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Tells it All - Namibian Sun

02/12/18--14:00: Omuloka gwa nyanyudha oyendji

Omuloka gwa nyanyudha oyendji

Oshilongo osha mono omuloka miitopolwa ya yooloka naanamapya oyendji oya holola enyanyu lyawo omolwa omuloka ngoka.

Oondama odhindji odha lopotwa dha kungulukile omeya oshowo omilonga dhimwe odha mono efundja lyomeya oshikando shotango moshikako shika. Okuya mEtine lyoshiwike sha piti, omuloka omunene ogwa dhidhilikwa miitopolwa yonooli oshowo uumbugantu woshilongo, na ogwa tsikile mehuliloshiwke miitopolwa yopokati koshilongo oshowo onooli.

Omatengeneko oga holola kutya omuloka omunene otagu tsikile petameko lyoshiwike shika miitopolwa yaHardap oshowo mo//Karas.

Patengeneko lyonkalo yombepo okuzilila moombelewa oonene dhokutengeneka onkalo yombepo mOvenduka, otaku ka kala taku monika iikogo koombinga dhimwe po oshowo onkalo yombepo ya pupyala noonkondo monooli uuzilo. Omuloka omunene gu na omingungumo otagu ka dhenga oshitopolwa shaHardap oshowo //Karas.

Mondoolopa yaKahandja, omulonga gwaKahandja okwa lopotwa gu na omeya ogendji oshowo Omaruru river na mo omwa lopotwa efundja, opamwe nomilonga dhimwe ngaashi Fish River mOmalinda oshowo Dieprivier moKhomas Hochland.

Omutenya gwOsoondaha okwa lopotwa kutya omeya taga kunguluka okuza moFish River okuya mondama yaHardap oga li geli nale pontopa yaKub. Omolwa omuloka omunene ngoka tagu tengenekwa, omilonga odhindji otadhi ka kala nefundja.

Olopota oya holola kutya Malthöhe okwa lokwa oomilimeta 30, ofaalama yaHiddendale Farm muuninginino waMalinda omwa lopotwa oomilimeta 4 oshowo 11 mehuliloshiwike.

Cimbebasia mOvenduka 22 mm mEtitano oshowo 13 mOlyomakaya, Academia, 12mm, Pionierspark 10mm. Heja Lodge 50mm, Finkenstein 32mm.

Otjiwarongo oomilimeta 80 dha lopotwa mOlyomakaya, Farm Galloway moKalkplato oomilimete 43 dha lopotwa mOlyomakaya. Omburende Farm tayi adhika popepi nOmitara, omwa lokwa oomilimeta 55 omanga ofaalama ya Emerentia tayi adhika popepi noLeonardville mwa lokwa oomilimeta 31 mEtitano oshowo 28 mOlyomakaya.

Farm Lovendale mOmalinda omwa lopotwa oomilimeta 23 oshowo 30.

Mondoolopa yaKamanjab omwa lokwa oomilimeta 8 mOlyomakaya omanga Momalinda mwa lokwa oomilimeta 17 mehuliloshiwike. Stampriet omwa lokwa oomilimeta 25 mOlyomakaya.

Grootfontein 20mm, Khorixas 5mm.

ELLANIE SMIT

02/12/18--14:00: Elke kind maak saak

Elke kind maak saakPositiewe omgewing, positiewe leerlinge Die onderwysers van Donatus Skool laat elke leerling spesiaal en geliefd laat voel, veral dié wat uit moeilike omstandighede kom.

Octavia Tsibes

Die Donatus Skool (DSO) op Otjiwarongo is in verskeie opsigte spesiaal, en die liefde en passie wat die onderwysers vir hul leerlinge se ontwikkeling het, staan beslis uit.

Die skool bied verskeie vakke aan om hul leerlinge se horisonne te verbreed en praktiese vaardighede te leer wat hulle ná skool kan gebruik. Visuele kunste en rekenaarstudies is van die vakke wat op leerlinge se ontwikkeling gemik is.

Die skool het twee toegeruste rekenaarstudieklaskamers en leerlinge presteer uitsonderlik in die vakgebied.

Die slaagsyfer van die graad 10-leerlinge wat rekenaarstudies neem, is 72%. Die onderwysers is baie trots op die prestasie en meen dit is ’n goeie aanduiding van die skool se vooruitgang en ontwikkeling.

Volgens die skoolhoof, mnr. Udo Behnke, het leerlinge en onderwysers 'n goeie verhouding, en dit dra tot die positiewe ontwikkeling van leerlinge by. "Ons is geseënd met 'n pragtige omgewing en geboue. 'n Positiewe, vriendelike en ondersteunende atmosfeer heers tussen almal. Leerlinge is lief vir hierdie skool."

Behnke sê voorts baie leerlinge vorder goed in hul skoolwerk en hy is oortuig hulle sal ’n positiewe impak op hul gemeenskappe en huishoudings hê.

"Almal hier voel en is spesiaal.

“Soos enige skoolhoof wens ek my skool behaal 'n 100%-slaagsyfer en ek sal baie gelukkig wees om eendag daardie doelwit te bereik. Ek wil ook graag betrokke wees by die skep van ’n breër leerkultuur.

“Ons glo daar is leerlinge wat werklik goeie leiers van die land kan word, maar hulle staar baie uitdagings in die gesig. Tienerswangerskappe, dwelmmisbruik en huishoudelike geweld is kwessies wat ons as skool voortdurend probeer bekamp deur middel van persoonlike betrokkenheid in ons leerlinge se lewe.

Ek hoop hierdie probleme sal in die toekoms minder algemeen word,” sê hy.

“Ek verlaat elke dag die skool met 'n lied in my hart. Dit is altyd belangrik om positief te bly, selfs in moeilike werksomstandighede.”

Behnke sê die grootste uitdaging wat die skool in die gesig staar, is ’n gebrek aan motivering en ouerbetrokkenheid.

