Harders Cup launched

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Harders Cup launchedFootball to excite crowd The town of Lüderitz launched the 2018 Harders Cup last week Friday to much excitement from the community. The football tournament will kick off on 31 March to 1 April and is expected to draw a large crowd of football spectators.

The winners of the tournament will receive N$100 000, runners-up will receive N$50 000, while N$20 000 will go to the team that takes third place. The top goal scorer will receive N$10 000.

Thus year's competition will have 10 teams competing, compared to six last year.

Chief organiser and founder Tim Ekandjo launched the tournament and announced that the 2018 edition of the Harders Cup will see two teams from Keetmanshoop and one team from Rosh Pinah join the seven teams in Lüderitz to make this a truly spectacular and mouth-watering soccer tournament.

“Real Fighters, Orange Rangers from Keetmanshoop and Mountain Rangers from Rosh Pinah will join Atlanta Bucs, Atlantic Stars, Diamond City, Rush Ups, Man United, Pescanova and the 2017 winner Youngsters from Luderitz to battle it out for the grand prize.

“I'm also pleased to inform you that the music bash will see an increased line up of artist with Namibia's NAMA winners Adora, TBoss & Staika and Gazza being featured in the line-up alongside Tulisan and Distruction Boyz from South Africa for a truly spectacular musical treat,” he said.

The tournament will be delivered at a total budget of N$1 238 500 and so far N$660 000 has been secured.

Ekandjo is confident that they can raise the outstanding N$578 400 if there is meaningful participation from the business community in Lüderitz and the Karas Region.

“I would sincerely like to thank our platinum sponsors Standard Bank (N$150 000), Seaflower (N$100 000), Gold sponsors Telecom Namibia and Tafel Lager (N$100 000 each) Silver sponsor J&P Group of Companies (N$50 000), Bronze sponsors Novanam, Coca-Cola and Pamoja Records (all N$25 000), Nampower and Naftal Trading Enterprises N$10 000 each,” he said.

Officiating at a packed launch at the Lüderitz Benguela Community Hall, the Mayor of Lüderitz, Hilaria Mukapuli, welcomed the return of the Harders Cup.

“I was very impressed with the manner in which this initiative was introduced to Lüderitz, well planned and executed and already an overwhelming success in its first year.

“I have no doubt that the 2018 event will be even better. I'm happy to note that the significant growth in the event's vision by now becoming a truly regional event which is an aggressive strategy which mirrors the organiser Ekandjo,” she said.

She urged all Buchters and people from the Karas Region to show up for the tournament, as entrance will be free.

Mukapuli also added that Ekandjo and his equally capable team have shown visionary leadership and commitment towards the real meaning of the word social responsibility and they must be applauded.

“Events like this are of vital importance for the promotion of economic growth, job creation and the mitigation of poverty,” she said.

The highlight of the event was the live draw based on a knockout basis. The tournament will kick off with defending champions Youngsters facing Atlanta Bucs. The two teams share a historic rivalry and will make for a mouth-watering opening match.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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Do not criminalise the law-abiding

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Do not criminalise the law-abiding Yes, there are tax dodgers who owe the government lots in outstanding taxes and yes, there are a lot of tenderpreneurs who benefitted in the past, who also owe a lot. Deal with them in the strictest possible terms and to the full extent of the law, if they have not paid up by 11 March 2018. However, do not criminalise normal, law-abiding people and companies at the same time. That would be a grave mistake.

It is no big secret that our government, through the Ministry of Finance, needs to get its hands on money to replace all that has been wasted - lots of it and pretty sharpish as well.

The core of the problem lies in the fact that the collection agency - the Inland Revenue (IR) offices across the country - is a spectacular mess! Incompetence and arrogance reign supreme in these areas.

Whether this is to disguise the absence of a much-needed intricate knowledge of accounting and tax laws is debatable. What is crystal clear is the fact that very few of these people are up to the task (maybe through no fault of their own) of keeping up with a fast-moving and quite complicated 21st century environment.

From the side of the private sector, you have CAs, accountants, bookkeepers and whoever else.

They know their tax laws and what they are doing when assisting their clients in tax matters. They are supposed to be working together with and assisting the IRin revenue collection. But these poor people are so fed up with struggling with the supposed tax collectors at the IR that they don't feel compelled to do this anymore. And therein lies the problem for our finance ministry. You cannot prosecute people through the processes of the law if you do not adhere to the very same law yourself.

Couple this with the fact that judging by past performances, these hard-earned tax dollars are just going to be wasted after collection - that will just add to a general reluctance to pay up.

Competence is key here!

