Fake qualifications on increase – Gertze

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Fake qualifications on increase – Gertze Between 250 and 300 cases of fraudulent qualifications have been reported with the Namibian police.

This was announced by the CEO of the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), Franz Gertze at a media conference in Windhoek.

He explained that qualifications submitted to the NQA - up to master degrees - are not always legal and authentic, raising the concern that fraudulent qualifications are increasing.

“We work with the police and we do not leave any stone unturned in order to root out people with forged qualifications in the system,” said Gertze.

People, he said, not only forge their qualifications but also the NQA qualification reports and submit these to personnel offices.

Gertze explained that the NQA has taken to reposition itself where it can serve the nation better and eradicate qualification fraud.

“Qualification fraud can lead us to lose our competitive advantage,” he said.

He added that between January 2017 and February 2018, the NQA registered 190 unit standard qualifications, and 2 914 accreditation status enquiries were completed.

He noted that 8 835 qualifications were evaluated out of which 1 141 were from foreigners and 7 694 were from Namibians.

Institutions that were accredited for various programmes to date were 43, applications received and being processed by the Accreditation, Assessment and Audit Department to date are 35, while the institutions due for re-accreditation are 19.

Enquiries recorded regarding accreditation, re-accreditation and expansion (walk-in clients and email enquiries) are 452. The number of audit applications ready for council are 12, number of applications for accreditation ready for council are nine, number of applications for expansion ready for council are eight, while the number for compliance checks are five.



NAMPA

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Teek hit by lawsuit setbacks

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Teek hit by lawsuit setbacks The Windhoek High Court has struck from the roll a N$6.7 million lawsuit instituted by retired Supreme Court judge Pio Teek against the head of state, the government, the justice minister and the attorney-general.

Teek is suing for the violation of his right to a fair trial, defamation and alleged breaches of constitutional duties.

The case was struck from the roll on Wednesday, pending the outcome of Teek's appeal against the dismissal of another N$6.8 million lawsuit he had brought against the justice minister and the ombudsman.

In the dismissed case Teek had sued the minister and ombudsman for malicious and undue lengthy delays and the allegedly unlawful failure to speedily serve combined summonses on South African appeal judges Piet Streicher, Kenneth Mthiyane and Fritz Brand.

The three judges had heard the state's appeal against Teek's discharge by another South African judge, Ronnie Bosielo, in 2006 on child abduction, rape and other charges, and referred the case for a retrial.

Teek now claims his constitutional and statutory rights were grossly violated and that the delays resulted in him incurring financial losses.

The court dismissed the case on Tuesday on the basis that the summonses and particulars of the claim against the three foreign judges were “bad in law” and that no monetary relief could be claimed in the case.

It was found that the summonses for the judges were issued by the High Court registrar, but were not served before their withdrawal.

Teek relied on the non-service of summonses and therefore no legal action could follow, the High court found.

It also emphasised it was necessary for Teek to allege and disclose facts in his particulars of claim against the three foreign judges, in order to show that the Namibian High Court has effective jurisdiction.

Teek indicated to Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula that he is appealing against these findings, which then led to the other lawsuit being struck from the roll.



FRED GOEIEMAN

Doctor in hot water

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Doctor in hot waterMultiple investigations against Otjiwarongo's Chiradza The rogue doctor driver is sought by the police to execute their arrest warrant. A suspended Otjiwarongo doctor, under investigation for a reckless driving incident last week, is also being sought by the police for failing to appear before court in another case linked to a fatal car accident two years ago, and is further under investigation for alleged theft of and abuse of addictive drugs.

A warrant of arrest was reissued on Wednesday last week against Yevai Chiradza, who faces a charge of culpable homicide in a case linked to a car accident on 12 July 2015, which led to the deaths of three people.

Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi yesterday confirmed that the arrest warrant was sent to the Otjiwarongo police this week after Chiradza failed to appear before the Karibib Magistrate's Court on 7 and 8 March.

Chiradza had not been arrested by yesterday afternoon, but Kanguatjivi said an arrest was imminent.

Further, the reckless driving incident, captured on a video that went viral over the weekend, could lead to new charges being opened against Chiradza, Kanguatjivi said.



Drug allegations

After the video went viral on Friday, the ministry of health instructed Chiradza to take forced leave for an unspecified period of time.

“In reference to the video on social media and your previous incidents concerning substance abuse, this office is requesting you to take vacation leave for an unspecified period until further notice,” the letter stated.

Namibian Sun's sister newspaper, Republikein, on Wednesday quoted the Health Professions Council as saying the doctor was not facing any charges.

However, allegations of abuse of addictive drugs were being investigated.

Cornelius Weyulu, the registrar and chief executive officer of the council, informed Republikein that the matter was being investigated by the Health Assessment Committee in terms of section 48 of the Medical and Dental Act and Regulations relating to Impaired Registered Persons.

Weyulu added that while the investigation was continuing, “measures were put in place to curb the practitioner's access to the addictive drugs that were reported to the Council.”

He said Chiradza had been restricted from prescribing pethidine and other opioids pending the finalisation of the investigation.

Weyulu further noted that Chiradza's employer, the Otjiwarongo State Hospital, was investigating a case of theft of drugs and the Health Professions Council was awaiting the finalisation of that investigation.

