Kaye na shoka taya tyapula mEsiku lyOkanona OkaAfrika

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Minista Katrina a ningi etokolo kombinga yethimbo lyokuhita ooskola

≪ Previous: Spain face Iran in crunch tie

$

0

0

Kaye na shoka taya tyapula mEsiku lyOkanona OkaAfrikaHe yuunona mboka ke na esiloshisho nuunona Uunona uwali wuumati uumwayinathana mboka hawu zi molukanda Okahandja Park mOvenduka, kawu na sha oshindji okutyapula Esiku lyOkanona OkaAfrika omolwa onkalo yoluhepo nondjala moka tawu lumbu. Oshifokundaneki shoNamibian Sun, osha adha uunona mboka uwali wa loloka na owa sa ondjala wa tegelela he a galuke opo a vule okupatulula ombashu yawo moka haya zi.

Yina okwa hulitha omwedhi Desemba gwomvula ya piti, nokuyathigila he pamwe na nayinakulu omukokele.

Uunona mboka ohawu zi pamwe nahe, ihe ohawu ka konga okulya kuyinakulu.



Pahapu dhokanona hoka okakuluntu koomvula 10, edhina lyakoJoseph* (kali shi edhina lyoshili) oka popi kutya he ohaka uhala koondingosho na oha galukile owala megumbo uusiku.

Okamwayina kaJoseph oke na oomvula omugoyi.

“Ngele otwe mu lombwele kutya otwa sa ondjala ohetu dhenge nokutu lombwela tu ka lale. Ihe tu landele nando omboloto. Ihe tu pulakene ngele tatu mu lombwele kutya inatu lya sha esiku alihe,” Joseph a popi.

Yinakulu gwoomvula 65 okwa popi kutya naye okuli mompumbwe molwaashoka oha sile nale oshisho aanona ye mboka kaayena iilonga oshowo aatekulu ye yalwe yahamano, nonando oha kwata owala openzela.

“Ohaye ya mpaka ongula potundi onti 07:30, ya sa ondjala na otaya lili. Pethimbo ndyoka oya pumbwa okukala ye li koskola na itaya konkola andola pomweelo gwandje. Onda kambadhala okukonga aantu mboka taya vulu okuya kutha po nokuya sila oshisho ihe kape na ngoka a hala okuya kutha po molwaashoka ohaya yi koskola,” omukokele ngoka a popi.

Pahapu dhomukokele ngoka, he oha kala e li kohi yodhungo kehe ethimbo na ohey amonitha iihuna.

“ Nando ongashiingeyi oto mu a dha puyimwe yomoondingosho, iha kala megumbo, ngele aanona taye mu kongo. Ohaya isile oshisho yoyene.”

Oshifokundneki shoNamibian Sun, osha adha he yuunona mboka, ngoka iitumbula kedhina kutya oye Dolam, puyimwe yomoondingosho, tadhi adhika popepi nombashu yawo.

Okwa tindi kutya okuna ondjo yasha nenge ota ningi oshinima sha puka.

“Uunona mboka ohawu li. Ohandi kwashilipaleke kutya aluhe owa lya. Uumati mboka otawu fundju, owu hole okufundja nayi,” omulumentu ngoka a poi.

Okwa popi kutya okwa li e wu lombwele kuyele kutya nawu ye kegumbo opo wu ka lundulule omizalo dhawo.





“Uumati mboka ohawu fundju, nomunambelewa gwezulunkalo okwa popi kutya itawu vulu okukala nayinakulu ngoka ha kwata openzela, nawu kale owala nangame.”

Okanona kamwe oka lombwele yinakulu taka lili kutya inaka hala okukala nahe.

“Omwenyo gwandje oguuvite nayi omolwa onkalo ndjoka, ihe kandi na oshindji shoka tandi vulu okuninga. Ohandi kwashilipaleke kutya oya lya kehe ongulohi, ihe noshimaliwa shooN$250 shoka haya pewa kepangelo inashi gwana molwaashoka oya pumbwa iinima oyindji ngaashi omizalo dhoskola noongaku.”

JEMIMA BEUKES

---

Minista Katrina a ningi etokolo kombinga yethimbo lyokuhita ooskola

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Egandjo lyuukwathitho oshali kaanona yaakadhona

≪ Previous: Kaye na shoka taya tyapula mEsiku lyOkanona OkaAfrika

$

0

0

Minista Katrina a ningi etokolo kombinga yethimbo lyokuhita ooskola Ominista yelongo, oya gandja elombwelo kutya ooskola inadhi tameka mbala omanga otundi onti 7:30 inayi dhenga nenge tameke konima yotundi onti 08:30.

Shoka osha landula omalombwelo ngoka ga li ga pewa ooskola okuza kuuministeli opo dhi lundulule omathimbo gadho,sha landul ehulithepo lyOmpango yEthimbo lyaNamibia, ihe elombwelo ndyoka olya gwile momakutsi ga thita.

Omukanda ngoka gwa gandjwa mEtitano, Amushanga gwuuministeli mboka, Sanet Steenkamp, okwa holola woo kutya ooskola ndhoka dhi na ootundi lwaali nadhi kale dha mana ootundi dha hugunina potundi onti 16:30.

Uuministeli owa holola kutya owa nongele omikundu dhimwe po ndhoka tadhi dhidhilikwa kooskola dhimwe po uuna dha lundulula omadhimbo gadho, ngaashi unene ooskola ndhoka hadhi kala nootundi lwaali mesiku.





Owa tala woo kiinano mbyoka hayi endwa kaanona uuna taya yi kooskola oshowo aalongi mboka haya longitha olefa dhaayehe.

