Namibian Sun

Hockey to be introduced in Khorixas schools

Hockey will soon be introduced as a sports code at schools in Khorixas after a successful training clinic was held in Outjo in April.

Bank Windhoek, in collaboration with the Namibian Hockey Union (NHU), hosted the hockey coaching clinic where a total of 65 learners and 13 coaches from six primary schools in Outjo and Khorixas participated.

The event was attended by learners from the Outjo Primary School, Jack Francis Primary and Maarssen Primary School, their teachers, as well as three Khorixas primary schools - Versteende Woud, THF !Gaeb and Welwitschia.

The teachers received coaching training while the learners were taught the rules and practical details of hockey as a sports code. Bank Windhoek sponsored hockey equipment for the participating schools.

“The way forward for the Khorixas coaches is to introduce hockey at their respective schools and play a junior league, while the three Outjo schools will continue to coach their teams in preparation for the junior league to be played on Wednesdays, just after the athletics season,” NHU executive member Erwin Handura said.

With hockey's inclusion in the 2019 edition of the Namibia Youth Games, scheduled to take place in December, the Kunene Region will incorporate players from Khorixas and Outjo.

“These schools were urged to prepare their players for the Namibia School Sports Union (NSSU) national trials during the second term,” said Handura.

Bank Windhoek head of corporate affairs, Hayley Allen, said: “Increasing participation in sport can generate a variety of socio-economic benefits. It can make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and wider society.

“Based on this, Bank Windhoek has committed to contribute to the socio-economic development of Namibia, especially in the area of education, job-creation, entrepreneurship, health, sport, culture and welfare.”

Bank Windhoek and the NHU have hosted hockey coaching clinics in since 2015 in the following regions: Kavango West, Zambezi, Hardap, and //Karas, Khomas, Oshana, Otjozondjupa and Kunene.

Sport Reporter

ICC T20 squad announcedNamibia face tough tournament in Uganda Namibia's national cricket team are preparing for a huge tournament in Uganda.

Cricket Namibia has announced a strong 14-man squad for the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Finals tournament to be held in Kampala, Uganda from 17 to 24 May.

It also congratulated those chosen for the squad and wished them the best for the tournament.

Merwe Gerhard Erasmus will captain the team, while Nicolaas Frylinck will be the vice-captain.

Pierre de Bruyn is the head coach, while Albie Morkel will be assisting him, and Dee Thakur is the team manager.

Namibia will be up against Botswana, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya.

The top two teams will book their place for the ICC Global T20 Qualifier slated for 11 October to 3 November in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Namibia will first take on Uganda in their first match on 21 May.

Last month Namibia thumped Oman by 145 runs to win the World Cricket League Division 2 trophy.

A record Namibian total, propelled by twin centuries from Stephan Baard and JP Kotze, took them to a historic win over Hong Kong at Affies Park to clinch ODI status for the tournament hosts.

As a result of Namibia's ODI status, the team will be playing one-day internationals for the first time since the 2003 World Cup.

The squad for Uganda is as follows: Stephen Julian Baard, Danie van Schoor, Jan Izak de Villiers, Merwe Erasmus, Jan Nicolaas Frylinck, Zane Green, Zhivago Groenewald, Nikolaas Davin, Tangeni Lungameni, Bernard Scholtz, Johannes Jonathan Smit, Christoffel Viljoen, Karl Birkenstock and Helao Ya France.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Fortune a ningilwa etando

Okanona kokamati hoka kali ka monithwa oshiponga koshitenda shoshipundi omvula ya piti koskola, oka ningilwa etando momasiku 22 gaMaalitsa ndyoka lya ende nawa.

Ofamili yaFortune Akawa (15) otayi pandula molwaashoka etando ndyoka oya etitha opo a shune moskola.

Pahapu dhayina, Sara Johannes, Akawa iha longitha we uushako wekweekelahi onyata.

Akawa, omunaskola mondondo onti 8 mOngwediva Control Combined School, okwa kala ta lesha owala okuza megumbo, sha landula oshiponga shoka sha ningilwa poskola yedhina Oshakati West Primary School muKotomba gwomvula ya piti.

“Akawa okwa tandwa muMaalitsa netando olya ende nawa. Ngashiingeyi ota vulu okuya kondje yemwene. Otandi pandula Kalunga oshowo ayehe mboka ya yambidhidha ndje oshowo aanambelewa yuunamiti mboka ye mu yambidhidha.”

Okwa popi kutya etando ndyoka olya ningilwa moshipangelo shepangelo, na inali mu pula sha mondjato.

Akawa, ngoka a li omukomeho mongundu yawo okwa ehamekwa koshitenda shoshipundi sha teka, pethimbo a li ta kambadhala okuya moshipala omananathano ngoka ga li mongundu yawo.

Akawa aniwa okwa li iithanwa opo a ninge omupokati gwoontamanana pokati kaalongwa yakwawo mongundu yawo na okwa li uundulwa kuyamwe yomaamati nokugwila koshitenda shoka.

Oshitenda shoka aniwa osha tsu okanona hoka kuzilila konima na osha piti mepunda nokweehameka omandjandja ge.

Okanona okali ka ka falwa kokaklinika na okwa li a falwa meendelelo koshipangelo shaShakati.

Oka li ka ningilwa etando meendelelo esiku ndyoka, nokonima yepando ina vula we okukala tayi kondje yemwene na okwa tulwa okapaipi kokupitila onyata.

Akawa okwa li a yi koskola muNovemba opo a ka shange omakonaaakono na okwa undulilwa kondondo onti 8.

Molwaashoka ondondo onti 7 oyo ya hugunina poskola yawo, okwa li a tambulwa mOngwediva Control Combined School muJanuari ihe konima yomasiku omashona, omukuluntuskola okwa li a ningi omutumba naJohannes, noku mu tseyithila kutya oshihwepo a tsikile nelongo lye okuzilila kegumbo.

Yina okwa kala ha ka tala iilongadhalwa ye koskola kehe esiku noku yi shuna koskola yi ka talwe kaalongi.

Omanga ina ningilwa etando, Esser Shilimela gwehangano lyoESBA Pendukeni Foundation okwa talele po Akawa opamwe nofamili ye nokugandja omagano giikulya oshowo oshimaliwa koomuma shooN$3000.00, sha nuninwa omayakulo ge gopuunamiti.

ILENI NANDJATO

Iiyamakuti tayi tula moshiponga oomwenyo dhaantu nodhiimuna

Uuministeli womidhingoloko owa lopota kutya iiyamakuti oyindji mbyoka ya li ya zi moshikunino shiinamwenyo mEtosha National Park uule woomwedhi dha piti, oya shunamo kakele koompanda mbali ndhoka dha li dha hupithwa kaanambelewa yuuministeli oshowo onkoshi ndjoka ya dhipagwa pUulungawakolondo.

