MSR brings hope

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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MSR brings hopeJobless skilled up to stand proud MSR currently has 1 461 registered members who are given access to various life skills training programmes.

Unemployment and poverty are just two socio-economic challenges that impede human progress.

Not having the means to purchase essential goods, such as food, can impede an individual’s dignity.

Two aspiring Namibian entrepreneurs from different backgrounds decided to tackle their unemployment and change their state of affairs. Their story, which shares similar paths and circumstances, is one of perseverance.

Katutura residents David Mupandeki and Toivo Lukas, who are both 36-years-old, have a few goals in common. Not only are they aspiring entrepreneurs, they are also individuals who want to offer fulltime employment to others.

In pursuit of this, they have already started to pave the way to make their dreams a reality.

Mupandeki is a qualified electrician who also specialises in carpentry and owns a home-based tuck shop. His goal is to become a millionaire.

“I like to share my skills and resources with others,” he said.

Apart from owning a barber shop, Lukas, who is a qualified welder, operates and owns a welding workshop.

“Repairing refrigerators is another one of my business ventures,” he said.

His business partner, 23-year-old Fillipus Iyambo, said he has learned a lot from Lukas and is thankful that after he failed grade 10, Lukas gave him hope at a time when his future looked bleak.

The other trait that Mupandeki and Lukas share is the fact that they both came to Windhoek in search of jobs. The journey tested their characters to the limit.

Hopeful

Mupandeki was born in Oshikango and later relocated to Oshigambo village in the Oshikoto Region. In 2004, due to a lack of employment opportunities, Mupandeki decided to move to Windhoek with the hope of finding a job that would support him and his family, and help fund his studies.

Lukas is originally from Omaku village in Omusati. In 2005, he also moved to Windhoek in search opportunities.

When Mupandeki and Lukas arrived in Windhoek, what greeted them was not what they expected. Jobs were scarce. Despite this, they kept hope alive and the situation seemed to change when they acquired temporary jobs, after standing on the side of the road.

The breakthrough

Mupandeki and Lukas were desperate for a breakthrough. In 2007, Lukas saw a glimmer of hope when he was referred by a friend to join Men on the Side of the Road (MSR), a non-profit welfare organisation. In 2010 Mupandeki joined MSR.

Registered in 2007 with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, MSR is determined to fight the high unemployment rate and the increasing number of school dropouts in Namibia.

It currently has 1 461 registered members who are given access to various life skills training programmes. It also assists both its male and female members by enrolling them at accredited training institutions and paying their tuition fees in full.

MSR has two branches - one in Windhoek and the other in Swakopmund.

Certificates and membership cards are awarded to members who complete life skills training and its money management workshops.

It also connects potential employers with the jobless via a job placement initiative.

Last year, 98 MSR members found part-time job placements and 26 were successfully placed in fulltime jobs.

At the same time, 78 members were successfully trained in various disciplines, including construction, automotive mechanics, home management, education and entrepreneurship.

While at MSR, Mupandeki and Lukas grabbed the opportunities presented to them.

After completing his electrical installation training at the Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC), Mupandeki got a fulltime job as an electrical installer.

A few months later, he was employed for six months as a retail shop a controller and receiving manager.

He then started his own business.

Mupandeki said he learned a lot at MSR, especially from its money management courses.

Similarly, Lukas underwent money management and life skills training at MSR.

In 2010, he participated in a welding and fabrication training course offered by KAYEC, also paid for by MSR.

In 2011, he successfully completed a welding and fabrication programme at the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (WVTC). He graduated in 2013.

“Mupandeki and Lukas made use of the opportunities we offered them and this has resulted in them being the business-minded individuals they are today. We are proud to have contributed to their success,” said MSR’s Windhoek office manager, Hilya Kambanda.

Future perspectives

Both Mupandeki and Lukas said they plan on expanding their businesses countrywide. They thanked MSR for being the stepping stone to them fulfilling their dreams.

The only challenge the two are currently facing is a lack of capital to purchase adequate operating machinery. They said that this will, however, not deter their plans of expanding and employing others.

The two agreed that youth should make use of any opportunity presented to them.

“Do not wait for government to assist you; let them find you halfway,” they advised.

Anyone looking for gardeners, plumbers, domestic workers and who want to take advantage of Mupandeki and Lukas’ services can contact MSR directly at 061 305 892 or visit their website at www.msr.org.na.

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Debit fraud: Here is how SA's big 4 banks are handling it

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Debit fraud: Here is how SA's big 4 banks are handling itNedbank, Standard Bank, FNB and ABSA For bank account holders who have been victims of debit order fraud, banks have heard their concerns and have taken steps to prevent it.

The four major banks – ABSA, Standard Bank, Nedbank and FNB – have partnered with the Payments Association of South Africa [PASA] to stop unauthorised debit orders going off clients' accounts.

PASA's offering DebiCheck went live across 10 banks in August. It is a new type of debit order – which is confirmed on a once-off basis at the start of a consumer's contract with a company. The consumer confirms details to authorise future debit orders using their mobile phone by either confirming on a banking app or typing a code on their cellphone.

In addition to DebiCheck, the big five banks have shared their remedies for debit order fraud:

Nedbank: Nedbank's MoneyApp has a feature for debit order management, which clients use to check their debit orders. "Besides the ability to view debit orders, clients can dispute, stop or reverse unauthorised payments, offering them the opportunity to completely change the way they manage and control their money," a spokesperson said.

Standard Bank: "In the unfortunate event that our customers experience unauthorised debit orders, they need to report it to Standard Bank within 40 days of the debit order being processed. Once this has been done, the bank will query the validity of the transaction with the company that debited the account," a spokesperson said. Account holders have to regularly check their bank statements and alert the bank of any unauthorised debit orders.

On the bank's digital and mobile banking platforms, customers are sent a One Time Pin for authentication purposes for any new instructions initiated by the customer, the spokesperson said.

ABSA: Apart from making use of DebiCheck, ABSA's Ulrich Janse Van Rensburg, head of fraud strategy assured that the bank's innovations and products are subjected to "strict control assessments" to ensure that offerings are safe and secure. "A stringent, layered control, mechanism is adhered to before the products or services are launched and consequently offered to the customers."

ABSA also advises clients not to share their card PIN, CVV number or One Time Pin. Customers should not share their internet pin or password either. Additionally, customers should not open hyperlinks to log on to internet banking and they should carefully read all bank communications and never approve any transactions, if they are not transacting.

FNB: FNB recently waived the fee to stop unauthorised debit orders through its electronic banking channels. Ryan Prozesky, FNB Consumer Core Banking CEO, said the bank is also monitoring and analysing non-FNB businesses that are processing illegal debit orders on customers’ accounts.

FNB customers are currently notified by SMS every time a new debit order is raised on their accounts for the first time. They can stop, dispute and reverse it if it is unauthorised. The bank also has a warning system to alert customers through SMS or App notifications of potential suspicious debit orders that are running.

Debit orders higher than R200 can be stopped or reversed via the contact centre or FNB branch at a fee – the majority of unauthorised debit orders have been found to be under R100 and the fee is also a measure to prevent customers from abusing the system, Prozesky explained.

