!Naruseb a haluthwa kelando lyepungu okuza pondje

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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!Naruseb a haluthwa kelando lyepungu okuza pondje Ominista yuunamapya oya popi kutya itashi tambulwa nokwiidhidhimikilwa, shoNamibia ha landa okuza pondje yoshilongo epungu lye lya kalela po oopresenda 50 niikwamausila yilwe, opo a vule okupalutha aakwashigwana ye. Minista Alpheus !Naruseb okwa popi kutya shoka osha nika oshiponga konkalo yuundjolowele oshowo ekalekepo negamenenepo lyoondya moshilongo.

Minista okwa holola omaiyuvo ge pethimbo lyomutumba gwokomvula gwoAgriBusDev, ngoka gwa ningwa oshiwike sha piti. Pethimbo lyomutumba ngoka ehangano olya pititha woo olopota yawo yopaiyemo yokomvula, na!Naruseb okwa pandula ehangano ndyoka sho lye shi pondola okumona iiyemo ya londa pombanda noopresenda 73.4, okuyeleka nolopota yoshikakomvula sha piti.

!Naruseb okwa popi kutya eshuno pevi lyelongo lyepungu moshilongo olya etithwa woo kuupyakadhi womapuka goarmyworms ngoka ga li ga hanagulapo iikunino oyindji yomapungu unene iikunino yaanafaalama mboka aashona naamboka yopokati.

Minista okwa pula opo ku kongwe ekandulepo lyomukundu kuupyakadhi mboka monakuyiwa. Okwa popi kutya etungo lyofakitoli yomausila moShadikongoro otali ka manithwa moshikako shotango shomvula yo 2018/19.

Okwa popi kutya uuna ofakitoli ndjoka ya manithwa, nena aanafaalama otaya kala ye na ongeshefa yi li popepi, mpoka taya vulu okulanditha iilikolomwa yawo.

!Naruseb okwa popi kutya Namibia onkene ta tsikile nokulanda pondje yoshilongo epungu oshowo iikwamausila yilwe, na okwa tsikile kutya shoka oshi li oshinakugwanithwa shepangelo nomahangano gopaumwene noohandimwe opo yiiyunganeke nokuya pamwe momapungulo, ko kuvule okutula kohi yoopoloyeka dhiikunino oohecta dha gwedhwapo 27 000 okuza momvula yo 2030, sho oshilongo shi vule okukala tashi longo epungu lya gwana.

Minista okwa tsikile kutya omapungulo ngoka otaga adhika ngaashi moKavango West, Katima/Liselo moshitopolwa shaZambezi oshowo moNeckartal noTandjieskoppe moshitopolwa sha //Karas Region.

Etseyitho lyaamboka yahala okukutha ombinga otali ka ningwa omathimbo gamwe nuumvo, nopethimbo ndika uuministeli wuunamapya owa tegelela owala emanitho lyoompangela dhoopoloyeka ndhoka okuza kuuministeli wemona, molwaashoka oopoloyeka ndhoka otadhi ka longa pakwatakwathano lyomahangano gepangelo naangoka gopaumwene, pauyelele mboka wa gandjwa kuminista !Naruseb.



ELLANIE SMIT

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SI !Gobs maak sport ‘n prioriteit

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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SI !Gobs maak sport ‘n prioriteitDie skool onderrig 575 leerlinge, van wie 270 in die koshuis bly. Die Sekondêre Skool SI !Gobs op Omaruru is die enigste sekondêre skool in 'n radius van 65 kilometer van die dorp af. Octavia Tsibes

"Ons gaan die poort tot tersiêre onderrig wees," sê die skoolhoof, mnr. Erwin /Awarab. Hy is al vir 20 jaar 'n onderwyser en werk die afgelope ses jaar by SI !Gobs.

"Ek het besluit om ’n onderwyser te word sodat ek my gemeenskap, broers, susters en vriende kan motiveer om verder te studeer en opgevoede burgers te word. Ek het ook onderwysers gehad wat my gemotiveer het om ’n onderwyser te word,” sê hy.

Die regering het tussen 1984 en 1987 die skool en koshuis vir die kinders van die omliggende gemeenskap gebou.

Die doel was om sekondêre onderwys vir die streek te bied en aanvanklik was die plan om net meisies in te neem. Ná Namibië se onafhanklikwording, in 1990, is onderrig aan meisies en seuns voorsien.

Die skool is vernoem na ‘n boorling van Omaruru, Samuel Immanuel Matawa !Gobs. Hy was ‘n onderwyser, politikus en kampvegter vir menseregte voor onafhanklikheid.

Die leerlinge van SI !Gobs is uitblinkers in atletiek, sokker, vlugbal en netbal.

Willian van Wyk is een van die skool se passievolle sportkoördineerders.

"Ek is baie lief vir sport, en nóg meer sedert ek by die hoërskool aangekom het," sê Van Wyk. Volgens haar ly die skool se ontwikkeling op sportgebied dikwels weens 'n tekort aan geld. “'n Finansiële hupstoot sal die skool baie help," sê Van Wyk.

Calvin Swartz dien vanjaar op die skool se leerlingraad en het ‘n passie vir sport. Hy het hom verbind tot geldinsameling vir sportontwikkeling, en die motivering van sy medeleerders om hul potensiaal op die sportveld te bereik.

"Ek is ook 'n junior raadslid van die Omarurustreek. Hierdie posisie help my ook om mense buite die skool te bereik en aan te moedig om hul bes te doen in verskillende sportkodes, asook die waardes van ‘n goeie sportman of –vrou na te jaag,” sê Swartz.

Reaching his full potential

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Reaching his full potential Octavia Tsibes



Emmanuel Anana Samuntu was born in 2001 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He is currently the national record holder in the high jump in Namibia.

