NaCC warns taxi operators

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

≪ Previous: Swapo company fraudster fined N$10 000

The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has issued a cautionary statement, warning taxi operators against implementing fare hikes without official approval from the necessary regulators.

The NaCC strongly urged taxi operators not to hike fares, despite the Namibian Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) saying its members would increase prices by 50% in September, even if the road transportation board did not officially approve their request.

It said such price increases, without the endorsement of the authorities tasked to decide on the matter “would amount to prohibited price fixing in terms of the Competition Act”.

The commission said recent proposals by taxi operators and their associations to “collusively increase taxi fares in the absence of an endorsement from the transportation board” were considered under the Competition Act of 2003.

The Act prohibits competing undertakings such as taxi operators from jointly colluding on prices charged to consumers, unless “such conduct is authorised in terms of relevant laws such as the Road Transport Act”.

The commission added it was on this basis that it in 2017 “resolved not to proceed against the bus and taxi associations for price fixing, as such conduct was authorised by the Road Transport Act”.

Taxi operators who “collusively and intentionally impose fixed taxi fare increases without following the due process set out in the Road Transport Act will render themselves liable in terms of the Competition Act and thereby attract a formal investigation, which may lead to punitive civil and/or criminal sanctions,” the NaCC said.

NTTU president Werner Januarie recently announced that while the union had applied to the transportation board for a 50% taxi fare increase, the union would still push ahead with the hike, even if the board declined their application.

STAFF REPORTER

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Ultimatum delivered

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Ultimatum deliveredShoprite given three days to withdraw lawsuit Among the protesters was former prime minister Nahas Angula, who said it was bad that Shoprite's image is always associated with negativity.

Shoprite has been given three days to withdraw a lawsuit in which it is suing 93 workers for N$4.5 million following a strike in 2015.

If the retail giant fails to do so, it will face a consumer boycott.

This is according to National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary-general Job Muniaro, who called Shoprite out for its behaviour during a demonstration held in the Windhoek CBD yesterday.

The demonstration, held in Independence Avenue, brought a section of the city's main street to a standstill.

Among the protesters was former prime minister Nahas Angula, who said it is bad that Shoprite's image is always associated with negativity as a result of its unfair labour practices.

“It was a good education for them to be the subject of demonstrations; I am sure it is not good (for their image),” said Angula.

He called out Shoprite for its behaviour of “bribing” some workers not to demonstrate.

“They should make themselves an employer of choice. This thing of bribing individual workers will not take them anywhere,” Angula said.

In a summons filed with the Windhoek High Court, Shoprite claims it was unable to keep its shops 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 its total losses to N$4.5 million.

Human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe said this week that because Shoprite was litigating on the basis of having lost revenue, it had a real prospect of winning.

“Unfortunately they do have some prospects. The law says it is wrong. Shoprite is litigating on the basis of 'you have caused damage to my business, you must pay'. Shoprite does not have internal policies. They justify it by saying they operate in many countries; that is just wrong.”

This, according to Tjombe, also made it difficult for workers to air their grievances, while it was easy for Shoprite executives to contact labour ministry officials.

Tjombe charged that the conduct of the ministry of labour had been “terrible” in the entire saga.

“There were investigations; the Equity Commission did an investigation. We don't know whether there has been compliance,” said Tjombe.

The special advisor in the ministry, Vicky Erenstein Ya Toivo, insisted that Shoprite had always been told that its workers needed to be represented by a union.

She said disunity, as a result of workers being fragmented, meant there was no bargaining unit for the affected employees.

OGONE TLHAGE

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Making great strides at NBL

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Making great strides at NBL

Elizabeth Joseph

Wallace Anthony Endley is a graduate trainee in packaging at Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL).

He says being a Talent Attraction Programme (TAP) student is not only a privilege, but it also means a lot for his growth, both personally and professionally.

The TAP focuses on attracting and retaining dynamic Namibian graduates at local and international universities or technikons, who display the passion and potential to be developed into the future leaders in the O&L Group of companies.

The programme focuses on recruiting high-flyers who can be fast-tracked into positions that are essential for the long-term sustainability and strategy of the company.

Born in South Africa, Endley and his mother decided to more to Namibia so they can be closer to her family. He completed his grade 12 at Jan Mohr Secondary School in 2012. Although he had a perfect academic record, Endley had always been indecisive when it came to choosing a career.