Shot of the day

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Shot of the day FLOODED: A photo taken on 29 January shows roads and a home submerged in floodwater from the Seine River in Villennes-sur-Seine, west of Paris. The swollen Seine peaked at more than four metres above its normal level, leaving a lengthy mop-up job for Parisians after days of rising waters that have put the soggy city on alert. Photo: NAMPA/AFP

Namibia lose to Nepal

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Namibia lose to Nepal The national senior cricket team lost their opening match of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Division Two tournament by a single wicket against Nepal at the Wanderers field on Thursday.

Nepal narrowly won the game scoring 139 for nine to chase down the home team's modest effort of 138 all out batting first.

Namibia was due to take on Kenya on Friday, however due to the rain no play was possible.

The match resumed on Saturday with the Namibian bowlers restricting Kenya to 83 all out, but once again the rain stopped play with Namibia on 15/0 after five overs.

With Tuesday being a reserve day, the match will be replayed in its entirety then, the newspaper was told.

Yesterday, Namibia was to play Oman.



LIMBA MUPETAMI

Battling it out in the rain

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Battling it out in the rain Local teams in the Topscore 7-A-side tournament were battling it out at Ramblers Sports Field in Windhoek despite the rain over the weekend.

Teams were using three fields at once as close to 74 registered to take part in the 19th annual competition.

It is still early in the tournament as teams were testing out each other and trying to eliminate one another to maintain top points.

Namibia's largest milling company, Namib Mills, launched the tournament at the Ramblers Sports Club last week Tuesday.

The tournament is the biggest and most popular social football event in Namibia. It features the best corporate and business seven-a-side football teams in the country.

The tournament is a collaborative venture with Ramblers sports club and has been growing steadily over the past eighteen years. The value of the total investment into the tournament is N$126 100, with Ramblers receiving N$28 000 as administrators of the event.

Prize money for the winning team consist of N$13 000 for winners, N$8 000 for the runners-up, N$6 500 for third place and fourth place will walk away with N$3 000.

The event is Namibia's oldest and largest social football competition and it's aimed at community upliftment and engagement.

The tournament will continue throughout the month of February.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Matanyu, Amutoko win Rössing Marathon

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Matanyu, Amutoko win Rössing MarathonNew champions for long distance The 2018 Rössing national marathon championship was held at Swakopmund on Saturday. Over 400 runners took part in the marathon which was held for the 27th consecutive time. The event, which was held under the theme, 'For the Health of It', had various running categories for different age groups. These categories included the 42km full marathon, 21km half-marathon, 10km fun run and a 5km fun walk.

In the men's race, the full marathon was won by Zambian national Mathews Matanyu, who crossed the finish line in a time of 2:16:52. Matanyu beat Namibian Tomas Rainhold to first place as his rival finished the race after him with 2:17:35 on the clock. Oscar Komeya finished the 42km in third place to earn himself a place on the podium.

The women's full marathon provided a full sprint to the finish line as Anna Amutoko beat compatriot Leena Ekandjo by 13 seconds to be crowned the overall winner, in a time of 2:53:45. Ekandjo's efforts were good enough to fend off her nearest rival, Ottilie Climwata, who finished her race in third place.

Matanyu and Amatoko each walked away with N$10 000 in prize money. Second-placed Rainhold and Ekandjo both received N$5 000, while Oscar Komeya and Ottilie Climwata received N$3 000 for their third-place finishes.

The 42km full marathon's route started from Vineta North Sports Field and followed the Henties Bay road towards Ocean View. The route included a turn 21km into the C34 road, which lead to the marathon's finishing point, where it started, at the Vineta Sports Field.

During her keynote speech after the marathon, Rössing Uranium's general manager of operations, Liezl Davies, said that the aim of the marathon was to promote a healthy lifestyle in the mine's neighbouring communities.

“Rössing Uranium strives to create positive social impact where we operate, helping to improve living standards, health wellbeing and education in our host communities,” she said.

She added that the marathon's partner, Swakop Striders, would use the funds generated through the entry fees to assist local athletes to further their sports careers.

The funds generated from the entry fees of the 5km fun walk will be used by the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) for cancer awareness campaigns.

ADOLF KAURE

Company news in brief

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Company news in brief Namdeb puts mine up for sale

Namdeb, a 50/50 joint venture between the Namibian government and Anglo American's diamond unit De Beers, has put the Elizabeth Bay Mine up for sale, a company spokeswoman said on Friday.

The sale comes three weeks after the diamond miner wrote to staff offering voluntary redundancies that will affect at least 130 of its 1 700-strong workforce.

"Following a recent review, it was concluded that the best way to secure a longer future for the mine, beyond the current projected 2019 life, is to find a more suitable operator," spokeswoman Pauline Thomas said in a statement.

The mine, located along the southwestern coast of Namibia near the town of Luderitz, produced around 200 000 carats in 2017 and employs approximately 160 people.

