Outapi seconds manager to Opuwo

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Iiyambo Benjamin has been appointed acting CEO of the Opuwo town council following his secondment from Outapi where he serves as manager for infrastructure and technical services.

The chairperson of the Opuwo management committee, Richard Tjazapi, confirmed the appointment to Namibian Sun.

The Opuwo CEO position fell vacant when former CEO Alfons Tjitombo's contract expired on 30 October last year.

Tjitombo's contract was not automatically renewed following allegations levelled against him by the Opuwo Community Concerned Group. Tjitombo was appointed CEO for Opuwo 2006 and in June this year, he was appointed as CEO of the Omaruru town council in the Erongo Region.

“So far, we still have an acting CEO, a manager employed by Outapi council. The CEO post was re-advertised for the third time because the last advert was not correctly advertised by our human resources division. We believe that the applicants will be short-listed soon and interviews will take place towards the end of November,” Tjazapi said.

He added that the finalisation of the CEO appointment was delayed by the recruitment process to fill two vacant management positions in the human resources, finance and administration department and the technical services divisions that were advertised earlier this year.

“Potential candidates have already been interviewed and possibly, they might start soon. This was also delaying the recruitment or appointment of the CEO for the town. We strongly believe that come January or February 2018, the CEO of Opuwo town would be in office,” he explained.

In September last year, Namibian Sun reported that Opuwo's mayor, Albert Tjiuma, made a unilateral decision to advertise the post without a full council resolution. This came to light after it was alleged that Tjiuma favoured Tjitombo and he wanted him to retain his position as CEO.

ILENI NANDJATO

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SPYL hijacked Russia trip - DTA

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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SPYL hijacked Russia trip - DTA'Where did the other 72 delegates come from?' The DTA youth league has slammed the National Youth Council and the Swapo youth league for last month's chaotic trip to Russia.

DTA youth league secretary-general Benson Katjirijova has accused the Swapo Youth League (SPYL) of hijacking 2017 World Festival of Youth and Students to lobby support for President Hage Geingob.

Geingob is contesting Swapo old-timers Jerry Ekandjo and Nahas Angula for the Swapo presidency during the party's elective congress this month.

At a press conference held yesterday Katjirijova, one of the 172 delegates who travelled to Sochi, Russia, last month to attend the youth conference, said Swapo must explain why 95% of the delegates were members of the ruling party.

“There were only a few from the opposition parties: five from DTA, one from Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) and one from Nudo and the rest from Swapo,” he said.

Last month Namibian Sun reported that the government had to foot a bill of over N$5 million for the trip.

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.

According to Katjirijova, things were shaky from the start due to a lack of organisation and communication with Air Namibia.

“After our arrival at the airport in Russia, we had struggles with accommodation because the Russian Federation was only expecting 100 delegates from Namibia. The question is where did the other 72 delegates come from,” he asked.

He added that the 72 delegates “roamed the corridors” of conference halls because they were not accredited and could not attend the festival proceedings.

He also took issue with the fact that the tracksuits the delegates received from the Russian Federation sported the SPYL logo instead of the NYC's.

“It was clearly a Swapo affair. Some of us were deliberately excluded from mini-meetings they held on the sidelines.

There were some people that spoke about Jerry Ekandjo and they were threatened to keep quiet and told 'Hage brought you here, why are you talking about Ekandjo',” said Katjirijova.

NYC spokesman Brian Prince referred Namibian Sun to SPYL because the trip was organised in collaboration with the youth league.

SPYL spokesperson Neville Itope could not answer questions yesterday as he was driving.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Horse-theft case heats up

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Horse-theft case heats upKeetmans farmer sought for questioning Police at Keetmanshoop on Tuesday night foiled an attempt to illegally remove the surviving horses from a municipal plot which is the subject of an investigation into horse theft and animal cruelty.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Keetmanshoop police are seeking to question farmer and livestock speculator Ruben Koortzen Junior after a truck transporting 23 horses that are evidence in a stock-theft investigation was intercepted on Tuesday night.

By yesterday afternoon, the police said they had interviewed, but not yet charged, one of Koortzen’s employees, Aits Losper, who allegedly had been following the truck when it was stopped by the police.

The police said the horses, and five donkeys, were being transported to a farm leased by the Koortzen family.

The horses were illegally removed from a council plot that is the focus of an investigation into horse theft and animal cruelty.

The investigation was opened last week after two horses died, apparently of thirst, in a locked kraal on the council plot, which is sublet to the Koortzens by a municipal employee, Nimrod Zwartz.

Over the weekend, a Berseba farmer identified at least nine of the horses as having been stolen from him.

The police say the remaining horses were illegally loaded onto a rented truck. The police were informed that they were being taken to a farm leased by the Koortzens

Investigators could not question Koortzen Junior yesterday, as he was visiting relatives in Upington, South Africa.

“But he will be questioned,” a senior police officer confirmed.

Koortzen earlier denied any knowledge of the horses.

Deputy Commissioner Chrispin Mubebo yesterday appealed to the public to help identify the legal owners of the horses, which are being kept at a safe place while the investigation continues.

Mubebo also warned that anyone attempting to interfere with the investigation in any way, or trying to intimidate potential witnesses, would be dealt with to the full extent of the law.

“We will take action immediately,” Mubebo warned.

Mubebo said several leads were being followed.

Leon Smith, who buys horses and resells them, told Namibian Sun yesterday that he had bought live horses from Koortzen on occasion.

He said the last time was a few months ago.

Smith confirmed that he had in turn sold these horses to an animal sanctuary where they are killed for carnivore feed.

Losper yesterday posted a lewd message, daring anyone to question him, in a comment on the Windhoek SPCA Facebook page.

He had also posted comments this week on the same page, all relating to the horse investigation.