“Elunduluko ndika olyopethimbo lyokufu na tali kala hali ningwa kehe omvula okutameka oshikako oshityali sigo opehulilo lyaAguste, opo nduno ooskola tadhi lundulukile kethimbo lyawo ekulu,” Steenkamp a popi.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Egandjo lyuukwathitho oshali kaanona yaakadhona

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: First winner crowned in Agra's slaughter ox competition

≪ Previous: Minista Katrina a ningi etokolo kombinga yethimbo lyokuhita ooskola

$

0

0

Egandjo lyuukwathitho oshali kaanona yaakadhona Omanga aanona yaakadhona ya thika po 600 ye li melago lyokumona uukwathitho woshali okuza kepangelo okutameka omvula ya piti, aanona yaakadhona mboka haya yi kooskola yeli po 150 000 mooskola dhaNamibia oye li mompumbwe yokumona uukwathitho mboka ya pumbwa kehe omwedhi.

Moonkambadhala okukandula po omukundu ngoka gu li shimwe shomiiyetithi ye yo moshipala elongo lyongushu kaanona yaakadhona moNamibia, uuministeli welongo pamwe nehangano lyoForum of African Women Educationalists Namibia (Fawena), oya tula miilonga omvula ya piti, opoloyeka tayi ithanwa Sanitary Pads Project.

Omukwatakanithi gwoFawena, Marlene Mungunda okwa lombwele oNamibian Sun oshiwike sha piti kutya omwaalu gwaanona yaakadhona mboka itaya vulu okumona uukwathitho mboka, ogu li lwopaanona ye li 150 000.

Konima nkene kwa tulwa miilonga opoloyeka ndjoka, aanona yaakadhona ye li po 600 nondondo onti 10 sigo 12 miitopolwa ya yooloka oya mono eyambidhidho okupitila mopoloyeka ndjoka.



Kehe okanona ohaka pewa uukwathitho wu li omulongo kehe omwedhi.

Mungunda okwa popi kutya okwa tothwa mo aanona mboka taya pewa eyambidhidho ndyoka yeli po 2 000 , na okwa tegelelwa ya ka wayimine nokukala taya mono ekwatho ndyoka okuza kopoloyeka monakuyiwa.

Mungunda okwa tsikile kutya konima nkene ya tula miilonga opoloyeka ndjoka , muSepetemba gwomvula ya piti, ooskola odhindji niitopolwa oya ningi ekwatathano nayo taya kongo ekwatho, ihe omupya omunene oye na okulonga yiikwatelela kiiyemo mbyoka ye na po oshowo omusholondondo gwaamboka ya tothwa mo.

Oshimaliwa sha thika poN$250 000 osha nuninwa opoloyeka ndjoka oshowo omayambidhidho okuza komahangano gopaumwene.

Mungunda, okwa popi kutya ngaashi ku na oopoloyeka dhoka dha nuninwa okugandja ookondoma dhoshali moshilongo, omukalo ngoka ogwa pumbwa okulongithwa megandjo lyuukwathitho kaanona yaanaskola.

Nonando onkalo yompumbwe ndjoka oya li ya e twa moshigwana omvula ya piti, ehangano lyoSister Namibia olya longa ethimbo opo li vule kandule po omukundu ngoka.

Opoloyeka tayi ithanwa Sisterpads project oya tulwa miilonga momvula yo 2014 konima sho ehangano ndyoka lya nongele kutya okufaula kooskola kuli pombanda unene moshitopolwa shaKavango, otaku etitha kaanona yaakadhona mboka taya pumbwa omayambidhidho guukwathitho.

Elsarien Katiti okwa lombwele oNamibian Sun kutya momidhingoloko moka omauyelele ihaga thikimo nawa nenge omauyelele ga pumba, akiintu natango oyiikokelelela kuukwathitho wopamuthigululwakalo mboka kwa hololwa kutya kawu na uuyogoki.

Aanona aniwa ohaya faula kooskola uule womasiku gatatu nenge gane kehe omwedhi ngele itaya vulu okumona uukwathitho.

Katiti okwa popi kutya okukwashilipaleka kutya aanona mboka oya pewa uukwathitho mboka, otashi etitha omukumo nuuntu mokati kaanona mboka, oshowo okukaleka po uundjolowele.



Moonkambadhala okuya moshipala omukundu, Sister Namibia okwa nduluka po uukwathitho mboka hawu vulu okulongithwa ishewe, uule woomvula mbali.

Onkalo ndjoka otayi etiha aanona yaakadhona ya kale itaya dhilaadhila kombinga yonkalo yawo ndjoka kehe omwedhi, nopehala ya kale nokwiitulamo melongo lyawo.

Katiti okw atsikile kutya nonando AaNamibia oyendji oya tameka oku ningwa oonkambadhala dhokuyambidhidha monkalo ndjoka, oshindji natango osha pumba wokuningwa kaatoti yoompango, ta tsu omuthindo kutya okwa pumbwa okutulwa miilonga oompango ndhoka tadhi utha eshunitho pevi lyondando yuukwathitho mboka nenge wu kale nokugandjwa oshali. Okwa popi kutya uuministeli wuundjolowele owa tameka okuninga omakonaakono kombinga yuukwathitho mboka tawu vulu okukala tawu longithwa nokukandulapo omukundu ngoka gwa taalela aanona yaakadhona, unene mboka haya hiti ooskola.

Nonando ongaaka, shoka otashi ka longa owala ngele okwa gandjwa omulilo omuzizi okuza komalelo.

MuJuni gwo2017, epangelo lyaKenya okwa tula miilonga ompango ndjoka tayi pitika egandjo lyuukwathitho mboka oshali kaanona yaakadhona ayehe mboka haya hiti ooskola dhepangelo.

Ompango ndjoka otayi utha opo uukwathitho wongushu wu pewe aanona ayehe yaakadhonna mboka ya shangithwa moskola dhepangelo oshowo omukalo gwegameno gwoku ekelahi uukwathitho mboka wa longithwa.

JANA-MARI SMITH

First winner crowned in Agra's slaughter ox competition

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Meatco reinstates 15% VAT on cattle

≪ Previous: Egandjo lyuukwathitho oshali kaanona yaakadhona

$

0

0

First winner crowned in Agra's slaughter ox competition Christi Grobbelaar was crowned as the first winner in the 'on the hoof' category at Agra's slaughter ox competition for 2018, which kicked off on 6 June at Gobabis.

