Expropriation threats 'like a poison'

March 27, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Expropriation threats 'like a poison'German-speaking locals make voices heard White Namibians of German heritage say expropriation threats are creating a rift between them and the Ovaherero. Ovaherero paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro and others have come under fire from German-speaking Namibians over threats that their farms will be expropriated.

During a panel discussion on Tuesday, organised by the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights as part of a symposium aimed at interrogating the 1904-08 genocide, an emotional Erica von Wietersheim said most German-speaking Namibians love their motherland, Namibia, adding the graves of their ancestors are here.

“Unfortunately threatening remarks by your Chief Rukoro and others, threatening German-speaking farmers that they will take our farms, worked like a poison. They deepen the rift between the Herero and Germans instead of bringing us together,” she said. According to the former head of the National Archives, Werner Hillebrecht, some German-speaking Namibians are walking around with “blinkers”.

He added there is also a sense of entitlement among the Nama and Ovaherero communities, adding the colonial war was not limited to 1904 and 1908, and that they only concentrate on the text of the extermination order by Lothar von Trotha and not the wider context of colonial rule.

“It actually started with the attack on Hornkranz by Curt von Francois in 1893 and it ended with the battle of Sam !Khubis near Rehoboth in 1915, and it would not have ended if the colonial masters would have been South Africa, which continued the wars in other ways,” he said.

He, however, added these facts do not take away from the trauma inflicted on those directly affected by the genocide, but it is important to look at what happened afterwards.

He also drew attention to the fact that the expropriated land was initially the livelihood of the Damara and San, while emphasising that German rule affected all indigenous groups the same way.

He added the Cold War and apartheid made researching colonial history difficult for long periods, and as a result, much is still unknown.

As an example, he noted the reports of women being subjected to forced labour in concentration camps such as Shark Island.

Former Allgemeine Zeitung news editor Eberhard Hofmann said Namibians are selective with history and are not considering the writings of local Germans, in German, which document the fact that the Von Trotha extermination order was revoked.

“In the end we will have to discuss and get back to the real facts and we cannot just be selective, as it happens. In all these discussions, not once so far has it been mentioned that when the shooting order (extermination order) became known in Berlin two months later, it was revoked by the Kaiser.

“So it is unfinished business; we still have a long way to go to communicate,” he said. Freelance journalist Sven-Eric Stender said it is important that more information is made available, because significant doubt still exists regarding the genocide.

“We need to address these myths; at least to my knowledge there were plans by Mr Von Trotha to erect a prisoner of war camp at Okahandja and there was this myth of a Kesselschlacht (German for when you surround the enemy and slowly terminate them from the outside moving inward) to prevent the Ovaherero from escaping. So there are doubts,” he said.

Some Germans regard the rumours of a Kesselschlacht as a myth, claiming the soldiers were not sufficient to perform the manoeuvre.

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Bread delay caused pupil food hunt

March 27, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Bread delay caused pupil food hunt The Rundu Secondary School hostel management has dismissed claims it had sent hungry learners to look for food in the surrounding communities.

It was instead revealed that the pupils had requested permission to do this, after a bread delivery delay, which was granted.

This follows a media report that claimed the learners, who it was alleged normally go to bed with empty stomachs, were sent to look for food recently. Hostel superintendent Peter Mberema refuted the claims.

He said the bread shortage situation was the result of a delivery delay.

“There is nothing like a shortage of food at our hostel. There was just a delay in the delivery of bread by the contractor. The learners went on to have all their meals that day, to date,” Mberema said.

He explained it was not the hostel's idea to have the learners look for food elsewhere.

He said permission had been requested by the learners, who felt that eating soft porridge alone was not satisfactory. “That same Saturday morning the learners were served their normal soft porridge, but there was no bread. They then came to me and asked for permission to go out for a specific time, which I granted,” Mberema said.

He said the hostel accommodates about 437 learners who are expected to pay a fee of N$200 per semester.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Preserve Omukwaniilwa's legacy of peace

March 27, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Preserve Omukwaniilwa's legacy of peace Since Tuesday morning, tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the country in honour of Omukwaniilwa Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, the revered and respected leader of Ondonga for the last 44 years, who passed on this week at the age of 86. Elifas has been described by many as a great unifier, who not only showed outstanding commitment to his community, but also Namibia at large.

He was without doubt a source of inspiration and a beacon of hope. In the words of President Hage Geingob, Omukwaniilwa did not only care about those who fell under his traditional authority, but treated everyone with affection and compassion. As leader of the Ondonga kingdom, King Elifas will forever be remembered for promoting peace, humility and forgiveness not forgetting his unwavering commitment to justice and dignity for all.

Disappointingly, it is really sad to note that his fine legacy is now under threat given the infighting among the traditional leaders, which has led to factions and disunity. The infighting has been linked to the succession battle. This followed after a group of senior leaders were reportedly purged by a rival grouping of individuals close to the royal family and who apparently took advantage of Elifas' poor health to wield the axe. The fired councillors are still backing Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, who was nominated by the Ondonga king as his heir in September 2002, to take over from Elifas one day. The widely publicised and embarrassing shenanigans within the Ondonga Traditional Authority led to unnecessary confusion and irreconcilable differences not only among the leadership, but also the subjects, and the community at large. The promotion of division by self-centred leaders within Ondonga undermines the rich legacy of peace and compassion, which the departed king so well lived by. The warring factions of Ondonga must immediately bury the hatchet not only for the sake of peace and progress towards a better life for all, but also to preserve the indomitable legacy of Omukwaniilwa Elifas. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Swapo bares its teeth at Itula

March 27, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Swapo bares its teeth at Itula After initially rubbishing an opinion by the country's former chief dentist, Dr Panduleni Itula, who said Namibia was ripe for an independent presidential candidate to challenge President Hage Geingob and other party leaders, Swapo has taken another bite at the cherry.

