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Four cops behind bars for domestic violence

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Four cops behind bars for domestic violenceFour cops behind bars for domestic violence Police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga says victims of domestic violence, allegedly committed by police officers, are now coming forward since last week's murder/suicide at the Louis Botha supermarket in Windhoek.

Ndeitunga said since Friday, four police officers have been arrested after their alleged victims opened cases against them.

Those in custody include an inspector, a warrant officer and two constables.

“This is disturbing and tarnishing the image of the police further, especially knowing the current perception of the public toward the police force. How many more are there not?” Ndeitunga said. Alina Kakehongo (24) was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old Special Reserve Force member Samuel Shali Nghihepa, in the shop where she worked as a manager. The police officer then shot himself. According to the police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, a total of 11 cases of gender-based violence were reported over the weekend.

These ranged from rape to attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault and assault by threat.

Ten people were arrested, four of whom were police officers. An officer from the VIP protection directorate was arrested in Windhoek on Saturday after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and daughter and threatened to kill them.

The warrant officer was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. A woman alleged the officer hit her head against a wall several times at Single Quarters in Katutura, after he apparently heard her talking to the father of her children from a previous relationship. In another incident, a police constable from Koës was arrested on Friday night after he allegedly grabbed his 32-year-old wife by her braids in a jealous rage and pulled her out of a local club in the town.



The incident occurred at Club Indaba at about 23:00.



The victim sustained bruises to her forehead and also had a swollen eye. The constable has been charged with common assault.



In another incident at Mariental, a police constable was arrested on Saturday after allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.



The police officer is accused of beating the woman, who is eight months pregnant, with his fists and police belt.



It is further claimed that the woman, a nurse, has endured several incidents of assault since January last year.



The latest incident occurred at about 20:00 at the Mariental state hospital nurses' home.



The victim was found with bruises to her right eye.



Her room was also damaged during the assault.



The police officer was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.



In Windhoek, a police inspector was arrested on Friday after he allegedly threatened to kill his wife and expose her on social media.



A case of assault by threat was laid against the inspector, who is based at the Israel Patrick Iyambo Training Centre.



He was arrested on Friday at the about 07:30 at the Roman Catholic Hospital.



Kanguatjivi said the public may have been suffering in silence, but following last week's incident, there seems to be a realisation that gender-based violence must be reported.



He said this is an indication that no one is above the law and even police officers can be arrested.



He said anyone who suffers abuse or any form of violence at the hands of their partners should not hesitate to report them.



“Offenders will be arrested and dealt with according to the law.”

ELLANIE SMIT

Recharge your MTC account and win a car

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Recharge your MTC account and win a carRecharge your MTC account and win a car MTC is offering its customers a chance to win one of 19 Toyota Hilux 2.4 bakkies with its latest competition which starts tomorrow and runs until 30 August.
To stand a chance to win, a customer will have to recharge with the affordable price of N$10 a day to qualify.
Andre de Jager, MTC’s general manager: product solutions, explained that the exciting “Recharge and Win Campaign” will run from the 1st of August until the 30th August 2018 and will have 9 lucky customers driving away with brand new Toyota Hilux 2.4 bakkies.
The competition is open to all MTC customers. De Jager explained that once a customer recharges with N$10 or more, he or she will be automatically entered into the draw and become a potential winner. The draw will be conducted on a daily basis.
According to MTC’s executive, Tim Ekandjo, this is MTC's way of valuing its customers for their unwavering patronage.
“This campaign is testament to our customer re-investment strategy of giving back to our loyal customers and showing appreciation as we have always been at the forefront, championing the generous culture of giving back to the community and we will continue to honour that.”

STAFF REPORTER

Fuel goes up tomorrow

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Fuel goes up tomorrowFuel goes up tomorrow
Namibians can brace themselves for yet another fuel price increase tomorrow due to a fuel tax increase.
The energy ministry announced that fuel prices will increase by 25 cents, not due to a petrol or diesel increase, but, an increase in fuel tax. Fuel pump prices in Walvis Bay will increase by 25c/l for both 95 octane unleaded petrol (retail) and all grades of diesel.
STAFF REPORTER

MDC 'has won' Zim election - senior party official

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MDC 'has won' Zim election - senior party officialMDC 'has won' Zim election - senior party official
Senior opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) official Tendai Biti says party leader Nelson Chamisa had won Zimbabwe's presidential election, and alleged that the authorities were delaying the publication of results.
"The results show beyond reasonable doubt that we have won the election and that the next president of Zimbabwe is Nelson Chamisa," said Biti this afternoon, amid a delay in the release of preliminary results.
He was a respected finance minister in the 2009/13 power-sharing government.
"We are however seriously concerned about evidence of interference... there is a deliberate delay in announcing the results. This delay is totally unacceptable," he told a press conference at the party's headquarters in Harare.
"We have won the election, we are now daring the ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) to announce the result. We have done an impossible thing."
His announcement set off celebrations among party supporters outside the building, but no official results have yet been declared.

Both President Emmerson Mnangagwa, of the ruling Zanu-PF party, and Chamisa earlier said they were ahead in the count after Monday's election, the country's first vote since the resignation of long-time ruler Robert Mugabe.
Zanu-PF has had an iron grip on power since independence from British colonial rule in 1980, and victory for the opposition would be a major upset.
NAMPA/AFP

Youth games a stepping stone

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Youth games a stepping stoneYouth games a stepping stoneNamibia looks forward to 2022 after 28 medal haul Namibia harvested eight gold, seven silver and 13 bronze medals to finish ninth out of the nearly 50 countries that participated in third edition of the Africa Youth Games in Algeria. Namibia's 28 medal haul at the just-ended Africa Youth Games in Algeria will be used as stepping stone for the 2022 games.