Diamond mining generates 20% of Namibia's export earnings. – Nampa/Reuters

Steinhoff Africa Retail's revenue jumps

Steinhoff Africa Retail (STAR) reported a 15.5% increase in revenue for the quarter ended December on Friday, thanks mainly to a strong showing at discount clothing chains.

Steinhoff Africa Retail, spun off from Steinhoff International Holdings last year, said revenue grew to R18.4 billion in the three-months ended Dec.31. On a comparable basis, revenue grew 8.5% for the quarter.

Pep and Ackermans are clothing retailers. STAR also has stores selling building materials, furniture, consumer electronics and appliances.

STAR said in its trading update that while the building materials market was expected to remain subdued, the positive momentum in the remainder of the STAR group was expected to further drive performance in the 2018 financial year.

Steinhoff spun off its African chains to get a higher rating for its developed market businesses and to give investors keen on exposure to Africa a chance to invest in STAR directly. – Nampa/Reuters

Maersk profit misses forecast

A.P. Moller-Maersk's move to focus on transport and jettison oil was tested on Friday as the world's largest container shipping firm missed profit forecasts and gave what analysts saw as a conservative outlook.

While fourth-quarter EBITDA rose to US$844 million from US$605 million, this fell short of the US$896 million forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.

Maersk expects underlying net profit to rise this year and 3-4% growth in seaborne container transportation, after a 5% advance last year, it said.

A sweeping consolidation of container lines has helped the industry recover from a severe downturn that culminated in the collapse of South Korea's Hanjin Shipping in 2016.

The consolidation - including Maersk's takeover of Hamburg SA, Cosco offer to buy to buy Hong Kong's OOCL, and the merger of three Japanese liners - has almost halved the number of global container shipping firms since 2015. – Nampa/Reuters

L'Oreal eyes Nestle stake in cosmetics leader

L'Oreal signalled its readiness to buy Nestle's 23% stake in the world's biggest cosmetics firm on Friday, which along with strong results lifted the French company's shares.

L'Oreal said it could finance a purchase of the holding, which is now worth around 22.3 billion euros (US$27.4 billion), with cash, by selling its stake in French pharmaceutical group Sanofi or through borrowing.

Billionaire Liliane Bettencourt's death in September has focused attention on how L'Oreal's founding family and its major shareholder Swiss food group Nestle would manage their stakes.

Investor Daniel Loeb, founder of hedge fund Third Point, has pushed for Nestle to sell its L'Oreal stake among his demands for the Swiss firm to speed a strategy overhaul. – Nampa/Reuters

Facebook pledges millions for community leaders

Facebook said Friday that it will issue up to US$10 million in grants to help support and train community leaders around the world.

The Facebook Community Leadership Programme will offer residency, fellowship and training opportunities, as well as community leadership circles and specialised assistance on the social networking platform.

While the social network is a platform for virtual communities to gather, it is also a vehicle for advertisers to reach its more than 2 billion active users. Facebook last week said it booked nearly US$13 billion in sales in the last three months of last year.

Leaders at Friday's Facebook gathering included those from Blind Veterans UK, which supports blind veterans and their families; Donna Mamma, a support group for French mothers; and Berlin Bruisers, which is Germany's first gay-inclusive rugby club. – Nampa/AFP

Oshakati hospital gets facelift

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Oshakati hospital gets facelift ILENI NANDJATO

The Oshakati Intermediate Hospital will soon get a new intensive care unit (ICU) and operating theatre.

The hospital’s acting medical superintendent, Dr Vizkaya Amutenya, made the announcement during the inauguration of an obstetric theatre on Wednesday.

The ministry of health and social services has renovated and expanded the hospital’s maternity section, including the new theatre, at a cost of N$3 million.

Amutenya said women in labour would no longer be taken to the hospital’s main theatre, which was usually fully booked. He said the dedicated obstetric theatre would help reduce complications for mothers and their babies.

“There was a need for a theatre at the maternity ward. We decided for the ward to be renovated and so that we could create space for a theatre room. All the maternity-related cases will no longer be taken to the main theatre, but they will be attended in the maternity ward.

“This will also reduce complications that could otherwise occur while taking the patient to the main theatre, which is a bit far,” Amutenya said.

He added that the new facilities would reduce the workload at the main theatre and also the waiting period for patients needing surgery.

Every day between 27 and 30 women go into labour at the Oshakati hospital.

Amutenya said the next sections to be improved were the main theatre, central supply department (CSD) and ICU.

“We have not received the official communication yet, but consultations with technicians have already started. The work will not affect operations at the current facilities because these will be new facilities away from the existing ones,” he said.

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AME Church eviction battle forges ahead

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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AME Church eviction battle forges ahead The Windhoek High Court has dismissed with costs an absolution from the instance application, brought by a splinter grouping that broke away from the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, in an ongoing eviction battle involving a church building in Hoachanas.

