Namibian Sun

The new Scorpio Pik Up has a sting in it tailNippy, Tough and Technologized Refined new ride to make inroads into Africa “In the past two years, however, we have more aggressively introduced new models and extended our reach in Southern Africa in step with our long-term strategy of becoming a significant African automotive player.” Rajesh Gupta, the newly appointed CEO of MSA

A drive in one of Mahindra newly refreshed range of Pik-Up’s or XUV’s and it’s clear to see that Mahindra is certainly gearing up for a new phase of growth and expansion in Southern Africa and across the 100 markets in which it operates.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., a part of the US $ 19 billion Mahindra Group, last year released its updated version of the Next Generation Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up and to say it was a suprizing drive, would be the understatement of the year.

With its refreshed outer body styling, new six speed transmission, and very willing turbodiesel powerplant with 103 kw and an impressive towing capacity of 2500kg. The new Pik Up is an definitely an all-rounded vehicle with power, relative comfort and sprinklings of hi-tech add-ons.

All this coupled with a vastly more attractive interior that will appeal to a much wider customer profile and help Mahindra to strengthen its position in the local bakkie segment.

Refined and refreshed

The most compelling changes are to the front of the Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up, where the grille, headlights, bonnet and foglamps have all undergone a substantial redesign and make them appear athletic than agricultural.

The new grille design is smarter, utilising a glossy black finish with subtle chrome accents, as well as a more prominent Mahindra badge, while the lower air intake has been reshaped to provide a stronger visual integration with the black mesh grille.

The headlights on either side of the grille are also completely new, with a cleaner appearance. Bolder fog lamps are mounted just below the lower edge of the headlights. The redesigned front-end styling is accompanied by 16-inch alloy wheels.

New age interior

The spacious cabin of the Next Generation Pik Up has undergone important upgrades as part of the model line-up. Perhaps the most obvious improvements are the upholstery and sleek new dashboard.

The Mahindra Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up’s cabin is also comprehensively equipped with infotainment, aircon, city start-stop functionality and steering wheel controls.

After a bit of a jarring, though still impressive test of the predeccesor a few years ago, the new Pik-Up’s interior is definitely a breath of fresh air and stands out as one of it’s highlights.

Smart Safety Tech

Safety features like ABS, EBD, Dual airbags, Crash protection crumple zones and Collapsible steering column will be standard features on some of the models and truly go far to differentiate the Pik-Up from the shackles of just being a affordable workhorse alternative.

Powering the Pik-Up

The Next Generation Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up has an updated 2.2- litre four-cylinder mHawk turbodiesel engine which make use of a variable geometry turbocharger to produce 103 kw. The impressive torque peak of 320 Nm is reached at just 1 600 r/min, and sustained to 2 800 r/min, ensuring excellent in-gear acceleration and superior pulling power. Seriously, you’ll be quite suprized at how eager the Pik-Up is once that “turbo-gees starts gooi-ing.”

The turbodiesel engine is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels, and will also be available with 4x4 transmission with low range. The entire range of the Next Generation Mahindra Pik Up are fitted with a MLD (Mechanical Locking Differential) as standard.

The on-road ride is a excellent, and though the firm ride makes city and highway-drive a joy, it does at times make for rough ride on bumpy gravel sections.

Mahindra Magic

The new Mahindra Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up is available in a choice of single- and double-cab models, which has helped Mahindra improve its standing in the bakkie ranks by appealing to both the leisure and commercial markets. In the last year alone, Mahindra has moved from eighth to sixth place in the overall pick-up sales figures, beating several older and more established brands.

“Since entering the market in 2004, Mahindra has slowly and organically grown its market share and reach in Southern Africa,” says Rajesh Gupta, the newly appointed CEO of MSA, who joins the company after a successful career at Mahindra in India.

“In the past two years, however, we have more aggressively introduced new models and extended our reach in Southern Africa in step with our long-term strategy of becoming a significant African automotive player.”

According to Mr Gupta, Mahindra South Africa will soon announce details of a local assembly facility in South Africa, for certain Mahindra vehicles for the local and export markets.

The Mahindra brand gaining even more traction in local markets and the quality of the vehicles improving in quantum leaps, you would be doing yourself a massive disservice to disregard them.

Pop by Spes Bona Motors on Independence Avenue, in Windhoek, to test drive the affodable and phenomenal Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up range, (the double cab blow your mind) and check our some of their other exciting models.

Contact them on +264 (61) 279 700 for more information.

Selling the future In this information age, with people having access to diverse sources in the palm of their hands, very few things shock us anymore.

We have become immune to some of the horrors that we face as a society each day.

But even the most hardened among us would have been horrified by what is happening along the Zambia/Botswana border, where girls as young as ten are selling themselves to truckers.

This place of horrors, at the construction site of the new Kazangula Bridge, which is co-funded to the tune of US$161 million by the Botswana and Zambian governments, sees sex workers from Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe plying their trade.

Young sex workers are using the opportunity presented by massive delays being experienced at the border post, where snaking lines of trucks, up to 6km long, are parked for up to 12 days at a time.

“Some parents are reporting this to my office and I can personally see for myself. When it is evening I can see some of these young girls coming from the villages making their way to the trucks; some are as young as 12, sometimes 10,” a local headman told Namibian Sun recently.

Besides an immediate and urgent need to tackle the underlying issues of poverty and despair that are driving these girls into sex work, we also need to examine what kind of men, who are themselves fathers and breadwinners, would sleep with a 10-year-old girl.

The thought of doing that should rightfully be abhorrent for men and the fact that some of these truckers are doing this is disgusting indeed. The response of local authorities, which includes imploring these men to use condoms, is far from adequate.

How do you allow adult men to steal your future, without using every mechanism at your disposal to assist these young girls and lead them on a better path?

This vicious cycle needs to be broken at all costs and Namibia should take this issue up with its neighbours. It takes a global village to raise a child and the Land of the Brave should voice its strongest concerns.

Or have we become like animals, and our sexual gratification trumps everything else?

Shot of the day

AWE-INSPIRING: Otjikoto Lake exudes a mystical quality that lives up to the legend and folklore that still surrounds it to this day. In June 1915, German troops dumped weapons and ammunition in the lake, before surrendering to South African and British troops. At least two cannons, along with quantities of ammunition, are still in the lake and can be viewed with a special diving permit.