The third Africa Youth Games took place from 18 to 28 July and Namibia competed in athletics, swimming, archery, boxing, cycling, equestrian sports, gymnastics, karate, table tennis, tennis, archery, cycling, hockey (girls and boys), rugby, triathlon and wrestling.

Egypt registered the best performance overall, with a total of 199 medals - 101 gold, 55 silver and 43 bronze medals.

Algeria ended second with 226 medals (71 gold, 72 silver and 83 bronze), while Tunisia came third with 136 medals (36 gold, 46 silver and 54 bronze).

Morocco came fourth overall with 106 medals overall (29 gold, 37 silver and 40 bronze); Nigeria came fifth with 103 medals (29 gold, 32 silver and 42 bronze) and South Africa finished in sixth position with 33 medals (15 gold, 13 silver and five bronze).

Ethiopia followed in seventh position with 25 medals (11 gold, eight silver, six bronze), while Mauritius came eighth with 31 medals (eight gold, nine silver and 14 bronze).



Attached is the full list of medals won by Namibia with the names of the athletes:

Athletics (pole vaulting) Ludwig Huber (bronze)

Archery (cadet men and women recurve) Quinn Reddig (individual gold) and Quinn Reddig and Adriaan Grobler (team silver)

Mountain biking: Alex Miller (gold)

Gymnastics - artistic: floor and vault: Emill Pitt (silver and gold); trampoline: Lance Potgieter (silver), tumbling: Thalia Loveira (bronze), trampoline and tumble: Carané van Zyl (both gold). Boys team (trampoline) Lance Potgieter, Kamas Nechville en Zacheo van Vuuren (bronze). Girls team (trampoline and tumbling) Thalia Loveira and Carané van Zyl (both bronze)

Hockey - Girls team: Kiana Cormack, Sonnet Crous, Jahntwa Kruger, Danja Meyer, Tara Myburgh, Kaela Schimming, Carien Rooyen, Joane van Rooyen en Celé Wessels (silver)

Karate: Myvonne Swart (bronze)

Horse showjumping - (individual competition): Jessica Kreiner (silver)

Sevens rugby: Bernhardt Wessels, William Otto, Sarel Louw, Jeandré Loubser, Lianzo Cupido, Le Roux Booysen, !Gonteb Donell, Romario Janga, Erik Strauss, Lyle Beukes, Donavan Resandt en Aston Mukwiilongo (silver)

Wrestling - Asino Festus (45kg bronze) and Jastice Saaiman (55kg bronze)

Swimming: Heleni Stergiades (4x bronze) in 100m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 100m and 200m backstroke. Ronan Wantenaar (bronze and silver): 200m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke.

The African Youth Games is an international multisport event held every four years to complement the All-Africa Games. The first games took place in Rabat, Morocco in 2010.

The second youth games took place in Gaborone, Botswana from 22 to 31 May 2014.

Namibia finished 10th out of 42 countries in 2014, while bagging 25 medals - four gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze.

The African Youth Games targets the 14 to 18 age group, and contributes to the development of African sport, while nurturing Olympic values.

It is also seen as a trial run for the Olympic Games.

It also acts as qualifiers for a number of disciplines in the Youth Olympics, which will be held later this year in Argentina. So far Namibia's hockey and archery have qualified for the Youth Olympics.

The next games in 2022 will be held in Maseru, Lesotho under the slogan 'One Voice: One Africa: Sport Speaks'.



LIMBA MUPETAMI

We have failed - Tweya

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We have failed - TweyaWe have failed - Tweya Twenty-eight years after independence the nation has failed to manufacture something as basic as toothpicks, says industrialisation minister Tjekero Tweya.

Speaking at the opening of the third annual SADC Industrialisation Week in Windhoek yesterday, the minister said Namibia must import toothpicks from China.

“We are now 28 years as a free nation, we have adopted industrialisation and Growth at Home for a couple of years. I will not go to cement, I will speak about a small example. Toothpicks. For 28 years we have not been able to produce our own toothpicks, we would rather spend money to travel thousands of kilometres to China to go and buy toothpicks,” he said.

He added that it doesn't make sense that 'overdrafts' are available for these trips to China.

Instead, he said, local production must be stimulated in order to create jobs and Namibians must adopt a different mindset.

Tweya also criticised the Namibian nation for constantly talking about how youth unemployment is a time bomb but nothing is done to address it.



Lack of regional trade

The deputy executive secretary for regional integration at the SADC Secretariat, Tapiwa Samanga, also lamented the lack of regional trade despite numerous reforms to deepen regional integration.

He warned that the region can no longer remain passive in the quest for industrialisation.

“Lack of industrialisation is one of the reasons why intra-SADC and intra-Africa trade figures remain low. Intra-SADC trade, though fluctuating, has consistently remained around a paltry 10% compared to other regions like the South-East Asian Nations (24%) and the European Union (40%), while intra-African trade has remained at around 15% of Africa's total trade over the past decade,” he said.

According to him this implies that 90% of trade in SADC is with the rest of the world, while it is 86% in the case of Africa.

“We need to strongly question these figures given that it is now 26 years since the establishment of the Southern African Development Community and our regional integration effort.

“We need to walk the talk and take the SADC to a higher trajectory of achievement, growth and development. It is the opportune time for us to look back and see how much ground has been covered and what needs to be done going forward in pursuit of this noble objective.”