This year marks the third slaughter ox competition that was hosted by Agra Auctions since the competition's inception in 2016.

It is the first time that the competition was expanded to Gobabis. Agra's agent for Gobabis, MC Human, did a great job in locating 34 high-quality oxen to enter into the competition.

The event was very well attended and feedback from producers was very positive.

Next, the competition will move to Nina on 20 June, then to Otjiwarongo on 26 June, to Aub on 4 July and to Windhoek on 17 July, where more winners will be crowned. Overall winners will only be crowned at the end of the competition, after the oxen have also been judged on their carcass quality.

To participate in the competition, each producer must enter two animals to be judged on their hooves and carcasses.

For the hoof category, key aspects for judging criteria comprise cattle age, fatness, masculinity, temperament and good farming practices such as branding and dehorning, which constitutes 40% of the total points. On the carcass, the cattle will compete in terms of the quality of meat, which constitutes 60% of the total points.

The competition forms part of an initiative to provide ox producers with a platform to compete in an organised competition and compare the quality of their animals to those of other producers, similar to the Agra weaner competition.

Old Mutual is sponsoring the first prize at all the auction points, while Feedmaster sponsors the second prize and Swavet the third prizes.

All animals are slaughtered at the Beefcor Abattoir in Okahandja, which also supplies steak at all the competition points for a braai for participants and sponsors.

STAFF REPORTER

Meatco reinstates 15% VAT on cattle

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Housewife is dark web boss

≪ Previous: First winner crowned in Agra's slaughter ox competition

$

0

0

Meatco reinstates 15% VAT on cattleNo deal struck as yet While clarifications on the directive and discussions are ongoing, Meatco has announced that it will reinstate 15% VAT. After two months of intensive negotiations between stakeholders in the agricultural sector to address the non-payment of VAT at export abattoirs, Meatco has reinstated the 15% VAT on cattle delivered to its export abattoir.

This follows after the company in April implemented zero-rated VAT on all cattle transactions at the Windhoek abattoir.

This was done following a directive from Inland Revenue that as from 15 April cattle delivered to Meatco's export abattoir will be invoiced with zero-rated VAT.

On Friday, Meatco said in a statement that it received many different reactions and interpretations following the implementation of the directive, which prompted management to set up a meeting with the Inland Revenue commissioner.

The meeting was aimed at shedding more light on the interpretation of the directive issued with regard to the zero-rated VAT and the practice of self-invoicing.

During the meeting, the commissioner informed Meatco that he had received a similar request from the industry to shed more light on the directive issued.

However, due to the current confusion and room for various interpretations, Meatco has decided to re-instate the payment of 15% VAT on all cattle transactions at the abattoir until the industry-led process of clarifying the intention of the directive has been finalised.

All cattle delivered to the abattoir from 15 April 2018 onwards, and invoices subsequently that have been zero-rated, will thus be re-calculated and sent out to producers within the month.

All monies due will be paid at the end of June 2018. Cattle delivered to Meatco from 10 June 2018 will be invoiced including 15% VAT going forward.

The practice of self-invoicing cattle transactions will be continued by Meatco, but a formal request to continue the practice will be motivated to the commissioner for approval.

The Namibia Agriculture Union thanked Meatco for their willingness to listen to the viewpoint of producers adding that this action will improve confidence in Meatco in the long term.

ELLANIE SMIT

Housewife is dark web boss

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Massive oil losses

≪ Previous: Meatco reinstates 15% VAT on cattle

$

0

0

Housewife is dark web boss A 28-year-old housewife with no criminal record has been unmasked as the woman behind a major French "dark web" site which sold drugs and guns until it was shut down last week.

The woman was among four people arrested last Tuesday when intelligence agents closed the Black Hand website, where fake ID documents and stolen bank data had also changed hands for more than two years.

Agents from the DNRED intelligence agency seized nearly €4 000 in cash and around N$395 999 in online currencies while swooping on the suspects in four simultaneous raids around France.

The mother of two, who went by various online pseudonyms including "Anouchka" and "Hades", did not create the site but worked as its administrator, a DNRED agent said.

"A woman active at that level, it's pretty unusual," the agent said, adding that Anouchka, who did not have a job, was arrested near the northern city of Lille.

Although she did not have what he termed the "geeky profile of an IT technician", this was not her first experience on the dark net, he added.

Around 40 DNRED agents were involved in the year-long operation, "the first of its kind in France", according to public accounts minister Gerald Darmanin.

Several other dark net sites where drugs, guns and even contracts for assassination jobs are exchanged online - most famously the notorious Silk Road - have been smashed around the world in recent years.

The DNRED officer said it was difficult to determine how much money passed through Black Hand, but he estimated that Anouchka earned tens of thousands of euros a year from its operations.

Two others who acted as moderators and who sold illicit items on the site have been charged, as well as another vendor, following police raids near the cities of Montpellier and Marseille as well as Lille.

They were among dozens of active users on the forum, which had 3 000 listed accounts.

The moderators had various ways of making money, the source said, charging membership fees of €25 to €50 as well as commissions of 2% to 5% on transactions.

Members could also pay to get a higher rating on the site.

The DNRED agent declined to say how authorities tracked down those behind the website - whose content, like other sites in the hidden "dark" section of the internet, is particularly difficult to access.

Although the raids have not yet led to more arrests, "we continue to take an interest in the buyers," the agent said, adding that Black Hand's former users will be watching the investigation closely.

"They're right to be worried," he said.

Investigators were able to access Black Hand's servers and retrieve large amounts of data during last week's raids, the official said.

He noted the site had been running since at least 2015 - a considerably long time by the standards of the dark net, where "platforms are often volatile because crooks often run off with the takings".

NAMPA/AFP

Massive oil losses

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Americans own 40% of world’s guns

≪ Previous: Housewife is dark web boss

$

0

0

Massive oil losses400 000 barrels destroyed Libya will see a large drop in oil income following an attack by armed groups on a storage facility. Libya's National Oil Company said on Monday that it suffered "catastrophic losses" when two storage tanks were destroyed during fierce clashes in the country's northeastern oil crescent.