-Fin24

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Swimming in faeces

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Swimming in faeces

The Gemengde community in Katutura is living amid the stench of raw faeces and claim the City of Windhoek has failed to deal with the issue for nearly two months.

City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya also failed to respond to questions sent by Namibian Sun on Tuesday, despite promising to “revert back”.

One of the residents, Jessica Mothlapi, said the situation is getting worse every day, as overflowing sewerage drains wreak havoc in the community.

“It is so bad that we cannot even cook because of the smell. The children are playing in that septic and dirty water every day and it is dangerous, especially now with the hepatitis E outbreak,” she said.

Another resident Immanuel Swartbooi said they have given up on the City because officials simply came, looked around, took pictures, left and never returned.

“It has been like this for about two months now. We must just get used to it, I think,” he said.

Namibia is grappling with a hepatitis E outbreak and is failing to contain the spread of the disease, which has already caused a number of deaths.

Hepatitis E is a liver infection spread either by direct contact with an infected person's faeces or by the indirect faecal contamination of food or water.

Infection is more severe among pregnant women, as they are at greater risk of acute liver failure, foetal loss and death.

The outbreak is fuelled mainly by a lack of clean water, poor sanitation and poor personal hygiene.

The first case was reported in Windhoek in October 2017, but the disease has since spread to other towns including Swakopmund and Oshakati.

The disease continues to spread unabated, with a total number of 3 859 cases and 31 deaths reported last month.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report said in January that Namibia has limited capacity when it comes to hepatitis E laboratory diagnosis.

It highlighted that the majority of hepatitis E cases have been reported in informal settlements within Windhoek, where living conditions are poor.

“The WHO recommends the improvement of access to safe water and proper sanitation through different methods, including home water purification techniques.

“The water quality should be regularly monitored in the affected areas. The number of latrines in different settlements should be increased to address the issue of open defecation. In addition, the waste management and overall hygiene practices should be improved,” the WHO report said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Seven die in crash

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: All aboard the gravy train

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Seven die in crashMinibus goes up in flames A collision between a bus and a pickup claimed seven lives near Otavi.

Seven people, including two children, burnt to death in an accident near Otavi on Wednesday.

According to the Otjozondjupa police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Maureen Mbeha, the accident happened at about 13:30 on the Otjiwarongo-Otavi road.

The crash occurred 15km outside of Otavi when the driver of a Toyota Quantum allegedly overtook and collided head-on with an oncoming Toyota bakkie. The bus was travelling to Otavi and bakkie was travelling to Otjiwarongo.

According to Mbeha, the impact of the accident was so serious that the minibus caught fire. The fire spread to the Toyota bakkie.

Mbeha said the bus was carrying 17 people, including the driver, while the bakkie had only one occupant.

Seven people burned beyond recognition in the crash, including two children, Mbeha added.

Eleven people, including a two-year-old girl, survived with various injuries and were taken to the Otjiwarongo state hospital for treatment.

According to Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund statistics, the death toll on Namibia's roads for this year stood at 449 on 4 November, while 654 fatalities were recorded over the same period last year.

The number of injuries stood at 4 998, while 6 121 people were injured over the same period last year.

The number of crashes stood at 3 115, in comparison to 3 437 last year.

ELLANIE SMIT

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All aboard the gravy train

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: How to build a recruitment plan

≪ Previous: Seven die in crash

All aboard the gravy train

Telecom Namibia is the latest company to ride the gravy train, following revelations this week that the communications firm paid its executives over N$2.5 million in unapproved bonuses. The Confidente reported this week that Telecom Namibia paid its CEO Theo Klein N$618 012, while company secretary Jinah Buys pocketed around N$200 000. Other executives that benefited handsomely are chief mobile officer Armando Penny (N399 940), chief operations officer Laban Hiwilepo (N$401 133) and chief commercial officer Calvin Muniswaswa, who received a staggering N$531 250 bonus. Bonuses, according to the report, were also paid out to HR chief Holger Sircoulomb (N$103 671), while Alisa Amupolo of Powercom got N$232 284. The news about Telecom's huge payouts follows hot on the heels of reports confirming that the Namdia board of directors pocketed hefty sitting fees totalling N$8 million in the last two financial years. While it is not the first time that state-owned enterprises have been caught out boarding the gravy train, the latest case is truly outrageous; more so especially when taxpayers are kept in the dark all the time. The principle is that taxpayers' money should be accounted for and the general public has the right to know how much is spent on whom and on what. Do our already highly paid executives working for state-owned enterprises deserve these huge bonuses, considering the widespread poverty in our country? It is also difficult to comprehend how the Telecom management can justify such huge rewards for their top executives, when there are serious questions about the company's alleged poor service delivery. It is blatantly obvious there is an entrenched and unrelenting sense of entitlement from those who are supposed to lead by example. It is also clear as daylight that our economy is struggling at the moment and even ordinary Namibians have tightened their belts, in the context of being prudent. Why can't these powerful people do the same?

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How to build a recruitment plan

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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How to build a recruitment plan A solid recruitment plan saves time and money. In order to find the perfect candidate, you need to think about what your company is, what it does and what kind of qualities you are looking for in a person who will fill an advertised post.

By outlining what you need, you will streamline the process, which helps get your company to where it needs to be. In business, time is money, and the ideal employee wants to be found just as much as you want to find them.

Describe your company and who it needs

You need a short description of what your company does when you recruit employees, so they know if your company is something they will be interested in. Not everyone is a good fit for every company, so a thorough but quick summary of the company and the employment opportunity helps narrow down candidates.

How to find candidates

Generally, there are two main ways businesses recruit employees. One is through advertising and the other is through current employees. If you choose to advertise, make a list of websites and decide which ones are a better fit. Some jobsites are geared toward certain fields, so it’s important to research the focus of each one. Finding candidates through employees can work in a few ways. Word-of-mouth is a powerful recruitment tool, because your employees will usually only tell those who they want to work with, so you can be relatively certain they will fit into your business vibe. You can also set up employee referral programmes in which they are rewarded for successful hiring and retention.

Plot your interviewing techniques

When the applications begin to pile up, how do you want to approach them? Potential candidates should submit a resume. This is the first step toward selecting people to interview, as some might not seem like a good fit at first blush. After you've culled the applications, make a list of those you want to interview. Think about how you would like to conduct the interviews. It could be a multi-step process in which they meet first with you, and later they'll meet with other people in the company; alternatively, this could all happen in one step. During the interview, what types of questions do you want to ask? Make a list of the topics you want to consider, and be clear with yourself about what you are looking for.

Make your selection

Before you make an offer of employment, verify that everything is in place. If you require a background check, first be certain that you have all the information to do that. Check that you are offering a competitive wage for the market you are in and that the wage is competitive with the candidate's experience and salary history.

Follow up

After you have offered your candidate a position, they may need time to think about it. Decide on a time and give your offer a deadline, and then check back if the candidate hasn’t contacted you by that time. This gives you ample time to offer the position to another candidate of your choice, if your first choice refuses. When your candidate accepts, have a start date in mind and also verify that all the processes are clear.

Taking a measured, well-thought-out approach to building your recruitment plan is the difference between finding a long-term employee who'll fit into and who'll grow with your company, and someone who'll be gone before the end of your fiscal year. Take time to think about what you want and need - and then write it down - so you'll have a plan to follow.