JEMIMA BEUKES

Taxi union condemns 50% hike

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Taxi union condemns 50% hikeTaxi union condemns 50% hikeCommuters called to report increases There has been an inter-union backlash at the proposed 50% fare hike by the NTTU union, with calls made for commuters to report any hikes. The Namibia Public Passenger Transport Association (NPPTA) has called on commuters to report any illegal overcharging and says that despite escalating fuel prices a 50% taxi fare hike is not justified.

NPPTA secretary-general Nathan Africa said the 50% fare increase the Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) says it will enforce in September, with or without ministerial approval, will be bad for commuters and the taxi industry overall. Africa appealed for calm after commuters raised concerns about NTTU's recent media statements and said the “tariff increase will only be enforced with government approval”.

He said anyone who is charged more than the government approved rate should report this.

Africa said the NPPTA has requested the road transportation board to increase fares by 10% for long-distance passenger transport and 20% for urban taxis.

“The decision for an increase from N$10 to N$12 was made after we had interviewed various taxi operators, who said the 50% increase will not only be detrimental to our loyal commuters but also for our industry, as we will be encouraging illegal operators.”

He said the union's priority is to ensure service levels are not affected and that all increases are “affordable, cost-effective and have a minimal impact on our commuters”.

Africa added the last tariff increase was in 2014 and a hike is necessary to buffer operators against rising fuel price increases.

He said further that the NPPTA is distancing itself from the NTTU's threat to enforce the 50% increase if the road transportation board declines to make it official.

He said the union is making it “categorically clear that the NPPTA distances itself from any illegal tariff hike”.

“We have a different perspective and to make threats or dare our stakeholders is a no-go zone.”

Head of the City Police traffic management unit, Senior Superintendent Adam Eiseb, said law-enforcement officials are keeping a close watch on the situation, and will be ready to enforce the law should any operators not comply with relevant regulations in place.

He said the public “can be rest assured we will make sure law and order prevails under all circumstances”, in connection with concerns that if the 50% increase is enforced without official backing in September, chaos could erupt among taxi operators and commuters.

Africa underlined that the NPPTA has built a close relationship with the transport ministry and supports the work being done through stakeholder consultations to “iron out the concerns in our industry”.

He said cooperation is the only way to succeed.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Company news in brief

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Company news in briefCompany news in brief Samsung Elec's mobile woes drag on profit growth

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd posted its slowest quarterly profit growth in more than a year on Tuesday due in part to weak sales of its Galaxy S9 smartphones, and warned of tougher competition ahead for the struggling mobile sector.

The Apple Inc components supplier and smartphone rival said operating profit from the mobile business sank 34% from a year ago, its fastest rate of decline since the first quarter of 2017, as cheaper Chinese-made handsets put pressure on margins.

-Nampa/Reuters

Uber to stop developing self-driving trucks

Uber will stop developing self-driving trucks that have been hauling cargo on US highways, the ride-hailing company said on Monday, seeking to focus its autonomous-vehicle technology solely on cars.

Through its acquisition of Otto in 2016, Uber had sought to disrupt freight hauling with self-driving trucks and Uber Freight, its smartphone app that connects truck drivers and shippers.

Uber Freight, which has seen “rapid” growth, is unaffected by the decision, the company said.

-Nampa/Reuters

Nokia, T-Mobile US agree US$3.5 billion deal

T-Mobile US named Nokia to supply it with US$3.5 billion in next-generation 5G network gear, the firms said on Monday, marking the world’s largest 5G deal so far and concrete evidence of a new wireless upgrade cycle taking root.

No.3 US mobile carrier T-Mobile - which in April agreed to a merger with Sprint to create a more formidable rival to US telecom giants Verizon and AT&T - said the multiyear supply deal with Nokia will deliver the first nationwide 5G services.

-Nampa/Reuters

Local franchises boost Spur sales

Fast food chain the Spur Corporation says it recorded a 1.3% jump in franchised restaurants sales to R7.1 billion, boosted by business from local outlets.

According to the sales figures for the year ended June 30, the group opened 44 new restaurants locally and 11 outside of South Africa.

But the growth was not without a downside, as 27 outlets shut down, 18 locally and 9 internationally.

Spur brans include Spur Steak Ranches, John Dory’s, The Hussar Grill and Roco Mommas.

“Franchised restaurant sales in South Africa grew by 1.5%, with sales from international restaurants declining by 0.7% in rand terms,” the company said in a statement on Monday.

-Fin24

Viettel eyes Ethiopia telecoms sector

Vietnam’s state-owned telecom company Viettel is eyeing opportunities in Ethiopia, a company official said on Monday, after the government there announced its intention to liberalise key economic sectors including telecommunications.

The Ethiopian government announced last month it plans to open up Ethiopian Airlines, the state logistics firm and the power monopoly to private investment. But the state telecommunications monopoly is seen as the biggest prize due to its huge protected market.

-Nampa/Reuters

CCF to host goat seminar

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CCF to host goat seminar CCF to host goat seminar The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) will be hosting a goat farming seminar on 7 August.

The one-day seminar will emphasise dairy goats, and it will be led by Dr Terry Gipson, an internationally recognised goat expert from Langston University’s E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research.

Seminar topics will include improving goat herds, artificial insemination in dairy goats, breeding strategies and objectives for small ruminants in the tropics, as well as the genomics in small ruminant production with breeding objectives emphasised.

CCF received a grant from the Kirkpatrick Foundation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to work with professors from the E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research to develop best goat farming methodologies.

CCF maintains herds of dairy goats in conjunction with its Livestock Guarding Dog Programme and Model Farm.

In 2009, CCF began making cheese products from their goat’s milk. In 2013, CCF opened the Dancing Goat Creamery at its centre and expanded products to also make ice cream, fudge, soap. According to the CCF the creamery doubles as a test facility for developing new products and ancillary revenue streams from goat milk, and as a training facility for rural farmers and Unam’s Food Science students.