At a media conference yesterday, the ruling party bared its teeth at Itula, who is a Swapo member, saying it would not be entertaining “grapevine talks” of one of its own standing against Geingob in the upcoming presidential election.

“The idea of some individuals calling for Swapo members to apparently support their agenda to stand as an independent candidate, while still holding onto Swapo membership, is a serious violation of the party's election rules and procedures,” said Swapo's secretary for information and mobilisation, Hilma Nicanor.

Swapo executive director Austin Samupwa had earlier this month referred to Itula's opinion as “total garbage”, saying the party had nothing to do with it and would not waste time discussing it.

Nicanor said yesterday that any Swapo member who wanted to stand as an independent presidential candidate would have to part ways with the party.

She added the party had gotten wind of Itula's “secret activities, underground in the regions”, apparently soliciting voters to sign up to get him registered.

“Even these activities are a serious violation of the party's rules and regulations,” Nicanor said, adding members should avoid responding to invites from Itula.

“I would like to call on all Swapo functionaries in the regions as well as the party's rank and file not to allow themselves to be taken for granted and confused and misled by those not worthy of Swapo.”





In his 19-page document Itula explained how it was legally possible for an independent candidate to run for president.



He explained, among other requirements, that such a candidate should be a registered voter, who is nominated and supported by at least 500 registered voters per region.



This means that an independent candidate should obtain a total of 7 000 nominations from registered voters.



“Under the Namibian constitutional dispensation, time may be mature for such a shake-up situation to occur as well. Particularly in the light of unpleasant tendencies we [have] witnessed in local governments and the ruling party,” Itula wrote.



“This may indeed be made possible on fertile grounds of dictatorial tendencies surfacing in relation to a catalogue of unilateral decisions since 2015 and dictatorial directives (sic).”



Itula added that “the events in the ruling party in the last few years, months and weeks certainly gave Namibians a reason to ponder as to whether an independent president is worth making a cross on the ballot paper for”.



“If any, the time is indeed ripe for such a bold but courageous move with all its inherent risks.”

Itula was, however, coy about whether he would be standing as an independent candidate earlier this month. When contacted yesterday, he said he didn't know what Swapo was talking about.

A plan for jobs

March 27, 2019, 3:00 pm

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A plan for jobsDevelopment budget boosted by 42% While unveiling the national budget yesterday, the finance minister highlighted the economic hardships that have afflicting Namibians over the past few years. OGONE TLHAGE



Finance minister Calle Schlettwein has unveiled a N$66.5 billion budget geared towards “stimulating economic growth" and creating decent jobs, while further adjusting the public fiscal stance to “sustainable and stable levels”.

There was also bad news for civil servants, who will have their contributions to the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS) doubled from N$410 million to N$820 million, effective April 2019.

Transfers to commercial public enterprises during 2019/2020 will amount to N$836.5 million, dropping to N$815.6 million in 2020/21 and reaching about N$838 million thereafter.

Schlettwein said the restraint on the wage bill, which had increased by 110% in the five years preceding the 2018/19 financial year, also applied to all public enterprises. A total of N$650 million was reallocated from non-core expenditure and transfers to public enterprises to support the provision of core goods and services, financing for SMEs support facilities as well as development budget expenditure.

The N$66.5 billion budget tabled in the National Assembly yesterday is 2% larger than last year’s.

“I table this budget knowing that the current economic situation in our country has caused hardship for many citizens and I thank you all for your forbearance during these difficult times,” Schlettwein said.

“I am equally aware that the situation would have been much worse if we had not implemented fiscal consolidation and austerity measures.”

Schlettwein said beyond the budget, “the economy is greatly enabled by private-sector investment, the expansion of the final value of exports, the speedy implementation of intervention measures and a conducive policy environment”.

Schlettwein also announced a raft of tax proposals that are expected to generate approximately N$400 million in revenue. Income-tax changes will come into effect in 2020 after the drafting and tabling of the specific tax proposals. New excise duties will become effective upon the tabling and gazetting of the schedules.

N$8.2m deficit

Schlettwein said the budget deficit was estimated at N$8.2 billion, or 4.1% of GDP, and was expected to average 3.4% over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), compared to 4.4% in 2018/19.

The deficit will be financed through a combination of domestic, multilateral and bilateral borrowing. The leveraging of state assets in the telecommunication sector is expected to ease financing obligations and mitigate against increases in the debt stock, Schlettwein said.

He said the budget provides for a growth stimulus package, centred on the increased magnitude of the development budget, an enhanced resource allocation to the agricultural sector and youth and SME support.

“Secondly, its policy stance proposes a continued reduction in the budget deficit, consistent with the medium-term fiscal consolidation policy stance.

“Thirdly, it proposes the timely implementation of enabling structural policy reforms to optimise outcomes through improved ease of doing business, business confidence and increased policy certainty.

“This also includes tax policy and tax administration reforms, which balance between promoting investment and revenue-generation to support the successful implementation of the fiscal consolidation programme,” Schlettwein said.

The development budget allocation has been increased by 42%, “with greater emphasis on economic growth enhancing infrastructure investment and crowding in private sector participation”, Schlettwein said.

The budget also reduces the proportion of non-core expenditure to curb wastage and enhance allocation efficiency.

It also provides increasing budgetary allocations to social sectors to guard against reversals and enhance access to affordable and reliable public services, and further strengthens allocations to social safety nets to improve the coverage for qualifying beneficiaries.

Development budget skyrockets

The development budget was increased to N$7.9 billion, from N$5.5 billion this financial year, and will be protected against frequent reallocation during the financial year.

The budget also deploys project financing amounting to N$1.1 billion under the African Development Bank (AfDB) arrangement within the budget year, along with own budget funding of N$831.9 million for logistics infrastructure, mainly rail and road, agricultural mechanisation and school infrastructure renovation.