Koortzen Junior was arrested last year along with two others, Jaco Hanekom and Cornelius de Bruyn, on charges of attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They allegedly attacked and tortured a 14-year-old boy on the farm Rooikoppe, which was being leased by Koortzen Senior.

It was alleged that the boy was beaten, over several hours, with pipes and fists before he was strung up with a rope around his neck attached to a roof beam.

Namibian Sun was informed that the case was struck from the court roll earlier this year after the docket had vanished.

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Power imports cost N$9b

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Power imports cost N$9bAround 65% of our energy comes from elsewhere NamPower says it will continue to import electricity to ensure that Namibia has adequate power supply.

NamPower has paid over N$9 billion for electricity imported from elsewhere over the last five years.

The country will remain a net importer until a base-load or mid-merit power plant is built, according to the power utility.

A base-load station is one capable of operating 24 hours a day. It is shut down only for routine maintenance and in unforeseen situations. A mid-merit station is considered a reliable, affordable plant with adequate capacity.

NamPower says it plans to invest about N$14 billion in its generation and transmission assets over the next five years to reduce reliance on outside sources.

This amount does not include the Kudu and Baynes mega-projects in which shareholding is still open, the power utility stated.

The exclusion of the Kudu and Baynes projects is presumably because of their “complex” nature, requiring government guarantees.

NamPower says it is working on a number of small generation projects, which include independent power producers (IPPs) to further reduce reliance.

Some renewable energy plants are already in operation.

At the moment, 40 MW of power is supplied by IPPs and 92 MW is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2018.

Potential foreign investors say Namibia's over-reliance on energy imports makes it less attractive for major investments.

One such player estimates that imported electricity accounted for 97% of its average hourly power load from June to September. NamPower, on the other hand, says electricity importation during that period was not more than 65%.

Namibia imports electricity from South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In its 2016 annual report NamPower acknowledged that securing supply came at a very high cost and was unsustainable in the long run.

NamPower ascribes the fact that it had to import 65% of the country's electricity to reduced output by the Ruacana hydropower scheme because of drought.

Smaller power stations have either been running at very low capacity or not at all.

The Van Eck plant in Windhoek is said to be producing an average of 4MW per year because it is being refurbished. Paratus and Anixas at Walvis Bay have not been producing any power.

Paratus was commissioned in the 1970s with an installed capacity of 24MW and was down-rated to 12MW before it was declared non-operational on 22 June 2016. It has since been decommissioned because it had reached its lifespan.

Anixas is a standby power plant, which means it is only fired up in emergencies when the primary power supply is not available.

NamPower says it is standard practice for a utility to have an emergency or standby generator plant.

Current scenario

Namibia is connected to two regional power utilities – Zesco in Zambia and Eskom in South Africa – that provide the country with additional supply in case one of these two interconnections goes down.

“The situation is improving as more IPPs are busy commissioning their generation plants and this will alleviate the burden on the interconnections,” NamPower says.

It acknowledges that the surplus energy in the South African Power Pool (SAPP) market might not be sustainable in the long term, but says it is working hard to ensure that planned short- to medium-term projects are executed before the end of the current import agreements.

The power utility says it is continuously investigating new options to develop new power plants as part of its short- and medium-term initiatives to add to the current generation capacity.

These include concentrated solar power (CSP) and biomass projects in addition to the IPPs.

NamPower has concluded power purchase arrangements (PPAs) with 14 local renewable energy IPPs under its interim Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) programme, each generating 5 MW. Seven of these are already operational and the remaining IPPs are expected to come online by the end of this year.

NamPower says the REFIT programme will inject up to 70MW of renewable energy into the grid.

It has concluded a PPA with Greenam Energy to generate 20MW of solar energy, which is expected to be online by the middle of next year.

Another PPA is with Diaz Wind for the generation of 44 MW of wind energy that was concluded in 2016.

Additionally, a 37MW solar energy tender was awarded at the beginning of this year.

NamPower says it will ensure that Namibia has adequate power supply by supplementing its energy needs with power from the southern African region.

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Flash floods and more rain

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Flash floods and more rain

The Namibian weather service has warned of likely flash floods in the Kunene, Erongo, Khomas and //Karas regions today, with heavy rainfall of 50mm or more expected in these areas.

The Namibia Meteorological Service (NMS) says in the interior today it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated thundershowers, but scattered to widespread thundershowers in the Kunene, Erongo, Khomas and

//Karas regions.

Chief forecaster Odillo Kgobetsi explained that the good rainfall experienced in these parts since Monday have drenched the soil and created the ideal conditions for flash floods.

At the coast today, it is expected to be partly cloudy and cool to warm with showers and thundershowers, but with scattered thundershowers in the south.

Kgobetsi warned that heavy rainfall is also expected today over the far south and south-western parts of the country, including Oranjemund and Noordoewer.

On Friday, the weather is expected to clear up in the western parts of the country, but rain will continue elsewhere.

The NMS said the rains experienced in most parts of the country since the weekend are expected to continue in many parts until 9 November, after which the rain clouds will move towards the north-eastern parts of the country.

The chances of rain remain good for the next two weeks.

In the past few days, many Namibians have shared their rain news on a popular social media platform.

On Sunday, 3mm of rain was recorded on a farm in the Mariental area, and 16mm to 36mm fell on Monday in certain areas there.

A farmer near Helmeringhausen reported 55mm of rain there on Monday.

Thirty millimetres were reported in Aranos and some places situated in the Spreetshoogte area received between 40mm and 60mm on Monday.

Gondwana Canyon Park, which borders the Fish River Canyon, notified the public on Tuesday that the rainfall season had begun there too.

“After harsh months of drought, the park received up to 30mm in certain areas on Monday night, resulting in the Gaap River going into flood. We are excited to see what the season holds.”

On Sunday, the Gondwana Kalahari Park also received “its first proper rainfall of the season”.