He is an athlete that specialises in high jump, long jump and short distance sprinting. He also plays rugby for the Otjiwarongo (Secondary School??) first team and basketball for the Otjozondjupa regional team.

Although he was born in the DRC, he grew up in a small town in the Kunene region called Outjo. “We discovered his gift when he was in grade 8 at Outjo High School,” his sister, Deborah Samuntu, says.

“I became involved in sports eight years ago and I have kept on improving. Currently I am holding the u/17 and u/19 records in high jump and I am the second best high jumper and long jumper in the country. I was selected several times to join the national team,” he says.

His day begins every morning at 05:00 with a 20 minute cardio workout. He has school throughout the morning untill 13:05 and from 15:00-17:00 in the afternoon he has an intensive training session with his coach, Jonas Sonasee.

“It started sports as a hobby eight years ago and later discovered that high jump was my passion and I was a natural athlete,” he says. Emmanuel says that the high jump in a way also helped cure his fear of heights.

As the years passed he also developed a love for long jump, rugby and especially basketball.

Emmanuel adds that his success has been a product of hard work and perseverance. “It is not easy developing the habits that brought me to the stage in my athletic career that I am at now.”

“The downsides of being an athlete is that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It is a hard process and involves a lot of blood, sweat and tears. There are nights were you won’t be able to sleep due to the muscle cramps but you sometimes have to play superman and endure the pain each and every night,” he says.

Samuntu comes from a well-educated family and wants to study engineering after grade 12. “My brother is not academically strong but he is a hard worker, if it is time to study he puts in those extra hours to obtain good grades,” Deborah said.

“It is essential to remain humble during this process because you can easily begin to lose yourself when all the fame begins to cross your path. You should be hardworking and be dedicated to what you do. Avoid the drugs and steroids and get yourself friends that build you up. It is very important to love what you do and develop a passion and positive attitude towards your sports,” says Emmanuel.

“Jumping really high resembles a symbol of hope that you can always soar over all the hurdles life throws at you.”

Genuine economic empowerment

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Genuine economic empowerment Drafters of the New Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework in Namibia (NEEEF) are working around the clock to finalise this important legislation, which aims to promote equitable, inclusive and shared economic development. Despite wide consultations headed by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Law Reform Development Commission, there are lingering questions around the proposed bill. One particular empowerment pillar that has been frowned upon is the proposal that seeks to give blacks a tangible stake in mainstream businesses with minimum requirements of 25% ownership. It has since emerged that this specific pillar has been removed, according to a media report. A weekly reported last week that the government has bowed to pressure from lobby groups such as the Namibia Chamber and Industry (NCCI), the Manufacturing Association of Namibia (MFA), the Chamber of Mines of Namibia (CMN) and the Namibian Employers Federation (NEF) to remove the 25% clause in place of broad-based empowerment that will include all communities in Namibia. For a country grappling with high levels of inequality and unemployment, particularly among the youth, it is incumbent upon policies such as NEEEF to tackle significant redistributive measures in order to offer much hope for struggling Namibians rather than just empowering the already empowered. It should not be about helping a small group of the elite in the name of black economic empowerment. What is needed is a programme that is about redistribution of skills, resources and wealth. We have warned authorities in the past not to sell this NEEEF idea as a quick way to riches without too much effort. For NEEEF to succeed it must be done in an orderly manner and help level the playing field by drawing the black majority into all levels of the economy, including as employers and supervisors. There must be genuine empowerment of all Namibians and not just a selected few, who are already sitting pretty. A transformation policy which does little to help improve the lives of the ordinary people will be meaningless. We surely can't be happy with the high levels of inequality and poverty in which our people are wallowing in.

Shot of the day

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Shot of the day MESMERISING: A person watches northern lights (Aurora borealis) on 3 March 2018 in Unstad, in the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. Photo: NAMPA/AFP

SA rider sets new Cairo to Cape Town record

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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SA rider sets new Cairo to Cape Town recordThird time lucky for Russell A South African adventurer has set a new motorcycle record of seven days, 18 hours and 52 minutes on the 11 000km ride from Cairo to Cape Town. “It was very draining but full of rich human experiences” - Andrew Thabo Russell, property developer and motorcyclist Andrew Thabo Russell has broken the world record for the fastest time between Cape Town and Cairo on a motorbike.

Russell obliterated the previous record, slashing five days off the time. He completed the 11 000km route in seven days, 18 hours and 52 minutes. The previous record of 13 days and 23 hours was set by Swiss endurance rider Urs 'Grizzly' Pedraita in 2016.

In January, Russell set the new record on his third attempt riding his KTM 1190 Adventure R motorbike.



Cape to Cairo

He puts his much faster Cape to Cairo time down to a few factors including improved road conditions, which have seen the record fall sharply in recent years, from 20 days to 18, 13 and now just over seven days.

Russell reveals that there's now only about 250km of dirt left on the iconic Great North Road, which enables riders to use bigger, faster bikes. Also, there's a new land border between Egypt and Sudan, which sidesteps a slow ferry ride up Lake Nasser.

“Infrastructure in Africa is improving dramatically,” reports Russell, who is well positioned to comment on development based on his first-hand experience from both his record-breaking journey and his real estate career. Andrew has been with Flanagan & Gerard since 2014 where he works on all aspects of property development.

Even with the infrastructure improvements, the ride wasn't always easy going. The route threw up plenty of challenges for Russell, who took three tries to complete the massive endeavour.



Third time lucky

His first attempt in 2015 ended after 6 500km, just over halfway, when his passport was stolen at the border between Ethiopia and Kenya.

Russell's second run, in December 2017, was cut short after only 2 000km, this time setting out from Cairo South, with a broken chain in the middle of the Nubian Desert, which caused catastrophic gearbox damage.

