Illegal fuel trade goes underground

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Illegal fuel trade goes underground Since the latest fuel price increases many northern motorists are flocking to the border town of Oshikango to fill up their vehicles illegally despite a police crackdown on the sale of fuel smuggled in from Angola.

According to one illegal fuel trader, it has become harder for them to do business since the demolition of the Okatwitwi informal location by the Helao Nafidi town council.

Fuel is now being sold from their shacks, and only to customers that they know.

Previously the town council said Okatwitwi was the centre of a thriving trade in smuggled Angolan products, including fuel.

The council decided to demolish it to control the sale of these illegal products. Namibian Sun visited the area over the weekend and found that the crackdown had made it harder to buy smuggled fuel. “We are being monitored by the police and we do not sell fuel to just anybody. We are only selling to the customers that we know already and they know how we are operating. The police are after us and since they demolished Okatwitwi its now difficult for us to operate,” a young illegal fuel trader said.

“It is also difficult to smuggle fuel into Namibia from Angola because the police are controlling the border. You must have connections with people.”

Young boys, Namibian and Angolan alike, are involved in the selling of illegal fuel at Oshikango. Petrol is sold in five-litre containers costing between N$65 and N$70, which amounts to between N$13 and N$14 per litre while the current price of legal fuel in the area is N$13.14.

“When the fuel price increases we also increase our price by a dollar.”

This does not affect our fuel demand because many motorists in the north prefer our fuel. Our price is different depending on the fuel availability.

“If you find there are many people selling then you're likely to get a five-litre container for N$65, but if only a few people are selling then the price will go up to N$70,” the trader said.

Motorists earlier said that the illegal fuel may cost the same as legal fuel, but they prefer to use it because it “lasts longer”.

They said the only problem is that the boys sometimes add water to the fuel.

The spokesperson for the Ohangwena police, Warrant Officer Kaume Iitumba, commended the Helao Nafidi town council for demolishing the informal location.

“Okatwitwi was located close to the border, making it easy for these people to smuggle illegal products into the country without us noticing them.

“Now that the town council has chased all the street vendors to the open market, which is situated a bit farther from the border, it makes things difficult for them,” Iitumba said.

“There is no way a person can carry products for a long distance without being noticed. We are also conducting stop-and-search campaigns throughout the town targeting those illegal products.”

He said the illegal fuel trade at Oshikango was on the increase and it was hard for the police to control. He called on the mines and energy ministry to assist the police by amending its regulations.

“Those boys are selling fuel in small containers and we cannot arrest them. The law states that one can only be arrested if found in possession of large quantities. We do confiscate their fuel, but we have no fuel storage facilities at the police station, making it dangerous for us to store it,” Iitumba said.

He also said that by keeping the fuel in their shacks, the smugglers endanger their own lives and those living near them.

“We suspect that there are Namibians who are in partnership with the Angolans and they employ these boys to sell in Namibia. It is not easy for Namibians to access that fuel. Due to our open border they smuggle the fuel into the country.”

Helao Nafidi mayor Eliaser Nghipangelwa said the council was advised by the police to do away with the Okatwitwi location and they cooperated. He said illegal fuel sales were only one of the many illegal activities happening at Okatwitwi.

“The police have informed us that we have to remove Okatwitwi location because this is where many illegal and criminal activities occur. There are many illegal activities the police have informed us about but I am not at liberty to discuss them,” Nghipangelwa said.

He said Okatwitwi residents were relocated to a formalised area, where the council provided water, electricity and some toilets to those they had authorised to do business there.

“There are those who were saying that they were not going to move and we suspect that these are people who are behind all these illegal activities. There is no way we will let them stay. We will move all of them,” he said.

ILENI NANDJATO

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Shinguadja lashes Shoprite as retailer bows

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Shinguadja lashes Shoprite as retailer bows Grocery chain Shoprite on Friday announced the withdrawal of a N$4.5 million lawsuit against 93 of its workers for losses sustained during illegal strikes in strike in December 2014 and July 2015.

The announcement came shortly after a mass demonstration in Windhoek and the threat of a national boycott of Shoprite and all its subsidiaries.

The permanent secretary of the ministry of labour, Bro-Matthew Shinguadja, also called on all state entities, and in particular the Food Bank administrators, not to buy from the Shoprite Group of Companies.

In an angry statement Shinguadja said business and trading licences must come with a revoking clause and should be conditional to better labour conditions, fundamental rights and freedoms of workers. He warned the security industry, filling stations, retailers and wholesalers and trucking companies that they were under the labour microscope to initiate self-reform.

“Abuse and exploitation of workers are manifestations of a master and slave relationship that should be condemned by all Namibians who care,” said Shinguadja.





In a statement issued on Friday, Shoprite Namibia said it had decided in the interest of all parties involved to withdraw the summons issued to 93 staff members of Shoprite supermarkets in Windhoek.

It pointed out that internal disciplinary hearing against these employees were continuing and an outcome was expected in the next few weeks.



“The Shoprite Group has a long-standing view that all workers are entitled to reasonable working conditions. We have always made an effort to base dealings with our employees on the principles of fairness and respect and in compliance with provisions of prevailing labour legislation,” the statement read.



Lawyer Nixon Marcus, representing the Shoprite workers, disputed some of the statements made by Shoprite.



According to him Shoprite's claim that it issued the summons following a cost order issued in its favour in November 2015 for loss of sales, legal costs and damages incurred because of the strikes in December 2014 and July 2015, was untrue.



“First, loss of sales and damages are never awarded in the form of cost orders, not in this country, not in our courts. That is why they instituted the action against the workers to recover these costs in the first place,” said Marcus.



