Don't forget the teachers - TUN

August 31, 2016, 4:00 pm

The vice-president of the Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN), Matheus Haakuria, has reminded the government to remember the plight of its teachers and to be mindful that teachers will not budge on their salary demands.
The union also urged teachers to be vigilant and not go blindly into an illegal strike that could result in them not being paid.
“TUN wishes to state that teachers should consider the bigger benefit we are fighting for, although this might cause inconvenience along the way. We therefore urge teachers to go out collectively in their thousands and cast their votes for a contemplated action that will culminate in the betterment of our shared circumstances,” said Haakuria.
The union urged government not to frustrate teachers any longer and to give in to their demands.
“We have noted that initially voting was slotted for 31 August 2016 and now has been deferred to 6 September. TUN hopes that this is not a delaying tactic aimed at depriving the teachers of their benefit. Delaying voting will only serve to infuriate and radicalise the Namibian teachers who are subjected to degrading working conditions and demoralising salaries,” it said.
Teachers were expected to vote for or against industrial action this week after the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) failed to persuade the government to give teachers an 8% salary increase.
The government has insisted it cannot afford to grant more than 5% because of the drought and other economic constraints.
JEMIMA BEUKES

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OvaHerero youth defend Rukoro

August 31, 2016, 4:00 pm

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OvaHerero youth defend Rukoro

The OvaHerero Cultural Youth League (OCYL) has come out in defence of their paramount chief, Vekuii Rukoro, who has been accused of tribalism by the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL).
Rukoro has been criticised for calling the Namibian government an “Owambo” government.
Rukoro said this in reaction to the minister of urban and rural development, Sophia Shaningwa, who gave permission to the Maharero Royal House Traditional Authority to commemorate Red Flag Day on land apparently owned by the OvaHerero Traditional Authority.
In a strongly worded statement the OCYL claimed that some people are being used by what they called the “Owambo” government to disrupt the peace and cohesion among the OvaHerero people.
“And to ensure that the Owambo government will rule this Namibia for 100 years to come,” the statement read.
According to the statement signed by the secretary-general of the OCYL, Veneruru Korumbo, a meeting allegedly took place at Okalongo in the North, where a strategy for keeping the OvaHerero people divided was discussed.
According to Korumbo, the meeting resolved to pit the OvaHerero against each other, to frustrate them at any given opportunity, to remove them from key positions and to limit their intake in the army.
Korumbo also questioned the eagerness of the SPYL to condemn Rukoro’s remarks but remaining quiet when Omaheke Governor Festus Ueitele recently said some members of the OvaHerero community were backstabbers who practised double standards and did not seem to respect other tribes.
“They did not comment or even advise him, why? Simply, because he is Oshiwambo speaking and in the Owambo government. Ueitele’s remarks were against the tribe non-grata, while Rukoro’s refer to the executive tribe. They therefore have hit a raw nerve,” the statement read.
According to OCYL member Veparura Handura Kandirikirira the so-called Okalongo resolutions are clearly being implemented already.
“If you look at the army, there are almost no OvaHerero persons recruited. We know these things because our sources from within the Owambo community are the ones that told us,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES

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The dirty side of building sites

August 31, 2016, 4:00 pm

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The dirty side of building sitesBuilding contractors are required by law to provide toilets at construction sites but few do so. Contractors defy sanitation bylaws

Many labourers employed at building sites relieve themselves in open areas because of a lack of toilets offered by employers undeterred by municipal bylaws.
According to City of Windhoek spokesperson Lydia Amutenya, failure to provide workers with adequate toilet facilities is illegal.
She said Windhoek contractors are aware of local regulations and inspection standards, which stipulate that contractors must install temporary toilet facilities.
In addition, urinating and defecating in public is public indecency and is regarded as an offence, she said. The practice also poses a health hazard, Amutenya said.
Legal Assistance Centre attorney Corinna van Wyk said: “By law employers are to provide their employees with clean facilities. It is their right to dignity and their right to a clean environment.”
Van Wyk warned that not only are proper, clean and working sanitation facilities on site critical for individuals, “but it remains important insofar as polluting the environment and therefore making it unhealthy for everyone else to live in”.
Justina Jonas, general secretary of the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu), said a lack of toilets and poorly maintained toilets are a common problem.
She said the union regularly receives complaints in this regard.
Nevertheless, the municipality this week said that most contractors adhere to the rules, otherwise they would fail their inspections.
However, a building contractor who spoke to Namibian Sun, and asked that his name be withheld, admitted that he does not provide toilets at building sites.
“I’ve been in the business for ten years, and I used to supply toilets. But I stopped when I noticed that people were either not using them or because the toilets were not kept clean.”
He added despite making an effort to provide facilities, some employees “were just not interested”.
According to the municipal regulations, however, contractors must provide “sufficient and convenient latrine accommodation” to workmen as well as ensure that the facilities are “kept in a clean and tidy condition”.
A visit this week to five building sites in the Kleine Kuppe suburb found that only one site offered toilet facilities.
Labourers at the other sites told Namibian Sun that they relieve themselves in the veld, situated close to a school and homes.
At the compliant site, the health and safety officer said the construction company took pride in providing clean and well-maintained toilet facilities, including employing an on-site cleaning and plumbing crew.
He acknowledged that many building sites do not comply with municipal bylaws in this regard.
He said although some companies offer portable toilets, often no cleaners are employed.
“We have noted that often only one toilet is provided for many workers at a site. And these facilities are usually not maintained as they should be,” Manwu’s Jonas said.
She added that when toilets are provided, women often have to share toilets with men.
Jonas said while many blame Chinese contractors for not making much effort to improve these conditions, the building project clients should shoulder some of the blame.
“They do not inspect these sites to check on the workers’ welfare. It would help if the clients do inspections and demand progress reports that provide feedback on the welfare of workers, including the provision of basic things like ablution facilities.”
Several questions were sent to the Construction Industries Federation (CIF), which failed to respond by the time of going to press.
JANA-MARI SMITH