If found guilty of any offence, Weyulu explained, “there are structures in term of the law that deal with investigations and the law prescribes a number of penalties that may be imposed in the event a practitioner is found guilty of misconduct. Penalties are removal from the register, suspension for a period of time, waiving or payment of a prescribed fee.”



Deadly accident

Konrad Louw, Welmine Louw and Aletta Junius died in the accident that happened on the Karibib-Usakos road on 12 July 2015.

According to an accident report, a witness told police that Chiradza's car drove into their lane from the opposite direction, forcing them off the road and hitting the back end of their car.

In the same police report, Chiradza claimed he was driving between Karibib and Usakos when his front right tyre burst, resulting in him losing control of his vehicle and sideswiping two oncoming vehicles.

Two survivors, Johan Junius and Sonja Junius, suffered minor to serious injuries.

STAFF REPORTER

National Tourism Conference launched

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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National Tourism Conference launchedBrainstorming session to advance sector At the end of May, stakeholders in the tourism sector will have a great opportunity to meet and network to get the most out of a critical sector in Namibia. Namibia Media Holdings, the organising body of the Namibia Tourism Expo, together with its partners Old Mutual Namibia and First National Bank Namibia, have launched the National Tourism Conference which will take on 29 May at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre in Windhoek.

The conference, which was launched in Windhoek on 8 March and in Swakopmund on 9 March, is supported by tourism stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Namibia Tourism Board, the City of Windhoek, Air Namibia and Namibia Wildlife Resorts. The conference aims to attract members of the tourism industry from all corners of Namibia to network and brainstorm on matters relating to conservation and sustainable tourism. The organisers, through the tourism ministry, have extended invitations to the tourism ministries neighbouring countries to be part of the conference.

“Tourism is key to poverty reduction in our country and we believe the more we educate fellow Namibians to conserve our natural resources, the more tourists we are able to attract. Hence the need and importance of these types of engagements,” says Albe Botha, CEO of Namibia Media Holdings

The conference, which will serve as a teaser to the Namibia Tourism Expo that takes place from 30 May to 2 June, is expected to be attended by over 350 delegates.

Sarel van Zyl, the CEO of First National Bank Namibia Holdings says, “FNB, and more specifically Wesbank, as the overall host of the Motorshow, remains the market leader in vehicle finance in Namibia through superior customer service, in spite of difficult economic conditions. We could not be more excited to be part of the expo, and I am confident that this exciting development will expose our current and potential clients to the full range of services offered by Namibia's most comprehensive end-to-end financial institution.”

The Namibia Tourism Expo has grown visibly in size and popularity and from the onset of its involvement and investment as a main sponsor three years ago, Old Mutual's intent was, and still is, to make a meaningful contribution to the country's social, economic and environmental transformation process, as a responsible business.

Notably, this year the expo will be preceded by a National Tourism Networking Conference that will highlight how small things matter in tourism. As the tourism industry is a highly competitive economic sector globally, such a conference provides an opportunity for stakeholders to not only discuss small things that contribute to marketing Namibia's unique value propositions better, but will also serve as a platform to discuss how to increase tourist arrivals, how to expand business opportunities in small towns, and thus attract an equal tourist spread to destinations, while at the same time making provision for Namibians to travel and appreciate its unique tourism offerings. Old Mutual's commitment to support the expo stems from its commitment to making a difference in the communities in which it does business.

“This we do because we have at the core of our purpose a deep commitment to enabling positive futures, which we then bring to life in the wide array of financial services advice and solutions that we provide, and also through monitoring our environmental impact, the implementation of social empowerment programmes and investing in infrastructure that helps to grow our economy,” Kosmas Egumbo, Group CEO of Old Mutual, said.

The Namibia Tourism Expo will be celebrating 20 years this year. The expo has recorded tremendous growth over the years in terms of both exhibitors and visitors. The theme for this year's expo is conservation with specific focus on 'small things matter'.

The conference will see various speakers, both local and international, presenting a variety of topics on conservation.

To register for the conference, please log on to nte.nmh.com.na and click on conference.

STAFF REPORTER

Otji needy get rice

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Otji needy get rice A rice distribution programme to assist with food for impoverished and needy households in the Otjiwarongo constituency, is ongoing.

The coordinating programme officer in the Otjiwarongo constituency office, Martha Martin, told Nampa in an interview more than 1 000 households, which were identified by community activists in different areas and informal settlements in the constituency, are benefiting.

The rice, which was donated by the Indian government in January 2018 through the Office of the Prime Minister, is meant to assist Namibians who are hard hit by the drought.

Martin said the office of the Otjiwarongo constituency councillor has also identified needy community members in the urban area and resolved that some of the rice should be allocated to them. “The distribution started at the end of last week in different informal settlements like Telecom, Ombili, DRC and Tsaraxa-Aibes,” she said. Over 100 households in Kalkfeld in the same constituency each also received a ten-kilogramme bag of rice.

Nearly 300 more households in the Orwetoveni residential area will receive their rice during this week, Martin said.

Some beneficiaries said the rice came to them at the right time.

“I really appreciate this effort to give us rice when most of us need it,” said Hendrick So-Oabeb, who received a 10kg bag for his family in the Telecom informal settlement.

So-Oabeb said the majority of the beneficiaries would appreciate it even more if government could assist them with cooking oil to accompany this rice.