The remaining N$2.9 billion under the AfDB funding will be utilised over the next two years.

In collaboration with AfDB, and to encourage local participation, construction projects will provide the option for 25% of the contract value to local entities through a competitive bidding process.

A total allocation of N$290 million was allocated to the crop and horticulture programme under the agriculture ministry, of which N$96 million is targeted for the Green Scheme irrigation programme. An amount of N$469 million was allocated for the water-generation and infrastructure refurbishment programme.

An additional allocation of N$15 million was allocated for youth entrepreneurship projects on top of the N$9.5 million to support youth employment and self-employment under the National Youth Council.

“This is in addition to youth-related projects under the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service, as well as the support facilities at the Development Bank of Namibia and the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development,” Schlettwein said.

“Noting the severe effects of climate change and the ensuing drought, a total of N$100 million is allocated to the Emergency Fund, bringing the total balance of N$304 million. In addition, a total of N$204 million is provided for contingencies.”

Schlettwein also said the regulations on exclusive bidding to support local participation would be finalised in the second quarter of this year to provide for thresholds for local sourcing under the Public Procurement Act and for enforcement by the Central Procurement Board.

“Utilisation of this policy space will enable optimal participation of the domestic producers of goods and services and to stimulate domestic productive capacity.”

The finance minister added the Central Procurement Board will improve its turnaround time for tender and bid evaluation and prioritise the finalisation of high-value tender awards within a minimum prescribed timeframe.

A total of N$110 million was earmarked for SME financing strategy activities under the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN).

Also on the agenda was reversing some of the previously announced tax rate increases and non-deductibility of some categories of income tax to enable domestic economic agents to invest and produce.

Schlettwein said over 49% of the budget continues to be allocated to the social sectors, while adding that absolute poverty had declined from 41% in 1990s to 17.4% by 2015/16.

Extreme poverty, he said, had been reduced to 10.7%.

Schlettwein said the budget is presented against the backdrop of slowing momentum in the global economy, elevated trade tensions and climatic induced disasters.

“This is largely due to the risk factors which have materialised in the latter part of 2018. These include the ensuing emergence of unilateralism and resulting trade wars between and among the United States of America and China and the European Union and the impending process of the United Kingdom exiting the European Union later this year or earlier with or without a deal.”

Domestic economy

Schlettwein said the domestic economy was projected to emerge from recession this year.

“The pace and quality of the recovery is dependent on the speed and scale of implementation of pro-growth policy interventions, but may also be influenced by external factors.”

He said GDP growth for 2019 could reach up to 1%, from a contraction of between 0.2% and 0.5% in 2018.

“In a baseline scenario, if no policy measures are implemented, GDP growth is estimated at 0.2% in 2019 and will improve to approximately 1% by 2021. However, the outlook could improve to approximately 1.2% this year and reach 2.2% in 2020 if it is supported by timely implementation of supportive policy measures.”

The minister said it was therefore imperative to speed up implementation capacity and eliminate bureaucratic delays for the outlook to translate into per capita income expansion.

“On the demand side, the recovery is expected to be led by increased exports from the mining sector, increased investment in public infrastructure and a soft recovery in aggregate consumption expenditure. With aggregate public spending generally flat, private investment inflows are necessary to lift the growth potential of the economy.”

He said the revenue for the 2017/18 financial of N$58.8 billion was 4.3% better than the budget and 3.7% better than the revised budget. For 2018/19, revenue outturn was projected at N$56.7 billion, consistent with the budget review estimates.

“By Mid-March 2019, revenue outturn was N$55 billion, 97.1% of the collection target.”

For 2019/20, total revenue is estimated at N$58.4 billion, 3% better than the estimated outturn for 2018/19 and 29.7% of GDP.

“This is in anticipation of 16% better SACU receipts, which is largely offset by the downward revisions in annual estimates for non-mining company tax and value-added tax owing to a low growth and depressed consumption demand.”

He said to encourage achieving the primary objective of reigniting economic growth within a constrained fiscal space, targeted infrastructure financing will be done through bilateral and multilateral financing arrangements and budgetary transfers to public enterprises in economic sectors for targeted capital investments.

“While reviving broad-based economic growth is imperative, debt stabilisation through revenue-generation and non-core expenditure containment is a critical objective which cannot be abandoned. Therefore, the pro-growth fiscal consolidation policy remains the appropriate and timely policy stance to safeguard long-term macroeconomic stability and fiscal sustainability.”

It's official: 2018 was a recession year

March 28, 2019, 3:50 am

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It's official: 2018 was a recession year Data released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) this morning shows the economy grew by -0.1% last year, better than the -0.9% in 2017.
The contraction resulted from weak performance in the secondary and tertiary industries that recorded declines of 3.4% and 2.4% in real value added, respectively.
However, strong performance has been observed in the primary industry recording a growth of 12.9% in real value added due to increase in mining activities.
Read the full report tomorrow in Market Watch.

Top 8 reaches crescendo

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Top 8 reaches crescendo The second legs of the Standard Bank Top 8 semi-finals will take place at Sam Nujoma Stadium tomorrow.

The first match will kick off at

16: 00 between Black Africa (BA) and Tigers.

The second match will be between African Stars and Tura Magic at 19:00.

In the first leg, Katutura giants and reigning MTC Premiership champions Stars did enough to walk away with a 1-0 win against Magic through a goal by Panduleni Nekundi.

The goal was a good reward for Stars who entertained a packed Kuisebmund stadium with their enterprising play in the midfield.

The second semi-final first leg, current Namibia Premier League log leaders BA took on Tigers.

The tight encounter ended 0-0, leaving both teams with a lot to do in the second leg.

Football pundit Isack Hamata said tomorrow's matches will be tough for all the teams.