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Hit-and-run accused remains behind bars

August 31, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Hit-and-run accused remains behind bars

The man accused of killing 23-year-old Junias Smith in a hit-and-run last weekend with his brand new BMW M3 will remain behind bars until his formal bail hearing next week Thursday.
Twenty-six year old Lesley Simwanza made his first appearance at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he was formally charged with four counts related to the death of Smith last Friday night. He was accompanied by a large delegation of friends and family and is being represented by a private attorney Chris Mayumbelo.
Simwanza faces charges of culpable homicide, defeating the course of justice, failure to ascertain injuries at the scene of an accident, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and reckless and negligent driving.
Simwanza was arrested on Monday after police discovered the battered BMW, which he had allegedly hid in a family-owned garage.
Witnesses on Friday told police that after hitting Smith, Simwanza got out of the car and walked towards the body of his victim. Thereafter witnesses allege he jumped back into his damaged vehicle, and fled the scene.
On Monday last week, five days before the accident, Simwanza posted a public post on Facebook of a photo showcasing his newly purchased car, with the description “it’s another red beast again … just bigger and better”.
His Facebook account shows that he previously owned and recently sold a red Audi and that he works at the Directorate of Tourism and Gaming, within the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Photos taken shortly after the vehicle, with the number plate “N177 272W”, was towed away by police, show the extent of the damage to the front portion of the car as well as the windshield as a result of the deadly crash.
State prosecutors indicated yesterday they would oppose bail as a result of fears that he would abscond before the trial, and the likelihood of him interfering with the investigation.
Furthermore, because of the serious nature of the offence, it is not in the interest of the public or the administration of justice that the suspect is let free on bail, the state claimed.
Friends of the victim’s family, who attended court yesterday, said that the recent events have been a nightmare, especially considering that Smith’s father, Almas Lukas, lost his wife, Smith’s mother, from cancer just a month ago.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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Govt won''t buy Areva desalination plant

August 31, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Govt won''t buy Areva desalination plant

The government has decided to abandon a plan to buy the Erongo Desalination Plant from Areva Namibia.
This was announced by the minister of agriculture, water and forestry, John Mutorwa, yesterday during a meeting held at Swakopmund to discuss the water supply to the coastal areas of the Erongo Region.
According to Mutorwa, discussions between the government and NamWater about moving towards desalination as a source of drinking water started in 2008.
“What was said during those consultations was that, if nothing was done about our water supply, we would have a problem by 2015. Now we have a water problem,” he said.
At the time Cabinet provisionally approved a presentation made by the national desalination task force. According to Mutorwa, this included a plan that the government had to immediately start building a desalination plant or buy one.
“Once the water situation became critical, the plan for government to build a desalination plant was no longer viable. By that time, however, Areva had already built its own desalination plant. In the meantime Areva’s leadership came to brief us that their mine, Trekkopje, was not progressing as it should because of a drop in uranium prices, and that we could use its desalination plant,” said Mutorwa.
Following consultations with Areva, Cabinet decided to find out if Areva would be interested in selling its desalination plan to the government.
According to Mutorwa the government’s negotiating team presented a report about the sale of Areva’s desalination plant to Cabinet at the beginning of the year and Cabinet in principle approved this report.
“Issues regarding the financial implications were however referred to the Cabinet’s committee of finance and on the basis of this committee’s report, Cabinet rejected the purchase of the desalination plant,” said Mutorwa.
According to him, the government will go ahead with its plan to build a desalination plant based on the public-private partnership model.
“Government has not declined to have anything to do with Areva. We will still get water from their desalination plant. It is just the purchasing of the plant which was rejected and we are still talking to them,” said Mutorwa.
The Erongo desalination plant can produce 20 million cubic metres of drinking water from seawater per year.
According to Mutorwa, Rössing Uranium has not yet submitted its application for a permit to the ministry to extract seawater for its planned desalination plant at the coast. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism recently granted the mine a clearance certificate.
“They must now apply for the permit. When this application reaches us, we will deal with it. We have not received it yet,” said Mutorwa.

JESSICA BOTES

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Work permits scam uncovered

August 31, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Work permits scam uncoveredAn official in Walvis Bay is accused of taking bribes to extend the work permits of foreigners. ACC investigates immigration official The Anti-Corruption Commission has opened an investigation against a senior immigration official for allegedly selling work permits to foreigners.
Case officer Phelem Masule confirmed the investigation against the immigration official stationed at Walvis Bay, adding that the file will soon be returned to the Erongo Region where the case was reported some time ago.
It is alleged that a senior immigration officer, whose identity is known to this newspaper, is ignoring provisional employment permit approval letters and granting applicants two-year permits instead of the six-month permits issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration in Windhoek.
Home affairs permanent secretary Patrick Nandago yesterday declined to comment on the matter because it still under investigation. More than five similar cases apparently have been detected since the beginning of this year.
The official was suspended from endorsing work permits until further notice on 24 August.
It is alleged that he is yet to be charged for the reported offence. According to a source, the official still enjoys access to stamps used for issuing work permits and continues using them for his own benefit.
He has been working for the ministry for more than 24 years.
When approached for comment, the control immigration officer in charge for the Erongo Region, Meriam Eelu, was caught by surprise.
She questioned the authenticity of the documents provided to the newspaper and requested that they be forwarded to her so she could confirm that the letters were actually written by her.
Eelu subsequently responded that she was aware of the issue but could not elaborate due to her being newly appointed in the position and in the region.
Documentation provided to the newspaper indicates that a South African national was issued with a permit on 22 July 2015, valid until 31 December 2015, to work for a company in Walvis Bay.
The permit was altered by the accused official to expire on 31 July 2017 despite instructions from immigration head office that the client should not be assisted without him providing outstanding documents such as police clearance.
After the official learned that the head office was aware of him issuing questionable work permits, he apparently gave the person in question 48 hours’ notice to leave the country, without nullifying the work permit that had been altered by him. This was apparently done to cover his tracks.
According to the source, the permit holder is no longer using the Walvis Bay airport as point of entry from South Africa in order to avoid being caught. He apparently now enters the country at Ariamsvlei or Noordoewer.
An internal memo dated 24 August shows that Eelu confronted the official and that he responded by saying he had made a mistake.
The permit of a second South African, issued on 22 July 2015 and valid until 31 December 2015, was also changed.
When the client arrived for his work visa endorsement the official ignored the details on the letter of approval and changed the date of issue to 16 October 2015 and the expiry date to 15 September 2017.
Eelu again approached the control immigration officer on 24 August to explain why he had granted another unauthorised permit extension for two years.
His explanation this time was that working under pressure created room for error and due to the huge workload errors were unavoidable.
The ministry initiated an investigation and contacted the client whose permit had been altered. He wrote a letter detailing payments he had made to a local company to secure a work permit on his behalf.
A normal endorsement is free of charge and the cost of a three-month work visa is N$1 395.
According to the client he paid N$11 590. He further confirmed that he paid this amount in full to the company who acted on his behalf and his work visa was collected.