Improving livelihoods for goat farmers is central to CCF’s holistic approach to cheetah conservation, which carefully considers the needs of humans and livestock and wildlife sharing farmlands. CCF hopes the partnership with the American Institute for Goat Research will produce results that benefit Namibian goat farmers.

“We are very pleased to be embarking upon this collaboration with Dr Gipson and other researchers from the E (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research. We are excited about the potential impact for Namibian goat farmers, and we are very thankful to the Kirkpatrick Foundation for making this partnership possible”, said Dr Laurie Marker, CCF Founder and executive director.

While at CCF, Dr Gipson will also conduct advanced training sessions for CCF farm staff and Future Farmers of Africa programme trainers.

Registration fee for the seminar is N$300 and lunch is included. Camping is also available with prior reservations. To register for the seminar and make camping reservations contact: Dr Laurie Marker at 067 306225 or 081 1247887 or email: director@cheetah.org.

STAFF REPORTER

TransNamib terminates AIJ contract

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TransNamib terminates AIJ contractTransNamib terminates AIJ contract A showdown between TransNamib and AIJ Property Management seems imminent, as the two entities are disagreeing on the status of a lucrative contract in which the private company had to manage the parastatal's huge property portfolio.

TransNamib CEO Johny Smith last week said the parastatal had duly given AIJ notice as per the contractual agreement that it would terminate the three-year contract.

The TransNamib board under the leadership of Paul Smit had reportedly entered into the contract with AIJ in September 2016 and it was to run out around the middle of next year.

According to the TransNamib management the contract had run out in June this year after AIJ was served with the termination notice in April.

However, AIJ, through its spokesperson, Abed Erastus, said the “agreement for services with TransNamib is still in force”.

A source said AIJ was contracted to relook at all the lease agreements entered into for the use and occupancy of TransNamib's land and properties, sign new, market-related lease agreements, collect rent, manage water and electricity bills as well as administer rates and taxes on these properties.

This source said the TransNamib property portfolio was valued at close to N$3 billion.

AIJ's Erastus would not divulge any information this matter, but Smith, though reluctant to go into details, said the contract was detrimental to TransNamib.

Smith said since he took over the reins as the new TransNamib CEO about six months ago his focus was to turn the parastatal into a profitable venture in the medium to long term, which included relooking at some of the agreements the parastatal had entered into.

He said he investigated the AIJ contract and found a number of things wanting.

“Many wrong decisions, what I call snakes, have been made,” Smith said about previous decisions and commented that the management of the property portfolio should not have been outsourced.

He added that TransNamib “cannot further continue” with AIJ because it had signed “unauthorised” long-term lease agreements on behalf of TransNamib, adding that neither he nor his executive team had been aware of some of these agreements.

AIJ has reportedly signed close to 20 lease agreements, mostly in Windhoek, on behalf of the parastatal.

Smith said with the appointment of Alynsia Platt as TransNamib's new executive of properties in May, and the restructuring of the property division, the company took over the work previously outsourced to AIJ.

AIJ was reportedly paid about N$1 million per year.

Smith said TransNamib was now collecting outstanding rent from tenants.

“We have sent out letters of demand for all the outstanding debt and we will follow the procedure to make sure we improve on this situation just like anything else,” Smith said.

TransNamib board chairperson Paul Smit would not comment on the contract the board had signed with AIJ.

“This matter is not for public consumption; we first need to go through procedures,” Smith said.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Katutura hospital defends services

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Katutura hospital defends servicesKatutura hospital defends servicesStaff depressed about complaints The Katutura state hospital's superintendent has apologised for poor service, but in the same breath denied specific complaints made by a member of the public last month. The medical superintendent at the Katutura State Hospital, Dr Fady Ashmawy, has apologised after a public complaint about poor healthcare, including long waiting times, lack of medical staff and rude attitudes, led to a public outcry and several newspaper reports in July.

Nevertheless, following the brief apology at a press conference and assurances that the hospital has a 24-hour open-door policy and welcomes all feedback and complaints, Ashmawy questioned the accuracy of the complaint. He said an investigation into the specific complaints made by Rebecca Kamanda found that the patient, Kamanda's mother, did not wait as long as claimed and that because her case wasn't deemed an emergency, longer waiting times were to be expected. He further accused Kamanda, who has rallied widespread support behind her demands for an overhaul and better healthcare at state health institutions, of demoralising staff and spreading unverified rumours.

“The staff felt demoralised. They are really depressed and upset and feel that all the dangerous and risky work they do is not appreciated,” Ashmawy said. He said while hospital staff welcomed “questions and prosecution if we are wrong … fake allegations are not welcomed at all”.

He disagreed with Kamanda's assertion that her mother had arrived at 11:00, and said hospital records indicated she was admitted at the radiology department at 14:50.

Her initial medical assessment indicated she was not a priority case in need of rapid intervention, he said, adding that hospitals don't serve patients on a first-come, first-served basis, but based on their medical needs.

He said at the end of the day a doctor recommended that Kamanda's mother be allowed to go home, that “there was no danger, no emergency in this case”. On Monday Ashmawy said the Katutura hospital's statistics for the last quarter showed that more than 31 250 patients were treated there over the three months.

On average, the hospital received a new patient every five minutes, and the casualty department attended to a new patient every four minutes.

“All the cases are attended to by professionals. They are all dealt with according to the guidelines, smoothly, without interruption,” he said.

He added that although “nobody is 100% perfect, we are trying to be perfect”.



