Aanaskola yaadhika koombepo dhaashiwike

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Aanaskola yaadhika koombepo dhaashiwikeOnkalo ndjoka ohayi tameke aluhe pethimbo lyomakonaakono Yimwe yomooskola moshitopolwa shaHangwena, oya tumu aanona komagumbo mOmaandaha, sho aanona yamwe po ya tameke taya ulike omadhidhiliko gomaihumbato taga limbilike na otaga tilitha. Omalimbililo oga holoka poskola yedhina Shikeva Combined School moshikandjo sha Ongha mOhangwena ongula yOmaandaha, pethimbo aanaskola yali yiipyakidhila nomakonaakono gawo gopehulilo lyomumvo, sho aanaskola ya tameke taya iidhengepo taku fekelwa kutya oya kwatwa komukithi gwo ' mass hysteria'.

Pethimbo lyowaandaha, aanaskola ya thika po-21 yomondondo onti-1 sigo 9 oya tameke taya galangata mevi taya kugu.

Pahapu dhonzo yimwe poskola ndjoka, aanona mboka ya kwatwa konkalo ndjoka oomboka aanamagano na ohaya ilongo nawa.

“Mboka ya kwatwa komaihumbaato ngoka aanona mboka haya piti aatango nenge aatiyali, itashi ti kutya otaya iningitha molwaashoka oya tila andola ekonaakono. Aanona aayehe ohaya kugu oshinima sha faathana, taya popi kutya 'edhina lyandje ongame [edhina lyomukunda gwawo] na itandi zimo molutu lwoye. Otashi tilitha sho aanona ayehe o 21 taya tumbula owala edhina lyomuntu gumwe,” onzo ndjoka ya popi.

Onkalo yaanona yoskola taya holola omadhidhiliko gomaihumbato ngoka taga tilitha oya tameke petameko lyooskola nuumvo, nomaihumbato goludhi ndoka ga thika po-20 oga dhidhilikwa.

Pahapu dhomukuluntuskola, Abner Haiduwa, nale aanona owala yaali oyo yali haya kala nomadhidhiliko ngoka, ihe ngashiingeyi omwaalu ogwa londa pombanda. Aavali yaanona mboka oya limbililwa noonkondo na oyiinekela kutya onkalo ndjoka otayi etithwa kuulodhi.

“Otwa laleke aanona mboka aashona ya shune komagumbo tango molwaashoka oyali ya tila noonkondo na otaya lili, nokonima otwa ithana aavali yaanona mboka ya kwatwa komaihumbato ngoka.”

Haiduwa okwa popi kutya ootundi odha kalekwa na otashi tsikile owala esiku tali landula.

“Iinima mbyoka oyoshili na otayi gumu eyokomeho lyoskola. Otwa tseyithila uuministeli ihe inawu thika po mpaka, oye tu lombwele owala tu tume aanona komagumbo. Otwa tila molwaashoka katu shi kutya natu ninge ngiini,” omukuluntuskola a tsikile.

Aanona yomondondo onti-10 oya tsikile nomakonaakono gawo nonando omukuluntuskola okwa limbililwa kutya iizemo yawo otayi ka gumwa kwaashoka sha holoka po.

Sho omukomeho gwelongo mOhangwena, Isak Hamatwi a ningilwa omapulaapulo koshifokundaneki shoNamibian Sun, okwa popi kutya onkalo ndjoka kayi shi yotango tayi holoka moskola ndjoka, na kaye shi kutya otaya ningi ngiini.

Okwa popi kutya kape na epango lyomaihumbato ngoka, na ohaya ithana owala aavali yiileko aanona yawo koskola.

JUNE SHIMUOSHILI

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Nandi-Ndaitwah okwa pyakudhukwa okulela

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Nandi-Ndaitwah okwa pyakudhukwa okulela Omupeha prima, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah okwa popi kutya ye okwa pyakudhukwa okutsikila ta longo pamwe nomupresidende Hage Geingob, poonkatu dhongundu.

Nandi-Ndaitwah okwa hogololwa kuGeingob opo a kale okandindate komahogololo guupeha presidende, pethimbo lyomutumba gwomahogololo gongundu yoSwapo, ngoka tagu ningwa momwedhi twa taalela.“Oshi li esimaneko kungame. Otandi longo nale pamwe nomupresidende gwoSwapo. Onda pyakudhukwa okukala tandi longo pamwe naye. Otandi ka kwatelwa komeho komilandu dhongundu yoSwapo. Muule womimvo dha piti onda pewa iinakugwanithwa ya yooloka moshilongo poondondo dha yooloka ngaashi ekondjelomanguluko, uukalelipo woshilongo oshowo opolotika. ”

Nandi-Ndaitwah, ngoka e li woo ominista yomakwatathano gopashigwana okwa tegelelwa a ka hogololwe momutumba ngoka tagu ningwa ngula, kelelo lyongundu yoSwapo.

Mo-2012 okwa yangatapo omawi ogendji a landula Nahas Angula, opo a ninge oshilyo shelelo lyopombanda mongundu.

Geingob okwa hogolola woo ominista yeyambulepo lyoondoolopa niitopolwa, Sophia Shaningwa pompito yamushanga gwongundu, oshowo Marco Hausiku pompito yuupeha amushanga. Omahogololo ngoka okwa tegelelwa ga ningwe ngula.

Etopoko

Lyopokati mpoka, aanongononi yopolotika oya holola omaiyuvo gawo, getopoko mongundu ndjoka omolwa elelo epe ndyoka kwa tegelelwa li hogololwe.