OTIS FINCK

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NNOC satisfied with Olympic athletes

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

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NNOC satisfied with Olympic athletesThe Namibian National Olympic Committee (NNOC) says local athletes did well despite facing tough challenges in Brazil. Challenges hampered team performance The Namibian National Olympic Committee (NNOC) says local athletes did well despite facing tough challenges in Brazil.

The Namibian National Olympic Committee (NNOC) yesterday reported on how the country’s athletes performed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last month.
According to NNOC vice-president Jesse Schickerling, who was the chef de mission of the team, the Namibian team had many challenges.
The first of these was an appeal lodged with the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS).
“Two days after our arrival in Rio and at a time when we were supposed to focus our entire energy and time on technical meetings and training schedules of athletes, we were confronted with the appeal,” Schickerling said.
The appeal involved a complaint regarding the omission of 400m athlete Tjipekapora Herunga from the team to compete in Brazil, the administrator said.
He said they were surprised by this as they had a meeting with Athletics Namibia prior to the team’s departure and they had regarded the matter as closed.
“It centred on Herunga with Athletics Namibia allegedly lodging the appeal… I don’t understand why it happened but we feel that the appeal was lodged with ulterior motives,” Schickerling said.
The second challenge was the arrest of boxer Jonas Junias Jonas on a charge of sexual assault. He remains in custody in Brazil pending a court hearing.
“We spent a lot time handling the issue,” Schickerling said.

Satisfied
Schickerling went on to mention the lack of proper funding, a lack of responsiveness from national federations and inadequate training facilities that contributed to Namibia’s performance.
“I am satisfied that the Namibian athletes performed well despite these challenges,” he said.
Namibian cyclist Dan Craven ended in 35th place in his event despite nursing an injury, while shooter Gaby Ahrens ended ninth but managed to beat the number one shooter in the world.
Boxer Mathias Hamunyela won against a former gold medallist and was unlucky to lose in his second match, with the result stunning the crowd at the venue.
Jonas, who had to fight only hours after being released from police custody, had to lose one kilogram before his fight and while he won the first round, he eventually ran out of steam.
Marathon runners Beata Naigambo, Helalia Johannes and Alina Armas all had medical issues leading up to the race but managed to finish in 41st, 56th and 75th place respectively.
“They finished in the top 50% of athletes [and] all of them beat their Southern African counterparts,” Schickerling mentioned.
Cyclists Michelle Vorster and Vera Adrian also had respectable performances, the administrator said.
Marathon runner Mynhardt Kauanivi finished 70th, which was well within the top 50% of runners.

HECTOR MAWONGA

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NSC suspends marketing officer

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

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NSC suspends marketing officer

The Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) on Monday suspended its marketing officer, Chalo Chainda, for alleged attempted assault of a colleague.
Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, Chainda confirmed his suspension, but stopped short of revealing the reasons.
“Yes, I was suspended by the NSC on Monday; that is all I can say for now. I would rather have the office give you information about my suspension. Call Walter Haseb, the acting chief administrator at the Namibia Sports Commission, who has all the information,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Haseb also confirmed the suspension but refused to reveal more.
“Yes, he was suspended. We are busy investigating so I cannot give you any more information as I am afraid it will compromise the investigation,” he said.
Chainda’s suspension has led to speculations that the launch of the annual sports awards was postponed as a result of the absence of the marketing officer, who usually runs the glitzy affair.
The 2016 Namibia Sports Awards were to be launched in the capital on Wednesday, but will now be launched next week Thursday.

NAMPA

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Youngsters enhance tennis skills

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Youngsters enhance tennis skillsNamibia’s budding tennis stars were given exposure during their participation at the Cossasa Ball Games in Botswana. Team gets much-needed international exposure Namibia’s budding tennis stars were given exposure during their participation at the Cossasa Ball Games in Botswana.