He says: “I had to hitch-hike with a 240kg immobile bike for five days and get it back to Cairo on trucks. It was very draining but full of rich human experiences.

“Truck drivers fed me every night, refusing any form of compensation. This happened in countless ways throughout the trip.”

A Sudanese biker gang arrived at one of Russell's breakdown points, helping him all night to fix the bike: “They were brilliant. They used motor-mechanical techniques that won't be found in any manual. But, some things just can't be fixed without new parts.”

Russell's final effort started in Cairo on 2 January 2018. He describes it as a fairly clean run, saying: “There were even a few occasions that I could forget about racing and just enjoy riding. The border regions of Ethiopia were amazing, with incredible land formations covered in vegetation I'd never seen. The Rift Valley in central Tanzania is one of my favourite landscapes. There are very few people to be found on this wild and beautiful open land.”

The journey was not without problems for Russell, including a front tyre blowout and rim damage, hitting a kudu in northern Kenya, and having a terribly close call with a truck in Zambia. In addition, sleep and concentration fatigue were battles at the end of every day.

Fortunately, nothing proved to be disastrous. Russell arrived safely at his destination in Cape Town in record-breaking time on 9 January 2018.

Asked how he manages to fit adventures into a career in property development, he says that having a supportive professional setting helps: “Flanagan & Gerard encourages pursuits outside our professional lives, as it broadens one's mindset and certainly aids personal growth.”



Will Russell's record be broken?

“Yes, but there'll be lots of luck involved,” says Russell. “There are so many factors to consider and things that can go wrong when covering 11 000km through Africa that fast, especially at night.”

– WHEELS24

Farmers given 30 days to leave Nyae-Nyae

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Farmers given 30 days to leave Nyae-Nyae Farmers who invaded the Nyae-Nyae Conservancy in 2009 have asked President Hage Geingob to intervene after they were officially ordered by the Ju/'hoansi Traditional Authority to leave the area.

Close to 30 Otjiherero-speaking families invaded the conservancy under the jurisdiction of the traditional authority with about 1 000 head of cattle, purportedly because their cattle were dying because of a poisonous plant in the Gam area.

The plant however also grows in the conservancy.

The authority on 8 February 2018 issued a notice ordering the farmers to vacate the area.

Speaking on behalf of the affected farmers at a meeting with the president at State House on Friday, National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) president, Asser Mbai, said they were given 30 days to leave.

Senior government officials present at the meeting included Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba; works minister John Mutorwa (former agriculture minister), the attorney-general Albert Kawana and the deputy land reform minister Priscilla Beukes-Boois.

Mbai said in late 2016, he asked his deputy secretary-general Vetaruhe Kandorozu to visit the Tsumkwe area and consult with the affected farmers to find a solution to their plight.

He was then informed that the matter had been resolved by the agriculture ministry and boreholes were identified in an area where the farmers would be relocated to.

“It is now news to me that the said community has been given an ultimatum to vacate the area within 30 days,” Mbai said.

Mutorwa said the matters was brought to his office in 2009.

“It was said that some people brought their cattle into Tsumkwe by cutting the fence,” he recalled.

Mutorwa however said his ministry only dealt with the cattle and not with any resettlement issues.

“Eventually it came to the High Court and the cattle were confiscated, but the owners of the cattle were compensated as the animals became State property,” he said.

He said a decision was also taken that the farmers should return to where they had come from.

“Whether they went back I don't have the confidence and the authority to say,” he said.

Kawana recommended that a committee consisting of all interested parties be formed.

“They could sit together and come up with an amicable solution,” he told Geingob.

Geingob, however said he wants the problem solved as soon as possible.

“When there is tension we must intervene, we don't have to wait until somebody is killed while we are still waiting for committees and laws,” he said.

Geingob also told his ministers not to refer back to the court case but to rather find new solutions.



NAMPA

Lack of tentative date for land conference worries Iijambo

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Lack of tentative date for land conference worries Iijambo Swanu President Tangeni Iijambo has expressed dismay over the lack of a tentative date for the second national conference on land and warned of a possible uprising.

In a recent interview with Nampa, Iijambo said the delay and uncertainty of the land conference will only fuel anger among Namibia's landless.

“Namibians are not stupid. There will come a time they will realise that this is what is happening and they will revolt. That will be ugly,” he stated.

From the onset, Iijambo indicated that Swanu has consistently and persistently advocated for the return of ancestral land from previously advantaged white minorities.

He said people deprived of it will continue to “drown in abject poverty and inequality”.

Iijambo argued that Namibians can carve a way to solve their land debacle which is unique to the country, instead of mimicking how other countries have dealt with the issue.

He cited neighbouring South Africa, whose Parliament recently voted in favour of the expropriation of land without compensation.

Zimbabweans also seized land without compensation 18 years ago, but of late the Zimbabwean government has started to compensate farmers, and estimated compensation costs are set to amount to US dollars 11 billion.

Iijambo also questioned how multi-national companies have been allowed to ship out Namibia's wealth. “At Husab [uranium] mine, the Chinese own 90% while the Namibian government owns 10% [through Epangelo Mining] according to media reports. What is that?” he asked. Another concern for Iijambo is the homelands in which Namibians were settled by the apartheid South African colonisers on ethnic basis, and continue to settle. “The rainfall is enormous in 'Whitestan' but when it comes to the Bantustans [homelands], the rainfall is short. Is it a coincidence? Those homelands were thoroughly studied for us [blacks] to be pushed there, because it's inarable land and rainfall is scarce,” he said.

Supporting this argument, Iijambo said: “Now 28 years after independence, we are trying to improve land where we were pushed to by the apartheid government while huge tracts of land are owned by certain families or absentee landlords.”