Counterclaims

Kamanda told Namibian Sun that Ashmawy's claim that her mother had arrived after 14:00 was untrue.

Further, she claimed that her mother was eventually admitted to hospital, after a second doctor examined her nearly 14 hours after she had arrived by ambulance the previous day at 11:00. Kamanda said her mother was discharged four days after she had been admitted. Kamanda told Namibian Sun that ambulance records would confirm that her mother had arrived at the hospital at around 11:00 in the morning, and not later.

She said after she was referred to the radiology department that day, her mother sat in a long queue for hours, while enduring “excruciating pain” and vomiting constantly, without any medical assistance during that time. She said the queue only started moving after 18:00 that night after Kamanda could join her mother and pleaded for assistance.

“I was very calm when I approached the radiologist. It was her comments that aggravated me,” Kamanda said.

She said although she recorded the exchange on her phone, she was forced to delete the video, which would have supported her story, after she was “bullied” to do so by Namibian Defence Force personnel on the scene. “I merely raised my voice. It wasn't just about my mother. It was about so many people who had been there in line waiting for seven, ten hours.” She said it was a “blatant lie” that she had insulted the staff, saying she was frustrated at the slow pace and bad attitude of the staff.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Court to rule on King Elifas testimony

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Court to rule on King Elifas testimonyCourt to rule on King Elifas testimony The Oshakati High Court is to decide whether King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas will have to give oral evidence in a matter in which senior Ondonga leaders are challenging their dismissal.

The matter was postponed until 3 September for a decision by Judge Maphios Cheda. The dismissed leaders, through their lawyer Elize Angula, assisted by George Coleman, made a submission yesterday that King Elifas must give oral evidence.

However, the king's lawyer, Elia Shikongo, assisted by Sandra Miller, objected on the grounds that the applicants wanted to test his mental capabilities. Coleman told the court the dismissed Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) leaders have not had access to the king, which made them suspicious that the decision to dismiss them had been influenced by others. A stamp was used by the traditional authority in the correspondence that announced their dismissal and the hiring of new councillors, he said.

“It was clearly presented that the king authored the dismissal letters that were presented to the traditional councillors and he also read and understood the affidavit that was filed at the court, as he signed it.”

Coleman said further the traditional councillors were of the view that the king did not make the decision to dismiss them and did not write the dismissal letters on his own.

“Therefore, this matter can only be resolved if the king is invited to court to give oral evidence.”

Shikongo, however, said the applicants wanted to test the king's mental and decision-making abilities, and whether he is fit to manage the traditional authority and exercise customary law. He said this is not the first time they are trying doing so, as they also tried this unsuccessfully in the Windhoek High Court.

“Their submission is based on suspicions, therefore it must be dismissed. The court is not qualified to test a person's mental abilities and if they want to do so they must not use the court. Only experts can assess someone's capabilities,” said Shikongo. “It is not appropriate for an 84-year-old person to be brought to court to testify.”

In July last year, King Elifas ordered the dismissal of the traditional councillors. They are former traditional authority chairperson Peter Kauluma, former spokesperson Joseph Asino, the senior headman for the Ondangwa district, John Walenga, former Oshikoto governor Vilho Kamanya, Kashona kaMalulu, Tonata Ngulu and Fillemon Nambili.

The dismissed councillors remain the gazetted traditional leaders of the Ondonga community and they are currently operating from Onethindi as community court justices and assessors, under the justice ministry.

ILENI NANDJATO

Shock rise in SA unemployment

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Shock rise in SA unemploymentShock rise in SA unemploymentManufacturing bleeds jobs Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke released the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for April, May and June in Pretoria on Tuesday. Black women are the most vulnerable when it comes to unemployment- Risenga Maluleke, South Africa’s Statistician-General The official unemployment rate increased by 0.5% to 27.2% in the second quarter of 2018, up from 26.7% in the first three months of the year.

The increase in the unemployment rate was due to a decline of 90 000 people in employment, as well as an increase of 102 000 people who became unemployed. Additionally, the number of discouraged job seekers rose to 2.9 million people, between the first and second quarters of 2018.

Manufacturing has lost 55 000 jobs year-on-year, and Misenga said that basic metals and food production were the main drivers of the employment losses in the sector.

The industry hardest hit by job losses was manufacturing, with 105 000 people becoming unemployed in that sector in the second quarter. Community, social and services recorded a 93 000 jobs contraction, and 57 000 employment positions were cut in trade.

The transport sector accounted for the largest increase in jobs, with 54 000 new positions in the second quarter, while mining added 38 000, private households 22 000 and utilities increased by 18 000.

Of the 20.2m South Africans aged 15-34 years, the number of young people not in employment, education and training (NEET) increased by 0.4% in the second quarter year-on-year.

This rate increased for black African males and white males. The female rates of NEET was recorded at over 40% among black African females aged 15-34 years old.

“Black women are the most vulnerable when it comes to unemployment,” Maluleke said

-Fin24

Zambia to refinance Chinese debt

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Zambia to refinance Chinese debtZambia to refinance Chinese debt Zambia wants to refinance portions of Africa’s No. 2 copper producer’s Chinese debt and its Eurobonds as part of a debt austerity plan, its finance minister said on Monday.

Finance minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said a high level mission from Zambia would travel to China in August to firm up discussions in order to create smooth cash flows. Mwanakatwe also said refinancing its Eurobonds was not in any way a failure to repay them.

-Nampa/Reuters

Protect and serve

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Protect and serveProtect and serve It was with a certain sense of outrage that the nation received the news that four police officers have been arrested for allegedly beating up their partners and wives.

This follows last week’s murder/suicide at the Louis Botha supermarket in Windhoek in which Alina Kakehongo (24) was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old Special Reserve Force member Samuel Shali Nghihepa, before he shot himself dead.