Armed groups on Thursday attacked the Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra terminals held by forces loyal to Libyan strongman's Khalifa Haftar around 650km east of Tripoli.

On Sunday, Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive to push the militias - loyal to rebel leader Ibrahim Jadhran - out of the oil crescent.

The NOC said it had lost "storage tanks 2 and 12 at the Ras Lanuf port terminal following Thursday's armed assault by militia in the Oil Crescent, led by Ibrahim Jadhran".

Ras Lanuf's storage capacity - at 950 000 barrels of crude before the attack - has now been reduced to 550 000, the NOC said.

Jadhran's Petroleum Facilities Guard controlled the terminals for years following the 2011 ouster and killing of longtime Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, but were eventually forced out by the LNA in September 2016.

"This incident will result in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in construction costs, and billions in lost sales opportunities", the NOC said, adding it would take years to rebuild amid the country's current security circumstances.

The NOC on Thursday said it had halted oil exports from Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra because of the violence.

NOC chief Mustafa Sanallah warned that if oil exports from these terminals remain at a standstill it could cause a "national disaster".

Libya's economy relies heavily on oil, with production at 1.6 million barrels per day under Gaddafi.

The 2011 uprising that ousted and killed the dictator saw production fall to about 20% of that level, before recovering to over one million barrels per day by the end of 2017.

NAMPA/AFP

Americans own 40% of world’s guns

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Kicking dirt in poor faces

≪ Previous: Massive oil losses

$

0

0

Americans own 40% of world’s guns Americans make up only 4% of the global population but they own 40% of the world's firearms, a new study said on Monday.

There are more than one billion firearms in the world but 85% of those are in the hands of civilians, with the remainder held by law enforcement and the military, according to the Small Arms Survey.

The survey, produced by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, says it bases its estimates based on multiple sources, including civilian firearms registration data from 133 countries and territories and survey results in 56 countries.

Of the 857 million guns owned by civilians, 393 million are in the US - more than all of the firearms held by ordinary citizens in the other top 25 countries combined.

"The biggest force pushing up gun ownership around the world is civilian ownership in the United States," said Aaron Karp, one of the authors of the report which compiles new data from the last 10 years.

"Ordinary American people buy approximately 14 million new and imported guns every year," Karp told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.

Americans have access to powerful firearms that are not available in many other countries due to tighter legislation.

"Why are they buying them? That's another debate. Above all, they are buying them probably because they can. The American market is extraordinarily permissive," he said.

Gun ownership rates vary across the world, with 121 firearms for every 100 residents in the US compared to 53 in Yemen, 39 in Montenegro, and 35 in Canada.

Japan and Indonesia are at the other end of the spectrum with less than one firearm per 100 people.

Only 28 countries released information on their military stockpiles while 28 nations offered information the firearms owned by law enforcement agencies.

Civilian firearms registration data was available for 133 countries and territories.

NAMPA/AFP

---

Kicking dirt in poor faces

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Shot of the day

≪ Previous: Americans own 40% of world’s guns

$

0

0

Kicking dirt in poor faces The growing disrespect for the poor and vulnerable, characterised by utterances by those who are now voted into power, leaves much to be desired.

After Utoni Nujoma's so-called 'entrapment' when he explicitly said the poor cannot run expensive farms, while being interviewed by South Africa's eNCA, justice minister Sacky Shanghala has now entered the fray. Shanghala, who is reportedly himself a beneficiary of government business deals, was quoted by the local media as saying that fishing rights are not for everyone in the country. “Now, the new thing is fishing quotas, fishing rights. People, it is not for everybody. If it were for everybody, then fine. Walking around here, there are many opportunities, but nobody is taking them,” Shanghala was quoted as saying in The Namibian on Monday. Just the other day, a fisheries official told a consultative meeting to discuss the new requirements when applying for fishing rights that a Namibians should look beyond fishing. While it is true there are indeed limited opportunities in various industries, including the fishing sector, which this time has only reserved 96 new fighting rights, vulnerable members of our society can no longer just be bystanders of economic activity in their own country. Politicians preach economic emancipation all the time, but once in power, they totally forget about those who mandated them to lead in the first place. This begs the question: Who are our leaders representing and in whose interests are they speaking and acting when making such damaging and disparaging remarks in the public domain? The previously disadvantaged, which include the middle class and downtrodden of our society, need the encouragement and facilitation of an environment in which they can prosper, instead of being swiped away by those with fat fingers who already had their fill of tenders and other advantages. The key, in terms of all these so-called economic opportunities, is that decisions by the powers that be should not be made to enrich a few. That has been a major stumbling block in our 28 years of democracy. The patience of the poor and vulnerable, when it comes to the sharing of the economic cake, is running out.

We cannot just see the same faces benefitting ad infinitum. How greedy can they really be?

Shot of the day

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Dukwe refugees turn to SADC

≪ Previous: Kicking dirt in poor faces

$

0

0

Shot of the day MOBILITY: A young man travels by bicycle with his luggage from one village to another in northern Namibia. Owning a bicycle in the village is a privilege as it allows for quick transportation, whether to carry news, or to transport items. PHOTO: LIMBA MUPETAMI

Dukwe refugees turn to SADC

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Shilongo's selflessness remembered

≪ Previous: Shot of the day

$

0

0

Dukwe refugees turn to SADCLast ditch effort to avoid repatriation The estimated 916 Namibians currently residing in a refugee camp in Botswana have now turned to SADC, as the deadline for their repatriation creeps ever loser. Namibian citizens currently exiled at the Dukwe refugee camp in neighbouring Botswana this week made a last ditch effort to avoid being repatriated.

The refugees have petitioned the Southern African Development Community (SADC) office in Gaborone, according to a news report by Botswana commercial radio station Yarona FM.

There are an estimated 916 Namibians currently residing in the refugee camp.