Another beneficiary in the DRC informal settlement, Helena Iita said she did not expect to receive such a gift from government this year.

“I thank our leaders and encourage them to carry on with this programme as it is assisting hundreds of us who cannot afford a meal on our own,” she said.

NAMPA

How to Turn an Internship into a Full-Time Job

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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How to Turn an Internship into a Full-Time Job Of course, not every internship results in a job offer. But approaching each opportunity as if it could come with a bevy of career benefits. Consider this one: “Fully immersing yourself in the experience and realizing your internship really is your current job will give you a much different perspective when it comes to judging your experience,” says Jill Jacinto, millennial career expert. “Watching from the side-lines and getting your hands dirty will give you very different outcomes.” So if you’re ready to roll around in the company mud, so to speak, with the goal of getting a full-time job in mind, here’s exactly what you need to do to get noticed.

Adopt the attitude of “All hands on deck.”

According to Jacinto, you should never, ever, in an internship utter the phrase: “That’s not my job.” (Of course, exceptions should be made if you’re asked to do something immoral or illegal.) “As an intern, you are unfortunately at the low end of the totem pole,” she explains. “You need to prove you can succeed at the seemingly low-level tasks in order to graduate onto the next phase.” But on the plus side of swallowing your pride, Jacinto promises, is that “showing that you are ready to help is a major point when it comes to review time.”

Be proactive, not reactive.

Depending upon the work you’re entrusted with as an intern, you could find your schedule packed—or that you’re stuck twiddling your thumbs. But if you don’t get assigned enough work to keep you busy for a full eight-hour day, “it’s up to you to use your free time wisely,” says Jacinto, warning you shouldn’t spend it chatting online or cruising Instagram, hoping work will come your way. “Companies are looking for people who are self-starters and can find work,” she says. If you can’t, “research your competition, scan their social media, read back on the company history, and so on,” she says, to gain knowledge you can use later.

Go out of your way to help.

Perhaps you’re intimidated as the new intern on the block, or cubicle row. But don’t hide behind your partition or computer screen. “Get to know the employees around the office,” Jacinto encourages. “You might be in a group that doesn’t always give you access to other teams, so you should take it upon yourself to see if other teams might need help.” If you can reach out and help others, “you can build relationships” to last your whole career, she says. After all, the person you help out may just be the manager who will offer you a future job.

Work on your social skills.

As an intern, it’s important to learn the art of making it. “Stopping and chatting with your team or manager should actually be encouraged during the work day,” says Jacinto. “It all goes back to building camaraderie and relationships” that could one day lead to a permanent place in the company, she says.

It’s never goodbye Stay in touch.

Your internship has an expiration date. But don’t sneak out the door when your time is up, Jacinto encourages. “I’ve had many interns magically disappear on their last day,” she says. “They didn’t say goodbye, send a note, or even finish assignments.” Instead, stand out and show off your employment potential by reminding your manager of your last day and even asking for a review, Jacinto instructs. Once you leave, connect with your former employer on LinkedIn, and shoot him or her an email every few months. That way, “if you enjoyed your summer and want to return, this will keep you top of mind,” Jacinto explains.

https://www.glassdoor.com

Rainfall outlook positive

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Rainfall outlook positive The latest weather outlook forecasts continued rainfall until at least the end of next Friday, the Namibia Meteorological Service (NMS) announced yesterday.

Meanwhile, with the wet conditions in the north, continued rains have led to a cautionary notice from Namibia's hydrological services on Tuesday. The service's daily flood bulletin notice warned that although a slight drop in the Zambezi River's level at Katima Mulilo, by 1 cm to 5.67 m was recorded on Tuesday, residents were urged to be on high alert. “Contingency planning for flood mitigation and recovery preparation must be activated in the Zambezi Region and communities living in flood-prone areas must take precautionary measures as water levels might rise. The movement and development of the flooding situation in the Zambezi will be carefully monitored,” the bulletin warned. The Okavango River levels at Nkurenkuru and Rundu continue to drop, and on Tuesday water levels stood at 2.74 metres and 5.68 metres respectively.



More hope for rain

Chief NMS forecaster Odillo Kgobetsi told Namibian Sun yesterday that “rainfall is expected in the north, central and eastern parts” for the rest of the week. Starting Monday, the chances for moderate rainfall continue, focused on the north, central and eastern parts of the country.

“The remainder of the week, until 23 March, looks promising, except for the south-western half,” Kgobetsi said. With regards to temperatures, very hot conditions are expected in parts of the northwest and southern regions over the next week.

Elsewhere, temperatures are expected to remain in the lower 30 degrees Celsius, with a maximum of 34 degrees Celsius. Citizen reports of rainfall on Wednesday, especially in Windhoek, indicate widespread and good rainfall. The highest reported rainfall near Windhoek was 47mm in just under an hour, at Regenstein, just south of the capital.

Residents in Academia reported between 21mm and 34 mm on Wednesday afternoon.

Elsewhere, Windhoek residents reported between 9mm to 17mm of rainfall. Omaruru recorded just over 4mm of rainfall on Wednesday, and 8mm was recorded at Mopani East in the Khorixas district.

Okahandja received between 12 and 7mm. Residents in Rehoboth and Groot Aub also reported rainfall there. On Monday Namwater shared the latest dam level report.