Police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga said explicitly on Monday that victims of domestic violence, allegedly perpetrated by police officers, are now coming forward following the Louis Botha incident.

Those in custody include an inspector, a warrant officer and two constables.

Rightfully, Ndeitunga has admitted that the incidents involving police officers are disturbing and are tarnishing the image of the police even further.

The police chief added this is especially worrisome in the light of how the public currently perceives the force.

Just recently, five Rundu family members were beaten to death, after the police failed to respond to an escalating, violent incident. The victims included three young children.

Since this incident, Ndeitunga has been on the warpath, promising to tackle corruption, laziness and other ills in the force.

But now the time for talk is at an end and further action is required with regard to cleaning up the mess in the police.

Obviously there are bad apples that need to be dealt with and dealt with thoroughly, so that they do not end up spoiling the whole barrel, so to speak.

In a healthy society, police officers are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations designed to protect life and property.

Their job is to protect and serve, not to maim and brutalise, while leaving violent criminals to their own devices.

The cleaning up of the force needs to be clinical and quick, before further incidents shatter our confidence in those who are supposed to be our protectors.

Building partnerships

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Building partnershipsBuilding partnershipsTrade head highlights relevance of industrialisation week The Southern African Development Community’s annual Industrialisation Week and exhibition currently under way in Windhoek creates a platform for building partnerships for growth of cross-border businesses. “It is worth noting that exhibitions are very important events that bring producers and suppliers of goods and services as well as potential customers together to provide the necessary exposure and opportunities for sales and business linkages- Tjekero Tweya, Minister of Trade NDAMA NAKASHOLE

SADC’s director of industrial development and trade, Tapiwa Simanga, says the week also facilitates advocacy on the need to improve the business environment for a competitive manufacturing sector.

The third annual SADC Industrialisation Week is taking place in Windhoek this week, ahead of the SADC Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government from 17 to 18 August, where Namibia will take over as chair of the regional organisation.

“The forum stands to offer an important platform for governments in the region to engage the private sector on critical steps needed to leverage higher levels of investment in manufacturing,” Simanga said.

The expected outcome is a significant impact on broader socio-economic development objectives such as employment creation, technology transfer and wealth creation.

Unification

Samanga reiterated the importance of regional integration. He said that individually SADC countries are small and weak but collectively they can become a bigger market and a stronger entity.

“In essence, what we have been doing has been more on the regional cooperation side than on integration. We have now to take on the path of regional integration in earnest,” he said

It is not easy because there will be sacrifices to be made, some of which would even affect member states’ sovereignty, he added.

Trading partners

He added that lack of industrialisation is one of the reasons why intra-SADC and intra-African trade figures remain low.

“Intra-SADC trade, though fluctuating, has constituently remained around a paltry 10% low compared to other regions like the South-East Asian nations (24%) and the European Union (40%) while intra-African trade has remained at around 15% of Africa’s total trade over the past decade.”

This, he said, implies that 90% of trade in SADC is with the rest of the world, while it is 86% in the case of Africa.

Opportunities

The minister of industrialisation, trade and SME development, Tjekero Tweya, said in his opening remarks that the exhibition was well organised to promote business, trade and investment in the country and SADC at large.

He also said that the platform enables companies operating in various industries to display their latest products and services, learn about the activities of other businesses, examine markets and identify business opportunities.

“It is worth noting that exhibitions are very important events that bring producers and suppliers of goods and services as well as potential customers together to provide the necessary exposure and opportunities for sales and business linkages,” he said.

History

This is the third annual SADC Industrialisation Week since 2016, when the SADC Council of Ministers agreed to hold it as an annual regional public-private engagement platform aimed at fostering new opportunities for intra-regional trade and investment.

The first and second events were held in Swaziland and South Africa.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘Promoting Infrastructure and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development’.

Fuel increases today

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Fuel increases todayFuel increases today Motorists will have to dig deeper into their pockets after yet another fuel price hike today, this time caused by a fuel tax increase.

The energy ministry yesterday announced that the prices of petrol and all grades of diesel would increase by 25 cents a litre at midnight.

According to energy minister Tom Alweendo, the latest fuel price review indicated that oil importers were paying more for fuel than the retail prices set by the government.

“The final figures recorded are way above the prices set by the government and these pricing under-recoveries are huge enough to trigger upward adjustments in the local pump prices in order to create cost-recovery equilibrium in the local market,” he said.

However, these under-recoveries will be wholly absorbed by the National Energy Fund (NEF) on behalf of consumers.

Alweendo said last month the NEF also financed the entire under-recovered amount on behalf of fuel consumers.

But the finance ministry, which is responsible for government revenue, decided to increase the fuel tax on all price-controlled petroleum products by 25c per litre to 65c per litre effective 4 July.

“However the NEF reimbursed all importers as this adjustment was not passed on at all pumps. The local oil market operates on a cost-recovery model and the idea is that all supply costs are passed on to consumers at the pumps,” said Alweendo.

The new pump prices at Walvis Bay will be N$12.55 per litre for petrol, N$12.88 per litre for Diesel 500ppm and N$12. 93 for Diesel 50ppm.

ELLANIE SMIT

Shoprite mess a govt creation – Tucna

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Shoprite mess a govt creation – TucnaShoprite mess a govt creation – Tucna The government's indecisiveness in strengthening labour laws has allowed Shoprite to take its workers to the cleaners, according to the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna).

The union also accused the government of being weak and having no political will to take on Shoprite.

