Elanditho lyomahooli shaali paveta mOshikango

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Elanditho lyomahooli shaali paveta mOshikango Konima sho kwa tseyithwa e yo pombana lyoondando yomahooli omasiku ga piti, okwa dhidhilikwa omwaalu omunene gwaaniihauto taya tondokele kondoolopa yaShikango nokulanda omahooli ngoka taga yakelwa moshilongo okuza poshishiindalongo Angola.

Pahapu dhomulandithi gumwe gwomahooli ngoka, okwa popi kutya oshe ya ningila oshidhigu okulanditha omahooli ngoka konima nkene olukanda Okatwitwi lwa hanagulwa po kelelo lyondoolopa yaHelao Nafidi.

Ngashiingeyi otaya landitha omahooli ngoka okuza moombashu dhawo na otaya landitha owala kaantu mboka ye shi.

Omathimbo a piti elelo lyaHelao Nafidi olya li lya popi kutya olukanda Okatwitwi olya ninga ehala lyomalandithilo giinima tayi kuthwa moAngola, ngaashi omahooli. Elelo lyondoolopa ndjoka olya tokola okuhanagula poolukanda ndoka. Oshifokundaeki shika osha taalelepo ehala ndyoka mehuliloshiwike lya piti na otashi ulike kutya osha ninga oshidhigu okulanditha omahooli ngoka.

“Otatu kondololwa kopolisi na ihatu landitha owala omahooli ku kehe gumwe. Otatu landitha owala kookastoma ndhoka tu shi nale na odhi shi kutya ohatu longo ngiini. Opolisi oye tu landula kehe ethimbo nokonima sho kwa hanagulwa po Okatwiwtwi osha ningi oshidhigu opo tu vule okulanditha. Osha ninga oshidhigu oku yakela omahooli moNamibia molwaashoka opolisi otayi kondolola oongamba na owu na okukala wu na ekwatathano naantu,” gumwe gwomaalandithi mboka a popi.

Aanona yaamati aakwashigwana yaAngola oshoowo yaNamibia otaya landitha omahooli ngoka mondoolopa yaShikango. Omahooli gopetrol otaga landithwa mokandini koolita ntano kondando yoshimaliwa shooN$65 oshowo N$70. Aandithi mboka oya popi kutya uuna ondando yomahooli ya londo pombanda nayo ohaya gwedhele oondando dhawo nodola yimwe. Oya tsikile kutya shoka ihashi gumu elanditho lyawo. Oya tsikile kutya ondando yawo ohayi koondoloolwa konkalo yompumbwe yoomahooli. Ngele ope na aantu oyendji mboka taya landitha omahooli nena okandini ohaka vulu okulandwa kondando yooN$65 ihe ngele kape na aantu oyendji taya landitha nena okandini otaka landwa kondando yooN$70.

Aaniihauto yamwe oya popi kutya ondando yomahooli ngoka otayi vulu okukala yi thike pamwe nomahooli ngoka haga landithwa paveta moshilongo, ihe oye hole omahooli ngoka molwaashoka ohaga kala ethimbo miiyenditho. Uupyakadhi owuli owala mpoka kutya ethimbo limwe aalandithi mboka ohaya tula mo omeya.

Omupopiliko gwopolisi moshitopolwa shaHangwena, Warrant Officer Kaume Iitumba, okwa pandula elelo lyaHelao Nafidi sho lya hanagula po olukanda ndoka.

Okwa popi kutya olukanda ndoka olwa li popepi noongamba na osha ningitha oshipu aantu ya yakele moshilongo iinima mbyoka inayi pitikwa.

“Ngashingeyi sho elelo lyondoolpa lya tidhile komatala gokulandithila aantu ayehe, omatala ngoka geli kokule kashona noongamba, oshe ya ningila oshidhigu opo ya yakele iinima moshilongo.” “Itashi vulika omuntu a humbate iinima oshinano oshile ihe ta kala ina monika. Otatu ningi woo iikonga yokuhadha mondoolopa na otatu tala unene kiinima mbyoka tayi etwa moshilongo shaheli paveta.”

Itumba okwa popi kutya elanditho lyomahooli mOshikango olya londa pombanda noonkondo na osha li sha ningi oshidhigu opo opolisi yi vule okukondolola elanditho ndyoka. Okwa pula uuministeli wiikamina niikwankondo wu yambidhidhe opolisi, opo wu ninge omalunduluko moompango dhawo.

“Uumatyona mboka otawu landitha omahooli muundini uushona na itatu vulu oku ya tula miipandeko molwaashoka ompango otayi utha kutya otaku tulwa owala miipandeko mboka ya adhika ye na omwaalu guli pombanda gwomahooli. Ohatu kwatako omahooli ngoka, ihe katu na oompungulilo dhomahooli posasiyona yopolisi, naashoka otashi etitha uupyakadhi mokupungula omahooli ngoka.”

Itumba okwa tsikile kutya osha nika woo oshiponga kegameno lyaamboka taya landitha omahooli ngoka sho haya pungula omahooli moombashu dhawo.

Okwa popi kutya AaNamibia otaya longele kumwe naakwashigwana yaAngola molwaashoka kashi shi oshipu kaakwashigwana yaNamibia yamone omahooli ngoka, nokukuta miilonga uumatyona mboka owo wu landithe omahooli.

Okwa popi kutya omahooli ngoka otaga yakelwa moshilongo olwa oongamba dha eguluka dhaNamibia naAngola. Mayola gwaHelao Nafidi, Eliaser Nghipangelwa okwa popi kutya elelo lyondoolopa olya li lya pewa omayele kopolisi opo olukanda ndoka lu kuthwe po. Okwa tsikile kutya elanditho lyomahooli ngoka haga yakwa moAngola, osha li shimwe shomiinima tayi ningilwa mOkatwitwi.

Okwa popi kutya aakalimo yomOkatwitwi oya tulululwa kehala limwe hoka ya pewa omeya nolusheno oshowo uundjugo na oya pitikwa okuningila ongeshefa yawo kehala ndyoka.

“Ope na yamwe mboka yali taya ti itaya tembuka na otatu fekele kutya oyo taya longo iimbuluma mbyoka. Itatu pitika ya kale kehala ndyoka otatu ya tembula ayehe.”

ILENI NANDJATO

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Company news in brief

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Company news in brief Kraft Heinz tops estimates

Kraft Heinz Co topped quarterly profit and revenue estimates on Friday as the Tater Tots maker raised product prices and posted higher-than-expected sales from the United States for the first time in several quarters.