-smallbusiness.chron.com

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Practical and strong-willed

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Expert sees potential for energy self-sufficiency

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Practical and strong-willedNegumbo seeks to soar even higher Nangombe Negumbo says she wants to catapult herself to heights that are yet to be defined in Namibia. “I am a young professional who is purposefully immersed in transformation and breaking bearers - both personal and professional.”- Nangombe Negumbo, Namcor communications and public relations specialist

Elizabeth Joseph

Nangombe Negumbo has always known she wanted to venture into the communications industry.

She did not waste any time securing her seat at the table, and began her journey.

“I am a young professional who is purposefully immersed in transformation and breaking bearers - both personal and professional,” Negumbo said, who is a communications and public relations specialist at Namcor.

As a young girl, Negumbo would cut a hole in a box and pretend to be reading the news or interviewing her cousins. She says this interest in communications guided her current career trajectory, which led her to obtaining a bachelor’s degree in media and industrial psychology at the University of Namibia (Unam) and an honours degree in journalism and communications from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (Nust).

“My work experience ranges across a spectrum of industries and professional perspectives. These include the UN and now one of the most challenging - oil and gas.

“My professional goals are focused on providing sustainable solutions for challenges in the media and communications industry and aligning these solutions with market insights and activities that are pushing the boundaries locally and globally,” Negumbo says

Her job requires plenty of consistency, as well as commitment.

Public relations and communications is ranked one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Negumbo says being in one of the most politicised industries, which is oil and gas, makes her job even more interesting, but also more difficult.

“The work that our team does internally and externally is strategic, impactful and is honestly pretty awesome.”

Among her many accomplishments is collaborating with the managing director’s office. Her team was responsible for the coordination of the relaunch of the Namcor brand on the 25 August 2017.

“We spearheaded the appointment of an advertising agency and as a team we were responsible for the facilitation between Namcor and the agency to ensure that a sound brand and communication manual is in place.”

A typical day in the office

“I get to work at 07:30 every day, have my breakfast and browse through my papers before starting my day.

“A typical day in the office for me is making sure that all communication and public relations initiatives have been implemented, and if there were some that were hanging from the previous day, I make sure those are executed as well,” Negumbo said.

She loves to travel, and says every time she does, she brings back something. She is inspired by people who dream and those who actually work hard to live their dreams.

“I like order in the workplace and I follow rules. I work to ensure that my tasks and the tasks of those around me are executed, by ensuring they meet the highest standards,” she says.

Apart from being inspired, Negumbo also wishes to inspire other young professionals.

“One of the challenges affecting young professionals is that we only specialise through work experience. What happens to the many graduates who are not fortunate enough to get formal employment?

“I would advise young aspiring professionals out there to take that leap of faith and diversify their skills, something that I learned very late in my personal and professional career.

“Try out as many ventures as possible before throwing in the towel. You and you alone are responsible for your future,” she added

The future

Negumbo said the idea is to become an expert in her field and be the go-to person when it comes to corporate and strategic communications.

She is an avid reader of crisis management publications and says she is always captivated by how communication practitioners are able to define narratives for the best possible outcomes.

Negumbo says she will continue to add value in her current position, and catapult herself to heights that are yet to be defined in Namibia.

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Expert sees potential for energy self-sufficiency

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Expert sees potential for energy self-sufficiencySmart technologies to the rescue A Finnish energy expert who recently visited Windhoek has shared his thoughts on Namibia’s energy situation. In this context Namibia is the best-placed country in Africa for the highest solar irradiation on the continent. - Mark Zoeters, business development manager, Wärtsilä Energy Solutions

NDAMA NAKASHOLE

Energy challenges in Namibia are related to adding domestic generating capacity in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable way, increasing the share of renewables such as wind and solar PV in the power system, and increasing the country’s energy self-sufficiency.

However, increasing the share of renewables in the energy system requires multiple forms of flexibility.

These are contained in an emailed response by the regional business development manager for the Finnish energy company Wärtsilä Energy Solutions, Mark Zoeters.

Zoeters, who recently attended the Finland World Ideas seminar in Windhoek, said Wärtsilä’s engine-based power plants and energy storage and integration solutions provide the needed operational flexibility to integrate renewables.

They also provide capacity for grid stability, peaking and load-following generation, and back-up power for integrating wind and solar energy, securing power system reliability.

“Wärtsilä’s flexible and efficient solutions enable a transition to a more sustainable and modern energy system,” said Zoeters.

He added that Wärtsilä’s solutions support the optimisation of local electricity supply by integrating for example renewable energy sources such as wind and solar PV, energy storage and flexible generation capacity.

This enables energy self-sufficiency and would help to establish a secure and stable electrification network, allowing sustainable economic growth in Namibia in the future, he said.

“These kinds of project activities will also increase local employment in Namibia,” he added.

Continental angle

Zoeters went on to say that the world is in the middle of a huge energy transition towards more sustainable and modern energy systems, and Africa is driving this global development.

With the Sun Belt running across the continent, he said Africa is optimally located to generate enormous amounts of solar and wind energy.

“In this context Namibia is the best-placed country in Africa for the highest solar irradiation on the continent,” he said.

Along with the constant increase in energy demand and falling technology prices, the renewables will become the new baseload in energy generation, permanently changing the power system, he said.

“With the huge potential of renewable energy in Africa, focus should be made on this and the correct integration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar PV, energy storage and flexible generation capacity.”

Asked whether he thinks Namibia has the capacity to be self-reliant in the energy sector, Zoeters said: “Yes, absolutely, if Namibia fully embraces renewable energy technologies supported by flexible generation capacity, the country may become from being a net importer of energy towards being a net exporter of energy to other countries within the South African Power Pool, allowing the sustainable economic growth of Namibia in the future.”

He said Namibia’s geographical location is extremely favourable to achieve the earlier mentioned goals.

Expertise

Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency, and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of its customers’ vessels and power plants.

In 2017, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR4.9 billion and it has approximately 18 000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

Wärtsilä Energy Solutions says it is leading the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future.

“As an energy systems integrator, we understand, design, build and serve optimal power systems for future generations. Our offering includes ultra-flexible internal combustion engine-based power plants, hybridised solar power plants, and energy storage and integration solutions.

“Wärtsilä’s solutions provide the needed flexibility to integrate renewables and secure power system reliability. Wärtsilä has 68 GW of installed power plant capacity in 177 countries around the world,” Zoeters said.

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Kids wait in vain

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Kids wait in vainMix school project budget slashed by N$7.9m Four years after a school project was given the green light, the over 3 000-strong Mix settlement still waits in vain.

Parents and children living in the poverty-stricken Mix settlement north of Windhoek were handed another blow in October when deep cuts to the education budget dashed their hopes that a school will be built there this year.

The Mix settlement primary and secondary school has been on the cards for over four years but to date the only activity on the plot set aside for the school was the erection of a perimeter fence.

In 2014, after it was revealed that hundreds of Mix children had dropped out of school because of unaffordable transport costs to Windhoek, the education ministry announced the school project.

In this year's main development budget for the education ministry tabled in March, N$10 million was allocated to the school project in 2018/19.