His love for science, which he nurtured from a young age, made it a little less difficult because he then decided to choose a career in the field.

“I always loved to disassemble things to see what was inside. My study options were between geophysics, medicine or engineering. I was accepted for geoscience at Unam and an introduction to engineering studies at the then Polytechnic of Namibia, now Nust,” he says.

Due to financial constraints, Endley did not choose Unam and instead decided to do go to Nust.

In 2014, he enrolled for the B-Tech mechanical engineering programme.

“I realised that my passion was mechanical engineering, since I loved physics so much.”

He always motivated himself through all the obstacles he encountered.

In 2017 he completed his national diploma courses and had to apply for practical training in order to finish his modules.

Endley then landed an internship.

“I was very fortunate to receive an internship at Ferrum AG - a machine manufacturing company in Switzerland, where I lived for some months and received practical training,” he says.

Prior to leaving for Ferrum AG, he approached Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL), where he asked for a second internship to assist in obtaining his diploma. Endley started a conventional internship at NBL in November 2017. During the three-month internship he worked in the packaging department and familiarised himself with the production plant and all his colleagues.

“While working at NBL, the HR department invited me for an interview for the O&L Talent Attraction Programme (TAP) packaging engineering vacancy and they informed me of my eligibility for the position. A few weeks after the interview I was called by HR, and was informed that my interview was successful and was accepted for the 2018 TAP,” Endley added.

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Working smart

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Paying lip service to industrialisation

≪ Previous: Making great strides at NBL

Working smartVan Kradenburg is always open to knowledge Always being open to knowledge is the best asset one could have, Sonja van Kradenburg says.

Elizabeth Joseph

Referring to her position as “person meets machine”, Sonja van Kradenburg sets the bar pretty high for aspiring youth as the safety and asset manager at Namdeb.

Her job requires a very open and focused mind.

“I have to make sure we have the correct systems and processes in place to prevent and/or mitigate any harm that can be cause to humans,” she says.

“Also, I need to see to it that we comply with legal requirements and maintain certification to global safety and health standards and improve the condition of assets (equipment and machinery) and performance.”

One of her biggest challenges has been dealing with the generation gap in the mining industry while implementing change. According to Van Kradenburg, a challenge is not a challenge unless it ends up motivating you.

“I have accomplished a lot but one of the most valuable lessons I've learnt is that my accomplishments are linked to self-awareness in relation to confidence.”

After matriculating from PK de Villiers Secondary School in 2006, Van Kradenburg decided to take a gap year, to find her feet in the adult world.

A typical day

She says her days are normally very unpredictable because anything can happen at any given time.

“We need to stop everything to ensure that our people are safe and our equipment runs optimally, in case of any emergency. My team and I have key measurement controls in place to provide assurance that we are meeting our targets and deadlines - these are reviewed daily.”

She helps to consolidate and coordinate various aspects important for the team in the department in which she works. These aspects are safety, equipment, machinery and operational performance.

Apart from being a sport and fitness junkie and being involved in many competitions, Van Kradenburg is also a lover of books and is currently reading a series of financial intelligence books by Robert Kiyosaki.

“These books inspire me and are changing my entire view on a lot of things,” she says.

She loves to inspire people to reach greater heights. When asked what advice she had for the leaders of tomorrow, she said: “Work smart.Define what your goals are and get your mindset and daily routines right to accomplish them. Tap into experience.”

Van Kradenburg's short-term goals include investing in financial, sales and marketing education to broaden her skills set.

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Paying lip service to industrialisation

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

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≪ Previous: Working smart

Paying lip service to industrialisation The past few days we have been preoccupied with discussions and unpacking issues presented during the third SADC Industrialisation Week, which started in Windhoek on Monday.

While pertinent concerns were raised throughout the week, the most talked about subject was arguably the region and, by extension, Namibia's failure to industrialise.

With our much-hyped Vision 2030 just a mere 12 years away, are we satisfied with the level of development within our various industries, the prospect of job creation and adding value to our products? The bottom line is that we are still far off the mark and considering that our trade deficit stood at N$8.35 billion during the first quarter of 2018, more clearly needs to be done for Namibia to realise its industrialisation targets.