He added that Shoprite approached the Labour Court in an attempt to recover the legal costs for the court application relating to the December 2014 strike.



“In the judgment of 22 September 2015, the Labour Court not only refused Shoprite the costs they sought to recover, but the court awarded special costs against Shoprite for having attempted to recover these costs in the manner it did,” he said.



Marcus added that with respect to the July 2015 strike, the Labour Court did not make an order on costs when it disposed of the application on 24 September 2015.





JEMIMA BEUKES

City starts using emergency water

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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City starts using emergency waterWindhoek Aquifer unsustainable The City of Windhoek has started supplying the southern suburbs with borehole water from the Windhoek Aquifer, which is the city's emergency supply. The emergency water supply strategy has been implemented in Windhoek. New mandatory savings for residents now stand at 10%.

These savings are critical to maintain since abstraction from the Windhoek Aquifer, the city's emergency reserve, is unsustainable.

Windhoek's southern suburbs will be primarily supplied with water from at least nine boreholes that were drilled in the aquifer over the past year.

This is a first for the City, which has been preparing to launch the aquifer supply scenario for more than a year, in anticipation of a possible drought following the lengthy water supply crisis that ended last year.

Last week the City announced that water savings had to be increased from 5% to 10% after inflow to the central dams supplying Windhoek amounted to 24.91% of the average expected inflow, as announced by NamWater recently.

Residents were applauded for saving as much as 7.69%, more than the required 5% each month.

As of 1 August, at least 20 000 cubic metres of water will be pumped from the boreholes to supply households in Academia, Pionierspark, Kleine Kuppe, Olympia and Auasblick.

This supply strategy was designed to address the lack of inflow to the three main supply dams of NamWater, which has now halved its supply to the City, from around 60 000 cubic metres daily to 30 000.

In addition, Windhoek will receive 17 000 cubic metres a day from the Windhoek reclamation plant, the maximum output that can be provided.

Yet, in order to ensure the new daily usage target of 67 000 cubic metres a day can be achieved, residents have a vital role to play by ensuring 10% water savings.

Koos Theron of the City of Windhoek's infrastructure, water, and technical services division explained that it is crucial residents do their part, pointing out that the current water supply operation is highly risky as it relies on an emergency resource, the aquifer.

He explained that the current abstraction of around 20 000 cubic metres a day from the aquifer is not sustainable over the long run, based on the average natural recharge of the underground water source which amounts to around 1.7 million cubic metres per annum.

At the current rate, around 7.5 million cubic metres per annum are being extracted, almost 4.5 times the recharge rate.

“If everybody can contribute, we should be able to get to the 67 000 cubic metres a day. If we do not, we have to exploit the City of Windhoek boreholes further, which is not a good option, because we are already using our 'retirement money'. Or we could ask NamWater to supply more water, but then we are not sticking to the plan. The easiest way is water demand management,” he said.

Theron explained that all relevant stakeholders have agreed to immediately convene a meeting should there be a substantial inflow into the dams, to discuss whether the current supply scenario can be amended.

He added that the first change would be to reduce the pressure on the aquifer, by either reducing the extraction rate or shutting it off completely.

This may not be on the cards soon as the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an increasing chance for the El Nino weather phenomenon during the coming rainy season.

According to the administration, El Nino will strengthen to around 65% during spring and will strengthen further to 70% during the summer season.

El Nino typically reduces rainfall and a strong occurrence almost guarantees lower than average precipitation increasing the chances for drought.

This does not bode well for the economy. By May this year, the construction industry had seen 30% job losses with more than 60% of the industry's businesses closing their doors. Roughly 60 000 jobs had been lost across all sectors during the 2016/17 financial year due to the depressed economic conditions, coupled with low rainfall.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Wanderers win NRU league

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Wanderers win NRU leagueUnited stumble There were wild celebrations after FNB Wanderers claimed the Namibia Rugby Union Premier League at the weekend. FNB Wanderers overcame their nerves as they defeated rivals Trustco United 30-22 in the final of the league at the Hage Geingob Stadium on Saturday evening.

Wanderers signalled their thirst for victory from the second minute of the match when Rudi Pretorius converted a penalty to put his team in the lead.

Trustco United responded with a try by Morne Blom in the 12th minute of the game, which increased the volume of the United spectators.

Winmar Rust, who failed to score a penalty for United in the eighth minute, failed to score the conversion. As result, Denzil van Wyk gave the champions their first try of the match, followed by a conversion by Rudi Pretorius.

The league champions once again showed their dominance in the 23rd minute as Stefan Hattingh ran in their second try while Pretorius showed his fine form with the boot, extending their lead to 17-5 with another conversion.

Wanderers' lead did not last long though, as United pulled themselves together and struck back with a try in the 32nd minute by Rust, who finally found his scoring boots as he converted from the spot.

He added three more points through a penalty just before the half-time break to keep the score close at 17-15 heading into the break.

In the second half, United took the lead for the first time when Rust showed his dominance against the Wanderers defence when he crashed over for a second time in the 42nd minute and he converted the subsequent spot kick to hand United a 22-17 lead. After going down just three minutes into the second half a well-disciplined Wanderers beefed up their attacked despite United's stern defensive efforts.

United's defence was finally broken in the 57th minute, when Janry du Toit ran in their third try of the match, before Pretorius added an improbable conversion from the touchline to give his side a 24-22 lead. United tried all they could to put points on the score sheet but their efforts failed to pay off as basic errors handed Wanderers two penalties which were scored by Pretorius to complete the 30-22 triumph.

Prior to the match, news was circulated that the final match had been cancelled before it was announced that it was back on again.

This is said to have had a physiological effect on some of the players.



Unam win Reserve League

Unam's second team managed to beat Wanderers (B) to win the reserve league at the Hage Geingob Stadium.