“Leerlinge word nie altyd by die huis gemotiveer om na die beste van hul vermoëns te presteer nie.

Ons onderwysers probeer dikwels hul bes om ook ‘ouers’ vir hierdie leerlinge te wees, deur in die klaskamer vir hulle morele waardes te leer.”

02/12/18--14:00: IUM welcomes new students

IUM welcomes new students

The International University of Management (IUM) kicked off the start of their 2018 academic year last week with a two day orientation programme that welcomed all the students in style. Different students from different faculties were mingling and getting to know each other with the assistance of the SRCs to help where necessary. Dean of students, Basilius Kasera informed the students that the tertiary is a place to grow and reach their dreams. "You are now in university so you have the keys to improve your future in your hands. We should all work hard to make sure we reach the goals we have set for ourselves.

PHOTOS: Tunohole Mungoba

02/12/18--14:00: We live in hope

We live in hope The San people of Namibia, much like their counter parts in southern Africa and the first peoples all over the world, are marginalised. This is not new information to anyone who keeps updated with news. We know they live in poverty, like many boriginals in Australia, Native Americans in the US, Mayans and Incans in South America, and so forth.

The world has certainly changed for the San and their inherent lifestyles are no longer possible. They, like many other first peoples, have fallen into alcoholism, in particular because they were not traditional brewers of liquor. The San were notoriously quick to fall victim to alcohol addiction in the past, as still today in some quarters, this reliance is abused, with many rural employers paying them with alcohol.

The San seem to be suspended in time, with one foot in the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and another firmly entrenched in the 'evils' of modern society.

All of this bodes ills for their future as a people.

We somehow cannot seem to get it right with the San in Namibia. The last successes were recorded with the former deputy prime minister, Dr Libertina Amathila, who had a fierce passion for this group of people.

Much was done for them and when they sold gifted livestock or implements, she berated them and kept a watchful eye because she had a real passion for the work she was doing with them.

But this seems to have fallen by the wayside.

The project was handed over to the vice-president's office, and from there, it has become non-entity.

It is hoped that with the appointment of Nangolo Mbumba as Dr Nickey Iyambo's replacement, this project can be revived and given the impetus it so critically needs.

On the other side of the coin, the San need to come to the party and find a way of adjusting to the way the world works now.

There needs to be a firm focus on education and a strong cultural family life, if they want to survive as a people.

This, they can only do for themselves. For the moment, we live in hope.

02/12/18--14:00: Shot of the day

Shot of the day

DEFIANT: Palestinian women take part in a protest in Gaza City against the US move to freeze funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. On 16 January, Washington held back $65 million that had been earmarked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), but the State Department denied the freeze was to punish the Palestinian leadership, which has cut ties with President Donald Trump's administration following his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last year. Photo: NAMPA/AFP

02/12/18--14:00: Bettering access to justice

Bettering access to justiceLegal reforms seek to streamline process The cost of securing legal counsel and justice is far beyond the reach of many Namibians and this is one of the reforms set to take place this year.

Judicial authorities are hard at work implementing legal reforms aimed at streamlining the justice process and ironing out some of the challenges undermining the right of some Namibians to access justice in Namibian courts.

A key reform on the cards is the creation of draft legislation to address the pricey and often lengthy legal processes that bar many Namibians from being able to afford justice.

Chief Justice Peter Shivute, at the opening of the 2018 legal year last week, said that draft legislation on small-claims courts, when enacted, “will promote greater access to justice for the community at minimal costs.”

He said the draft legislation had been forwarded to the justice ministry, who were working on readying the draft law for tabling to the Executive.

Civil society and others have long urged the justice ministry to create a small-claims court to broaden access to justice.

Last year, the findings of an investigation into racism, racial and other forms of discrimination, initiated by the ombudsman's office, found that “it is clear that the current legal framework does not provide … equal access to our courts.”

The report further noted that the current legal system is “adversarial, expensive and potentially intimidating”, often acting as “a barrier to those seeking justice”.

A key proposal from the report was to create a “user-friendly court environment where proceedings are conducted along inquisitorial lines with the emphasis on informality, participation and the speedy processing of matters”.

Ombudsman John Walters and colleagues noted that a small-claims court or informal tribunal would exclude the need for lawyers and dispense “simple justice”.

A 2012 Legal Assistance Centre publication on access to justice in Namibia also proposed the establishment of a small-claims court. “Legal practitioners would not be allowed to appear before a small-claims court, so there would be no need to reimburse the winning party for any counsel fees. The limited costs rules also reflect the inquisitorial nature of the proceedings, which should relieve litigants of costly investigations.”

The LAC underlined the fact that steps to create a small-claims court were already taken in 1997 when the Law Reform and Development Commission issued a report proposing the establishment of an informal, non-adversarial court system in which individuals could litigate specified categories of disputes involving relatively small sums.

A draft bill appended to the Law Reform and Development Commission report proposed separate rules for costs in such cases, suggesting that the only costs a small claims court would have the power to award would be court fees and expenses related to the issue off summons.

Reducing the sting of divorce

Shivute said another key reform undertaken is to expand the jurisdiction of district courts to allow them to handle divorce cases.

He said redistributing the ability of dealing with divorces would help relieve the pressure on the High Court.

Amendments to the Magistrate's Courts Act to bring it in line with the new constitutional dispensation granting administrative and financial autonomy to the Judiciary are also on the cards.

Another step to improve access to justice, specifically for the business community, is the reviewing of a possible legal framework for the adjudication of commercial disputes, especially in the High Court.

Shivute said following extensive consultations it became clear that “in essence, the business community would like to see a fast-track process for the resolution of commercial disputes.”

Bringing the judiciary in line with the world of modern technology, the Office of the Judiciary has opened 72 bank accounts from which and into which the Judiciary administers trust funds.

The accounts are used for the payment of maintenance, the refund of bail money and to facilitate payments to court.

The next step is allow the court to make direct electronic fund transfers to beneficiaries using these bank accounts, Shivute said.