Uuministeli owa holola woo kutya, Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, gumwe gwomwaamboka ya ulikwa onga Omukwaniilwa gwaNdonga, okwa pula uuministeli wu kuthemo Ongalangombe, ndjoka ya kala tayi napa niimuna ye mombala ye pOnambango popepi nOndangwa, konyala oshinano shookilometa 100 okuza mEtosha.

Uuministeli owa popi kutya osha nika oshiponga noonkondo ketaandelo lyomikithi unene koongombe. Oongalangombe odho unene hadhi kala nombuto yocatarrhal fever, ombuto ndjoka hayi taandele mbala moongombe nokudhipaga oongombe muule woshiwike shimwe konima ya holola omadhidhiliko gombuto ndjoka.

Ombuto ndjoka otayi vulu okutaandela koongombe okuza kongalangombe yi li popepi oshinano shoometa 100, onkene oongombe odha pumbwa okukala kokule noongalangombe konyala oshinano shokilometa yimwe.

Ofaalama yoongalangombe otayi uthwa paveta opo yi kale noodhalate oombali. Uule woomwedhi dha piti, iiyamakuti oyindji oya zi mo mEtosha na oya kala owala tayi ende ya manguluka. Osha landula eponokelo konkoshi lyomunahambo Elia Usiku gwoomvula 49, momasiku 23 gaMaalitsa popepi nokamba yaakwiita pUulungawakolondo.

Okuza mpoka, oongolo, oosino oshowo oongalangombe odha tameke tadhi monika monooli yoshilongo.

Momasiku ga 3 gaApilili opwali iikulumanene mUukwiyu-Uushona moshitopolwa shaShana oshowo Omuntele mOshikoto, moka aakwashigwana ya talelwa po koompanda mbali oonduudhe.

Omupopiliko guuministeli mboka, Romeo Muyunda okwa koleke koNamibian Sun kutya iinamwenyo oyindji oya shunamo kuyoyene kakele owala kwaamboka ya kala kondje ihe iishona yowala.

Okwa popi kutya ope na ongolo ndjoka tayi adhika oshinano shookilometa 20 okuza mOshakati.

Omuleli gwopamuthigululwakalo mOnambango, Kashona Malulu okwa popi kutya pethimbo lyoosa dhOmukwaniilwa nale gwaNdonga, Immanuel Kauluma Elifas omwedhi gwa piti, ongalangombe oya yi moongombe dhanangolo, pegumbo lye pOnambango omanga inayi ya moongombe dhe.

“Esiku limwe omutenya, ongalangombe oya nhuka odhalate yaNangolo nokuya yuukilila koshigunda she ihe kamwa li oongombe pethimbo ndyoka. Oya kala moshigunda nomutenya sho iimuna ya galuka oya zi mo. Sho iimuna ya yi koshigunda nayo oya yi nokuza kesiku ndyoka oya kala tayi napa pamwe niimuna ye,” Malulu a popi.

Muyunda okwa popi kutya ongalangombe ndjoka oya li ya shunithwa kEtosha, keindilo lyaningwa kuShuumbwa.

Omunambelewa ngoka okwa popi kutya otaya konene kutya iiyamakuti oya taukamo mEtosha sho tayi kongo uunapelo oshowo omeya omolwa onkalo yakukuta moshikunino shoka shiinamwenyo.

Uuministeli womidhingoloko owa pumbwa konyala oshimaliwa sha thika poomiliyona 500 opo wu longe odhalate yoshikunino shoka, ko ku vule okuyandwa iiyamakuti mbyoka tayi iyaka mo moshikunino.

ILENI NANDJATO

Immanuel a yamukula Kuugongelwa-AmadhilaA popi kutya omuprima ina tunga po oompito dha sha shaanyasha Omuhogololwa iithikamena momahogololo guukansela mOndangwa Urban, Angelina Immanuel, okwa yamukula omuprima Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila ta popi kutya omuntu ngoka iihole owala yemwene nonando okwa li a pewa opoosa onene mepangelo nokuyambukapo a ninge Omuprima ihe ina tunga po oompito dhaanyasha.

Immanuel okwa yamukula Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, omolwa omapopyo ngoka a ningi poshigongi shomahwahwameko shongundu yoSwapo shoka sha ningwa mehuliloshiwike lya piti mOndangwa.

Immanuel okwa popi kutya Kuugongelwa-Amadhila kali iilongela opoosa yuukomeho woNational Planning Commission momvula yo 1995, konima sho a li uulikwa onga omunambelewa kOmupresidende Sam Nujoma sha landula emanitho lyeilongo lye moAmerika.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila ngoka a li e na oomvula 27, pethimbo ndyoka , e thike pamwe naImmanuel ngashiingeyi okwa ulikwa a ninge Ominista yemona momvula yo 2003.

“Tango onda hala okuhololela paufupi omuprima kutya kehe epupi oli na elalakano lyawo. Epupi lyaakokele oli na elalakano lyemangululo lyoshilongo nepupi lyetu oli na elalakano lyemangululo paliko.”

“Uule woomvula 24 dha piti, omusimanekwa Kuugongelwa-Amadhila okwa pewa osindo yi na oondya dhopootika na okwa ulikwa a ninge omukomeho gwonational planning.

“Kape na sha shilwe sha shewa kombinga ye, kashi shi kutya okwa li omunamagano nenge ha longo nuudhiginini nenge e na ondjelo ombwaanawa unene. Opwa li yakwawo yalwe ye na uukwatya wu vule mboka we, na oye li momwenyo taya vulu okushi kalela po. Shoka sha ningwa po osho owala kutya okwa pewa ompito,” Immanuel a popi.

Okwa tsikile kutya omuprima ina tota po oompito dhasha dhaanyasha.

“Otashi ulike kutya owa dhimbwa olweendo lwoye nenge otwa puka. Ope na oshitya shomelaka lyOshiingilisa shoka tashi holola omuntu goludhi ndoka. Pitikandje ndi shi popye nesimaneko, omusimanekwa omuprima owiihole owala ngoye mwene….Okwe ya mOndangwa mehuliloshiwike lya piti opo a holole olwaala lwe lyoshili.”

“Okwe ya niimaliwa yomalweendo yepangelo nomauwanawa agehe, aapolisi, omahauto oshowo omahooli niimaliwa mbyoka ngele oya yalulwa otayi kala poshimaliwa shomayovi gontumba. Iimaliwa ayihe mbyoka oya longithwa opo ndi mbandapalekwe ngame omunamimvo 27 ngoka nda tokola okukutha ombinga methigathano lyuuleli, ngaashi tashi uthwa kOmpango yOmalelo gOondoolopa, Ompango yOmahogololo oshowo Ekotampango lyaNamibia,” Immanuel a popi.