Shares in the Chicago-based company rose as much as 9.4%, the stock’s biggest percentage gain in 18 months.

Many packaged food companies have been forced to nudge prices up in recent months to combat skyrocketing commodities and transportation costs. Prices had long been suppressed by fierce competition between retailers and changing consumer eating habits.

-Nampa/Reuters

Huawei in British spotlight

Huawei Technologies is facing increased scrutiny in Britain because it is using an aging software component sold by a firm based in the United States, one of the countries where lawmakers allege its equipment could facilitate Chinese spying, sources told Reuters.

The fact that the British misgivings stem in part from Huawei’s relationship with a US company shows how trade wars and heightened national security concerns are making it harder for technology firms and governments to safeguard products and communication networks.

-Nampa/Reuters

Facebook fakers get better at covering tracks

Creators of fake accounts and news pages on Facebook are learning from their past mistakes and making themselves harder to track and identify, posing new challenges in preventing the platform from being used for political misinformation, cyber security experts say.

This was apparent as Facebook tried to determine who created pages it said were aimed at sowing dissension among US voters ahead of congressional elections in November. The company said on Tuesday it had removed 32 fake pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram involved in what it called “coordinated inauthentic behavior.”

-Nampa/Reuters

Boost for Mondi

Mondi interim revenue surged 4% to €3.72 billion, thanks to a "positive trading environment", stronger demand and higher average selling prices.

By 14:33 on Friday afternoon, Mondi's share prices had also jumped, with Mondli Limited trading at R380.44, up 5.09%; and Mondi PLC trading at R382.36, up 6.11%.

Basic underlying earnings for the six months ended June 30 were up 26% to 89.2 euro cents, the JSE and London-listed paper and packaging firm said.

-Nampa/Reuters

Deutsche Bank reports show chinks in money laundering armor

Deutsche Bank has uncovered shortcomings in its ability to fully identify clients and the source of their wealth, internal documents seen by Reuters show, more than a year after it was fined nearly US$700 million for allowing money laundering.

In two confidential reviews, dated June 5 and July 9, Germany’s biggest lender detailed the results of tests on a sample of investment bank customer files in several countries, including Russia.

Both reviews found gaps in Deutsche’s screening process, which aims to meet so-called “Know Your Customer” (KYC) requirements that are a cornerstone of global anti-money laundering controls.

Donating a dress to the less fortunate

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Donating a dress to the less fortunateHage Geingob SS and Miss High 2017 collaborate Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) as the main organiser of the #Festival, has collaborated with Hage Geingob High School in Katutura, as their partner for the 'Donate a Dress' project. Tunohole ­Mungoba



The Namibia Tourism Expo and Motorshow is an event that, every year, brings together a number of exhibitors and attendees from all over the country. Next year, it will be bigger and better.

One of the events scheduled for 2019 is the Miss High Competition taking place on 30 May 2019. All the current Miss Highs from various schools will compete for a national Miss High Namibia title.

“Our main objective is to see what the various Miss Highs have committed as their community projects and it appears that these young ladies have some brilliant ideas,” said Maggy Mbako, public relations executive of NMH.

“We equally noticed that their schools are not really supportive in assisting them to carry out their projects successfully. Our motto for this event is 'beauty with a purpose' hence the decision to postpone the event to May next year and to allow the girls to carry out proper campaigns for their projects,” she said.

Jorina Smit, Miss High School 2017 was the brainchild behind the Donate a Dress project and she is excited to finally work with a school. “Matric farewells are something that we often take for granted and we do not realise that some learners do not come from backgrounds to help them with finances,” she said. “That is why I came up with the project to at least make sure one of the girls has a perfect night and enjoys her matric farewell.”

Smit wishes to help other girls her age by giving them a chance to have a memorable night. “There are so many girls out there who still have their matric dresses and do not plan on wearing them again. Even if only one girl benefits from the project, at least we made that one girl's night special.”

Joe Sasa, principal of Hage Geingob High School thanked NMH for choosing their school and said he is looking forward to the official handover when their management has picked a learner. “Our school has a lot of needy learners that would really benefit from the donation. Our main aim is to pick a learner that comes from a poor background with an excellent academic track record and good behaviour,” he said.

“Matric farewells are important events in every scholar's life and they are an important milestone. That is why we as a school try by all means to make sure we provide this event to our learners.”

Aquifer extraction 'risky but necessary'

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Aquifer extraction 'risky but necessary'City faces steep learning curve There is much to learn about the Windhoek Aquifer after the City started pumping water from it to supply the southern suburbs. With Windhoek's southern suburbs set to be primarily supplied with water from the City's upgraded aquifer scheme, municipal officials are ready to address any possible problems that might arise and intent to increase their knowledge of the aquifer in order to fine-tune the scheme.

“Remember, we have never in the past operated the aquifer as we are doing now. So this is also learning curve for us,” Koos Theron from the municipality's department of infrastructure, water and technical services explained last week.

As of 1 August, residents of the city's southern suburbs are being supplied with water from nine large-diameter boreholes, drilled over the past two years as part of the City's strategy to ensure water security.

The city's central and northern suburbs will be supplied with dam water supplied by NamWater and reclaimed water from the reclamation plant.

Although extensive testing was conducted over eight weeks earlier this year, the implementation of the scheme is bound to uncover new challenges and offer insight into the workings and vulnerabilities of the aquifer.

“We will now have a lot of information available on the aquifer that we never had before. This will be very, very valuable for us,” Theron said.

He said the City's previous testing confirmed that there shouldn't be any water quality problems experienced at the current rate of extraction of around 7.5 million cubic metres per year, but water quality experts and engineers will keep a close eye.

If any problems are experienced, one of the nine boreholes can be shut down, or water extraction reduced, and another borehole instituted.

“This is a very good learning phase for us. It will give us room to see what the ideal in terms of water quality is first of all, and to move around and see what the best blending ratios are.”



Unique structures

Theron said the full operation of the aquifer over the next months would help shape future projects as more information is gathered on the aquifer's capacity, how it reacts to large-scale abstraction of water over a long period, and how to replenish those resources.

It will also shed light on water quality and improve understanding of Windhoek's deep underground water resources.

He described Windhoek's groundwater as unique in many ways, in terms of mineral content and especially temperatures.

“So it's not so easy. We do have special conditions in Windhoek that makes things a bit more challenging,” Theron said.