Last month, however, the budget was slashed by about N$7.9 million, leaving just over N$2 million to be spent on the project in the current financial year.

In contrast, not a cent was slashed from the defence ministry's development budget of nearly N$435.5 million for 2018/19.

The cost of the school project is estimated at N$131.5 million.

The school is to cater for 600 learners and the plan makes provision for 32 classrooms.

The project has been on the books of the education ministry since April 2014 and was scheduled to be finished by March 2022.

A serious struggle

For parents at the settlement, unrealised promise is worrying.

“The schools are so far, and the councillors and government talk too much, but do little,” the mother of an eight-year-old boy says.

Miriam Shikongo pays N$500 for her son's school transport each month.

She says a school nearby could significantly change their quality of life, considering the savings on transport.

Samuel Paulus says it took difficult negotiations with taxi drivers to agree on the N$500 discounted monthly fee to drive children to school and back.

He says some parents pay more than N$1 000 a month, especially after the taxi fare increases.

“You find many here who cannot afford to send their children to school. Transport costs are always talked about here,” he said.

He said it's difficult to point a finger at anyone, but it does come down to the government's priorities.

Food off the table

Others say the cost of school transport takes food from their children's mouths.

“You pay N$500 per child to send them to school, just for the transport. But we only earn N$1 000 a month or less, so then there is no money left for food for the children. It's heart-breaking,” Norman Ashikale told Namibian Sun this week.

He said Mix residents struggle to travel to supermarkets, clinics and hospitals in town, besides the hardship of living in an area without toilets, electricity and other necessities.

“There is money, but people eat it up, and you wonder where the money went. Until when must we live like this?” he said.

Ashikale also criticised local councillors, who don't live in the area and seldom pay a visit to see their circumstances.

Elina Iyambo pays N$1 000 a month to send her two children to school, but says there are days she simply can't afford the cost and keeps them at home.

She sells homebrew and other items at a small shop and says emergencies often crop up, which means the children must stay home as there is no money for transport.

Municipal buses service the area only on national holidays.

“I have no money to move closer to town or to the schools. I live here because I have no choice,” Iyambo says.

In 2014, an estimated 3 000 people lived at Mix Settlement. Residents say the number has likely more than doubled since then, though no recent numbers could be confirmed.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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GBV budgeting blunders

November 8, 2018, 2:00 pm

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GBV budgeting blunders

While Namibians continue to pray about, protest against and suffer gender-based violence (GBV), government has dismally failed to budget money to curb the scourge.

The latest performance audit report on how the gender ministry is dealing with gender-violence has revealed that no budget was earmarked for anti-GBV activities during the 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 financial years.

The report also found that strategic and annual plans for the ministry and all stakeholders are silent on GBV activities, and that these activities are also not sufficiently planned for, and therefore only a few activities were conducted for the financial years under review.

Apart from this, a dire shortage of social workers has also been recorded, which results in victims not receiving counselling, which prevents their recovery, and hampers their ability to live normal lives after their abuse.

Cases not reported or withdrawn

The report also highlighted the worrying trend of case withdrawals, the lack of child witnesses to testify in court and the reluctance of victims to report cases.

Statistics suggest there was an increase of cases being withdrawn in the //Karas region during the three financial years, because the families of victims are financially dependent on perpetrators

“According to comments received from the ministry of justice, the office of the prosecutor-general faces a challenge as far as withdrawals of GBV cases are concerned. Even if the specialist prosecutors are availed for this purpose, the withdrawal of cases remains a great concern and the root causes need to be addressed.”

Another major concern was the poor conditions of the shelters and safety houses for GBV victims across the country.

The National Gender Policy (2010-2020) says the number of shelters and places of safety are to be increased.

It also says the ministry should ensure that adequate support services are provided, such as medical, psychological, as well as free counselling and legal support for women and children who have been subjected to violence, in order to enable them to recover and live normal lives.

86% of safe houses not fully functional

“The audit found there were safe houses in four of the five regions visited by the auditors. However, 86% of the safe houses were not fully functional and were not used for their intended purpose, as they did not provide the required support services.”

The report also found that the safe houses were not fully functional due to a lack of staff members and that there was no budget for shelters.

“Interviews in the //Karas Region showed that traumatised victims were taken to the hospital, where they do not get preference and have to queue up because no doctor is assigned to the GBV unit,” the report said.

It added there was a lack of food supplies for victim's accommodated at the safe houses, while these facilities in the //Karas and Omusati regions were termite infested and in a dilapidated condition.

The report also highlighted the ministry's failure to make prompt payments for electricity for Kunene safe houses and that it also failed to furnish some shelters.

At the time of the audit, the ministry appointed a technical committee on 17 January 2017 to operationalise shelters for survivors of GBV and trafficked people.

This committee was scheduled to meet twice a month and later every second month, on an ad hoc basis.

However, these meetings did not occur as scheduled.

“The consequences of not having operational shelters are sending back victims to an abusive environment and keeping physically healthy children in hospitals as a temporary shelter,” the report said.

Ban on staff restructuring

Deputy gender minister Lucia Witbooi acknowledge the shortage of social workers, but added they were directed by the prime minister's office not to review the ministry's staff structure in the past five years.

“The five years are now over and it is now part of our current strategy plan. The ministry has done a capacity gap analysis that we will submit to the prime minister for consideration. Of course we are addressing it and we have the support of our PM,” she said yesterday.

According to Witbooi, there are standard operational procedures for shelters and safe houses in the country, which were be piloted in some regions, but because of a lack of funding the pilot projects will only be implemented next month.

“Next year we will roll out the standard procedures to other regions. The biggest challenge we have with the shelters is the staff to make our shelters operational. And that will be part of the submission we will make to the PM,” Witbooi added.

JEMIMA BEUKES

↧

Troubled waters

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Stars take Van Rhyn under their wing

≪ Previous: GBV budgeting blunders

Troubled watersNSC moves to sort out sporting mess Namibia's sporting fraternity is caught up in an unending mess of infighting, fuelled by egos and boardroom dramas.

Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) chief administrator Freddy Mwiya says most of the country's sporting federations have been taken through training, so they can fix their constitutions.

Mwiya said this in the wake of the ongoing squabbles and infighting that have hit Namibian sport.

“I can confirm that we have realised that many constitutions of sport federations in this country are not well-drafted and in line with the Namibia Sport Act.

“As the sport commission, we did hold several workshops with sport bodies about how they can amend their constitutions.

“We are going to continue looking into these matters in order to bring an end to all these problems.” Mwiya said.

Many local administrators are currently at loggerheads and sport in the country is in danger of heading deeper into the doldrums.

The Namibian Rugby Union (NRU) and business wing Namibia Rugby Limited (NRL) are struggling to settle their power squabbles.

The mess between the two bodies has not been resolved, despite an intervention by the sports ministry and the NSC.

Cricket Namibia has also experienced the same problems, with several internal battles over the past couple of months.

The Namibia Hockey Union (NHU) has been in the spotlight over alleged racial niggles.

The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has seen the dismissal its president, Frans Mbidi, and infighting has shaken the football body.

First division football has also faced constitutional challenges, after Military School was allowed to play in the promotional playoffs for the NPL, despite the team not be eligible for the top-flight because Mighty Gunners was already representing the defence ministry in the league.