PHOTO: LIMBA MUPETAMI

Ntshangase mourned

The South African Football Association (Safa) has joined football fans around the country in conveying their condolences on the passing on of Maritzburg United striker, Luyanda Ntshangase.

The player was struck by lightning during a match back in March and had been hospitalised ever since. Unfortunately, he lost the battle and passed away on Friday. The 21-year-old made his debut for the KwaZulu-Natal outfit two seasons ago against Kaizer Chiefs.

“The South African Football Association would like to extend their deepest sympathies to the Ntshangase family for their loss. We would also like to wish strength to his teammates at Maritzburg United, friends, relatives and fans around the country during these trying times. May his soul rest in peace,” said Safa CEO Dennis Mumble.

“This is a really sad moment for the football family as we at Safa had also just lost one of our own, Safa executive member Mzimkhulu Ndlelo, whom we laid to rest this weekend. It is especially more difficult for the club who recently lost two players in car accidents not so long ago midfielders Mondli Cele and Mlondi Dlamini in 2016 and 2017 respectively. We ask the Almighty to comfort them during this period.”

Ntshangase had risen through the club's ranks and had a promising career. He was also called up to the South African under-20 men's national team (Amajita).

“It's a sad loss to football because Luyanda had great potential. It is unfortunate that South Africa has been robbed of such good talent. On behalf of Amajita, I would like to send our deepest condolences to the family of Luyanda, Maritzburg United FC, friends and relatives. Our prayers and thoughts are with them during these difficult times,” said Thabo Senong, Amajita head coach.

-NAMPA/ANA

Guardiola backs DelphManager wants his player at World Cup Fabian Delph overcame three injury-ravaged seasons to become Manchester City's first-choice left-back and is expected to be the England squad for the World Cup.

Manchester City's Pep Guardiola has backed Fabian Delph's selection to the England squad preparing for the 2018 World Cup.

Guardiola believes Gareth Southgate would be taking a risk if he did not name Delph in England's World Cup squad after an impressive season from the Manchester City utility man.

Delph, 28, overcame three injury-ravaged seasons to become Guardiola's first-choice left-back, following the knee problem suffered by Benjamin Mendy in September.

His form, and ability to play numerous positions, has seen the former Aston Villa midfielder emerge as a strong contender for Southgate's squad. Southgate visited Guardiola and his English contingent for talks at their training ground on Friday.

Delph won his ninth, and most recent, cap in November 2015, but Guardiola clearly believes his player should be on the plane to Russia when Southgate finalises his squad.

“Maybe it will be a risk if he doesn't take him to the World Cup,” Guardiola said when asked if Southgate would be taking a gamble if he names Delph.

“Today Gareth Southgate was here, we speak together about the English players in the team, he is delighted with all of them; John Stones, Kyle (Walker), all of them, Delph as well.

“I would like to see Fabian Delph at the World Cup; of course it depends on Gareth, because I think he deserves it.

“He is a player who can play in different positions; he helps us to play good football, to be better, to give an extra pass,” Guardiola said.

Question marks persist about Delph's durability, however, with the City man scheduled to make what would be just his 30th Premier League start in three seasons when the champions faced Huddersfield yesterday. It is a point not lost on his club manager and an area Guardiola is looking to improve.

“He has a good heart, he is a fantastic person,” said Guardiola. “I think he is a guy for the group.

“Last season, he didn't play but he always helped the team, he was always there.

“He encourages the guys that are playing in his position, it is important for the balance of the dressing room to have to good guys who are playing and good guys who are on the bench.

“And he is an exceptional player, the only problem and I agree with you is the fact about injuries. “Our dream for next season would be regularly fit than he was in the last two seasons, especially last season. But we are going to try and work on that,” Guardiola added.

Another City player whose career has been blighted by injuries is captain Vincent Kompany, who will lift the Premier League trophy for the third time in seven years after the Huddersfield game.

Guardiola is keen to try and ensure the 32-year-old enjoys a trouble-free campaign when he enters the last season of his contract in August.

“We miss him when he is not fit. When he is fit he is one of the best central defenders I have seen in my life,” said Guardiola.

“But his problems are a bit similar to Fabian in maintaining fitness. Now we have the same feeling as we had last season when we finished with seven wins in a row.

“He played all the games and we said: 'Vinny is back' but then at the start of this season there were problems. Hopefully next season that won't happen.”

Guardiola has also leaped to the defence of forward Raheem Sterling whom, he believes, has gained an unfair reputation for simulation after failing with some high-profile penalty claims this season.

“He has to learn that in terms of accepting the reality,” said Guardiola. “Of course, people talk too much and say he is diving. People start to talk about that and then people start to believe that.

“He is a guy who is quite honest. He is smart, intelligent and he is not a guy who kicks the opponent. But this is a problem for the referees, not for Sterling.”

-NAMPA/AFP

Company news

HSBC mandated on several privatisations in Saudi Arabia

British bank HSBC has been mandated for several privatisations in Saudi Arabia and will announce them very soon, a senior bank executive said last week.

The Saudi government is working on a pipeline of privatisations as part of economic reforms aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil.

Speaking at a business conference in Riyadh, Samir Assaf, HSBC’s chief executive of global banking and markets, said HSBC was “very much contributing to the privatisation program”.

-Nampa/Reuters

Facebook to play cupid in online dating debut

Facebook Inc is entering the dating game, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said last week, planning a dating service to matchmake millions of people on the world’s largest online social network and nudge them into spending more time there.

The service, which Facebook had considered offering for over a decade and will launch soon, could help rebuild its popularity among younger consumers and make people visit the site more often, two key challenges for the business.

“There are 200 million people on Facebook that list themselves as single, so clearly there’s something to do here,” Zuckerberg told software developers at Facebook’s annual F8 conference.

-Nampa/Reuters

SA’s Paramount in talks to boost Saudi arms industry

South African defence company Paramount Group is in talks with the Saudi Arabia government to establish production facilities in the kingdom, its chairman said last week.

Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest arms buyers, is seeking international partners to develop its manufacturing capabilities with the aim of producing half of its required military equipment domestically by 2030.

-Nampa/Reuters

Nestle settles pricing scrap with European retailers

Swiss food group Nestle has clinched an agreement with European retailers to settle a months-long pricing row and get its products back on sale, the world’s biggest packaged food maker said last week.