The Gondwana group announced that visitors to the Kalahari Anib Lodge near Mariental were soaked during a game drive on Sunday afternoon “when a downpour drenched the earth, at places receiving up to 20mm”.

The park's popular lodge near Etosha, Etosha Safari Lodge, also reported 40mm of rainfall over the weekend.

At the coast, a resident posted a photo of flooded streets taken at Long Beach yesterday morning, while Lüderitz residents shared photos of a thunderstorm there.

Residents of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay said they woke up to a thunderstorm yesterday morning.

Residents of Windhoek, Usakos, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Otavi, Okahandja and Tsumeb also reported rain.

Omaruru residents shared that they had received between 50mm and 70mm on Tuesday.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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Air Namibia connects north to coast

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Air Namibia connects north to coast

Air Namibia has introduced flights between Walvis Bay and Ondangwa, effective from 19 November.

Air Namibia will fly from Ondangwa to Walvis Bay three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

“This development opens new travel possibilities and opportunities, as it enables our clients to travel between Ondangwa and Johannesburg, as well as between Ondangwa and Cape Town, both via Walvis Bay,” the airline said in a press release.

“This is good news for the flying public and our customers, especially with the fast approaching festive season which normally leaves thousands of people without an efficient mode of transportation between Walvis Bay/Swakopmund and the northern parts of Namibia.

“The flights would also help to reduce road congestion and cut the travel time between the north and the coast to 60 minutes,” said acting managing director Mandi Samson.

Also from 19 November, flights from Windhoek to Lüderitz and Oranjemund will change to Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Xavier Masule, general manager for commercial services at Air Namibia, said the new schedule would better meet passengers' needs.

“This development brings a new possibility, whereby travellers can now have a same-day connection via Windhoek in both directions, for customers flying between Walvis Bay and Lüderitz / Oranjemund,” Masule said.

The daily flight between Walvis Bay and Cape Town will continue, but with a change of aircraft.

“We currently operate an Embraer ERJ 135 on this route, which will change to an Airbus A319,” he said.

Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry northern branch chairman Thomas Indji welcomed the development.

“Air Namibia is opening up the international trade route through our Walvis Bay hub; it also links the northern business people and economic activities to the outside world.

“It is substantial that government is opening up the corridor to Walvis Bay which will expedite the other trade destinations too, particularly Angola,” said Iindji.

“When people come from Oshikango, they do not need to go via Windhoek to catch a plane to Walvis Bay but can now fly directly between Ondangwa and Walvis Bay,” Iindji said.

STAFF REPORTER

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Namdeb appoints new CEO

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Namdeb appoints new CEO

The Namibia Diamond Corporation (Namdeb) has announced the appointment of Riaan Burger as its new CEO. Burger was previously Namdeb's chief operating officer. He takes over from Markus Lubbe, who was the acting CEO.

“Burger is a mechanical engineer by profession and holds an Executive MBA from the Stellenbosch Business School.

He has been with Namdeb for 22 years and has extensive experience ranging from general management, leading long-term strategic projects, developing new mining methods as well as leading change,” Namdeb spokesperson Pauline Thomas said.

Within Namdeb, Burger has held various roles, which included manager for engineering and head of strategic projects.

Thomas said Burger's appointment came at the right time as the diamond company finds itself in unchartered waters.

“Prior to this appointment, Burger has been the chief operating officer of Namdeb since November 2011. Burger assumes the role of chief executive officer at a time when Namdeb faces tremendous challenges.

“The Namdeb board of directors calls on all stakeholders to rally behind Riaan as he takes on his new role; and wishes him much success in this new challenging assignment,” Thomas said.

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Windhoek plans solar park

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Windhoek plans solar parkNear Cimbebasia While IPPs will be required to conduct their own environmental impact assessments, an existing EIA found no potential for pollution of the land if used for photovoltaic plants.

The City of Windhoek has sought approval for the construction of five photovoltaic power plants, each with a capacity of 5MW.

The proposal was submitted to the city council for discussion at its monthly meeting.

The plants will be constructed on virgin land just south of the residential suburb of Cimbebasia, the municipality said.

If the council approves, the plants would be set up in conjunction with independent power producers (IPPs) in exchange for a share of the ownership.

The site is a 310-hectare stretch of protected land, of which 52 hectares would be reserved for the solar plants. The land sits on top of an important aquifer and is close to a 66-kilovolt power line that feeds into Windhoek's power grid.

The project stems from the City of Windhoek's strategic transformational plan for 2017 to 2022 and was submitted by its electricity division.

Motivating the need for the construction of the power plants, the City said it stood to gain additional revenue from leasing the land, while protecting it.

“The value of the land has already been sacrificed, thus the council can generate additional revenues from the lease agreements with various IPPs. Leasing this portion of land will protect the aquifer area from speculative developers,” the proposal reads.

While IPPs will be required to conduct their own environmental impact assessments, an existing EIA found no potential for pollution of the land if used for photovoltaic plants.

The council's management committee also suggested that a renewable energy policy be drafted and a renewable energy steering committee be formed in the interim.

No timeframe has been set for the project.

Ogone Tlhage -

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India, Nigeria, Thailand join top business reformers

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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India, Nigeria, Thailand join top business reformers

Washington - Developing economies such as Nigeria, India, Thailand and El Salvador have made the largest strides in improving their business climates while New Zealand and Singapore retained their top ranks for ease of doing business, the World Bank said Tuesday.

In an annual report on 190 countries' efforts to encourage investment and job creation by cutting red tape and reforming regulations, the global lender also said sub-Saharan Africa was again the region which saw the most progress - but countries there varied widely in performance.

“It is particularly gratifying to see that many of the reforms are being carried out in economies and sectors where they are most needed,” Rita Ramalho, acting head of the bank's Global Indicators Group, said in a statement.