The University boys came from behind late in the match to score a try which earned them a 14-12 win.

Both teams were level at 0-0 before halftime following a series of great defences from both sets of backlines.

The match picked up momentum in the second half, resulting in tries by both Unam and Wanderers.

Unam scored a try in the dying minutes of the match to earn the Reserve League trophy.

- Additional reporting by NAMPA

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

ILO big shot in Namibia

August 5, 2018, 4:00 pm

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ILO big shot in Namibia Guy Ryder, the director general of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), arrived in Windhoek yesterday on his first official mission to the country.
During his visit, Ryder is expected to meet Pres Hage Geingob, the minister of labour, industrial relations and employment creation, Erkki Nghimtina, as well as cabinet members, employers, workers’ representatives and heads of UN agencies.
As the ILO mandate is premised on human rights and social justice, Ryder will also be visiting an informal settlement to get a first-hand look of the manifestation of inequalities and the challenges faced by communities living and working in poverty.
His visit will culminate with the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the new Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for Namibia.
The DWCP is the ILO’s programme of support to its member countries based on the national development plans within the framework of the United Nations Partnership Assistance Framework.
Ryder will depart again tomorrow.

New members on board

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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New members on board Promoting the prominence of libraries and archives The education ministry held an inaugural ceremony for the fifth Namibia Library and Information Council (NLIC) on Friday in Windhoek. Justicia Shipena





The main objective of the NLIC is to promote the development and use of libraries.

Speaking at the event, education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa said: “The new council members should have the capacity to determine and refine the purpose of the libraries and archives, and will assist the education sector in response to changing environmental conditions and broadly draft a course of action to be undertaken to meet the information needs of the community.”

Hanse-Himarwa also thanked the outgoing council members for their dedication and commitment towards advancing and promoting libraries and information services as well as the National Archives during their term in office.

The core functions of the council members are to support all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular eradicating poverty, ensure inclusive and equitable education, and build resilient infrastructure.

According to Sanet Steenkamp, permanent secretary of the ministry, people take libraries for granted.

“Under the leadership of the new council, we believe that we will reach over a million people and that is our aim. I am delighted to say that the smell of a book will never go out of fashion despite all the digital platforms we have,” she said.

Steenkamp added that libraries are used to access information but there are more activities that the incoming council members can provide in terms of the direction, guidance, support and strong governance principles.

“There have been many successful projects, such as the construction and inauguration of the three regional libraries at Oshana, Ohangwena and Omaheke regions, and the implementation of different projects such as Library Development Project funded by the Finnish Library Association,” she said.

Metropolitan donates over desk bags

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Metropolitan donates over desk bags Finalist for the Mrs Africa Foundation, Lizelle Groenewald, together with the Pinnacle Metropolitan Empowerment Trust, sponsored desk bags valued at N$17 500 to the Paraclete Kindergarten in Havana, Katutura. The little ones only have chairs and don’t have desks. The desk bags therefore provide a portable desk and bag solution. It allows a child to carry books and stationery to and from school. The bags are waterproof, reflective and light for pre-primary scholars to use and have a lifespan to last throughout primary school.

The Paraclete Kindergarten was founded by Pastor Ben Niyakuri and his wife. They saw that Havana needed an intervention because most of the children are from disadvantaged backgrounds and they wanted to make a difference in the lives of these children. Pictured, from left to right, Adelinde Kapundya a teacher at the school, Lizelle Groenewaldt, Benaya Niyukuri and Ariah Mokomele, project assistant of the Pinnacle Metropolitan Empowerment Trust. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Listen to the needs of athletes - Uutoni

August 6, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Listen to the needs of athletes - Uutoni Justicia Shipena

The Athletes Commission, under the auspices of the Namibia National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association (NNOC-CGA) in partnership with the sport ministry, the Namibia Sports Commission and Nust, hosted the first-ever Athletes Forum at university.

Speaking at the event, sport minister Erastus Uutoni, said there is a need to work closer with athletes and listen to their needs as they are the greatest assets.

“It’s therefore vitally important that we have a system that puts the wellbeing and welfare of the athletes first. This system will empower and support athletes to succeed beyond the field of play. It is important that athletes help each other in career transition, education and policies which affect them,” he said.

At the event, athletes learned about anti-doping rules and regulations at international level, were informed about the importance of sports psychology and were introduced to career options available to retired athletes through sport management degrees offered at Nust.

Uutoni further stated that former athletes should remain involved in sports through roles in public relations, sports administration and sports education.

“It is always easier in such instances for an athlete to relate to another athlete,” he said.

Uutoni further urged that parents, educators, administrators, coaches and sponsors educate and remind themselves against the dangers and life-threatening impacts of doping so that we, in turn, can collectively fight against it in our sporting fraternity.

The forum’s aim was to educate exclusive and high-performance athletes and serve as a platform to gather relevant information on how they can improve in their quest for excellence.

According to Gaby Ahrens, Namibia Athletes Commission’s chairperson, the initiative is an important platform to address appropriate issues facing athletes and all other high-performance related factors.

“It is not only aimed at providing information. The aim is also to encourage athletes to become involved in their own development, while understanding their role and that of their coaches in preparation for future international competitions,” she said.

She added that the testing procedure can be stressful for the athlete at an event if they are not aware of the constraints. Preparation is therefore essential in order to mitigate and avoid stressful situations.

The event was graced by well-known international and local speakers representing multiple areas of expertise in sports. World-renowned motivational speaker and sport psychologist, Dr Henning Gericke, highlighted the importance of achieving mental toughness during competition. Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry, one of Africa’s most successful Olympic athletes was also in attendance.