The group through its spokesperson Felix Kakula said they want SADC to arrange a meeting with the Namibian government.

The group has until 11 July to return to Namibia.

If they do not do so, they will then be residing in Botswana illegally.

Botswana defence minister Shaw Kgathi issued the 11 July deadline in May and said the group would have to voluntarily return to Namibia.

The Namibian government through home affairs minister Frans Kapofi has in the past given the group assurances that they will be safely repatriated back into Namibia and will not face any discrimination.

The Namibian government is working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Botswana government to guarantee the safe return of the group.

“Government is committed to the principle of voluntary repatriation as a durable solution; hence we are working together with the government of Botswana and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to ensure their return in a dignified manner,” Kapofi said.

According to Kapofi, consultations on a tripartite commission on the matter are at an advanced stage.

“Twenty Namibian refugees from the Dukwe refugee camp in Botswana were repatriated in dignity and safety and are now with their family members in Namibia,” Kapofi said.

Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi said during visit to State House in April that his government was exploring all options to ensure the Namibians at Dukwe are returned home.

He said they no longer had refugee status and Botswana regarded them as illegal immigrants.

“There are laws that govern what you do and how you conduct the business of illegal immigrants, and that will follow.

“If there are Batswana who are in Namibia as illegal immigrants, I am sure the laws of Namibia will also result in them being assisted to go home.

“So we await the outcome of possible engagement but we want to make this clear,” Masisi was quoted as saying.

The group fled to Botswana after a failed attempt to secede the then Caprivi Region from Namibia.

The Botswana government initially planned to deport the remaining Namibians living at Dukwe by 31 December 2015.

OGONE TLHAGE

Shilongo's selflessness remembered

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: MTC hands over N$700 000 for new homes

≪ Previous: Dukwe refugees turn to SADC

$

0

0

Shilongo's selflessness remembered Oshakati mayor Angelus Iyambo has described the sudden passing of councillor Johannes Hapeni Shilongo as a big loss for the local authority and the country.

Shilongo died on Sunday at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital after a short illness. He was 48.

Iyambo said Shilongo's sudden passing is a great loss for the council, following his immense contribution to the development of Oshakati.

He described Shilongo as a trustworthy man who they relied on.

Iyambo said he always fulfilled his obligations to the best of his ability.

“Councillor Shilongo left us very soon and unexpectedly. He was a man who had the vulnerable at heart and always gave his best when a task was bestowed upon him. His death has left us with big shoes to fill because he had all the great qualities a leader should have. Namibia has lost a great leader. He will be missed dearly,” Iyambo said.

He called on fellow Namibians to keep Shilongo's family in their prayers during this difficult time.

“Let us keep his family in our prayers because not only did we lose a leader, a family lost a breadwinner and we should have them in our prayers. May his soul rest in peace,” Iyambo said.

Shilongo had served as a councillor for Oshakati since 2011.

At the time of his passing he was serving as a member of the management committee.

Before his role as a councillor, Shilongo served as the Swapo district coordinator for the Oshakati West constituency.

Shilongo is survived by his wife Veronika Nyanyukweni and seven children. A condolences book is available for signing at the Oshakati town council office.

A memorial service will be held tomorrow at the Oshakati civic centre from 15:00, while another will be held on Friday at Shilongo's homestead at Onduulu Nomongwa village.

He will be buried on Saturday at his village.

KENYA KAMBOWE

MTC hands over N$700 000 for new homes

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Wider sanitary roll-out cut

≪ Previous: Shilongo's selflessness remembered

$

0

0

MTC hands over N$700 000 for new homes A cheque of N$700 000 has been handed over by MTC to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN), through the Standard Bank Buy-a-Brick initiative, which will help build 20 new homes for families currently living in shacks.

“We are well aware of the extreme housing shortage and the SDFN has been extremely positive and efficient in making a difference by building complete houses for their members at a cost of only N$40 000 (each),” MTC executive Tim Ekandjo said at the handover.

Heinrich Amushila of the Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG), the SDFN's longstanding NGO supporting partner, said the organisation was overwhelmed by MTC's contribution through the Buy-a-Brick initiative.

He said the funding comes at a time when the SDFN has not been able to secure sufficient money to build its 1 000 envisioned homes this year, and had to reduce the target to 500.

“This donation by MTC forms part of the Buy-a-Brick funds, totalling N$3.7 million, and will be used to construct houses in Mariental, Gobabis, Otjiwarongo and Kalkveld.”

Amushila underlined the crucial need for corporate as well as government support for groups such as the SDFN.

“We are happy that more corporate entities are joining hands with the federation to construct houses for the ultra-low-income community. Urban centres have seen the mushrooming of shacks and all these people are looking at the federation to assist them with affordable housing. With MTC now on board, it means we can now build more houses by scaling up.”

Ekandjo said the 20 new homes will only make a relatively small dent, “considering the huge shortage of houses in Namibia”.

“But if we can all participate and make our contribution, it will become impactful in the fight for housing.”

Ekandjo said it is the collective responsibility of all Namibians to help their fellow citizens, so they can secure decent housing; especially for those who have struggled with severe poverty because of a lack of equal opportunities.

The Standard Bank Buy-a-Brick project is geared towards addressing the housing shortage in the country by raising funds for the SDFN.

The flagship corporate social investment initiative aims to facilitate poverty alleviation and improved shelter, in partnership with the SDFN, and has worked on mobilising the private sector and the public in raising the funds required by the federation to build affordable housing for disadvantaged Namibians.

Amushila further thanked Ohorongo Cement, FNB Namibia, Pupkewitz and Neo Paints, which have also funded SDFN housing initiatives.

In kind assistance was also provided by CPP, Suremix and the Baard Group in Walvis Bay, he said.