Now in its 15th year, the annual report tracks indicator areas such as the ease of starting a business, connecting to power grids, contract enforcement, taxes and bankruptcy proceedings and then scores countries for their commercial environments and improvements made over time.

Countries with higher scores also tend to create more jobs, according to the report, but it warned this correlation should not be interpreted as a cause.

Countries with lower scores also tended to exhibit higher income inequality, it said.

War-torn Somalia remained at the bottom of the list while the island nation of Mauritius ranked 25th, higher than Thailand, Poland and Spain - showing broad variety of experiences in sub-Saharan Africa.

Barriers before women

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women can now open businesses without first getting permission from their husbands but 36 economies still put barriers before women entrepreneurs, according to the report.

India ranked 100th, up more than 30 places, and was among the top 10 most-improved, having implemented eight reforms between 2016 and 2017.

India also had the highest score in South Asia for protecting minority investors.

The United States moved up two places to sixth, ahead of Britain but behind Hong Kong and South Korea.

Mainland China, the world's second-largest economy, held steady at 78th and scored a low 172nd in for dealing with construction permits, even though the country's recent building boom helped propel economic growth. According to the World Bank, Beijing and Shanghai perform below international best-practices, with 23 steps and 249 days required to obtain a permit and related costs amounting to 7.8% of the cost of actual construction. In 60th-ranked Turkey, by comparison, which ranks 96th in construction, permits took only 18 steps and 103 days, costs amounted to 4%.

New Zealand was ranked first on this year's Ease of Doing Business Index.

– Nampa/AFP

Washington -

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Construction deals economy another blow

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Construction deals economy another blowRed tape hijacks ease of doing business Of the 190 countries evaluated worldwide, Namibia was ranked 106th overall on the 2018 Ease of Doing Business Index.

Bureaucracy in the granting of construction permits has cost Namibia 40 places on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business sub-index for that sector.

The 2018 Doing Business report, released on Tuesday afternoon, ranks Namibia 107th out of 190 countries for dealing with construction permits.

In the 2017 report, Namibia held the 67th spot for this sub-index.

The local construction sector is already struggling for survival. With negative growth for the last six consecutive quarters, it is in a full-blown recession.

Namibia's dispiriting performance on the sub-index for dealing with construction permits ranks it 14th in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), lagging way behind neighbours like South Africa, Angola, Zambia and Botswana.

The sub-index measures how easy it is for entrepreneurs in economies to legally build a warehouse.

The previous Doing Business Index found that 10 procedures were required to build a warehouse in Namibia.

That number has now increased to 12.

According to the index, a procedure is any interaction of the company's employees or managers with external parties.

It now takes 160 days to build a warehouse, up from 137 previously. That means Namibia's is the 18th 'slowest' country in the region. The regional average is 147.5 days.

The two top countries, São Tomé and Principe and Burundi, take only 67 and 70 days respectively.

Although the cost of building a warehouse locally has increased compared to the previous index, Namibia remains one of the cheapest countries in SSA.

In the 2017 index, Namibia's cost was 0.5% of the value of the warehouse. Now it stands at 2.5%.

That makes the country the 11th cheapest in the region. At 0.3% Seychelles clinched the top spot, while Madagascar with 54.5% is at the bottom. The regional average is 9.9%.

The latest index estimates the value of a standard warehouse in Windhoek at nearly N$3.04 million.

As in the 2017 report, Namibia received a score of 6.5 out of 15 on the building quality control index. It is based on six other indices—the quality of building regulations, quality control before construction, quality control during construction, quality control after construction, liability and insurance regimes, and professional certifications indices.

Namibia's score is below that of the region which is 8. At no. 16, it places Namibia among the 20 countries with the lowest score in the region.

Overall performance

Of the 190 countries evaluated worldwide, Namibia was ranked 106th on the 2018 Ease of Doing Business Index.

That might be better than its 108th position in 2017, but it is the third consecutive year that Namibia wasn't included in the top 100 countries. Namibia implemented one reform to ease doing business, the latest report states.

The country made enforcing contracts easier by introducing an electronic filing system and an electronic case management system for the use of judges and lawyers.

In comparison, Kenya implemented six - the most reforms in the region in the past year, Xinhua reports. Four other economies including Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal implemented five reforms each during the past year.

No region has ever reported as many changes in a single year, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for nearly a third of all reforms globally, according to the World Bank.

Please put in little screen block

Namibia's global rank on other indices

Starting a business: 172 (2017: 170)

Getting electricity: 68 (2017: 124)

Registering property: 175 (2017: 174)

Getting credit: 68 (2017: 62)

Protecting minority investors: 89 (2017: 81)

Paying taxes: 79 (2017: 74)

Trading across borders: 132 (2017: 127)

Enforcing contracts: 59 (2017: 98)

Resolving insolvency: 123 (2017: 97)

Jo-Maré Duddy -

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Under pressure

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Paris judge grills Fredericks over Rio graft probe

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Under pressure We would like to see the brakes put on consumptive expenditure growth, but this is unlikely. – Eric van Zyl, research head: IJG Securities

Jo-Maré Duddy – Pressure on all fronts: revenue, expenditure, the deficit and ultimately Namibia’s credit rating.

That’s how local analysts view the challenge finance minister Calle Schlettwein faces when he tables his mid-year budget review in parliament this afternoon.

“We expect that the interim budget will reflect challenges managing the expenditure side which may dent credibility of the fiscal consolidation stance,” says Ngoni Bopoto, research analyst at Namibia Equity Brokers (NEB).

Eric van Zyl, head of research at IJG Securities, agrees. “On the expenditure front we are expecting further pressure for fiscal consolidation,” he says.

“Costs on some large capital projects have far surpassed their original budgets and this will in turn have put pressure on other capital projects. We expect to see the development budget shrink further due to the establishment of the infrastructure fund,” Van Zyl says.

He adds: “We would like to see the brakes put on consumptive expenditure growth, but this is unlikely.”

