources, the business plan was created using a “five-minute business plan app” and was titled 'Meat Export Business Plan'.

In it, the company stated that it aimed to export donkey meat to Vietnam and eventually “the whole of Asia” within two years of starting operations.

The content relied heavily on the template text provided by the app, and contained no details of company registration, local business partners, an address or any other contact details.

Despite the plan's questionable standard, the Outjo municipality agreed in principle to sell the land to the company. It publicly notified residents of its intention to sell the land last month, and invited interested parties to lodge objections.

Last Friday the Outjo Community Committee handed over a letter listing a number of concerns and objections, as well as a petition that has garnered close to 1 600 signatures.

A legal expert who inspected the business plan said the document contained several flaws and lacked basic and critical details, including business registration information, an address or contact details for Fu Hai Trading.

OGONE TLHAGE

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No more foreign nurses for Nam

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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No more foreign nurses for Nam

Namibia will no longer take in foreign nurses, as it is reserving vacancies for its first batch of student nurses expected to graduate at the end of this month.

The health ministry announced late yesterday afternoon that it was suspending the appointment of non-Namibian nurses. The retention-of-service contracts of nurses over the age of 60 would not be extended either.

According to health permanent secretary Andreas Mwoombola, no contracts expiring after 1 September will be renewed until all graduates are accommodated.

The contracts of medical officers will now only be extended for two years instead of four years.

“It is important to note that these measures will not affect specialised healthcare in certain domains, such as advanced maternal and neonatal care, and non-Namibians appointed under bilateral country agreements will not be affected by this decision,” said Mwoombola.

According to health public relations officer Libita Manga, 714 foreign health professionals are currently employed by the ministry.

Among them are 314 registered nurses.

She could not immediately indicate how many of these nurses will be affected by this new turn of events.

This comes hot on the heels of an uproar over the government's decision to retain foreign engineers and architects despite high unemployment among the country's own professionals.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Three children die in shack fires

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Three children die in shack fires

Three children died on Tuesday while another was seriously injured in separate shack fires.

In the Oshikoto Region at Onakankunz East, Omuthiya constituency, two children, identified as three-year-old Martha Itana and Gideon Itana, 19 months, burned to death after the hut they were in caught fire.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at about 10:00.

It is alleged that the victims were left in the house with their 18-year-old nephew while their grandmother went to the shops.

According to the police, the nephew heard children screaming and saw that the hut was engulfed in flames.

He tried to rescue the children but was unable to help them. The cause of the fire is unknown.

In Windhoek's Havana informal settlement, a 10-year-old boy identified only as Ndapandula burned to death when a shack caught fire on Tuesday at around 11:00. A five-year-old girl sustained serious burns.

It is alleged that the victim's mother was not at home at the time. According to the police it is believed that the cause of the fire might have been gas.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Dausab fires lawyer

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Dausab fires lawyerClaims he did not represent him well Convicted murderer Andre Dausab has to find a new lawyer to represent him when he is sentenced.

Murder convict Andre Dausab has fired his state-sponsored lawyer just two months after he was found guilty of killing his student pastor girlfriend in Windhoek in February 2014.

The High Court yesterday accepted an application by the defence counsel to withdraw from the case after Dausab claimed that Brownell /Uirab had not represented him honestly and to the best of his ability.

/Uirab submitted that Dausab questioned his allegiance when he went to see him in custody for consultations to prepare for arguments in mitigation of sentence.

Dausab reportedly remarked that his lawyer was working for the government's Directorate of Legal Aid and receives his salary from the government.

Dausab also claimed /Uirab failed to properly challenge some crucial evidence presented by the prosecution during his trial.

Dausab was on 25 July found guilty of murder with direct intent to kill Motlamme Gotaone.

/Uirab told Judge Naomi Shivute that he was accused of hiding certain facts with the sole purpose of ensuring Dausab's conviction.

“I regard this as serious and it makes it impossible for me to act further in the defence of the accused,” he said.

Dausab, when asked whether he understood the implications of what was alleged by his lawyer, told the court that he was confused by what was happening but maintained that he wanted someone who could represent him on his instruction.

Dausab murdered Gotaone after she had decided to end their romantic relationship.

She was a trainee pastor at the Paulinum Theological College and died on 22 February 2014 after Dausab stabbed her 14 times with three knives.

Agakganatso Mommaesa, who works as a computer system analyst for the Botswana government, and who was the elder sister of the victim, told the court that she knew Dausab had a relationship with her sister. She added her sister had told her that she had ended the relationship.

“The deceased's younger daughter is still suffering from trauma and would sometimes ask, 'when shall I see my mother again' and this is even though she was told of her death and was even shown the coffin at that time,” Mommaesa testified.

“The crime shocked me. There was a time in the past that the deceased and accused had problems and that he would simply talk to me about it. For him to have decided to do what he did left us broken hearted,” she said.

Judge Shivute postponed the case to 6 November for Dausab to obtain a lawyer.

FRED GOEIEMAN

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Namfisa was hacked

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Namfisa was hackedBoard accused of covering up shenanigans It is alleged that neither the Namfisa board nor the forensic investigating team thought it prudent to properly investigate security breaches at the regulator.