Shivute praised successful reforms at the High Court, including judicial management, mediation and e-justice systems, which have helped speed up case management and reduced litigation costs.

“The success rate of matters referred to mediation improved from 60.4% in 2016 to 68% in 2017,” he said.

JANA-MARI SMITH

02/12/18--14:00: Adorning yourself with tattoos and piercings

Adorning yourself with tattoos and piercings The youth and body modification With the raise of young people becoming more and more interested in body adornment of tattoos and piercings, The Zone spoke to a few professionals to find about this interesting form of art.

Tunohole Mungoba

The word tattoo originates from the Tahitian word of ‘ta-tau’ which means to make a mark. The history of tattoo began thousands of years ago and is as diverse as the people who have them.

Today, tattooing is becoming more popular and accepted than it has ever been, especially with the youngsters of Namibia. Namibian tattoo artist, Plaiven Muanyangapo, says exposure to the internet and the globalisation of popular media has increased the interest of body modification.

So many cultural and social norms are being shifted daily. Information is available and the use of internet makes people notice tattoos and piercings more often even if you do not have friends or family members who have any tattoos, you notice it by scrolling through social media, flipping through magazines or watching a movie over the weekend. Exposure to this form of self-expression is what inspires young people to get work done,” he explains.

He adds that young people get tattoos for many reasons like aesthetic enhancement, signifying social status and marking major life milestones.

“It is true that some people who desperately want to change their appearances, whether with plastic surgery or extreme body modification, do it primarily because they would like to express their individuality. I feel like getting a tattoo should be an excepted form of self-expression as dyeing or cutting your hair, exercising, eating better or dressing,” he says.

He adds that tattoos are used to create a visual story that is meaningful to the person receiving the tattoo. “At the very least, tattoos may encourage people to ask you about the meaning behind your modifications and give you an opportunity to verbally share the personal narrative behind them, if you choose to do so.”

So how old should one be to get a piercing or tattoo? According to Muanyangapo, there is no legal age of consent for body piercing or tattoos, so it is legal for someone under the age of 18 to have a piercing or tattoo as long as they have consented to it.

What does Christianity say about body modifications? Ezron Kapolo, a Lutheran pastor says body modifications have been used to identify a lot of situations in the past. “Some nations do it for identification. In Africa, you identify a certain tribe by looking at their body modifications.” Kapolo also says that tattoos and piercings have meaning “so one has to be careful when drawing or engraving a symbol on yourself or on something public.” “I would not recommend people to do things they hardly understand. Symbolism is powerful, thus be careful to put on a symbol that promotes a certain agenda for instance Satanism.”

Kapolo tells The Zone that The Old Testament of the Bible prohibits piercing and tattoos, however the New Testament does not directly address the issue. “It does say your body is as like a temple of God, and that speaks volumes on how to treat your body. From a Christian perspective, the outward beauty should not replace our inner beauty. We ought to strive to be good people even when we are not attracting anyone.” Body modification from a professional point of view “Firstly, one needs to think about the commitment he or she will be making, whether or not you want to scar your body permanently and how that will make you feel for the rest of your life,” says Ruusa Shivolo, an Industrial Psychology masters’ student and a professional working in Human Resources. “The beauty of life is that it is unexpected and people change with their experiences, so what you believe at 18, might be different from when you are 30 or 60, thus you really have to consider the impact of a permanent modification.” Shivolo warns that professionalism in the corporate world is a serious matter and the stigma associated with tattoos and piercings can make it difficult for people to accept these modifications if you can see them on a daily basis. “One of the reasons why most people do not have tattoos or unusual piercings could be because of the fear that they may come across as unprofessional in the workplace. I believe most corporate organisations still prefer a conservative look to maintain a so called professional standard and any person that is different from that could potentially be viewed as unprofessional.” However she adds that other organisations such as the media industry may encourage diversity and are willing to accept people the way they are and could care less about the physical appearances and rather focus on the skills, qualifications and character of their employees. “So obviously, preferences to have body art may also depend on the type of profession one is in. Food industries for example may not even allow one to wear jewellery because of health and safety regulations,” Shivolo adds. “Overall, organisations need to have dress code policies in place to clearly stipulate how body art should be managed.” She further explains that with more millennials entering the workplace, one can tell that body art and self-expression is becoming more accepting as time progresses and the views of tattoos and piercings will slowly start to change. Shivolo advises young people to cover up your tattoos or piercings if you are going for a job interview, “because you do not know how some employers view body art and it can hinder one’s chances of getting a job.” “As an industrial psychology student I would encourage individuality and self-expression and not judge potential candidates based on their appearance before their skills and attributes however, one still needs to consider that many of the Namibians’ mind-set have not broadened and adapted enough to understand that one’s appearance is not reflective of their abilities and most organisations still view the conservative look as more professional.”

Top 10 facts on tattoos and piercings

1. Your skin is pierced 50 to 3000 times per minute by the tattoo machine when you get a tattoo.

2. The philosopher Confucius was against tattoos because he propagated that the human body is a gift. However, China’s stone sculptures depict men with tattoos on their faces as early as the 3rd century BC.

3. The most popular tattoo images are angels and hearts.

4. A tattoo is etched in the second layer of the skin, the dermis. The cells of the dermis are more stable than those of the epidermis.

5. ‘Tattoo’ is one of the most misspelled words in the English language. Want

6. Women are more likely to get their tattoos removed as compared to men.

7. Laser surgery is the most effective tattoo removal technique. Black is the easiest color to get rid off as it absorbs a greater number of laser waves. Green and yellow are the most difficult to remove.

8. Rocker Tommy Lee made a world record when he became the first man to be tattooed mid air in 2007. His name entered the Guinness Book of Records.

9. The professional must wash his or her hands directly before the procedure and must always wear a pair of fresh latex gloves.