Pethimbo lyoshigongi shoSwapo, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila okwa pula aahogololi opo kaya hogolole Immanuel, ta popi kutya ke li kongundu yontumba yopolotika, na ota uvanekele aahogololi egulu kombanda yevi.

Okwa pula woo Immanuel opo a hulithe o okulongitha omalwaala niilimbo yongundu yoSwapo, pethimbo ta ningi omahwahwameko ge.

“Omuprima minista gwandje okwa pukithandje niilyo yilwe yoSwapo mbyoka ya kutha ombinga momahogololo ga piti onga aahogololwa yiithikamena, moka yamwe ya sindana… Oshili tashi lulumike ooshoka kutya omukiintu ngoka ta ponokele omukiintu omunyasha. Aalumentu oye tu tala taya yolo, na ope na etompelo sho ye ku tumu opo wu ponokelendje.”

Omuulikwahogololwa gwoSwapo ngoka e li methigathano naImmanuel, Leonard Negonga, omunamimvo 60, omunangeshefa.

Oshifokundaneki shoNamiboian Sun inashi vula okumona, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila opo a tye sha.

Immanuel okwa popi kutya omuprima ke shi onkalo yohiila nenge uupyakadhi wokumona omeya nenge okandjugo oshowo ehala lyokukala.

“Otu na okwiipula kutya omolwashike, omuprima e na omukumo omunene momunangeshefa Negonga? Ota vulu oku tu lombwela, molwaashoka okwa li ominista yemona; aantu ngaashi ooNegonga oya ningi ngiini aakengelei muule wesiku limwe? Okwa ningi ngiini omunashimaliwa omanga a kala omuniilonga gowala muuministeli wuundjolowele?”

ILENI NANDJATO

Operation Kalahari kicks off

The Namibian police chief Lieutenant-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, on Monday launched a new crime prevention operation under the banner 'Operation Kalahari Desert' for all 14 regions.

It comes just a few days after the conclusion of Operation Hornkranz, which was hailed a success, and is composed of members from the police, army, correctional service officers and the City Police.

The Windhoek team will have over 200 members and the operation will continue throughout the year.

Speaking at the launch in the capital, Ndeitunga urged the officers to be professional when conducting the operation.

“You have to be smart. The way you walk and the way you talk should show that you are an authority. I don't want this movement like someone who came from a drunkard place,” he told the parade.

He added that many Namibians want the operation to run throughout the year, except for only a few who do not want law and order and are complaining.

Ndeitunga explained that a lot of effort is put into these operations, be it physical, financial and intellectual, and they should reap positive results.

Further, Ndeitunga revealed the NDF has made 14 vehicles available to supplement the operation.

“If it gets worse, we will call the Special Field Force. They don't negotiate, unfortunately. If they come, you should just pretend to be sick. Therefore, we ask for the cooperation of everybody in this country to assist in dealing with the wave of crime that is troubling our country,” Ndeitunga told the audience.

“The criminals must know that this has started and will never end,” he warned.

He could however not say how much in monetary terms the operations will cost, but stressed that these are very expensive operations.

At the back of a series of complaints of community members being victims of police brutality, Ndeitunga said investigations into such cases were ongoing.

“As law enforcement agencies, we should do our job with professionalism, courtesy, friendliness and politeness. As for those who do not want to comply with the law, they should be dealt with decisively,” he said.

NAMPA

Govt cash not limitlessSchlettwein warns about demands Finance minister Calle Schlettwein says demands for more money can hamper sustainability.

Finance minister Calle Schlettwein has cautioned that demands for more money appear to be based on the perception that government has unlimited resources.

Speaking in the National Assembly this week, while responding to the matters raised during budget motivations by ministers, Schlettwein said that stretching the government's finances beyond affordability ranges came with the risk of compromising long-term sustainability.

In March the finance minister had unveiled a N$66.5 billion budget - 2% larger than last year's - geared towards “stimulating economic growth” and creating decent jobs, while further adjusting the public fiscal stance to “sustainable and stable levels”.

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

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. Schlettwein said at the time that 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 would 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.

This week he emphasised prudence. “The increasing calls for adequacy of resources is predicated by the fundamentals of unlimited resources at any point in time. Overemphasis on adequacy of budget allocations has associated risks of going beyond affordability ranges and compromising on long-term sustainability,” he said. He added that as the fiscal space improves, budgetary allocations should increasingly improve, and that at a national level, the timely implementation of structural policy reforms must be done to support the realisation of better outcomes. “In the same vein, the implementation of measures to improve internal operational efficiencies at offices, ministries and agency level are among the success factors to bring about internal gains and enhance sectorial outcomes,” said Schlettwein.

He added that allocative efficiency enables government to increasingly allocate resources where value for money is best realised.

“We live in finite world, with finite resources, and therefore scarcity is a fundamental economic matter of long duration. The tensions of resource adequacy and resource scarcity is a constraint, which comes to bear on budgetary considerations,” he said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

From activist to business, and then to power In the course of his 66 years, Cyril Ramaphosa has experienced the poverty of Soweto, jail for fighting apartheid, trade union activism, fabulous wealth - and now the taste of election victory.

Ramaphosa, who became president last year through internal ANC politics, won a popular mandate as the country's leader, opening the latest chapter of a career intertwined with the birth of modern South Africa.

When Nelson Mandela walked out of jail in 1990, a youthful Ramaphosa was standing beside him as the world looked on.

It soon became clear that Mandela saw him as a protege, and Ramaphosa went on to lead talks to end white-minority rule and to help write the new constitution.

But after missing out on becoming Mandela's successor as president, he instead became a hugely wealthy businessman through stakes in McDonalds, Coca-Cola and in the mining and telecommunications sectors.

Tarnished

In 2012, his image was badly tarnished when police killed 34 striking workers at the Marikana platinum mine, operated by London-listed Lonmin, where he was then a non-executive director.

Ramaphosa had called for a crackdown on the strikers, whom he accused of "dastardly criminal" behaviour.

He returned to politics to become Jacob Zuma's vice president in 2014, often drawing criticism for failing to speak out against corruption and government mismanagement.

Renowned for his patience and strategic thinking, Ramaphosa narrowly beat off pro-Zuma rivals to take over the leadership of the ANC in 2017 and then claim the presidency when Zuma was forced out last year.

Support base

Ramaphosa, who is relaxed and quietly spoken in public, enjoys a broad support base that crosses some of South Africa's sharp racial and class divides.

But he still faces strong opposition from factions within the ANC, and his renowned guile and backroom skills will be needed in the years ahead.

"We have made mistakes but we have been sorry about those mistakes and we are saying our people should reinvest their confidence in us," Ramaphosa said as he voted, delivering a rebuke to the Zuma era of ANC government.