The erstwhile board of the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) is accused of having been involved in a “concerted effort and powerful drive” to protect “certain corrupt individuals” and practices during its tenure in 2009.

This accusation is made in an affidavit by the Public Accountants' and Auditors' Board (PAAB) in its court challenge against chartered accountant Hans Hashagen.

The Namfisa board was then under the chairpersonship of Rick Kukuri. Other board members were Baronice Hans (deputy chairperson, who resigned from the board in April 2009), Iipumbu Shiimi (current governor of the Bank of Namibia), Tia Chata and Titus Iipumbu.

In February 2009 the board allegedly instructed the termination of the services of a forensic investigator. It is also accused of having “purposefully” discarded crucial evidence gathered by the investigator.

This evidence included security system files that had been purposely deleted.

At the time, the IT service provider to Namfisa was a company called SALT, of which the board chairperson was Tega Shiimi ya Shiimi.

Ya Shiimi at the time was also the managing director of Sanlam Investment Manager (SIM), as well as a director at Sanlam.

Both Sanlam and SIM are regulated by Namfisa, which is the watchdog of the non-banking financial sector.

Important to note is that SIM at the time facilitated the bulk of the transactions on behalf of the Government Institutions Pension Fund's (GIPF) Development Capital Portfolio (DCP) investment loans that saw the GIPF losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

These transactions at the time were being investigated by Namfisa under the leadership of its former CEO, Rainer Ritter.

It is alleged that on 27 October 2008 an employee of SALT, Chris Baisako, had sent an email to Namfisa's IT manager, Petrus Kafidi. The email contained screenshots of emails received and sent by Namfisa managers and senior employees.

These senior managers and line managers were Ritter, Lily Brandt (general manager of finance and administration), Ebben Kalondo (communications manager), John Uusiku (former manager of the pensions fund department) and Adrianus Vugs (manager: risk and policy).

Ernst & Young and Hashagen's forensic report into alleged misconduct at Namfisa stated that Brandt and Kafidi were asked to look into these emails.

EY's conclusion on the matter was that the screenshots allegedly found on Kafidi's computer could be explained by Brandt and Kafidi and that it seemed to have been “within the ambit” of Kafidi's duties.

The EY report did not mention the service and confidentiality agreement between Namfisa and SALT, and no information was sought from Baisako on why he had accessed emails of the regulatory body.

Also questioned is how the EY report could conclude that “snooping” into senior managers' email correspondence could be regarded as within the ambit of the IT manager's duties.

Furthermore, SALT's interest in the internal email correspondence between the senior Namfisa staff remained unanswered.

Neither was it explained what authority Brand had to allow SALT to intercept, copy or distribute internal emails of senior staff, since she was not concerned with regulatory investigations.

The EY investigating team is said to have had all the information pertaining to this, and other, matters, yet it allegedly failed to properly report or investigate these, the result of which was Ritter's eventual exit from Namfisa.

BACKGROUND

Prior to the EY forensic investigation, Ritter had given two reports to the Namfisa board that pertained to security issues experienced on the Namfisa premises during 24 hours in November 2008.

These reports alleged that between 15:30 on 12 November 2008 and 08:00 on 13 November 2008 the Namfisa forensic IT server was hacked and data relating to two investigations the regulator was conducting was likely removed.

The reports said it was likely that other files had also been removed because a removable device containing critical data was destroyed.

It stated that five databases were probably copied from the server and access privileges had been changed on the rest of the system.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

The report to the Namfisa board stated that on 12 November 2008 at around 15:30 the network became “completely inoperable” on a large section of the first floor and the forensics room at Namfisa's premises in the Sanlam building.

At the time Kafidi allegedly could not be reached by telephone.

At about 08:00 on 14 November 2008 it was discovered that the server software was inoperable and the hacking was revealed.

It was then recommended that Namfisa should get higher-level physical and logistical security and more secure locking systems for the forensic room.

Already by July 2008 it had been observed that the Namfisa network and computing system could have been accessed from outside with minimal effort. In short, the Namfisa network was found to have been insecure and open to the world.

A report in December 2008 said SALT, an external organisation, was managing an email server and that all emails were compromised and harvested for at least seven months.

It is alleged that SALT at some point had removed all security barriers between Namfisa and SALT, which effectively exposed Namfisa to other SALT clients and the entire world.

At the time, a high level of outward data traffic from personal computers was observed via data mining software “planted” on the computers while the network was compromised.

CATHERINE SASMAN

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Final time change on Sunday

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Final time change on Sunday

Winter time will officially be a thing of the past on Sunday morning when Namibians turn their clocks forward for the last time.

The National Council recently passed the Namibian Time Bill, abolishing the annual five months of winter time.

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology yesterday reminded the public to turn their clocks forward one hour on Sunday at 02:00.

This is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2) and also in line with South Africa and other countries in the region.

The Namibian Time Bill 2017 was tabled by the minister of home affairs and immigration, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, in the National Assembly on 22 February.