Theron said in some places water temperatures are as high as 60 degrees Celsius, or, at a borehole in the centre of the city, between 80 and 85 degrees. On average, the water temperatures are over 30 degrees.

This is a unique challenge, as hot water degrades pipelines and other infrastructure and provides an ideal medium for bacteria to grow, he explained.

Furthermore, some boreholes produce water high in manganese and iron, and when this water is treated with chlorine it turns brown, which many people assume is dirty or unhealthy.

Theron and his colleagues repeatedly warned that tapping into the aquifer is a risky but necessary step to secure the city's water supply.

The current work will also involve identifying how best to replenish the aquifer to ensure it remains a viable resource.

JANA-MARI SMITH

IPhone chipmaker races to recover

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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IPhone chipmaker races to recoverAfter rippling computer virus Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which makes chips for the iPhone and other devices, detailed its progress in recovering from a debilitating computer virus. “TSMC has taken actions to close this security gap and further strengthen security measures,” Lora Ho , TSMC’s chief financial officer The company has warned of delayed shipments and reduced revenue because of the impact on its factories.

TSMC said that 80% of the fabrication tools affected by a virus outbreak Friday evening had been restored and that it expects full recovery on Monday, an emailed statement shows. The Taiwanese company said the incident, which comes as it ramps up chipmaking for Apple’s next iPhones, would delay shipments, without specifying which customers would be affected.

The chipmaker estimated that third-quarter revenue would decline by about 3% and operating margins by about one percentage point, according to the Sunday statement. It maintained its 2018 forecast of boosting revenue by high single digits in US dollar terms.

The incident underscores the global nature of the technology industry’s supply chain, in which companies like Apple and Qualcomm depend on hundreds of suppliers around the world. This is the first time a virus had ever brought down a TSMC facility, recalling the WannaCry cyberattacks of 2017 that forced corporations around the world to suspend operations as they rooted out the ransomware.

TSMC says no confidential information was compromised in the virus attack and most customers have been notified.

“TSMC has taken actions to close this security gap and further strengthen security measures,” TSMC chief financial officer Lora Ho said by phone Sunday.

The virus outbreak was due to “misoperation” during the software installation process for a new tool, the company said in the statement. The virus then spread once the tool was connected to TSMC’s computer network.

The firm is the latest to fall prey to a growing global scourge. Cyber crime could cost businesses as much as US$8 trillion in damage over the next five years, according to the World Economic Forum.

“TSMC has been attacked by viruses before, but this is the first time a virus attack has affected our production lines,” Ho told Bloomberg News on Saturday.

US$1 trillion company

The implications are also unclear for Apple. The iPhone maker last week surpassed a market value of US$1 trillion, largely on the strength of sales for its pioneering smartphone. The US company has employed in the past foundries owned by Samsung, its rival in global mobile devices.

The incident comes weeks after TSMC cheered investors with a rosy outlook for smartphone demand in the latter half of the year. That helped the market look past a reduced revenue outlook.

A bellwether for the chip industry as well as an early indicator of iPhone demand, it heads into its busiest quarters grappling with waning enthusiasm for the high-powered chips used to mine digital currencies. Chief executive officer C. C. Wei had said TSMC’s sales will rise this year by a high single-digit percentage in US dollar terms, down from an already reduced projection of about 10%.

-Fin24

'High risk' of load shedding for next 30 days – Eskom

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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'High risk' of load shedding for next 30 days – Eskom There will be a high risk of load shedding for the next 30 days, Eskom said on Friday, as recovery teams start to get to work fixing damage the power utility says was caused by strikes.

This means that South Africans will have to plan for load shedding until Sunday 2 September, and Eskom has asked businesses and the public to use power sparingly during this period.

On Tuesday the power utility instituted three hours of load shedding for the first time in a month, saying power generation capacity shortfalls had been caused by the intimidation of workers and acts of sabotage. It has not instituted rotational power cuts since.

It said work the recovery teams would be involved in would include coal and diesel management, the maintenance and restarting of power plants, and environmental compliance, including ash management. It added that an improvement in generation could "only increase and be achieved with the return of employees".

Workers at Eskom’s three recognised unions – Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) – have been in long-running wage negotiations with their employer.

These were recently moved to dispute resolution body the CCMA, after direct talks remained deadlocked. Solidaritybecame the first union to accept Eskom’s wage offeron Thursday, with its chief executive Dirk Hermann pledging to "do everything to try and stabilise the power grid".

Numsa said in a statement on Friday that it was taking Eskom’s latest offer back to its members, and would not share details with media yet.

"Eskom have a made a proposal which we have sent to our members for them to consider," said Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim in a statement. "If our members are happy with the latest proposal, then we can sign the agreement."

NUM will also be taking the latest offer to its members.

According to Bloomberg, Eskom offered to back down on its earlier refusal to pay employees a bonus, in addition to above-inflation wage increases.

-Fin24

Highest HIV, highest suppression

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Highest HIV, highest suppressionThe news regarding the disease is good Namibia has done extremely well in combating HIV and Aids and the latest survey indicates that those regions with the highest burden of the disease, also have the highest suppression rates. Namibia's densely populated northern regions, including Zambezi, Omusati, and Kavango, remain most affected by the HIV epidemic but have also achieved some of the highest levels of viral load suppression among HIV-positive residents which means the risk of transmitting the virus are close to zero.

The results of the Namibian Population-based HIV impact assessment (Namphia), the most comprehensive survey of its kind in Namibia to date, indicated a 22.3% prevalence of HIV in the Zambezi Region, the highest in the country.

Yet the numbers also show a slight decrease in HIV prevalence since 2013, when it was estimated to be 23.7%.

At the same time, HIV-positive residents in the region have achieved an overall viral load suppression of 77.1%, compared to 55.2% viral load suppression among the 7.6% HIV-positive residents in the Kunene.

At the launch of the Namphia results last week it was stated that adult HIV prevalence continues to be highest along the northern borders of Namibia where the population density is higher.

But the results also indicated that geographically, the regions with the highest HIV prevalence generally also had the highest proportion of individuals who had achieved viral load suppression.

And, as in the Kunene Region with the lowest HIV prevalence of 7.6%, it correspondingly had the lowest level of viral suppression among HIV-positive adults, at 55.2%.

The higher rate of HIV infection in those areas is also linked to the major trucking routes linking Namibia to neighbouring countries as well as other factors, including culture, access to health facilities, funding and other contributing issues.

Namibia's response to the high rate of infection in these areas over the past four years has received praised nevertheless.