We have maintained political stability for the past 28 years and there is no reason why we cannot succeed in achieving high economic growth going forward. Our massive reliance on imports is unsustainable. It also goes without saying that high levels of unemployment will continue to rear its ugly head as along as we don't add value to our products, in order to create the much-needed jobs. Clearly we haven't made industrialisation a top priority. The government has an important role to play in the economic activity of any nation and it is essential that the welfare of citizens is not compromised by poor prioritisation and the allocation of resources that tend to benefit only some. Namibia must adopt new ways of investing in manufacturing and other critical industries, in order to stimulate growth, while desisting from wasting money on non-productive expenditure.

The industrialisation wheels are not turning and clearly an aggressive approach is needed, together with the diversification of the economy, which is essential to bringing Namibia at a level where we want it to be in 12 years.

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Big freeze is back

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Big freeze is backWinter not over yet An anticyclone will cause lower temperatures next week, mainly in southern Namibia.

More cold fronts are expected in Namibia next week, pushed by an anticyclone.

Odillo Kgobetsi, chief meteorological technician for forecasting at the Windhoek weather office, said it will not be as cold as when the last anticyclone passed through Namibia.

A drop in temperatures is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, this will mostly affect the south and the southern parts of Khomas. Kgobetsi explained that currently minimum temperatures in the south are between two and three degrees Celsius and could drop to zero degrees next week, with a maximum of 15 degrees. In the central areas minimum temperatures are currently at eight degrees Celsius and are expected to drop to five degrees, while the maximum will be about 20 degrees.

The Weather Today website reported that frost protection must be maintained, as night temperatures might plunge to below freezing in the Namibian interior.

The cold air will arrive from the far south, driven to Namibia by the anti-clockwise wind circulation around the high-pressure core.

“As this high-pressure core begins to edge around the south coast, the cold fronts will change direction and continue coming from the southeast,” the South African website said.

ELLANIE SMIT

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The role of HR in a company

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Wrong moves on land could destroy us – Geingob

≪ Previous: Big freeze is back

The role of HR in a company

Lovina Plato

*Lovina Plato is the HR manager at Best Cheer Investments.

Human resources (HR) is normally the mother in the company.

One should always have a sympathetic and empathetic ear for employees and look after their welfare as well.

The role of HR is to manage, create, implement and supervise policies and regulations, which are mandatory for each and every employee.

HR should also have knowledge of a company’s appropriate functioning.

The best way to welcome an employee to the company is by make sure that the induction process they receive is friendly and helpful, so that they understand exactly how the company operates and what the goals are in terms of production and especially health and safety.

A typical day in the life of a human resource specialist starts with people.

There is never a day that is the same.

It starts before you get to your desk, when all our WeChats come through on your cellphone early in the morning, so that you know what is happening in the group.

HR is the heart of a company, where everything happens. A company cannot operate without a HR department.

There is no time for a first cup of coffee; you immediately start up your computer and check and answer emails.

The landline rings for a job confirmation, your cellphone rings and it is the safety officer who wants to report an incident that happened the previous night.

At the same time you have two people walking into your office with no appointment, wanting to talk to you. Shop stewards request answers on outstanding matters, and so it continues.

In terms of trends over the next five years, the HR department will see changes in training, developing people and empowering women to the next level.

At Best Cheer Investments, we also empower employees with training and development, ensuring wellness by organising blood donation clinics and also by ensuring they understand the principles of working in a healthy and safe environment. The employees are also empowered so that they understand their role in the company.

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Wrong moves on land could destroy us – Geingob

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Wrong moves on land could destroy us – Geingob

President Hage Geingob says the country's burning land question should be dealt with in a responsible manner, in order to avoid devastating consequences that could destroy Namibia, if the issue is wrongly handled.

He also questioned whether Namibians will judge the current white farmers based on the sins committed by their forefathers.

There have been ever-louder calls across the country, ahead of the second national land conference in October, for the state to expropriate land without compensation from those, including absentee landlords, who own vast tracts of land. Geingob said as much as fellow Namibians are calling for the land owned by whites to be expropriated, one should bear in mind there are whites born in Namibia, which make them equal citizens.

“It is true that they came and stole the land 100 years ago, but a white boy was born on that land.” He was born on Namibian soil and has Namibian blood,” Geingob said while speaking at the official opening of the 2018 Eenhana Trade and Business Expo.

“As I was born with one of them at the same farm, I am a citizen and he is equally a citizen. Are we going to visit the sins of their fathers on them? The only problem is this, that boy and I are both citizens but he has the land and I don't have the land and that is an issue we are trying to address.”