Namibian athletes such as Collin Benjamin, former international and national soccer player; 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallists Helalia Johannes; Jonas Junius and double Paralympic gold medallist, Ananias Shikongo, shared their personal journeys to sporting success.

Speaking to The Zone after the forum Kaela Schimming, an athlete for the national girl’s hockey team, said that the forum provided her a platform to learn how she can develop sports in different regions. She also commented on the sports management programme which she thinks is a good initiative as it is opens doors to individuals.

“Something I learned from Dr Gericke was how to mentally prepare myself and how to be mentally stronger,” she said.

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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

Skorpion Zinc Cup fever rises

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Skorpion Zinc Cup fever risesOmaheke and Zambezi give update Some regions preparing for the Skorpion Zinc under-17 tournament have expressed their ambition to win the trophy this year. Omaheke's regional under-17 side will try to emulate the exploits of the seniors when they play in the Skorpion Zinc Cup slated to start on 24 August.

The under-20s of that region won The Namibian Newspaper Cup earlier this year and their juniors therefore want to win the Skorpion tournament to prove a point to the seniors.

The youth football spectacle will be played at Grootfontein during the Heroes' Day long weekend.

Coach Ewald Zuma Kavirombo said winning The Namibian Newspaper Cup earlier this year served as a boost for the region's youth, as there is an intense hunger for football like never before.

Kavirombo is familiar with a competition of such nature, given that he was recently the assistant coach for the under-20 team which triumphed in Katima Mulilo.

“We have not yet started with trials, but we will start from 16 August after the examinations,” Kavirombo said.

The coach will be assisted by Geraldo Jermano Eiseb and Herman Tristan Jacobs. Charles Neels will also be part of the technical team.

Kavironmbo added that the Skorpion Zinc under-17 Cup was a great platform for identifying young talent to represent the nation.

He admitted that the region did not have their best performance last year, as they struggled to cope in their first two matches.

But he feels that they have what it takes to bag the cup this time around.

Omaheke have been drawn in Group B with Oshikoto, Erongo, Ohangwena and Kavango West.



Zambezi aim to seize Cup

The Zambezi Region have their own plans of taking the cup home.

They have completed trials and will be wrapping up their preparations for the tournament.

The selection of players was not easy though, given that most players had to focus on their studies.

“We do not want to exclude those from rural schools, when they can proudly represent their region. We try by all means to visit even areas far from Katima Mulilo,” coach Muchaka Muchaka said.

On being drawn in the same group as the defending champions, Omusati, the coach confidently said they were not only preparing for Omusati but wanted to be ready for all the other regions in the same group. He said among a lot of aspects to be corrected and perfected, he intended to put much of his focus on defending and finishing.

“I understand that in our match against Hardap last year, we were leading but the match ended in a 2-2 draw because we failed to defend.”

Muchaka said the absence of a youth league or football academies in the region hindered the growth of football there, but tournaments such as the Skorpion Zinc Cup meant a lot to the young people as they exposed them to the football world and gave them an opportunity to exhibit their talent.

The host region, Otjozondjupa, are drawn in Group A with Kavango East, Hardap and Kunene. Group B consists of Kavango West, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Omaheke and Erongo, while group C has //Karas, Omusati, Khomas and Zambezi.

-Additional info by NFA

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

Fistball League enters its fourth round

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Fistball League enters its fourth round The Bank Windhoek Fistball League's fourth round will take place on Saturday at the Swakopmund Fussball Club (SFC) in Swakopmund.

Scheduled to kick off at 08:30, this will be the last encounters before the League prepares for the playoffs in September.

Participating clubs will battle it out in Group A and B.

Cohen Fistball Club (CFC), who defended the Cohen tournament last month, will face Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW), SFC and Deutscher Turn und Sportverein (DTS) in Group A.

CFC 1 and SKW 2 have been earmarked as favourites to advance to the semi-finals.

However, SKW 2 has problems this time around as the club will not have its regular starting five on the weekend.

As a result, teams such as SFC, may have a genuine chance of booking a semi-final ticket come match day due to home-ground advantage. SKW 1, who are currently sitting four points clear at the top of the log, will fight for top honours in Group B.

They will have to overcome the determined CFC teams: 1, 2 and 3.

The leading record champions, SKW 1, are only expected to encounter tough competition from CFC 2 for the semi-final spots.

Nevertheless, a surprise can be expected as Cohen teams always fight until the last minute of every match.

It will be an exciting fight for the overall fourth place on the final table as this position guarantees the last available place in the semi-finals of the A League.

As it stands, SFC and CFC 2 share the fourth spot with 16 points each.

Top of the log are SKW 1 (34), followed by CFC 1 (30), and SKW 2 (24).

Teams placed fifth to eighth after the fourth round will have an opportunity to compete for the B League title during the playoffs.

The Bank Windhoek Fistball Championship playoffs are scheduled to take place on Saturday, 29 September at SKW in Windhoek.

SPORT REPORTER

Elcin a gandja omaiyuvo ge kombinga yevi

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Elcin a gandja omaiyuvo ge kombinga yeviOngeleka oya hala aakwashigwana ayehe ya mone uuwanawa mevi Ongongahangano yoongeleka dhaElcin otayi ngongopo omukanda kombinga yomatulululo gevi, ngoka tagu ka gandjwa momutumba omutiyali gwevi gwopashigwana ngoka tagu ningwa moshilongo muKotomba. Omutumba gwaasita yongeleka yoEvangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) mUuninginino, ogwa pula opo ku tulwe miilonga omulandu gumwe gwevi,, nokupopya kutya omilandu adhihe dhoka tadhi tongola ngele tashi ya mokugandja evi nadhi kuthwe miilonga.