In 2014 the American President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) provided additional funds to Namibia in order to address the regional disparities that have been identified in HIV prevalence, and as a result there has been a successful implementation and strengthening of services which has seen improved HIV intervention, care and treatment services that have resulted in a decrease of HIV prevalence and other positive outcomes.



Regional highs and lows

Ohangwena, with a 17.9% rate of HIV prevalence, has the highest rate of viral suppression among HIV-positive adults in the country totalling 86.2%.

The Oshana Region, where 15.8% of adults live with HIV, has an 84.9% viral load suppression rate, followed by Omusati, where 83% of the 16.9% of adults living with HIV have achieved viral load suppression.

In the Oshikoto Region, 79.7% of the 17.3% of adults living with HIV have achieved viral suppression.

In Kavango West 12.1% of adults live with HIV, and 78.7% of those adults have achieved viral suppression.

Fourteen and half per cent of adults in the Kavango East region live with HIV, 72.3% of who have reached viral suppression.

The Khomas Region, with the second lowest rate of HIV prevalence in Namibia at 8.3%, has achieved 73.6% viral load suppression.

Viral load suppression among the 10.6% of HIV-positive residents in the Erongo Region, has reached 75%. One of the key highlights of the Namphia survey was the finding that viral load suppression in HIV-positive populations in the country has surpassed the global target of 73% by 2020.

Overall, adults aged 15 to 64 years in Namibia have achieved 77.4% viral suppression, with 81.7% among women and 69.6% among males.

Viral load suppression among HIV-positive people was highest among older adults, with a rate of 92.5% of HIV-positive women aged 55 to 64 years, and 86.3% among HIV-positive males of that age group.

In contrast, viral load suppression among young males between the ages 25 to 34 was the lowest at 50.5%, and 65.4% among young HIV-positive females aged 15 to 24 years.

The difference in viral load suppression among females and males was most pronounced among those aged 25 to 35 years, with HIV-positive females at 76.5% and males at 50.5%.

The Namphia survey further indicated that among males aged between 15 and 64 years, prevalence of self-reported complete male circumcision, including non-medical and medical) was 36.4%.

Regionally, circumcision rates varied, from a low of 17.8% in the Hardap Region to a high of 60.2% in the Kunene Region.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Donations stream in after fire

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Donations stream in after fire Many people have responded to a cry for help by a family of 26 whose entire mahangu harvest was destroyed by fire.

The incident happened on 11 June at Omundudu village in the Engela constituency of the Ohangwena Region when the family's threshing flood caught fire.

It is suspected that the fire was started by embers from a nearby shebeen.

Yesterday Namibian Sun revisited the family and spoke to 42-year-old Martha Kaunapawa Walyange, who said they were overwhelmed by the support.

Walyange said many people made donations and they received an abundance of mahangu.

She said that pastor Jackson Babi from the House of Joy Ministries donated 22 fifty-kilogram bags of mahangu, 40kg of maize meal as well as other food items such as cooking oil, 24 tins of fish and soup packets.

She said they further received 14 bags of mahangu from the Engela constituency office.

The local Elcin church handed over seven 50kg bags of mahangu that were donated by community members. Walyange said individuals from Omundudu, nearby villages and other parts of the country also responded to their plea by donating mahangu and other food items.

“I was not expecting what we received. If you remember the time the incident happened, I was confused and not knowing where to turn to,” Walyange said.

She thanked all their benefactors.

“We are very thankful to everyone who came and assisted us. We also thank those who included us in their prayers. It means a lot to us and this has proven that Namibians love one another. I also want to thank the media for putting our situation out there and we subsequently got help, thank you,” Walyange said.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Africa Briefs

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Africa Briefs IMF makes progress in talks with Kenya

The International Monetary Fund's mission to assess the Kenyan economy achieved "significant progress" and talks with the government will continue in the coming weeks, the IMF said on Friday after a two week visit to Nairobi.

Kenya secured a six-month extension for its stand-by credit arrangement of US$989.8 million from the fund in March, and is seeking another extension when it expires in mid-September.

The IMF has preconditioned the extension of the stand-by credit, used for balance of payments support, on a number of measures, including the repeal of a cap on commercial lending rates which was imposed in 2016.

"The authorities reiterated their commitment to macroeconomic policies that would maintain public debt on a sustainable path, contain inflation within the target range, and preserve external stability," the IMF said in a statement.

It said the East African nation had met its fiscal targets during the 2017/18 fiscal year after the government managed to narrow the budget deficit to 7% of GDP from 9% the previous year. – Nampa/Reuters

Mozambique Eurobond creditors proposes restructuring plan

A core group of Mozambique's Eurobond creditors have made a restructuring proposal to the government, including extending maturities and adding instruments linked to future gas revenues, sources close to the negotiations told Reuters.

Mozambique admitted in 2016 to US$1.4 billion of previously undisclosed loans, many of which went on upgrading maritime and military security. The disclosure prompted the International Monetary Fund and foreign donors to cut off support, triggering a currency collapse and leading to a debt default.

In March, the government outlined three scenarios to overhaul its debt burden but Eurobond creditors rejected them, baulking at a second writedown in as many years.

A counter proposal by the Global Group of Mozambique Bondholders (GGMB) was sent to the government last week, according to two sources.

The proposal envisages pushing out the "bullet" repayment on the 2023 bond, some reduction in the coupons, and an instrument to allow bondholders access to a share of future fiscal revenues from Mozambique's vast gas resources. – Nampa/Reuters

One in three Moroccan graduates jobless

One in three Moroccan university graduates cannot find a job due to slow economic growth, under-investment and an education system that fails to develop employable skills, the kingdom's planning chief said in an interview.

"In the last five years, an average 60 000 people have graduated annually from Moroccan higher educational institutions, of whom 20 000 can't find a job," Ahmed Lahlimi, head of the High Planning Commission, told Reuters.

Lahlimi said the jobless rate dropped to 9.1% in the second quarter of 2018 from 9.3% in the same period in 2017 but this was down largely to the farm sector after abundant rainfall.

Based on likely future agricultural output, however, GDP growth is expected to slow to 2.9% in 2019 from a forecast 3.1% this year, Lahlimi said. Agriculture represents 15% of GDP.

"With such slow growth, Morocco is not doing enough to significantly curb unemployment and bridge social disparities. The impact of growth on job creation has continued to diminish since 2000."– Nampa/Reuters

South Sudan government, rebels reach peace deal

The president of South Sudan and head of the country's main rebel group signed a final cease fire and power-sharing agreement on Sunday and hailed a new longed-for era of peace in the country.