Nico Horn okwa popi kutya omwa kala etopoko enene mongundu ndjoka, nehogololo lyaGeingob natango otali ka hwahwameka etopoko ndyoka, pethimbo ndyoka woo kehe gumwe ta kambadhala okuninga omwaananwa.

Pahapu dhaHorn, ongundu ndjoka oyi li miita yoyeyene.

Omunongononi gumwe, Ndumba Kamwanyah, okwa popi kutya ekuthombinga lyaNahas Angula, otali ka lundulula onkalo ayihe.

“Shoka tandi vulu okupopya ooshoka owala kutya Swapo keli we ngaashi a kala. Angula ina tseyika naana onga omutamaneki, naashoka otashi ulike kutya ope na okwaahatsa kumwe mongundu.” Angula okwa holola ohokwe ye okukondjitha Geingob, onga omupresiende gwongundu. Jerry Ekandjo naye okwa holola ohokwe ye. Kamwanyah okwa pula woo kutya omolwashike Gingob ina hogolola aanyasha, sha landula etseyitho ndyoka a li a ningi omasiku ga piti moNew York kutya aakokele otaya thigi po mbala elelo.



JEMIMA BEUKES

'We rely on cattle'

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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'We rely on cattle'Namibia should diversify it agri sector The CEO of Agribank Sakaria Nghikembua said that diversification will be the mainstay of the agricultural sector and reliance on livestock must end. The agricultural sector in Namibia remains largely livestock driven, giving the country a large dependency on a single agricultural activity.

It is therefore important for the livestock sector to diversify through value addition and for the country to also develop non-livestock activities.

This concern was expressed by the CEO of the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank), Sakaria Nghikembua, addressing the 63rd Livestock Parade as part of the 2017 Annual Windhoek Industrial and Agricultural Show which ended last week.

Nghikembua said between 2007 and 2016, the agriculture and forestry industry contributed an average of 4.3% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).



Livestock too important

Of this, the livestock sector contributed an average of 2.5% to the GDP, being the highest of any of the agriculture and forestry sub-sectors over this period.

Furthermore, Nghikembua said agriculture employs nearly 136 000 people accounting for 20.1% of the entire labour force.

However, the agricultural sector and by extension, the livestock sector, is faced with distinct challenges.

“Our country remains prone to climate volatility in the form of recurring droughts and floods. An additional challenge is bush encroachment, which places pressure on grazing capacity. These environmental concerns have implications on the quality of livestock produced and prices thereof,” said Nghikembua.

According to him, Namibia has as a result, seen a relatively lower percentage share of the livestock sub-sector to the GDP during the drought years of 2013, 2015 and 2016, despite the high record of livestock marketed.

Therefore, the livestock population tends to decline during drought years resulting from the need to reduce pressure on grazing land, said Nghikembua.

According to Nghikembua, the market prices for livestock have been favourable on a progressive basis.

“In effect, the average price for cattle per kg has nearly doubled in the last decade, reaching an all-time high of N$28.86/kg in 2016 compared to an average of N$16.52 per kg recorded in 2007.

“Similarly, the domestic market price for sheep increased from N$18.82/kg in 2007 to N$39.94/kg in 2016.

“It thus did not come as a surprise that the last four years saw the highest number of cattle marketed to local abattoirs in the last 10 years, averaging 346 256 head per year. This is despite the drought conditions experienced in 2013, 2015 and 2016.”



Communal disadvantage

He added that subsistence agriculture persists in communal areas, largely driven by lack of knowledge and farming skills, inadequate markets for livestock and other farming products; and lack of access to finance for agricultural production, inclusive of livestock rearing and processing.

According to Nghikembua, the northern communal areas are particularly disadvantaged in this regard, as they virtually have no access to markets for their livestock.

He added that the processing of livestock products is limited which means there is leakage of economic value in the livestock value-chain.

“We can diversify more by adding value to livestock products and focusing on non-livestock activities such as crop farming and horticulture. However, we also see opportunities for growth which require further investments in livestock farming and its downstream sector (agro-processing).

He said it is also worth noting that the South African agricultural sector registered growth of 33% during the second quarter of 2017. This is the highest quarterly GDP growth rate achieved in more than a decade. South Africa is an important export market for Namibia's livestock.

“Thus, the performance of the South African economy and its trade policy are important elements for us to monitor. The latest quarterly agricultural GDP growth of 33% in South Africa could imply sustained demand for livestock and livestock products produced in Namibia.”

Nghikembua also said it is also important for farmers, financiers and other stakeholders to consider thematic investment areas if the livestock industry growth is to be sustained. These include production and the use of breeding stock that is resilient to harsh climatic conditions; wood and charcoal production to diversify income sources to be in a better position to invest back into livestock production; fodder production, and feedlots.

Furthermore, Nghikembua advised the farmers should consider investment in sustainable rangeland management, agro-processing and export diversification from traditional markets.

He added that the no-collateral loan product, launched at the end of April this year by Agribank, has seen over N$10 million in disbursements to communal farmers so far, with the bulk of the financing going towards livestock purchases.

“We have also introduced the agro-processing loan scheme whose objective is to finance value-addition to agricultural products, including livestock product processing.”

Act causes concern

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Act causes concern The Protected Areas and Wildlife Management Bill which has been under discussion for nearly 20 years to replace the Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975 was introduced to the public this year on 8 August for comments. The environment ministry has also held meetings with selected role players in Windhoek, as well as in the regions.