Omutumba ngoka ogwa nuninwa okugandja omaiyuvo kombinga yomatulululo gevi, sho oshilongo kwa tegelela shi ninge omutumba gwevi gwopashigwana momwedhi Kotomba.

Omumbisofi gwaELCIN, Veikko Munyika okwa popi kutya ekondjo inali pwa natango molwaashoka etopolo lyevi moshigwana inali pwa natango omanga evi olindji li li owala momake gaakengeli.

Okwa popi kutya evi, ehala mpoka oshigwana tashi vulu okukala nombili pwaahena omambandameko okuza komutondi ta gwedha po natango kutya: “Pwaahena evi, omuntu ota kala aluhe a fa a kana, keena ehala oshowo omidhi. Onkene omuntu kehe okwa pumbwa evi mowaashoka uuna lya kuthwa po nena omuntu okwa tindilwa egumbo, omboloto, uuhupilo oshowo ehala lyokufumbikwa.”

Okwa tsikile kutya moNamibia aantu oyendji oya dhigwa kaayena evi lyokutunga nando egumbo lyondunda yimwe yookulala.

Okwa popi kutya omukalo gwokulanditha evi pangeshefa ogwo gwa etitha unene uupyakadhi muAfrika, nomoNamibia shoka otashi monikila momukalo moka evi olindji li li owala momake goohandimwe aakengeli nenge momake gomalelo goondoolopa omanga aakwashigwana kaye na evi.

Munyika okwa popi kutya ongeleka ngaashi Oonkwaluteri, Katoolika oshowo Anglikan nandho odhiiyadha dhili mompumbwe yevi, sho dha kuthwa evi ndyoka dhali dha mono okuza kaaleli yopamuthigululwakalo.

Ngashingeyi oongeleka otadhi thiminikwa opo dhi landeko evi ndyoka okuza kepangelo nomalelo goondoolopa, koondando dhi li pombanda noonkondo.



Gandjeni evi shi thike pamwe

Omumbisofi Munyika okwa popi kutya evi olya pumbwa okugandjwa uuwanawa kaaNamibia ayehe.

“Kashi shi owala oshinakugwanithwa shepangelo okugandja evi kaakwashigwana ayehe ihe oshinakugwanithwa woo shaamboka ye na evi ya topole nayakwawo mboka kaye na sha.”

Kombinga yaamboka taya popi evi lyuuthiga, Munyika owa pula ngele ethimbo kali shi tuu ele ngashiingeyi sho mboka ya kanitha evi lyawo lyuuthiga inaye li shunithilwa nonando kaye na iiyemo yokulilandako.

Okwa tsikile kutya omanenepeko goondoolopa nago otaga gumu kuuthemba waantu ya kale ye na evi.

Momvula yo1996 konima owala yomutumba gwevi gwotango ngoka gwa ningwa mo 1991, aasita yoongeleka dhaElcin oya li ya pula opo epangelo kali pitike evi lyuuthililo li tulwe meni lyoodhalate kaakengeli. Oya li woo ya pula opo ka kulandithwe po evi kaazaizai.

Aasita oya popi kutya omulandu gwomatulululo ngoka tagu ithanwa omulandi a pyakudhukwa nomulandithi a hala, ogwa ndopa na inagu gandja iizemo iiwanawa.

Oya popi kutya ekutheko lyevi pwaahena iifuta otali vulu okupopilwa ngele ope na uumbangi waashoka tashi popile kutya evi ndyoka olya yakwa ko kooyene.

Munyikwa okwa gandja omaiyuvo ge gekuthoko lyevi pe na iifuta iishona tayi utilepo iilonga mbyoka ya longwa pehala mpoka ihe shoka nashi ningwa konima yomapekaapeko.

Omaiyuvo gaasita mboka oga ningwa giikolelela kEkotampango lyoshilongo ndyoka tali utha kutya AaNamibia oye na uuthemba okukala nomaliko mwakwatelwa evi. Oya popi kutya onkene evi olya pumbwa okutopolwa pauyuuki shi thike pamwe nakape na ngoka a pumbwa okukala nevi enene nenge eshona. Oya popi kutya ondando yevi nayi kale woo tayi vulika kaantu ayehe.

Oya popi natango kutya ompango yevi lyaayehe yomo1995 oya pumbwa okulundululwa opo yi gandje uuthemba kaantu yomomidhingoloko dhaayehe yavule okukala nuumwene wevi ndyoka ye li.

Kombinga yomulandu gwomulandi a pyakudhukwa nomulandithi a hala, oya pula opo gu kuthwe po molwaashoka ogwa ndopa okugandja iizemo iiwanawa.

Oya popi kutya itaya popile ekutheko lyevi pwaahena iifuta molwaashoka otali ka etitha oongunga dhuule wethimbo ele.

Natango oya popi kutya mboka ye na iitopolwa yevi inene nay a ye moonkundathana opo ya gandje po iitopolwa yimwe po kepangelo.

Momulandu gwomatulululo namu kwatelwe egandjo lyomayambidhidho giiyemo oshowo omadheulo opo oomalalakano gomulandu ngoka ga adhe omathikilo. Aasita oya gandja woo omaiyuvo gawo kutya omusinda omutiligane ano oVeterinary Cordon Fence nagu tembudhilwe koongamba dhaNamibia naAngola.



CATHERINE SASMAN

Oshigwana sha yambidhidha ofamili yomOmundudu

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Oshigwana sha yambidhidha ofamili yomOmundudu Aantu oyendji oya yamukula keindilo ndyoka lya ningwa opo kuyambidhidhwe ofamili yaantu 26 ndjoka iilya yawo ya pipo komulilo momwedhi Juni.