"I call on everyone as a leader of South Sudan that this agreement which we have signed today should be the end of the war and the conflict in our country," said President Salva Kiir.

South Sudan's former vice president and rebel leader Riek Machar said after the signing, "today we celebrate, not just in South Sudan, but throughout the world".

South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011, but civil war broke out two years later between the government led by Kiir and a rebel movement led by Machar.

Fuelled by personal and ethnic rivalries, the conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced an estimated quarter of South Sudan's population of 12 million and ruined its economy that heavily relies on crude oil production. – Nampa/Reuters

Report on NTB's progress expected by September

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Report on NTB's progress expected by September In light of recent allegations of unjust labour practices and mismanagement at the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), a progress report must be submitted to tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta in September following an investigation into the NTB's operations.

Shifeta told Namibian Sun that the investigation was conducted in January and February.

The findings were communicated to the NTB board and they were instructed to implement certain directives.

Although workers recently called for NTB CEO Digu !Naobeb to be investigated and for the board to be dissolved, Shifeta said there had already been an investigation into these issues and another investigation was not necessary.

“I have given the board a task to perform on how things must be done at the NTB and what the CEO must do to perform his duties properly. We have done an investigation and found out what was not being properly done. We have already communicated to the board how things must be done.”

The investigation was conducted by the ministry's deputy permanent secretary, Seimy Christoph-Shidute, and environmental commissioner Theofilus Nghitila, who is now the acting permanent secretary too. They conducted interviews with NTB staff based in Windhoek.

Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda told Namibian Sun that the directives were only communicated to the board and management in July. They were given three months to submit a progress report.

According to Muyunda the board was directed that the NTB's management information system must be completely overhauled. Furthermore the board and management must engage with staff to set strategic objectives for the short, medium and long term.

The board and management had to clarify policies that have a bearing on the mandate on NTB and the conduct and performance of staff.

This month NTB staff took to the streets to protest against alleged unfair labour practices and mismanagement at the NTB. According to a staff petition there is no compliance with internal corporate policies such as recruitment and selection, procurement and affirmative action.

They also raised the Kora Awards debacle, saying the NTB had spent over N$1 million on legal fees after paying the Kora organisers N$23 million, yet it failed to budget for staff development programmes.

Another grievance related to cost-cutting on foreign trips. Referring to a directive restricting international travel to two people per trip, the staff said the NTB had sent six people to conferences in Germany and South Africa despite having staff in those countries.

The fact that the NTB has been without a public relations officer for several years was another issue that was raised.

“In the absence of a PRO the company has failed to source a reputable advertising agency that would be able to produce a newsletter, do stakeholder engagement, brand management and media relation activities for the board.”

In response to the petition, !Naobeb said the NTB had no company lawyer and therefore outsourced its legal services. With regard to international travel, he said the budget for board members' trips had been approved by the public enterprises minister.

ELLANIE SMIT

NAU wants stats on land

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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NAU wants stats on landLand reform not a failure The Namibia Agricultural Union says the willing-seller, willing-buyer land reform principle cannot be described as a failure without statistical evidence. The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has added its voice to the debate ahead of the upcoming land conference in October.

The union has urged the lands ministry to urgently release official statistics on the total hectares of farmland offered to the government since 2008, the total hectares of land bought by the ministry and the total hectares of land for which the government issued a waiver to sell on the open market.

Only then, it says, will we know whether the willing-seller, willing-buyer concept has failed.

NAU executive manager Roelie Venter said these figures should transparently be made available to all Namibians on a regional basis.

“After the release of this information Namibians will be able to determine whether the willing-buyer, willing-seller principle was a successful method to implement land reform or not.”

The latest available statistics of the NAU shows that by the end of 2016, more than 60% of land in Namibia belonged to either the government or previously disadvantaged individuals.

Namibia's land ownership is made up of 32.6 million hectares of communal land registered in the government's name and 37.5 million hectares of commercial farms registered in the name of individual title deed holders.

According to Venter, the NAU developed a land ownership database of all title deeds in Namibia and continuously monitors progress with land reform and change in ownership of title-deed farms.

“Due to a successful and peaceful land reform process in Namibia, previously disadvantaged individuals as well as government currently own 9.2 million hectares of title-deed areas in Namibia. These figures were updated up to the end of 2016.”

Venter said the union supports the government's target to acquire 5 million hectares of land for resettlement and 10 million hectares through the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme.

“It is, however, critical to realise that everyone in Namibia needs to find solutions together for this national issue. Landowners cannot solely be held responsible for this issue.”

Venter said the union has made it clear since independence that it supported the land reform process and formulated several documents concerning land reform over the years. It has also consulted with the land reform ministry on challenges with the implementation of land reform.

According to him Namibia's land reform process already started during the 1980s and as far back as 1995, the government has always obtained the first right of refusal to buy land which comes onto the market.

Any landowner who wants to sell their farm must offer the farm to the government. If the government is not interested in the farm the owner then obtains the right to sell in the open market.

There are several critical issues that the union says need to be addressed at the land conference.

Venter said the union believes the ultimate aim of land reform in Namibia should be to grow employment as well as the total agricultural output of Namibia.

He said land reform could only be regarded a success if the beneficiaries of land reform farmed on a financially sustainable basis and were able to further invest in the land to improve productivity.

Furthermore, Venter said a programme should be developed where beneficiaries of resettlement should receive ownership of the land in order to use this as collateral to enable them to invest further in their land.

“Increased investments in mentorship programmes and capacity strengthening are critical to support these new farmers to sustain their financial success.”

He added that the union supports the expropriation of land with fair compensation within the current legal framework provided for in the Namibian constitution and the relevant laws.

“Before drafting of the regulations the NAU was involved in making recommendations on the criteria to determine the sustainability of a specific title deed for expropriation.”

Seeking a solution to address the urgent need for land in urban areas is another a critical issue to enable all Namibians to own a piece of land they can call home, said Venter.

“Transfer of ownership to individuals in urban areas will immensely contribute to wealth creation and a sense of pride for each beneficiary.”

ELLANIE SMIT

My happiness hypothesis

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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My happiness hypothesis Michelline Nawatises

For reasons unknown, people have an inclination to seek out some sort of happiness. This thing, ‘happiness’, is something people think about every single day. The decisions we make, the thoughts we think; they all pertain to this desire of being happy sometime in the near, or far, future. But focusing on future happiness is more disadvantageous to our present lives than it is beneficial.