“It is a tough for me to predict a winner or who will go to the finals. Magic is still in the hunt but they need to at least score two goals. Also, with the BA and Tigers clash, things are also on a knife edge. The fact that they drew in the first leg makes the second leg very interesting,” he said.

The tournament is being sponsored by Standard Bank Namibia to the tune of N$9 million over three years. Disappointingly, Orlando Pirates, Mighty Gunners, Unam and Eleven Arrows were already sent packing at the quarterfinal stage.

At the end of the competition, the winners will walk away with N$500 000. The runners-up will get N$250 000 and the semi-final losers will take home N$125 000 each.

The outstanding player of the tournament will get N$15 000, the same as the top goal scorer and best coach, while the best goalkeeper and referee will pocket N$10 000 each, with the best-performing assistant referee taking home

N$5 000.



LIMBA MUPETAMI

Sport remains a stepchild

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Sport remains a stepchildBudget sliced three years in a row The 2019/20 national budget announcement by finance minister Calle Schlettwein on Wednesday proved a disappointment for the sporting fraternity. Despite numerous calls and requests for government to increase its budget allocation to the sports ministry, Wednesday's national budget announcement revealed another cut in funding.

The sporting fraternity's pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears once again, with the sports ministry only receiving N$286 million, which is N$2 million less the N$288 million allocated in the 2018/19 financial year.

In 2017/18 the ministry received an allocation of N$384 963 000, which was N$106 082 000 less than in the 2016/17 budget, when it was allocated N$491 045 000 for its three directorates - sport, youth and national service. The 2019/20 allocation once again puts strain on the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), as it now has to deal with dishing out peanuts to the country's already struggling sport federations.

This is despite calls being made to professionalise sport in Namibia, and while athletes are preparing for major competitions in various codes.

These include preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers, the Cosafa Cup, the Japan Rugby World Cup, the All-Africa Games, for which close to 50 athletes have qualified, as well as the Tokyo Olympics next year. This is besides the funding that will be needed to send Namibia's high-quality Paralympic athletes to regional and global competitions.

NSC chief administrator Freddy Mwiya certainly has his work cut out for him. Mwiya said the budget allocation disappointed him greatly, as they spent close to two months working on a presentation with consultants.

“We spent a lot of time working on the presentation. If you see the motivations we give, you will really notice that we put forth worthwhile projects, which amount to about N$90 million. “But now my hands have really been cut off. I don't know if they even took time to read what we presented. “If you look at the All-Africa Games, how do we prepare these athletes? It's really disturbing,” Mwiya said. He said explaining to federations that there are no funds is stressful, because most of them don't understand.

“We are dead, I'm telling you. We had plans to move sport into regions, but now I don't even know where to start.” The administrator also said he has to now sit with sport ministry executive director Emma Kantema-Gaomas to once again make a submission, as they are not sure if they should take part in some of the competitions lined up. The budget allocation has also cast doubt on whether the National Sports Reward Policy will come into effect.

The document is meant to provide guidance on how to reward Namibian athletes who deliver stellar performances at local and international events. Funds for this purpose are supposed to be provided by the ministry through to NSC.

The rewards are meant for athletes who return with medals from competitions like the Olympics and Paralympics, world championships, Commonwealth Games, All-Africa Games, African Championships and Special Olympics.

Individual athletes who win gold medals in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are meant to receive N$200 000, while silver medallists will receive N$150 000 and bronze medallists, N$100 000 Money will also go towards team sports, as well as the general preparation of teams.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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Salute invades Rundu

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Salute invades Rundu MTC Salute Boxing Academy pugilists are set to entertain Rundu with their skills when the academy hosts a boxing tournament tomorrow at the town.

Titled the 'The Kavango River Fray', the event will see several boxers trading leather.

The boxing bonanza will take place at the Rundu Trade Fair Hall, with Sunny Boy providing the musical entertainment.

The tournament will feature Jonas Matheus, who will defend his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) international bantamweight title against Nasibu Ramadhan from Tanzania.

Matheus will hope to keep his title, while the Tanzanian aims to return home with the crown.

The night is set to produce fireworks, given the number of top fighters on the undercard.

Normal tickets are selling for N$100 in advance and N$150 at the gate, while VIP tickets are going for N$250 in advance and N$300 at the gate.

School learners are required to pay N$10 at the gate, while a VIP table of 10 is selling for N$15 000.

Earlier this month, Salute and the Patrick Kashera (PK) Boxing and Fitness Academy from the Kavango East Region signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the sport in the region.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Derby fever

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Derby feverUnam, Nust vie for bragging rights The highlight of this weekend's Women Super League clashes will be the derby between Unam Bokkies and Nust Babes. Skorpion Zinc Women's Super League matches are scheduled for Windhoek, Gobabis and Swakopmund over the weekend.

The highlight will be a derby between Unam Bokkies, coached by Thuba Sibanda, and Nust Babes, who are mentored by Dankie Frans.

The varsity teams will clash tomorrow at the NFA Technical Centre at 09:00.

Nust Babes currently sit in eighth spot on the log with seven points, while Bokkies are in ninth position with six points.

Sibanda, who recently took over the reins as Bokkies head coach, said the girls have been off for two weeks and are ready to take to the turf as they are itching to prove themselves.

“We can promise our supporters a great display of football and a tantalising derby,” she said.

Frans said he is also looking forward to the match.

In other matches, Namib Daughters will face V-Power Angels at the Vineta Sports Complex in Swakopmund at 14:00.

Omaheke Queens will go up against Right-Way Ladies in Gobabis at the Legare Stadium at 12:30.

Those will be the only fixtures for the weekend.

Teams are trying to catch Tura Magic who occupy the top position with 31 points.

Magic have so far played 11 matches, and have 10 while drawing one, under their coach Shama Gure.

In second place is Nampol who have 27 points. In third place is V-Power Angels with 25 points.