However, he said that much as Namibians want the land issue to be addressed, it should done in responsible manner.

“Let us not create things that will divide us further. Our land was stolen and it's true, just as I was saying in South Africa in an interview.”

The interview Geingob was referring to was broadcast recently on Afro Worldview, a new 24-hour South African news channel.

In the one-on-one interview, Geingob said that “for our white brothers to co-exist, they must smell the coffee”.

“People are getting angry and we, the leaders, are still controlling them and what we are saying is let's do it together so that we all can live together. Let's solve this problem together,” Geingob said.

“White people must see that there is a danger somewhere. Some of us who are old will go very soon and the young people are angry, they are not going to be like us. So, while we are still here, let's meet and hold hands so that we address this issue.”

Speaking at Eenhana on Wednesday, he said: “If we make a mistake, we can also get some difficult times. It's easier to destroy, but difficult to build. It takes a long time to build.”

During regional consultation meetings ahead of the October national land conference many have been calling on the state to expropriate land without compensation.

At the 1991 land conference Namibia adopted the willing buyer, willing seller concept as a way to address the unequal distribution of land.

The policy sees the state buying farms to resettle people.

However, after 27 years, this policy has been regarded as a failure, because government has only managed to buy few farms, while vast land lies idle, owned by absentee landlords, among others.

Geingob said it is indeed true that over a century ago land belonging to those that lived in Namibia was stolen from them by colonisers.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Ovaherero claim Windhoek

August 2, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Chamisa rejects Zim poll results

≪ Previous: Wrong moves on land could destroy us – Geingob

Ovaherero claim WindhoekAnd the bulk of central Namibia as ancestral land In leaked position paper the Ovaherero claim Usakos, the Khomas Hochland, including Windhoek, and Grootfontein, among other areas, as their ancestral land.

The Ovaherero Traditional Authority has claimed the bulk of central Namibia as part of its pre-colonial land.

This is according to its official land position paper that was leaked recently ahead of the country's second land conference slated for 1 to 5 October.

The Ovaherero position paper claims they occupied Usakos, the Khomas Hochland, including Windhoek, and Grootfontein before these areas fell into colonial hands.

The Ovaherero also claim the area east of Windhoek, beyond Gobabis, including the area south of the White Nossob River up to its confluence with the Black Nossob River.

According to the position paper, Ovaherero chief Ombara Manasse Tjiseseta and his people occupied Omaruru, Otjimbingwe, Usakos, Otjitambi, Outjo, Otavi, Kalkfeld and Ombondeze, now known as Wilhelmstal.

It says further that the Damara inhabited areas of Windhoek, Spitzkoppe, Brandberg and west of Otjimbingwe, while they also inhabited some areas around Tsumeb and Otavi.

Traditional authority spokesperson Uazuva Kaumbi told Namibian Sun that the document would be launched officially once paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro returned from New York.

Rukoro is currently in the United States, where he attended court proceedings that form part of a class action lawsuit by the Nama and Ovaherero genocide descendants against the German government.

The paper says that in some parts of the country, the land inhabited by the Ovaherero overlapped with areas where others lived, except the Witbooi Nama, who inhabited the area around Hoornkranz and Naukluft.

Also, the position paper says the Rehoboth Baster community was settled in the Rehoboth area after an agreement between Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi and Ombara Maharero kaTjamuaha in 1870.

“A significant overlap existed between the Khauas Khoi Nama at the confluence of the White and Black Nossob south of Gobabis. The Khauas Khoi had their capital at Naossanabis.”

The paper also states that in the northwest, the Swartbooi Nama inhabited the areas of Kamanjab while the Topnaars inhabited Sesfontein and the San Etosha, as well as the area stretching from north of Otavi and Tsumeb up to the southern border of the Ovambo areas north of Etosha.

It also highlighted that the San tribes occupied areas from Tsumkwe towards the Batswana people of Tsau in present-day Botswana.

The German and South Africa colonial administrations violently and fraudulently dispossessed indigenous Namibians, especially the Ovaherero people, of their ancestral land and livestock, the paper claims.

Land dispossession

It said German settlers, including government officials, companies and traders, bought land fraudulently at prices ranging from 50 German pfennigs to 1 deutschmark per hectare.