The draft act makes provision for the proclaiming and management of different nature reserves and conservancies. Furthermore it also makes provision for the keeping and hunting of different game species which include specially protected species, protected species, exotic species and huntable species and birds. Further provision is made for human-wildlife conflict management as well as the trade and research in wildlife and game products.



With the introduction of the draft, farmers expressed their concern about some of the limiting factors which were included. This includes double game fencing for exotic animals, the limitation of hunting jackals and so on. Following these concerns NAPHA held a workshop on 28 September to which NAU representatives were invited.



During the workshop Dr Chris Brown of the Namibian environment chamber gave an overview of the background against which the act was written. It was clear that NAPHA has done a lot of work to address the concerns of game owners as well as farmers. The delegates of the NAU also put their concerns about certain articles in the draft act on the table. These comments of NAPHA and the NAU together with the comments of other role players will be submitted to the environment ministry for further discussions.



Following the comments of NAPHA and other institutions which were already received, it is clear that numerous articles of the draft act in its current form could cause discontent and should thus be adapted. According to a representative of the justice ministry, the draft act will still go a long way before it will be promulgated as an fully-fledged act.

Duterte loses shine

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Duterte loses shine Filipinos' satisfaction with President Rodrigo Duterte has made its steepest drop since he took office last year amid an outcry over unabated drug killings and unresolved allegations that he has unexplained wealth, an independent poll showed.

Although Duterte generally remains popular, the survey outcome immediately reignited calls by several groups for an end to the killings of mostly poor suspects under his brutal crackdown against illegal drugs and for him to sign a bank secrecy waiver to allow an investigation into allegations of undeclared wealth.

An alliance of civil society groups called Tindig Pilipinas said the steep drop in Duterte's satisfaction and trust ratings means the “honeymoon is over”.

“The huge drop in the president's rating must serve notice to him: the people expect nothing but the truth on the allegations of corruption, ill-gotten wealth, and drug smuggling facilitation levelled against him and members of his family,” the alliance said.

“Mr President, we reiterate our call: sign the bank waiver!”

The people are seeing through the hype and fake news, and are realising that change is not coming under President Duterte's watch, said left-wing representative Emmi de Jesus, citing “nonstop” drug killings, the rise in prices of commodities and the entry of a large shipment of illegal drugs through the Bureau of Customs in Manila.

There was no immediate comment from Duterte, but he has repeatedly denied that he condones extrajudicial killings of drug suspects even though he has publicly threatened drug dealers with death.

Duterte has also denied stashing undeclared funds in joint bank accounts with family members, saying he would resign if the allegations were proven.

He has refused, however, to heed a demand by opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for him to sign a waiver to allow investigators to examine the bank accounts.

NAMPA/AP

Missile test fears from N. Korea

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Missile test fears from N. KoreaCountry marks key party anniversary South Korean authorities are on full alert as their northern neighbour celebrates an important anniversary and there are fears of more missiles. South Korea said yesterday it was maintaining full military readiness following intense speculation of a possible ballistic missile test by the North as it marks a key anniversary.

Tensions over North Korea's weapons programme have soared in recent months with Pyongyang launching a flurry of missiles and conducting its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in defiance of multiple sets of UN sanctions.

North Korea often uses provocative tests to mark key historical commemorations and the country celebrated the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party yesterday.

A spokesman for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said its military was closely monitoring the movements of the North Korean army and maintaining full readiness.

Consistent movements of personnel and equipment were being detected in certain locations in the North, Yonhap news agency reported, suggesting that preparations for another weapons test might be under way.

Pyongyang conducted its fifth nuclear test on the anniversary of the founding day of North Korea last year.

It remains unclear whether North Korea is holding official celebrations for the party anniversary or if its leader Kim Jong-Un is making any public appearances for the occasion.

The North's official media touted the party's byungjin policy - which pushes for simultaneous development of nuclear weapons and the economy - and added that military power was “the guarantee for victory”.

“We must complete the construction of the national nuclear force by thoroughly upholding the party's byungjin policy,” said a front-page editorial carried by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper to mark the party anniversary.

“We must hold high the banner of the great byungjin policy to accelerate the final victory in the anti-America Armageddon,” it said.

NAMPA/AFP

Vaping illegal in Thailand

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Vaping illegal in Thailand A travel agent is urging others to tell their customers not to vape in Thailand as they could face up to 10 years in prison.

Pat Waterton, manager at Langley Travel, said she was unaware of the ban. She only learnt of the law when her nephew James was forced to pay £125 as an on-the-spot fine after being threatened with jail for having an e-cigarette in Bangkok.

Speaking to Travel Weekly Waterton said: “If I'm selling Thailand I will definitely mention it now. All agents should. Thailand is very popular so we should make sure we are telling people about things that could ruin a holiday.”

In November 2014, Thailand approved legislation outlawing the import of e-cigarettes into the country. This has since been expanded to the export as well as sale of e-smoking devices and equipment. Although it is common to see people vaping in Thailand offenders are technically breaking the law as possession is illegal.

The country's foreign office advice is clear. On its website it instructs travellers not to bring vaporisers (like e-cigarettes) or refills into Thailand.

“These items are likely to be confiscated and you could be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.

“The sale or supply of e-cigarettes and similar devices is also banned and you could face a heavy fine of up to five years imprisonment if found guilty. Several British Nationals have been arrested for possession of vaporisers and e-cigarettes.”