The Swakoppoort Dam is currently at 38% capacity, compared to 35.5% capacity at the same time last season. The Von Bach Dam is currently 51.9% full, compared to a higher level at the same time last season, 55.9%. The Hardap Dam is at 48.5% capacity, compared to 72.7% last year.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Removal of bid security for tenders welcomed

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Removal of bid security for tenders welcomed The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) northern branch has welcomed the recently announced exemption of bid securities – or bank guarantees – when applying for public tenders.

“This is indeed good news. The government is for the people and is listening to our calls,” NCCI northern branch chairperson Tomas Iindji said yesterday.

Finance minister Calle Schlettwein made the announcement to all regional councils this week.

The exemption is pending the finalisation of the National Preferential Policy.

Schlettwein's notice pointed out that in the absence of a preferential policy the bid security requirement “has proven to be a limiting measure with regards to participation by small and upcoming entities”.

The notice stated that the procurement policy unit was fast-tracking the development and subsequent adoption of the codes of good practice on preferences.

At a national budget review function attended by Schlettwein at Ongwediva this week, Iindji said the bid security requirement was a creation of equity speculators wishing to exploit and disadvantage already struggling SMEs, while making money through third-party participation in case the prospective bidder did not have money in the bank.

The NCCI's northern branch had called on the ministry to remove the bid security requirement, arguing that it was not in the interest of local business people.

Iindji said its inclusion as a tender requirement would subject the previously disadvantaged to “perpetual structural poverty and suffering”.

The NCCI northern branch also welcomed the proposed New Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework (NEEEF) as an instrument to breach “historic disparities in the national economy”.

But it warned against empowerment laws that include clauses which “oppose the very essence for which they were promulgated in the first place”.

Iindji further emphasised that all industries and sectors had to give input so that no one could feel left out. This must be also in line with new amended Namibia Promotion Investment Act so that Namibian interests should come first.

The NCCI also welcomed the extension of the finance ministry's tax incentive programme, but said its timing was not ideal, given the hardship SMEs had been experiencing over the last two years due to government budget cuts.

However, Iindji encouraged businesses to pay their taxes on time.

“That is only way we can build a better Namibian House,” he stressed.

Iindji said most of the businesses that had registered for the tax amnesty would not be in a position to pay their arrears before the end of this month.

He asked the ministry to extend the deadline for registration and payment by another three to six months if possible.





CATHERINE SASMAN

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Jobseekers refuse to move

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Jobseekers refuse to moveOshakati council tries in vain Jobseekers gathering on the pavement in front of the NBC building in Oshakati are refusing to move to a more comfortable place, saying it is too out of the way. The Oshakati town council has turned the bus terminal at the new Oshakati open market into a jobseekers' zone after bus owners and operators ditched the premises.

The town council is relocating the assembly spot for jobseekers from the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) building to the open market, saying the move was in the interest of the jobseekers' health and safety.

It is reported that every day over 200 unemployed residents of Oshakati and surrounding villages assemble in front of the NBC building in the hope of being offered casual work.

Yesterday, the jobseekers told Namibian Sun that they were not willing to move to the open market. They said they would leave the NBC premises if the town council allocated a better place for them.

Council CEO Werner Iita said the jobseekers had been consulted and they never objected a move to the open market.

One of the jobseekers, Helena Paulus, denied that, saying they were only informed last week that they had to move.

“That was not a consultation. Last week the town council came here and took a few of us to go talk to them. I was among of those who went to that meeting.

“They told us that gathering here does not give a good image to NBC clients and visitors who are going to the governor's office and that is why they are relocating us. That day we could not object to them because we were not sent to represent the others,” Paulus said.

Another jobseeker, Esler Petrus, asked why the town council wanted to move them to the open market, since they are not traders, bus owners or commuters.

“If buses refuse to operate from the open market, who are we to accept to operate from there? Buses are abandoned the premises because there are no customers and it will be the same for us. They are hiding us and nobody will see us and this will make life difficult for us,” Petrus said.

Ester Hauwanga said the spot at the NBC building was better for them, as many people needing labourers went there seeking their services. “Many people are used to us being here and they come looking for us here. We are able to make a living for our children and ourselves,” Hauwanga said.

Iita said the spot at the open market was only temporary while the council found a better place. He pointed out that there are shade and toilets at the open market. “The place where they are currently is not hygienic for them and it is also not a good picture of the town.

They are exposed to the sun, rain and wind. At the open market it is very comfortable for them, there are chairs, toilets and they will be seated in the shade. That is just a temporary site while we are looking for an ideal place for them,” Iita said.

Bus drivers and second-hand car dealers refused to operate from the open market, saying that customers rarely went there.

Iita said the town council was formulating a bylaw that would prevent buses from operating elsewhere in town.

“With the issue of the bus terminal, many buses refuse to operate from the open market. The police have been helping us but we had no law that prohibit buses from loading passengers elsewhere in town.

“We are busy formulating the law and we are almost at the final stage. For the second-hand dealers we upgraded the safety features they were demanding and it is only a matter of going back to them,” Iita said.

In 2016, the Oshakati town council constructed the N$80 million open market which can accommodate up to 500 vendors. It offers fruit and vegetable stalls, raw meat and kapana stalls, seasonal products, tailoring, arts and crafts, second-hand car dealers and a bus terminal.