The AME Church leadership ultimately wants the splinter grouping evicted from the church building, but had to first prove on the balance of probabilities that it is the owner of the building.

The leaders of the splinter grouping, Petrus Simon Moses Kooper and Timotheus Dausab, who are the remaining defendants in the main matter, brought the absolution from the instance application, after the AME Church closed its case.

Kooper and Dausab had claimed that AME Church had not shown that it had the requisite legal capacity to institute the eviction proceedings, and therefore wanted the court to rule in their favour in the eviction matter, without them being required to testify.

Absolution from the instance is an application that can be brought when the party that does not carry the burden of proof in a case, is convinced that the party that does carry the burden of proof has presented such a weak case that they failed to make a prima facie case.

The party that does not carry the burden of proof then applies for absolution from the instance, after the first party has closed its case. If the application is granted, the presiding judge decides on the matter without hearing evidence from the party that does not carry the burden of proof.

The splinter grouping claims that they do not carry the burden of proof in the case.

They had argued that the AME Church had presented weak arguments and that it had failed to establish a prima facie case for ownership.

However, the court disagreed and the splinter grouping, calling themselves the New AME Church and which has been using Erf 140 at Hoachanas for their services since 2005, will now have to lead evidence in the main eviction matter, for which court dates are still to be decided.

Meanwhile, Shimue Mbudje, an associate at ENS, withdrew from the case citing non-payment of legal costs and lack of proper preparation before trial.

New counsel must be appointed before a new date can be set.

Two other defendants, Hendrik /Gariseb and Abraham Jagger, will no longer play any role in the matter.

“The court is cautiously reluctant to grant an application from absolution from the instance, unless the interests so demand,” Judge Thomas Masuku said in his ruling on the application.

He ruled that the defendants were not entitled to raise the issue of AME Church's capacity to bring the eviction proceedings, because the issue of capacity had not been raised in the pre-trial order.

“In any event the defendants had unilaterally withdrawn the exception in which they had raised the issue of capacity to sue.

“Where it becomes necessary for any of the parties to have the pre-trial order varied, strong, cogent reasons must be advanced,” Masuku said.

FRED GOEIEMAN

'SOE reforms are nasty'

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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'SOE reforms are nasty' The minister of public enterprises, Leon Jooste, says it will require a lot of political will to turn around embattled state-owned enterprises.

He was speaking at an event organised by the Economics Association of Namibia on Tuesday.

Some of the reforms required would not be without resistance, Jooste said, but it had to be done in the interest of the country at the end of the day.

“We need a large amount of political backing. SOE reforms are nasty and there will always be casualties and [these] casualties will always involve people,” he said.

According to Jooste, there is no easy way around the government's planned reform to revive ailing SOEs.

“If we are not willing to make tough decisions, we will remain challenged,” he said.

Referring to similar reforms in Singapore and Malaysia, he said the involvement of the heads of state had contributed significantly to turning the tide.

Rand Merchant Bank Namibia independent director Steve Galloway said the private sector was willing to help the government in its quest to revive ailing SOEs and to fund expensive projects.

Galloway was of the opinion that this would improve the government's debt-to-GDP profile.

“We [private sector] figured that we can take the burden of government in about three years. Development finance institutions and the private sector can take the load of government. That would make the debt profile palatable,” Galloway said at the briefing.

Jooste also acknowledged that the government had not always been a good shareholder.

“We've not managed to be a professional shareholder for our public enterprises. That's why our president created this ministry and that is our focus,” he said.

“It is the shareholder that appoints the board… the shareholder who approves the turnaround strategies… the shareholder who must ensure that there is accountability, transparency (and that) corporate governance principles are adhered to.”

Jooste said the government's failure resulted in an “SOE culture”.

“The SOE culture is typically what you would see from many of the commercial entities. The bailout culture,” he said.

To address these shortcomings, Jooste said his ministry started to challenge SOEs' unfeasible business plans. “In the past, business plans were approved without being evaluated by a professional body, so they were doomed to from the beginning,” he said.

-additional reporting by Nampa

OGONE TLHAGE

Serious flaws in cybersecurity bill

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Serious flaws in cybersecurity billGovt should go back to the drawing board The bill does not comply with international and regional guidelines, and the legality of some portions has been questioned. Serious concerns have been expressed about a lack of widespread input, potential privacy violations and lack of coherency and expertise related to the 2017 Electronic Transactions and Cybercrime Bill under review by the government.

A key recommendation contained in a briefing paper on the topic titled 'Tackling Cybersecurity and Crime In Namibia, Calling For a Human Rights-Respecting Framework', is for the government go back to the drawing board and address substantial flaws contained in the current version.