“We are pleased that a balanced agreement has been reached and that Nestle products will soon be back on the shelves of the six members of the European retail alliance AgeCore,” a company spokesman said, confirming a report by Germany’s Lebensmittelzeitung.

-Nampa/Reuters

Commonwealth bank forced to reveal it lost 20 million accounts

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has been forced to reveal it lost the records of almost 20 million accounts and decided not to inform its customers, another blow to an institution already reeling from multiple scandals. CBA’s acting group executive, retail banking services, Angus Sullivan accepted responsibility on YouTube after BuzzFeed Australia broke the story on last week Wednesday.

Sullivan said in May 2016 the country’s largest bank found it had lost two magnetic tapes containing 15 years of data on customer names, addresses and account numbers for 19.8 million accounts. The tapes were due to be disposed off, but CBA could not confirm they were securely destroyed.

-Nampa/Reuters

L'Oreal snaps up South Korean cosmetics firm Nanda

France’s L’Oreal last week said it had agreed to buy South Korean make-up and fashion firm Nanda, as foreign cosmetic industry leaders jostle for a slice of one of the world’s most innovative beauty markets.

L’Oreal did not disclose how much it was paying for the company, detailing only that Nanda, known for its fashion business Stylenanda and 3CE cosmetics brand, had a turnover of 127 million euros (US$152 million) in 2017.

-Nampa/Reuters

Gold demand posts weakest start to the year since 2008Bar, coin consumption down 15% The biggest drop in demand came from the investment sector. The rangebound gold price has certainly had an effect on investor sentiment. - Alistair Hewitt, World Gold Council

Jan Harvey - Gold demand posted its weakest start to the year in a decade, the World Gold Council said on Thursday, as prices of the metal stagnated and the threat of rising interest rates led investors to seek better returns elsewhere.

Global gold demand totalled 973.5 tonnes in the January to March period, down 7% year on year and the weakest first quarter since 2008. That coincided with a period of calm in the gold market, which saw prices hold within their narrowest range of any quarter in more than a decade.

"The rangebound gold price has certainly had an effect on investor sentiment," the WGC's head of market intelligence Alistair Hewitt said.

"It works both ways - for people in the retail space, a price drop can be an entry point, and if the price is rising, people want to take advantage of that momentum."

The biggest drop in demand came from the investment sector, with bar and coin consumption down by 15% and buying of gold-backed exchange-traded funds two-thirds lower year on year.

Jewellery

Jewellery consumption was also soft, edging down 1%. Buying in India, the second biggest gold jewellery consumer after China, posted its third weakest quarter in a decade, falling 12% year on year to just under 88 tonnes.

"A weakening rupee really pushed up the local gold price," Hewitt said. "You also had far fewer auspicious days. In Q1 last year, you had 22, and in Q1 2018 you just had seven. Auspicious days are important for weddings, and weddings are important for jewellery demand."

Chinese jewellery demand rose 7% to 188 tonnes, which Hewitt attributed to strong seasonal buying and a better product range. "It really stems from [jewellers] becoming better at meeting the needs of the Chinese millennials," he said. "We're seeing more 18 carat jewellery, more 22 carat jewellery, better designs, better products."

Coin and bar demand in China was down 26%, however. Central bank demand was 42% higher, and close to its quarterly average over the previous seven years. Russia was the biggest official sector buyer, responsible for just over a third of central bank demand. Turkey and Kazakhstan also added to reserves.

On the other side of the market, mine supply grew 1% year on year to 770 tonnes. Added to a return of producer hedging - which sees mining companies selling production forward to lock in prices - that helped lift overall supply by 3% to 1 063.5 tonnes. – Nampa/Reuters

Cossasa team ready for action

LIMBA MUPETAMI

The Confederation of School Sport Associations of Southern Africa (Cossasa) Athletics Championships will take place from today until Wednesday in Francistown in Botswana.

School teams from five countries - Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia - will compete in the under-13, 15 and 17 age groups.

The Namibia is as follows:

