Oceans under threat

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

Marine resources Bernhardt Esau has condemned incidences of overfishing in international waters, saying these activities, carried out by distant fishing nations, should by totally banned.

Esau listed climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and harmful fishing subsidies as the three major challenges facing the ocean, at a World Oceans Day celebration in Kuisebmond on Saturday.

He said IUU fishing threatens livelihoods and food security, exacerbates poverty, is harmful to fish stocks and distorts competition.

This is the major reason why African countries cannot develop their own fleets, Esau said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), IUU fishing takes advantage of corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes, in particular those of developing countries lacking the capacity and resources for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS).

IUU fishing occurs both on the high seas and in areas within national jurisdictions.

Fisheries resources available to bona fide fishers are removed and this can lead to the collapse of local fisheries, with small-scale fisheries in developing countries proving particularly vulnerable.

Celebrated under the theme 'Gender and Ocean', World Oceans Day was an opportune time to consider the need to increase women participation in marine affairs, Esau said.

“Only 2% of global seafarers and 38% of marine scientists are women. Gender inclusivity is required in all blue economy activities, which are centred on the ocean,” he said.

Esau further welcomed local clean-up efforts, an initiative to reduce seabird mortalities implemented in 2007 and the introduction of a compliance certificate for fishing vessels by the Albatross Task Force (ATF).

Blomeha fishing vessel crew members received their ATF compliance certificate this year.

“This is the way to go and all must join these efforts. The ATF initiative has a 98% degree of success and also ensures compliance to regulations.

The ladies from the Memelitu Mbapo group, which manufactures the tori lines used by vessels in the demersal/longline industry also need to be recognised,” Esau said.

The minister said Namibia was part of global efforts to provide a safe and secure ocean environment and reiterated the country's commitment towards this cause.

“Namibia signed the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), which is the first binding international agreement to specifically target illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The United Nations is preparing a conference on securing a sustainable oceans' economy in 2020 and we want to shape that debate. All in the country benefitting from the ocean should contribute to map out our position. We must do our bit to ensure the health and sustainability of the ocean,” Esau added.

He highlighted that the blue economy concept is key to food security, national development and poverty eradication.

Otis Finck

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Practical edutainment

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Practical edutainment The second Hashtag Festival hosted by Namibia Media Holdings took place at the Windhoek Show grounds sports field this past weekend. Here are a few of the exciting moments via the lenses of The Zone.

Caption 1- Eldorado Secondary School at the Hashtag festival.PHOTOS MY ZONE

Caption 2- Swakopmund Secondary School choir scooped third place at Hashtag Festival Chamber of Choirs 2019.

Caption 3- Remona Saal in her newspaper wear at the Standard Bank Miss High competition.

Caption 4- Windhoek Saints hockey girls on the field.

Caption 5- Sofia Noble in her newspaper wear at the 2019 Standard Bank Miss High School competition.

Caption 6- First National Bank's (FNB) mascots at the official opening of the Hashtag Festival.

Caption 7-Soccer: Costal Dolphins playing against Windhoek Saints

Caption 8- The Hashtag Festival involved a coaching clinic for all sport codes

Caption 9- Acacia High School participating in chess

Caption 10- Etosha Ravens scooped first place in the cheer leading dance.

Caption 11- Learners from various schools across the country walk down with their team flags during the official opening of the 2019 Hashtag Festival.

Caption 11- Sylivi Iipinge getting ready to rock the stage

Caption 12-Netball: Costal Dolphins vs Pionier Warriors

Caption 13- Miss High contestants dancing

Caption 14- Learners at the Hashtag Career Expo at the First National Bank stand.

Caption 15- The festival also had a dash competition.

Caption 16- Learners from St.Georges Diocesan School.

Caption 17-Learners from various schools took part in Rugby

Caption 18- Official opening of the Hashtag Festival.

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Siblings at war over homestead

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Siblings at war over homesteadBreach of cultural values A fight has erupted over the homestead and fields of the late governor of Omusati, Leonard Mukwiilongo.

The children of late Omusati governor Leonard Nangolo Mukwiilongo are at war over their father's homestead and mahangu field at Onashiku near Elim.

The Oshakati Magistrate's Court has issued a protection order against Mukwiilongo's lastborn, Shatipamba, who was dragged to court by one of his siblings, 61-year-old Helena Tuyakula.

On 16 March, Magistrate Mika Namhueja issued an interim protection order against Shatipamba, who according to Helena's statement, interfered with her business of selling homemade poles from her father's homestead. Helena is also opposing a decision by the Uukwambi Traditional Authority to divide her father's mahangu field among her siblings.