INDEPENDENT

Shot of the day

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Shot of the day HUNGRY: Rohingya Muslim refugees run to receive food at a distribution area at Balukhali refugee camp near the town of Gumdhum in Cox's Bazar. The UN says more than 14,100 children are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition in wretched camps where half a million mainly Rohingya refugees depend entirely on overstretched charities for food to survive. Photo: NAMPA/AFP

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Home demolitions morally wrong

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Home demolitions morally wrong There has been so much public outcry regarding the recent demolitions of houses in Katima Mulilo which have affected over 2 000 families. Most of these people are now homeless after the authorities used bulldozers to raze their structures. There is just something morally wrong about destroying people's property even if they were erected illegally. The fundamental land issue has led to these families finding a means of making a reality, the provision of shelter to their loved ones. People have spent lots of money, time and effort to put up those structures and it just doesn't make sense to raze fully completed houses. This is a violation of citizens' fundamental rights to life, dignity and property as guaranteed by the Namibian constitution. This heartless undertaking has left children and their parents in the open leading to a wave of anger. Our leaders have conceded and admitted that they have failed the landless. But again, there seems to be no urgency in finding an amicable solution to this never-ending problem. The thirst for land is real. Despite mega promises every year by politicians, the electorate is left to fend for themselves as mostly the well-connected are favoured in land deals by the authorities. Instead of fighting elitism and emphasising the enhancement of dignity, well-being and economic empowerment of the previously disadvantaged, the authorities have resorted to destroying their homes, which has been likened to similar tactics employed during apartheid. The authorities and all concerned stakeholders like Swapo have handled the matter badly. There was no proactivity on the part of the urban and rural development ministry. Although the minister stepped in on Monday the damage was already done and many residents of New Cowboy, Dairy and Lwanyanda settlements were already left homeless. We are in no way condoning the grabbing of land. However, demolitions of this nature have far-reaching psychological and financial implications on the affected families. Clearly, an amicable solution could have been discussed to ensure that there is no forced displacement of people without the provision of alternative shelter.

Land grab claims in Oshikoto

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Land grab claims in OshikotoChaos on Ondonga authority blamed Farmers say that some of the Onalusheshete residents are grabbing grazing land while the Ondonga Traditional Authority seems incapable of ruling its area. Residents of the Onalusheshete district are reportedly taking advantage of the leadership dispute in the Ondonga Traditional Authority to grab land and are fencing off large tracts for their own use.

Farmers grazing in villages under this district in the Oshikoto Region are calling on the traditional authority to restore its dignity and stop the havoc in the district.

According to these farmers, people are taking advantage of the current leadership crisis and are fencing off common grazing areas and settling wherever they wish, leaving others without any grazing land.

The authority's senior leader for the Onalusheshete district, Eino Shondili Amutenya, could not be reached for comment, but the region's governor, Henock Kankoshi, confirmed that his office has received several letters of complaint from Onalusheshete in this regard.

Onalusheshete district is regarded as the grazing area, which also covers the Mangetti grazing area where commercial farming is undertaken.

According to prominent farmers in the area, people claiming to be leaders of the authority are allocating land to acquaintances without consulting the headmen.

Concerned farmers also claim that they have reported these issues to the traditional authority, the Oshikoto governor's office and the land board, but nothing has been done.

Farmers have also expressed fear of being victimised by the leaders for complaining about land grabbing.

“We do not know some of the new leaders of the traditional authority, but we are seeing people coming here claiming to be Ondonga senior leaders,” community members told Namibian Sun.

“They are selling land and allocating people in these areas without consulting village headmen and they are fencing off common grazing areas. We tried for so long to report this conduct to various offices, but nobody has attended to this.”

According to Ondonga tradition, only the village headman has the mandate to allocate land in his village and not in any other village, while a senior councillor's duties are to establish villages and appoint village headmen.

“What is happening is against the Communal Land Act of 2003. If nothing is done to bring the Ondonga authority back to normal, land issues will reach boiling point and it won't be easy going back. We already have an issue of over grazing in the area and having people fencing off grazing land is not acceptable,” villagers said.

Governor Kankoshi said he is aware of the complaints, but he could not act on them because they were not addressed directly to him.

“My office has received letters of complaint over land at Onalusheshete, but I could not act on them because these complaints were not addressed directly to me. My office was only copied in. I can only act once the complaints are addressed directly to me. By the lack of information and feedback, it is clear there is crisis in that area,” Kankoshi said.

The Oshikoto land board chairperson Melania Iiputa confirmed that her office has received numerous complaints from community members that they attended to, but they found it difficult to address.

“We investigated cases we received in our office, but it is very difficult for us to address. Community members are saying that it is land grabbing, but once we approach the traditional authority they will say they allocated the land to that person. We cannot differ with that because we don't allocate land. It is the traditional authority's responsibility,” Iiputa said.

ILENI NANDJATO

Police recognise neighbourhood watches

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Police recognise neighbourhood watches Neighbourhood watches active in the capital and the entire Khomas Region this weekend, along with the Namibian police, paraded through Independence Avenue in Windhoek to show their commitment in combating crime.

They marched to the City of Windhoek's head office and thereafter, proceeded to the Israel Patrick Iyambo Police College where they were formally recognised by the Namibian police.

Hundreds of volunteers across the region, who do patrols at night to protect their neighbourhoods against crime, enjoyed a day of camaraderie and recognition.