The position paper also indicated that by 1902-03 land ownership changed dramatically and of the entire 83.5 million hectares, only 31.4 million hectares were left in the hands of native Namibians.

The remaining 52.1 million, which translates to 72% of the land, was reportedly in the hands of German settlers, while 29.2 million hectares were now owned by concession companies, 19.2 million hectares by the colonial state and 3.7 million hectares by individual white settlers.

“Of the 31.4 million hectares of land owned by Africans, approximately 13 million were inhabited by the Ovaherero people. Moreover, the construction of the railway line from Swakopmund and Windhoek in 1903 removed 3.5 million hectares from the land owned by the Ovaherero people.”

The paper also claims that the Ovaherero possessed more than 150 000 head of cattle.

However, they lost about 60 000 cattle in the rinderpest epidemic of 1896, which left them with about 90 000 cattle.

Between 1902 and 1904 an additional 10 000 cattle were fraudulently transferred to Germans.

“The value of German cattle in early 1904 was valued at about 14 million deutschmark. Between 1907 and 1912 the Ovaherero were not permitted to farm with livestock.”

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Chamisa rejects Zim poll results

August 3, 2018, 12:22 am

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Chamisa rejects Zim poll results

The digital news platform NewZimbabwe.com has reported that the “MDC Alliance rejects ‘fraudulent’ presidential results and that its leader, Nelson Chamisa is to address the nation”.
This follows the midnight announcement that Zanu-PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa received 50.8% of the votes in the presidential election while Chamisa garnered 44.3%. Mnangagwa barely avoided a run-off with the final results.
“The opposition MDC Alliance has rejected the presidential election results which gave incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zanu-PF party a narrow victory over his main challenger Nelson Chamisa.”
According to the news website, just before the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission confirmed the results, senior MDC Alliance official Morgan Komichi and Chamisa’s spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda “entered the results announcement room and rejected the outcome”.
Komichi described the results as fraudulent, adding they had not signed them off before he was escorted out of the room by the police.
Komichi spoke to NewZimbabwe.com and said the results announced by ZEC were “predetermined figures that were made some months before”.
“These figures, as far as we are concerned, are fake and illegal because they were violating the law, the procedures and the rules,” he said.
“The procedures are that, at any stage, the results are supposed to be verified by the polling agents, signed for then announced. Even from the polling station to the ward level to the national level, there are polling agents at all those levels and I’m the polling agent of the president Nelson Chamisa at national level and I did not see the results they have announced, and I did not sign the results they have announced, and I did not verify them either.
“So, that procedure which is lawful, which is in the (Electoral) Act has been violated and we are saying those results were predetermined; they are fake.
“We reject the results as the MDC Alliance, we don’t respect the outcome at all; the whole process was not free, fair and credible. We will be guided by the law. My president is going to address the nation; he is going to give the direction.”
Reuters reported that Chamisa had tweeted that “The level of opaqueness, truth deficiency, moral decay and values deficit is baffling.”
In the meanwhile, Mnangagwa said this morning that he was "humbled" to have won the country's landmark election, hailing it as a "new beginning" after the ousting of autocrat Robert Mugabe.
"Thank you Zimbabwe! I am humbled to be elected President of the Second Republic of Zimbabwe," he said in a Twitter message.
Zanu-PF supporters took to the streets of Harare to celebrate the party’s victory.
STAFF REPORTER

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Haifidi replaces Europe-bound Aochamub

August 3, 2018, 7:14 am

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Haifidi replaces Europe-bound Aochamub

The Namibia Airports Company board has announced the immediate appointment of its strategic executive for corporate governance Lot Haifidi as acting CEO in the place of Albertus Aochamub, who is expected to take up a diplomatic role in Europe. According to the NAC, the board decided this morning to reappoint Haifidi as acting CEO. Namibian Sun understands that Aochamub will be named as the country’s new ambassador to France.
STAFF REPORTER

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Shoprite bows to pressure

August 3, 2018, 7:28 am

≫ Next: Cabinet approves categorisation of sport codes

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Shoprite bows to pressure

Shoprite Namibia has withdrawn a N$4.5 million lawsuit against 93 of its workers who were involved in a strike in July 2015, the company has announced in a statement. Internal disciplinary hearings against the workers will, however, continue and the outcome is expected in the coming weeks. “The Shoprite Group has a long-standing view that all workers are entitled to reasonable and decent working conditions. We have always made an effort to base dealings with our own employees on the principles of fairness and respect and in compliance with provisions of prevailing labour legislation,” the retailer said in a statement.
STAFF REPORTER

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Cabinet approves categorisation of sport codes

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Cabinet approves categorisation of sport codes

The cabinet has approved the categorisation of sport codes by the ministry of sport.