Some people, however, disagree and may argue that focusing on the future motivates one to make positive present-day decisions that will benefit them in the long run.

Basing decisions on the future may be deemed beneficial in some ways, it is best to maintain a balance. Some people may find themselves so involved with their future happiness that they forget to enjoy the present moment.

Part of forgetting to enjoy the present moment us missing opportunities. Only thinking about what is to happen in the future can become a distraction to us. If we keep thinking that we will be happy in the long run, we will neglect what is really happening to us in the present and remain stagnant, until one day our future happiness finally supersedes our present state.

But in essence, if we are so concerned with our future happiness, once we reach that so called future, what happens next? Are we actually happy? More than likely the answer is no because when we finally reach what was once the distant future, it becomes the present, and then we are ultimately discontent again until we reach another future.

It is a vicious cycle that never ends. When that happy ending is not obtained people feel confused, and sometimes even devastated, perhaps trapped within despair. This state of discontent illustrates the ‘dark side’ of happiness as we see many people diagnosed with clinical depression, physically unable to achieve happiness.

These patients are subconsciously burdened with the pressure to attain some sort of euphoria because it is a natural part of life - based on a societal notion. Their present lives are ruined because their continuous hopes in becoming happy in their later lives seem to be more and more unrealistic as time passes.

Focusing on future happiness can also be a bad thing because the future is not guaranteed. There is this conceptual view that most individuals, if not all, deserve an optimal predestined future. The entertainment industry is partially to blame for this.

This fallacy is a daily occurrence causing us to sugar-coat our realities and blinds us from the obstacles that balance our achievements. The media uses movies to establish a ‘real world’ plot that always seems to end with a ‘happily ever after’.

A cheesy movie such as Valentine’s Day (2010) serves as a typical situation where couples break up and make up, waiting for their special someone to sweep them off their feet and ultimately fall in love, all because the setting is on Valentine’s Day.

Movies like 500 Days of Summer (2009) ‘surprise’ the audience with what they think will be a rekindled flame between Summer and Tom, and when that does not happen, we are then reassured Tom will find a new woman who makes him even happier, Autumn.

Despite the fact that this ‘idealistic picture’ of life does include a series of unfortunate events, the positive ending leads society to believe that no matter what we will eventually be happy. So we allow ourselves to remain in a state of discontent and misery unwilling to try to mend the situation, and rather just wait in present time for our happy ending to come in the future. The time invested in future happiness can eventually turn into wasted time, meaning present time has not been fulfilled.

Who is to say some anticlimactic event cannot occur in the matter of seconds, thus depleting all harboured focus for the future? That is an ending movie makers tend to avoid.

Essentially, if people stopped focusing on their future happiness, then they would be able to acknowledge their present possibilities. There is so much that already lies in front of us that we may take for granted: a healthy life, a loving family, educational opportunities, or perhaps a well-paying job.

Taking the present for what it is allows us to enjoy what we have now, because who knows what will happen tomorrow. Happiness can be found in love, family, friends, and opportunities, all of which must be fostered in the present in order to last into the future.

Nust professor shoots himself

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Nust professor shoots himselfToddler dies in Kuisebmond tragedy The weekend's crime report also includes cases of rape, murder, assault and wildlife crime. An economics professor at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself in his flat this weekend.

According to the police, 56-year-old Dr Ayetuoma Cyril Ogbokor, who is a Nigerian national, shot himself at about 10:30 on Sunday at 15 Pinnacle Court in Orban Street, Klein Windhoek.

The police said he shot himself with his 7.65mm pistol in the chest. No suicide note was found.

On Friday, six Namibian men aged between 37 and 42 were arrested for being in possession of controlled wildlife products during a joint special operation by the Grootfontein police and the army's special forces.

The suspects include a police officer from Rundu, an employee of the agriculture ministry and an employee of the environment ministry.

The suspects were found with a python skin, six pangolin skins and one live pangolin. Two firearms were also found in their possession.

They have been charged under the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act.

In yet another domestic violence case, the body of 28-year-old Mannetti Frederick was discovered at her boyfriend's house in Aus on Saturday. She had been stabbed multiple times in the head and face. The suspect, 32-year-old Fransicius Andries, was arrested.

At Opuwo a woman was repeatedly threatened by her ex-boyfriend last week. On Friday night while she was at the Eyambeko bar with friends, he approached her, grabbed her wrist and in the process a pistol fell from his trousers.

According to the police this frightened the woman and she opened a case against him. The suspect was arrested.

In another incident a 13-year-old girl, who is allegedly mentally challenged, was raped in the bushes at Oshikukutu village on Friday. The incident was witnessed by a passer-by who alerted the girl's family. The suspect is still at large.

Another girl, 14, was raped on Sunday at Okwandja village in the Omuntele area. It is alleged that her 30-year-old cousin raped the girl twice in his bedroom.

According to the police the girl was left in her cousin's care for two months by their grandmother, who is ill and is receiving treatment in the Omusati Region. The girl informed a neighbour about the incident. The suspect has been arrested.

A 23-year-old security guard, working for Omeya Investment Security Company, accidentally shot and wounded six construction workers on Friday.

According to the police the guard, armed with a shotgun, was on duty at the B1 Service Station in Windhoek's Northern Industrial Area.

A shot went off by accident, hitting the six construction workers who were passing by. One victim sustained serious facial injuries while others sustained minor injuries. The suspect was arrested.

In Kuisebmond, a one-year-old toddler died after being run over in front of his house. The child had apparently crawled under a parked vehicle and the driver unwittingly started the car and drove off, killing the toddler.

ELLANIE SMIT

Men must come to the party

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Men must come to the party A comprehensive survey on the status of the HIV epidemic in Namibia has shed light on the remarkable progress in the country's efforts to achieve epidemic control, with a close to 50% reduction in the annual rate of new infections and total prevalence down from around 14% to 12.6%.

Most importantly, Namibia is close to achieving the global UNAIDS target for 2020, which requires that 90% of people to be tested for HIV, to have 90% of people who are HIV positive on treatment and to have 90% of those on treatment virally suppressed.

Namibian women have in fact achieved that target, despite the fact that there is a higher rate of HIV prevalence among women than men.

Moreover, around 77% of people living with HIV in Namibia are virally suppressed, an indication that they take their medicines and are much less likely to infect a partner.