Under-13 boys

Shawn Aupindi (Khomas): 80m hurdles

Janneman Brand (Khomas): discus

Kaylan Hays (//Karas) 80m: hurdles

Moses Essieg (Omaheke): 100m, 200m, relay

Stefan Geldenhuys (Khomas): discus, shot put, javelin

Prins Nangombe (Kunene): High jump

Joseph Kainamseb (Omaheke): 1500m, 800m

Liseli Milomo (Khomas): long jump, 100m, 200m, relay

Ian Steyn (Erongo): 100m, relay

Emelio Joseph (Erongo): long jump

Joshua Markus (Hardap) high jump

Leonard Nefundo (Oshikoto): 800m

Markus Meyer (Hardap): 200m, hurdles

Nicholis du Plessis (Khomas): 200m, hurdles

Joseph Nambulu (Ohangwena): high jump

Under-13 girls

Leané Boshoff (Otjozondjupa): shot put, discus

Marion Botma (//Karas) high jump: 75m hurdles, 200m hurdles

Hendrina Nghidishange (Ohangwena): 200m, relay

Jorinda Fourie (Erongo): discus, shot put

Jekhosan Kamatjipose (Khomas): 200m, relay

Elisia Nambudu (Omusati): 800m, 1 500m

Kesley Mupia (Otjozondjupa): long jump

Isabella Els (Erongo): javelin

Carla Schutz (Erongo): 75m hurdles, high jump

Leigh-Marie Visser (Erongo): javelin

Mbitjita Tjikundi (Khomas): long jump

Mariesa van Rhyn (Hardap): 200m hurdles

Corley Viljoen (Khomas): 100m, 200m, relay

Cira de Wet (Khomas): 75m hurdles

Under-15 boys

AJ Atkinson (Otjozondjupa): discus and shot put

Ryk Erasmus (Otjozondjupa): 400m

Keanu Gonteb (Erongo): 100m, 200m, relay

Owen Hawanga (Khomas): 100m, 200m, relay

Jurenzo Julius (Erongo): long jump, relay

Rivaldo Bock (Oshana): high jump

Riuisee Kavita (Otjozondjupa): 1 500m

Raydinoh Kooper (Khomas): 300m hurdles

Daniel Andrew (Omusati): 3 000m

Francois Kotze (Khomas): discus

Leander Louw (Khomas):100m hurdles, 300m hurdles

Ruben Maree (Khomas): 300m hurdles

Joseph Nambuli (Ohangwena): 3000m

Tjarirove Tjiuondeka (Otjozondjupa): 800m

Ajen Skinni (Erongo): 400m

Dirk Theunissen (Khomas): javelin

Damian van der Ross (Hardap): 100m, relay

Mwilima Siboleka (Zambezi): 1 500m

Jonathan Hanekom (Hardap): 100m hurdles

Tuepuee Muenge (Kunene): high jump

Lotto Shetunyenga (Ohangwena): 800m

Under-15 girls

Bianca Booysen (//Karas): 100m, 200m, 400m, relay

Mia Brandt (Khomas): 80m hurdles, 200m, 300m hurdles

Crisel Jenkins (//Karas): shot put, discus, javelin

Roché Venter (Erongo): javelin

Tuané Silver (Oshikoto): shot put, discus

Lovisa Kauhonwa (Ohangwena): 800m, 1500m

Chriseline Klein (Erongo): 80m hurdles, long jump, high jump, relay

Mioné Garbers (Khomas): 300m hurdles

Carien Oosthuizen (Otjozondjupa): 100m, 200m, relay

Under -17 boys

Lee-Orrel Breytenbach (Khomas): discus, shot put

Gian Dresselhaus (Khomas): 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, triple jump

Sherman du Plessis (Khomas): 100m, 200m, mixed relay

Wilmar du Toit (Hardap): 800m

Daniel Ndamba (Kavango-Wes): 3 000m

Ivan-Danny Geldenhuys (Khomas): 100m, 200m, 400m

Emmanuel Samuntu (Otjozondjupa): high jump, long jump

Ludwig Huber (Otjozondjupa): javelin, discus, triple jump

Raymond Hummel (Erongo): 100m, 200m, mixed relay

Conrad Kuhn (Kunene): shot put, discus

Jaco Labuschagne (Kunene): shot put, discus

Kavehungua Muhipa (Otjozondjupa): 800m

Michael Paulus (Erongo): 1 500m

Mel Theunissen (Khomas): 400m hurdles, 110m hurdles

Martin Xuanda (Oshikoto): high jump

Kenneth Tities (Hardap): 200m

Romanzario Matroos (//Karas): 800m

Mbatjita Kaeka (Otjozondjupa): 400m hurdles

Diego Turner (Erongo): 400m, mixed relay

Under-17 girls

Karlien Botha (Otjozondjupa): shot put, discus, javelin

Sadé de Sousa (Khomas): 100m, 200m, mixed relay

Wilmé Els (Erongo): javelin

Mechandre Hendricks (Erongo): 100m, 200m, 400m, mixed relay

Penexupifo Titus (Ohangwena): 800m, 1 500m, 3 000m

Natalie Louw (Khomas): 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump

Penexupifo Titus (Ohangwena): 1 500m and 3 000m

Nandi Vaas (Khomas): 200m, 400m, mixed relay

Annette van Staden (Khomas): 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, triple jump, mixed relay

Lumé van Tonder (Oshikoto): javelin

Elizabeth Augustus (Ohangwena): 1 500m, 800m

Demi Louw (Oshikoto): shot put

Angelina Nakale (Ohangwena): 800m

Kashera empowers youth to chase their dreamsRising from the dust While many youth fall prey to social evils, boxing coach Patrick Kashera is showing them another way.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

While many Rundu residents say more activities are needed in town for youth in order to keep them out of trouble, one man has stepped up and operates a small gym to train boxers, despite trying times.

Patrick Kashera, a teacher by profession, has taken it upon himself to provide young men with a place to learn respect and achieve dreams, with the cost factor not being most important.

While operating the PK Boxing and Fitness Academy in the Kavango East Region in Kayengona village and chairing the Kavango Boxing Federation, Kashera is working tirelessly to train 20 boxers the art of fighting.

He said he does this in order to help young men in the area to find their feet. “Kavango Region is one of the poorest in the country. We started off training under a tree two years ago, because we did not have a proper facility to use.

“Most young people become security guards, criminals or abuse alcohol when they fail their grades. I want to show these young men that they can be something more in life by using their talent to support themselves and the community from which they come.

“I also operate the club in order to feed the national boxing team with quality boxers. If I receive sponsorship one day I can get more equipment and make sure some of the boxers turn professional,” he added.

Kashera used the example of Manny Pacquiao's rags to riches story. The boxer grew up in the dusty southern Philippine city of General Santos and dropped out of school at age 12.

“Pacquiao used his talent to lift himself out of poverty and is now worth billions. He build houses for people in his home town and has managed to lift his family from poverty,” Kashera said.

“This is what I want for my boxers. I don't want to get rich through them but want to enable them to stand on their own feet,” he said.

But before opening the club, Kashera struggled to get support from the community. “When I got to the school, I saw that there was an urgent need to start a project which can pull in young people. I started a football club and from there started with boxing.

“Boxing has always been in my blood because I started taking an interest when I was nine years old. I would fill sacks with sand and punch on it as I imitated boxing greats like Muhammad Ali.

“My boxing career never took off so I decided to rather plough my skills back into the community,” Kashera narrated.

Recently the boxing coach was awarded a certificate of excellence by the Maria Mwengere Secondary School for managing 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jonas Junias.

This is an achievement he is proud of and said he can do more if he received support.

“At the moment we train from a dilapidated room at the Rundu Recreational Centre.

“The roof looks like it will fall in at anytime, but we continue to look forward to the future and hope that I can get a plot someday to build a proper gym facility for the young boxers.”

Support from his team

Young pugilist Justinus 'Mapeny' Haufiku, who joined the gym when it started, said Kashera is helping them to stay on track.

Haufiku was a learner at the school but is now unemployed and depends on his boxing to one day lead him to greener pastures.

“I'm an amateur boxer at the moment but I want to go pro eventually.

“For now, I just love training and gaining valuable skills.

“The coach is a great guy. He advises and motivates the boxers a lot. I was one of the first guys who joined the club when it opened. I trained under a tree and I keep coming to training even though the current place where we train looks like it might fall anytime. We still hope that a Good Samaritan will one day help us with proper facilities to train in.

But until then we won't give up,” Haufiku said.

NESFD to kick off

Rounds one and two of the North-East Stream First Division (NESFD) football league will kick off during the weekend of 12-13 May.