“It is time to question whether the landlessness, abject poverty, corruption, inequality in Namibia are justifiable.”

The land conference is slated for 2018 and will be spearheaded by the Office of the Prime Minister.

The conference has been postponed twice in the last two years. Reasons given for the postponement were lack of funds and consultations, respectively.

Meanwhile, land reform minister Utoni Nujoma said in the National Assembly recently President Hage Geingob should be given ample time to announce a date for the said conference.

NAMPA

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PDM hits back at Nahas

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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PDM hits back at NahasEx-education minister 'is not above criticism' Following heavy criticism for his comments in parliament last week, the PDM has come out in defence of Nico Smit. The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) said it is astounded by the “lame” response from the country's first education minister, Nahas Angula, following comments made by its MP Nico Smit who implied last week that the post-independence government education system has failed the nation.

Smit, who was contributing a motion on education tabled by PDM, blamed Angula for introducing a “floundering” education system at independence.

Smit criticised Angula for introducing a system which he said has crippled three generations of Namibian children.

Smit also accused Angula of abolishing all pre-primary schools operated by the government, which in turn deprived thousands of disadvantaged children of the essential opportunity to learn the basics of education. Angula responded by saying as founding education minister he knew what he was doing when he introduced the new education system and that “Smit should just shut up”.

This response has not been well received by PDM, who through their national chairperson and party chief whip in the National Assembly Jennifer van den Heever, hit back at Angula in a statement.

Van den Heever defended Smit, saying he at “no point suggested that he had a problem with the system put in place by Angula or with the introduction of English as the language of tuition in our schools”.

However, in his contribution last week Smit listed three things Angula reportedly did wrong as education minster such as “… to change the medium of instruction in government secondary schools to English, with no regard to whether the teachers could teach adequately in English – and in most cases outside the urban areas”.

While the party insists Smit never blamed Angula for the failing education system, its statement this week suggests otherwise.

“[Angula] does not have the moral courage to accept the fact that even he can make mistakes, especially the fatal mistake of listening to advice from foreign advisors with no knowledge of local conditions when Namibia became independent 28 years ago.

It has everything to do with the implementation of Mr Angula's systems and plans all those years ago.” Van den Heever also said that if Angula had any regard for the future of Namibia's young people “he would thank the PDM for its insights and offer to look for a non-partisan solution”.

“Extensive research has been done on this topic and one of the resulting reports' recommendations was to establish a pre-primary section at every primary school in Namibia, but Angula opted to throw out the baby with the bath water when he took over the reins at the Ministry of Basic Education.”

Smit came under attack last week from various sectors, including education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, for his comments in parliament.



JEMIMA BEUKES

Gaps in human trafficking bill

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Gaps in human trafficking billServices and other essentials missing While government has been responsive to its international obligations in terms of human trafficking, the November 2017 needs to be tweaked. Government's efforts to finalise a combating of trafficking in persons law, in line with its stated objective to improve efforts to combat human trafficking in Namibia, is a step in the right direction.

The latest issue of 'Perspectives on Parliament', a regular bulletin by the Democracy project of the Institute of Public Policy (IPPR) noted that “despite its shortcomings, the Bill represents a step forward in fighting human trafficking in Namibia”.

Namibia has, for more than five years, been classified, in human trafficking terms, as a “source and destination country for children, and to a lesser extent women, subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking,” in the annual Trafficking in Person's (TIP) report issued by the United States' Department of State.

The Combatting of Trafficking in Persons Bill is written in line with key requirements set by international bodies, including the TIP report, monitoring Namibia's progress to effectively address human trafficking crimes and support victims.

The IPPR's parliament report stated that the trafficking bill “shows that Namibia is responsive to its international obligations, when it comes to implementing the right laws”.

However, “the future will show if it can live up to these obligations when it comes to protecting victims in reality.”

Some of the issues highlighted in the trafficking bill include the lack of services addressed in the Act, which are more defined, in comparison, in relevant sections of the Child Care and Protection Act.

These include the stipulation that victims of child labour should be provided with education opportunities, or legal employment, if they are old enough at the time of their interaction with authorities.

In addition, the bill states that victims should be provided with housing, but it does not stipulate the additional provisions of access to food, water, clothes and bedding.

The IPPR further cautioned that the bill “will not fix everything. Government still needs to run awareness campaigns so that citizens learn how to spot trafficking when it occurs and how to report it.”

Moreover, the bill should ensure improved coordination between key government role-players and various other institutions and ensure that they “are working in the same direction”.

Training of law enforcement is also needed, and the bill should ensure victim are provided with the “safety and help they need”.

These recommendations are in line with the main recommendations included in the 2017 TIP report.

Namibia was again ranked as a Tier 2 designated country in 2017 last year as it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”, but has been “making significant efforts to do so.”

The TIP report described government's efforts to protect trafficking victims as “modest”.

Although a number of trafficking cases were launched by government, the TIP report noted that victims were referred to care facilities for assistance “although the government did not report what specific services it provided.”

Further, that no formal written procedures for use by all officials on victim identification and referral to care were in place.

Other recommendations include finalising and implementing a new national action plan to guide anti-trafficking efforts, implementing a unified system for collecting trafficking case data, strengthening coordination among government ministries and increasing efforts to raise awareness, especially in rural areas.

Tabled in November 2017, The Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill of aims to give effect to the United Nations Protocol to prevent, suppress, criminalise and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

The IPRR's Max Weylandt, who authored Perspective on Parliament, noted that the Child Care and Protection Act provides for the protection of victims of trafficking from prosecution and for the assistance of victims in the wake of the crime.