All these problems are believed to have been caused by loopholes in constitutions.

In the context of rugby, its issues come at a time when the national side is preparing for the 2019 Japan World Cup.

In football, the Brave Warriors are also eyeing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification for the first time since 2008 and will probably be jetting off to Cameroon next year, if they beat Guinea-Bissau this coming Saturday.

But leadership battles and egos would well scupper the hopes of both national teams.

Local football administrator Jefta Gaoab said he conducted desktop research on the current NFA executive, in the wake of the soap opera unfolding at Football

House.

“My findings were surprising, because all these folks have credible track records with their involvement in football administration.

“Some served a good number of years in chairmanship positions where they hail from.

“These people ought to know better, by virtue of where they come from, in terms of football matters, but it seems not to be the case,” Gaoab said. He believes the sporting fraternity is in dire need of leaders who cannot be compromised under any circumstances. “The type of leadership we want at Football House must agree to disagree, ethically, and should be able to move forward without fear or favour, when discharging their duties.”

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

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Stars take Van Rhyn under their wing

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: At least 61 killed in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida

≪ Previous: Troubled waters

Stars take Van Rhyn under their wing Defending Namibia Premier League (NPL) champions and 2018 Debmarine Namibia Cup winners, African Stars, have taken Van Rhyn Primary School players under their wing for the next three years, with an option to extend the initiative.

Katutura-based Stars, who have won the NPL title on four occasions, will guide and groom the school players, while teaching them the basic skills of the game.

African Stars administrator Lesley Kozonguizi told Nampa last week, they decided to adopt the school, which will be part of their youth structures, in order to comply with coming Fifa club licensing regulations.

“We have indicated to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) our interest in competing in the 55th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament, and part of their requirements is having youth structures. We saw it fit to start giving back to our communities, hence our decision to adopt Van Rhyn,” he said.

Kozonguizi said they had written letters to different schools, with the aim of including them in their youth development programmes, but only Van Rhyn came back to them.

“Our aim of adopting Windhoek-based Van Rhyn is to train their school teams once, if not twice a week, about basic football skills. Our assistant coach, with the help of our players, will train the young players after school. Our head coach will join them when his schedule allows.”

The club administrator said by the time club licensing is enforced in the country, they will be operating full-swing. African Stars head coach Robert Nauseb called on the school kids to take their education seriously, as sport is a short career.

“I did not finish matric and I was fortunate enough to play professional football. Despite that, I know how important it is to have an education that will help you feed your family or contribute to the country's development differently, if you don't make it in sport,” said Nauseb. He added that after his playing stint in South Africa, he decided to come home and contribute positively, and working with Van Rhyn Primary School is a dream come true for him.

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At least 61 killed in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Ebola kills 200

≪ Previous: Stars take Van Rhyn under their wing

At least 61 killed in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida

At least 61 combatants have been killed in clashes in Yemen's flashpoint Hodeida, medics and a military source said Sunday, and dozens of wounded taken to hospitals outside the city.

Medics in the Red Sea city reported 43 Huthi rebels and nine loyalists killed in clashes over the past 24 hours. Another nine loyalist fighters were reported killed by medics at a hospital in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida. A government military source confirmed the toll.

Dozens of wounded rebels were transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Sanaa and Ibb, further inland, a source at the Hodeida military hospital said.

A pro-government alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are pushing to seize Hodeida from Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels, who are linked to Iran.

More than 400 combatants have been killed in 10 days of clashes in Hodeida, a city on Yemen's Red Sea coastline that is home to the impoverished country's most valuable port.

Government forces have pressed further into the strategic port city, seizing its main hospital in heavy fighting Saturday, as they try to advance on Hodeida's vital docks

Hodeida has been controlled by the Huthis since 2014, when the rebels seized the capital Sanaa and a string of port cities.

The World Health Organisation estimates nearly 10 000 people have been killed since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government's war against the Huthis, driving the insurgents from the Red Sea coastline but failing to retake Hodeida.

Other rights groups believe the toll may be five times as high.

The conflict has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 14 million Yemenis facing mass starvation.

NAMPA/AFP

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Ebola kills 200

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Uunafaalama woondjuhwa monooli

≪ Previous: At least 61 killed in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida

Ebola kills 200 Worst outbreak yet More than 200 people have been killed

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing its worst Ebola outbreak in the country's recorded history, health officials have said.

The announcement late on Friday came amid increasing warnings that the situation could deteriorate because of attacks by armed groups and community resistance in the affected areas in eastern DRC.

Oly Ilunga Kalenga, the DRC's health minister, said a total of 319 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in North Kivu and Ituri provinces since the outbreak was declared in August.

The figure exceeds the 318 cases documented in 1976, when the deadly Ebola virus was first identified in Yambuku, in the Equateur province.

Kalenga said 198 deaths have been recorded so far in the current outbreak, the country's tenth, including 165 confirmed cases, with 35 probable deaths. Of the 284 confirmed cases, 97 have survived.

"This epidemic remains dangerous and unpredictable, and we must not let our guard down," Kalenga said in a statement.

"We must continue to pursue a very dynamic response that requires permanent readjustments and real ownership at the community level."

'World's most complex epidemic'

But the medical response has been complicated by regular attacks by armed groups battling for control in the mineral-rich eastern parts of the country.

Health officials have also reported cases of community resistance.

"No other epidemic in the world has been as complex as the one we are currently experiencing," said Kalenga.

According to the minister, the teams responding to the outbreak are attacked on average three or four times a week, in an unprecedented level of violence compared with the country's nine previous outbreaks.

"Since their arrival in the region, the response teams have faced threats, physical assaults, repeated destruction of their equipment and kidnapping," said Kalenga.

"Two of our colleagues in the Rapid Response Medical Unit even lost their lives in an attack," he added.

Still, officials say they have been able to vaccinate more than 27 000 high-risk contacts, of which at least half could have developed Ebola, which is spread through bodily fluids such as sweat, saliva and blood.

Separately, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said this week that the main challenges in the current epidemic are insecurity and community mistrust.

"When there is an attack, the operation (vaccinations) actually freezes. And when the operation stops, the virus gets an advantage and it affects us in two ways," he told reporters in the DRC's capital, Kinshasa, on Thursday

"One is catching up on the backload. And the other, the second problem, is that more cases are generated because we can't vaccinate them," he said.

The confirmation of new cases has accelerated in the last month and an emergency committee of WHO experts said in October that the outbreak was likely to worsen significantly unless the response was stepped up.

NEWS24

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Uunafaalama woondjuhwa monooli

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Namibia lyambangolota - Smit

≪ Previous: Ebola kills 200

Uunafaalama woondjuhwa monooli

YANNA SMITH

Konyala oongeshefa shopetameko naandhka dho pokati dhi li 30 odha totwa po okupitila mopoloyeka yoondjuhwa tayi kwatelwa komeho koFeedmaster.

Momvula yo 2015, Namib Poultry Industries (NPI), pamwe nehangano emwayina lyoFeedmaster, oya tula miilonga opoloyeka yoongeshefa dhopetameko naadhoka dhopokati, kohi yontentekelihapu ‘Farm yourself out of poverty’.