Rassie Erasmus, a member of the Academia neighbourhood watch said the event was of paramount importance. He says it has been six years in the making and is a very welcome event for the differernt groups.

“This day is not only about Academia but about the neighbourhood watches in the entire Khomas,” he said.

“We were officially recognised and the Namibian police have reached out to us. Everything is in place and legal now and this is a milestone for us. This is a day that our children will learn about in history,” he said.

According to Heinie Coetzee, a member of one of the four Khomasdal neighbourhood watch groups also expressed his excitement.

“This is a good day for us. Sometimes, when we are on patrol, people tell us that it means nothing but now, with this recognition by the police, we are determined to continue doing the work we do.”

He added that the neighbourhood watches enjoy support from the authorities and both the police and the City Police respond very quickly when they are called to an incident. He added that his group is only a year old, having been established in October last year, but, that they have already succeeded in fencing off an access point to a river in their neighbourhood that was frequented by criminals.

“In the past, there was a lot of theft from both homes and vehicles in our neighbourhood and cell phones were being grabbed in broad daylight on the street. But now, there is no place for them to run away to and this has improved safety in our neighbourhood. They know we are there,” he said.

AUGETTO GRAIG

Omatjete elephants will stay

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Omatjete elephants will stay The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has said the situation in Omatjete in the Erongo Region where elephants have caused severe destruction, needs immediate attention but, the problem cannot be solved by destroying the elephants.

About two months ago, the community wrote a petition to the ministry demanding the total removal of elephants in the area. This year, the Omatjete community lost a community member and houses, boreholes, gardens and fences were destroyed by elephants.

“Why should the elephants in the Omatjete area be totally removed and not in other areas where there is also conflict? If all Namibians said that they did not want elephants in the area where would that leave us? There needs to be a balance,” said the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Malan Lindeque.

He said the ministry can ask the NDF to completely wipe out the elephants in the area and it will probably be completed within one day but, it is more important to diagnose the nature and history of the conflict.

According to him, the elephants probably moved into the area because of the drought, adding that there were no elephants in that area in the past.

He referred to the Kamanjab area where conflict with elephants has also been experienced recently. According to Lindeque, about 50 farms in that area have 200 elephants roaming between the farms causing problems, and the pressure has also been mounting for the removal of the elephants.

“We cannot remove the problem by destroying an asset.”

Lindeque said the problem should rather be mitigated, which can include collaring the elephants or establishing boreholes to attract them away from the community.

“We should rather pursue these initiatives than the total removal of elephants.”

He pointed out that Namibia has an intensive anti-poaching campaign which is ongoing and last year more than 100 elephants were poached in the northern part of the country.

“Now, how do we explain that we want to go to a certain area and kill 20 to 30 elephants?”

However, he added that the problem needs immediate attention. “We need to act fast and make a decision on the appropriate action.”

The ministry was responding to questions from the National Council Standing Committee on Habitat last week on the situation at Omatjete. The committee said the ministry should respond to the petition of the community.

ELLANIE SMIT

State of conservancies worrisome

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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State of conservancies worrisomeStruggle with governance, money The environment ministry has expressed its concern over the state of conservancies saying some are not making any money at all and those that do, are not seeing the filter-down effect. The permanent secretary in the ministry of environment and tourism, Dr Malan Lindeque says he is concerned about the state of conservancies and the fact that they are not earning money.

While there are now 83 conservancies in Namibia representing 189 230 people, the poor state of some conservancies in the country is still a cause for grave concern with governance posing the biggest challenge.

Lindeque said the conservancy programme was created to restore people's rights over animals and it later became more focused on development.

“This is why some conservancies are not performing well. It was a means for people to acquire rights over wildlife and at least they have rights over the animals.”

He added that Namibia's wildlife population has increased significantly.

“We have seen increases while other countries in Africa are facing a decline.”

Lindeque however said during the economic downturn, tourism was the only sector that expanded, but this was not the case for conservancies.

“Investors do not want to invest in conservancies and communal areas and this needs to be addressed,” Lindeque added.

According to Richard Diggle from WWF Namibia, the total returns for conservancies and members for 2016 was N$111.2 million and of this amount, N$87.5 million was for community benefits.

In total, 5 147 people are employed through conservancies of which 2 065 are full-time employees.

He said in 2016, conservancies harvested over 520 000kg of game meat equalling 1 425 kg per day. The off-the-bone value of the venison harvested was over N$10.4 million.

According to Diggle, more decision-making powers need to be taken down to the members in conservancies and away from individuals.

“Why should money that is being generated be locked up by a committee and not be taken to the villagers?” he asked.

He said the conservancy programme is currently a committee-based resource programme and needs to be moved back to the control of the conservancy members.

“There are people who are being paid N$2 000 to N$3 000 for a job that CEOs of companies would struggle to do. They have a lack of resources and backing and we don't give enough recognition to these people when they don't meet our expectations.”

Diggle added that Namibia has been a forerunner with its conservancy programme.

“Nowhere else has governments provided the same rights to communities and ownership rights to communities over resources.”

Diggle also said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get sustainable funding for the conservancy programme because of Namibia's classification as a middle-income country.

Meanwhile, the director of the support organisation to the conservancy programme, NACSO, Maxi Louis, said that governance in conservancies remains one of the biggest challenges, but it takes time to be implemented properly.

She said conservancies were not all formed at the same time and those conservancies that are located in regions such as Zambezi and Kavango where tourism flourishes, perform better.

“We are challenged and we do acknowledge that there are some conservancies in infancy stages that need assistance,” Louis noted.