The Act “has not yet becoming a binding law,” Weylandt added.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Wildlife ranching in spotlight

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Wildlife ranching in spotlight The Wanderers Sport Club played host to the Wildlife Ranching Namibia's (WRN) third annual general meeting (AGM) recently, bringing together the majority of wildlife ranchers from across all corners of the country.

Attendees were particularly excited to listen to guest speaker Wiaan van der Linde, the former president of Wildlife Ranching South Africa and a renowned game rancher in his own right, as the founder of Wintershoek Wild. His address to members focused on managing contemporary trends affecting the wildlife ranching industry, as well as farming with disease-free buffalo. “Disease-free buffalo are tested extensively and I believe that the risks of buffalo breeding in Namibia pose a lower risk than in South Africa,” Van de Linde said. He further called for unity and encouraged a common vision amongst local stakeholders, stating that “anything we do should enhance brand Namibia”. WRN, in partnership with environment minister Pohamba Shifeta as patron, strives to develop all four pillars of the industry, therefore a new structure was proposed to accommodate the growing needs of members, namely breeding, game meat and products, ecotourism and hunting. Along with the executive committee, eight new council members were elected to manage the aforementioned portfolios. The exco members are as follows Mike Bredenkamp, as president, Alex Oelofse as vice-president, Leevi Hungamo also as vice-president, Zelda Von Schauroth as treasurer, Kavena Hambira as executive advisor and Stephanie Venter as secretary. Other pertinent matters discussed at the AGM pertained to the draft wildlife management bill, game counts, fence inspections, wildlife auctions, industry research, transformation and the ministry's automated permit system.

WRN is conducting a comprehensive survey amongst game ranchers and hopes to have the survey report and summary soon.

STAFF REPORTER

Entrepreneurial mindset a necessity

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Entrepreneurial mindset a necessity The chairperson of the northern branch of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), Tomas Iindji, says the youth will be able to contribute a lot to the local economy if they develop an entrepreneurial mindset at a young age.

Iindji made the remark during the Onathinge circuit award ceremony held at the weekend. He spoke of the importance of entrepreneurship as a subject in schools and how it can contribute to the economy of the country.

“The youth need to be equipped with perseverance and determination and an entrepreneurial mindset. If education equips students with an entrepreneurial mindset at the outset of their careers, they will be more engaged and take ownership of their own success and in the long run, contribute to the economy of the country,” Iindji said.

He added that if the youth, at a tender age, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, they will be able to think positively in terms of establishing businesses and employ fellow Namibians which will lead to national issues such as poverty and unemployment being addressed.

“Entrepreneurs create jobs, uplift the standard of living, usher in new technology, and keep competition alive in the marketplace. The purpose of economic development is to make our lives as Namibians easier, to help us live longer, to provide more opportunities for others, and to secure the future of our nation,” Iindji said.

He added that although the establishment of businesses assists in addressing certain national issues, it should also be known that starting a business is very difficult. However, he added, in order to be successful, one must have faced challenges.

Iindji also talked about the impact entrepreneurship has on culture saying that if people come up with innovative ways to do things, as opposed to relying on how things have always been done, this should not be seen as a replacement or a threat, but rather, as an enhancement.

“Innovation should not be viewed as a threat to our culture, but rather as a way to enhance our beliefs and extend them into realms we never thought possible,” Iindji said.



KENYA KAMBOWE

Unidentified bodies found in the north

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Unidentified bodies found in the north Police in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions have asked for help in identifying two unidentified bodies.

The badly decomposed body of a man was found in the veld near the Tsumeb Cultural Village at Tsumeb in the Oshikoto Region on Sunday.

Warrant Officer Ellen Nehale said the body was found by people collecting firewood.

“The body was dressed in a red T-shirt and a blue cap, but no trousers, underpants or shoes,” Nehale said. Nehale said a post-mortem examination would be done to determine the cause of death. She said the body could have been there for two to three weeks.

“What is also challenging is that we do not have a report of a missing person in the area of Tsumeb or in the region. We are now inviting members of the public to help us in identifying this body. Anyone missing a family member, relative or friend may come forth to the Tsumeb police mortuary.” Anyone with information can contact Inspector Endjala at 081 255 9815. On 22 February a man aged estimated to be between 25 and 35 years old died at Ongha in the Ohangwena Region when he was hit by a minibus. The regional police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Abner Kaume Itumba, requested anyone who can help identify the man to contact the Ongha police station.



ILENI NANDJATO

Damara to petition Germany over genocide

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Damara to petition Germany over genocide While Germany is struggling to keep up with calls to atone for the Nama and Ovaherero genocide during the early 1900s, the Damara people now also demand compensation for the lives lost during the German occupation of Namibia.

Although he could not comment on the official plans for the trip to Germany, Damara community leader and author Seth Boois confirmed that he will donate the proceeds of his new book titled 'Reflections on modern Damara history', to the cause.

Tsukhoe //Garoës, the royal advisor to the Damara king Chief Justus Garoëb, said the king is yet to pronounce himself on the issue and then the media will be informed.

“To say something now will be premature,” she said.

Government's genocide reparations envoy Zed Ngavirue yesterday said he is not aware of these plans, but noted that the Damara people are represented on the official genocide technical committee.

“Although they were not targeted directly, they were 'collateral damage' and government has recognised this and that is why they are included,” he said.

Genocide is defined as the “the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group,” which, in the case of the Ovaherero and Nama people, was done through an extermination order.

Ngavirue emphasised that the Damara people were not “singled out”.

It is not the first time the Damara claim to have been murdered en masse by German colonial forces.

In May 2016, the chief of the !Oe#Gan Traditional Authority, Immanuel /Gaseb, said it was not possible for German soldiers to distinguish between a Damara and an Ovaherero person.

“Damaras were also part of that genocide… there is no gun that is so smart that it can only kill Ovaherero people,” he said.