Ramaphosa was born on November 17, 1952 in Johannesburg's Soweto township - a centre of the anti-apartheid struggle - to a police sergeant and a domestic worker.

He took up activism while studying law in the 1970s, and spent 11 months in solitary confinement.

Mandela once described Ramaphosa as one of the most gifted leaders of the "new generation", the young campaigners who filled the void left by their jailed elders.

After studying, Ramaphosa turned to trade unionism - one of the few legal ways of protesting against the white-minority regime.

He founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1982 which grew to have 300 000 members and led massive strikes in 1987 that shook the foundations of white rule.

Ramaphosa's destiny seemed pre-ordained.

Mogul

But in 1999, his hopes of winning the top job were dashed when he failed to clinch the nomination of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to succeed Mandela.

Ramaphosa bowed out of politics and became one of the richest businessmen on the continent - reaching number 42 on the Forbes list of Africa's wealthiest people in 2015 with a net worth of US$450 million.

He developed an expensive hobby as a breeder of rare cattle, and owns several farms.

Ramaphosa returned to the political fray in 2012 when he was elected to the ANC's number two post. Two years later, he became deputy president of the nation.

Seen as a pro-business moderate, Ramaphosa has seldom been the target of direct graft accusations himself - but his political ambivalence and vast wealth have led to criticism.

Ramaphosa has four children with his second wife Tshepo Motsepe, a doctor, who is the sister of fellow tycoon Patrice Motsepe.

His mastery of political strategy came to a climax last year. He gradually sidelined Zuma's backers and finally forced his resignation.

"Ramaphosa has no association with any of the corruption scandals that have plagued South Africa," wrote his biographer Ray Hartley in "The Man Who Would Be King".

"But the years he spent at Zuma's side, playing the 'inside game' suggest he is more comfortable as a powerful insider than as a radical reformer."– Nampa/AFP

Ramaphosa's economic reforms in focusANC adjusts to smaller majority As Cyril Ramaphosa prepares for his first full five-year term, South Africa’s structural problems remain acute. The country's problems are complex and the new government is facing a Herculean task. - Ulrich Leuchtmann and Elisabeth Andreae, Analysts: Commerzbank

Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo - Boosting South African growth and overhauling bloated power firm Eskom are post-election priorities for the African National Congress, but a reduced majority may force president Cyril Ramaphosa to compromise on those and other economic reforms.

Ramaphosa took office in February 2018 with a pledge to revive a sclerotic economy and attract foreign investors.

But as he prepares for his first full five-year term after the ANC last week saw its share of the national election vote fall below 60% for the first time, the country's structural problems remain acute.

The rand hit a more than two-week high on Friday when the ANC's parliamentary majority became unassailable, but on Monday the currency retreated and government bond yields rose as outside factors - notably the impact on emerging markets of the US-China trade war - gave investors pause.

"It now all hinges on [Ramaphosa] quickly presenting a political agenda and initiating the urgently required reforms once he has formed a government," Commerzbank analysts Ulrich Leuchtmann and Elisabeth Andreae wrote in a note.

"...The country's problems are complex and the new government is facing a Herculean task."

As well as speeding up reforms of Eskom and other state-owned entities, Ramaphosa's long to-do list following his inauguration on May 25 will include generating jobs, acting against entrenched corruption in and outside the ANC and resolving policy uncertainty in the mining sector.

On Sunday, he promised a new approach.

"We are going to do things differently, we are going to do things effectively. We are going to make sure we inject growth ... we are going to invite investors," he told ANC supporters at a celebration rally.

But facing party rivals who oppose his reforms, Ramaphosa has struggled to do exactly that since he succeeded scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma last year.

Bloated cabinet

An early barometer of his ability to push through change more efficiently this time will be whether he manages to trim a cabinet comprising more than 30 ministers and deputies, analysts said.

His sympathisers in the ANC are hopeful.

"The cabinet is bloated, and that is not correct when we live in the harshest conditions in the economy. We will cut down the size of the cabinet, that will definitely happen," Fikile Mbalula, a member of the ANC executive, said.

The economy grew an estimated 0.8% in 2018 after recovering from recession. Growth is forecast at 1.5% this year, and one factor in hitting that target will be how the government manages Eskom's restructuring.

The utility faces generation capacity constraints and South Africa has been plagued by power cuts in the past year, undermining broader efforts to kick-start growth.

State capture

Also battling to preserve Pretoria's last investment-grade credit rating, Ramaphosa has pledged to restructure Eskom with a R23 billion a year bailout over the next three years.

"Reforming Eskom will definitely gain momentum. That is something which government is serious about," Enoch Godongwana, head of the ANC's economic transformation sub-committee, said.

Eskom is one of the firms caught up in what has been termed "state capture" - widespread corruption involving billions of rand in government contracts.

Standard Chartered chief Africa economist Razia Khan said holding accountable those implicated in state graft was one of the most pressing issues for Ramaphosa.

"Although not an economic policy issue, action on state capture might provide the much-needed lift to investor and consumer confidence," she said.

Outside influences

Foreign investor interest in South Africa has waned since Ramaphosa took office, with non-domestic ownership of government bonds dipping to 39% at end-April 2019 from a peak of nearly 43% in March 2018.

Godongwana said the ANC was putting "confidence-building measures" in place, but warned against setting expectations too high.

"Economic growth is not something that you can declare. There are lots of puzzles. There is the global aspect which you don't have control over and investment decisions by third parties," he said.

But as well as luring back foreign investors, Ramaphosa will also need to strike a balance between stimulating the economy and quelling simmering discontent, notably via land reform, among the black majority over lingering wealth disparities.

The latter has arguably become more acute with the strong election showing of the far-left EFF party, which champions the rights of landless blacks. It won 44 seats and saw its share of the vote rise to 10.8%.

"High inequality and the rise of the EFF could prepare the ground for more populist economic policies," said ratings agency Fitch said.

It acknowledged tensions between the government objectives of addressing inequality and accelerating GDP, but said it expected no significant negative impact from this on growth or budget metrics.

Sergey Dergachev, a senior portfolio manager at Germany-based Union Investment, meanwhile remains "underweight" South Africa.

"The underlying structural problems are still tough to tackle," he said. "...Even with a new mandate, it'll be very difficult to get South Africa back on a growth trend again."– Nampa/Reuters

Agribank offers lifelinesDrought relief options unveiled for farmers The bank has set up a 'war room' at its head office where branches can immediately refer issues or queries they cannot resolve.

Agribank is offering relief on both arrears and instalments for the current year, as well as drought relief loans.

It will also add two years to the loan periods of clients in order to give farmers more time to repay their remaining amounts.

Agribank CEO Sakaria Nghikembua said this is aimed at helping and supporting farmers that are suffering during the ongoing drought.