On the worrying side, as highlighted by public health experts and minister of health Bernard Haufiku recently, is how to reach young men, whose reluctance to be tested and avoidance to stay on treatment, has played a decisive role in Namibia not yet achieving the triple-90 targets.

Men have to come to the party, as the recent Namibia Population-based HIV impact assessment (Namphia) survey shows.

Studies have shown that male circumcision can reduce the risk of HIV infection by around 60%, and the national push with the help of celebrity endorsements has created buy-in and one third of Namibian men are circumcised.

Moreover, older men between the ages of 55 to 64 have achieved more than 86% viral load suppression, indicating adherence to treatment and willingness to be tested.

Nevertheless, without innovative ways to address the barriers that keep young men from accessing tests and from taking easily available medication to ensure they do not infect their partners, Namibia still faces an uphill battle.

Book exposes Swapo's ghastly crimes

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Book exposes Swapo's ghastly crimes A survivor of the Lubango dungeons has recounted the horrors he experienced while being incarcerated by Swapo in exile.

In a tell-all book titled 'Swapo Captive - A Comrade's Experience of Betrayal and Torture', Oiva Angula speaks out about his four-and-a-half-year imprisonment, during which he was repeatedly tortured.

Certain Swapo members reportedly used the dungeons in the Angolan town to either eliminate or terrorise suspected dissidents during the armed struggle for Namibia's independence.

In his book Angula shares how he was wrongly accused of being an apartheid spy and traitor during a series of purges within in the organisation.

“'Swapo Captive' threads together personal narrative and national history, including Angula's childhood in South West Africa, the rising tensions sparked by apartheid rule, his father's role in early liberation movements, and his own politicisation and decision to join the struggle.

“He gives fascinating accounts of life in a PLAN training camp, political education in the Eastern bloc, and a cadre's role in the war for independence,” reads a summary of the book, which is expected to hit the shelves this week.





Reports suggest that about 4 000 Namibians were incarcerated in the dungeons of Lubango and many remain unaccounted for.

The United Nations Committee against Torture in December 2016 communicated with the Namibian government, insisting on an inquiry into the exile period, as well as the post-colonial period, which includes the Caprivi treason trial.

An inquiry into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Swapo in exile, which was supposed to start earlier this year, has failed to take off.

The inquiry is being spearheaded by the Committee of Parents and the Truth and Justice Committee, which includes survivors and family members of the missing.

One of the Lubango survivors, who requested anonymity, said only the truth would bring closure.

“We are brave enough and we have been speaking out all along. The fact that this episode is recorded will ensure generational justice. It will be related to the coming generations,” said the man, who had spent five years in the dungeons.

“In the meantime we, including Swapo, should do soul-searching to come up with a genuine solution to close this chapter. It is a very painful chapter which was never resolved.”

Ombudsman John Walters and one of the victims, Bience Gawanas, have in the past also supported calls for an inquiry during interviews with The Patriot newspaper.

STAFF REPORTER

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Matengu plans major shake-up at Unam

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Matengu plans major shake-up at Unam Unam vice-chancellor Kenneth Matengu has appointed a taskforce that will re-examine the restructuring report of 2015 and find the best way forward to realign Unam with the current economic environment and global trends.

In a circular yesterday, Matengu announced the team members. Frank Kavishe will serve as chairperson, Charmaine Villet as vice-chairperson, and the other members are Gilbert Likando, Reggy Izaks, Isaac Mapaure, Kauna Mufeti, Muree Tjiueza, Barbara van der Westhuizen and Charlene Klaase.

“The recent economic climate in the country has placed severe pressure on both operational and developmental objectives of the institution. Under these circumstances, Unam cannot continue to function, nor maintain the status quo,” Matengu said.





He added that the team will seek to understand and interpret the strategic and financial environment in which Unam operates, including analyses of strategic choices facing the university.

“They will also seek to review the current structure, identify inefficiencies and challenges and propose a sustainable academic and administrative structure.

“And to develop, consider and recommend to the VC new and or revised university structures to be implemented in a phase manner as well as to highlight policy, financial and strategic issued considered for implementation,” he said.

This announcement comes barely a week after Matengu had promised to transform the university into a sustainable international hub of higher education, training, research and innovation in less than 12 years.

In his maiden speech Matengu said he was committed to further aligning academics with the job market and would eventually call for a review of Unam's curricula.

He emphasised that his ultimate objective was to create a stronger, more cohesive university that would be ready to tackle complex 21st-century challenges.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Without land, we are nothing

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Without land, we are nothingChurch slams arbitrary commercialisation of land ELCIN is preparing a position paper on land reform to be submitted to the second national land conference in October. A pastors' conference of the western diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) has called for one land policy and says all discriminatory laws pertaining to land should be done away with.

The conference was convened in preparation for a position paper the church leaders wish to take to the second land conference in October.

ELCIN bishop Veikko Munyika said the struggle for liberation was not yet over because equitable land distribution had not yet been realised and black discontent over the land issue was growing while most arable land remained in the hands of a few rich commercial farmers.

“The land is the place where a nation would stay in peace and without hindrances from its enemies,” the bishop echoed the Bible, adding: “Without land, a person will always have a sense of being lost, displaced, homeless and rootless. Therefore, every person needs land and when it is taken away, one is denied one's home, bread, survival and even a place for burial.”

He said in Namibia many were left stranded, without even a piece of land to build a one-bedroom house.

He said the arbitrary buying and selling of land – or the commercialisation thereof – was a major cause of trouble in Africa, saying its effects in Namibia could be seen by large tracts of land being owned by a small elite or taken over by municipalities while the original owners were left landless.





Bishop Munyika said churches – particularly the Lutherans, Catholics and Anglicans – have in similar processes been stripped of land ownership, which they had previously acquired from traditional leaders.

He said the churches were now forced to buy back the same land from the government and municipalities at exorbitant prices.



Give land equally

Proposing a “biblical perspective” on land, Bishop Munyika said land in Namibia should benefit all Namibians equally.

“It is not only the obligation of the government to offer land to the landless citizens, but it is also the moral responsibility of those who are in possession to share it with those that do not have it,” he proposed.

In respect of ancestral land claims, the bishop asked: “Is it long enough for those who have lost their ancestral lands to get them back even if they do not have the means to redeem them?”

He said the proclamation and expansion of towns in particularly communal areas also infringed on the rights of people to own land.

In 1996, shortly after the first national land conference in 1991, ELCIN pastors proposed that the government should prevent grazing areas in communal areas being fenced off by the rich.