The Nama and Ovaherero traditional leaders have also repeatedly said tribes who were merely caught in the crossfire of the 1904 to 1908 genocide must demand reparations from the German government separately.

Ida Hofmann, chairperson of the Nama Genocide Technical Committee is currently out of the country on official business and could not comment.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Unionists sue each other

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Unionists sue each otherAngula wants more than a million from Nafwu The Namibia Farm Workers Union and its former general secretary are suing each other for large sums of money in the High Court. The former general secretary of the Namibia Farm Workers Union, Alfred Angula, is suing the union for over N$1 million for failing to implement a settlement agreement ordered in 2015.

The union has submitted a counterclaim against Angula, whom they accuse of unlawfully being in possession of an official vehicle.

The union has also accused Angula of misappropriating N$650 000, which had been paid into his account. According to the counterclaim, Angula reportedly ordered the transfer of the money to his personal account while he was still NAFWU's boss.

The union's attempts to have Angula return the Kia vehicle and repay the money proved futile.

Angula left the union in 2013 following his suspension after he had been arrested on a fraud charge. He was accused of having unlawfully withdrawn N$1.2 million from the union's account during 2012.

The matter was later withdrawn after the prosecutor-general decided against prosecution.

Thereafter, an exit package was agreed upon by the union and Angula. It is reported that the union agreed to an exit package payment of N$1.18 million to Angula. Both parties also agreed to return a car to Angula as well as compensate him N$20 000 and a further N$6 for each kilometre the car was driven while it was in the union's possession.

The car in question has been the subject of a dispute between Angula and the union for many years. The last odometer reading at the time the vehicle was taken from Angula was 145 000km. Upon its return the odometer reading was 273 675km, resulting in a total usage of 123 675km as at 27 July 2015.

“I am entitled to be compensated in the amount of N$772 050 by the defendants in terms of the settlement agreement,” Angula said in his particulars of claim.

As part of the exit package, it was resolved that the union would sell the shares it owned in Nam-mic Property and pay the proceeds of the sale to Angula as well as any dividends that it received between 2013 and 2015.

“Such shares should have been sold and the proceeds be paid over to me,” he claimed.

According to him, the union undertook to pay him an outstanding salary and exit package of N$681 221.70 and interest thereon at a rate of 20% as from 30 May 2013.

The respondents are NAFWU, its current general secretary, Rocco Nguvauva, and the union's president, Asser Hendricks.

Judge Herman Oosthuizen postponed the case to 30 April for a pre-trial conference.

FRED GOEIEMAN

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Opels, Peugeots to be assembled locally

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Opels, Peugeots to be assembled locally OGONE TLHAGE

Walvis Bay will soon welcome Namibia’s first vehicle assembly plant, with French automaker Groupe PSA announcing this week that it will assemble the Opel Grandland X and the Peugeot 3008 there for the southern African market.

The Namibia Development Corporation will take up a 49% stake in the plant.

Assembly will start in the second half of 2018 with an annual targeted volume of 5 000 units by 2020 to meet satisfy the demand in countries belonging to the Southern African Customs Union, Groupe PSA said.

The company’s executive vice-president for the Middle East and Africa, Jean-Christophe Quemard, said the investment was in line with the company’s long-term strategy.

“This investment in Namibia is part of the long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025. This new capacity will serve regional markets with products in line with our Opel and Peugeot customer expectation,” said Quemard.

The deputy permanent secretary in the ministry of trade, Michael Humavindu, said the government had been in talks with the French carmaker since December 2015.

“The factory will be located at our !Nara Namib plant. Our stake through NDC will be 49%. Initially we will employ 50 direct jobs whilst indirect jobs will be 200,” said Humavindu.

Two previous plans to set up car assembly plants in Namibia came to naught. Gobabis had been envisaged to become the site of a Romanian-owned Aro 4x4 vehicle assembly plant and a factory to build the locally designed Uri off-roader.

Baster community meeting derails

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Baster community meeting derails Chaos amid allegations of theft The traditional leadership of the Rehoboth Baster community is a shambles. STAFF REPORTER



A meeting in which the ‘Red Rehoboth Basters’ (Save Rehoboth Basters) committee adopted a motion of no confidence in acting Kaptein Martin Dentlinger ended in chaos when community leaders demanded answers on the alleged theft of the United People’s Movement (UPM) party funds.

Dentlinger was installed as the interim traditional chief by the ailing former Kaptein John McNab earlier this year.

Dentlinger’s reign has, however, been received with much consternation and prompted a group of concerned community members to establish the committee to ‘save’ the Baster community.

The aim is to bring an end to Dentlinger’s tenure by organising an election that would install a new Kaptein.

During Sunday’s meeting, the majority voted for the election but Johannes T. van Wyk questioned the credentials of some committee members who were implicated in the theft, while another community member requested that UPM member of parliament Jan van Wyk be removed.

The removal of Lukas de Klerk, a senior member of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) was also demanded. This request was ignored.

Meanwhile, a committee member stormed the podium and forcefully removed the microphone from Johannes T. van Wyk, who had asked for an explanation for the missing UPM party funds.

The UPM was established by the Rehoboth community to agitate for their rights on a national level.

“Corruption was the order of the day… a few hundred thousand dollars have disappeared. What happened to the N$137 000 for plots? And why did the UPM leadership not take action?” he asked.

He also accused the party’s leadership - which is directly linked to the office of the Kaptein - of continuing to collect money from community members, promising to secure them land.

This is despite a High Court ruling that the Kaptein does not have the authority to survey, partition and allocate plots of land under the control of the Rehoboth town council.

During an interview with Namibian Sun, Dentlinger said Jan van Wyk was in possession of the money but added, it was not accounted for.

“He signed an affidavit that he did have the money and that he will pay it back.”