“We call for the restarting of the law drafting process of a cybercrime/security law, while finalising the Electronic Transactions Bill, separately from a cybercrime law, as a matter of urgency,” the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) wrote.

The briefing paper was created in response to the fact that the government seems to be in the final stages of refining the draft law, without significant changes since it first drew widespread criticism last year from civil society.

A major criticism highlighted by the IPPR is that the bill does not comply with international and regional guidelines, and that some portions of the bill raise questions around their legality.

“Unlike cybersecurity laws the world over, the bill's cybersecurity provisions are a mish-mash and do not deal in a structured and substantially consequential way with the necessary aspects of combating cybercriminal activities.”

The author of the special briefing report, Federico Links, advised that lawmakers should view the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill of South Africa to understand “what a coherent contemporary cybersecurity law proposal looks like”.

The bill, which was “unexpectedly” tabled in February 2017 by information and communications technology minister Tjekero Tweya, drew criticism from the IPPR for “not having been crafted in an extensively consultative process”.

Despite this it “managed to make it into the parliamentary agenda in early 2017”, the briefing paper notes.

The IPPR quoted Privacy International who warned that cyber policy laws are “in their infancy” and “truly effective security must be done as a collaboration and no one actor can claim to have the solution.

This requires trust and efforts to understand different stakeholder perspectives.”



Unchecked, unobserved

The IPPR also expressed alarm at provisions in the bill that would grant state agents unchecked access to computer systems.

Of “utmost concern” is that the bill appears to “enable warrantless search and seizure operations, while other sections seem to allow for a system of secret warrants and unauthorized access by state agents.”

Further, that the lack of oversight would “amount to government hacking of private computer systems. The legality of these provisions is highly questionable.”

The IPPR also expressed worry that the bill is “worryingly thin on personal data and privacy protections, and the little that is there comes across as severely under-developed.”

The draft law does not provide adequate personal data protection that is in line with international best practice.

The paper notes that the draft law “suffers from a lack of transparency” and does not contain provisions that would compel government authorities or private companies to account for their actions publicly.

Another issue is “the vesting of what appears to be excessive discretionary decision-making and appointing powers to the minister.”

While some have defended the urgency of the bill, on account of increasing protections for online child predation, the IPPR notes that the bill is an “inappropriate place to deal with child online protections and safeguards.”

The IPPR recommends that instead these safeguards, which are “highly and urgently necessary”, should be dealt with through amendments to the Child Care and Protection law.



No public input

The IPPR expressed concern that while consultations have been limited, indications are that government intends to push a cybersecurity law through this year, despite numerous questions of the contents and other factors related to the bill.

Links stated that the ministerial consultations held last year, “appeared to be merely procedural in nature and before, during and after this exercise it was clearly implied that there would be no substantial changes made to the bill text and such should not be expected.”

The IPPR moreover highlighted that the bill is not in line with regional and international guidelines, noting that the bill “lacks coherence.”

The IPPR proposes that before the bill is passed, Namibia should ratify the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection “as a matter of urgency.”

Government should use the AU convention as a guide for the designing, drafting and implementation of a cybercrime and security regulatory framework, the IPPR urged.

The paper underscores problems with key definitions in the bill, including the fact that neither cybercrime nor cybersecurity are defined in the proposed law.

Also, that the bill that the fact that cybercrime provisions in the bill seem to have been “tagged on”, goes against “best practice in legislating for cybersecurity, or against cybercrime.

The IPPR advised that globally, cybersecurity and cybercrime laws are distinct and stand-alone laws.

In line with this, the IPPR proposed that government should restart the process and construct a “much improved cybersecurity and cybercrime framework” and keep the Electronic Transactions bill separate.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Jacobs breaks national indoor record

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Jacobs breaks national indoor record Namibian athlete Jolene Jacobs broke the Namibian 60m indoor record in Amsterdam on 2 February.

The sprinter from the Welwitschia Athletics Club was competing at the EAP league meeting at the Ostmeer Sportcentrum were she won her heat in 7.50 seconds.

On Saturday she was competing at an indoor meeting in Ghent, Belgium as she tried to qualify for the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships which will be held in March in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

She was competing against great names in athletics, such as Dafne Schippers, a Dutch track-and-field athlete.

She was in the national races – a pre-programme where she scored 7.51 in her heat.

From there she went to the international races were she competed against top female athletes.

Overall she was placed eighth in her heat and continued to run despite picking up an injury and scored a time of 7.61 which was not enough to put her through as she needed to score 7.40 seconds to qualify.

Despite her performance in Belgium she sees herself making history for Namibia.

“We are a small country and thus it is difficult to get out there and compete against the world. It all just depends on how hard you work and what you are willing to sacrifice,” she said, speaking from Belgium.