“Clients wishing to make use of this relief effort would be required to sign an agreement with the bank. The capitalisation of the remaining arrears and the credit bureau delisting will be effected once the agreed payment, 45% of the arrears, has been made,” he said.

Similarly, clients who anticipate that they will not be able to settle their annual instalments in full for the current year, will be required to settle 60% of the instalments due, with the remaining 40% being capitalised.

“As with the arrears payment, an additional two years will be added to the client's loan period to make payments more affordable over time,” Nghikembua said.

The bank has further said it recognises that clients may not be able to pay the required 45% of arrears in one go, so they can pay off this amount in manageable portions until 30 September this year. Nghikembua added that clients who may have difficulty meeting the payment requirements are encouraged to make contact with their nearest branch to discuss possibilities, adding that the bank is committed to ensuring that all clients who wish to take up the offer are assisted after consultations.

He emphasised that no client should be turned away in terms of the arrears and instalment payment relief option, but that the client and the bank should engage where peculiar client circumstances exist.

The bank has set up a 'war room' at its head office where branches can immediately refer issues or queries they cannot resolve.

Drought relief loans

Nghikembua said further that drought relief loans will be offered to clients who have fulfilled the payment relief requirements and can be used for various drought-related needs, such as the purchasing of fodder, the drilling of boreholes or the rehabilitation of boreholes or other water infrastructure; and for adaptive income streams such as wood and charcoal production and bush-to-feed equipment.

According to him clients who qualify for the drought relief loans will receive a one-year grace period before they start with their repayments. The repayment periods for the loans after the grace period, as well as the interest rates charged, will be in line with the existing product terms of the bank.

“We are facing challenging times for both our clients and the bank. We want both to survive.

“We are trying to balance so many considerations to ensure our clients receive some scope to make it through this difficult period.

“We certainly wish we could do more, but resources are limited. For the bank, our main source of funds is loan repayments by our clients.

“This means that total repayment relief is unfortunately not an option at this stage. But we believe we have done our best to assist our clients,” Nghikembua said.

He they will maintain a flexible approach in our discussions with each client.

“Given the urgency of the situation we have set up a 'war room' to deal with peculiar cases or queries which the branches might not be able to immediately deal with. This team will meet regularly to consider any such requests from the branches and provide feedback within 36 hours,” he added.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Global recognition for Desert Fruit

Local date producer and exporter, Desert Fruit Namibia, was last week awarded its certificate for winning a category in the Khalifa Date Palm Awards.

Agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb presented the certificate to the company. This is an important award for Desert Fruit and Namibia as a whole, as the Khalifa Awards are effectively the highest international date agricultural accreditation and acknowledgement.

Speaking at the handover event, !Naruseb said Desert Fruit is the joint winner in the category of pioneering development and production, together with one of the largest date farms in the world, SAHAM Agricultural Project from Morocco.

“This is a great reflection on Namibia, as Desert Fruit is a business progeny of Namibia, built on the achievements and inspiration of the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) green scheme project at Naute Dam in Keetmanshoop, //Karas Region,” the minister said. Initiated by the government through the agriculture ministry and the NDC, this has paved the way for the success of Desert Fruit.

According to !Naruseb, Desert Fruit is being recognised for building and elevating their product, farming methods and business to the highest international standard.

“Besides this award, which is being shared with us here today and bestowed on Desert Fruit, the greater lesson is that, as a country, we must pride ourselves as we compete in the global economic amphitheatre.”

He said the agricultural industry is capable of leading the country in terms of producing jobs, bringing valuable GDP growth and assisting in the growth of the economy.

He said Desert Fruit will deliver over 16 containers of quality dates this year to lucrative markets in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

“While at the same time, Desert Fruit employs 300 people on a permanent basis.”

He said Desert Fruit and others that continue to strive for growth and agricultural excellence, “are the institutions that contribute to our economy”. According to !Naruseb the date industry has a number of farms, which contribute to the socio-economic sphere in Namibia.

“We are perfectly set in Namibia to take advantage of the good soils, sunshine and the available water, through our irrigation schemes, amongst others, to push people in the agricultural sector further.”

He said Namibia, being located in the southern hemisphere, is able to supply the large markets in the northern hemisphere with what would normally be out-of-season fruits, such as dates, and present a competitive market that must be taken further advantage of.

ELLANIE SMIT

NEEEB dents business confidencePrivate sector despondent Local businesses do not believe empowerment legislation will result in broad-based empowerment.

The Namibian private sector has lost substantial confidence in the government and has a generally negative feeling about its future in the country.

These are the damning results of a recent survey conducted by the independent Economic Policy Research Association (EPRA) that tries to capture local businesses' concerns about the government's latest populist policies.

Eben de Klerk of EPRA said the association's objective is to advocate for pragmatic, sustainable, pro-growth and investment economic policy in Namibia, and by extension advocate for pragmatic job creation and equality improvement.

EPRA approached close to 600 Namibian-owned companies primarily in the tertiary sector - from one-person enterprises to larger ones with over 500 employees - to gauge their confidence in the business climate after corrosive discussions around proposed legislation, which is still in the works while it is being metamorphosed in name and content.

It was first dubbed as the New Equitable Economic Empowerment Draft Framework (NEEEF), which was based on voluntary, incentivised reform.

Later it became the New Equitable Economic Empowerment Bill (NEEEB), a proposed law aimed at a mandatory reduction of white ownership and management in all Namibian businesses.

One of the most contentious proposed pillars of NEEEB causing discomfort among businesses was a mandatory 25% equity to be alienated to formally disadvantaged people.

This proposed pillar at some point was to be removed, reconsidered, or restructured, but with the NEEEB still to be finalised, nothing is certain yet.

It appears that the proposed Economic Empowerment Advisory Council will remain in the new draft. This council will have unlimited powers to reduce white ownership and management in all Namibian businesses.

What is certain is that many primarily white-owned businesses started to wonder what their future is.

“There is definitely a negative feeling around the future of the country. In my opinion this stems from weak and divisive government policies that hurt the economy. These policies also send out the message that as a business you will be hurt; we will not grow the economy, and we do not care,” said EPRA's Eben de Klerk.

De Klerk said local businesses have lost substantial confidence in the government.

“That is what businesspeople say on the street. If you speak to government, it is like it exists on a different planet,” he said.

Economic indicators

Answers to questions relating to economic indicators in the survey look as bleak as the general mood in the country's business sector.

A whopping 69% of businesses said their business revenue over the last two years had decreased somewhat or materially. Only 9.44% said their revenue remained the same and a meagre 6.11% said their revenue had increased materially.

Most businesses (32.2%) said they had made no investments in their businesses over the last two financial years, while 11.6% said they had materially increased investments in their businesses. About 19.44% said they had materially reduced investment in their business.