Wage bill

Schlettwein is under even more pressure and expenditure cuts are definitely back on the table,” says Eloise du Plessis, head of research at PSG Namibia. “Namibia’s civil service wage bill, which is the fourth largest in the world when measured as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP), remains a thorn in the side of fiscal consolidation,” she says.

The research team at Simonis Storm (SS), headed by director Purvance Heuer, says the wage bill is “unsustainable” and refers to it as “the elephant in the room”.

“Operational expenditure accounts for 85% of total government expenditure for FY2017/18, while the public wage bill represents 88% of operational expenditure, based on our calculations,” SS says.

“In light of that, we believe cutting expenditure has reached its optimal level as additional spending cuts would result in political, social and economic risks,” SS says.

IJG expects to see revenue shortfalls stemming from lower income from the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and income taxes. “This will lead to a bigger deficit for the financial year,” Van Zyl says.

Bopoto describes the revenue side prospects as “most likely tepid” and says it is “a direct threat to the deficit targets announced earlier this year”.

An expected contraction in tax collections due to a worsening of economic conditions during the first half of 2017 is likely to result in overall government revenue coming in 2.3% lower than estimated in the main budget in March, SS says.

Deficit

Du Plessis says after the South African mid-year budget, the Namibian dollar weakened and bond yields increased. “This means that both foreign and local debt servicing costs will be higher which makes the budget deficit reduction target a tough one to reach.”

In his main budget earlier this year, Schlettwein targeted a deficit of 3.6% of GDP in the current fiscal year. SS is forecasting 5.5% of GDP. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a deficit of 4.8% of GDP for 2017/18.

Weaker than expected growth in GDP will also have a negative impact on prudential ratios, Bopoto says.

“Given the pressure on sovereign ratings, the minister will have to speak to innovative measures aimed at bolstering government revenue and containing the expenditure side of the budget,” he says.

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Paris judge grills Fredericks over Rio graft probe

November 2, 2017, 5:54 am

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Paris judge grills Fredericks over Rio graft probe

Former world champion sprinter Frank Fredericks appeared before a Paris judge today as part of a probe into graft allegations over the awarding of the 2016 Olympics to Rio.
Fredericks, an International Olympics Committee (IOC) member, received US$299 300 (262 000 euros) from Papa Massata Diack, son of ex-International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack, on October 2, 2009 - the day Brazil won the bid.
The IOC said in July that it was cooperating with French authorities investigating the allegations against the Namibian former 200m world champion and four-time Olympic silver medallist.
The 50-year-old stepped down in March as head of the committee evaluating bids to host the 2024 Olympics after the corruption allegations were reported in French media.
Fredericks insists that the payments were received for promotional services provided between 2007 and 2011 under a contract signed on March 11, 2007, and had nothing to do with the Olympics.
The payment was first revealed by French newspaper Le Monde.
Fredericks released a statement at the time, saying: "I categorically deny any direct or indirect involvement in any untoward conduct and confirm that I have never breached any law, regulation or rule of ethics in respect of any IOC election process."
French investigators are looking into the possibility that bribes were paid over the awarding of both the 2016 Olympics to Rio and the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The IAAF provisionally suspended Fredericks from its ruling council on July 17 as it launched a probe into the graft allegations against him.
In March, Fredericks had also stepped down from an IAAF task force working on getting doping-tainted Russia back into global sport.
Papa Massata and Lamine Diack also face charges in France over millions of dollars paid to cover up doping failures by Russian athletes.
Brazilian authorities are also conducting an investigation into vote buying in the attribution of the 2016 Games to Rio.
Brazilian Olympic Committee chairman Carlos Nuzman has been charged with corruption over allegations he and former Rio mayor Sergio Cabral solicited a payment from a Brazilian businessman to Papa Massata Diack to secure votes for the election of Rio.
Businessman Arthur Soares allegedly paid US$2 million to Diack just three days before the IOC vote in Copenhagen in 2009 in which Rio won the right to host the Games.

Cabral is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence for bribery and money laundering while Soares is on the run.
NAMPA/AFP

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Calle realigns national budget

November 1, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Calle realigns national budget

Finance minister Calle Schlettwein today announced some cuts in government expenditure in order to reinforce his commitment to fiscal discipline. A total of N$486.8 million was realised from internal savings by various offices, ministries and agencies. “This comprises N$121.4 million from the operational budget and N$365.4 million from the development budget. These amounts are to be suspended for reallocation across offices, ministries and agencies,” said Schlettwein. Read full story in tomorrow’s Namibian Sun.

STAFF REPORTER

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Nust SRC president suspended

November 2, 2017, 8:57 am

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Nust SRC president suspended

The president of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust), Oscar Mwandingi, was on Tuesday suspended from that university.
In an interview with Nampa here on Wednesday, Mwandingi disclosed that he was suspended for allegedly using the university’s computer, placed in his office, for personal use and allowing other students to make use of it.
He also explained that a video containing images of himself with girls in a nightclub, taken while on holiday in January 2014, also led to his suspension.
“The images will apparently tarnish the name of Nust,' he said.
Mwandingi said he is suspended for the next two academic years, 2018 and 2019.
'I was in a hearing and I was found guilty after an investigation on me by the Ernst & Young company,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Director for Communications and Marketing at Nust, Kaitire Kandjii said the university does not publicly comment on student disciplinary matters, as it is an internal issue.
NAMPA

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Salute opens up about Shihepo crash

November 2, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Salute opens up about Shihepo crash

The Salute Boxing Academy have expressed sadness for the loss of lives in an accident in which one of their boxers, Wilberforce Shihepo, has been charged with culpable homicide.

The accident occurred on Saturday between Okahandja and Windhoek when Shihepo's unregistered Jaguar crashed into the rear of a Toyota sedan.