Oshiningwanima shoka osha ningwa momasiku 11 gaJuni momukunda Omundudu moshikandjohogololo Engela moshitopolwa shaHangwena.

Otaku fekelwa kutya omulilo ngoka ogwa etithwa kohandje ndjoka ya zilile pokandingosho keli popepi.

Momaandaha oshifokundaeki shoNamibian Sun osha talele po ofamili ndjoka na osha yi moonkundathana nomunamivo 42, Martha Kaunapawa Walyange, ngoka a popi kutya okwa pandula keyambidhidho ndyoka ya mono.

Walyange okwa popi kutya aantu oyendji oye ya pe omayambidhdo nomagano giilya.

Okwa popi kutya omusita Jackson Babi gwoHouse of Joy Ministries okwe ya pe ooshako 22 dhookg 50 dhiilya, oshako yuusila wepungu yookg 40, iikulya yilwe ngaashi omagadhi gokuteleka, oondooha dhoohi oshowo oosopa.

Okwa popi kutya natango oya mono ooshako 14 dhiilya yomahangu okuza kombelewa yoshikandjohogololo Engela. Ongeleka yaElcin pomudhingoloko gwawo oye ya pe ooshako dhili heyali dhiilya yomahongu dhookg 50.

Walyange okwa tsikile kutya aantu oohandimwe yopomudhingoloko gwawo oshowo nomikunda dhopuushinda oshowo moshilongo oya yamukula keindilo ndyoka lya ningwa, na oye ya pe omayambidhidho unene lyiilya yomahangu.

“Kanda li nda tegelela tu mone eyambidhidho ngaashi ndyoka twa pewa. Ngele owa dhimbuluka pethimbo lyoshiningwanima onda Ii nda limbililwa na kandi shi kutya nandi uke peni,” Walyange a popi.

Okwa pandula ayehe mboka ye ya pe omayambidhidho.

“Otatu pandula aayehe mboka ye tu yambidhidha. Otatu pandula woo mboka yetu galikanene. Osha simana unene kutse na otashi ulike kutya AaNamibia oye holathane. Otandi pandula woo iikundaneki sho ya tseyitha onkalo nompumbwe yetu. Tangi,” Walyange a popi.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Embo kombinga yondjokonona yomiyonena dha longwa kuSwapo

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Embo kombinga yondjokonona yomiyonena dha longwa kuSwapo Luhupe gwomiyonena dhiita ndhoka taku popiwa dha ningwa kongundu yoSwapo moLubango shaAngola, okwa hokolola kombinga yonkalo ndjoka iiyadha muyo omanga e li muupongekwa. Membo lye tali ithanwa ‘Swapo Captive - A Comrade’s Experience of Betrayal and Torture’, Oiva Angula okwa popi kombinga yekalo mondjeedhililo uule woomvula ne netata moka a kala ta monithwa iihuna.

Iilyo yimwe yoSwapo okwa popiwa ya longitha oodholongo ndhoka mondoolopa ndjoka yaAngola mokukutha po nokuhepeka mboka taya fekelelwa elongelo kumwe nomutondi.

Membo lye, Angula okwa hokolola nkene a lundilwa kutya oku li ondaadhi yomutondi sha etitha a tulwe mondjeedhililo ndjoka nokuhepekwa.





Oolopota odha holola kutya konyala AaNamibia ya thika po 4 000 oya tulwa moondjeedhililo ndhoka moLubango noyendji kaye wetike.

United Nations Committee Against Torture muDesemba gwo2016 oya yi mekwatathano nepangelo lyaNamibia tayi pula opo ku ningwe omakonaakono omolwa iimbuluma mbyoka ya ningwa pethimbo lyekondjelomanguluko mwa kwatelwa oshikumungu shepangulo lyaakwashigwana mboka taku popiwa kutya oya kambadhala okukutha ko oshitopolwa shaCaprivi (Zambezi) kuNamibia.

Omapulaapulo ngoka kombinga yomiyonena dhiita nuuthemba waantu, nomiyonena ndhoka dha longwa aniwa kuSwapo pethimbo lyekondjelomanguluko oga li ge na okutameka kuyele nuumvo ihe oga ndopa okutameka

Omapulaapulo ngoka otaga kwatelwa komeho ko

Committee of Parents and the Truth and Justice Committee, ndjoka ya kwatela mo ooluhupoe yomiyonea ndhoka oshowo aakwanezimo yaamboka ya kana.

Gumwe gwomoonakuhupa nokwa pula uukwatya we wuholekwe okwa popi kutya oshili otayi etitha ombili komitima dhawo na okwa hala ongndu ndjka yi popye oshii kombinga yaashoka sha holoka po.

Ombudsman John Walters pamwe nagumwe gwomoonakuninga iihakanwa yomiyonena ndhoka, Bience Gawanas, oya kala taya yambidhidha opo ku ningwe omapulaapulo ngoka pethimbo lyoonkundathana ndhoka ya ningwa nadho koshikundanekifo shoThe Patriot.

OMUTOOLINKUNDANA GWOMENI

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Company news in brief

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Company news in brief PepsiCo has new CEO

PepsiCo Inc has appointed Ramon Laguarta to take over as chief executive from Indra Nooyi, handing the reins to a veteran who led the company’s fast-growing emerging markets business.

Laguarta, who starts on October 3, will be tasked with managing the company’s response as consumer tastes move away from sugary drinks.

Nooyi, 62, is stepping down after 24 years at PepsiCo, where she held a variety of roles, including her most recent 12 years as CEO. Her departure also leaves only one woman of color among Fortune 500 CEOs.