10. After washing, twist the jewelry back and forth to ensure the cleanser gets underneath the piercing.

02/12/18--14:00: Probe into Omusati pensioner's death

Probe into Omusati pensioner's death Police in the Omusati Region are investigating the death of a 72-year-old man at Okeendapa village in the Otamanzi constituency two weeks ago.

According to the police, a post-mortem examination found that Hosea Iyambo Nuunyango died from injuries sustained in an assault.

The post-mortem report showed that the deceased had suffered a deep cut in the left cheek near the ear, wounds in the left thigh and lower leg, and bruises to his right knee and head.

It is not clear how he sustained the injuries.

According to the police report, Nuunyango left his home on 26 January at round 08:00 and only returned the next day, around the same time.

He allegedly told his wife that he had been scratched by a thorny bush.

On 29 January Nuunyango's family took him to the Okahao district hospital, where he died shortly afterward.

The family only reported the matter to the police on 3 February.

“The findings clearly reflect the possibility that he was severely assaulted, which caused his death.

A thorough investigation is now instituted,” the police report stated.

KENYA KAMBOWE

02/12/18--14:00: Budget will tighten belts

Budget will tighten beltsSchlettwein says cuts will continue The finance minister Calle Schlettwein has indicated that the budget for the next financial year will continue to reflect cost-cutting measures.

Despite the prospect of improved growth in 2018, finance minister Calle Schlettwein says budget cuts will continue in the national budget expected to be tabled later this month or in the first week of March.

He was speaking at a pre-budget discussion last week Friday. According to Schlettwein, although last year's budget cuts affected the economy, it was the right thing to do at the time. “We believe 2018 will not be a year where we can be generous; fiscal consolidation must be carried through. We admit that fiscal consolidation had a negative impact on growth and employment,” said Schlettwein.

The minister gave his assurance that the cuts in the new budget would not be as deep as was the case with the first consolidation.

“We are very positive [that] fiscal consolidation was the right step. From the 2015/16 financial year, our debt-to-GDP ratio is in decline, the deficit is declining, which is on flat growth,” he said.

He warned that Namibia's economy would not immediately recover.

“We will not be out of the woods in one year,” he said.

The fiscal consolidation programme was also a learning experience, he said.

“Too sharp of a consolidation is an action that has very serious impacts. “Unpaid invoices accumulated and this forced the private sector to take up debt instead of investing. Do we stall consolidation and expand the budget? Then we will be back to square one. We learned that consolidation is better if it is milder,” he said.

Without giving too much away, Schlettwein said the new budget would continue along the fiscal consolidation route.

“There are no big bangs, the principal policy drive will be the same to address poverty and stimulate growth,” Schlettwein said.

A finance ministry official has told Namibian Sun that 28 February had been identified as a suitable date for tabling the budget, but that discussions with the Speaker of the National Assembly were continuing.

OGONE TLHAGE

02/12/18--14:00: Plan to stop 'shotgun' CEO appointments

Plan to stop 'shotgun' CEO appointments

Minister of public enterprises Leon Jooste is on a quest to curtail the appointment of acting CEOs at state-owned enterprises, saying the shotgun approach currently employed by boards of SOEs is not opportune.

Namibian Sun last week sought to understand whether there were efforts on the part of his ministry as chief overseer of commercial enterprises to fast-track CEO appointments.

As it stands, the Meat Corporation of Namibia, partial SOE MTC, Air Namibia and the Namibia Airports Company are without permanent CEOs, while it has taken TransNamib almost three years to appoint a new CEO.

Jooste told Namibian Sun that the matter was a concern and that his ministry had taken control of the situation.

“We are equally concerned about this matter. Many of these situations resulted from a shotgun approach on CEO suspensions and we have managed to arrest this situation after we issued a directive preventing suspensions unless ministerial approval has been granted,” said Jooste.

He further acknowledged that it was often difficult to appoint a new permanent CEO while the current one was still on suspension.

“The problem is that a substantive CEO cannot be appointed while a current CEO is on suspension. The situation has fortunately improved, with both Meatco and MTC busy with their recruitment processes, the TransNamib CEO has been appointed and the Namibia Airports Company CEO recruitment process will commence in due time,” Jooste said.

“The NAC is a unique case. We started an investigation into the NAC and discovered that there was corruption. We handed a report over to the Anti-Corruption Commission and the NAC board. The board will continue with the investigation and appoint an interim CEO,” Jooste said.

Air Namibia has been operating without a CEO since the dismissal of Theo Namises in 2014. The national airline is currently headed by lawyer Mandi Samson.

The NAC is now temporarily headed by former presidential spokesperson Albertus Aochamub, while Meatco's acting chief executive is Jannie Breytenbach.

OGONE TLHAGE

02/12/18--14:00: Kambueshe seeks his day in court

Kambueshe seeks his day in court

A former mayor of Swakopmund and current Erongo regional councillor, Juuso Kambueshe, appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrate's Court on Thursday last week on fraud and theft charges.

Magistrate Jorina Jagger transferred the case to the Windhoek Magistrate's Court, where it will be heard on 22 February.

A warrant of arrest issued by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court came to light late last year. The court ordered Kambueshe to appear on the above-mentioned charges.

According to information contained in the warrant, the crimes were committed in the district of Windhoek during November 2013 and November 2015.

During his appearance in Swakopmund, Kambueshe explained that he had an ongoing civil dispute with the complainants, who were his former business partners.

“They threatened to tarnish my good name. I am a politician and they made good on their threat.”

He also told the court he had no intention to flee and said he whole-heartedly welcomed the opportunity to be vindicated.

“I brought myself here accompanied by the investigating officer. I was not aware of the arrest warrant and was only told to make a statement that will be submitted to the prosecutor-general for decision. I am a family man. I have children and property here in Swakopmund.”

Kambueshe requested a reduction of the bail amount, which was set at N$50 000.

“It is the beginning of the school year and all financial obligations solely lie on me. My salary does not even make up for the bail amount. There is no reason why I would abscond; I plead for mercy.”

He further said that he had asked a friend to lend him N$5 000.