The impact killed 54-year-old Likius Petrus and six-year-old Linda Teopoline Nghipuyoonda.

“Hearing the news that implicates one of our boxers as the main suspect has been a very difficult pill to swallow.

“On behalf the entire Salute Boxing Academy, we would like to pass on our message of our heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who lost their lives.

“We do not condone anything or anyone who does not obey traffic rules and that is why we have been trying to discipline our boxers to stay away from certain activities,” Salute spokesperson Armas Shivute said.

The academy, however, maintained that they would not judge the boxer until he was proven guilty.

The academy has been in contact with the boxer since his arrest and will help him, depending on what the findings of the investigation are.

Shihepo (34) appeared in court on Tuesday on charges of culpable homicide, failure to ascertain the nature and extent of injuries sustained by a person after an accident, failure to render assistance to injured person(s) after an accident, failure to ascertain the extent of damage after an accident, and operating a vehicle that is not roadworthy.

Shihepo was remanded in custody and the case was postponed to 27 November.

Ndafoluma

The boxing academy also announced that one of their boxers, Lukas 'Demolisher' Ndafoluma, will be fighting in Manchester for the WBC international title.

The boxer will challenge the UK's Craig Cunningham at the Warehouse Arena on 10 October.

Ndafoluma said he was ready for the fight and determined to bring the title back to Namibia.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

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Kanalelo goes up against former team

November 2, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Kanalelo goes up against former teamUnam and Black Africa to settle score The Namibia Premier League (NPL) round five and six matches will have a strong line-up this weekend.

Former Black Africa coach Ronnie Kanalelo, who now leads the Clever Boys of Unam FC, will face Black Africa led by Arnold Subeb on Sunday at the Unam Sport Stadium.

This is after they face Young African on Saturday at the same spot. Kanalelo, who is also the senior national football team's assistant coach, said his focus was on Saturday's Young African game before he could think about Sunday's encounter.

“We will see from Saturday's game how we play against Black Africa. I will also watch Black Africa play on Saturday. I know the weakness and strength of some of the players. But we should remember that they also have a new coach with a different philosophy. But for now I will focus on the job we have for Saturday against Young African.”

Subeb said they had been watching both Citizens and Unam play and were preparing the team for both encounters this weekend.

“Every match is different and you don't know the secrets and surprises the other team has in store for you, so let's see what happens on match day,” he said.

Unam go into the match hungrier and determined to get back to winning ways after they lost 3-2 to African Stars in a thrilling encounter on Tuesday night.

Lebbuis Mwatilefu and Muna Katupose scored the goals for their team. Katupose, who is a regular scorer for the Clever Boys and a former player of Black Africa, said he would take the game like any other even though it would be awkward to compete against his former teammates.

“I don't want to prove any point as I respect the team and the players. I will play to win and to score as well, knowing that they will also want to win to prove me wrong, that's just football,” said Katupose.

The other exciting match to watch this weekend will be between Blue Waters and Orlando Pirates on Sunday.

In Tuesday's game African Stars beat Unam 3-2 while Civics destroyed Citizens 5-1.

Saturday's matches

Citizens vs Black Africa 14:00 Unam Sport Stadium

Unam vs Young African 16:00 Unam Sport Stadium

Eleven Arrows vs Life Fighters 14:00 Kuisebmond Stadium

Blue Waters vs Orlando Pirates 16:00 Kuisebmond Stadium

Tigers vs Young Chiefs 14:00 SKW Stadium

Tura Magic vs Chief Santos SKW Stadium 16:00 SKW Stadium

Mighty Gunners vs Civics 15:00 Paresis Stadium

Rundu Chiefs vs African Stars 15:00 Rundu Sport Stadium

Sunday's matches

Citizens vs Young African 13:00 Unam Sport Stadium

Unam vs Black Africa 15:00 Unam Sport Stadium

Blue Waters vs Life Fighters 13:00 Kuisebmond Stadium

Eleven Arrows vs Orlando Pirates 15:00 Kuisebmond Stadium

Tura Magic vs Young Chiefs 13:00 SKW Stadium

Tigers vs Chief Santos 15:00 SKW Stadium

Mighty Gunners vs African Stars 13:00 Paresis Stadium

Rundu Chiefs vs Civics 13:00 Rundu Sport Stadium

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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Gome reunited with Civics

November 2, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Gome reunited with Civics

Namibian international midfielder Wangu Gome says he is happy to have rejoined Civics.

The former Bidvest Wits player was released by the South African club at the end of last season and has been looking for a new club.

Gome still believes that he is destined to play in South Africa despite rejoining Civics.

The player has already made two appearances in this season's MTC Namibia Premier League.

“Well, I had to keep myself busy and I do believe that Civics are the right football club for me.

“I am not sure if I am going to be here for a long time because there are good things brewing in South Africa.

“December could be the breakthrough month for me because there have been some positive talks between me and some clubs there,” Gome said. Gome joined Wits in the 2015/16 season, but was underutilised by the club during his two year spell with the South African giants. He got his first taste of cup success in South Africa when Bidvest Wits powered to an emphatic 3-0 win over Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 final last year.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

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Hockey League awards top achievers

November 2, 2017, 3:00 pm

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Hockey League awards top achieversWOBSC and Unam are league winners A total of 361 matches were played and 968 players were registered, representing an increase of 35 percent over the past two years.

The Bank Windhoek National Outdoor Hockey League awarded its top players, teams and officials at an awards ceremony held on Wednesday at the Doc Jubber Hockey Fields in Windhoek.

In the Men's Premier League, the WOBSC team were handed the championship trophy for the season.

In the Women's Premier League, Unam took to the podium to receive their trophy.

Dylan Finch from WOBSC walked away with the top goal scorer award in the men's division while Maggy Mengo from Unam was the top goal scorer in the women's division.