Gals & Goals are fourth on 20 points, while Namib Daughters are fifth on 17 points.

In sixth position is Right-Way Ladies with 11 points. Girls Football Academy is seventh with eight points.

Omaheke Queens, who have work to do, sit at the bottom with two points.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Oskema yoPSEMAS, oondjambi oshowo iifuta yomalweendo ya talwa omeho

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Oskema yoPSEMAS, oondjambi oshowo iifuta yomalweendo ya talwa omeho Iifuta yiilyo yOskema yoPublic Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS) okwa hololwa tayi ka mbalipalekwa okuza pomiliyona 410 okuya poomiliyona 820, okutameka omwedhi Apilili nuumvo.

Shoka oshimwe shomiinima ya tseyithwa kominista yemona, Calle Schlettwein pethimbo a gandja omutengenekwathaneko gwelongitho lyiimaliwa oshowo iiyemo yepangelo ngoka a tseyitha mEtitatu.

Muyimwe mbyoka ya tseyithwa kuSchlettwein, ondjambi yaaniilonga yepangelo ndjoka monena ya thikama poopresenda 51.

Schlettwein okwa popi kutya okwa pondolwa eshunitho pevi melongitho lyiimaliwa miinima yilwe ngaashi iifuta yomalweendo gaaniilonga yepangelo sha landula sho kwa ningwa omalunduluko momvula yo 2015/2016.

Okwa popi kutya iifuta yomalweendo maaniilonga yepangelo oya shuna pevi noopresenda 62.3 muule woomvula ndatu dha piti, okuza poomiliyona 634.3 mo 2015/16 okuya poomiliyona 221.8 moshikakomvula sho 2018/19.

Pethimbo a tseyitha omutengenekwathaneko gwiimaliwa yepangelo minista okwa kunkilile aanambelewa aakomeho yiikondo yepangelo opo ya kwashilipaleke kutya okwa yi wa moshipala elongitho lyiimaliwa miinima inayi simana, ko kuvule woo okukwatwa nawa iimaliwa.

Schlettwein okwa pula oshikondo shopaumwene opo shi yambidhidhe mekoko lyeliko mokutota po oompito dhiilonga opo owala ku vule okuhwahwamekwa ekoko lyeliko.

Okwa pula iikondo yepangelo ayihe opo yi longithe iimaliwa kwiikwateela kiiyemo mbyoka yi li po.

Kombinga yoskema yomauwanawa guunamiti waaniilonga, Schlettwein okwa popi kutya oskema ndjoka ohayi futu oopresenda 95 dhomauwanawa ngoka.

Oskema ndjoka oya mono oobiliyona 2.8 moshikakomvula sho 2019/20 na oyi na iilyo yi li po 130 000 oshowo aasilwashipwiyu yiilyo yeli po 155 000. Opo ku shunithwe pevi iifuta mbyoka, minista okwa popi kutya okwa tulwa miilonga omulandu omupe, noshizemo otashi etitha omukumo.

Sha landula omulandu omupe ngoka gwa tulwa miilonga, aagandji yomayakulo guunamiti ya thika po 82, mwakwatelwa aandohotola yuunamiti wa kehe esiku, iipangelo yuundjolowele womayego noostola dhomiti okwa monika kutya oya kala taya longitha pambambo nokukengelela oskema ndjoka.

Pahapu dhaminista, oshizemo shomakonaakono ngoka osha holola kutya oskema ndjoka oya kala moshiponga shuulingilingi niikengelela okuza kaagandji yomayakulo, aapokati oshowo aaniilonga yepangelo na otashi ulike kutya oyendji oye na mo olunyala. Omakonaakono ngoka oge li pokuya pehulilo noonakukutha ombinga mekengelolo ndyoka otaya ka taalela oshilanduli.

Monena oshimaliwa shoomiliyona 13 osha monika okuza moshimaliwa sha thika poomiliyona 23 shoskema ndjoka, shoka tashi kongwa.

OMUTOOLINKUNDANA GWOMENI

Swapo onkene ta tindi omaiyuvo gaItula

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Swapo onkene ta tindi omaiyuvo gaItulaShoka oshi li aniwa e yo pondje lyoompango dhongundu Ongundu yoSwapo oya popi kutya itayi kamanapo ethimbo nokukundathana omaiyuvo goshilyo shimwe shongundu ndjoka shoka tashi pula opo ku kale omuhogololwa gumwe iithikamena, ngoka taka kondjitha Presidende Hage Geingob, pethimbo lyomahogololo nuumvo. Ongundu yoSwapo ota popi kutya itayi ka pitika omapopyo taga ningwa kOmundohotola Panduleni Itula, ngoka a popi kutya Namibia okwa pumbwa gumwe gwomiilyo yongundu opo a kale omuhogololwa iithikamena ngoka taka kondjitha omupresidende gwongundu ndjoka ethimbo lyomahogololo.

Pethimbo lyomutumba gwiikundaneki ngoka gwa ningwa mEtitatu, Amushanga gwOmauyelele mOngundu yoSwapo, Hilma Nikanor, okwa popi kutya omadhilongo gAakwaSwapo yamwe mboka taya pula opo ya yambidhidhwe mompangela dhokukala omuhogololwa iithikamena pethimbo lyomahogoolo omanga ye na natango uukwashilyo woSwapo, otashi yi pondje Ekotampango lyongundu. Gumwe gwomaapombanda mongundu yoSwapo, Austin Samupwa kuyele omwedhi nguka okwa popi kutya omaiyuvo ngoka gaItula onyata yowala nongundu tayi ka manapo ethimbo nokukundathana omaiyuvo ngoka. Nicanor okwa popi kutya kehe oshilyo shoSwapo shoka sha hala okukutha ombinga methigathano lyomahogololo onga omuhogololwa iithikamena oshi na tango okuthiga po ongundu. Okwa gwedha po kutya oSwapo oya nongele kombinga yiinyangadhalwa yomeholamo tayi ningwa kuItula miitopolwa moka ta heke iilyo opo yi mu hogolole ya vule okwiishangitha.