Dentlinger added that it is not the mandate of the committee to choose a Kaptein. These decisions, he noted, are left to him and a select committee.

“What they do will be illegal. They do not have a say. All of these things happening are not for public consumption and will cause irrevocable damage,” said Dentlinger.

Meanwhile Jan van Wyk said these events are to tarnish his name and that Dentlinger is not being honest, but emphasised that he will not “stoop to their level”.

According to him the UPM offices were broken into and receipts were stolen, and as a result, implicated him.

“The acknowledgment I signed is not an admission of guilt. Figures were changed… first it was N$6 000 missing, and then N$8 000, and then N$50 000. If I am guilty then they must open a case at the police and I will fight this in court,” he said.

Capital markets urged to free boards

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Capital markets urged to free boards Ndama Nakashole - ICG director and former RMB Namibia MD Steve Galloway says capital markets need to bring proper independence to companies’ boards.

Speaking on a panel discussion, titled ‘The Role of Capital Markets in Advancing Corporate Governance’, at the Africa Corporate Governance Conference held in Windhoek on Thursday and Friday, Galloway said corporate governance could best achieved if the appointment of the board of directors of a company was based on ethical levels and ability to take responsibility.

He said that for entities to win, or/and keep winning, when appointing the board of directors of a certain company, the appointing authority must go back to the basic principle of ethics and responsibility.

“We need to train our governors with that integrity to say that your actions have effects to the community, on the people. We need that kind of morality,” he said.

Galloway said he did not think international practises were the only solutions to achieving the best results in corporate governance in Africa.

He said there were different solutions, depending on different locations in the world.

Ubuntu

“Our solutions are more for African problems. I think the spirit of community, the spirit of ubuntu, is one that works well with our solutions to achieve best corporate governance solutions for the continent.”

He added that it was good to learn from others too, as “no region can do it alone”.

Standard Bank Namibia’s head of personal and business banking, Mercia Geises, said shareholders’ activism usually came from executive remuneration. “The activism is usually about aligning the interest of shareholders to those of the executives,” she said.

She added that it was usually in the interest of the company if shareholders let management be at the centre of decision-making, because sometimes when the certain shareholders’ goal/objective was achieved, he or she may not even be a shareholder anymore.

“Short-termism is a challenge. We need to have the company’s best interest at heart,” she said.

Alignment

Sitting on the same panel, the managing director of Nampro Fund, Kauna Ndilula, said she believed in a principle of aligning shareholders, directors and management towards the same objective.

She said some shareholders were financially illiterate while others were well informed. In most cases, these two might collude. She said it would only be in the interest of the company if a well-informed investor was brought in to be part of the shareholders of a certain institution.

AfDB

Another speaker at the conference was Namibia’s executive director at the African Development Bank, Mihe Gaomab, who spoke on the bank’s governance perspectives.

He said the bank treated governance as a cross-cutting issue on project approvals as an enabling developmental outcome.

“Through its due diligence on project evaluation, the bank is conscious of inclusive development involving youth and women, as well as diversity reflecting regional disparities of countries of which some are fragile states on the continent,” he said.

Gaomab added that the bank treated evolving innovative developments and disruptive digital technology as central to its mandate of powering and feeding Africa, industrialising and integrating the continent and improving the quality of life of Africans through service delivery.

He said the bank was cognisant of ethical business leadership by having a database of politically exposed persons when assessing its developmental effectiveness. Gaomab said the bank emphasised robust institutional accountability through its developmental outcomes.

Changes proposed to SACU benefits

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Changes proposed to SACU benefitsDevelopment rather than revenue formula The world’s oldest customs union is on a roadshow, highlighting its role in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. If we do not stop this kind of financial dependency, any time South Africa goes broke, then those two countries’ will become mini-Zimbabwes. – Prof Roman Grynberg, UNAM Ndama Nakashole - University of Namibia economics professor and analyst, Roman Grynberg, on Friday said he has come up with a proposal to be presented to the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) which aims to change the union’s core benefit from a revenue sharing one to a development sharing formula.

Grynberg spoke of his ready-to-deliver proposal when he addressed attendees of a SACU information sharing session, held at the university, which was done in conjunction with the university’s Faculty of Economics and Management Science. The session was part of SACU’s ongoing publicity awareness campaign roadshow in Namibia.

According to Grynberg, SACU is currently structured in a way that only benefits South Africa in terms of development, while he sees the billions of dollars that the four BLNS countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) receive from the union, as a “bribe”, for them to keep importing from South Africa.

Grynberg referred to the formula as “a subsidy for the four BLNS countries to keep importing more goods from South Africa.”

“SACU is not a bad idea, but we need to change its formula from a revenue sharing formula to a development sharing formula,” he said.

Independence

Grynberg further said that there is a need to develop the capacity of the BLNS countries so that they can be a bit independent as well.

He reiterated that with the current SACU revenue sharing formula, the more any of the four BLNS countries import from South Africa, the more money they get.

“We have Lesotho and Swaziland, who get about 70% or so of their total revenue from SACU. If we do not stop this kind of financial dependency, any time South Africa goes broke, then those two countries’ will become mini-Zimbabwes. Their economies will collapse,” he said.

He said the fact that Namibia trades so much with South Africa, yet sells virtually nothing to the southern neighbour, is trade unbalanced.

The academic added that while SACU has been reformed over the years, the formula needs to be touched up, adding that previous arrangements within the union such as the Secret Protocol still have their effects on the BLNS countries.

“How come the four small countries get 80% of the customs revenue? We get money, South Africa gets development,” he said, adding that, that is a radical idea.

He added that although international institutions may not have said it, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) don’t like SACU’s revenue sharing benefit.