There were heavy job losses over the last financial year: 39.44% of the respondents said they had to reduce their labour force. Only 12.22% have increased their labour force.

About 31% of businesses expect to reduce their labour force this year, while fewer than 10% think they will be able to accommodate more workers.

“I am afraid this is not a message that gets to the government,” De Klerk commented.

Most notably, 81% of businesses believe that the NEEEB will result in substantial economic decline, while 75% believe that NEEEB will not result in broad-based economic empowerment.

CATHERINE SASMAN

PM denies attacking independent candidate

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has denied claims that she attacked 27-year-old Angelina Immanuel, who is standing as an independent candidate for the upcoming Ondangwa Urban by-election.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who is also a member of the Swapo politburo and central committee, said her statements at a ruling party rally in Ondangwa this past weekend were simply about the Swapo rules and procedures with regard to elections.

She said further she called on Swapo members to vote for the party's candidate, 60-year-old businessman Leonard Negonga, as he was obliged to implement the Swapo manifesto.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila was responding to subsequent remarks made by Immanuel.

“In a democratic state, such as ours, people have the freedom to hold and express their different views.

“However, the allegations that the independent candidate was attacked and that the keynote statement at the rally focused on that, instead of outlining government policies, is not true,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.

“The statement also outlined the achievements of the party and its government, as well as the government policies in place to address the remaining challenges facing our country, including in the Ondangwa Urban constituency.”

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the mobilisation of party members to throw their support behind their party candidates is a normal way of campaigning all over the world, “including in our country”.

Immanuel, earlier this week labelled Kuugongelwa-Amadhila a “selfish” individual who was handed a high government post and rose to the position of a prime minister, but never created opportunities for young people.

The prime minister hit back by saying she has supported state empowerment programmes for Namibian women and youth “without any reservations”.

She said at party level, where the aim has been to empower women and the youth, she has done the same.

She added whatever support had been provided by government to the youth, was provided as part of systematic efforts to assist young people, and not because someone forced the government to do so.

“We know that there are challenges that continue to face our youth, and government efforts to assist our youth continue.

“Whilst individual Namibians do undertake efforts that support development efforts, including those aimed at women and youth empowerment, these have been to complement the efforts of the government, and it does not mean that the government is not prioritising these issues,” the prime minister said.

“With regard to the assertion that Omashaka location has not enjoyed priority in terms of visits, that is also without substance. As a party and government, we are consistently in touch with our electorate, including through visits to different parts of the country. We know our people and we are informed about the needs of our people, whose needs we have been seized with addressing, and we have a record of several achievements in this regard.”

ILENI NANDJATO

Trophy hunting at death's door

The financial contribution of trophy hunting to conservation in Africa is insignificant, and the practice could soon become an anachronism.

According to a new international study it is becoming impossible for trophy hunting to self-fund wildlife conservation as a consumer activity, as trophy hunters decline due to the dwindling number of trophy animals in Africa.

An Africa-wide report released by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found there has been a huge drop in the number of trophy hunters over the past few years, and Namibia is no exception.

The report indicates that trophy hunting in Africa is not only running out of steam and money, but also out of boast-worthy trophies, and it often fails to support conservation.

According to the report, poaching, hunting and the bush meat trade have all contributed to the rapid decline in trophy animals in Africa. This is amid growing public criticism of hunting, which has led to a sharp drop in the number of hunters worldwide.

“The big game hunting economy, which was already precarious during the 2000s, has become so bad that the situation has declined rapidly in recent years,” the report says.

The causes of this decline are poaching and agro-pastoral encroachment, since hunting associations did not invest the necessary amount of money to counter these phenomena. The report says the hunting market does not have the means to pay the real price of safaris. “A very good hunting zone has a lion density of 2/100 km² and thus it needs a hunting surface area of 5 000 km² to shoot one lion per year sustainably.”

The annual upkeep alone of this area costs around US$4 million or more and the sales price of a safari to hunt lions is on average US$50 000 (the price paid Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe in 2015), the report said.

In other words, 1.25% of the cost price.

“No one will pay US$4 million to shoot a lion, and this shows how hunting is powerless to fund its conservation.”

The report notes that the decline in trophy animals has seen a parallel drop in hunters.

It says in the United States, registered hunters dropped from 14.1 million in 1991 to 11.5 million in 2016, a decrease of 18.5%, with only 4.4% of the population actually hunting.

In South Africa, the number of foreign hunters who visited the country dropped from 16 594 in 2008 to 6 539 in 2016, a decrease of 60.5%. In Namibia statistics show that the number of foreign hunters dropped from 7 599 in 2007 to 5 340 in 2013.

The report said further that huge formerly-hunted areas in Africa are now emptied of wildlife and are returning to pastoralism, therefore challenging the claim by hunters that their sport can protect biodiversity and prevent encroachment by farmers.

It found that 40% of the big game hunting zones in Zambia and 72% in Tanzania are now classified as “depleted” and useless to hunters, containing no game species.

“Hunting used to be a conservation tool, but in the great majority of cases it no longer plays this role and will not do so in the future either.”

ELLANIE SMIT

Buy local to support the economy Opinion

Bärbel Kirchner - The current financial and economic situation has forced many households and businesses to tighten their budgets in order to avoid going into or to effectively manage their debt, but this generally can have a negative effect of slowing down the economy even further through reduced consumption spending.

In order to curb this side effect, member-based organisation, Team Namibia, with its mandate of raising awareness for buying locally produced goods and services, now more than ever, would like to encourage all Namibians to support local businesses.

This collaborative switch in consumption patterns can notably improve the trade balance and ensure that money spent, remains circulating in the local economy. Furthermore, this can create and protect local jobs, because when local businesses are continually supported, through buying their products and services, it leads sustainable economic development, which can reduce poverty in turn.

Through shopping, buying, procuring local, we can impact the economy. This is as relevant when we buy groceries and consumer goods, as when we decide where we spend our holidays. How businesses and authorities buy their products and services also has an enormous impact, whether this relates to office supplies, corporate clothing or uniforms, IT services or indeed construction services.

Trade balance

With Namibia’s negative trade balance - where Namibians buy much more from abroad and its neighbouring countries then what they sell - it is important to reverse this bad trend. Namibians must buy more locally, as buying local means that domestic needs are met domestically, and that less has to be imported from abroad. This will boost local trade, improve upon trade balance and reduce government debt over time.

Buying local does more than support local businesses as it also circulates money in the local economy.

Local procurement enhances the velocity of money, i.e. how fast money changes hands within Namibia and ensures that more people receive the benefit of having money, which safeguards living standards during an economic recession when the velocity of money tends to slow, as is the current case in Namibia which is causing people and businesses to spend less money. Buying local means that profits are spend or invested locally. Thus, money spent locally is re-spent locally, continually meeting local needs.