Her main goal is to want to improve day by day and work towards the 2019 Africa and the 2020 Olympic Games.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Sadney Urikhob: My time in the Indonesian league

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Sadney Urikhob: My time in the Indonesian leaguePlanting seeds abroad Indonesia may not be the obvious destination for a Namibian footballer, but it's the place Sadney Urikhob calls home. The Namibian-born footballer's drive to succeed has secured him yet another contract at Indonesia's Liga 1 PSMS Medan club.

The striker left for Medan on a free transfer in December but before that had a stint in the Thai league playing for club Sarabui in 2015, Super Power FC 2016/2017 and Police Tero FC as well.

But before that the athletic Namibian was roped in by Namibia Premier League's Orlando Pirates where he began his club career before signing for Ramblers and then later he moved to Civics.

Things started to look up for Urikhob and that's when he planned his move to South Africa Premiership (PSL) club AmaZulu, but the move was unsuccessful, forcing him to return to his former club Civics.

Soon after, prospects of moving to Thailand came in and the Namibian grabbed it with both hands. However, before he received the break to play at club level or abroad, he started like any other young footballer in Namibia, playing in the dusty streets of Windhoek.

“It was a hassle to get me to take a break from football. At home they would force me just to sit down for a meal or to do my homework,” he narrated.

“Football is something which I enjoyed from a young age. If you saw me as a kid, I was always kicking a ball.”

Speaking from Indonesia, Urikhob said the local clubs shaped his career and helped him to become a better footballer and that is a memory he will always cherish.

“I had a great time playing in Namibia. If I have to return one day I would play for one of the clubs as long as they welcome me and are organised,” he said.

But for now he is focused on making a name for himself in the Indonesian league as he has already scored a goal in three matches and assisted three times. He said he enjoys the experience at his new club as he picks up a lot of experience and skills. Skills which he said is also aided by watching European players like Ronaldo and Sergio Aquero play. “I watch their matches and pick one or two things. I then combine what I can use when I play,” he said.

The fast forward said playing in Thailand and Indonesia is very different from Namibia as supporters are crazy about their football. “They are passionate and always make sure to turn up for their clubs. It's very hot indeed but it's something I had to get used to.”

“Playing in Thailand was a great experience. I struggled at first because of the hot weather but with a lot of encouragement and ice baths after each training and match I adapted. The fans were very supportive as they enjoy their football,” he said.

He also spoke about the experience in Indonesia saying that it does not vary that much from Thailand. “The weather is the same. The type of play does not vary that much as well. The game is very tactical and organised and players get to hold the ball more,” he said.

Despite playing club football abroad Urikhob said he would like to be a regular for the Brave Warriors, the national team, where he has 21 caps and six goals.

“I love my country and being called is always a privilege. However it is up to the coach to decide. Till then I will work hard,” he said.

When he is not on the field Urikhob enjoys watching TV and spending time with his family who visit him regularly.

He said that he does not enjoy being out and about but likes to rest his body and watch soccer clips. “I like taking care of my body. When I need to rest I do that,” he said. On top of that he advised Namibian footballers to stay away from harmful substances as it might cut their careers short. “Avoid drinking too much and having multiple partners. You need to take your career seriously. When I was not playing professionally I used to eat anything that came my way. This would include fried chicken and I would drink different sodas even before a match.

“Now I follow a strict diet as I need to take care of what I put into my body. We are always doing medicals here and one has to be in the best shape possible,” he said.

He added that Namibian footballers can go far if they train hard and look out for opportunities coming their way.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Omaheke appoints technical team for Newspaper Cup

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Omaheke appoints technical team for Newspaper Cup The Omaheke Region has appointed a regional technical team to prepare the under-20 football team to represent the region at the 2018 The Namibian Newspaper Cup.\

This year's event will be held from 30 March to 2 April at Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region.

The technical team was appointed following a Cattle Country Football League executive committee meeting held earlier this month.

Speaking to Nampa on Friday, Omaheke League chairperson Ludwig 'Croocks' Nunuheb said for the region to perform well in the upcoming event, they deemed it necessary to bring in legends of the game.

“We have lured our former legends back into the game to assist with development and nurturing of our young talent. Through this, I believe not only Omaheke, but the whole of Namibia will be heading for a better future,” he said. Nunuheb said if all works out according to their plan and good preparations, they intend on bringing the cup to Omaheke again.

The eastern region has won the competition on three occasions, including the inaugural The Namibian Newspaper Cup in 2001, held in Windhoek.

In that final, they beat Otjozondjupa 3-1 and won the cup again in 2002 by defeating Oshikoto 3-2 in Otjiwarongo.

They went on to become the first team to win it three times after defeating host Khomas 2-1 in the 2009 final.