-Nampa/Reuters

Mattress Firm to close stores

Mattress Firm Inc, the largest US mattress retailer, is considering a potential bankruptcy filing as it seeks ways to get out of costly store leases and shut some of its 3 000 locations that are losing money, people familiar with the matter said.

Mattress Firm’s deliberations offer the latest example of a US brick-and-mortar retailer struggling financially amid competition from e-commerce firms such as Amazon.com Inc .Shares of Mattress Firm competitor Tempur Sealy International Inc jumped on the news and ended trading on Monday up 5.2% at US$52.64.

-Nampa/Reuters

Arista to pay US$400 million to Cisco

Arista Networks Inc will pay US$400 million to Cisco Systems Inc to resolve a US court fight between the two network equipment makers, Arista said in a regulatory filing on Monday, the day a jury trial in the dispute was scheduled to begin.

The settlement resolved US lawsuits filed by Cisco alleging Arista copied its intellectual property.

The deal also called for Arista to drop a lawsuit alleging Cisco engaged in anticompetitive conduct to preserve its dominant share of the ethernet switch market. The jury trial in that case was to have started on Monday in San Jose, California.

-Nampa/Reuters

Facebook in talks with banks

Facebook Inc said on Monday it is in talks to deepen links with banks and financial institutions, saying it can help the firms improve their customer service.

The social media company said users of financial firms such as PayPal, Citibank and American Express could link their financial accounts with Facebook’s Messenger and chat with a customer service representative.

-Nampa/Reuters

Marriott sees revenue weakness

Marriott International Inc on Monday signaled weakness in revenue per available room (revPAR) in North America, its largest market, for the third quarter, sending shares of the world’s largest hotel chain down about 4%.

The company expects revPAR, an important metric that measures a hotel chain’s health, to increase by 1.5% to 2% in the region due to Independence Day holiday falling in the middle of the week and tough comparisons to last year’s numbers that included the impact of hurricane relief efforts.

-Nampa/Reuters

Shilunga sworn in as Oshakati councillor

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Shilunga sworn in as Oshakati councillor Onesmus Shilunga was sworn in as member of the Oshakati town council on Monday.

Shilunga, who previously served as mayor of the town, was sworn in as councillor to fill the vacancy left by the death of Johannes Shilongo on 17 July.

Shilunga was the next in line on the Swapo Party list elections and was endorsed by the party to replace Shilongo.

Shilunga took the oath of office before Magistrate Cynthia Matiti, fellow councillors, council staff and members of the public.

Subsequently Shilunga was elected to serve as member of the council's management committee, a position that his predecessor held.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Nigerian pastor sued, charged with forgery

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Nigerian pastor sued, charged with forgery A married couple are suing the pastor and the Life Changing Christian Church in Dorado Park for an alleged breach of a lease agreement, and for failure to pay monthly rental fees.

While this matter is being heard in the High Court, Isaac Onwordi, the pastor of the church, who is a Nigerian national, is also expected to appear in the Magistrate's Court in Windhoek on 16 October 2018 on charges of forgery.

In this matter, it is alleged Onwordi forged a document for ownership of a N$1.5-million residence in Windhoek which is said to belong to the Arnat couple, Gervasius and Fransizka, who were members of his Katutura-based church. Currently Onwordi, and his wife, Suama, are on N$10 000 bail with stringent conditions.

In the civil case in the High Court the Arnats are seeking a court order confirming the cancellation of the lease agreement and an order to eject the pastor and his wife from the residence on erf 148, Antilla Street, Dorado Park, Windhoek.

In their particulars, the Arnats claim that Onwordi entered into an agreement for the Onwordis to lease the residence to conduct religious activities.

The agreement, among others, stipulated that each party had the right to terminate the agreement with one month's notice and that Onwordis would pay the monthly rental on or before the first of each month.

Further terms were that the pastor and his wife would, upon the termination of the lease agreement, vacate the premises. Other stipulations included the maintenance of the premises and that the tenants were not allowed to bring about any structural alterations to the building without the written consent of the owners and the approval of the City of Windhoek.

The Arnats allege that the Onwordis breached the agreement in that they made substantive structural changes to the building without their written consent or approval of the City of Windhoek.

“The conduct constitutes a material breach of the agreement and violation of the law,” the Arnats maintained.

The Arnats on 30 April 2016 cancelled the lease agreement and the Onwordis' right to occupy the property. However, they refused to vacate the premises and have, to date, remained in unlawful occupation of the place.

In their counterclaim, the Onwordis say the claim by the Arnats does not disclose cause of action and lacks the necessary allegation as to when, where and by whom the lease agreement was concluded.

There is allegedly a lack of necessary allegation as to what the agreed fixed rental amount was as well as the period of lease.

It is further alleged the Arnats also do not provide any details or proof of the alleged restrictions towards making or causing of any structural alterations or improvements on the property.

They say the Arnats have failed to prove or provide any details about the manner in which the defendants allegedly breached the material terms of the lease agreement.

“No clear allegations are made as to the manner in which we have breached the agreement,” the Onwordis maintained.

They stated the Arnats have not clearly and concisely provided any proof as to what structural improvements were made by them.

“Neither have the plaintiffs provided any details of what law or which law has been violated,” the respondents argued.

They further challenge the plaintiffs to prove that they (plaintiffs) complied with the terms of the agreement and that Onwordis breached the material terms of the agreement.

FRED GOEIEMAN

Dundee explains smog

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Dundee explains smogAttempts to quell growing anger The company says emissions emanating from its smelter in the morning are caused by a cooling process, which is an intricate process in a smelter. Anger continues to grow over thick plumes of smoke hanging over the smelter of Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPMT), but the company says it is “normal smelter practice”.

Responding to pictures sent by residents at Tsumeb, Dundee said the plumes emanate from its molten slag cooling area, which is part of the production process.