Enenedhilaadhilo lyopoloyeka ndjoka okulanditha uundjuhwena wesiku limwe nokuwu palutha nokugandja omayele gopaunangeshefa kaanangeshefa yopetameko unene monooli yoshilongo momikunda.

Petameko NPI okwa li ha landitha uundjuhwa mboka komwedhi wu li pe 1 600 ihe omwaalu ogwa londo pombanda sigo opo 10 000 okuya muFebruaali gwonuumvo.

Okwa holola kutya opoloyeka ndjoka oya ningi oshinima oshinene sho okuya muMei ya kala taya landitha uundjuhwa wu li po 35 000, nomwaalu ngoka ogwa koko sigo opo 50 000.

NPI okwa yelitha petameko kutya itaka yambidhidha aanangeshefa mboka niiyemo ihe ota kwatha nokuya yambidhidha yamone iiyemo ya vule okukaleka po oongeshefa dhawo, nomonena oongeshefa dha thika po 30 odha totwa po okupitila mopoloyeka ndjoka.

Pahapu dhaJan Balt ngoka ta kwatele komeho oDay-Old Chickens Namibia yoNPI, omalanditho oga nyanyukilwa opoloyeka ndjoka.

“Shika oshinima oshipe moNamibia, moka unene hamu liwa onyama yongombe, onzi niikombo. Pethimbo ndika oondjuhwa odho onyama yi na ombiliha momalanditho.”

Okwa popi kutya ongeshefa ndjoka otayi dhana onkandangala unene monooli yoshilongo ihe Katima Mulilo oye e li pombanda noonkondo mongeshefa ndjoka.

Balt okwa popi kutya momudhingoloko gwaKatima omwa simanekwa noonkondo ongeshefa ndjoka, na oye na ontseyo onene yuuteku woondjuhwa ndjoka e wete kutya oya zilila poshishiindalongo Zambia, ta gwedhwa po woo kutya ondjuhwa oya ningwa oshitopolwa shoondya dhesiku kehe momudhingoloko ngoka.

Omapekaapeko ngoka ga ningwa koCirrus Capital oga holola kutya uunafaalama woondjuhwa otawu yambulapo ongeshefa miitopolwa yomuushayi nokukandula po oluhepo nokushunitha pevi ondjele yokwaahena iilonga. Konyala oopresenda dhaNamibia ya thika po 52.1, ohaya zi miitopolwa yomuushayi nondjele yokwaahena iilonga miitopolwa moka oya londa pombanda noonkondo yi li poopresenda 39.1.

NPI ota gandja omayambidhidho gomadheulo nomakwatho gopautekinika omanga Feedmaster ta gandja oondokumende dhiipumbiwa oshowo omauyelele gopaunongononi ngele tashi ya kuunafaalama woondjuhwa.

Kaanafaalama mboka yahala ongeshefa yomayi, natango otaya pewa omauyelele ga faathana.

Moongeshefa ndhoka dhi li oshitopolwa shopoloyeka ndjoka, oopresenda o 60 dhoondjuhwa ndhoka ohadhi landithwa nomwenyo omanga oopresenda 40 odho hadhi dhipagwa nokutulwa momalanditho.

Pamiyalu ndhoka dha tengenekwa koNPI, aanangeshefa mboka ohaya imonene iiyemo yi poN$5 000 lwaampoka kehe omwedhi, uuna ya dhipaga oondjuhwa dhi li pe 100 moshiwike shomasiku gahamano.

Aanafaalama mboka ohaya landa uundjuhwa mboka wesiku limwe kondando yooN$7.50 kehe nokulongitha oshimaliwa shooN$15 mokuwu palutha. Oondjuhwa ndhoka ohadhi dhipagwa nduno konima yomasiku 38 tadhi vihi ookg 2.

Namibia Agricultural Union oya lopota kutya opoloyeka ndjoka oya ninga epondolo enene, nokugandja ompito ombwaanawa kaanafaalama opo ya vule okwiimonena iiyemo.

Pahapu dhaBalt opoloyeka yimwe ndjoka yi li pombanda momusholondondo gwoopoloyeka adhihe ndhoka Oyeno Poultry initiative, ya totwa po kuPaulo Shipoke. Opoloyeka ndjoka inayi tulwa natango miilonga okuudha noNPI otaka gandja omayambidhidho gomadheulo pethimbo taya ka talela po opoloyeka ndjoka lwotango mOndobe. Opoloyeka ndoka otayi pangele opo yi ka kale tayi dhipaga oondjuhwa dhi li pokati ko 600 ne 1 000 mesiku. Shipoke okwa longitha nokupungula konyala oshimaliwa shoomiliyna 8 mopoloyeka ndjoka.

Kuuyelele owundji kombinga yopoloyeka noshiyetwa po shoka shoNPI oshowo Feedmaster’s SME project, inda kepandja lyawo lyopaungomba lyo www.dayoldchickensnam.com.

↧

Namibia lyambangolota - Smit

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Languishing and left behind

≪ Previous: Uunafaalama woondjuhwa monooli

Namibia lyambangolota - SmitEpangelo tali pewa uusama omolwa elongitho nayi lyiimaliwa Namibia okwa thika ponkatu mpoka ita pumbwa we okukala ta futu omwaalu omunene gwiimaliwa iilyo yomalelo giiputudhilo niikondo yepangelo, mbyoka itayi gandja iizemo ya sha iiwanawa nokuyambidhidha kekoko lyeliko lyoshilongo.

ELLANIE SMIT

Ngoka omaiyuvo goshilyo shongundu yoPopular Democratic Movement (PDM) Nico Smit, ngoka a holola pethimbo a gandja oshipopiwa she kombinga yomutengenekwathaneko gwoshilongo gwopokati komvula, mOmutumba gwoPashigwana.

Smit okwa popi kutya eliko lyoshilongo olya taaalela ondjila ya nayipala, nepangelo olyo tali pewa uusama.

Okwa popi kutya eliko otali shunithwa pevi komwaalu ogundji gwaaniilonga yepangelo mboka itaya gandja eyambidhidho kongushu yoshikondo shopaumwene.

Okwa tsikile kutya pahapu dhaminista Calle Schlettwein pethimbo a gandja omutengenekwa ngoka, otashi ulike kutya epangelo olya hala owala okukaleka po iiyemo yalyo pakuhehela, sho elongitho lyiiyemo moshilongo tali tsikile okukala pombanda okuyeleka niiyemo mbyoka oshilongo hashi mono. Opo kuthitikwe omwaka ngoka gu li monena, sho elongitho lyiiyemo li li pombanda okuyeka niiyemo mbyoka tayi monika koshilongo, oshilongo otashi hehela oongunga.

Pahapu dhaSmit, shoka sha pumbwa okuningwa ngashiingeyi okulongitha uumaliwa mboka wu li po miinima mbyoka yi na oshilonga.

Smit okwa popi kutya pethimbo a tseyitha omutengenekwathaneko petameko lyomvula, Schlettwein okwa popi kutya omutengenkwa gwomayambulepo ogwa gwedhelwa noopresenda 12 ihe ina popya kutya pokati komvula yo 2017 okwa Ii e gu shunitha pevi sigo ope longitho lyiimaliwa nopoopresenda 8.