“Omihumbato ngoka oge li eyo pondje lyomilandu noompango dhongundu,” Nicanor a popi, ta gwedha po kutya iilyo inayi gwila momaheko ngoka taga ningwa kuItula.

Mondokumende ye yuule womapandja 19, Itula okwa yelitha nkene omuhogololwa iithikamena ta vulu okukutha ombinga methigathano lyuupresidende.

Okwa yelitha kutya omuntu ngoka na kale iishangitha onga omuhogololi na kale omukalelipo gwongundu yontumba nenge iithikamena e na aayambidhidhi aahogololi ya thika po 500 moshitopolwa kehe. Shoka otashi ti omuhogololwa iithikamena na kale e na konyala aayambidhidhi ya thika po 7 000. Itula okwa popi kutya onkalo ndjoka otayi vulu okweetitha pehulilo uulingilingi mepangelo.

Nonando ongaaka Itula omwedhi gwa piti okwa tindi okuyelitha ngele otaka kutha ombinga methigathano lyuupresidende onga omuhogololwa iithikamena. Sho a ningilwa omapulaapulo oshiwike shike okwa popi kutya keshi shoka Swapo ta popi.

OMUTOOLINKUNDANA GWOMENI

N‡a Jaqna makes a difference

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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N‡a Jaqna makes a difference There has been much criticism of Namibia's communal conservancies and their inability to deliver benefits to their communities.

However, in the N‡a Jaqna Conservancy, the largest conservancy in Namibia and one of only two that are managed by the San people, they take benefit distribution very seriously.

This month, food supplies worth N$96 000 were distributed to 16 schools in the area. During times of food insecurity and drought any form of assistance is welcome, especially for the most vulnerable - the children of the conservancy.

This is the second year the conservancy has distributed food to local schools.

The conservancy understands that even basic food supplies are hard to come by for the schools and that the children are a priority.

The schools are often the ones that feed the children and it is the only square meal they might get.

Each of the schools received N$6 000 worth of cooking oil, maize meal, soup, pasta and canned fish.

These supplies make a big difference in this impoverished area, where children often depend on school food to stave off hunger.

Sarah Zungu, chairperson of N‡a Jaqna, said: “The community decided at our annual general meeting that supplementing the food in schools was a priority, so we are doing what we can.

“This distribution of food is a perfect example of a community helping out its most vulnerable members and providing direct benefits.

“We would be able to do more if we received more help from the authorities in dealing with the illegal land grabbing, fencing and grazing, as this impacts on the land and resources available to our community to survive on.

“We are still waiting for the Land Board to implement the High Court judgment of 2016 and do an audit of illegal fencing, but there is no action; we are really on our own trying to support our community.”

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Try Germany, legal expert suggests

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Try Germany, legal expert suggestsAffected communities set to appeal Following their loss in a New York federal court, the communities affected by the genocide have been advised to try a German court. A Frankfurt international law expert, Matthias Goldman, believes that it would be worthwhile for the Ovaherero and the Nama communities to take their genocide case to the German courts.

Goldman gave his view on the class action lawsuit the communities had brought against Germany in a New York federal court. The case was dismissed because Germany enjoys sovereign immunity.

The affected communities have indicated that they will appeal. Goldman believes that the Nama and Ovaherero submission was well done, but was not looked into because Germany enjoys immunity before the court. “And they believe themselves to be barred to go into any of the substantive questions...” he said.

“The problem really with that case is [that] it was taking place in New York and not in Germany, so Germany had a relatively easy ride in invoking immunity,” said Goldman.

He explained that one state cannot call another state before its court.

“I do think it would be worthwhile to try in Germany... German law is probably not as open as the United States law when it comes to passing judgment on atrocities. But it may be worthwhile trying it; there are German judges nowadays who are of a different generation and who might be willing to reconsider the legal situation,” he said.



Legality

Goldman also rejected Germany's position that the crimes during the 1904-08 genocide were justifiable at the time.

“The one bifurcation concerns the status of the law of the time, and again the German government says there were no international human rights treaties at the time.

“And it is certainly true, but I look into the legal literature from the time and I see how often they make reference to basic standard of humanity – human treatment that should be accorded to everyone.

“So, by claiming that there was no such thing as a right to good treatment under international law at the time, the German government is giving us just one part of the picture and the picture is much bigger,” he said.



Morality

Meanwhile, Namibian political scientist Professor Andre du Pisani says that killing by design constitutes a moral crime that no one can justify.

“It [the genocide] was a moral crime because it was premised on the notion of the superiority of some and the inferiority of others.

“It was a moral crime because it was premised on a construct that civilisation was the preserve of those who are not from Africa and who are not black,” he said.





JEMIMA BEUKES

Scant hope of rain in April

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Scant hope of rain in April Several parts of the country can expect thundershowers today and over the weekend, but forecasters say there is little chance of rain in April.

A South African climate expert says it is unlikely that there will be significant rain before the start of the dry season, dashing hopes of a last-minute respite from the crippling drought.

“It is likely that very little rain will occur for the rest of the summer and autumn. Only light falls are possible in the last week of March in some areas,” Johan van den Berg states in his most recent climate and agricultural conditions report for Santam South Africa.

His report further states that there are serious worries about the drought in South Africa continuing for another year.

“The unpredictability of El Niño continues with lower sea surface temperatures since the beginning of March 2019,” Van den Berg writes.

“It is too early to predict with any certainty what is going to happen during winter, and especially in the summer of 2019/20, due to the volatile status of temperatures in the Niño areas during winter and early spring.”