He added the urban and rural development ministry has increased its annual allocation for housing to the federation by N$3 million, from N$7 million to N$10 million.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Wider sanitary roll-out cut

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Editors' forum celebrates spy case victory

≪ Previous: MTC hands over N$700 000 for new homes

$

0

0

Wider sanitary roll-out cutBudget to blame A lack of financing has limited the reach of the sanitary pad roll-out for school-going girls in Namibia. While around 600 teenage girls have so far benefited from government's free sanitary project since last year, as many as 150 000 school girls could be struggling to access safe sanitary products across Namibia each month.

In efforts to address one of the many barriers to quality education faced by vulnerable and marginalised Namibian girls, the education ministry, through its partner the Forum of African Women Educationalists Namibia (Fawena), last year launched the Sanitary Pads Project.

Fawena national chapter coordinator Marlene Mungunda told Namibian Sun last week that the figure of vulnerable and marginalised girls who are unable to access sanitary products on a regular basis could roughly total 150 000 or more, based on national statistics of vulnerable female teenagers across the country.

Since the launch of the Sanitary Pads Project more than 600 girls attending grades 10 to 12 in several regions have benefitted, she said.

Each girl is provided with a pack of ten pads each month. Mungunda said just over 2 000 beneficiaries have been identified through various scholarship programmes, who are to join the programme in the coming future.

She however highlighted that since the launch of the programme last September, the scale of the problem has become obvious.

“After the launch, so many schools and regions called us to ask for help. But unfortunately we have to work according to the budget and attend to the beneficiaries currently listed.”

A total of N$250 000 has been budgeted for the programme to date, with several private sponsorships adding to the purse.



Problem solving

Mungunda, and others, have pointed out that in line with the distribution of free condoms in Namibia, a similar initiative should be launched with sanitary pads for those in need.

“The cost of menstrual products is very high. Government succeeded in addressing the HIV/Aids challenge to provide condoms for free. It would also be very conducive and commendable to provide free sanitary products for girls, for whom menstruation is not a choice, but a biological fact.”

While the issue of sanitary pads was brought to national attention again last year, Sister Namibia had long worked on addressing the issue.

The Sisterpads project was launched in 2014 after the organisation was learned of the high level of school absenteeism in the Kavango Region, due to female learners lacking sanitary materials. Elsarien Katiti told Namibian Sun that in areas where resources and information is slim, many rely on “traditional or home-based alternatives, which may be unhygienic or even unhealthy.”

Girls miss between three to four days of school each month if they cannot access proper sanitary products or “find harmful ways, including sugar daddies, to provide these products,” she said. Katiti said ensuring that all Namibian girls have access to safe sanitary products “goes beyond access to products and attending school. A lack of menstrual products also concerns dignity, health and lost or delayed potential.”

Further, being able to access sanitary products gives young girls “a sense of dignity and self-determination through the mobility they get from having something sanitary to use.”

In response to the issue, Sister Namibia has designed reusable sanitary pad kits which provide a permanent solution for a two-year duration.

This helps girls put aside the worry of monthly menstruation and allows them to “focus on her education”, the organisation stated.

Katiti added that while many in Namibia have begun to assist, and to create awareness, “from the legislative side of the equilibrium, a lot still has to be done to provide these free products for the girl child. There is still a lot to be done to amplify awareness.”

She emphasised that while “all problems Namibia faces are not there for government to solve alone”, reducing or cutting taxes on menstrual products, or providing them for free, could go a long way to address the issue.

Moreover, providing reusable sanitary products would not only be cost-effective, but environmentally sustainable. Fawena's Mungunda said the health ministry has begun to investigate alternative options and has been presented with various presentations on reusable products for distribution through the state sanitary programme.

However she said testing on the products is necessary and without the green-light from safety authorities no alternative products can be distributed. In June 2017, Kenyan government enacted a law which guarantees sanitary wear for all girls attending public school. The act states that “free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels” must be provided to every girl registered at school, as well as providing “a safe and environmental sound mechanism for disposal”.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Editors' forum celebrates spy case victory

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Workers' rights still at risk

≪ Previous: Wider sanitary roll-out cut

$

0

0

Editors' forum celebrates spy case victory The Editors' Forum of Namibia (EFN) has welcomed the High Court's dismissal of an application by the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) to bar The Patriot newspaper from publishing a story about alleged dubious land deals by the government, involving retired spy operatives.

In his judgment on Monday, Judge Harald Geier said there was a need to balance what the law says and the constitutional provisions on freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

EFN secretary-general Alna Dall said the judgment was an immense victory for freedom of speech and democracy in Namibia, which set a firm precedent for those who want to censor the media in the name of “national security”.

“It sends a strong warning to other government officials, and anyone else for that matter, that they cannot willy-nilly invoke archaic legislation such as the Protection of Information Act of 1982 to trample on ingrained constitutional rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of the media,” Dall said.

The EFN also commended the Namibian judiciary for upholding the protection of press freedom provided for in article 21 of Namibia's constitution, adding that the forum was confident the court case would act as a benchmark for the rollout of the Access to Information Bill.

This case emanates from an urgent interdict sought by the state security agency in April to stop The Patriot from publishing allegations of the acquisition of two farms to the tune of N$57 million in the Otjozondjupa Region by the government, under the guise that it was classified information.

The NCIS had sought to urgently interdict The Patriot newspaper from publishing any information relating to the purchase of the two farms and another property in Windhoek, which the government had purchased for the intelligence service at a cost of N$8.2 million.

It emerged in the court proceedings that the two farms bought for resettlement purposes were being used by retired members of the NCIS, who are organised in a voluntary association.

The NCIS had argued that the information the newspaper intended to publish was a threat to national security.

It said the information might jeopardise the effectiveness of the service if its operations were exposed, as the information fell within the Protection of Information Act, under the scope of sensitive and classified information as defined in the Namibia Central Intelligence Service Act.

The NCIS argued that the Act prohibits anyone who is not in possession of security clearance from publishing classified and sensitive information.

The Patriot had argued that the information did not expose the operations of the NCIS or identify its agents, but rather corrupt practices, which cannot be defined as classified or sensitive information.

The newspaper said the public was entitled to be informed about corruption in the government or the NCIS.