ILENI NANDJATO

Stolen cattle among Nelongo's stock

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Stolen cattle among Nelongo's stock18 cattle recovered from a cousin's farm The stock-theft allegations against the Swapo coordinator in Oshana are escalating. Oshana Swapo regional coordinator Samuel Nelongo's stock-theft woes have deepened, with the police confirming the recovery of 18 suspected stolen cattle among his animals.

According to the police these cattle were stolen from various grazing areas in the Oshana Region between 2016 and 2017.

They were found at a farm belonging to Nelongo's cousin Gideon Abner at Ohainghete in the Mangetti farming area of the Nehale lya Mpingana constituency in Oshikoto.

Oshana regional police commander, Commissioner Rauha Amwele, said after several complaints of cattle disappearing in the Ompundja constituency in Oshana, an investigation led to the discovery of the animals at Ohainghete, among Nelongo's cattle.

“On 3 March this year we recovered 12 cattle - seven cows and five calves - among his cattle at Ohainghete in the Oshikoto Region. We are still looking for another three that were found by the police when they first went there in February, but when police went back on the 3 March they were no longer there,” Amwele said.

She said another two cattle were found among Nelongo's animals and they had already been handed over to the owners, who refused to lay charges against him. Another animal was left behind, as efforts were still being made to trace the owner.

“Cattle owners were identified through ear tags and brand markings on the cattle. We however found some of the ear tags and branding marks were tempered with,” Amwele said.

Abner however refuted allegations that these suspected stolen cattle were found at his farm and said Nelongo is busy developing his own farm.

“We are not grazing (our cattle) together. I only accommodate Nelongo's cattle on a temporary basis as he is busy developing his own farm. There were no such cattle of Nelongo found on my farm,” Abner said.

Nameless keyboard warriors who had written several one-sided social media pieces in the run-up to last year's Swapo elective congress, under the banner of 'Breaking News', recently claimed that Abner was conspiring against him.

Abner has challenged the 'Breaking News' writers to produce evidence backing up their claims.

He also told Namibian Sun his family is now divided and everywhere he goes, people are labelling him a “traitor”.

He also fears Nelongo may believe that he had “really set him up”.

According to Amwele, four cases of stock theft have been so far opened against Nelongo at the Ondangwa, Ongwediva and Oshakati police.

Nelongo was initially arrested on 11 February while he was allegedly transporting cattle from the Oshana Region to Ohainghete with a party vehicle.

During that time he was already under police investigation and members of the public had reported him to the Ondangwa police.

Kledula Alfeus said in 2016 his father Johannes Alfeus lost 15 cows at Oshipumbu Shomugongo in Oshana and five of these cattle are among those recovered at Ohainghete.

Thomas Gabriel from Okalunga-Kantako in the Ompundja constituency said he is very thankful to the police for a job well done.

“After two years of searching for our cattle we had given up. Hearing that they were recovered at Mangetti is something we could have not done by ourselves,” Gabriel said.

Nelongo appeared in the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Ilge Rheent on 13 February and was formally charged with stock theft.

He was granted N$2 000 bail and the matter was postponed until 9 April.

He was subsequently arrested recently for a second time, but the matter was removed from the court roll.

The stock theft allegations against Nelongo have led to claims that he is being targeted because he did not support President Hage Geingob and his slate in the run-up to the ruling party congress.

ILENI NANDJATO

A year of transformation

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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A year of transformation An amazing 20 years plus with FNB Namibia. First National Bank (FNB) Namibia appoints Rodney Forbes as the Executive Officer, Points of Presence. Rodney holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours degree.

Octavia Tsibes

His FNB journey started in 1997 at the Rundu Branch and afterwards, he held a variety of positions within FNB Namibia, the last one being the Area Manager for the far north area.

Forbes grew up in Rehoboth and matriculated from Dr Lemmer High School. “I was not sure what career to pursue at the time and I was really honored to have three bursary allocations from 3 different industries to further my studies. I enrolled at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) then known as Polytechnic of Namibia to study; though after 2 weeks of class I decided to quit full time studying and embark on finding a job,” he says.

After finding a job in FNB and realising that he actually liked the “smell” of banking, he started studying part time. Over the years he completed various qualifications with the Institute of Bankers (IOB), University of South Africa (UNISA) and University of Stellenbosch (USB).

“I managed to complete my honours in business management with the University of Lincoln in the UK in 2016,” he says.

In his new role, Forbes will be responsible for maintaining all representation points of the business which includes the branch network of more than 65 branches, ATMs and ADTs, 324 devices, cash centres and the contact centre. Forbes will be serving the biggest resourced component within FNB, which is a major revenue driver and contributor for the Group.

In his free time Rodney loves to read leadership literature. “I am passionate about sports and I am follower of Liverpool FC in soccer while The Sharks and Springboks in Rugby and of course spending time with family,” Forbes says.

“My biggest challenge at this stage is the transformation of the traditional delivery model of selling banking products and services which has been through brick and mortar branches towards much more efficient and cost effective technologically enabled and digital channels. These channels are safe, easy to use and much more cost effective for all our customers.”

Forbes journey at FNB

I started my banking career in Rundu branch in 1997 and worked there till 2003 up to a supervisory level.

I then moved to HR as a Skills Facilitator in the learning and development department from 2003 to 2005 mostly focusing on technical training; however was also exposed to facilitating soft skills type training interventions.