Employment

One of the major problems faced during an economic downturn, is the loss of employment.

Since money is hard to come by during an economic downturn, businesses reduce spending on salaries to avoid losses. This can further hurt the economy if less people have money to spend, and less spending leads to lower profits and again, to less employment. This negative feedback loop can slow down economic recovery or make the situation even worse.

Through collaborative efforts, Namibians can lessen this effect by supporting local businesses more during this time, this will protect employment because if local businesses make profit during difficult economic times, they are less likely to retrench. Buying local allows Namibian purchasing power to employ Namibians, practically enabling consumers to create and safeguard local employment.

Collaborative spending on the production and consumption of local goods and services can also lead to sustainable economic growth, which is when the output, income and spending in the local economy increases over time due to consumer demands being met. Sustainable growth under any economic condition is desirable as it provides more goods, income opportunities and more predictable consumption spending locally.

Poverty

Lastly, buying more locally produced goods can aid in the eradication of poverty. Just as supporting local businesses can create employment opportunities, it can equip Namibians with a stable income which they can use to meet their basic needs such as food and shelter.

Furthermore, successful local businesses are more likely to contribute to local charities and fundraisers and employed citizens are more likely to contribute to the government tax base, which can help the government to meet budget requirements in general, as well as in providing welfare services that aid the unemployable seniors and disabled citizens.

Creating awareness for consumers to buy local can also enrich national heritage. Successful local businesses can keep towns unique since citizens will be inclined to adopt and innovate products according to their need and culture, further creating employment and business opportunities in the production and trade of these products.

During the current harsh economic conditions Team Namibia’s mantra, “together, our future is brighter”, reiterates the importance of teamwork among consumers and institutional buyers in lending a hand to the economy, in the spirit of Uukumwe.

Drought leaves Namibians desperateSubsistence farmers stranded without hope Farmers are calling for a feasible disaster risk management strategy. Now the cattle feed on tree leaves which is not sustainable. - Charles Likezo, Headman: Silonga village

Ndalimpinga Iita - When there is a prolonged dry spell, the sea of withered amber crops becomes a common sight in the northern part of Namibia.

Every day before the sun was up, Liina Mupopya from Oshana region in northern Namibia came to observe her pearl millet field. However, the sight of withered crops disheartened her.

"The rain is delayed and some crops become withered. Some have not even germinated," said Mupopya.

Namibia had been experiencing droughts since 2013, affecting about 60% of the households dependent on crop farming and agriculture.

The current dry spell is particularly severe.

According to the ministry of agriculture, water and forestry, the 2018/19 rainfall season was fraught with unprecedented rainfall patterns, with crop-producing regions expecting a poor and below average crop production.

The ministry said recently that Namibia could expect a reduction in harvest of at least 53% from last season's harvest.

For Mupopya, the dilemma was how to sustain her household.

"[I would expect] no yields to harvest this year. I have a big family, mainly counting on the farm production for sustenance and income. How can I cover other expenditures like medical expenses?" she asked.

Regions

The challenges facing Mupopya were prevalent in other regions across the country.

In the northeast part of Zambezi region, Charles Likezo, headman of Silonga village, said the area had barely received any rain during the current season, leading to a massive reduction in yields and investment made towards farming.

"We spent much money at the start of the farming season on labour and other efforts," he said.

According to him, villagers spent an average of N$350 ploughing fields and gave a further N$200 each to people who helped with weeding the fields.

"This was very costly because a farmer ploughs an average of three to six hectares of land, and in addition hires more than five people to help with the weeding, but all in vain," said Likezo.

Livestock production, which is dependent on the crop production, was also affected.

"Our livestock will die because of lack of grazing," said Likezo. "Now the cattle feed on tree leaves which is not sustainable."

Strategy

Mwilima Mushokobanji, executive director of Namibia National Farmers Union, said the country's persistent drought patterns had affected the production capacity of the agricultural sector and the socio-economic standing of the farmers.

President Hage Geingob recently declared a state of emergency. The government announced a package of about N$573 million for drought relief.

Mushokobanji welcomed the government's decision to provide drought relief and fodder for livestock farmers.

But to solve the drought issue in the long term, he urged key stakeholders to come up with a feasible disaster risk management strategy, which will enable farmers to withstand the effects of adverse climate change. – Nampa/Xinhua

The elephant in the room

When political freedom came to African nations incrementally over decades, there was great optimism about the future, as memories of political struggle became images of heroism and political capital.

Sadly, what transpired afterwards was the sustained emergence of a political elite and impunity.

Equally worrisome, many have argued, was the birth of a culture that excluded Africa's youth from active participation in politics.

This resulted in the retention of old politicians, evident in a leadership occupied mostly by sexagenarians, septuagenarians and octogenarians. Indeed, gerontocracy in Africa continues to impact youth participation in political processes.

With this in mind, it was interesting to read the comments yesterday of Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) secretary Ephraim Nekongo, who says he is concerned that disillusioned young people seem to be increasingly shunning elections.

He highlighted the lack of registration of youth voters for the upcoming Ondangwa Urban constituency by-election as a case in point.

This comes amid criticism that Namibian youth are quick to vent their frustrations on social media, but fail to vote.

Namibia is heading into election season, with the National Assembly and presidential polls set to take place in November.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has announced it is targeting to register an extra 300 000 eligible voters this year.

This would increase those on the national voters roll from 1.2 million to 1.5 million.

The ECN recorded 508 459 youth voters in 2014, which represents 44 % of the overall number of registered voters.

Social activist Rosa Namises believes disillusionment among youth is an indictment on political leaders, who are often implicated in corruption and maladministration. This is a salient point, along with calls for greater engagement with the youth on platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The role of gerontocracy in youth disillusionment in Namibia, however, remains largely undisclosed.

And further, what role this continues to play in our nation being unable to grapple with ongoing challenges, while navigating its way through the global power quagmire.

Elevating internal audit’s role: The digitally fit function

Organisations are rapidly rolling out digital initiatives in an arena defined by more data, more automation, sophisticated cyber attacks, and constantly evolving customer expectations.

In some ways – for internal audit functions – the situation is not new: Technology risks and controls have already been on their agendas for decades, and most can reliably deliver a technology audit.

Our 2019 Global Risk, Internal Audit and Compliance Survey of 2 000 executives (half in risk functions) shows that as organisations move through digital transformation, internal audit functions that are more digitally fit more effectively help their stakeholders make better decisions, and take smarter risks in the face of changing risk profiles.

But (1) what does digital fitness mean and, (2) what can internal audit functions focus on to become more digitally fit?