“At Bank Windhoek, we want to be the connectors of positive change, taking hands and building partnerships with fellow Namibians, enabling growth. It is for this reason that we have formed a partnership with the Namibia Hockey Union (NHU) for the past two years. This is in support of NHU's efforts to improve sports in our country,” said Bank Windhoek executive Jacquiline Pack.

Pack further highlighted how privileged Bank Windhoek was to have contributed towards the recently concluded Bank Windhoek Hockey Developmental League where a record number of 97 teams participated.

Boys and girls in the age groups under-8, under-10, under-12 and under-14 participated.

“This is a remarkable achievement which has enabled access at grassroots level,” said Pack.

NHU president Marc Nel thanked Bank Windhoek for its support and said that hockey's future in Namibia looks bright and secure.

“Congratulations to all the athletes. We honour your dedication, passion and commitment in creating value for sports in Namibia,” Pack said.

SPORT REPORTER

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One and the same

November 2, 2017, 3:00 pm

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One and the same The paradox of Zim’s status and coming vote Zimbabwe's current political conundrum is hinged on Zanu-PF's weakness and the opposition's confusion.

Zanu-PF is engulfed in a fierce succession battle and it has never been this weak since its formation in 1963. On the other hand, the opposition finds itself enmeshed in the doldrums of confusion. In other words, Zimbabwe’s political infrastructure is frail and uninspiring at the moment. This sets the stage for what is most likely going to be a dull and uneventful election in 2018.

However, any election anywhere is critical. In Zimbabwe’s context, despite the frail political infrastructure, the forthcoming 2018 election is actually a watershed moment. Its importance is not only premised on how the outcome may impact a number of things and ultimately the country’s trajectory, but on the fact that this election is likely going to mark the end of an era and maybe error.

Two fierce rivals

Zimbabwe’s political landscape is chiefly dominated by two fierce rivals, President Robert Mugabe and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Ever since the replacement of white minority rule with black majority rule, these two political strongmen have shaped the political course and narrative of Zimbabwe more than any other individuals.

Zimbabweans have perennially and precariously meandered in the corridors of failure, anxiety and despondency chiefly premised on what most view as Mugabe’s entitlement and Tsvangirai’s victimhood. The departure of these political nemeses from Zimbabwe’s political scene will usher in new and interesting dynamics. They have undoubtedly inscribed an indelible mark on Zimbabwean politics.

Who is Robert Mugabe?

Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924 at Kutama in Zvimba district, where he took his formative education classes. Mugabe later worked as a school teacher in the then Rhodesia and Ghana before joining politics. After embracing and absorbing Marxism, Mugabe became one of the first black Zimbabwean nationalists who spoke against white minority rule. This led to his arrest and subsequent stay in prison between 1963 and 1974.

After spending approximately 10 years in prison, Mugabe moved to Mozambique where he established a base from which he directed Zanu's efforts in the war against Ian Smith’s regime. At the end of a protracted bush war and the subsequent Lancaster House Agreement, Mugabe led Zanu to victory in the 1980 general elections thereby becoming the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, while Canaan Banana became President.

In 1987, after the merging of Zanu and PF Zapu to form Zanu-PF, Mugabe became President. From 1980 to date, Mugabe has presided over the affairs of Zimbabwe.

And 37 years of Mugabe’s leadership have seen Zimbabwe oscillating between hope and despondency. In 37 years, Mugabe made and destroyed his legacy. Undeniably now in the dusk of his political and earthly life, Mugabe represents two things - the liberation struggle and victory over white minority rule and leadership failure for being unable to steer the country towards meaningful development.

A cut-throat politician, Mugabe has maintained his grip on power using any possible means. He allows nothing and no-one to stand in the way of his pathological need for power and adulation. In order to retain power, Mugabe has presided over monumental human rights violations such as Gukurahundi, the chaotic land redistribution programme, Murambatsvina/Clean up Campaign, multiple electoral frauds and even the demise of his opponents under suspicious circumstances.

Who is Morgan Tsvangirai?

Morgan Tsvangirai was born in 1952 in Buhera district as the eldest of nine children. After completing high school, Tsvangirai worked in the textile and mining industries. In 1980, Tsvangirai joined Zanu and he rose through the ranks within the party before becoming actively involved in the affairs of Zimbabwe’s trade union movement. In 1989, he became the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the umbrella trade union organisation in the country. Tsvangirai was instrumental in leading ZCTU from the Zanu-PF hegemony. This led to the unavoidable breakdown of his relationship with Zanu-PF.

Tsvangirai’s critical role in the leadership of the labour movement catapulted him to be one of the founding members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999. Under his courageous leadership, the MDC became an instant challenge to Zanu PF, proving to be a worthy alternative.

Tsvangirai and the MDC have won elections against Mugabe and Zanu-PF, but they were denied the opportunity and right to assume power by the incumbent. For instance, the 2008 election is a stark attestation of how Tsvangirai and the MDC won elections, but Mugabe and Zanu-PF stood in the way of a power transfer leading to the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in 2009. The GNU was made up of Zanu-PF and the opposition. Tsvangirai was the prime minister and Mugabe remained president for the entire duration of the GNU.

Ever since its formation, the MDC has participated in elections with Tsvangirai as its presidential candidate. His leadership prowess or lack thereof has been tested several times.

In 2005, the MDC suffered its first major split when the then secretary-general Welshman Ncube left the party together with others, to form their own party. History repeated itself after a shock defeat of the opposition in the 2013 election. Party secretary-general, Tendai Biti left the party in 2014 together with the likes of Elton Mangoma to form another opposition party.