In 2005, I was appointed as Branch Administrator at FNB Rehoboth branch which really kicked start my leadership journey within FNB.

After only 18 months in Rehoboth, I was transferred to FNB Katima Mulilo as Operations Manager from January 2007 till June 2008.

I then joined FNB John Meinert branch in July 2008 till May 2010 as Branch Manager.

During this period at FNB John Meinert, I was privileged to be seconded for a 4 month period to assist FNB International with the opening of FNB Zambia operations as a FNB subsidiary in Zambia.

In 2010, I joined the Operations Department as Operational Risk Manager till 2013 after which I was appointed as the Area Manager Far North based in Ongwediva from January 2014 till December 2017.

In January 2018, I was appointed as the Executive Officer of Points of Presence.

9 Must-Do Tips to Find a Job ASAP

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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9 Must-Do Tips to Find a Job ASAP 1. Update everything

You might be in a time crunch, but it’s important to resist the urge to click ‘Apply’ for every open position you see without first giving your application materials a good scrub.

“Before you start to job hunt, update your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Be sure to include your skills as well as your work history. Take some time to research the job market and the positions that are available for applicants with your qualifications,” says Alison Doyle, job search expert for The Balance.

2. Figure out what you want

It’s hard to find a great next job if you don’t know what your definition of a great job is. So before you get too far into the job hunt, make sure to take a step back and really think about what you’re looking for.

“Write up a list of what you ideally want in a job: title, money, promotion, the work, the company culture, geographic location, etc., etc. so you have a template to go for. The template gives you something to compare a job offer against so you don’t just take anything” out of desperation, says Debra Benton, Executive Coach and author of the recently published book,

3. Inform yourself

Once you know what you want, it’s time to figure out what the companies you’re applying for want. Once you’ve found a handful that seem like a good match, apply! It may be a little bit more work up front, but companies will appreciate the extra effort you’ve put into ensuring that you’re the right person for the job. “The stronger a match you are for the job, the better your chances of getting selected for an interview, and for receiving a job offer fast,” Doyle points out.



4. Make finding a job your new job

There’s no getting around it , if you want to find a new job fast, you’re going to have to put the hours in.

“If you’re unemployed, consider your job search as your job and dedicate your ‘working’ hours to it. If you’re employed, but need to move on, spend as much time as you can job hunting without jeopardizing your current position,” Doyle says.

5. Tap Your Network

“ Networking is definitely one of the best ways to land a new job quickly. Talking to the right person at the right moment can help you go from unemployed to a functioning worker within a day,” Streif says. “It also helps you to get a good idea of what is out there and available, so you can focus your search in a strategic way.”

So “if you’re out of work, tell everyone you know that you’re seeking a new job,” Doyle advises.

6. Consider a Temporary Gig

It might not exactly be what you dreamed of, but if the bills are piling up, there’s no shame in temporarily taking a job that you’re overqualified for.

“[It’s] important to determine what you’re willing to sacrifice to get a job quickly. For example, if your reasons are financial, and you need to make money right away, sacrifice the type of work (challenging, interesting) for quick cash. Consider waiter, bartender, cashier, receptionist,” MacLeod says.

7. Keep Fit in Mind

While taking a short-term or temp gig may require some compromise, you should try not to compromise too much when it comes to accepting a full-time position.

“Don’t get antsy and jump ship before you know that the place you’re going is better than where you are. So many workers who make a major jump or transition later feel ‘buyers remorse’ when the position isn’t what they hoped or expected,” Streif warns.

8. Don’t Sound Desperate

You might be desperate to find a new job, but your employer doesn’t need to know that. If they do sense desperation, you might risk getting lowballed on salary or even hurt your chances of getting an offer.

9. Be Kind to Yourself

Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to take care of yourself during this trying time. Finding a new job is stressful, especially so when you’re in a rush. So take some time to meditate, exercise, listen to your favourite album, or whatever else it is that helps you unwind and make sure to find a support network as well.

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/find-a-job-asap/

Thousands leave civil service

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Thousands leave civil service Jo-Maré Duddy – More than 9 000 civil servants left the public service sector last year, most of them for unspecified reasons.

That left 102 142 employees in the sector, according to the Employment Equity Commission’s 2016/17 Annual Report, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. The figures in the report are based on affirmative action reports submitted to the ECC by ministries, offices and most of the regional councils.

About 13% of those who left, did so because their contacts were not renewed, while 11% resigned. 58 of those whose contracts were terminated, were foreigners.

Only 38 civil servants were retrenched, while 215 were dismissed: 131 for misconduct and 84 because of incapacity.

Most of those who left – 62% - were women.

A total of 81 475 civil servants were permanently employed during the year under review, most of them (40%) skilled and semi-skilled (29%). Nearly 20% were unskilled.

About 98% of civil servants were previously disadvantaged. Of the 35 executive directors in total in the public sector, 26 were black men and five black women. Nearly 54% of senior management were black men, while black women made up about 34%.

In middle management, the roles were reversed with black women filling 54% of the positions and black men nearly 40%.

The public sector employed 347 persons with disabilities, about 0.3% of its total workforce.

About 0.7% or 733 civil servants were foreigners.

Of the 263 720 employees covered in 877 affirmative action reports submitted to the ECC in 2016/17, nearly 94% or 247 838 were previously disadvantaged.