At its 11th session in Windhoek last week, the cabinet endorsed the proposal made by the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) through the ministry.

The minister of information and communication technology, Stanley Simataa, said sport codes would be divided into three categories: national codes, priority codes and development codes.

“This process started some time ago with various consultations taking place. Given the fact that we have 53 sporting codes in the country and all depend on the allocation from government through the ministry, we felt there was a need to categorise these codes,” he explained. Football, netball and rugby are the three national sport codes, while athletics, Paralympic sport, boxing and wrestling are categorised as priority sports.

Cricket, basketball, gymnastics and other sports are categorised as development codes.

Simataa said resources would be distributed accordingly, as the country could no longer continue with the “shotgun approach” when allocating financial resources to sports.

He called on corporate entities operating in Namibia to meet the government halfway in sport development.

“We have said to the private sector, come on board and invest in sport, as it is in their interest to invest in the nation being competitive. Government funding is inadequate,” he said.

Simataa added that the allocation of resources would be done on a sliding scale according to these three categories.

The minister said he was not privy to how the allocation would work as only the sport ministry and NSC had the details.

NSC chief administrator Freddy Simataa Mwiya said he had not received any official communication from the ministry and could not comment.

The categorisation will remain in place until 2022.

NAMPA

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Volleyball is growing: Scholze

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Alvarez shocks Kovalev

≪ Previous: Cabinet approves categorisation of sport codes

Volleyball is growing: ScholzeNVF Cup draws near The leagues of the country's volleyball federation have concluded and teams will now challenge for the ultimate prize.

Namibia Volleyball Federation (NVF) technical director Christian Scholze has expressed satisfaction with this year's volleyball season.

Scholze feels that the game has grown from strength to strength over the last few years.

“The season was good and successful, as all the leagues kicked off and volleyball was visible throughout the country.

“Volleyball is widely played throughout the country. Often on grassroots level, just a ball and some sort of net required and it is an easy and fun sport to play.

“Events like Volleyball for All in Windhoek, corporate volleyball fun days or even corporate leagues are becoming increasingly popular,” Scholze says.

Scholze is also happy that volleyball was played at the National Youth Games held in Windhoek about a month ago. He says beach volleyball is becoming increasingly popular, with a lot of the action happening in Windhoek and at the coast.

“The Beach Bash sponsored by Windhoek Draught and Bank Windhoek, held at Langstrand in December, was a good example of the growing popularity of this fun and easy outdoor sport.”

He admits that the Namibian sports fraternity has often faced organisational, logistical and financial challenges. The fact that the NVF is an amateur federation means it has limited manpower and resources available.

“There is a lot of competition from other sports codes – it can be difficult to get spectators excited.

“It is generally difficult to get sponsors on board, particularly at the moment.”

With the five regional leagues having ended, the highlight of the year remains the NVF Cup which will be played between the top teams from the five regions that participated in the regional leagues.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

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Alvarez shocks Kovalev

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Ex-Chelsea striker Demba Ba at centre of China racism row

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Alvarez shocks Kovalev

Unbeaten Eleider Alvarez stunned Sergey Kovalev on Saturday, knocking the Russian champion down three times in the seventh round to capture the World Boxing Organisation light heavyweight title.

Alvarez hit Kovalev with a powerful combination that sent him to the canvas for the final knockdown of the fight at 2:45 of the seventh to give the Colombian his first world title.

“I just can't describe how I feel,” Alvarez said.

“I wanted to show him that I am strong, I have a good chin and am ready for big things.”

The 35-year-old Kovalev was trying to re-establish his dominance in the light heavyweight division in his first real boxing test since losing in back-to-back fights to Andre Ward in November 2016 and June 2017.

Kovalev was the more aggressive of the two boxers and was winning the majority of the rounds heading into the seventh.

But then he let his guard down and Alvarez seized the opportunity to land a barrage of heavy punches and go on to win the fight in one of the biggest boxing upsets of the year.