“The molten slag is left to cool down to atmospheric temperatures before it is reprocessed,” Dundee's spokesperson, Alina Garises, responded this week.

She said the cooling process emits the smoke visible on the pictures sent by the residents.

“We have observed incidents of the air quality limits at our quality monitoring station at the site boundary at the time the pictures were taken and we are currently investigating different technology solutions for the molten slag cooling process that will have reduced environmental and visual impact,” Garises said.

The pictures were taken in the between 07:30 and 08:30.

Garises said one of Dundee's core values is to continuously improve and to seek sustainable ways to implement long-lasting solutions to transform the smelter into a world-class operation.

This, she stressed, includes an emission-free operation.

Residents remain furious over the smog hanging over the town and insist that Dundee “must get its act together”.

In June, they lodged similar complaints to which Dundee responded that the emissions were random and generally experienced due to “operational upset conditions”, which included power trips during the start-up of the plant.

The company at the time did not respond to allegations that it was experiencing problems with its acid plant, but said “ambient levels” of sulphur dioxide in Tsumeb “on occasion” caused some individuals to complain of irritation.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Google in talks with Tencent and Inspur

August 7, 2018, 4:00 pm

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Google in talks with Tencent and InspurFor China cloud Google’s plans for China are even more ambitious than previously understood. You can never say never, but that is an incredibly tough proposition- John Dinsdale , Synergy analyst The internet giant is in talks with Tencent, Inspur Group and other Chinese companies to offer its cloud services in the world’s second-largest economy, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The discussions began in early 2018 and Google narrowed partnership candidates to three firms in late March, according to one of the people. Trade tensions between China and the US now loom over the effort, making it unclear whether the plans will proceed, this person said.

The disclosure comes just days after the revelation that Google is developing a version of its search engine for China that would block information the Beijing government considers sensitive. If implemented, the move would mark a dramatic reversal by the Alphabet unit, which exited the mainland in 2010 after refusing to comply with its censorship practices.

The prospect of one of the most powerful American corporations bending to China’s will drew immediate condemnation in Washington.

"It is a coup for the Chinese government and Communist Party to force Google - the biggest search engine in the world - to comply with their onerous censorship requirements and sets a worrying precedent for other companies seeking to do business in China without compromising their core values," six US lawmakers, including Republican Senator Marco Rubio, wrote in a letter to Google’s chief executive officer Sundar Pichai.

Shares of Tencent rose as much as 2.3% in Hong Kong.

The goal of the cloud initiative is to run Google internet-based services via the domestic data centres and servers of Chinese providers, similar to the way other US cloud companies access that market.

Local partnerships

In most of the rest of the world, Google Cloud rents computing power and storage over the internet and sells a collection of workplace productivity apps called G Suite that are run on its own data centres.

China requires digital information to be stored in the country and Google has no data centres in the mainland, so it needs partnerships with local players.

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene said last week that she wants the business to "be a global cloud," but declined to comment specifically about China. Still, the company is seeking a Shanghai-based business development manager for its cloud business.

The job posting lists "experience in, and knowledge of, the Chinese market" as a preferred qualification.

A Google Cloud spokesperson declined to comment. Inspur and Jane Yip, a Tencent spokesperson, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Powerful allies

A tie-up with large Chinese tech firms, like Tencent and Inspur, a major cloud and server provider, would also give Google powerful allies as it attempts a broader return to mainland China, where it pulled its search engine in 2010 over censorship concerns.

After years of slowly rebuilding a presence in China, Google has pressed the accelerator recently. It’s building a cloud data centre region in Hong Kong this year and opened an artificial intelligence research centre in Beijing in January. Along with other Alphabet Inc. units, it has begun investing more in Chinese companies. Plans for the censored search app in China a furious debate about whether Google is putting profit over its mission to “organize the world’s information and make it universally available.”

A cloud partnership for Google in China would help the company compete more with larger rivals Amazon.com and Microsoft. In late 2017, Amazon agreed to sell its Chinese servers and some other cloud assets to local partner Beijing Sinnet Technology.

The move complied with laws introduced that year mandating the storage of data within the country and bolstering government control over the movement of information. The move mirrored a similar set-up between Microsoft and its local partner 21Vianet.

With Tencent, Google would have an even more high-profile ally - but would also go up against local competitors including Alibaba, which operates a major cloud business in China.

China is the second-largest cloud market, but local companies dominate, making it difficult for outsiders like Google, according to Synergy Research Group.

"You can never say never, but that is an incredibly tough proposition," Synergy analyst John Dinsdale said. A June report from Synergy ranked Google fourth in the Asian cloud market, behind Amazon, Alibaba and Microsoft.

In January, Google struck a patent-sharing deal with Tencent. The agreement came with an understanding that the two companies would team up on developing future technologies.

Ecosystem

Tencent operates its own cloud service and is building an ecosystem of partners that includes Cisco Systems, Nvidia and Deloitte, according to Tencent’s website. It already offers a cloud service called the Tencent Kubernetes Engine that’s based on a popular Google technology by the same name.

Google could host services, such as Gmail, Drive and Docs, on Tencent’s data centres, and the Chinese company may suggest existing cloud customers try Google offerings.

Tencent founder Pony Ma is a representative of China’s National People’s Congress, and Inspur, formerly the state-owned Shandong Electronics Devices Plant, could provide political cover for Google as it seeks to gain approval from authorities to operate more of its largest businesses in country.

Google has touted the security and AI strengths of its cloud division. Tensorflow, a coding library for AI applications created by Google, is growing in popularity with researchers and software developers in China. While the feature is compatible with other cloud services, it’s designed to work most efficiently with Google’s cloud.

-Fin24