STAFF REPORTER

---

Workers' rights still at risk

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: NSFAF: Letter is malicious, derogatory

≪ Previous: Editors' forum celebrates spy case victory

$

0

0

Workers' rights still at riskNamibia shows slight improvement More and more workers in the global workforce are excluded from any protection under labour laws, the Global Rights Index indicates. Namibia has been placed in the category of countries with repeated violations of workers' rights.

Although workers' rights have improved in Namibia over the past two years, a global report has found the county was still guilty of repeated violations, including violating the collective bargaining rights of workers.

The report investigates the violations of internationally recognised labour rights by governments and employers.

Namibia now ranks as one of the top five countries when it comes to workers' rights in Africa.

The 2018 Global Rights Index that was released recently says internationally there were restrictions on free speech and protests, as well as increasingly violent attacks on the defenders of workers' rights.

The index covers internationally recognised core labour standards, specifically civil rights, the right to bargain collectively, the right to strike, the right to associate freely and access to due process rights.

It highlights the world's worst countries for workers by rating 142 countries on a scale from 1 to 5, based on the degree of respect for workers' rights, according to 97 indicators

Namibia this year received an overall ranking of 2, placing it in the category of countries with repeated violations of workers' rights.

This is in comparison to its 2017 score of 3, when it was ranked in a worse category of countries with regular violations of workers' rights.

Other African countries that received the same score as Namibia this year were Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Togo. However, South Africa was still highlighted in the report for its 1 500 workers that were summarily dismissed after staging a strike at Sibanye's Cooke mine.

There was no country in Africa that received a ranking of 1 this year. This category means that there are irregular violations of workers' rights and countries that are rated with the best labour practices fall into this category.

Meanwhile Africa received an overall ranking of 3.9, falling just short of the category of systematic violations of workers' rights. Some of the worst performing countries in Africa were Zimbabwe and Algeria that was ranked 5. This category means there is no guarantee of workers' rights in the country.

According to the report, in Africa 84% of countries exclude workers from labour laws, while 36 out of 37 countries violated the right to strike. It also says all 37 countries in Africa violated the collective bargaining rights of workers, including Namibia.

Furthermore 65% of countries in the Africa region exposed workers to physical violence.

According to the report the number of countries that deny or constrain freedom of speech increased from 50 in 2017 to 54 in 2018.

A total of 81% of countries have violated the right to collective bargaining.

The ten worst countries for workers in 2018 were Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The number of countries where workers were exposed to murders, physical violence, death threats and intimidation significantly increased from 59 in 2017 to 65 in 2018.

The number of countries with arbitrary arrests and the detention of workers increased from 44 in 2017 to 59 in 2018.

The report adds that global shifts are under way in working conditions for people, with 65% of countries excluding workers from the right to establish or join a trade union, an increase from 60% in 2017.

More and more workers in the global workforce are excluded from any protection under labour laws, the report added.



ELLANIE SMIT

NSFAF: Letter is malicious, derogatory

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Closing date for Nedbank National Kapana Cook off for Northern round

≪ Previous: Workers' rights still at risk

$

0

0

NSFAF: Letter is malicious, derogatory The management of the beleaguered Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) says it is confident that an anonymous letter doing the rounds on social media, making damning allegations against certain staff members, did not emanate from its rank and file.

The letter, sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on 7 June, alleges malpractice and possible corrupt or fraudulent activities by the acting CEO, Kennedy Kandume, and a number of other staff members. It also alleges the use of company resources for “political messages”. One such alleged message inserted in the letter suggests that NSFAF “was linked to Team Swapo”. While the author or authors of the letter pretend to be concerned internal whistle-blowers and junior staff members, the NSFAF management says that is unlikely because its content reflects knowledge of discussions that took place at management level. The management says the letter is “derogatory and malicious” and aims at creating the impression that the current situation at the company is intolerable and that staff are unhappy.



Analysis

The NSFAF management held a press briefing yesterday to address the letter.

Its head of corporate affairs, Olavi Hamwele, said the letter appeared to be an attempt to sow suspicion, disunity and distrust among the workforce.

He said it targeted staff listed for interviews in the ongoing forensic investigation at the institution.

While the management said the letter could not have originated from within, Hamwele said it appeared to be from someone at management level or someone from outside who did not have the company's best interest at heart. Hamwele said it was a deliberate attempt to cast doubt on the current management and to paint it as incompetent. He said junior staff had platforms to use to air their grievances.

The management said it did not see suspended CEO Hilya Nghiwete's hand in the letter.



ACC considering it

“Everything is fine at NSFAF at this stage but we welcome an investigation by the ACC,” Hamwele said.

ACC chief investigator Nelius Becker confirmed receipt of the letter and said the ACC was still “deliberating on the matter”.

The board chairperson of NSFAF, Jerome Mutumba, said there was “nothing new” about the allegations. “Much of that stays at the centre of the alleged maladministration levelled at the substantive leadership of the organisation before the new board came on board. Unfortunately I cannot comment on rumours,” Mutumba said.



Performance

Acting CEO Kandume said the NSFAF's 2018 awarding of student loans had been completed and letters to inform the successful applicants were being written.

This year NSFAF will give funding to 9 726 students at tertiary institutions. It also considered the applications of 4 480 others to attend vocational training centres.

For 2019 plans are under way to start the application process as early as September so that students can receive their letters before the start of the new academic year. Kandume said that would allow them to register as students without having to pay registration fees. He said NSFAF would report back to the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts on the alleged unaccounted for N$1.7 billion by September. Kandume said to lay the matter to rest management had embarked upon a document retrieval and reconciliation exercise involving tertiary institutions to which the funds have been paid out. He further said the relationship between the new board and management had improved, and staff welcomed the internal investigation and supported an expansion of its scope should the need arise.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Closing date for Nedbank National Kapana Cook off for Northern round

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Liberty to be quizzed by regulator

≪ Previous: NSFAF: Letter is malicious, derogatory

$

0

0

Closing date for Nedbank National Kapana Cook off for Northern round Nedbank Namibia in conjunction with the Namibia Chefs Association, Meatma, Pick n Pay and Bakpro are proudly anticipating the National Kapana Cook Off, Northern Round. On 30 June 2018, our esteemed judges will get to work to find the best kapana for the Northern region. The event will take place in front of Pick n Pay, Ondangwa.