Prosecutor Tuandamuje Latoya Katjitundu objected to the reduction of bail, stating that the charges against the accused were serious.

Magistrate Jorina Jagger left Kambueshe with the option of either paying the N$50 000 or remaining in custody until his next court appearance in Windhoek.

LEANDREA LOUW

02/12/18--14:00: Farmer fills maize meal gap

Farmer fills maize meal gap

An Omaheke farmer donated 240kg of maize meal to an Omitara school after maize from the school feeding programme failed to materialise this semester.

Rebecca Heita, principal of the Otjivero Primary School at Omitara, praised the donation, saying that the maize meal is crucial to her learners, many of whom come from vulnerable backgrounds. “This food is very important to our learners, who are very vulnerable,” she said, noting that most come from impoverished homes and a lack of food keeps them away from school.

“We are always grateful for the help, because this really helps the kids and keeps them in school. If they have no food, they always ask for permission to visit the farms where their parents work to get food.”

Heita said she had contacted the regional education officials, and that she was informed that the region had not yet received the promised goods because a contract with the suppliers had lapsed. She was informed that the contract had been extended and the school looked forward to receiving its rations of maize meal soon. In 2015 the school was also taken aback by a six-week delay in the start of the National School Feeding Programme in the region, raising school absences.

The latest delay was alleviated to some extent by the donation of 240kg of maize meal by local hunting farm operator Marina Lamprecht.

In a statement she stated that the donation to the school was to ensure access to food while the anticipated supply from the education ministry was on its way.

Lamprecht said she regularly assisted the school with academic and sport supplies, firewood and other necessities.

In 2017, she donated more than 1 000kg of maize meal to the school feeding programme, in addition to meat she donates from her trophy-hunting outfit. “For the majority of learners, this provides their only regular source of protein,” she said in the statement.

Lamprecht said that trophy hunters “truly invest in, as well as interact with local communities, the environment and wildlife at every level. This form of hunting has generated more jobs, pays better salaries and offers more on the job training and promotional opportunities than any other form of rural land utilisation in our country.”

Attempts to reach the education ministry and regional offices for comment had failed by the time of going to print.

JANA-MARI SMITH

02/12/18--14:00: Teen sodomised after drinking spree

Teen sodomised after drinking spreeRape dominates weekend crime report A man was arrested at Tsumeb on Friday after he allegedly provided alcohol to a 14-year-old boy and then raped him. Multiple rapes that include a case of sodomy, as well as several child drownings, were reported over the weekend.

According to the police, a 45-year-old man was arrested in Tsumeb last Friday, after he allegedly provided alcohol and tobacco to a 14-year-old boy and then raped him.

The victim told his father what had happened and was then taken to the Tsumeb State Hospital for a medical examination.

In another incident at Keetmanshoop on Sunday, a 27-year-old man allegedly raped a five-year-old toddler at a house in Westdene, while he was playing with her in the garage. The suspect is in custody.

In another incident in Okahandja on Saturday, a 25-year-old man was arrested after he forced a 28-year-old woman into the bushes opposite Shamu supermarket in Nau-Aib and allegedly raped her.

Also on Saturday, an unidentified man lured a 17-year-old girl into the bushes at Mariental, threatened her with a knife and allegedly instructed her to undress. When she, refused he stabbed her on her knee and under her foot. The girl managed to free herself and reported the incident. The suspect is yet to be arrested.

Also at the weekend, two toddlers drowned in a well at Onakatambilili village in Ondangwa on Friday.

The deceased are one-year-old Godfrey Babatunde Shimwele and two-year-old Brakias Nadhipite Soondaha Nanyemba. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are under investigation.

In a separate incident, a 12-year-old boy drowned on Friday in a riverbed behind Namib Mills in the Klein Windhoek area. It is alleged that Prince Shishiiveni Shimbundje jumped into the water for a swim and started experiencing difficulties, before drowning. He was in the company of five others pupils from Mandume Primary School in Katutura.

A drowning was also reported at Outapi on Friday at a lake near the Ondeka Combined School in Onaame village. It is alleged that nine-year-old Alweendo Martinus Kamakela drowned in the lake while trying to catch fish.

A 50-year-old man was also reported to have drowned at Okantonge village in the Onayena area on Saturday, and in Schlip the body of 36-year-old George Lazurus Gowaseb was found floating in the riverbed on Sunday. It is suspected that he drowned.

In a separate incident at Tutaleni in Walvis Bay, a 59-year-old man allegedly hacked his 44-year-old neighbour with a machete while they were arguing on Sunday afternoon.

The neighbour sustained multiple open wounds to his head, face and arms. The victim was taken to Walvis Bay State Hospital in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, two Chinese nationals were killed in an accident on the gravel road between Sesriem and Deadvlei.

The accident occurred last Friday at about 18:30 on the D 0827 gravel road, when the driver of a white Toyota Fortuner lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. The deceased are 29 and 33 years old and four other Chinese nationals sustained serious to slight injuries.

In another incident on Friday, five suspects were arrested for the illegal possession of wildlife products near Divundu.

According to the police the suspects aged between 28 and 45 were arrested after they were found in the possession of two elephant tusks. All the suspects are Namibian males.

ELLANIE SMIT

02/12/18--14:00: Copious, much-needed rain falls

Copious, much-needed rain falls

As Namibians rejoiced over the good rains that were received this past week in most parts of the country, it was especially the farmers that could not help but heave a sigh of relief for the welcome sight.

Rain gauges were overflowing, dams received some inflow, while some rivers were also in flood for the first time this season.

The Swakoppoort, Omatako and Hardap dams all recorded their first inflow after the good rains during the past week.

A massive 3.53 million cubic metres of water was measured for Hardap Dam, pushing the level up from 40.3% to 41.5%.

The Swakoppoort Dam received an inflow of 0.198 million cubic metres and the levels increased from 38.9% to 39.2%.