He knocked Kovalev down the first time with an overhand right to the side of the head and the second time with a left hook and a straight right to the forehead.

He then finished him off with a right hook and left uppercut combination and at that point the referee stepped in with 15 seconds before the bell in front of a crowd of 5 600 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

One judge scored the fight 116-112 for Bivol, while the other two had it 120-108.

NAMPA/AFP

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Ex-Chelsea striker Demba Ba at centre of China racism row

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Ex-Chelsea striker Demba Ba at centre of China racism row Senegalese striker Demba Ba found himself at the centre of a racism controversy in China over allegations that an opposing Chinese player hurled insensitive comments at him during a match Saturday night.

The former Chelsea forward, now with Shanghai Shenhua, became embroiled in a heated exchange with Changchun Yatai midfielder Zhang Li late in their 1-1 Chinese Super League draw after Ba collided with one of Zhang's teammates.

Various Chinese media reports said a furious Ba later claimed that Zhang made racially insulting remarks.

In a post-match press conference, Shenhua coach Wu Jingui condemned the incident.

“Later, I learned that a Yatai player used insulting language toward him (Ba). Around the world, it has been stressed that there should be no insulting speech toward black athletes,” Wu said, in comments posted on a team social media account.

“The Chinese Super League has players of many different skin colours. We should respect our opponents and there should be no discrimination.”

Following the match, many postings on Chinese social media as well as news media reports called for an investigation. Ba also retweeted on his Twitter account a posting calling for “serious disciplinary actions” over the incident.

Ba, a Senegalese international, had played for Shenhua in 2015-2016 before being sidelined by a broken leg.

Brief spells with Turkish sides Besiktas and Goztepe followed before Ba returned to Shenhua in June during the summer transfer window.

NAMPA/AFP

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Low-Key impresses at Desert Rumble 3

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Low-Key impresses at Desert Rumble 3Boxer downs Masamba Jeremiah Nakathila was on fire as he made easy work of Wilson Masamba.

The Desert Rumble 3 boxing bonanza took place at The Dome Indoor Sports Centre in Swakopmund on Friday in front of about 350 spectators.

The event, which was jointly organised by Kalakoda Promotions and the MTC Nestor Tobias Sunshine Boxing Academy, saw Walvis Bay boxer Jeremiah 'Low-Key' Nakathila defend his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa Super Featherweight title.

In a title bout scheduled for 12 rounds, Nakathila knocked out his Malawian challenger, Wilson Masamba, one minute and four seconds into the fourth round after his powerful combination of punches were too much for his opponent.

A round earlier, Nakathila had floored Masamba towards the round's closing stages, but the Malawian breathed a sigh of relief as he was saved by the bell after getting up from the referee's count.

The win extended Nakathila's record to 16 wins from 17 fights. He won 12 of the fights by knockout and has suffered only one loss.

In another title fight, Swakopmund boxer Abraham 'Energy' Ndaendapo was unable to defend his World Boxing Federation (WBF) Africa Junior Lightweight title. He lost the fight to challenger Onesmus Nekundi from Windhoek.

The judges' scorecard was 97-93, 90-94 and 96-94 in favour of Nekundi, meaning the new champion now boasts a record of nine wins from 16 fights, with two draws and five defeats.

Abraham Ndaendapo now has a record of 16 wins from 24 fights, with seven defeats and a draw.

The third title fight of the evening was between Ebenestus Kaandgundue and Lukas Ndafoluma for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Africa Middleweight belt.

Three rounds into the fight, Kangundue was sent to the deck after receiving a hard uppercut from Ndafoluma. After surviving the referee's eight count, Kaangundue threw in the towel at the start of the fourth round, giving Ndafoluma a technical knockout victory.

In the undercard bouts, Harry Simon Junior beat Lukas Handivele by a fourth-round knockout in a junior welterweight fight, while Fillemon Nghtenanye defeated Sakaria Nikodemus by unanimous points decision (39-37, 39-37, 40-36) in a junior bantamweight fight.

ADOLF KAURE

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13 Ebola cases in DRC

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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13 Ebola cases in DRC The number of confirmed cases in Democratic Republic of Congo's new outbreak of the Ebola virus has risen to 13, including three deaths, the health ministry said late on Saturday.

The World Health Organisation has warned that this new outbreak of the deadly virus in North Kivu province poses a particular challenge as the region is a “war zone” with several active armed groups and thousands of displaced people.