Namibia’s under-13 and under-17 tennis teams returned brimming with confidence from the Cossasa Ball Games, which were held in Botswana from 24-26 August.
The teams won two gold and two bronze medals at the regional tournament.
Only three countries took part in the tennis category, with Botswana and Namibia fielding under-13 sides while Zimbabwe joined them in the U-17 tournament.
The tennis tournament was played in a round robin format where two players play singles only and the other two play doubles.
Lisa Yssel and Hendrina Apollus played singles for the girls’ U-13 while Tammy-Ann Lombardt and Elzé Stears teamed up for doubles.
Diken De-Jongh and Johannes Swartz were the boys’ U-13 singles players.
Due to not having a full team De-Jongh had to cross over and play doubles with the last remaining player on the team, Albertus Brinkmann.
Bronwyn Kavarure and Megan Lombardt represented Namibia in the girls’ U-17.
Lombardt then joined up with Tuna Nkandi to play in the doubles.
The boys’ U-17 singles players were Dantago Gawanab and Adriaan Bergh. Risto Shikongo and Tevin Tait teamed up to represent Namibia in the doubles.
The country with the most matches won would then be the overall winner of the competition (See Namibia’s results below)
According to the team’s coach, SP van Wyk, the players’ were quite disciplined.
“They carried themselves in a respectable manner on and off the court,” he said.
“The coaches only had to be strict on the issues of curfew and cellphone use but all players listened and followed the instructions they were given.”
As for future events, Van Wyk said it would be in everybody’s interest if the team selection is done well ahead of time.
“[This will] avoid sending weak or incomplete teams,” he said.
“As for a competition where you can send team managers and coaches, it would be more helpful to the coach to have a team manager. There are too many responsibilities for the coaches to handle alone.”
But the issues did not surpass the value gained from being part of the event, Van Wyk said.
“We thank Namibia Tennis Association (NTA) and the Namibia School Sport Union (NSSU) for the opportunity to mentor the future stars of Namibian tennis.
“We saw it as important to allow the players to travel to international tournaments and experience strong competition. It has allowed them to grow and to come back home with a common goal to improve their game.”

Results
U-13 boys: gold
U-13 girls: gold
U-17 boys: bronze
U-17 girls: bronze medal recipients

Teams
Girls Under-13: Tammy-Ann Lombardt, Lisa Yssel, Hendrina Apollus and Elze Stears
Boys U-13: Johannes Swartz, Diken De-Jongh and Albertus Brinkmann
Girls U-17: Megan Lombardt, Tuna Nkandi and Bronwyn Kavarure
Boys U-17: Dantago Gawanab, Risto Shikongo, Adriaan Bergh and Tevin Tait
Coaches/Team Managers: Melissa Khupe and SP Van Wyk

SPORT REPORTER

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Top 10 European transfers

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Top 10 European transfersFrench midfielder Paul Pogba’s move from Juventus to Manchester United tops the list of big money transfers in Europe. Billions spent on buying and selling players French midfielder Paul Pogba’s move from Juventus to Manchester United tops the list of big money transfers in Europe.

The 10 biggest moves during the European summer transfer window, which closed on Wednesday:

Juventus to Manchester United, 89 million pounds (N$1.726 billion)
The summer’s most long-running transfer saga concluded with France midfielder Pogba returning to former club United in a world-record move. Allowed to leave Old Trafford in 2012 after failing to win over legendary manager Alex Ferguson, the rangy 23-year-old midfielder with the dazzling haircuts and blistering shot returned as one of the biggest names in the game.

Napoli to Juventus, 90 million euros (N$ 1.468 billion)
Italian champions Juventus dealt a huge blow to their domestic rivals when they signed the 28-year-old Argentina striker Higuain from Napoli, their closest rivals in Serie A last season. Juve paid Napoli close to the full amount of Higuain’s 94.7 million-euro buyout clause for the former Real Madrid player, who broke the long-standing Serie A scoring record with 36 goals last season. Signed on a five-year deal, Higuain came off the bench to score the winner against Fiorentina on his competitive debut.
Everton to Manchester City, 47.5 million pounds (N$923 million)
Elegant centre-back Stones, 22, became the biggest signing of the Pep Guardiola era at City after joining from Everton in a deal that made him the second most expensive defender in history behind David Luiz.
The former Barnsley player had a difficult final season at Everton, but has looked assured in his early outings for City, regularly stepping up into midfield with the ball.

Sporting Lisbon to Inter Milan, 45 million euros (N$737 million)
It has been a summer of rebuilding at Inter, who have a new coach in Frank de Boer and several big-money new signings.
The biggest is Joao Mario, who arrived at the San Siro from Sporting fresh from winning Euro 2016 with Portugal. Sporting revealed the transfer fee was 45 million euros and the player, a Sporting youth product, was unveiled to Inter fans before last Sunday’s Serie A match against Palermo.

Schalke (GER) to Manchester City, 37 million pounds (N$720 million)
Winger Sane, 20, arrived in England with a burgeoning reputation, having scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga appearances for Schalke last season and earned a place in Germany’s Euro 2016 squad. Side lined to date by a hamstring injury, he could make his debut in the derby against Manchester United on September 10.

Moenchengladbach (GER) to Arsenal, 35 million pounds (N$681 million)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger moved to address longstanding concerns about the lack of bite in his team’s midfield by sanctioning a big-money move for Switzerland international Xhaka. The 23-year-old’s arrival obliged England international Jack Wilshere to seek a loan move elsewhere.

Valencia (ESP) to Arsenal, 35 million pounds (N$681 million)
With Per Mertesacker and Gabriel side lined by injury, Wenger plugged a sizeable gap in his back line with a move for Germany centre-back Mustafi on the penultimate day of the window. Mustafi, 24, previously spent three years at Everton, but made just one senior appearance.

Paris Saint-Germain to Chelsea, 34 million pounds (N$662 million)
The shaggy-haired Brazilian’s deadline-day return to Chelsea was one of the biggest surprises of the transfer window, after PSG paid £50 million (N$973 million) to make him the world’s most expensive defender just two years earlier.
However, Luiz, 29, was tipped to lose his place to compatriot Marquinhos at PSG, and has returned to Stamford Bridge for a reported fee of around £34 million.

Southampton to Liverpool, 34 million pounds (N$662 million)
Following two fine seasons with Southampton, during which he scored 25 goals in all competitions, 24-year-old Senegal flier Mane left St Mary’s to join Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool revolution.
He has made an impressive start to life at Anfield, netting a fine solo goal in Liverpool’s 4-3 win at Arsenal on the opening day.
Marseille (FRA) to Chelsea, 33.2 million pounds (N$646 million)
A cunning and unorthodox striker, 22-year-old Belgium international Batshuayi moved to Chelsea following a prolific season at Marseille in which he scored 23 goals. Used mainly from the bench so far, he has scored three goals in four appearances.