Also, Omatako had an inflow of 0.709 million cubic metres bringing its current total to 1.6%. Overall, Windhoek's dams are now 33.2% full while the total percentage of all the dams in Namibia stands at 38.8%.

During the weekend at Okahandja, the Okahandja and Swakop rivers flowed strongly. The Omaruru River was also in flood, as well as the Fish River at Mariental and the Diep River in the Khomas Hochland. By Sunday afternoon it was reported that the Fish River was at the Kub Bridge on its way to the Hardap Dam. With more rain predicted for parts of the country for the next 24 hours, more rivers might flood.

Heavy rains were already observed by last week Thursday over the northern, central and southern parts of Namibia. This sustained rainfall continued throughout the weekend over the central and northern parts of Namibia, as well as the south.

Predictions indicated that heavy falls were to continue yesterday over the Hardap and //Karas regions.

According to the Windhoek weather office, today will be partly cloudy and hot in the east, while elsewhere in the country it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with a few, isolated thundershowers that can be expected in some parts of Namibia.

Reports of rainfall indicate that 30mm was received at Malthöhe this weekend, at the Hiddendale Farm east of Mariental between 4mm and 11mm was reported throughout the weekend.

In Cimbebasia in Windhoek 22mm was measured on Friday and 13mm on Saturday, and in another suburb of Windhoek, Academia, 12mm was reported with 10mm in Pionierspark. At Heja Lodge 50mm was reported and at Finkenstein outside of Windhoek 32mm was reported.

In the Otjiwarongo area 80mm was received on Saturday while on the Farm Galloway in the Kalkplato 43mm was measured on Saturday. A further 52mm was also measured within hours on the Omburende Farm north of Omitara this weekend. At the Emmerentia Farm near Leonardville 31mm was measured on Friday and another 28mm on Saturday.

At Farm Lovendale in the Mariental area 23 and 30mm was reported.

At Kamanjab 8mm was reported on Saturday and at Mariental 17mm was reported during the weekend. Stampriet received 25mm on Saturday.

At Grootfontein 20mm was recorded and Khorixas also measured about 5mm and further north rain also fell.

ELLANIE SMIT

02/12/18--14:00: Taxi strike looms

Taxi strike looms

The Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) has warned of an indefinite strike within eight days if its demands, which include halting the suspension of the taxi licences of their members, are not met.

Werner Januarie, president of the NTTU at a media briefing on Friday called the taxi drivers to a meeting on 18 February to put a proper action plan in place.

At this meeting they are expected to deliberate on fines, the traffic court of the City of Windhoek which apparently is expected to be operational very soon, and the planned strike starting on 20 February.

“The traffic court will be financed from somewhere. Where will these finances come from? It will come from our pockets, or rather forced out of taxi drivers' pockets,” he argued and added that taxi drivers will be “hunted like wild dogs just as before”.

According to him, the police chief, Lieutenant-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, said licences must be suspended and City Police chief Abraham Kanime was talking of the same thing, albeit through his demerit point system.

“We just want to warn the two law enforcement officers that their stands are in violation of the laws and constitution of Namibia,” Januarie stated.

He maintained that the issue had to do with employer and employee relations which are regulated by relevant provisions of the Labour Act.

Januarie said further issues to be addressed at the 18 February meeting are a request to pay taxi fines in instalments as they are unaffordable.

They will also be calling for the resumption of issuance of taxi permits with a vehicle to be provided for such permits.

“Even students from University of Namibia and Namibia University of Technology and Science (NUTS) are having such permits but people in the taxi industry are refused such permits,” he alleged.

According to him the concerns of the taxi drivers had been properly communicated to Kanime, chief of the City Police, as well as to the permanent secretary of works and transport, Willem Goeieman.

“They have been informed that failure to act on our demands, the NTTU will embark upon strike and protest actions for an indefinite period. This is our only way of survival. If they start suspending our licences, what will we and our families survive on?” Januarie said.

FRED GOEIEMAN

02/12/18--14:00: Unam rejects 'fake' letter

Unam rejects 'fake' letterUniversity did not lose student records The University of Namibia has described as “false and malicious” a letter purporting to be from its dean of students. The University of Namibia (Unam) has rejected a letter that has gone viral on social media, which alleges that the university has lost all data for the first semester of 2017.

The letter, supposedly addressed to senior students by the dean of students, Magreth Mainga, states that senior students' test scores were lost.

“This occurred due to a computer centre staff member accidentally erasing the database from the system as Unam was transferring marks to the new university student management system,” the letter reads.

Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho yesterday rejected the letter as “false” and “malicious”.

“In our view, the letter serves to tarnish the good name of the university and all relevant authorities will be engaged to get to the bottom of this very unfortunate communiqué.

“In the meantime, Unam wishes to assure all its students and stakeholders that there is nothing wrong with our databases and student marks are not compromised in any way or form,” he said.

Ironically, this letter made the rounds after the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) had accused the university of losing students' records, making it difficult for them to register for the new academic year.

Some students who spoke on condition of anonymity told Namibian Sun that they were still waiting for their exam results, but were told by the university that it would be sorted out.

According to a Unam law student, they have been told to be patient.

According to Shoki Kandjimi of the Namibia National Students' Organisation (Nanso), students told them that they were able to retrieve their scores from the university portal, and that the rumours of lost marks were fabricated.

“We spoke to some students yesterday and they told us that they had no problem with accessing marks from last year,” he said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

02/12/18--14:00: Meet business-minded Ester

Meet business-minded EsterHaving a passion for entrepreneurship At the head of a growing business, Ester Hamukoto sat down with The Zone to speak about her journey as a business advisor and the importance of the youth becoming involved with entrepreneurship.

n 2016 from Namibia Business Hall of Fame and has continued to push personla and professional boundaries since then. “The award is one of the most prestigious awards I have received so far during my career,” she says.

Currently pursuing her studies in Accounting at the University of Namibia, she also graduated with a degree in Business Administration, specialising in strategic marketing with the University of Namibia.