She said funding for the conservancy programme at the moment is very scarce.

“Initially the programme received financing through donor funding, but we are now struggling with funding.”

She however said that there are about 30 to 40 conservancies that have become financially stable, but these still struggle with governance.

“When we started the programme we started with four conservancies. We have seen remarkably how this has grown to 400 000 people participating in this programme. However, we want to see more black Namibians participating in the programme,” Louis said.

ELLANIE SMIT

Confessed after finding God

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Confessed after finding God“When a person grows gradually into the Christian faith, that person gets to know the requirements of being faithful,” a murder accused told the High Court in Windhoek.

The 33-year-old Erwin Kasorere Tjiueza Katjingisua, who for the past five years has denied guilt in the robbery and murder of 78-year-old Gideon Johannes (Koos) Stoop, yesterday explained his recent turnabout and confession under cross-examination.

He earlier made the confession before Judge Alfred Siboleka claiming that he was a “reborn” Christian and needed to tell the truth.

“I accept the Word of God. I now want to tell the truth,” he stated under cross-examination.

He agreed that the version he told the police after his arrest and the version he was telling the court after his rebirth as a Christian are completely contradictory.

“The first version to police was based on pure lies. I am now speaking the truth,” he stated.

He stands accused together with his elder brother George Tjikuao Katjingisua, 34, and Nelsiene Utiapatie Kauaria, 32, to have killed Stoop sometime between August 28 and 29 in 2009.

They are facing charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances, and conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Erwin yesterday under cross-examination from Braam Cupido, appearing on behalf his brother George, stated that when Stoop was about to enter his flat he grabbed him on the neck and pressed a knife against his neck, threatening him to tell them the whereabouts of a bag full of money. He said when Stoop maintained that he had only N$50, he said he began to torture him by stabbing him, and to stop him from screaming he put his hand over Stoop's mouth until he stopped breathing.

“I was standing in front of the deceased, holding the knife against his neck then I saw blood flowing from under his left armpit,” Erwin said.

He stated that according to the agreement between the three of them, Kauaria was supposed to be close to the deceased so that both of them could be tied up, but when he entered the flat she had left, returning in the company of George.

Erwin stated that later, after Stoop became quiet, he and George carried him from the bedroom into the bathroom.

“George did not contribute to any injuries on the deceased. I was the one who stabbed him. I was the one who covered his mouth to prevent him from screaming for help,” he said. He had earlier maintained that he did not intend to kill Stoop.

The trial continues.

Advocate Antonia Verhoef appears for State while Louis Karsten appears for Kauaria, Braam Cupido appears for George Tjikuao Katjingisua and Monty Karuaihe represents Erwin Kasorere Tjiueza Katjingisiua.



FRED GOEIEMAN

No more digging in mahangu fields

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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No more digging in mahangu fieldsDeadline set for filling in sand pits The environment ministry has put a stop to building contractors who paid communal farmers to let them mine sand in their fields without government permission. Construction companies working on the northern railway project have been ordered to fill in the pits left in mahangu fields where they excavated building sand without permission.

The illegal sand mining was described as “a grave concern” by the department of environmental affairs.

The environment ministry investigated the practice in response to complaints made by youth activist Job Amupanda to TransNamib in January.

Specific reference had been made to the ongoing construction of the 28-kilometre railway line between Ondangwa and Oshakati. Amupanda's Omaalala Youth Development Club (OYDC) alleged that the contractors mined sand in mahangu fields without following the proper procedures.

Based on the findings of the investigation, sand mining in crop fields will no longer be allowed.

The ministry's department of environmental affairs conducted inspections at six villages in the Oshana, Omusati and Ohangwena regions in August.

All contractors were issued with compliance orders and ordered to stop the sand excavation immediately.

According to the ministry's conservation scientist, Ipeinge Mundjulu, contractors must obtain permission before extracting sand for their projects in other places such as oshanas.

Mundjulu shared the outcome of the investigation with Amupanda in a letter last week.

On 5 January, Amupanda had written a letter to TransNamib in which he expressed concern about the pits left by sand miners in mahangu fields.

He alleged that construction companies working on the railway line had offered the farmers money and they accepted it because they live in poverty.

The Ondonga Traditional Authority supported Amupanda's stance on the issue.

In the letter to Amupanda, Mundjulu wrote that the operators were warned to stop the sand mining and that those who defied the compliance orders would be prosecuted.

“All operators were issued with a compliance order as per the provision of Section 20 of the Environmental Management Act (EMA) of 2007 to immediately stop such operations and to adhere to the EMA for future operations, failure of which shall result in legal action against them,” the letter stated.

Mundjulu also indicated that the operators were ordered to rehabilitate the sand pits by 30 March 2018. Failure to meet the deadline would result in defaulters facing legal action, he said.

Approached for comment yesterday, Amupanda said he was happy that the ministry took up the matter.

“We are very happy about the development. They thought we were joking. We are however still monitoring the situation and we will wait until March next year to see whether they have filled up the pits,” Amupanda said.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Teachers demand vacancy list

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Teachers demand vacancy list The Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) has announced plans to demonstrate next Tuesday to compel the education ministry to release the vacancy bulletin for 2018.

This follows a number of ultimatums given to the ministry over the past few months.

According to TUN secretary-general Mahongora Kavihuha the delay in publishing the bulletin is adding pressure on teachers who must stand in for those who have resigned.