Khomas on their part holds the record of most victories, winning the cup four times.

“We would gladly love to have the cup again in our backyard. It's been a while and therefore we will start with 'Operation Vat Alles'. By this we mean to take all the youth cups, including the Under-17 Skorpion Zinc Cup. It is the year of reckoning, nothing less,” Nunuheb bragged.



The technical team members are:

Head coach: Danzyl Bruwer

First assistant coach: Quinton Witbeen

Second assistant coach: Ewald Kavirombo

Head of delegation: Gerhard Uamunika

Technical director: Josefart Jagger

Team manager: Hansina Nunuhes

Assistant team manager: Elwin Lesley Gariseb

Equipment manager: Manfred Doëseb

Team medic: Eugenia Mokgatea

Media officer: Hiskia Mweshitumba

NAMPA

Namibia to host AUSC Marathon for four years

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Namibia to host AUSC Marathon for four yearsDistance athletes expected to excel Namibia will host the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region Five marathon for the next four years, with the first event set to take place on 23 February. The chairperson of the local organising committee, Jo-Ann Manuel, announced at a media conference last Wednesday that the marathon route of 42.2 kilometres was certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last year.

She said the same event took place on the same route last year and the idea is to re-apply for the certification and continue hosting beyond 2021.

AUSC Region Five is made up of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Malawi was the first to host the marathon in 2015 followed by Mozambique in 2016.

“Last year, only Namibia, Malawi and Botswana participated. We however wrote a strong letter to the AUSC requesting the participation of all member states this year,” said Manuel.

She used the opportunity to ask the private sector and business people in Namibia to assist the government in sponsoring the event during the four years the country will be hosting the event.

“This is a good initiative because the route can also be used by athletes from other countries to participate and qualify for international championships such as the Rio de Janeiro marathon.

“Apart from the marathon and the five kilometres fun walk we are also trying to see which other codes we can add,” Manuel said, adding that the marathon is open to anybody interested in participating.

The top five participants will receive prize money which is still to be announced. Registration opened on Wednesday along with the training for participants.

Manuel said the closing date for entries was yet to be decided.

The event will be a partnership between the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, the Namibia Sports Commission and the Namibia National Olympic Committee.

NAMPA

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Müller performs above par at championship

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Müller performs above par at championship Young kickboxer Delano Müller of Namibia took first spot at the recent UAEJJF National Pro Jiu Jitsi Championships which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 3 to 4 February.

Müller was part of a team of four kickboxers from the national BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) participating in the event. All four kickboxers performed excellently but the unstoppable Muller who won the national junior sportsman of the year last year showed that he is a force to be reckoned with as he won the under-13 division in the under-60kg category.

Müller took first place with an old-school choke on his opponent; Kai Schnaitmann took fourth place in the 110kg blue belt division; Lesley Hoaeb took third place in the 77kg blue belt division; and Henrique Aramburu Cardoso took fourth place in the brown belt division.

The Namibian Kickboxing Federation (NFK) president, Anita de Klerk, said the federation was proud of the achievements of the athletes as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was quite a new sport in Namibia.

The Namibian athletes have been invited to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu challenge Championship from 23 to 24 February, and an international event in Brazil in June.

The UAEJJF South Africa National Pro is part of the UAEJJF World Ranking and Abu Dhabi World professional Jiu-Jitsu Qualifying Series and was attended by athletes from Angola, Namibia, Brazil, Japan, DR Congo and South Africa.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Uutoni appointed as minister of sport

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Uutoni appointed as minister of sport Erastus Uutoni has been appointed as the minister of sport, replacing Jerry Ekandjo who was relieved of his duties last week.

President Hage Geingob on Thursday announced a cabinet reshuffle during the official opening of cabinet for the year, where he announced that Uutoni is the new sports minister.

Uutoni has served in cabinet since March 2010. He was Deputy Minister of Safety and Security from 2010 until 2015, when he started serving as deputy minister of home affairs and immigration.

He will be deputised by Agnes Tjongarero, who has been in the position since 2015.

Speaking during the official opening of cabinet for 2018, Geingob said since he assumed office in 2015 every year has been characterised by a theme or slogan. This year's theme is 'Year of Reckoning'.

“People expect us to continue strengthening our democracy and to effectively maintain the complementary values of dignity, freedom, justice and peace; including the pursuit of happiness provided for in our constitution,” he said.

He added that people's expectations were understandably high in 2018 and public office-bearers must account to the nation on the realisation of electoral promises and implementation of national development plans.

NAMPA

Struggle kids make corruption claims

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Struggle kids make corruption claimsNew embarkation point is 'suspicious' Protesters camping in Oshakati are complaining about the selection for government training. The 'children of the liberation struggle' camping at the Swapo Party office in Oshakati are accusing officials of favouritism and corruption in the selection of who goes for training.