Namibia Meteorological Service (NMS) chief forecaster Odillo Kgobetsi yesterday said there was a 60% chance of isolated and scattered thundershowers in the Kunene, Erongo, Otjozondjupa and Khomas regions until Sunday.

Heavy storms were likely in parts of the Kunene and Khomas regions tonight, he added.

There was also a 60% chance of showers and along the central and northern coast, Kgobetsi said.

In the south, cloudy conditions and strong winds are expected over the weekend.

Maximum daytime temperatures across Namibia are expected to range between 26 and 35 degrees.

Dam levels continue to plummet. The average level of the three central dams - Swakoppoort, Von Bach and Omatako - currently stands at 21.1%, compared to 34.1% a year ago.

Swakoppoort is 16.9% full, compared to 36.8% last year.

Omatako is nearly empty, while the Von Bach Dam is 45.7% full after transfers from Swakoppoort and Omatako.

The Otjivero Dam at Omitara in the Omaheke Region is 3.8% full, compared to more than 10% a year ago.

At Gobabis, the Tilda Viljoen Dam is 4.2% full, compared to 34% last year.

The Hardap Dam is 25.7% full, compared to more than 46% at the same time last year.

The Olushandja Dam in the Oshana Region is currently at 14.7%, compared to 30.2% last year.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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Project Room presents RESCUE(D)

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Project Room presents RESCUE(D)An exciting exhibition by Mateus Alfeus RESCUE(D) by Mateus Alfeus will open today at 18:00 at the Project Room in 32 Jenner Street, Windhoek West. RESCUE(D) is the first solo exhibition of recent College of the Arts gradate Mateus Alfeus.

In this exhibition he will show how he transforms a heap of scrap into beautiful sculptures. He manages to breathe life into these rusted pieces of forgotten metal.

Alfeus said: “Living in a world without challenges or difficulties is a surreal dream. Everybody needs to free themselves from whatever bonds he or she might find themselves in physically, emotionally, financially and even spiritually.”

He added his RESCUE(D) theme is about drawing people to the idea of helping and carrying burdens together as one nation for a better future for everyone.

The exhibition ends on Saturday, 13 April.

As a child, Alfeus entertained himself by sculpting objects out of clay, mud, wire wood, natural and scrap materials he found around his home in Ondobe, a settlement in northernmost Namibia, near the border to Angola.

Back then, clay was his favourite substance, because it was easy to come by, especially during the rainy season, and its malleability made it the ideal medium for experimenting in a creative manner.

Upon finishing school, Alfeus started off by doing carpentry and other odd jobs around his area, but as he says: “It has always been hard to find work.” In 2009, he was given a lucky break and invited to attend a workshop in Windhoek that had nothing to do with art, but was rather focused on public speaking and community engagement and development.

During the course, he was introduced to the facilities at the College of the Arts, an institution where he felt right at home, and that immediately reawakened his inborn passion for the arts.

But it would be a timely process before Alfeus would be in a position to live his dreams. He continued working odd jobs until he saved up enough to take on the economic challenges of urban life, and he could finally enrol for a diploma in visual arts at the College of the Arts in 2015.

“I started exploring my surroundings for materials to work with and realised that scrap metal is found in abundance, especially on dumpsites and scrapyards.”

Although he still liked playing with clay, it turned out to be a scarce resource in the city and in the end it was a simple decision.

“I focused my creative efforts on the materials that were available to me in my immediate environment and so it came that I majored in metal sculpting.”

An imaginative array of barking dogs, birds in flight and pipe-smoking human faces started making their appearance from carefully arranged pieces of metal, welded together as if to capture his ideas in eternity.

Despite being motivated and driven by his artistic side, like other artists, Alfeus faces challenges.

“The focus on art has gone beyond borders. Local artists don't sell or make enough money out of their work and as a result can't afford to work as full-time artists and have to find other jobs to survive. My dream is to make art recognised as a career in our society and to keep it alive in the fading Namibian art industry - this is my vision not only for self, but also for the arts sector in general.”



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Eunic presents its 2019 musical festival

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Eunic presents its 2019 musical festival The European Union National Institutes for Culture (Eunic) cluster in Namibia presents the Eunic Music Festival 2019 scheduled for Friday, 5 April with a line-up of hip-hop artists from the relevant European states, and Namibia, at the Warehouse Theatre.

Representing the host nation Namibia at the Eunic Music Festival 2019 will be Lioness, DJ KBoz, Kunundrum and KK. Lioness is known for her ability to transform and evolve her music to be relevant and contemporary. Her attitude will blend well with DJ KBoz, who will set the evening's tone and have the audience experience what is he is known for: spinning the decks to make the crowd sweat. KK, who has been writing lyrics since his teenage years, will also drop a spectacular performance.

Radio host NSK will host the event for a second time. The door opens at 19:00 and tickets are available for N$100 at EventsToday, the PayToday app or any airtime vending machine in Namibia. Entrance at the door will cost N$150.

“We have decided to focus on the hip-hop genre this year and invite musicians who have crafted the skill of language in their music,” said Goethe Institute Namibia director, Daniel Stoevesandt. He holds this year's presidency of the Eunic cluster in Namibia that includes Camões Namibia (Portugal) and the Franco-Namibia Cultural Centre (France).

Eunic Namibia aims to foster cultural exchange between musicians from Namibia and European countries for arts development on both continents. Thus, a skills exchange session is open to music students at the College of the Arts on Thursday, 4 April at 15:30 to 18:30 and another at the Warehouse Theatre for upcoming musicians on Wednesday, 3 April at 16:00 to 19:00. Registration for both are free and is as simple as sending your name, contact details and brief description of yourself to culture-windhoek@goethe.de

Sam-E Lee Jones drop new EP

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Sam-E Lee Jones drop new EP Short and sweet A review of Vataleni. Multi-award-winning producer Sam-E Lee Jones released his new EP today called Vataleni after days of teasing the drop. The body of work consists of five tracks and carries features from Gazza and Amani Forest.