The bill repealed the Namibian Time Act of 1994, which had established the one-hour difference between summer time and winter time.

The National Assembly referred the bill to a subcommittee for further scrutiny and public consultation.

During public consultation, the Namibian Employers' Federation said workers at about 80% of the companies it had engaged were in favour of returning to GMT+2 hours all year round.

The safety of schoolchildren, especially in rural areas, was also a major consideration.

ELLANIE SMIT

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Trapped driver freed from twisted wreck

August 30, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Trapped driver freed from twisted wreck

A bakkie driver sustained serious injuries but escaped with his life after crashing into a bus in Walvis Bay.

Firefighters and emergency services personnel struggled for approximately half an hour to free the driver - who was alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash - from the twisted wreck of his Nissan NP200 bakkie.

Medical personnel stabilised him in the vehicle while firefighters used the Jaws of Life to cut through the wreck and a hydraulic jack to free him.

The accident occurred near the entrance to Walvis Bay on the B2 route. The bakkie was travelling from Swakopmund and the bus from Walvis Bay.

The bus driver was uninjured. He was the sole occupant after having dropped off passengers in the harbour town.

According to Johan Kotze from Cars and Guides for Hire, the company that owns the bus, video footage from a dashboard camera in the bus shows it was moving in its (left) lane with three vehicles approaching (right lane) from the direction of Swakopmund.

“Two vehicles passed while the third (a bakkie) entered the left lane - in which the bus was - and smashed into its right front side. The video footage also shows how the driver struggled to control the bus and tried to keep it on the road after it was hit. The bus left the road and ran over a palm tree before it came to a halt in a sand bank.”

Kotze said he was glad that no lives were lost despite considerable damage to the bakkie, which is a write-off, and the brand new bus valued at N$3.5 million.

OTIS FINCK

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Joker’s killer gets 24 years

August 31, 2017, 3:17 am

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Joker’s killer gets 24 years

The Windhoek High Court today sentenced Rodney Shaningua to 24 years behind bars for the murder of Marco Kristian Uolevi Rönni. Shanigua was recently found guilty with direct intent relating to the killing of Rönni during the night of 8 to 9 August outside Joker's Bar in Bell Street in Windhoek. High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg delivered the judgement this morning.

STAFF REPORTER

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Petrol price hike

August 31, 2017, 9:10 am

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Petrol price hike

The mines and energy ministry has announced that fuel prices will increase on 6 September with a 30c increase per litre in all 95 unleaded petrol and all grades of diesel. In a statement issued moments ago the ministry said that the results of the latest fuel price review indicate that the average ‘free on board’ prices per barrel increased by about US$4 for ULP 95 and US$3 for both diesel grades. Barrel prices for refined oil traded at an average of US$65.696 for ULP95, US$ 62.603 and US$ 62.722 for Diesel 500ppm and Diesel 50ppm respectively. Calculations for the past month recorded under-recoveries on all the price-regulated petroleum products. The under-recoveries recorded are sufficient enough to trigger an increase in local pump prices.
Furthermore, although the average exchange rate remained stable at about N$13.2395 per US dollar over the period reviewed, the prices of fuel products were affected by an increase in barrel prices.
The under-recoveries ran into 47c for 95 octane unleaded petrol, 48c for diesel (500ppm) and 44c for diesel 50ppm.
STAFF REPORTER

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Land conference postponed again

August 31, 2017, 9:29 am

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Land conference postponed again

The government has postponed the second national land conference, which was due to take place this month.
The presidency cited a number of concerns by stakeholders such as civil society and the Swapo Party Youth League, which wanted more time for consultation.
This is the second time that the authorities are postponing the land conference, which was initially set for 2016.

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Netball pent series on the cards

August 31, 2017, 4:00 pm

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Netball pent series on the cards

Netball Namibia will host the first senior international netball tournament pent (five nations) series from 6 to 10 September.

These games are sanctioned by the International Federation of Netball and will count as ranking games for the participating countries.

Matches will be played at the Israel Patrick Iyambo Police College in Windhoek. The invited countries are Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Botswana.

Rebekka Goagoses from Netball Namibia says Namibia recently regained their international ranking and are now ranked 37th in the world.

“This tournament was initiated with the objective of improving Namibia's ranking, gaining exposure and experience, and was made possible by a generous sponsorship from DebMarine Namibia.”

The sponsorship makes it possible for Netball Namibia to pay for the accommodation of the visiting teams.

“Our aim is to host this tournament for the next three years in Namibia, with the aim of being ranked 25th in the world and third in Africa, provided we can participate in other International tournaments continuously,” she said.

Squad for the tournament:

Glynetthe Kazonganga, Emmy Kutako, Cherlyn Muesee, Diana Tjejamba, Anna Kaspar, Dorkas Tjipetekera, Vendjihonga Katjaimo, Zaja Tjiroze, Anna Shipanga, Uehengisa Tjozongoro, Uzuvira Uatjiua, Rosemary Kotjipati. The technical team consists of Manuelle Tjivera (head coach), Morne Pienaar (positional coach) and Jatjinda Toetsie Tjihero (assistant coach).

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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