“I started Esh-Ham Business Consultants six years ago and it has grown every year. Our services are aimed at both existing and start-up entrepreneurs whereby we offer entrepreneurs business advice and accounting services.”

She was exposed to the spirit of entrepreneurship and invention from a young age as she grew up with her grandmother who was an entrepreneur herself.

“My grandmother owns Sam Nujoma Kindergarden which has been in existence for more than 15 years. My mother sold basic goods to villagers too and while on holiday I would assist her and that grew my passion for owning my own business. I consider both my grandmother and mother as entrepreneurs in their own right,” she says

Female empowerment and challenging gender norms are very important to her. “While in high school, I was introduced to the Junior Achievement Programme which I joined and eventually my entrepreneurship skills were developed. I am a firm believer in female empowerment and as a young woman; it is our responsibility to take up positions that were stereotyped to be traditionally only reserved for men,” she says.

Hamukoto has been the proud owner of Esh-Ham Business Consultants for more than 6 years. “I decided to take up the role of an advisor as my clients have turned to me for business advice and mentoring in the past. As the demand grew, I decided to take it up as a full-time job,” she explains.

“Young and new entrepreneurs are often in a vulnerable stage of their business, especially when they do not have anyone to turn to for a second opinion when pursuing their dreams. The second group of people we focus on are companies that have to make their sales and marketing teams more effective. This includes companies who are receiving a lot of poor customer service complaints and need to upgrade their customer service experience.”

So what is the importance of the youth being involved in entrepreneurship? As a young entrepreneur herself, she believes that there are ample opportunities in our county for young people to become self-employed and create job opportunities in the fields that they are working in.

“The tendency of waiting for the government to create jobs is something we all have to let go of and start paving ways for ourselves and grab opportunities as they present themselves. Most importantly as young people, it is our responsibility to work towards economic growth. Globalization has made things easy for entrepreneurs to trade with the rest of the world,” she explains.

Growing and establishing a healthy Namibian economy that is less reliant in imports is also something she is passionate about. According to her, “young people are the backbone of our economy should work hard to assist Namibia in becoming self-sustainable as there are many sectors that are untapped and waiting for young entrepreneurs to take initiative.”

The challenges she has experienced along the way are similar to that of every young entrepreneur that include a lack of mentorship and capital, objection from clients when starting due to the brand not being known and getting the right team on board.

According to her, the highlights outweigh the challenges. “When you are self-employed and you have 100% ownership in the business, you have full control on the decision making. My biggest highlight is to create employment for others and transfer my skills and knowledge to my employees as well as my clients.”

Hamukoto’s advice to young aspiring entrepreneurs is to face their fears and take the risk to start their own businesses while they are still young. “I know that many young people are scared to try because they are afraid to fail and to be criticized. In order to be successful one has to do what they do even during the days that they do not feel like is, as the saying goes ‘feelings do not pay bills’”.

Fast Facts on Ester:

· What are you reading at the moment? Pre-suasion by Robert Cialdini. This book has taught me how to effectively negotiate with customers and investor, I am half way but have learned a lot so far.

· What song do you have on repeat? I have been listening to an old school jam that I fel in love with. It is Trust by Keyshia Cole.

· Where is your favourite holiday destination in Namibia? Sossusvlei or the Ngepi Camp Lodge situated on the banks of the Okavango River.

· Do you prefer Summer or Winter? I prefer summer because I can dress up and feel feminine.

· Tell us about the a Namibian you look up to: Martha Namundjebo. She is a phenomenal woman and I am inspired by her dedication and hard work.

· What is the one motto you live by? Pushing myself to achieve my goals and not letting other people’s opinion define who I am. I also feed myself with positive thoughts everyday as that is how I overcome challenges that I face both in my personal and professional life.

02/12/18--14:00: Sackey, Job go head to head

Sackey, Job go head to head

The stage is set for an ugly court battle between former attorney-general, now justice minister, Sackey Shanghala, and Job Amupanda.

In papers filed at the Windhoek High Court yesterday, Amupanda indicated through his counsel Kadhila Amoomo that he will be defending a claim filed by Shanghala on 4 December last year.

Shanghala, in his particulars, told the court that Amupanda had defamed him, calling him corrupt, accusing him of receiving kickbacks, engaging in criminal activities and having no moral fibre.

He is claiming N$500 000 in damages, along with costs on an attorney-client scale. Shanghala told the court that during a symposium on US attorney-generals, held in Doha, Qatar in November last year, Amupanda had posed questions to a panel during a breakaway session. During these questions, he had allegedly remarked “that the people of Namibia were shocked that the Namibian attorney-general is not a practising attorney and thus not subject to the rules of practice and ethical conduct pertaining to practising legal practitioners”.

Shanghala says Amupanda made comments regarding the British lawyers that were consulted on government's genocide reparations negotiations with Germany, saying that they had “pretended to work for 23 hours whilst it was biologically impossible to do so”.

Amupanda had also asked the panel's advice on corrupt attorney-generals.

Shanghala told the court Amupanda then took to social media and posted the following: “Session Two, we are doing a Case Study on US Attorney Generals. Insightful discussions that makes me agonize about a joke we have as Attorney General”. (sic)

Amupanda had also allegedly called Shanghala corrupt in a later posting.

On Twitter, Shanghala said Amupanda had tweeted a photo of him and deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah and wrote: “My son, haven't you stollen enough? PLEASE my son, it's enough. Don't steal anymore. If imaginations could become TRUTH!” (sic)

Later, on his Facebook page, Shanghala said Amupanda had posted “Sakeus Edward Shanghala: An Epitome and Symbol of corruption in Namibia. That he supports the man saves him.” (sic)

Shanghala told the court the “the content of the publications are false and defamatory making him out to be a corrupt, non-law-abiding citizen and unfit for his position, amongst others”.

Celeste Coetzee, of De Klerk, Horn and Coetzee, is representing Shanghala.