“It is enslaving the teachers; in fact from next year onwards, we will tell teachers to refuse to teach a class that is beyond the teaching ratio of 32 children per teacher in primary schools. We will even inform the parents that their children can refuse to be taught in overcrowded classrooms,” Kavihuha warned.

The peaceful demonstrations will take place in Windhoek, Ongwediva, Oshakati, Katima Mulilo, Keetmanshoop and Rundu from 10:00.

“We are urging all the teachers and students from various institutions, public and private, and parents who are really concerned about the status of education, and the general Namibian public, to join us that day if they are ready to take Namibia forward,” he urged.

TUN last month held a conference where it accused the ministry of deliberately delaying the bulletin.

At the time the ministry promised to release the bulletin “as soon as possible”. However, this has not been done.

The spokesperson of the education ministry, Absalom Absalom, yesterday confirmed that the release of the bulletin was delayed.

“We are finalising the bulletin, it is not done yet, hopefully if it is finalised then we will announce soon,” Absalom said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Elders say no to 'armchair revolutionaries'

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Elders say no to 'armchair revolutionaries' The Swapo Party Elders' Council says the ruling party should elect tried and tested cadres and not “armchair revolutionaries” at next month's elective congress.

In a statement yesterday, SPEC secretary Mukwaita Shanyengana implored congress delegates to vote for leaders with unquestionable loyalty to the party.

“The leadership in these positions will need to be tried and tested cadres who, in addition to unquestionable loyalty, have the political maturity, intellectual insight, and love for the Namibian people at heart,” he advised.

“Such leaders must be elected on merit because they have served and worked meritoriously in the party structures starting from the lowest entry levels, and can add value to the party's programmes, and the lives of all Namibians.

“And not because they are empty yet excellent barking dogs without the bite, posturing as populist radical armchair revolutionaries, or very good sloganeers at the party fundraising braais and rallies.”

Shanyengana also advised party members to reject regionalism, tribalism and lust for power.

“Some people can be easily influenced by the politics of the belly, ethnicity, tribe, and region. That is not the Swapo way of 'One Namibia, One Nation and One Leader'.

“Our top-four leaders should be people who have the interest of the party at heart and will never waver, dilute the aims and objectives of the Swapo Party or compromise its historical legacy, and sacrosanct principles,” he further said. The Swapo succession race is heating up, with at least three presidential candidates expected to stand.

Acting party leader Hage Geingob and veteran politicians Nahas Angula and Jerry Ekandjo are all set to contest the Swapo presidency. International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and her home affairs counterpart, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, have expressed interest in standing for the vice-presidency.

Another likely candidate for the vice-president position is current Swapo spokesperson Helmut Angula. Urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa has been picked as Geingob's preferred candidate for the secretary-general position.

She is expected to face stiff competition from former Swapo Party Youth League leader Elijah Ngurare and Oshikoto regional coordinator Armas Amukwiyu.

Marco Hausiku is expected to be nominated for the deputy secretary-general position, while new rivals are expected to emerge on Sunday when the ruling party's central committee wraps up the nominations.

STAFF REPORTER

Enormous legal bill needs clarity

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Enormous legal bill needs clarityGovt needs to play open cards A pressure group says the government should be more transparent about the astronomical legal fees paid to foreign-based lawyers for advice on the genocide negotiations. The Action Namibia Coalition is demanding that the Namibian government play open cards and put to rest speculation about the huge fees paid to UK-based lawyers who advised Namibia on genocide reparation demands.

Although the exact amount remains uncertain, it was reported in various publications that the government had spent between N$32 million and N$37 million, and in some reports over N$40 million, for legal advice on the genocide negotiations.

Action Namibia, an umbrella organisation advocating for the passing of legislation guaranteeing access to information, said in a statement yesterday that the Namibian people “still have no idea what professional work was completed and delivered for such astronomical fees that were paid out of the national budget.”

Their statement argues that because of the reluctance to play open cards on the issue, speculation has thrived and only full disclosure and justification will put to rest the conjecture.

“Such speculation includes disturbing discrepancies between the various invoices, absences of clarity about time spent working on the case, questions about the numbers of hours and days worked and charging fees for administrative work such as booking tickets which could have been delegated to an assistant.”

The Coalition argues that full disclosure would also quell speculation of “untoward conduct” on any party's behalf.

It states that the government's decision to fork out enormous fees for foreign-based legal counsel, and their reluctance to answer relevant questions, is particularly bad form at a time when many Namibians have lost their jobs because of the government's non-payment of local service providers.

“This is a time when the government has cut budgets and introduced austerity measures in an attempt to relieve the state's financial stresses and to put the economy back on track. This is a time when far too many Namibians struggle to put food on the table,” it states.

The Coalition argues that Namibians deserve to be “told and need to know why it was not possible for Namibian legal counsel to attend to the research and advice sought and provided.”

They further argue that even South African legal experts would have been less costly, while many organisations “might well have been willing to assist with such an important and high-profile issue on a pro bono basis.”

And while attorney-general Sacky Shanghala addressed the issue of “exorbitant fees” in the National Assembly recently, too many critical questions remain unanswered.

In September, Shanghala explained that a Namibian lawyer based in the UK, Anna Uukelo, had been paid N$16 million. Three European advocates were paid N$14 million, N$385 401 and N$816 574.

The National Assembly was told that to date the case had cost the government N$32 million.

At the time, Shanghala refused to elaborate on the exact advice obtained.

The Action Namibia Coalition said that “one very pertinent” question remained.