He said that his proposal of changing the revenue sharing formula to a development formula is a simple one strengthened with setting up of four funds, including an infrastructure fund.

Opportunities

In her presentation on the operation and programmes of SACU, the union’s executive secretary Paulina Elago stated that the SACU market is growing and therefore provides opportunities for the member states, especially the smaller economies, to increase their trade, especially in exports.

“This would in turn contribute to the diversification of their [BLNS’] economies, which are currently dependent to a large extend on primary commodities,” she said.

Elago stated that such economic transformation could be unlocked further if there is a clear and targeted strategy to diversify and broaden the industrial base through value addition.

She stated that SACU can not only facilitate cross border trade, “but more importantly can serve as an engine of economic growth through the promotion of industrialisation.”

Negotiating

In her presentation during the session, SACU Secretariat’s trade negotiations coordinator Albertina Hitiwa said that most countries are involved in trade negotiations for free movement of goods and services, as improved market access may lead to increased exports and contribution to economic development of a country. She said benefits depend on the ability for a country to utilise the preferential trade arrangement by taking initiatives geared toward leveraging on these market dispensations.

“The SACU Secretariat remains committed in facilitating the SACU negotiating agenda,” she said, adding that SACU has concluded some beneficial trade negotiations.

On-going trade negotiations at SACU, according to Hitiwa, are the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Agreements, Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, SACU- India Preferential Trade Agreement, Review of the SACU-EFTA Free Trade Agreement, and the SACU, Mozambique and UK Economic Partnership Agreement.

Another presentation titled “Understanding the mechanics of Revenue Sharing Arrangement in SACU Member States” was given by SACU’s deputy director of revenue management, Donald Ndwandwe, who highlighted that South Africa is the currently the manager of the Common Revenue Pool (CRP).

In determination of revenue, member states submit intra-SACU imports to the secretariat, among other things, he said.

“South Africa as the manager of the CRP provides a forecast of the CRP for the following financial year,” he said.

Importance

On the importance of SACU to the Namibian economy, Bank of Namibia’s deputy director of policy research and international affairs, Erwin Nainhwaka, said SACU is important to the Namibian economy as the revenue sustains various government expenditure programmes. He added that Namibia’s exports to SACU have been growing, albeit slower than imports from SACU.

“SACU remains key to industrialisation and regional integration and there is potential to increase benefits from SACU in line with our NDPs. We need to invest SACU revenue in developing domestic production capacity creation,” he said

He also said that the private sector is crucial to ensuring Namibia is net trade creator from SACU and regional integration.

All hands on deck for a cleaner Namibia

March 12, 2018, 3:00 pm

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All hands on deck for a cleaner Namibia President Hage Geingob has proposed that the Workers' Day celebration in May be dedicated to a national clean-up campaign.

Geingob was quoted by state media as urging all Namibians, from civil servants to the general public, to joining a nationwide clean-up campaign in celebration of May Day.

Last year already the president had expressed his wish to launch a national clean-up campaign to help Namibia claim the title as the cleanest country in Africa, and for Windhoek to reclaim the title of cleanest African city.

At the time Geingob was quoted by Nampa as saying that he would like to set aside a day “when we will roll up our sleeves and engage in a nationwide clean-up campaign”.

He said consultations were being held to select the most suitable date.

Speaking to members of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) and associated unions at State House yesterday, Geingob criticised the unhygienic state of many Namibian towns.

He urged all Namibians to support the clean-up campaign.





The main Workers' Day commemoration would be held at Khorixas this year, Geingob said.

The Namibia Chamber of Environment (NCE) immediately supported the president's suggestion.

To underline their support for the presidential initiative, the NCE announced that N$50 000 would be distributed among ten local authorities to help them carry out the president's wishes.

Chris Brown, the NCE's CEO, said: “Keeping our environment clean is good for our countryside, our planet, our health and for setting an example to our children.

“For this reason, the NCE will be supporting the president's call by providing ten local authorities with an amount of up to N$5 000 each to assist them to implement this clean-up campaign.

“Local authorities interested in applying should contact the NCE with a short proposal setting out their plan of action. We would also challenge the private sector to similarly support this initiative,” Brown added.

The NCE emphasised that litter is a multi-faceted problem.

Key issues include the health risks posed by litter, not only to people but to livestock and wildlife too.

“Many cattle in Namibia die each year from eating plastic bags, which become impacted and block the digestive system,” Brown said.

Further, litter often contains toxic components which pollute the soil and water, posing health risks to humans, animals and plant life.

Discarded plastic containers and tins hold water and become breeding sites for mosquitoes. Other types of litter can physically harm people and animals.

Brown emphasised that plastic littering is increasingly threatening the world's oceans.

“Plastics are washed down rivers to the sea. The accumulation of plastic in the oceans of the world is so severe that, by 2050 if nothing is done, the mass (weight) of plastic will exceed that of the weight of all the fishes in the oceans.”

Apart from the various risks, a dirty environment reflects “an uncaring attitude” and “a nation with little pride in their magnificent landscapes,” Brown added.



Dreams of a cleaner country

Geingob's strong support for a clean-up campaign was first highlighted in October 2017, when he announced his plan to set aside a day for a national clean-up campaign in order to claim the title as Africa's cleanest country.

At the time he bemoaned the fact that Windhoek had slipped down the ranks as one of the cleanest African cities, a title previously bestowed on the city.

Windhoek now ranks as the tenth cleanest city in Africa, while South Africa's Cape Town ranks number one.

A firestorm of debate erupted recently after Namibian artist EES proposed a national clean-up campaign to be held on Independence Day.

President Geingob was quoted by media as saying that he did not disagree with the core message, but he disagreed with the proposed day.

Repeated attempts yesterday to obtain further comment from presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari failed.

JANA-MARI SMITH