Last week a group of struggle kids boarded two 75-seat buses to be taken to government training centres where they will acquire job skills.

In 2016 the government diverted about N$11 million from the Social Security Commission (SSC) Development Fund towards the children of the liberation struggle.

This was the second group of struggle kids sent for training. In July 2016 about 173 struggle kids from the northern regions started a six-month training course. Most of them are now employed.

This time around the boarding in Oshana Region took place at the youth centre in Oshakati and not at the Swapo offices.

The spokesperson for the group, Julius Kasheeta, told Namibian Sun that there was corruption in the selection of those who go for training.

“In 2016 the buses came at the Swapo office where they received a list of names from the group that camped there and they went for training but for us, we are treated differently. Why did they also not ask for our list and we go for training,” Kasheeta said.

“This just tells you that corruption is being used by those people who have the power to decide who goes for training and who remains,” Kasheeta charged.

He said their education level was considered in the selection process, which he found unfair.

“When our parents went into exile they were uneducated but it does not mean that they did not know what they wanted to achieve. They died for the independence of this country and therefore we should not be treated like uneducated people. We just want to go on training and get a job and help our families,” Kasheeta said. Kasheeta also asked why the youth cards they had received from the youth ministry were abolished. He said the latest batch of trainees had to show their national identification cards.

“All these things being done by government in addressing our issue is not fair. They have been registering us over and over, they even gave us a youth card and made promises to us.

“Today some of us have been left out and yet we talk about the Harambee Prosperity Plan which says that no one should feel left out,” Kasheeta said.

Oshana governor Clemens Kashuupulwa rejected the corruption claims by the struggle kids.

Kashuupulwa said since the first training intake discussions were held and resolutions were made which resulted in the changes mentioned by Kasheeta.

Kashuupulwa further explained that the issue of the struggle kids was being addressed through their constituency offices, where they are expected to register and the names were then sent to Windhoek for vetting and decision making.

“There is no corruption happening. The issue is not complicated at all. Those children of the liberation struggle camping at the Swapo offices are aware of all these things. They were told they must go to their respective constituencies and register there, they know all these things and yet they want to say we are corrupt,” Kashuupulwa said.

“They know that the buses will no longer come pick them up at Swapo offices, therefore they should not act surprised. They must just wait for their opportunity because this is not the last intake; it is a process and the government is going to ensure that the issue of unemployed youth in the country is addressed,” the governor said.

KENYA KAMBOWE

TUN concerned about cost-cutting

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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TUN concerned about cost-cutting The Teacher's Union of Namibia (TUN) has expressed concern about the cost-cutting measures introduced in the public service.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila recently announced a number of cost-cutting measures for the public sector.

The directive sought to establish expenditure control systems and to gradually reduce personnel expenses, such as subsistence and travel allowances and overtime payment, over the next three financial years.

It further ordered significant cutbacks in telephone and transport expenses and encouraged government offices to work together to eliminate unnecessary duplication of activities and expenses.

According to TUN secretary-general Mahongora Kavihuha, the union wrote a letter to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila expressing concern about these measures.

One of these concerns was that the determination of subsistence allowances would be left to the discretion of permanent secretaries and accounting officers.

Furthermore the union was concerned about the management of leave applications. It requested clarity regarding a reference made in the directive about leave applications that must be “supported by evidence” and that staff members going on leave must “make arrangements”.

Kavihuha said the union was also upset about “insensitive behaviour” regarding concerns raised by teachers through TUN and the “disrespect” shown to the Public Service Commission.

“The union appreciates the efforts of the government in trying to address the economic situation of the country by introducing various interventions such as making the public service efficient and cost cutting, however TUN still maintains its stand that cuts should not affect education and health,” he said.

According to him the union wants Kuugongelwa-Amadhila to take action against senior government officials who violate the rules in the same way that junior officials are treated.

ELLANIE SMIT

Burned man discovered in dunes

February 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Burned man discovered in dunes A man with extensive burn wounds, who had been discovered in the dunes between Narraville and Kuisebmond on Friday, died in hospital on Saturday morning.

Detective Chief Inspector Jacobus Viljoen of the Erongo police said passers-by discovered Alex Salom (39) and called the police and ambulance services. Salom had apparently crawled to the top of a dune, from where he called for help. Police officers and paramedics rushed to the scene and provided medical assistance. It is not clear what had happened to Salom. “The investigation is ongoing and the post-mortem will definitely shed more light on the cause of death. We located the wife of the deceased in Kuisebmond.

“She visited him in Walvis Bay hospital before he was transferred to Katutura State Hospital. He subsequently passed away in Windhoek,” Viljoen said.



OTIS FINCK