NAMPA/AFP

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Title-hunting Marquez loves Silverstone track

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Title-hunting Marquez loves Silverstone track

Daredevil two-time world champion and current runaway points leader Marc Marquez feels the Silverstone chicanes and curves can help him distance his championship rivals at the British Moto GP on Sunday.
What is more, Marquez, on 197 points going into the 12th of 18 races, copes better in the rain than second-placed Italian Valentino Rossi on 144 or misfiring champion Jorge Lorenzo on 138.
“I love this circuit, the first section is slowish but then a series of chicanes can allow a fast man to make the difference,” said the 23-year-old, who won here in 2014 on the way to his second straight World title.
“And we have been having mixed weather conditions and coming through that rather well,” added the Honda man, who’s big points lead is down to his consistency and a more moderate racing style than in his barnstorming past.
Dogged defending champion and fellow Spaniard Lorenzo is giving up nothing however, despite gaining zero points at Catalunya, Brno and Argentina.
“We need to think race by race and just try to get the best results day by day,” the 2015 champion and Yamaha rider, a three-time winner here, insisted.
His stable-mate Rossi has had nightmares in the rain three times this season at the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.
There have been six different winners in the last six Grand Prix but the top three have previous form in Britain.
Marquez and Lorenzo have three victories each here while Rossi, who won last year’s race, has two.
In Moto2 France’s Johann Zarco is aiming for a fifth victory this season and has a lead of 19 points over Alex Rins, who fell at the Dutch GP while Zarco came second.
In Moto3 Germany’s Brad Binder is still riding his early season form with a lead of 61 points over Spain’s Jorge Navarro in second, despite going through the summer season in mediocre form.

NAMPA/AFP

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Expensive US Open roof comes into play

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Expensive US Open roof comes into playOne of this year’s Grand Slam winners was one of the casualties at the US Open on Wednesday. One of this year’s Grand Slam winners was one of the casualties at the US Open on Wednesday. One of this year’s Grand Slam winners was one of the casualties at the US Open on Wednesday.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza and Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic crashed out of the US Open on Wednesday as the US$150 million (N$2.2 billion) roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium rolled smoothly into action for the first time.
The third-seeded Spaniard Muguruza, who has struggled in the aftermath of her Roland Garros breakthrough in June, slumped to a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, the world number 48.
A horribly out of sorts Muguruza rallied from 1-5 down in the second set, saving three match points, but Sevastova, who briefly quit the sport in 2013, held her nerve for the victory.
Having not won a match at the US Open in five years before this week, 26-year-old Sevastova now goes on to face Kateryna Bondarenko, a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 winner in three hours over China’s Zheng Saisai.
“This is why I came back to the sport for the big stages like this and night sessions at the Slams. But I was shaking a little at the end,” she said.
Muguruza admitted she had been outplayed.
“It was a very tough match. I think I didn’t play well. Everything she was doing was working,” said the 22-year-old who has never made the third round in New York.
Meanwhile, 120th-ranked Ryan Harrison of the United States stunned fifth seeded Raonic 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 in another second round upset.
“It was extremely physical out there. I was playing on adrenaline,” said 24-year-old qualifier Harrison who was as high as 43 in the world in 2012.
He goes on to face experienced Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis for a place in the last 16.
Harrison has now reached the third round of a Slam for the first time after recording just a second win over a top 10 opponent in 27 meetings.
Rafael Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, eased past Italy’s Andreas Seppi 6-0, 7-5, 6-1 in a match which became the first to be completed under the new retractable roof on Ashe.
Nadal beat Seppi for the eighth time in nine matches and next faces Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov.
World number one Novak Djokovic made the last 32 of a major for the 33rd successive time without hitting a ball when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their second round encounter suffering an inflammation of the left forearm.
Djokovic will face 34-year-old Russian Mikhail Youzhny, twice a semi-finalist, today for a place in the last 16.

NAMPA/AFP

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Zuckerberg: WhatsApp, Facebook to work independently

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Exploding batteries delay Samsung Note 7 shipments

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Zuckerberg: WhatsApp, Facebook to work independently

Instant messaging app WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger will not combine and will operate independently, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said.
The statement was made amid WhatsApp’s recent announcement that information of users would be shared with Facebook.
In 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp in a combined deal worth US$19 billion (N$275.5 billion). Zuckerberg was speaking during a visit to Lagos, Nigeria where he told media on Wednesday that Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp were different products with different communities.
“The strategy is not to combine them over time but to have each played at their own strength,” he said.
“WhatsApp is really text messaging replacement, it’s faster, it’s more reliable you can group text better and that’s why I think a lot of people are using it,” said Zuckerberg.
“Whoever you want to text, whether it is your closest friend or your family, down to somebody who has a store that you want to buy something from, if people feel comfortable they use WhatsApp to text those people,” Zuckerberg said.
He added that Messenger offered a different contact list of friends from Facebook and that users would not necessarily interact with regularly.
“You’re more likely to have someone in your Facebook friends that you went to college with, or went to high school with. Someone you’re not as close to today and don’t have their phone number so you’re not connecting with them on WhatsApp,” Zuckerberg said.
“It’s their birthday you want to reach out them or say ‘hi’ and see how they are doing – you text those people on Facebook Messenger,” he said.
Zuckerberg said that WhatsApp was focused on being a utility that was fast and simple without a lot of frills, while Messenger focused on expression, fun and different kinds of formats. Both services boast over a billion users. “So we think that the right strategy over time is not to combine them but let them work independently,” he said.
A week ago, WhatsApp announced it would begin sharing subscriber data with Facebook to giving advertisers better access to information on WhatsApp’s one billion-strong user base.