Okwa popi kutya ongundu yawo yoPDM oya hala okuuva nokutseya kutya omwaalu gwoopresenda ngapi gwa tengenekelwa elongitho lyiimaliwa momayambulepo.

Smit natango okwa popi kutya okuya pokati koshikako shomutengenekwathaneko iikondo yathika puiyali oya longitha etata lyiiyemo yawo momutengenekwa ngaashi shi na okukala.

Iikondo owala itatu ya pitililitha elongitho lyawo, niikondo mbyoka oya tumbulwa kutya omalweendo, iipindi nomauyelele.

Momutengenekwa natango gwomayambulepo iikondo iyali oya holola omiyalu dhili nawa niikondo ndyoka oya tumbulwa kutya opolisi ndjoka ya holola oopresenda 44, oshowo egameno ndyoka lya holola oopresenda 67.

Smit okwa popi kutya otashi ulike kutya aluhe open omaipopilo ngele tashi ya kokukala aantu inaya gwanitha po iilonga yawo ngaashi sha li sha tegelelwa nenge ngele oya longitha iimaliwa oyindji sha pitilila omutengenekwathaneko ngoka ya pewa.

Omunapaliamende ngoka okwa tsikile kutya kape na omatompelo kutya oshikondo shegameno nashi pewe oshitopolwa oshinene shomutengenekwathaneko.

“Kape na omatompelo kutya omolwashike oshikondo shegameno shi na okupewa oshimaliwa sha thika poobiliyona 6. Katu na iita nomuntu na kape na omakwatho gopaulummhumbwe taga pumbwa eidhopo mo lyoshikondo shoka ngaashi onkalo yomananathano gopapolotika, kakele koshikukuta shoka twa kala twa taalela oomvula dhika.”

Smit natango okwa popi kombinga yokomisi yomahogololo moshilongo ano Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).

Okwa popi kutya kashi li mondjila okomisi ndjoka yi kale tayi pewa oshimaliwa oshindji noonkondo, sha thika poomiliyona 10 kehe omvula nomoomvula dhoka kape na omahogololo taga ningwa, ta pula kutya iimaliwa mbyoka ohayi longithwa shike, sho tayi gandjwa moomvula moka okakomisi itaka longekidha omahogololo.

Okwa popi kutya otaya pula iimaliwa oyindji opo ya vule okulanda omashina andola gokulongitha momahogololo, ihe oya longitha owala oopresenda 35 dhiimaliwa mbyoka ya pewa muApilili sigo omomwedhi Sepetemba.

Okwa tsikile kutya omutengenekwathaneko gwawo otagu ulike kutya inaya landa omashina ihe natango okomisi ndjoka oya pula oshimaliwa sha gwedhwa po shoomiliyona 6 okugwedha koomiliyona 4 dhomayakulo galwe ndhoka ya pewa nale okomisi ndjoka.

“Omvula ndjika kaku na omahogololo. Iikwaniipangitho mbyoka ye na iipe molwaashoka oya li ya longithwa owala lumwe momahogololo ngoka ga piti, otashi ende ngiini opo ya pule oomiliyona 6 dhokulongitha iikwaniipangitho mbyoka?” Smit a pula.

Okwa popi kutya epangelo olya pumbwa kutameka okulongitha iiyemo yimwe yomoompungulilo dhoshilongo pondje yoshilongo, opo ku yambidhihwe eliko lyoshilongo ndyoka tali shongola na oli li monkalo ya nayipala.

↧

Languishing and left behind

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Health extension workers hand over petition to ministry

≪ Previous: Namibia lyambangolota - Smit

Languishing and left behindFamily languishes in extreme poverty, without IDs Namibian Sun found Rosa Ndara barefoot, scratching in rubbish heap adjacent to a Rundu road.

A family of eight, including a four-month-old baby, are living in extreme poverty and hunger in Rundu's Kehemu informal settlement.

They sleep on the floor of their one-room clay hut and have one meal a day or sometimes don't eat all. Only the lastborn grandchild has a birth certificate.

While driving along Maria Mwengere Road on Wednesday, Namibian Sun came across Rosa Ndara, who was barefoot and sorting through a rubbish heap adjacent to the road.

Rosa was about two kilometres away from her home and was filling her bags with used cold drink cans that she sells to a buyer in Rundu. She earns about N$40 per bag.

When asked why she resorted to selling cans for a living, while she looks to be over the age of 60 and thus qualifies for a monthly pension grant of N$1 250, Rosa said she does not have an ID.

“I don't know how old I am, but there are people I know, and we grew up together, who are receiving money at Epupa. I lost my old South West African identity card when I was in exile in Angola,” Rosa said.

When asked whether she has approached home affairs to get an ID, Rosa alleged she tried several times with no success.

Asked if she recalls when she last visited home affairs, she said about ten years ago.

Namibian Sun then accompanied her to the Kehemu informal settlement, where she has been living for five years with three of her five children and four

grandchildren.

Minutes after we arrived at her one-room clay structure, Rosa shared her family's

ordeal.

“Here, as you can see, we have nothing. First of all, we all sleep on the floor as we have no beds or matrasses. Secondly, we do not have any proper means of income and that is why we can only have one meal per day, which is in the evening, and sometimes we have nothing at all,” Rosa said.

“I raised my children with mutete (a locally harvested vegetable) and mahangu, that's all. I was never employed in my life,” Rosa

said.

Kavango poverty woes

The National Planning Commission's Namibia Poverty Mapping report revealed in 2015 that Kavango residents are the poorest in Namibia.

At the time, out of the estimated 568 418 poor people in Namibia, 21% were found in Kavango, while Ohangwena and Oshikoto accounted for 15% and 14% impoverished citizens, respectively.

It was also revealed that 58.3% of Kavango residents were involved in subsistence farming.

“The Kavango, with the highest poverty headcount of 53.2% has 64% of its population materially deprived, while 50% are employment deprived.”

National documents

When asked on Wednesday whether there is anyone in the family who has national documents, Rosa said none of her children and only one of a grandchildren has one.

Those of a schoolgoing age are not in school.

“No one in this house has national documents apart from my last grandchild, who got one when she was born,” Rosa said.

Rosa's firstborn, who identified herself as Maria Tjamba, said she doesn't know how old she is.

Maria doesn't know whether she was born before or after independence, saying she was only told her name.

“My name is Maria Tjamba because I was told so. There is no document to prove it and I also never went to school,” she said.

Maria, who is a mother of four, explained how difficult it is to secure any kind of employment to take care of her children because she does not have an ID.

“As much as I want to get a job, I do not have an ID and it's difficult to get a job here.”

Maria said the fathers of her children do not support them.

Rosa said despite the poverty they endure, she is thankful to God, who protects her family. She hopes that one day her family, especially her grandchildren get national documents, so they can go to school and hopefully take care of the

family.

When contacted for comment, home affairs ministry spokesperson Sackeus Kadhikwa said the family should visit its Rundu offices, so it can determined why they do not have national

documents.

Kadhikwa said it would be premature to comment on the matter while they are not familiar with the situation.

He said if Rosa lost her South West African national document, it was just a matter of her submitting her fingerprints and her identity will be determined.