Then, the pastors proposed that overcrowded communal areas be expanded through the acquisition of commercial land.

They also proposed that no land be sold to foreigners.

It is not clear what has happened to these recommendations, but the pastors are now proposing alternative approaches to the land question.



Alternatives

The pastors echoed the sentiment that the willing-buyer, willing-seller approach had yielded disappointing results and that some form of expropriation without compensation might be justified where it could be proven that land was indeed stolen.

In this case, Munyika proposed “expropriation with limited compensation” to cover infrastructural developments that have been done on 'stolen land', but said that would require thorough research of each case.

The sentiment at the pastors' conference is that the Namibian constitution gives every citizen the right to own property, which includes land.

They said land should therefore be fairly and equitably divided and that no one should have too little or too much, and that land must be affordable to everyone.

Moreover, they said the Communal Land Act of 1995 must be amended to give people living in communal areas the opportunity to own the land they occupy.

They said the willing-buyer, willing-seller approach on commercial land had yielded disappointing results and should be done away with.

However, they felt the Commercial Land Act of 1995 should not make provision for the expropriation of land with compensation, saying they did not support expropriation without compensation because it would create long-term liabilities.

They went on to say those owning large tracts of land should be consulted and requested to give up some portions to the government.

The pastors said the government should make sure that all farmland owned by absentee landlords and underutilised land was expropriated “accordingly”.

They proposed that the “resettlement package” include funding and necessary training so that the purpose of this strategy be fully realised.

They further proposed that the Veterinary Cordon Fence be moved to the Namibian-Angolan border.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Drive to ensure decent work in Namibia

August 7, 2018, 7:07 am

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Drive to ensure decent work in Namibia The director general of the International Labour Organisation, Guy Ryder (second from the left), signed the memorandum of understanding for Namibia’s Second Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) with government and social partners today.
DWCPs have been established as the main vehicle for delivery of ILO support to countries and have two basic objectives. They promote decent work as a key component of national development strategies. At the same time they organise ILO knowledge, instruments, advocacy and cooperation at the service of tripartite constituents in a results-based framework to advance the Decent Work Agenda within the fields of comparative advantage of the organisation. Tripartism and social dialogue are central to the planning and implementation of a coherent and integrated ILO programme of assistance to constituents in member states.

Sports industry can employ many: Uutoni

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Sports industry can employ many: Uutoni Minister of sport Erastus Uutoni says rewarding athletes is the only way that the government can empower athletes to do well for themselves and the country.

These remarks come after the cabinet approved a reward policy last month, which will see Namibian athletes who excel in international sports competitions being handsomely rewarded for their efforts.

Addressing athletes at the first athlete's forum at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) auditorium on Saturday, Uutoni said sport is an industry that can employ the majority of Namibians.

“There is a need for us to work closer with our athletes and listen to their needs because they are our assets and we should have a system that puts their welfare first, so they can succeed beyond the field of play,” he said.

Uutoni added that the government wanted to empower sportsmen and sportswomen by putting money into their pockets through a reward system.

“We don't want to give athletes money for winning medals at international competitions and they then buy a luxury car, which is not a good investment. Athletes should start investing their money in property because these are fixed assets that can sustain them after retiring from sports,” he said.

Uutoni also said people must not expect the government to employ everyone as it did not have enough money to do that.

“We need to grow sports in the country which in the end will see those who cannot make it through school become good athletes and be rewarded for their hard work.

“And those who make it through school can become coaches or doctors who will help athletes,” Uutoni added.

The minister said the government wanted to develop the Namibian child and not only certain people in specific towns that have resources.

“We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Jamaica to help in the development of Namibian athletes and we must reach out to all the regions in the country so that everyone benefits,” he noted.

NAMPA

Stop pessimistic attitude, says AN president

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Stop pessimistic attitude, says AN presidentNamibia returns empty handed The president of Athletics Namibia, Erwin Naimwaka, is satisfied with the performance of Namibian athletes at the recently ended African Senior Athletics Championships in Nigeria despite the fact that they did not win any medals. Namibia sent eight athletes to Nigeria to participate in 21st edition which ran from 1 to 5 August but the end result was disappointing in terms of medal collection.

Naimwaka said that people tended to focus too much on medals rather than the overall performance of the athletes.

“Yes, there is always ridicule that athletes are old, with some people suggesting that we send different and younger athletes to championships, however, the athletes who were taking part in Asaba were sent because they met the overall selection criteria,” explained Naimwaka.

He further added that athletes did well because they went as far as the semi-finals and even broke the Namibian relay record.

“We need to stop with the negative attitude and instead look at the overall picture.

“If athletes qualify, we will do everything in our power to support them and we need to work on implementing competition structures to help improve the athletes further,” he said.

One of the athletes, Ernst Narib, said the failure of Namibian athletes was because of lack of resources and regular competitions.

“The reason we fail to compete against the best athletes in Africa and the world is because of a lot of factors which are unfortunately misunderstood by those who are not having sufficient knowledge of sports and the development of athletes.

“It's like pushing a person into the deep ocean asking him or her to swim without giving them the tools or teaching them to swim. The marathon runners do great and even win medals because they are exposed to international races in South Africa and they also have a lot of highly paid races in Namibia which at times pays up to N$15 000 or more for winners, while track and field only pays around N$2000 at national championships.

“I'm not trying to blame or make excuses but how can a local athlete with zero international races or experience compete for a medal against athletes like Akani Simbine, Caster Semenya, Isak Makwala who are exposed to about 30 international races and hence, gain experience while we in Namibia only have about four competitions the entire year,” Narib stated.

Narib also said the government did not help athletes but requested metals when they learned athletes were travelling to championships.

He further said that people who were given mandatory responsibility to run developing programmes put the money in their pockets, further disabling them.

“Until we start to help athletes get more experience and international races and cut out the corruption we will not be able to produce track and field medals,” he said boldly.

The Namibian sprinters who were in Nigeria were Jolene Jacobs, Tjipekapora Herunga, Ernst Narib, Hardus Maritz, Roger Haitengi, Even Tjiviju, Gilbert Hainuca and Mahmad Bock.



Winners

Kenya walked away with 19 medals: eleven gold, six silver and two bronze medals.

South Africa, who hosted and won the last edition in Durban, won a total of 30 medals made up of nine gold, 13 silver and eight bronze medals.

Team Nigeria got 19 medals made up of nine gold, five silver and five bronze medals.

The championships, held under the auspices of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), are held biennially on even years.

LIMBA MUPETAMI