Union president Mahongora Kavihuha said they had lobbied labour minister Erkki Nghimtina and permanent secretary Bro-Matthew Shinguadja, who were repeatedly told to amend to the Labour Act.

“The action of the company [Shoprite] is necessitated by weaknesses in the Labour Act. It prevents workers from joining a union, in the sense that it makes the deduction of worker fees discretionary by the employer,” Kavihuha said.

He explained that for workers to enjoy the benefits of belonging to a union, the Labour Act requires that 50% plus one of a company's workforce must join a bargaining unit. If that is not the case, an employer may decide whether to pay over membership fees to the union or not.





Kavihuha added that the Labour Act requires merely one amendment in this regard, and that is what they have been telling the minister and the PS.

“We already met the minister to ask him to just pass this one amendment. The permanent secretary was there. The law also makes it difficult for workers to sign a bargaining agreement.”

According to Kavihuha, as in the case of Shoprite, very few companies have bargaining units and very few employees enjoy bargaining agreements.

According to him, the weaknesses of the Labour Act meant that Shoprite knows it can take on the workers.

“They [Shoprite] are testing workers' power; they also know that government is weak and has no political will to take on Shoprite.”

Shinguadja said Tucna was a party to committees that were looking into strengthening current labour laws.

“I respect the view of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia. However, I do not think they have told you that they are party to both the tripartite working committee on the revision of the Labour Act, as well as the Tripartite Labour Advisory Council,” Shinguadja said.

Kavihuha responded by saying that Tucna was only pushing for one amendment to the Labour Act.

“They can just pass one amendment, not a review of the whole act that will take years. The permanent secretary must not mix issues,” Kavihuha added.

Labour analyst Herbert Jauch said the Shoprite issue would illustrate the government's willingness to protect employees.

Its failure to do so would see many companies follow Shoprite's example and hold workers accountable for labour unrest and associated costs.

Shoprite has turned to the High Court to sue 94 workers who it says wilfully cost it losses of N$4.5 million during strike actions in 2015.

It claims it was unable to keep its premises open on 28 July 2015 and suffered a loss of N$288 000.

To avert the strike, Shoprite had to pay N$3.4 million in legal costs, while temporary staff were employed to keep its shops open at a cost of N$189 750.

To conduct disciplinary hearings, Shoprite had to fork out an additional N$616 398, bringing total losses suffered as a consequence of the workers' actions to N$4.5 million.

“Shoprite is testing the government's ability to hold it accountable. We have seen no action from the government regarding Shoprite. We will have a situation where any employer can do what they want,” said Jauch.

“It makes sense that they want to intimidate workers, generally. If we allow Shoprite to do that, then we are in big trouble. We are waiting for a response from the government and they must show that they can pass laws to protect workers.”

Jauch said Shoprite should pay for their own decision to look for legal advice and hold disciplinary hearings.

He said it was absurd that the responsibility for paying the fees incurred in a labour dispute was now the responsibility of the workers.

According to him, workers are being punished for seeking better working conditions.

“The message they are sending out is that you do not just risk losing your job, but you risk severe punishment [as well].”

Shinguadja said the labour ministry was disappointed by Shoprite's actions.

“The costs associated with the so-called disciplinary action against the workers are self-inflicted and backfired, as Shoprite ignored all advice to either shorten the process or completely suspend the flawed process.”

OGONE TLHAGE

Meatco sheds 234 jobs

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Meatco sheds 234 jobsMeatco sheds 234 jobsTough times hit hard The company would not say how many more workers it expects to lay off during its current restructuring exercise. Meatco has cut its workforce by 234 employees during an ongoing restructuring exercise necessitated by cash-flow problems and the limited number of slaughter cattle available.

This was confirmed by Meatco spokesperson Rosa Thobias, who told Namibian Sun that the affected workers included 154 fixed-term contract employees, whose contracts ended on 29 June and were not extended.

Sixty more employees applied for voluntary retrenchment, while 20 workers applied for voluntary early retirement, which was accepted by the company.

Thobias could not confirm how many workers Meatco would have to lay off, saying it was too early to say at this stage.

The company is offering early voluntary retirement packages to all employees over 55, as well as voluntary retrenchment, with a severance package of two weeks' pay for each completed year of service.

Those who have opted for voluntary early retirement include five top executives.

Thobias said former chief financial officer (CFO), Ingo Schneider resigned and left the company in April.

“The other executives, as with other employees, applied for voluntary retrenchment and their applications were accepted. Hence, their terminations and subsequent leaving of the corporation.”

Meatco's executive for stakeholder relations and corporate affairs, Vehaka Tjimune, left in June.

The executive for quality assurance, Rosa Katjivena, left at the end of July, while the executive for marketing and sales, Cyprianus Khaised, is serving his notice period until the end of September.

Acting CFO and group management accountant Ilana Brown, who replaced Schneider, is also serving her notice period.

The five join former CEO Vekuii Rukoro, who resigned in December last year after a public fallout with the current board.

This leaves Meatco with only three executives - acting CEO and operational executive Jannie Breytenbach, executive for livestock procurement Heiner Bohme, and human resources executive Stanley Hoveka-Mbura, who was recently demoted to senior human resources manager.

Thobias said except for the position of executive for stakeholder relations and corporate affairs, which was declared redundant, the other positions would have to be filled when the company was able to do that.

Asked what would happen if the required number of permanent employees did not accept the two voluntary severance options, Tobias said these were the only options available for now.





She said besides retrenchments, other business strategies to deal with the company's financial situation included introducing new strategies to make it easier for farmers to market livestock through Meatco.

“Block slaughter was introduced. We are trying to adapt as a business to the many other factors that affects the business, such as climate change. We want to introduce a 'lean and mean' structure from top to bottom.”