NEWS24

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Exploding batteries delay Samsung Note 7 shipments

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Dark net propels new digital currency

≪ Previous: Zuckerberg: WhatsApp, Facebook to work independently

Exploding batteries delay Samsung Note 7 shipments

Electronics maker Samsung has delayed international shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 amid reports of exploding batteries.
Reports of two device batteries exploding in Asia have been circulating the internet, with numerous videos being posted online. The authenticity of the videos could not be confirmed. However, a Samsung representative told Reuters that shipments had been delayed owing to additional tests into product quality.
Reports suggested that charging the device without the original charger led to the damages.
Despite the rumours, numerous major retailers in South Africa are featuring the device on pre-order and Samsung South Africa told Fin24 that the local availability date was “still on track”.
Recently, Fin24 reported that Samsung South Africa announced that the Note 7 local availability date had been pushed back to September 23, later than originally planned. It was previously reported that the device would be available from September 9, but the company issued an earlier statement confirming the new availability date.
The highly anticipated ‘phablet’ smartphone was launched in the country in early-August, boasting a major upgrades and newer features when compared to its predecessor. The Note 7 features a 5.7 inch display, new iris scanner, more powerful processor and bigger battery than previous models.

NEWS24

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Dark net propels new digital currency

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Our men make the cut

≪ Previous: Exploding batteries delay Samsung Note 7 shipments

Dark net propels new digital currencyThere’s a new digital currency that is surging as online drug dealers begin adopting it to conduct business with more anonymity. Monero spikes as drug dealers get more secrecy There’s a new digital currency that is surging as online drug dealers begin adopting it to conduct business with more anonymity.

Forget bitcoin.
The two-year-old currency Monero has more than quadrupled this month after gaining support from prominent websites that anonymously peddle drugs.
It spiked to as much as US$10 (N$145) on Sunday after AlphaBay, one of the most popular sites for buying drugs like liquid LSD and hybrid cannabis, said last week it will begin accepting the currency on September 1.
The total value of all Monero in circulation pushed past US$100 million (N$1.5 billion) on Monday, up from about US$25 million (N$362.5 million) at the end of last month, according to coincap.io.
“Following demand from the community, and considering the security features of Monero, we decided to add it to our marketplace,” AlphaBay announced on Reddit last week.
“We expect this to cause a spike in the price, so if you are an investor, now is the time to purchase Monero.”
Bitcoin, the most popular digital currency in the world with a total value of US$9.1 billion (N$132 billion), also allows users to move funds discreetly and uses a network of miners to verify the authenticity of each trade.
But its privacy has come under threat as governments and private investigators increase their ability to track transactions across the bitcoin network and trace funds to bank accounts ultimately used to convert digital assets to and from traditional currencies like US dollars.
Monero similarly uses a network of miners to verify its trades, but mixes multiple transactions together to make it harder to trace the genesis of the funds.
It also adopts “dual-key stealth” addresses, which make it difficult for third-parties to pinpoint who received the funds.
“For any two outputs, from the same or different transactions, you cannot prove they were sent to the same person,” Riccardo Spagni, a lead developer of Monero, wrote by e-mail. Jumbling trades together makes it “impossible to tell which transaction, of a set of transactions, a particular input comes from. It appears to come from all of them.”
The features have earned praise from influential players in the community, including millionaire angel investor Roger Ver, known as “Bitcoin Jesus” for his evangelical support of the currency during its early years.
Ver also said a big reason behind his investment is the recent in-fighting among the bitcoin community about increasing the capacity of its network.
“Bitcoin hasn’t been allowed to scale, but Monero still has a lot of room before it starts bumping into any sort of scaling issues,” he said.
To be sure, even after its impressive recent streak, Monero is still a tiny segment of the digital currency market and is ranked No. 5 in terms of overall market value, far behind bitcoin and Ethereum.
It is also not clear how anonymous Monero actually is and whether its code has been subject to extensive review.
Still, its adoption by so-called dark net sites is helping it achieve a level of attention that propelled bitcoin to the global consciousness in 2011, after sites like Silk Road began using it to facilitate trades in psychedelic mushrooms and child pornography.
That initial burst of attention eventually drew other legal businesses to its ecosystem.
“You’ll now see a lot of cryptographers and mathematics going through their white paper,” said Arthur Hayes, founder of bitcoin exchange BitMEX, whose Monero futures were its most popular product by trading volume since last week.
“It’s unclear whether this claim Monero makes about anonymity will actually stand up at scale and under intense scrutiny, but it seems there’s a lot of excitement around it and some large players in the industry like Roger have come out in support.”

BLOOMBERG

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Our men make the cut

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Iimbuluma yomusita Moussongela yanyanwa

≪ Previous: Dark net propels new digital currency

Our men make the cutMen in Namibia can now become circumcised across the country, free of charge and is recommended for its health benefits. Circumcision reduces the risk of HIV Men in Namibia can now become circumcised across the country, free of charge and is recommended for its health benefits.

The health ministry in Namibia is on a circumcision drive with a new campaign, Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) more commonly known as the “Smart Cut”. This is being offered free of charge by the Ministry of Health nationwide for all males in Namibia.
The positions of the world's major medical organisations range from considering elective circumcision of babies and children as having no benefit and significant risks to having a modest health benefits that outweighs small risks. While no major medical organisation recommends either universal circumcision for all males, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended it for areas with high rates of HIV, such as in sub-Saharan Africa.
Evidence supports that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection among heterosexual men in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, the WHO recommends considering circumcision as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention programme in areas with high rates of HIV. However, evidence for a health benefit against HIV for men who have sex with men is less clear. Additionally, the effectiveness of using circumcision to prevent HIV in the developed world is also unclear. Circumcision in general is associated with reduced rates of cancer causing forms of HPV and reduced risk of both UTIs and cancer of the penis. Studies of its potential protective effects against other sexually transmitted infections have been unclear. Circumcision does not appear to have a negative impact on sexual function.
An estimated one-third of males worldwide are circumcised. The procedure is most common in the Muslim world and Israel (where it is near-universal for religious reasons), the United States, and parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. It is relatively rare in Europe, Latin America, parts of southern Africa, and most of Asia. The origin of circumcision is not known with certainty; the oldest documented evidence for it comes from ancient Egypt. Various theories have been proposed as to its origin, including as a religious sacrifice and as a rite of passage marking a boy's entrance into adulthood. It is part of religious law in Judaism and is an established practice in Islam, Coptic Christianity, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
STAFF REPORTER