The response by Namibian entry level vendors has been both inspiring and exciting and there is great exhilaration as to what these skilled entry level vendors will prepare at the cook off. Professional chefs working in the Northern region are also encouraged to enter to demonstrate their culinary expertise and special take on Namibia’s most loved dish, Kapana. Entries are open in both categories until 22 June 2018 for the Northern Round of the Competition.

Nedbank and the Kapana Cook off sponsors are locked down in anticipation to see who will go through to the finals, which will take place in the capital city, Windhoek during the month of August. Preliminary rounds will be held across Namibia and entrants are reminded of the following important closing dates:

•Northern Round: 22 June 2018

•Coastal Round: 29 June 2018

•Eastern Round: 06 July 2018

•Central Round: 13 July 2018

The coveted prize of a fully fledged Kapana container shop along with a Nedbank bank account with a N$15 000 cash balance, SME training and mentorship is what all entry level kapana vendors hope to win. The Kapana National Cook off is one of the vehicles Nedbank Namibia utilises to reach out to the small players in the market to aid them in formalising their business operations. Entries are free and the competition is run nationally to ensure that no one is left behind, providing an opportunity many Kapana vendors only dream about.

Collect your entry form at your nearest Nedbank Namibia branch.

Liberty to be quizzed by regulator

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Scramble to avoid RCC assets sale

≪ Previous: Closing date for Nedbank National Kapana Cook off for Northern round

$

0

0

Liberty to be quizzed by regulatorOver cyber attack Insurer Liberty Holdings faced questions from South Africa’s Information Regulator on Monday, a day after the company said it had become the victim of a cyber attack. “I feel exposed because they have a lot of confidential information about me,” Marieta le Roux, Liberty Life client, Namibia The regulator said it was concerned about the data breach and wanted to meet the insurer to get more details.

Liberty’s shares fell 5% on Monday, after the company said on Sunday that an external party claimed to have seized data from the firm and demanded payment.

Liberty said it made no concessions to the hackers and that there was no evidence that any of its customers had suffered any financial losses.

On Monday it said its IT specialists and security personnel had worked around the clock to ensure the protection of its customers and their details.

The regulator said it had written to Liberty’s chief executive David Munro requesting information on the extent of the data breach and security measures taken by the company.

“The Information Regulator has noted with concern various media reports regarding a material data breach at Liberty Holdings,” Pansy Tlakula, chairwoman of the regulator, said in a statement.

Shares in Liberty later pared some losses but still closed 4.03% lower at 119 rand, their worst daily fall since April 4.

Traders said the market had not panicked over the attack.

“The management did very well to come out and explain their side of the story,” said Cratos Capital trader Greg Davies.

“What they need to do now is assure the market that they’ve spent enough on their defences and that there won’t be a repeat of this.”

Liberty’s biggest shareholder Standard Bank, which has a 53% stake, said in an emailed response to questions it was supportive of the measures that Liberty has taken.

However, in neighbouring Namibia, Marieta le Roux, a Liberty Life client since 2011, told Reuters that she had not been informed of the data breach.

“I feel exposed because they have a lot of confidential information about me,” she said.

-Nampa/Reuters

Scramble to avoid RCC assets sale

June 19, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Nam’s trade with SA ails

≪ Previous: Liberty to be quizzed by regulator

$

0

0

Scramble to avoid RCC assets saleHead office first on the auction block The beleaguered RCC is facing the real possibility that its prized head office will go under the auctioneer's gavel. The ministry of works is trying to avoid the auctioning off of Roads Contractor Company (RCC) assets, the parastatal's acting CEO Seth Herunga has confirmed.

This comes amid the planned auction of its head office in Windhoek's southern industrial area.

It was reported this week that a commercial bank plans to auction off the building to recover money it had lent to the parastatal.

Herunga told Namibian Sun, however, his line ministry was working hard to avoid the sale of assets through auctioneering.

“The minister has tried to engage other ministries to ensure that we avert that assets will be auctioned off. My understanding is that he is engaging with the bank as well,” said Herunga.

Works minister John Mutorwa has written to the finance ministry in a bid to ward off the sale of RCC assets through auctioning, while making particular mention of its head office.

According to Herunga, if the head office were to be sold, a new developer stood to make considerable money off the sale of the property. He added the RCC's machinery and equipment had been sold in the past for a song by auctioneers.

Works ministry permanent secretary Willem Goeiemann has been instructed to engage RCC's lender to avoid having its property auctioned off this week, while Herunga had also received a set of instructions from Mutorwa.

Nampa reported the RCC risked having its Windhoek head office auctioned off.

“The company's dire situation has been worsened by lawsuits against the company for non-payment of creditor's obligations,” Herunga wrote to Mutorwa.

In the letter, Herunga said the RCC's main financial banker, Bank Windhoek, whose outstanding debt is secured against the entire head office property, was calling up the debt and invoked the security clause, which would result in the forced disposal of the property, should the company fail to pay the outstanding instalments overdue by 30 days.

“However, the property is having an investment development portfolio of N$2 billion. If we lose the property, it will be a big loss to government,” he said.

“We thought we secured funding, but we lost it,” he continued, referring to the controversial N$580 million partnership deal the RCC had signed with Chinese company Nantong Sanjian to boost its finances and survival chances, but which government recently declared illegal.

Herunga said it was difficult to manage the company's precarious financial situation without funding.

“Without funding, we are against the wall.”

Cabinet in September 2017 proposed having the RCC placed under judicial management. Under judicial management, a manager will be appointed by the High Court to try and revive the operations of the entity, while its assets cannot be sold off to pay creditors.

Mutorwa must still table a bill to place the entity under judicial management.

OGONE TLHAGE