The games were initially scheduled for last month, but had to be postponed due to administrative issues within the three nationwide first division streams.

NESFD chairperson Mpasi Haingura confirmed the kick-off on Wednesday, saying they wanted to have the matches played during this coming weekend, but could not as the referees were already assigned for Namibia Premier League (NPL) duties.

“It was resolved at the Namibia Football Association (NFA) meeting in Omuthiya on Saturday that the NFA will fund each stream with N$666 000. However, after consultations with the Referees Committee Administrator, we decided to postpone it as it will be too costly to get match officials to handle games this weekend,” Haingura said.

A letter dated 1 May and addressed to all the teams said the total amount of week one matches will cost the league N$59 000 with regular match officials at their disposal and N$70 000 for match officials out of town.

“It is against this background that our league games are finally scheduled to kick off on 12-13 May and we will communicate the fixtures in due course,” Haingura wrote.

He said they have divided the league into two pools of six teams each.

“We have divided our stream into pools of two, with six teams in each group. We had to divide the teams this way to save on travelling costs and to finish on time.”

He said they are in a race against time to finish before the 2018 International Federation of Football Associations (Fifa) World Cup and thus the two pool winners will play home and away matches to determine which team will be promoted automatically to the NPL.

“The two pool winners will playoff for promotion to the NPL in the second week of June, while the sixth-placed teams in each group will be relegated,” Haingura said.

-NAMPA

N$530m road unlocks new opportunities

Otjozondjupa governor Otto Iipinge has welcomed the completion of the Okamatapati-Grootfontein road that was inaugurated by President Hage Geingob at Grootfontein on Friday, saying that it will enhance mobility for farmers and tourists in the area.

The 110km tarred road cost N$530.6 million and was built by a Chinese company, China Henan International Cooperation Group.

It is part of a project to tar the 231 kilometres from Gobabis via Otjinene and Okamatapati to Grootfontein over four years.

The road project is fully funded by the Namibian government.

“Our government is making strategic investments in the expansion of Namibia's roads because they are vital to economic growth and development of our nation. A sound transport network enables efficient movement of people, goods and services,” Iipinge said.

“I believe that this road will improve the free movement of our rural communities, especially our farmers and traders in indigenous products, linking them to main towns and providing access to government services and auctions in these nearby towns.

“It will also boost tourism in the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions by providing easier access to tourism facilities in the two regions,” he said.

President Geingob said every addition to the road network empowered more people by providing them with access to other parts of the country.

“For the country to achieve its full economic potential, we have to prioritise the upgrading of our transport infrastructure systems.

“We have set ourselves specific targets to achieve these ambitions. For instance, one of our Harambee period goals for infrastructure is the extension of our bitumen roads by a distance of 526 kilometres,” Geingob said.

He added that during the fourth National Development Plan (NDP 4) period, the government decided to position Namibia as a gateway into and logistics hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region by the year 2025.

He said the new road formed part of Route 301 of the SADC Regional Trunk Road Network and was therefore of national, regional and international significance. The network would link Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Angola, via Namibia.

ILENI NANDJATO

Ending the carnageNew road safety approach needed The price tag of crashes to the Namibian economy amounts to 0.91% of GDP, as calculated on the N$1.34 billion it cost the country in 2015.

Namibia's road carnage is a crisis in need of a broader multisectoral approach, with experts warning that road crashes are likely to rise, as more people access cars and infrastructure improves, while authorities lag behind because of a lack of resources and cross-section planning.

“In Namibia, road safety is treated as a transport issue, yet in developed nations it is treated as a public health issue,” Eugene Tendekule from National Road Safety Council (NRSC) told Namibian Sun.

He noted that although road safety is still tackled as a transport issue, road accident victims occupy “more hospital beds at one particular time than other pandemics”.

Tendekule added that road safety “is a shared responsibility in a complex multisectoral context”.

“The challenges that come with the impact that is created by the carnage on our roads, has a bearing on other sectors, such as health.”

The NRSC said this week that an increasingly motorised country “represents a high, unacceptable cost to society and health” and demands “new and effective action”.

These actions are needed to address forecasts that for middle-income countries, including Namibia, the risk that road crashes will increase steeply, are high unless new and holistic approaches are adapted and implemented.

A recent landmark World Bank study cautioned that failing to address high rates of road crashes could cost a chunky loss in GDP over a number of years, among other issues.

The study also noted that many sectors should take active leadership roles in tackling the problem, including the health sector.

National studies conducted by the NRSC found that “road crashes are largely determined by levels of income in a country, where rising levels of income increase the penetration of private motor vehicles among all income groups of society, leading to higher traffic crashes in light of the lagged increases in traffic law-enforcement, driver training and education, and awareness campaigns that are present in many development countries”.

Tendekule cautioned that Namibia “cannot make headway in curbing road accidents and attain the income growth” indicated by the World Bank report, with the current deficiency's in resources - financial, human and physical - at hand in the road safety management system.

The World Bank study estimated that reducing road accidents could translate into an additional 15% to 22% in GDP per capita growth over 24 years.

The NRSC said necessary changes to reduce, over a sustained period, car accidents, require a holistic eye-view.

“An effective road safety management system covers three linked elements, namely institutional management functions, interventions and results,” Tendekule said.

He added that “countries with the safest road networks have demonstrated political will by targeting better road safety outcomes, adopting and funding a systematic, evidence-based approaches to intervention, and ensuring key organisational arrangements are in place”.

The NRSC said further that a lack of adequate funding for the development of transport infrastructure, inadequate skills and an imbalance between the development and preservation of infrastructure “hampers the sustainability of the sector”.

Numbers show the problem

Road crashes have increased by more than 5% a year in Namibia since 2007, the NRSC noted.

As a result of this, a study was commissioned in 2015 to determine the true cost of road accidents to the economy.

A key finding was that the cost of road crashes is “multidimensional and includes several aspects related to the vehicle, the driver and occupants, infrastructure and the administration involved in dealing with a crash,” the NRSC said.

The price tag of crashes to the Namibian economy amounts to 0.91% of GDP, as calculated on the N$1.34 billion it cost the country in 2015, Tendekule explained.

Further, for every 1% increase in real GDP, it is estimated there is a 0.63% increase in crashes, the NRSC noted.