The nearby city of Beni and heavily travelled borders with Uganda and Rwanda also complicate efforts to contain the disease, which is spread via contact with the bodily fluids of those infected, including the dead.

Congo announced the latest outbreak on Wednesday with four confirmed cases, a week after declaring the end to a previous outbreak in the northwest with 33 deaths.

It is not clear whether the new outbreak, more than 2 500km away, is related.

The swift vaccinations of more than 3 300 people helped in containing the previous outbreak, and WHO has said it hopes to know as early as Tuesday whether the Ebola strain in this new outbreak is the one for which the vaccine can be used. The WHO emergencies director has said 3 000 vaccine doses are still in DRC's capital after being positioned there for the earlier outbreak. WHO can mobilise up to 300 000 more doses “at very short notice,” Dr Peter Salama said Friday. DRC's health ministry said vaccines would be moved from Kinshasa to Beni as soon as the “cold chain” to keep them at the optimal temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius is reached.

NAMPA/AP

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'Shot like dogs'

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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'Shot like dogs'Man killed for protecting his fruit Witnesses to the shootings in Harare say the military fired blindly with live ammunition.

The four children of a fruit-seller gunned down by Zimbabwean soldiers in post-election violence wept uncontrollably at the sight of their father lying in a casket under a baking sun.

Ishmail Kumire, 41, was one of the six victims of Wednesday's bloody chaos, sparked when troops fired on opposition activists protesting alleged electoral fraud.

The father of four, known as 'Shuz', was buried on Saturday in the village of Chinamhora, 45km northeast of Harare, watched by 200 mourners.

His fellow vendors swept into the yard of his home, packed into a minibus emblazoned with the words 'I am blessed', alighting drumming and dancing.

Kumire's death carries a bitter irony. According to his brother Steven Matope, the fruit-seller was not among the opposition protesters angrily claiming that the ruling Zanu-PF had stolen the election.

Instead, he was caught up in the violence because he had stayed at the scene of the protest to protect his fruit. “Ishmail was a vendor, he wasn't a political activist,” Matope said.

“He supported the ruling party - but then, it's the same ruling party that has killed him.”

His funeral came a day after Zanu-PF's president Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner of Zimbabwe's historic elections, the first since veteran autocrat Robert Mugabe was ousted by the military last year.

Mnangagwa had hailed the polls as a chance to consign to the past Mugabe's repressive 37-year rule, but Wednesday's crackdown was a brutal reminder of the violence of his era.

“If the ruling party is killing the people it is supposed to govern, I don't know who it is going to rule. That's very painful,” Matope added.

“He was just selling his tomatoes,” he said of his brother.

Kumire's brother-in-law Ignatious Neshava, who witnessed the shooting, told AFP how soldiers swooped on them as they stood guard over his wares, fearing that US$700-worth of freshly-purchased produce would be looted amid the chaos.

“He was standing five metres from me... and suddenly I heard gunshots. I thought they were firing rubber bullets,” said Neshava.

“I turned around and saw Ishmail on the ground, face-down. I saw a cartridge next to him and then, as I tried to turn his body, a soldier came and pointed a gun to my head.

“By that time, Ishmail was bleeding profusely.”

Neshava was sure he was going to be killed too.

“How can they deploy soldiers in town, killing people for no apparent reason?” he asked, as the wooden casket was lowered into the ground.

Local leader Backshow Matope was also in Harare when the violence flared.

“I saw one woman being shot dead along Samora Machel Avenue,” the 62-year-old said.

“It is very painful that this happens shortly after we voted - what's the point of voting if as soon as you finish voting, your relative is killed?”

NAMPA/AFP

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Boxing championship launched

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Boxing championship launched

The Namibia Boxing Federation (NBF) will hold its national boxing championship in the Zambezi Region at the end of August.

The aim of the Kamunu National Junior and Elite Boxing Championship is to select the national junior and elite teams and to identify and groom new talent.

About 180 boxers between the ages of 15 and 40, from ten regions, will participate.

The decision to hold the championship in the Zambezi Region is said to be in line with the federation's objective to decentralise and increase participation in the sport.

The federation has secured sponsorships from the Kamunu Group, OTB Sport & Trophy and Air Namibia.

The Kamunu Group of companies is based in the Zambezi Region and operates in the manufacturing, healthcare and fuel industries.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

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