“The family must just visit our office in Rundu; they will be assisted,” he added.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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Health extension workers hand over petition to ministry

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Dangerous goods storage facility takes shape

≪ Previous: Languishing and left behind

Health extension workers hand over petition to ministry

Eleven former health extension workers on Thursday handed over a petition to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, demanding re-employment.

The group called for the ministry to re-employ them as they have completed their in-service training but did not receive the permanent jobs they were promised. Speaking on behalf of the group, Linyando Ladislaus said in 2016 the ministry released health extension vacancies in nine regions, for which the group applied and were interviewed for, but they only received training and were not given employment thereafter.

“The public in the rural and suburban areas are in need of our services. As a matter of fact, the ministry does not value taxpayers who contribute their hard earnings with the aim to help their fellow citizens,” Ladislaus stressed.

Celine Usiku, director of human resources and general services in the ministry received the petition and promised that the ministry will respond as soon as possible.

The health extension workers have given the ministry five working days to respond and until 30 November 2018 to give them employment.

NAMPA

↧

Dangerous goods storage facility takes shape

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Broke Namibia at the end of the road - Smit

≪ Previous: Health extension workers hand over petition to ministry

Dangerous goods storage facility takes shape The establishment of a storage facility for dangerous goods on the outskirts of Walvis Bay is at an advanced stage.

The location of the facility is en route to the airport and in the vicinity of the Chinese marble processing plant. Walvis Bay residents previously opposed an application by Native Storage Facility to use an existing communications bunker east of Walvis Bay as a temporary storage facility for dangerous goods, and demanded that an alternative site be identified.

Goods to be stored at the envisaged facility include ammunition, detonators, emulsion, batteries containing sodium, ammonium nitrate, uranium oxide and batteries containing sulphuric acid.

The management committee (MC) of the Walvis Bay municipal council recommended during the last ordinary council meeting on Tuesday, that council leases 10 hectares of land located at the remainder of Farm 38 to Native Storage Facility (NSF) for the purpose of a storage facility for dangerous goods for a period of 20 years.

The area is being leased at a cost of N$55 000 plus 15% VAT (N$8 250) monthly escalating at 10% per annum. There are more than 20 clearly stipulated requirements the company needs to adhere to.

The MC also recommended that in considering the application, safety and security aspects should be measured carefully by council and stipulated that all relevant legislation and regulations with regard to safety should be adhered to.

In this regard, the necessary environmental clearances should be obtained, the national safety regulations should be adhered to, approvals from the ministry of urban and rural development, as well as mines and energy, should be obtained and the applicant should adhere to council's standards of building, health and fire regulations.

The MC emphasised that the rehabilitation of the site after the applicant vacates the property should also be addressed as a priority and said specific arrangements should be agreed upon to ensure that rehabilitation of the area will be taken care of.

The MC thus recommended that over and above the normal conditions of the lease agreement, an amount of N$100 000 be made available by the company as a refundable deposit to take care of rehabilitation should it be necessary. NSF was initially allocated a portion of land at Farm 58. The ownership of Farm 58 however rested with government at the time of the application.

Progress regarding the transfer of ownership to council hampered the process by the company to obtain all necessary approvals and studies for Farm 58.

NSF then applied for land at remainder of Farm 43. However, in this case the ministry of defence envisaged a sensitive project for the same area and rejected the co-existence of the two projects near each other.

NSF then opted for land at Farm 38 to establish the facility.

This application was considered by the general manager for community and economic development and approval was granted to NSF to start with the development of the facility on Farm 38 for a period of 12 months as from 31 July 2017 to 31 July 2018, as a trial period.

As part of the agreement between NSF and council, the company needed to submit a report on the progress of their operations during the trial period.

NSF presented a progress report to council on the operations of the facility to council at informal discussions on 18 May and also indicated the need to lease 10 hectares of Farm 38 for a period of 20 years.

OTIS FINCK

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Broke Namibia at the end of the road - Smit

November 11, 2018, 2:00 pm

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Broke Namibia at the end of the road - Smit

Namibia has arrived at a point where it can no longer afford to pay exorbitant monies to more than 80 boards that supposedly oversee a multitude of government entities, with no tangible results.

This is according to Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian Nico Smit, who delivered his contribution in the National Assembly last week on the recently unveiled midterm budget.

Smit said the economy is at the end of its road and government is to blame.

He said the economy has been strangled with red tape and an army of civil servants, who do not add one cent to the prosperity of the private sector.

He said contrary to the picture that finance minister Calle Schlettwein wanted to convey, the budget statement itself and the accompanying adjusted schedules are the most condemning evidence that government can only keep its financial apparatus running by borrowing more.

“Essentially, the minister has confirmed what most Namibians have known for quite a while, but few have wanted to acknowledge, and that is the government is broke; its spending deficit will continue to be bigger than its budget, and it can sustain its own expenses only by borrowing more, again much more than what it is willing to reveal in the budget,” said Smit.

“On the government's calendar, six months still lie ahead. Somehow, it must make ends meet between now and the end of March next year.”

According to Smit the only option now is to take away small cosmetic amounts and reallocate them to priority votes, to try and prevent a complete meltdown and collapse of government services for people who are most dependent on them.

Development budget 'plundered'

Smit said in his main budget at the beginning of the year Schlettwein said the development budget had increased by 12%, but he did not mention that he plundered it in the 2017 mid-term review, bringing it down to a paltry level of 8% of total expenditure.

He said the PDM wants to know what percentage of total expenditure the development budget has been reduced to.

“Among all the impressive statistics and comparisons, there is no reference to what level future productive investment has been reduced to. The only clear indication is that N$1.79 billion has been taken away from investment and fed to the insatiable government machine.”

Smit said further a quick reference to the two schedules at the end of the mid-term budget shows that most votes used about half of their funding, as it should be.

Only three votes stand out as exceeding their allocations by large measures. These are the transport, trade and the information ministries.

In the development budget, a different picture emerges with only two votes showing good execution rates. They are the police (44%) and the defence ministry (67%).

“It seems, there is always an excuse for underperformance and always reasons for more spending.”

Defence reallocation under fire

Smit said there is no reason for the defence force to get a bigger allocation in the midterm review.

“In fact, there is no reason why defence should get a N$6 billion primary allocation in the first place. We are not at war with anybody, there is no civil strife that must be contained, there are no immediate natural disasters other than drought and there is no other external threat to our political stability.”

Smit also referred to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).

He said it is inconceivable that they need N$10 million more in a year without elections. “Their request for more funding is supposedly for voting equipment, but they have only used 35% of their allocated funding from April to September this year.

“Furthermore, their execution rate of their development budget is zero, indicating they have not bought any new equipment. The electoral commission has asked for N$6 million more for maintenance and N$4 million more for other services and expenses.

“This is not an election year and the equipment they use was bought brand new for the previous elections. How can they now need N$6 million for its maintenance?” Smit asked.

He suggested that government should consider using some of the country's foreign reserves to kickstart the collapsing economy.

“If we now use N$4 billion to invest in the economy to turn it around, we are still at a very comfortable four months of import cover, and even if we were to use N$8 billion, we would still be above the IMF benchmark.

“Without tangible short-term interventions we will not get the economy to respond and the budget process will continue to be reactive,” he added.

ELLANIE SMIT

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