“This implies there is a relationship between an increase in GDP versus an increase in crashes,” Tendekule said. Horst Heimstadt of the Private Sector Road Safety Forum (PSRSF) said the 2015 findings on the cost of crashes could be translated to N$1.6 million per fatality.

He cautioned that in many crashes, the breadwinner is killed, which means a loss of income for as many as seven people at a time.

He explained that the United Nations estimate that saving a life can cost as much as N$18 000, which would translate to roughly N$14 million needed to curb the average number of fatalities per annum.

“Although it is debatable how much is really needed, it is clear that it would be much cheaper for any country to implement preventative measures than to pay for the fatality,” he added.

A recent decrease in road crash numbers, including a 72% decrease in crashes over the Easter weekend, was a hopeful sign that public education campaigns, in cooperation with better law-enforcement, was making inroads.

However, without proper research it remains unclear what is working to reduce crash statistics and statistical data is sorely needed.

Tendekule said the statistical decrease in crashes “at any given time can be at times be ascribed to concerted efforts of road safety stakeholders and also on the other hand it can be seen as a normal phenomenon”.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Rapists, abusers haunt Oshana

Oshana has increasingly become a hotbed of gender-based violence (GBV), with 652 cases reported during 2017/18, compared to 598 the previous year, governor Clemens Kashuupulwa has revealed.

While delivering his State of the Region Address (SORA) last week, Kashuupulwa said during the 2016/17 financial year, a total of 101 rape cases were reported in the region.

Kashuupulwa highlighted that GBV must be tackled by all stakeholders.

“This upward trend of increasing of GBV is worrisome and uncalled for, to say the least.”

The governor also said the unemployment rate in the region currently stood at 32% and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

He said the unemployed are mainly youth and women.

Apart from the high unemployment rate, Kashuupulwa also highlighted that the income gap between rich and poor remains high.

“There are several challenges the region is faced with, such as the high income disparity, poverty and high unemployment rate of 32 percent, which is highest among the youth in the region,” Kashuupulwa said.

He however also highlighted a number of job opportunities created during the 2017/18 financial year.

He referenced the 113 children of the liberation struggle absorbed by the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service and the 436 permanent and 324 temporary jobs that resulted from the construction and renovation of infrastructure for the education ministry.

Kashuupulwa said that 15 temporary jobs were created during the construction of the Oshakati constituency office, while 11 permanent and 22 temporary jobs were created through the construction and maintenance of road infrastructure by the Roads Authority (RA).

He added the Oshana regional council is expected to create 1 184 permanent jobs during the implementation of its rural development programme.

During his SORA, Kashuupulwa also spoke about various other activities that took place during the 2017/18 financial year, while also accounting for how taxpayer and donor money was spent in the region.

He also pointed out the slow pace of urban land delivery for housing and business development.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Health fights uphill battle

Critical staff shortages is one of the major challenges the public health sector is grappling with, and if not addressed, it will continue to face serious problems.

This is according to health minister Dr Bernard Haufiku, who said during his budget motivation that during the 2017/18 financial year, the ministry faced some major challenges that included staffing for public health facilities. “The ministry has been working on the restructuring of its staff establishment within the ambits of the policy of compensatory reduction, as directed by the Office of the Prime Minister.”

According to Haufiku, towards the end of 2017 and early 2018, the ministry received 169 applications for employment of recently graduated registered nurses from local academic institutions. He said this was in addition to the 174 registered nurses trained under the ministry's Project 2013, in response to the recommendations of the Presidential Commission.

“But the ministry could not absorb these graduate nurses. Not that we do not need them or do not want to employ them, but simply because the ministry did not have positions for these nurses then, but subsequently created positions through compensatory reduction by converting managerial and administrative posts into professional posts.”

According to Haufiku although the ministry now has positions available, it does not have funds to employ. He said this is not only particular to nurses, but cuts across all the professional cadres.

“If this August House, which is the law-making house, agrees that more funds be allocated to health, we shall, in the shortest possible period employ these graduate nurses, dentists, pharmacists and many others.”

He said as long as the ministry continues to be faced with critical staff shortages, a lack of appropriate and basic medical equipment and physical infrastructure that is dilapidated or is critically lacking, the ministry and the government will always be making headline news for the wrong reasons.

Haufiku added the sharp reduction in development partner funding, particularly from the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, will have an additional negative impact on programmatic service delivery areas such as eliminating these diseases by 2020. He said the shortage of medical equipment for diagnosis, and monitoring the treatment and recovery of patients is another challenge faced by the ministry. “We are of the view that only partnerships with private manufacturing or supplying companies on the principles of public-private partnership may lift us out of these perpetual deficiencies and lack of equipment in the ministry.” According to Haufiku the Central Medical Store (CMS) has also been struggling to fulfil its mandate of ensuring that adequate medicines are available in all health facilities.

A turnaround strategy is being implemented for the supply and distribution chain management, as well as the provision of a safer storage facility to replace the existing facility.

According to him there is a lack of space at health facilities, taking into account new and additional services introduced for emerging needs, as well as a shortage of staff accommodation.

“In trying to improve accessibility to healthcare services; the ministry continues to build new clinics as well as renovate and upgrade clinics, health centres, district hospitals and referral hospitals.” Haufiku said although some resources were allocated for infrastructure development, many projects could not be completed on time due to the lack of financial and technical capacity of some contractors. Other factors also included poor management of projects by consultants, which rendered projects difficult to determine or conclude. There was also a slow response from the works ministry on issues such as the approval of variation orders, the extension of time claims, requests for determination of projects and related technical issues, said the minister. “We hope these hurdles shall be soon things of the past, as we continue to engage the works ministry in this regard.”

For the 2018/19 financial year, the ministry has been allocated an amount of N$6.537 billion of which N$6.037 billion or 92.4% is for operational and 7.6% is for development expenditure.

The ministry's total allocation represents 11.29% of the overall government budget. The budget allocation will, amongst others, address the emerging challenges of communicable and non-communicable diseases, mother and child health, developmental social welfare, human resource development and management.

It will also focus on the supply of pharmaceutical and related medical products, infrastructure development and management, as well as medical equipment.

ELLANIE SMIT

National bass angling competition resumes

SPORTS REPORTER

The Namibia Bass Angling Association (NBAA) kicked off the 2018 fishing season with the Bank Windhoek National Angling Competition at Lake Oanob outside Rehoboth, with 26 anglers and 20 boats participating in the event.