The EP has a current Namibian sound, infused with Jones' African heritage, with this coming through clearly in the instrumentals of the Kwateni Omunona ­remix and Spirit of The Doggs.

The diverse production on this EP showcases Jones' openness in artistic growth as you will get to hear some vibes we wouldn't expect from him. In the past his various musical contributions have literally helped more than one person have a top charting song and helped a bunch of others add another hit to their catalogues. On this project, however, he is doing it for himself.

Having lived with the EP for some days now, there are a few things I thought the project benefited from – one of them being the sequencing for the last two songs. The last two songs on the EP are Spirit of The Doggs and Waiting (an interlude).

Every time I listen to Vataleni from start to finish, it becomes more apparent to me that the sequencing was done right. I say this because, Waiting is an interlude and it serves as the ideal outro song to a project of this nature. Another element I was impressed with is that the project is concise. I mean there are only five songs which makes it hard to find faults on this project because you can tell he only chose the best tracks. On this body of work Jones' once again demonstrates that he has a better understanding of how to use his unique instrumentals and cadence, and because of this, he is easily separated from the pack.

Defining the future

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Defining the futureKing Elegant teases new album King Elegant has had a pretty impressive journey since joining BlvcBoxx Entertainment. He is definitely one artist you can't possibly ignore or overlook. This is his story. In 2018, as a rising superstar, King Elegant's music was on heavy rotation on different radio stations which translated into many gigs. Not only is this impressive but its testament to how determination and a good support system can literally take you anywhere.

Even though he is frequently mentioned among the trending new artists in Namibia, he maintains that what separates him from the rest is being able to make music in multiple genres. He does Afro pop, Afro beat and dancehall. “I believe music is so broad and is a loud language so I like to experiment with different sounds because I am not comfortable just doing one genre. I do not want to limit my creativity by just doing one music genre,” said King Elegant.

King Elegant recently released a single titled One Love to help Namibians celebrate Independence Day and give his fans a snippet of what to expect for his debut album slated to be released this year. He told tjil that he used this single as a conduit to musically express that Namibia is going through a lot socially and economically, but together we can change the situation. “Music is a powerful tool so I wanted to use it to spread good news. Yes, we are going through so many social and economic problems but we still have things to be grateful for and that is what this single is about,” he added. On his musical plans for the year, King Elegant promised a full studio album and said the album is going to be about his story. He mentioned that through the album he is going to spread positive vibes. “When you are an upcoming artist you face a lot of challenges and it is always tough. The feedback on your singles leading up to your debut album is very important and so far I have received positive feedback for the music I have released so I am ready and confident to share what I have been working on in the studio,” he said. Even though he chose to not share the artists he will feature on the upcoming album, he mentioned DJ KBoz, Andrew on The Beat, Slime and Elvo as some of the producers he is working with. “I am trying to tap into different sounds and that requires different producers.”

“I do not want to give away so many details because I want to keep the element of surprise intact, but people should expect great music for my first album,” He promised.

He mentioned that being surrounded by positive minded people is what keeps him going in an industry that is infested with so many challenges. King Elegant believes it is important for upcoming artists to find the right team to help them navigate the music industry. “I am only 23 and obviously I do not know everything about the music industry but I can guarantee you that aligning yourself with the right team will take your music far,” advised King Elegant.

Anne Hambuda, who handles the public relations for BlvcBoxx Entertainment told tjil that the stable has big plans for the rollout plan of King Elegant's debut album. “People can expect a lot of performances. We are going to be doing pop ups and activations. People will see King Elegant's face everywhere,” said Hambuda.

MICHAEL KAYUNDE

Werah Café and Theatre - a hub for creatives

March 28, 2019, 3:00 pm

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Werah Café and Theatre - a hub for creativesGiving artists a platform to showcase their talents There is a place for local creatives to get their juices flowing and network and that place is in Rundu. Local businessman Nanyemba Katamba opened Werah Café and Theatre in 2015, with the aim of strengthening arts and creative expression in his community.

Four years later this facility has become a popular spot in Rundu where artists host their events. In an interview with tjil, Katamba said that there are not enough facilities of this kind in Rundu and the lack thereof has badly impacted the growth of art initiatives at the town. “Opening this facility was my way of trying to ensure that art enthusiasts, especially young people, have a place where they can perform and express their talents,” said Katamba. Divided into three compartments Werah Café and Theatre has a capacity of 200 people. “The three compartments are made up of the theatre space, craft centre and café' area,” he said.

Since its inception, Katamba said he is now beginning to see more people getting involved and making use of the facility. He attributes this to the monthly concerts that the facility has started.

He shared that they have a monthly initiative called 'Night around the fire' where artists perform live with their bands around the fire. “We wanted to give this concept an African feel, hence the name.”

“At the beginning of this year, we also partnered up with Courage the Comedian, where we are going to have a comedy show every month end. His first show was last month and it was a success,” said Katamba.

Katamba added that for his second instalment, Courage the Comedian will have a workshop to train local comedians before the show. He shared that the vision is to have Kavango comedians doing stand-up comedy in vernacular languages. “But before we attain this we first need to gain skills that is why Courage will give training to aspiring comedians.”

On challenges of running this theatre space, Katamba said that there is a perception that if you are based in the township, it is not good enough, so many are reluctant to visit the facility. “We need to shift away from that mindset and respect that the masses come from these places and if we make it fashionable other people will find it easier to come support us,” he said.

Another challenge, Katamba pointed out was that there is little contact between tourists and local people. He however, said he is trying to tap into the tourist market so that “tourists who are housed at nice lodges along the river can come to Werah Café and experience our culture and know who we are.

They can come watch theatre plays bout our people”.

MICHAEL KAYUNDE