Annual inflation edges back

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Annual inflation edges back Overall annual inflation in February was 3.5%, down from 3.6% the previous month. In February 2017, the overall rate was 7.8%. The main inflation categories recorded rates of: food (2% vs 11.2% in February 2017); housing, water and electricity (3.2% vs 9.6%) and transport (6.6% vs 4.7%). Photo Nampa/Reuters

Tug-of-war over spy agency job

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Tug-of-war over spy agency job The former director-general of the Namibia Central Intelligence Services (NCIS), Lucas Hangula, has been assigned specific tasks and will therefore stay put at the spy agency.

Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari yesterday confirmed this to Namibian Sun.

This follows a call for intervention by PDM leader McHenry Venaani that Hangula refuses to retire.

Hangula was replaced as director-general by former environment minister Phillemon Malima who was recalled from retirement into the position in 2015.

“It is inaccurate to say they are serving in the same position. This is an intelligence matter, but what I can tell you is that Hangula has been assigned specific tasks,” said Hengari.

Venaani this week called on Geingob to intervene at the intelligence service, which he described as having two centres of power.





He told journalists the agency is currently led by two director-generals, a situation he says “depresses” workers.

Malima yesterday simply said “the appointing authority must decide which of the two DGs must leave”.

Venaani claimed both Hangula and Malima are paid for one job that should be done by just one man.

“At the centre of intelligence in Namibia, there are two centres of powers. You must find it very worrying when the intelligence officers start briefing the official opposition on matters that are happening at intelligence. It tells us again the administration is paying lip service to keeping the kitty in check,” he said.

He added that there is a serious administrative crisis at the agency, warning that if things are “rotting” there, it is very serious.

Venaani also said he is reliably informed that the NCIS permanent secretary Benedict Likando is also refusing to go on retirement, saying he will go when Hangula goes.

“We find it appalling, unacceptable and we call upon the head of state to reform the central intelligence agency. Let Hangula resign. We don't understand if the president wanted Hangula to remain in the job why did he appoint Malima? And if he appointed a new DG then the former DG should leave,” Venaani said.

He urged the president to urgently rescue the situation because it affects staff morale.

When Namibian Sun contacted the NCIS, a woman, identified only as Loide, said Hangula was on leave while Likando was out of the office on 'official duty'.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Defence splurges N$69m on farms

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Defence splurges N$69m on farmsSecond farm acquisition kept under wraps The purchase of Farm Otjisemba in the Otjozondjupa Region for N$24 million had 'slipped through' without following procedure, the finance minister has confirmed. Revelations have come to the fore detailing how the Ministry of Defence splashed almost N$70 million on acquiring two farms last year.

The defence ministry has been hogging the headlines in recent months after it emerged that it had acquired Oropoko Game Farm to the tune of N$45 million to train troops.

Oropoko, which is situated near Okahandja, was bought from German investor Kurt Steinhausen. It measures 4 974 hectares.

New information reveals the ministry in fact spent an additional N$24 million to purchase Farm Otjisemba in the Otjozondjupa Region, which measures 5 138 hectares.

The government entered into a sale agreement for the purchase of Farm Otjisemba on 15 March 2017.

According to documents seen by Namibian Sun, it was then agreed that a deposit of N$10 million be paid towards the transaction on the same day the deal was signed.

Finance minister Calle Schlettwein this week told Namibian Sun's sister newspaper Republikein that the deal was seemingly concluded while the treasury was preoccupied with the settlement of outstanding invoices from the 2016/17 financial year.

“The payment slipped through in the time when we were making special provision for the settlement of outstanding invoices,” Schlettwein was quoted as saying.

According to Schlettwein, the defence ministry did not follow the correct procedures for the purchase of the farm.

Defence spokesperson Major Petrus Shilumbu said his ministry would shed more light on the purchase of the farm in due course.

“We will pronounce ourselves at a later stage not now. Once the permanent secretary pronounces himself will we let you know,” Shilumbu said.

Works permanent secretary Willem Goeiemann, who represented the government when the deal was signed, also refused to comment.





He referred all queries to the defence ministry.

“I do not want to comment on this, you must talk to defence,” Goeiemann said when approached.

Last month, President Hage Geingob expressed his dismay at the defence ministry spending N$45 million to acquire the luxury Oropoko farm.

A few days later defence minister Penda Ya Ndakalo defended the purchase in the National Assembly, saying the president was not consulted owing to his busy schedule. The minister said Geingob's busy schedule prevented him from discussing the matter with him.

He added that negotiations began in April 2016 already, with the sale finalised in October last year.

Ya Ndakolo did not make any mention of Farm Otjisemba when he defended the Oropoko deal.

According to Ya Ndakolo, an initial offer of N$103 million was received for Oropoko. He added on 6 July 2016 the defence ministry requested the works ministry to evaluate the farm. It was valued at N$43.76 million.

The cost of the two options was then compared, said Ya Ndakolo. Following negotiations between the ministry and the owner of Oropoko, a selling price of N$45 million was agreed upon.

The farm purchase has been widely criticised and details of its acquisition came at a time when the defence ministry asked thousands of troops staying at the seven bases around the country home because of budgetary constraints.

In this year's budget, the defence ministry was allocated a staggering N$6 billion.