Anglers were motivated to compete as reports of large catches during practice sessions made their way through the bass angling community.

During the competition, a total of 90 fish with a combined weight of 49.025kg were weighed in. This number and weight exceeds that of 2017's entire angling season.

The heaviest fish of the day caught by Thinus Williams and weighed in at 1.087kg and a total of 13 anglers managed to weigh in a bag limit of five.

“It is inspiring to see nature thriving after the crippling drought conditions,” said NBAA's chairman Richard Grant.

Weather conditions for angling were good with blue skies and not the slightest sign of a breeze, with Oanob Dam having received some good inflows during the year.

The NBAA also made history as the first-ever live weigh-in was aired on Facebook. It was viewed by bass angling enthusiasts from South Africa, Zimbabwe and the United States of America.

“The NBAA would like to thank Bank Windhoek for their ongoing loyal support as we look forward to a fantastic fishing season,” said Grant.

The full results were as follows: Jurgen Geiger in first place with a total bag weight of 3.252kg, Richard Grant in second with a bag weight of 3.126kg, Thinus Williams third (3.115kg), Max Pieper fourth (3.044kg) and Jacques Marais in the fifth spot with 2.819kg.

Understanding transfer pricing

With recent media reports – both locally and internationally – transfer pricing has been a topic which has received quite a lot of attention lately.

Tax considerations have become quite crucial due to increased changes in the global landscape in terms commerce and the way business is performed.

Prior communication has been made by the commissioner of inland revenue that further commitment would be made to increase resources and skill sets within the department in relation to transfer pricing. This has raised expectations that IRD is planning to perform audits in this area of tax to ensure that taxpayers are adhering to the relevant requirements as set out in terms of section 95 A of the Namibian Income Tax Act.

Legislation

Namibia introduced transfer pricing legislation on 14 May 2005. The legislation (Section 95A of the Namibian Income Tax Act) is aimed at enforcing the arm’s length principle in cross-border transactions between connected persons. On 5 September 2006, the Directorate Inland Revenue issued a Practice Note (PN 2/2006) containing guidance on the application of the transfer pricing legislation.

Section 95A is aimed at ensuring that cross-border transactions between connected entities are fairly priced. This will ensure that tax profits are not stripped out of Namibia and moved to lower tax jurisdictions. Section 95A achieves this by giving the minister of finance the power to adjust tax returns and to tax Namibian entities as if these transactions were done at market-related prices.

Documentation requirements

A taxpayer is required to:

• keep documentation to support how it determines arm's length prices for TP transactions (the format of documentation is not prescribed), and

• evidence that supports the actual arm's length amounts charged between connected parties.

The documentation should generally contain a functional analysis which take into account the risks, functions and assets that each party brings to the transaction.

It should also include information gathered on comparable transactions between unconnected parties, to prove that the prices are set at arm’s length.

If such information is not documented, it will be difficult for a taxpayer to defend himself against any TP tax adjustments made by Inland Revenue.

The taxpayer must also keep in mind that regulatory requirements relating to transfer pricing was enacted in 2005 (in Namibia) and therefore Inland Revenue can go back to the date of introduction to challenge taxpayers on transfer pricing matters.

Risks

Identifying your transfer pricing risks is quite crucial and the following procedures could be considered:

• list all your cross-border transactions with connected entities,

• understand how the prices charged for these were determined, and

• review the documents that you can give to Inland Revenue to support that amounts charged were at arm's length.

* Nelson Lucas is an associate director: indirect taxes at PwC Namibia. This series on tax is published in Market Watch bi-monthly on a Monday.

Blue Bankers walking the talk for Buy-a-Brick

Standard Bank Namibia’s Operations Shared Services Department (OSS) in Windhoek’s Reger Park area has tossed its hat in the ring, officially launching their personalised Buy-a-Brick fundraising initiative. Employees of the OSS department visited the bank’s chief executive, Vetumbuavi Mungunda (second from the left), recently to unveil their custom-made Buy-a-Brick t-shirts. Since the launch of the bank’s flagship initiative in 2015, which is aimed at aiding in alleviating the housing shortage in collaboration with the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN), Blue Bankers have supported the initiative by donating to it. However, this year the bank’s employees have taken ownership of the Buy-a-Brick initiative with various departments in the Bank coming up with different campaigns to raise fund on a large scale across the country. Each T-shirt is selling for N$200, half of which will go to production costs and the remainder will be donated to the Buy-a-Brick initiative. Photo Contributed

New Cassinga monuments plannedGeingob, Lourenço confirm costs will be jointly carried The Namibian head of state says the costs related to the construction of the monuments is nothing, taking into account the lives lost on that fateful day.

The governments of Angola and Namibia will in the coming weeks finalise modalities around the construction of two new additional Cassinga monuments which will be built in the neighbouring country.

The monuments will be built in the Huíla and Cunene provinces in Angola and will be jointly financed by both governments, President Hage Geingob announced at State House last week.

The announcement was made during the visit of Angolan head of state, Joao Lourenço, to Namibia, which coincided with the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Cassinga massacre.

Motivating the decision to build the monuments, Lourenço said lives had been lost and no price could be placed on the construction of the planned monuments.

Geingob had in justification of the proposed development said the costs related to the construction of the monuments is nothing, taking into account the lives lost on that fateful day, a point reiterated by Lourenço.

“We just have to thank Angola; not to ask about money. People's lives are priceless. We are going to pay homage at a proper place and that is key,” said Geingob.

On 4 May 1978, the South African air force attacked Cassinga, a Namibian refugee camp in southern Angola. It was then the South African Defence Force's largest airborne operation and close to 400 paratroopers were dropped near the town of Cassinga.

The airborne troops bombed the Swapo refugee camp and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia's (Plan) military base.

The bombing was followed by ground forces to complete the massacre. More than 600 Namibians, mostly women and children, were massacred by the SADF airborne troops, and hundreds more were injured.

Reflecting on Cassinga and in particular the relationship between the two countries, Lourenço said while it was important to remember the past, the future of Angola and Namibia was more important.

“Our obligation now is to think about the present and future. Let the ministers and business people identify areas of common interest,” said Lourenço, when he spoke at the 40th commemoration of the massacre at Heroes' Acre on Saturday.

Lourenço also implored both governments to look at enhanced transport links that would connect the two countries further.