In spite of all that, Tsvangirai remained standing and he is still standing albeit on shaky ground. Ever since the disbanding of the GNU in 2013, Tsvangirai’s political and personal troubles seem to have escalated. Ultimately, Tsvangirai remains the face of the ostensibly fractured opposition as evidenced by his assumption of the MDC Alliance leadership. The MDC Alliance comprises of Tsvangirai’s MDC-T, Ncube’s MDC, Biti’s PDP and other smaller political parties. There are other opposition alliances, the Coalition of Democrats (CODE) alliance led by Mangoma and the People’s Rainbow Alliance led by former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

What do Mugabe and Tsvangirai have in common?

1. They both uphold politics of personalities

The Mugabe-Tsvangirai era is infested by what I deem to be a political or leadership error. Both of them exhibit this error. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are unquestionable masters of politics of personalities. They have both erroneously built themselves into not only becoming the faces of their political formations, but the lifeline of those. Zimbabwean politics is not premised on systems, but personalities.

Even though it may be wise for both to be resting from active politics by now, they continue to hazardously hold on to power.

2. They are both ideas and a way of doing things

In Zanu-PF it is Mugabe the person and Mugabe the system. In MDC-T, it’s Tsvangirai the person and Tsvangirai the system. These two political godfathers must not be viewed and analysed as mere persons. They are more than that within the organisations they lead.

Both have become an idea and a way of doing things within their political formations. They are revered and recognised by their followers as the centres of power. Those who dare to go against these two individuals within their organisations automatically find themselves in the feather plucking den.

3. They are both unwell

Mugabe and Tsvangirai are both grappling with health challenges. At 93, Mugabe is obviously frail and fighting ailments which come along with old age. Although he appears strong for his age, Mugabe often travels to the Far East for medical attention.

His health status has attracted attention on numerous occasions after falling asleep during a meeting/conference or after tripping when walking. On the other hand, Tsvangirai is not well and in 2016 he revealed that he was undergoing cancer treatment. His health situation has seen him travelling to South Africa several times for treatment.

4. They both divide and rule

Mugabe and Tsvangirai both accentuate the divide and rule approach in their leadership. Cliques and factions are inevitable in any organisation. They are a result of growth and convergence or divergence of interests.

As we approach the 2018 election, the most important question I find myself striving to satiate with an answer is whether the 2018 elections will mark the end of the Mugabe-Tsvangirai era and of course the error attached to this era. If nothing drastic happens between now and the 2018 elections, all indicators point towards the fact that it is pretty much going to be a two-horse race. The horses will be Mugabe and Tsvangirai. – News24

*Patson Dzamara is a political analyst, leadership coach and author based in Zimbabwe

Paston Dzamara

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SPYL a kwatako olweendo lyokoRussia - DTA

November 2, 2017, 3:00 pm

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SPYL a kwatako olweendo lyokoRussia - DTA Aanyasha yamwe 72 oya zi peni? Ewawa lyAanyasha mongundu yoDTA olya nyana oNational Youth Council oshowo Swapo youth league omolwa evundakano lyaholoka pethimbo lyolweendo okuya koRussia omwedhi ya piti.

Amushanga gwEwawa lyAanyasha moDTA,Benson Katjirijova okwa lundile Ewawa lyAanyasha yoSwapo kutya olya kwatako o 2017 World Festival of Youth and Students nokuyambidhidha omupresidende Hage Geingob.

Geingob ota kutha ombinga medhigathano lyuupresidende wongundu yoSwapo, pamwe naJerry Ekandjo oshowo Nahas Angula, pethimbo lyomutumba gomahogololo gongundu ngoka tagu ningwa omwedhi nguka.

Momutumba gwiikundneki ngoka gwa ningwa mOvenduka, Katjirijova, okwa popi kutya mokati kaakuthimbinga 172 mboka ya yi koSochi, Russia, omwedhi gwa piti, oopresenda 95 odhiilyo yoSwapo.

Okwa popi kutya momusholondondo gwaakumbinga mboka, omwa li owala aakuthimbinga yatano yongundu yoDTA, omukuthimbinga gumwe gwoRally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) oshowo gumwe gwongundu yoNudo.

Omwedhi gwa piti, oshifokundaneki shoNamibian Sun, osha lopota kutya epangelo olya futu oshimaliwa shoomiliyona 5 molweendo ndoka.

Ehangano lyoNational Youth Council (NYC), ndyoka lyuunganeka olweendo ndoka, olya futu ehangano lyoAir Namibia opo odhila yontumba yi fale owala yuukilila aakuthimbinga mboka okuza moNamibia okuya koRusssia.

Katjirijova okwa popi kutya iinima oya ka piyagana petameko omolwa omakwatathano gankundipala nomalongekidho mehangano lyoAir Namibia.

“Sho twa thiki pokapale koodhila moRussia, otwa mono iihuna okumona omulalo molwaashoka oRussian Federation oya li owala ya tegelela aakuthimbinga 100 okuza koNamibia. Epulo oondika kutya aakuthimbinga ya gwedhwapo 72 oya zi peni,” amushanga ngoka apula.

Okwa popi kutya aakuthimbinga mboka oya kala owala momikala molwaashoka inaya pitikwa okuya meni lyoshinyangamoka mwa ningilwa oshituthi.

Okwa popi woo kutya iizalomwa mbyoka ya pewa koRussian Federation oyi na oshilimbo shEwawa lyAanyasha yoSwapo, pehala lyoshilimbo shoNYC.

Okwa popi kutya oya li woo ya indikwa okuya omutumba dhimwepo ndhoka dha ningwa pooha, naantu mboka ya popi kombinga yaJerry Ekandjo oya ningilwa omatilitho opo yamwene.

Omupopiliko gwoNYC okwa ukitha omapulo ngoka a pulwa koNamibian Sun, koSPYL molwaashoka aniwa olweendo ndoka olwa longekidhwa kuyo melongelo kumwe newawa ndyoka.

Omupopiliko gwoSPLY, Neville Itope ina vula okuyamukula komapulo ngoka, pethimbo e ganingilwa molwaashoka okwa li ta hingi.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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