(1)The definition is twofold:

( a) Having in place the skills and competencies to provide strategic advice to stakeholders and to provide assurance with regard to risks from the organisation’s digital transformation, and

(b) Changing the function’s own processes and services as to become more data driven and digitally enabled so the function can align with the organisation’s strategic risks and thereby anticipate to respond to risk events at the pace and scale that the organisation’s digital transformation requires.

(2) As part of our survey we have shared the following 6 ways for internal audit functions to advance in their digital fitness:

(i) Assess your internal audit function’s current staff in the context of the organisation’s overall digital strategy. Consider ways to jump start your journey by taking advantage of resources in other parts of the organisation, and/or through third party partnerships, including co-sourcing.

(ii) Collaborate with the other lines of defense to help the organisation develop a common digital governance platform that will make sure that digital technologies get developed consistently and contain safeguards. When such frameworks don’t exist, consider the risk to the organisation.

(iii) Consider building an ongoing data governance audit into the audit plan in order to provide assurance with regard to the organisation’s data, which is critical to achieving the ongoing success of many of the emerging digital technologies.

(iv) Follow a consistent framework to identify and evaluate activities throughout the internal audit life cycle with a view to finding the best candidates for automation (e.g. areas with a large population).

(v) Align with other lines of defense to develop a common point of view on risks and rethink the traditional risk assessment in order to recognise the importance of risk velocity.

(vi) Identify new data-driven and technology driven capabilities and service offerings – such as continuous auditing of critical controls – in order to monitor high-risk areas in real time.

Birgit de Lange is an associate director: risk assurance services at PwC Namibia. Contact her at birgit.de.lange@pwc.com

Crisis at Hardap

Dam levels in Namibia have plummeted because of a lack of rain and it is estimated that the Hardap Dam near Mariental will be able to supply water for less than a year.

This will affect government irrigation projects, the local economy of Mariental and farms that rely on the dam as a source of water, leading to diminishing agricultural produce and job losses. According to the first-quarter review for 2019 by the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), the Hardap Dam was 22.4% full this week, compared to 47.2% last season. Both the Mariental community and irrigation farms surrounding the dam make use of its water.

“An estimated monthly water usage from the Hardap Dam is 2% per month, and with the current status quo the dam will only be able to supply water for less than a year,” said the NAU.

It added that the low dam level also affects fodder production, which is vital for dairy production. “The small [dairy] industry has no government support, leaving it vulnerable and barely able to compete with large South African dairy industries,” said the NAU.

Comparing the 2018 first-quarter prices to those of 2019, feed costs have increased by 32.8%, fuel prices have increased by 4.5% and the cost of labour has increased by 3.6%.

“All these expense items permitted total expenses to increase by 23.0% year-on-year, while there was no change in farm-gate prices of milk.”

According to the NAU high increases in total expenses, accompanied by minimal increases or no changes in farm-gate prices, negatively affect producer income. “The Namibian dairy industry is in a predicament and support to this industry is required, otherwise should the current trend persist, jobs will be lost and this will have negative impact on the economy at large.” The union pointed out that temperatures are expected to increase by two to six degrees in the long term.

In recent years Namibia has been experiencing the consequences of climate change, which includes higher evaporation rates, water shortages, floods and recurring droughts.

ELLANIE SMIT

NCA: 104 000 farmers in limboLack of political will keeps Red Line in place IPPR researcher Piers Vigne says there are ways for the Red Line to go, but there is a lack of political will.

KENYA KAMBOWE

An Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) draft report recommends two options to deal with the Red Line - the construction of a Namibia-Angola border fence or the incorporation of low-risk NCA blocks into the current zone that is free from foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD).

It says the construction of the border fence will result in the estimated marketing of about 1.5 million cattle, 1.2 million goats and 104 000 farmers benefitting, while the construction of blocks will see 160 000 cattle and 130 000 goats being marketed and 1 200 farmers benefitting.

The report recommends that the country’s national political leadership and organised agriculture should conduct consultations on the two options available.

It estimates that N$100 million will be needed for the construction of the Namibia-Angola border fence, which is estimated to stretch for about 450 kilometres.

The operational costs of the project is estimated to be about N$100 million.

The incorporation of low-risk NCA blocks, stretching for about 650 kilometres, into the FMD-free zone is estimated to cost about N$145 million, with operational costs of about N$50 million.

“If the border VCF is agreed to, the implementation plan of the Directorate of Veterinary Services Disease Freedom Strategy of 2014 should be adjusted to remove unattainable objectives and provide for realistic budgets and timeframes,” the report recommends.

The report also recommends that a preliminary engineering and environmental scoping study should be commissioned to consider the design and assess the costs and benefits of a canal running along the Namibia-Angola border between the Kunene and Okavango rivers.

However, IPPR researcher Piers Vigne also bemoaned the lack of political will to address the veterinary cordon fence (VCF) or Red Line.

Vigne was speaking on Monday during a Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) workshop held in Rundu, where a draft report on marketing systems for livestock and livestock products in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) was discussed.

Various stakeholders from the two Kavango regions were engaged on the findings so far. The parties also made submissions that will assist in finalising the report, which the NNFU commissioned the IPPR to do.

Vigne said the issue of the Red Line has been discussed over many years and that research and consultations were conducted in the past. Recommendations were made, but unfortunately the reports were never implemented.

He explained the Red Line is a socio-political issue, in the sense that borders do divide people, and in order to address the issue of community resistance in the future, the involvement of political leadership is key.

Vigne said political leadership should get involved and not leave the matter in the hands of the agriculture ministry’s directorate of veterinary services, which he described as “unfair”.

“Political leaders constantly refuse to engage on the matter. It is unfair for the matter to be left in the hands of veterinary services alone,” Vigne said.

Vigne revealed that during their research they discovered that farmers in Kunene Region do not have a problem with the construction of the Angola-Namibia border fence, as opposed to their counterparts in Ohangwena Region.

He said Ohangwena farmers are not in support of the Angola-Namibia border fence, as they move their livestock into the neighbouring country for grazing purposes.

Vigne said it is estimated that about 220 000 Namibian cattle are being grazed in Angola.

He also indicated that with the current drought being experienced in Namibia, the broken border fence is making it easy for Namibian farmers to graze their cattle in the neighbouring country.

During then meeting the Kavango farmers opted for the construction of blocks, saying although the impact would not be that massive when compared to the removal of the Red Line and the construction of the Angola-Namibia border fence, it would be best to start somewhere.

They argues that a lot of money has been spent on doing consultations and it is on that basis that they think that the blocks is a viable option at the moment and that they should be implemented as soon as possible.

Namibian Sun reported last week that the agricultural ministry plans to start with the process of gradually removing the Red Line and incorporating of FMD low-risk areas into FMD-free zones during the current financial year.

This is according to a technical paper by the ministry, which was submitted to parliament along with the ministry's budget motivation.

This is said to be in line with the implementation of the resolutions of the second national land conference, which took place last year.