OGONE TLHAGE

Entire Rehoboth council suspended

March 15, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Entire Rehoboth council suspended In a bold move, newly appointed urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga has dropped a bombshell by suspending the entire Rehoboth town council yesterday afternoon following reports of infighting and allegations of maladministration.

The minister cited the ongoing mismanagement, poor service delivery and lack of accountability at the town council, as well as the inability of the council to implement directives from the ministry, as reasons for the swift action.

Deputy urban and rural development minister Derek Klazen delivered the bad news to the Rehoboth top brass just after lunch yesterday.

Mushelenga has appointed former Erongo chief regional officer Nathalia /Goagoses to oversee the council's affairs in the interim.

At the same time Mushelenga reversed the suspension of the town's chief executive officer, Christophe /Uirab.

He had been on suspension since October last year and was replaced by controversial council official Willie Swartz.

/Uirab said he was accepting the minister's decision with a heavy heart.

“I have been home for four months now, my name was tarnished and I have been humiliated. I think we will have to start with clearing my name,” he said.

Mushelenga has warned local authorities against infighting and poor service delivery.

“It must be clear to all local authorities that the ministry, and I as the minister in particular, will take swift action against any local authority whenever discipline, order, harmony and service delivery are at stake and in the interest of the public,” he said.

The minister also stated that the suspension was necessitated because of the visible division among council members with negative consequences.

“I wish to point out that this divisiveness at the political leadership level of the council has unfortunately filtered or cascaded down to the operation levels of the town council and has resulted in conflicts and confrontations and a compromise for lack of service delivery and accountability to members of the public,” he said.





He added that it was immaterial which political party councillors belonged, to or what party had the majority of councillors in the area.

He added that the decision to suspend the Rehoboth council was not politically motivated but done to ensure order and compliance to protect the public.

The town council has been dogged by corruption for the last five years and Mushelenga's predecessor, Sophia Shaningwa, had repeatedly promised to disband the council.

Shaningwa is now the full-time Swapo secretary-general.

The town's residents have over the last five years repeatedly protested and petitioned government to intervene after a forensic investigation had unearthed a string of irregularities.

After the forensic investigation the council was issued with a list of resolutions, including the removal of its human resources manager, Swartz, who was illegally reinstated.

Shaningwa at the time threatened to dissolve the council, should they fail to implement these resolutions.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Rogue driver doctor in holding, awaiting court appearance

March 16, 2018, 1:15 am

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Rogue driver doctor in holding, awaiting court appearance Dr Yevai Chiradza, the suspended Otjiwarongo doctor who had a pending warrant of arrest issued against him last week Wednesday, in connection with a charge of culpable homicide related to a fatal car accident in 2015, was arrested by the police in Windhoek this morning after he handed himself over just before 08:00.
The police further charged Chiradza with reckless and negligent driving, and inconsiderate driving, following video footage that went viral last week, showing the medical professional driving in an uncontrolled and dangerous manner on the Otjiwarongo – Okahandja road.
At the time of this post, Chiradza is still waiting to appear at the Windhoek Magistrate's Court as there are no available prosecutors. He is still in detention and it is unclear whether he will still appear in court today.
At this stage, it is likely he will remain behind bars until at least Monday morning.
JANA-MARI SMITH

Zuma to be charged for corruption

March 16, 2018, 6:55 am

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Zuma to be charged for corruption Former South African president Jacob Zuma will be prosecuted on 18 charges of corruption, the National Prosecuting Authority announced this afternoon. The charges include more than 700 counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering. He denies the charges. Last year the South African Supreme Court confirmed a High Court decision that former NPA head Mokotedi Mpshe erred when he decided to drop the corruption charges against Zuma in 2009. Zuma filed papers with the NPA on January 31, in which he gave reasons why he should not face fraud and corruption charges. The NPA had set an initial deadline of November 30, but after a request from Zuma, the former president was granted a seven-week extension. On November 30, the DA filed papers with the NPA outlining why the 18 charges on 783 counts of corruption, fraud, money laundering, and racketeering against Zuma, should be reinstituted.
Additional reporting by ANA, IOL

STAFF REPORTER

Botswana exporting power

March 16, 2018, 3:00 pm

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Botswana exporting power Botswana is exporting power for the first time in 10 years, a far cry from the days when Africa’s biggest miner of diamonds was forced to import as much as 75% of its needs.

State-owned Botswana Power started “limited” sales to the Southern African Power Pool’s auction platform, where regional utilities buy and sell electricity, CEO Stefan Schwarzfischer said in an interview on Thursday.

Sales have been made possible by improved plant availability at the flagship 600MW Morupule B plant, which is now producing 450 megawatts and is expected to reach full capacity next month, Schwarzfischer said. Exports will rise to a targeted 100 megawatts once the 120MW Morupule A plant is put back online in July, following a six-year refurbishment programme, he said.

Botswana’s problems started in 2008 when its main provider, South Africa’s Eskom, cut supplies citing a lack of power in its home market.

Botswana fast-tracked the Morupule B plant in response, but it was beset with construction problems and machine failures.

“Namibia and South Africa have been the buyers thus far through the SAPP platform,” Schwarzfischer said.

“While we would want bilateral supply contracts, the countries we know could pay us don’t need it and those that need the power have problems paying.”

-Fin24