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Iimbuluma yomusita Moussongela yanyanwa

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Oshikumungu shaHelao Nafidi otashi yi kompangu

≪ Previous: Our men make the cut

Iimbuluma yomusita Moussongela yanyanwaOonakuninga iihakanwa yomiyonena dhoka dha longwa komusita omukwashigwana gwaKongo oya hokolola omahokololo gawo kombinga yomiyonena dhoka ya ningilwa komusita ngoka pethimbo a holoka mompangulilo yaNdangwa ongula yEtitatu. Omusita ota tamanekelwa iipotha yelanditho lyaantu mongeshefa yopamilalo, ekwatonkonga nomadhengo Oonakuninga iihakanwa yomiyonena dhoka dha longwa komusita omukwashigwana gwaKongo oya hokolola omahokololo gawo kombinga yomiyonena dhoka ya ningilwa komusita ngoka pethimbo a holoka mompangulilo yaNdangwa ongula yEtitatu.

Aantu omathele oya ningi ehololomadhilaadhilo yeli ompinge negandjo lyomboloha komusita Pedro Marcelino Moussongela pethimbo kwa pulakenwa eningo lyeindilo lyomboloha ye.

Mboka ya kala ompinge nemangululo lye pamboloha, oya mwe yomoonakuninga iihakanwa ye pamwe naakwanezimo yawo.

Moussongela, ngoka eli omutotipo gwongeleka yedhina
Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church oshowo oskola yoMennonite Brethren Community School Namibia, otaku hokololwa kutya okwa longitha edhina lyongeleka noskola ndjoka mokulanditha po aaNamibia mboka yeli mompumbwe kiilongo yaEuropa nokuya ningitha aapika yopamilalo.
Okwa kala mondjeedhililo konima nkene a tulwa miipandeko momasiku 23 gaJuni nuumvo.

Ota pangulilwa iipotha yelanditho lyaantu, ekwatonkonga, omadhengo oshowo eningilo lyaantu omatilitho.

Gumwe gwomiihakanwa ye oFidel Nakashololo, ngoka a lesha muule omukandanyenyeto gwe moka a popi kombinga yiilonga ya nyata yomutamanekwa.

Nakashololo okwa popi mo-2002 oya falwa koSouth Afrika pamwe naamwayina ye yane, omanga yina ngoka a li a hokanwa kuMoussongela pethimbo ndyoka a falwa koCanada.

Okwa popi kutya okwe shi pondola okugalukila kegumbo mo-2006 mekwathelo lyaakwanezimo ye yalwe.

Nakashololo okwa pataneke emangululo lyomutamanekwa ta ti shoka a ningi kasha li mondjila na epogolo lyuuthemba womuntu na okwa popi kutya ngele okwa mangululwa nena otaka tsikila niilonga ye mbyoka ya nyata.
Omanga ina tulwa miipandeko muJuni, Moussongela okwa holoka mompangulilo yaMangestrata gwaKatutura muMei omolwa iipotha ya faathana.

Pethimbo a holoka mompangulilo muMei, okwa uvika kutya Moussongela okwa landitha po aanona ye yatano koEngland na okwa tumu omuntu gwontumba a fale aanona mbyoka koLondon yeli kohi yoomula 12.

Gumwe gwomadhengingonyo yaNamibia, Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda okuli gumwe gwomwaamboka ya ningi ehololomadhilaadhilo pompangulilo yaNdangwa mEtitatu, ta popi kutya omumwayinagona gumwe okwa landithwa po komutamanekwa omanga a li e na oomvula omugoyi nofamili inayi uva we okuza kuye sigo osho a ningi oonkambadhala dhokumukonga nuumvo.

“Ofamili yandje oya hala okanona ka galuke ihe katu shi kutya okuli lela peni. Sho nda kambadhala okupopya naye omwedhi gwa piti, okwa pitikwa owala a popye uule woominute 15. Memegona gwandje okwa limbililwa noonkondo nofamili ayihe oyi li monkalo odhigu. Otatu pataneke emangululo lye molwaashoka otu na uutile kutya ngele a zimo modholongo nena otashi vulika katu ka mone we okanona hoka,” Ambunda ta ti.
MuJuni natango okwa patululwa iipotha yeyonagulo lyuuthemba woomuntu mekwathelo lyoNamRights.
NamRights oya popi kutya nakutulamo oshipotha omunaskola nale muyimwe yomooskola dhaMoussongela.

Okwa li a falwa koTurkey taku tiwa otayi koskola ihe okwe keshi mona owala kutya okwa falwako nongeshefa yopamilalo.

Nakunyenyeta okwa popi kutya okwa kala ta ningilwa omiyonena dhopamilalo moNamibia na okwa ningi etegelelo ndyoka lya kuthwa mo.

Omupanguli Peter Nangula okwa undulile oshipotha shepulakeno lyomboloha yomutamanekwa komasiku ga3 ga Kotomba, omanga omukalelipo gwepangelo moshipotha Dollen Gowases okwa yakula omukandanyenyeto okuza kaaningimahololomadhilaadhilo na okwa popi kutya omakonaakono moshipotha shaMoussongela otaga tsikile.

ILENI NANDJATO

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Oshikumungu shaHelao Nafidi otashi yi kompangu

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: G20 leaders to go long on rhetoric - experts

≪ Previous: Iimbuluma yomusita Moussongela yanyanwa

Oshikumungu shaHelao Nafidi otashi yi kompangu

Aanambelewa yongundu yoSwapo pamwe noElectoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) otaya ka taalela mOmpangu yoPombanda kansela nale mondoolopa Helao Nafidi, Ester Ndatala Nghidimbwa.