“Why was it necessary to engage legal counsel in the United Kingdom when we have competent legal minds in Namibia? It has been reported that the Namibian lawyer based in the UK and her British colleagues have either no, or only limited, experience in international law,” the coalition pointed out.

JANA-MARI SMITH

LPM eyes next elections

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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LPM eyes next elections Plans for transforming the Landless People's Movement into a political party are at an advanced stage, founder Bernadus Swartbooi has confirmed.

Swartbooi, who was recalled from the National Assembly in July for saying at a public meeting in Keetmanshoop that he was “99.9% not OPO trading as Swapo”, resigned shortly afterward.

The LPM was established in 2001 as a student movement but was radicalised in 2016 when Swartbooi was fired as deputy lands minister after criticising the government's land-reform policy.

LPM will be an alternative to other political parties and nothing less, said Swartbooi, who had served as

//Karas regional governor, SPYL youth league information secretary and member of parliament.

“We have set up a technical committee to sort out things. We want to be an alternative, not just another opposition party,” he said.

Before leaving the ruling party, Swartbooi criticised it for failing to improve the lives of the Namibian people. Since then he has become a land crusader, touring the country to educate communities about their rights to land as well as ancestral land.





Political analyst Graham Hopwood says he is not convinced that Swartbooi's unwavering commitment to the land quest will pay off in the next election.

“They will have to shift, although not altogether, from the land issue to adopt a broad-based policy approach. There have been a lot of parties from the south but not much has come of them,” says Hopwood.

Another political commentator, Andrew Niikondo, believes that Swartbooi will have a stronghold in the south, where he was born, and that this support will land him a seat in the National Assembly.

“I am worried that he may not be able to make a big mark if he stands for the elections in 2018 but he would certainly stand a good chance if he waits until the following election,” Niikondo says.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia requires a political party to present a declaration signed by at least 500 members whose names appear on the national voter register.

This declaration must include the members' full names, voter registration numbers, and the regions and constituencies where they registered as voters.

Other requirements for registering a party include payment of a N$10 000 registration fee and submission of the party's constitution.

JEMIMA BEUKES

SOEs foot bill for NYC joyride

October 10, 2017, 3:00 pm

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SOEs foot bill for NYC joyrideAir Namibia aircraft chartered A youth festival in Russia will cost the Namibian taxpayer at least N$5 million. A number of state enterprises have bent over backwards to assist in realising what can only be described as an exotic trip for more than 200 young people to Sochi, Russia, for the upcoming 2017 World Festival of Youth and Students.

The National Youth Council (NYC), which organised the trip, chartered an aircraft from Air Namibia to fly the delegation directly to Russia from Hosea Kutako International Airport last night.

Although the exact amount could not be ascertained, insiders at Air Namibia estimated the chartered flight to cost no less than N$5 million.

“Government will foot the bill,” the sources said.

The minister of sport, youth and national service, Jerry Ekandjo, said the finance ministry would pay Air Namibia.

He said the trip was entirely organised by the NYC and he was therefore not able to comment on the cost.

Ekandjo did say that the NYC had approached the youth ministry for funding.

“The ministry does not have money and submitted a request to the ministry of finance, which approved N$500 000,” said Ekandjo.

Ekandjo estimated that the N$500 000 would only cover the costs of about 30 delegates.

The Air Namibia aircraft will leave empty from Sochi and fly to Frankfurt tomorrow to resume its normal flights.

Air Namibia earlier this week alerted its other passengers that they would have to be rerouted to other airlines. These passengers were requested to either take earlier flights or take later flights tomorrow.



Scramble for funding

By yesterday afternoon the NYC organisers were allegedly still scrambling at the eleventh hour to secure funding for the trip.

Air Namibia insiders said Namdia had offered to cover N$1 million of the costs.





However, yesterday afternoon Namdia CEO Kennedy Hamutenya said he had submitted the NYC request for funding to the Namdia board, which was still deliberating on the request.

Hamutenya said the NYC had indicated that it would require at least “N$2 million from diamond companies” to cover some of the trip's costs.

Leading the delegation to Sochi are deputy international relations minister Peya Mushelenga, the youth ministry's permanent secretary Emma Kantema-Gaomas and NYC executive chairperson Mandela Kapere.

A total of 200 visas were issued although only 183 invitations to the conference had been extended. Kapere had reportedly earlier indicated that some 179 delegates from Namibia would be going.

It could not be confirmed who the delegates are or how they were selected, since neither Kapere nor any other NYC organiser could be reached for comment yesterday.

The delegates are expected to return to Namibia on 20 October.

In its reponse, Air Namibia would not divulge the exact amount to be paid, saying it is a transactional business deal and therefore confidential.

Air Namibia said its Airbus A330 was chartered on the full operational cost, including its margin. The costing caters for the positioning flight from Sochi to Frankfurt and vice versa.

“It is noteworthy to add that the client has solicited alternative quotes from other air operators, and Air Namibia's was the most competitive and affordable as we have the shortest positioning time – because Air Namibia will fly directly to Sochi, as well as considering the convenience and the status of flying the national airline,” Air Namibia's spokesperson, Paulus Nakawa, said.

Nakawa said Air Namibia has offered the charter services to the NYC because it “makes business sense to do so”.

He said the airline has been able to obtain clearance from all other countries to overfly and land, in the shortest possible timeframe.

Nakawa said as the national airline, Air Namibia is “proud to be offering the air travel service to the youth through the NYC to attend this important conference”.





CATHERINE SASMAN