According to Thobias, the number of live animals leaving the country is too high.

“Throughput is very important for any abattoir and that remains the biggest challenge. Meatco as a business needs to adapt to all these challenges, otherwise there is no business for us.”

She added that a clear national strategy was needed to minimise the number of live animals leaving the country.

“We need to think how we can truly implement the 'Growth at Home' strategy, while we allow so much raw material to leave the country.

“Over time, fewer and fewer cattle were slaughtered, with export of live animals increasing and only 26.1% of the total slaughtered in Namibia.”

During 2014/15 a total of 103 tons of live cattle were exported and 141 tons were slaughtered locally (57.5%), while the following year 257 tons were exported and 142 tons (35.6%) were slaughtered locally.

In 2016/17, 166 tonnes of live cattle were exported and 129 tonnes (43.7%) were slaughtered locally.

In 2017/18, 314 tonnes of live cattle were exported and only 111 tonnes were slaughtered locally.

Meatco recently confirmed that a restructuring exercise would take place due to the continued low numbers of cattle it is receiving from commercial farmers.

The number of cattle slaughtered at Meatco dropped by nearly 45.5% between 2016 and 2018.

The number of cattle slaughtered south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence dropped by more than 10% during the same period.

According to Meatco a total of 315 198 cattle left the country in 2017, compared to 164 220 in 2016.

The Meatco Group recorded revenue of N$1.425 billion during the 2017/18 financial year. The net loss for the year amounted to N$51.2 million.

In 2014 a severe drop in slaughter cattle numbers also forced Meatco to scale down its operations, resulting in the contracts of more than 400 seasonal employees not being renewed.

ELLANIE SMIT

Zim economy desperate for election turn-around

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Zim economy desperate for election turn-aroundZim economy desperate for election turn-aroundWatershed moment Zimbabweans streamed to the polls this week hoping for a turning point if their vote brings in a legitimate government that can relaunch the shattered economy. We have lost too much time with the politics. It's now time to develop the economy. - Sifelani Jabangwe, President: Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries Fanuel Jongwe – Zimbabwean factory manager Sifelani Jabangwe is a survivor of the Mugabe years, overseeing a company that stayed in business despite hyperinflation, abandonment of the national currency and an exodus of investors.

Now he hopes that the election will mark a turning point if the vote brings in a legitimate government that can relaunch the shattered economy after Robert Mugabe was ousted last year.

Jabangwe's company, James North Zimbabwe, is the country's largest producer of industrial protective wear and tarpaulins, specialising in protective gloves and shoes.

It has survived by exporting to neighbouring Mozambique and Malawi as well as Kenya and Rwanda, as its client base in Zimbabwe shrunk in line with the declining economy.

Today it employs 150 people – down from 400 about 15 years ago – on the Southerton industrial area in the capital Harare, where derelict buildings overgrown with grass are more common than open businesses.

"The normalisation of relations with the rest of the world is the key takeaway in these elections so that we are not seen as a pariah state anymore," Jabangwe, who is also president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, told AFP on a tour of his factory.

"We have lost too much time with the politics. It's now time to develop the economy.

"When the rest of the economy is functioning and everyone has money to buy what they want, we also benefit."

‘Self-inflicated economic pain’

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is stood in the election to retain power after succeeding Mugabe last year, has vowed to re-engage with the west after years of isolation.

He has already scrapped much of the unpopular indigenisation laws that forced foreign firms to cede 51% stakes to locals, and he has campaigned relentlessly on a promise to revive the economy.

Under Mugabe, the seizure of white-owned farms wrecked the agriculture sector and triggered hyperinflation, with GDP nearly halving between 2000 and 2008 – the sharpest contraction of its kind in a peacetime economy.

Previously solid health and education services collapsed, millions fled abroad to seek work and poverty rates are still climbing.

Life expectancy has only just recovered to its 1985 level of 61 years.

"We have been reeling under self-inflicted economic pain by and large," said Shingi Munyeza, a hotel investor who also owns one Mugg and Bean cafe in Harare after a second premises closed.

"These watershed elections pose a great opportunity. We have a serious challenge of getting everybody out of this mess.

"The political establishment was more focussed on retaining power.

"We hope we are crossing from the type of leadership which maintained power at the expense of the economy and the rights of its citizens.

"I am hoping the winner will win with grace and the loser will lose with dignity and that both should embrace one another."

Uncertainties

The election comes after Mugabe, now 94, was forced to resign following a brief military takeover in November, ending his 37 years in power.

Mnangagwa, a favourite of the military, has pledged to hold a fair election and boost investor confidence, but critics say that the same corrupt elite from Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party will likely still have a grip on power after the vote.

Mnangagwa faces opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who has also prioritised economic growth – but Zimbabwean economist John Robertson warned that the country faced a long haul.

"The government that comes in has to relax the levels of control. There are too many uncertainties with rules being changed and lots of corruption. Businesses don't want that," he told AFP.

"Farmers need their property rights back so that they can use that to borrow money from banks. We did ourselves national damage and we have got to correct that."

The World Bank describes the country's fiscal deficit as "unsustainable" after it widened to 11.1% last year, and says that huge arrears to international financial institutions remain a hurdle to growth.

For Abel Kapodogo, 35, who is jobless seven years after graduating with a degree in sociology from the University of Zimbabwe, growing up under Mugabe has meant economic destitution.

"This election is a generational opportunity for us who have been failed by the ruling party," said Kapodogo who sells fruit from a pushcart in Harare, sometimes while wearing his graduation cap and gown to protest at the lack of opportunities.

"I was expecting to have a job. It's very painful."– Nampa/AFP
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