Shika osha holoka sho ongundu tayi pangele ya ndopa okulandula elombwelo lyomukalelipo gwopaveta gwaNghidimbwa, Henry Shimutwikeni, opo ya talulule etokolo lyawo okukutha mo Nghidimbwa melelo lyondoolopa. Oshipotha shoka otashi pulakenwa momasiku ga 6 gaSeptemba. Oombapila dhompangu otadhi ulike kutya Nghidimbwa okwa hala oonakufalwa kompangu ya pangulilwe etokolo lye okumukutha miilonga.

Oonakufalwa kompangu Ongundu yoSwapo, amushanga gwoSwapo Nangolo Mbumba, elelo lyoHelao Nafidi town , mayola gwoHelao Nafidi Eliaser Nghipangelwa, Lucia Nghililewanga oshowo ECN .

Shimutwikeni okwa koleke kutya oshikumungu shoka otashi ka pulakenwa mompangu.

Oshikumungu shoka osha tameke momasiku ga 4 gaDesemba omvula 2015 shoNghidimbwa a ganithilwa miilonga onga kansela pehala lyaNghililewanga sha landula omahogololo gelelo lyiitopolwa noondoolopa.

Nghidimbwa kali okandindate momahogololo gelelo lyaHelao Nafidi ihe okwa li okandindate momahogololo moshikandjo shaShikango.
Nghililewanga okwa nyenyeta na okwa pula ongundu yaSwapo kutya omolwashike a pingenwapo. Etompelo ndyoka a pewa opo aniwa ku topolwe shi thike pamwe iipundi mbyoka ya sindanwa po kuSwapo miikandjo itatu, etokolo ndyoka lya ningwa ponkatu yopashitopolwa.
Swapo okwa sindana iipundi ihamano moHelao Nafidi. Itatu oyookansela yaza moshikandjo shaHangwena, omanga Oshikango mwaza omukalelipo gumwe niiyali oya za moshikandjo shEngela. Nghidimbwa okwa kuthwa opo a ninge omukalelipo omutiyali gwaShikango nokupingenapo Nghilililewanga ngoka a li ponomola ontiyali momusholondondo gwongundu. Opo ku yelekwe epuko ndyoka lya ningwa, momasiku 27 gaJuli elelo lyoSwapo olya kambadhala okukutha miilonga kansela Panduleni Hainghumbi opo ku monike ehala lyaNghililewanga, ihe etokolo olya kalekwa konima sho iikundaneki ya lopota etokolo ndyoka.
Mombapila yomasiku 4 gaAguste, Mbumba okwa popi kutya okwa mono kutya Nghidimbwa okwa li okandindate komoshikandjo shaShikango ihe hamelelo lyaHelao Nafidi onkene otashi kala owala mondjila uuna a kuthwa miilonga onga kansela opo Nghililewanga a ganithilwe miilonga.
Mbumba okwa tindi okupopya kombinga yoshipotha shompangu.

KENYA KAMBOWE

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G20 leaders to go long on rhetoric - experts

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Brexit: May tells ministers to deliver

≪ Previous: Oshikumungu shaHelao Nafidi otashi yi kompangu

G20 leaders to go long on rhetoric - experts

After a summer of political earthquakes followed by a few weeks of holiday calm, British Prime Minister Theresa May gathered her cabinet team for the first time since she asked them to use the break to come up with options for Britain’s future ties with the bloc after a divorce.
For many in the EU, it is not before time. They have given May breathing space to devise a negotiating stance before triggering the exit procedure, but are keen for Britain to begin the talks and end uncertainty that has hurt investment.
“We will have an update on Brexit; we’ll be looking at the next steps that we need to take, and we’ll also be looking at the opportunities that are now open to us as we forge a new role for the UK in the world,” May told her cabinet.
“That means there’s no second referendum; no attempts to sort of stay in the EU by the back door; that we’re actually going to deliver on this.”
May has said she will not trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon treaty to start the exit procedure until next year so she has time to come up with a negotiating stance.
Her ministers agreed on Wednesday the Brexit process should confirm Britain’s place “as one of the great trading nations in the world”.
Signs of economic confidence are rising after the initial shock of Britain’s June 23 vote to leave the EU. A spokeswoman for May said her ministers had reiterated the government’s commitment to fiscal discipline and living within its means.

Immigration
May’s aides said that after considering her ministers’ views, she will be the ultimate arbiter of what proposals Britain takes to divorce negotiations with the EU.
She will expect the cabinet to overcome any divisions on whether Britain should leave the EU’s single market to ensure control over immigration, or find some kind of a compromise.
May has stacked her three ministries for Brexit, trade and foreign affairs with some of the most active campaigners for Britain to leave the EU.
But she has balanced them by appointing to vital positions lawmakers who campaigned for Britain to remain in the bloc, such as Philip Hammond at the finance ministry, or Treasury.
The Telegraph newspaper reported that the two sides have disagreed over Hammond’s view that access to the single market could be maintained “on a sector-by-sector basis”, with Britain retaining a favourable status for its big financial sector.
Asked whether that was Hammond’s stance, the Treasury declined to comment.
If it was, that would go against so-called Brexit minister David Davis, who heads the new Department for Exiting the European Union, and trade minister Liam Fox. Citing senior government sources, the Telegraph said both believe Britain can only curb immigration if the country leaves the single market.
On Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande seemed to back up that point, underlining that Britain could not opt in to certain parts of the single market without upholding the EU’s four freedoms, including freedom of movement.

NAMPA/REUTERS

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Brexit: May tells ministers to deliver

September 1, 2016, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: What's in a name?

≪ Previous: G20 leaders to go long on rhetoric - experts

Brexit: May tells ministers to deliverBritain’s Prime Minister Theresa May told her top ministers on Wednesday they must deliver Brexit, and not entertain any idea of staying in the EU by the “back door”. No looking back now Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May told her top ministers on Wednesday they must deliver Brexit, and not entertain any idea of staying in the EU by the “back door”.

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