YANNA SMITH

02/12/18--14:00: Nation misled

Nation misledMVA, NRSC at loggerheads over road death stats Two 'reputable' government entities are painting very different pictures of the extent of the mayhem and death on the country's roads, while effectively misleading the nation.

Hair-raising disparities have emerged in the road crash statistics collected by the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund and the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) between 2012 and 2016, which includes over 78 000 more crashes being recorded by the council, while the fund claimed there had been 1 928 more deaths and 21 704 more injuries than the NRSC figures showed.

This comes as tensions simmer between the two state entities, which have overlapping mandates and responsibilities to combat the growing scourge of death and anarchy on the country's roads.

Last year, MVA Fund CEO Rosalia Martins-Hausiku strongly hinted at the combative relationship her organisation was having with the NRSC, while specifically addressing the country's editors about road safety, and how she believed the MVA Fund should be at the forefront of raising awareness.

The stark differences in the data collected by these two supposedly reputable parastatals, has emerged in comparative analyses by consultancy firm Burmeister & Partners.

Using statistics obtained from the two institutions between 2012 and 2016, the consultancy unearthed that on annual basis the NRSC records high numbers of road crashes, with a lower number of deaths and injuries, compared to the MVA Fund, which records high numbers of deaths and injuries, with a lower number of crashes.

The comparative analysis showed that between 2012 and 2016, the NRSC recorded 98 422 road crashes, while the MVA Fund recorded only 20 318 such incidents during the same period.

The MVA Fund, however, recorded 3 388 deaths and 34 451 injuries during the period, while the NRSC recorded a total of 1 460 deaths and 12 747 injuries.

While presenting a road safety audit of the Trans-Kunene and Windhoek-Luanda corridors in Ondangwa last week, Adriaan van der Merwe of the Burmeister & Partners said the MVA Fund and the NRSC need to do something to ensure accurate road accidents statistics, otherwise they will mislead the nation.

He said they had obtained statistics from the two institutions, which have no correlation.

“The MVA Fund and the NRSC must combine forces to ensure accuracy. The data they presented to us has high variances and one could doubt if there is any accuracy,” Van der Merwe said.

When contacted for comment, the NRSC said it uses a non-reactive data collection method to obtain information.

It said data is captured from police records, by electronic means, and is then fed into a computer system.

“The Namibian police record all the road crashes, regardless of whether there was a fatality, injury or none recorded, into their Namibia Road Accident Forms (NRAF). Police stations all over the country forwarded their accident forms to the NRSC for analysis. The NRSC uses SPSS and Excel software to capture the data from the police records for analysis. The only crashes that we do not record are those that were not reported to the police,” NSRC said.

MVA Fund acting chief of corporate affairs, Sidney Boois, told Namibian Sun that their main source of data is the MVA Fund Call Centre, where crashes are reported by using the toll-free accident response number 081 9682.

Boois said the information collected and recorded by the call centre is verified with n the police and emergency medical rescue service providers, such as paramedics and public and private hospital health officials throughout the country.

“Managing road safety data is a major challenge, not only in Namibia, and it requires policy direction for the modernisation of road safety data management, to enable effective and efficient monitoring and evaluation of road crashes, as this would accelerate evidence-based policy formulation for the implementation of effective accident and injury prevention strategies,” Boois said.

He added that the MVA Fund only records statistics from crashes that resulted in injuries and/or fatalities.

In essence, all crashes that resulted only in property damage are duly excluded from the data captured on the fund's crash and claim management system.

In terms of fatalities, the NRSC said that the working definition of a person killed in a road crash across the world varies from one who died within 24 hours of the crash, up to one who dies within 30 days, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard.

“Nampol records a person died in road crash as the one who die within 24 hours of the accident. Therefore, our definition of a fatality relies on that primary data from Nampol. However, to compensate for under-reporting, corrective factors are applied to arrive at a 30-day equivalent. That is, fatalities have been adjusted to the 30-day definition, by applying a standardised 1.3 fatality adjustment factor to the recorded number of fatalities,” the NRSC explained.

Boois says the fund adopted the WHO's method of recording road deaths in 2009, while itself to the global body's standards. He said this alignment allows for comparability with other countries.

ILENI NANDJATO

02/14/18--14:00: Jumbo tissue plant still on the cards for Gobabis

Jumbo tissue plant still on the cards for Gobabis Everything is in place for the project to kick off once the current negotiations are concluded. - Hiskia Tjatjitua, Project co-ordinator, Namibia Pulp Paper

The envisaged construction of a jumbo tissue manufacturing plant, expected to produce tissue paper from recycled material, is still on the cards.

Hiskia Tjatjitua, the entrepreneur behind the initiative, said work on the project is expected to start soon.

Negotiations with the project's financing institutions and entities are in its final stages. Once completed, the project will continue as planned, Tjatjitua said.

He wouldn't give the exact date work will start, nor would he shed light on the nature of negotiations underway. “We are negotiating terms for financing.

As you know this is a huge project that would require a huge capital injection.

Everything is in place for the project to kick off once the current negotiations are concluded,” he said.

Employment The plant, whose construction was expected to commence in late 2016, will produce giant reels of tissue paper to be used for, amongst others, the production of toilet paper. The project was launched in August 2016 by then deputy minister of trade and industry, Tjekero Tweya.

The Gobabis Municipality has already made land available on the southern outskirts of the town, along the C23 road to Leonardville.

Tjatjitua, during the launch of the project, said the project is expected to employ 25 people in its initial stages. This could increase to about 400 permanent and temporary employees during the full production stages.

The project will utilise recycled paper to make new paper.

Through this exercise, they will not only rid the town of the excess paper which litters the town's streets, but will also contribute towards a greener Namibia by reducing waste which harms the environment.

This will be the second big manufacturing plant to be set up at Gobabis in less than five years, following the establishment of the Soft Cloud toilet paper factory in late 2012.

Soft Cloud is still operational.

- Nampa

GOBABIS –

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