Geingob said the commemoration of Cassinga Day enabled both countries to further deepen their relationships.

“Namibia is pleased that through the commemoration of Cassinga Day, we are able to reinforce the historic and long-lasting relationship we share with Angola, as we proceed with the second phase of the struggle,” said Geingob.

The Angolan statesman was also bestowed the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, Gold by Geingob, for his role in achieving Namibia's independence.

Lourenço also witnessed the renaming of Ausspanplatz Circle and the naming of a big parking area that houses the Angolan embassy to Agostinho Neto Square, in honour of Angola's founding president.

“President Agostinho Neto must be celebrated for the great example that he set as a leader. Renaming this square his a token of our appreciation for the courageous role he played in shaping our region and our country in particular,” Geingob said.

Lourenço and his delegation left for Angola on Sunday.

OGONE TLHAGE

Lion 'framed' for livestock killings

The environment ministry has confirmed it is investigating the shooting of a male lion earlier this year at Mbakondja in the Kunene Region, in order to establish whether there was a violation of hunting ethics.

The lion, HPL 3, was shot in February as a trophy on a permit issued for the Anabeb Conservancy. However, it has now emerged that the animal may have been framed for killing livestock, in order for it to be shot. The ministry said it is aware of the incident and also of the concerns that have been raised over the shooting, adding that it will be addressed. “The ministry upholds the best practices in conservation to ensure that our wildlife population thrives, as it has done over the years. We reject the insinuation that our practices for conservation are driven by an ambition to make money,” it said.

The ministry further reiterated its mandate is to protect natural resources for the benefit of Namibians.

“Our principle objective is to ensure the protection of our biodiversity, whereas sustainable utilisation is secondary and subject to the success of our conservation methods.” According to the ministry, utilisation of natural resources through sustainable hunting is based on research and science.

It further added the conservation concept used by Namibia and the ministry is to firstly protect, and then derive benefits.

Preliminary information indicates that the lion that was killed could be an old male lion that wandered out of the upper Barrab River in the Palmwag concession area and which had been involved in repeated livestock killings in the Mbakondja settlement area. Reports indicate that during February three marauding lions caused damage in the Mbakondja area and one, an old male lion, was offered as a trophy and subsequently shot by a hunting organisation.

This generated funds to compensate the farmer for his losses.

The other two lions were at that time still at large and again attempted to prey on livestock.

However, new information later suggested that it was a young male lion that was shot at Mbakondja and that it was not killed because it was the problem animal, but because it was a better-looking trophy.

The lion was apparently collared, in his prime reproduction stage and was found in the presence of two prime females.

“It is becoming clear that the recent shooting of HPL 3, known as Gaob Hampton, a prime male lion between six to eight years old, at Mbakondja in February this year, might well have been a typical example of the abuse of the human-wildlife company policy to circumvent conservation regulations and policies, in order to avail high value protected species trophies for monetary gain.

“We insist on an unbiased, transparent investigation by an objective party and a published outcome in this specific case. We have reason to believe that 'Harambee', the old lion has become a problem lion due to his inability to hunt, given his age and condition, but that the prime, reproductive male, HPL 3 (Gaob Hampton), was selected for a trophy instead (because he was aesthetically a far more attractive trophy), and his involvement in conflict deliberately staged, to qualify him as a 'problem causing animal',” said a local Namibian organisation dealing with human-wildlife conflict.

ELLANIE SMIT

Pastor furious with CCN

A Pentecostal pastor has asked the Council of Churches of Namibia (CCN) to withdraw a comment made by its secretary general Ludwig Beukes, in which he called for Namibian authorities to at least set up some form of regulation for religious organisations.

Christian Democratic Party (CDP) secretary-general Festus Thomas, or Bishop Thomas as he is known to his congregants, told Namibian Sun it was not right for the CCN to support activities witnessed in Rwanda, where churches had been banned, and said Namibia had laws of its own to abide by.

“It is not in the interest of the CCN to side with what happened in Rwanda. They [Rwanda] have their own constitution and we have our own constitution. We are unhappy and we would like him to withdraw his comments,” said Thomas.

According to him, the statement made by Beukes had the potential to create harm within the broader Christian community and implored the CCN SG to withdraw his statements.

“CCN must focus on the religious matters of the churches that it represents. CCN must not interfere in Pentecostal matters. If there are burning issues, they must pursue us,” Thomas said.

He said if Pentecostal pastors are accused of wrongful behaviour, authorities would have to bring evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that these pastors had taken advantage of the masses in the execution of their duties.

According to him, there had been instances where the CDP had investigated claims where pastors from Pentecostal churches were accused of carrying out unsavoury activities, but these accusations were found not to be the truth.

Last week Beukes said there was a need for some sort of intervention, in light of what was happening in Rwanda, adding the constitution would need to be respected.

“If you do something like that here it will raise a lot of questions, but it looks like it is the same problem here. There is an exploitation of people by these so-called prosperity gospel organisations,” said Beukes.

According to him, the constitution provides Namibians with the right to association, leaving people free to choose their religious affiliations.

A unit within a ministry specifically dedicated to registering religious organisations would be a great benefit, Beukes said.

“I think government must have a unit where churches can be registered, in the ministry of home affairs for example, where there are basic requirements that they need to adhere to,” said Beukes.

According to him, many church organisations are registered as section 21 not-for-profit organisations with the ministry of trade.

As an alternative these churches must register as welfare organisations, Beukes said.

According to him, it was also convenient for heads of these organisations to use the umbrella term, 'church'.

This, he said, made it necessary for government to look into regulation. Beukes however cautioned there needs to be a broad consultative process, if church regulation was to be introduced.

“It is time for the church to look into regulation, but we would not want politicians to prescribe what churches will preach. Government must not prescribe to the church what to say,” said Beukes.

He also believes that prosperity churches are making more money than shebeens, because they are preying on the desperation of people.

Rwanda's government recently closed thousands of churches and dozens of mosques, as it seeks to assert more control over its vibrant religious community, whose sometimes makeshift operations, authorities say, have threatened the lives of followers.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame said he was shocked by the high number of churches in the small East African country. “700 churches in Kigali?” he said, when commenting on houses of worship in the nation's capital in March. “Are these boreholes (deep wells) that give people water? I don't think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories? This has been a mess!”

OGONE TLHAGE