“I am selling my late father's house's poles because I want to renovate the house. When my father died he left a will in which he stated that I will take his house and store once he passed on. On 5 March he (Shatipamba) came home and found people who came to buy poles loading them into their cars. He ordered them to remove the poles and leave the house,” Helena said in her statement.

“He recorded a video and sent it to me saying that I have to $@$#@ because I am selling poles from my father's homestead; apparently I must go sell my husband's things. Since the house was given to me by my father and based on the reasons I gave, I want my brother Shatipamba to be far from me. I don't want him to be close to me and disturb me.”

In May 2017 Mukwiilongo, who was 92 at time, succumbed to his injuries after he was brutally attacked at his residence in April the same year. He was survived by six children - Nuukongo, Helena, Kandiya, Lita, Kristi and Shatipamba.

In her statement, Helena also expressed her disappointment in Onashiku village headman Ruben Shiningayamwe for dividing his father's mahangu field among her siblings.

“On August 2017 my siblings wrote a letter to the headman saying that I must not be given the house. Shiningayamwe, however, decided to distribute my late father's mahangu field to Shatipamba, Nuukongo, Kandiya and Lita,” Helena's statement said.

On 24 May, the court postponed the matter to decide whether to make the interim order final. It was due to rule yesterday.

Shiningayamwe confirmed the dispute was brought to their attention.

“We are very shocked by someone selling poles from a traditional homestead. It is a taboo among the Uukwambi community, where we have a place called iiti kiidhiluka, which is a traditional homestead that has been there for many more years, but nobody takes a pole from there.

“All we could do was to divide the mahangu field among them and for that we have all the power in our hands,” Shiningayamwe said.

Helena could not be reached for comment.

Shatipamba confirmed he has not been home since March, when the interim protection order was issued.

“I have a bedroom at my late father's homestead and all my belongings and one of my cars are at home, but I cannot access them due to the order.

“I am just waiting to hear what the magistrate will say. If the court makes the order final, it means I will even lose out on my land that I am given by the traditional authority,” said Shatipamba.

“This is a taboo and also an embarrassment to us, the Mukwiilongo. We have never heard of such things done before. Before I stopped these people, I first asked the traditional authority and they told me it's against our culture to sell poles from a traditional homestead,” he added.

ILENI NANDJATO

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Pitch-perfect choirs

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Pitch-perfect choirsKuisebmond takes top honours again The Chamber Choirs competition did not disappoint, as pupils sang in perfect harmony.

Michelline Nawatises

Choirs battled it out on 4 June at Maerua Mall in Windhoek, as Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) hosted the Chamber of Choirs competition together with the Miss High School pageant.

There were five choirs that participated - Kuisebmond Secondary School, Jan Jonker Secondary School, Hage Geingob High School, Academia High School and Swakopmund Secondary School.

Kuisebmond scooped the win, while Jan Jonker Afrikaner took second place and Swakopmund the bronze.

The choirs were judged according to choir etiquette and stage presence, intonation, diction, technique and accuracy, musicality, interpretation and creativity.

The Kuisebmond Secondary School choir, based in Walvis Bay, made their first debut at the Hashtag Festival Chamber Choir Competition in 2017 and also brought home the sought-after title.

This year’s competition welcomed new talents from across the country.

Given Gowaseb, a teacher and choirmaster Kuisebmond Secondary School, said the choir is no stranger to competitions.

“We have participated in various local competitions, as well as at the annual ATKV-Applous competition.”

The choir practices twice a week and increased their rehearsals to make sure they gave their all. According to Gowaseb, the choir was well-prepared and chose only the best learners from the school to take part.

“For every position in the choir we made sure that we took the best learners to perform. We also made sure that we chose the right songs to sing and I believe that is the reason why we were the most successful choir at the end of the day.”

According to the project coordinator of the Hashtag Festival, Octavia Tsibes, the aim of the event is to bring sport and education together. " It was resounding success to bring the concept edutainment to life. We hope to see more schools join us next year," she said.

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Finding travel destinations easily

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Finding travel destinations easilyConservation website launched at NTE Community Conservation and Tourism officially launched a travel website last week at the Namibia Tourism Expo and Motor Show.

Justicia Shipena

On 6 June, Community Conservation and Tourism launched a website at the Namibia Tourism Expo (NTE) and Motor Show at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

This year the ministry of environment and tourism, in collaboration with the Namibian Association of Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Support Organisations (NACSO), Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) and Community Conservation and Tourism worked together to promote community conservation under the slogan ‘Conserving by travelling responsibly’.

According to NASCO director Maxi Louis the website is for communal conservancies; hence it is designed to urge potential travellers to explore what to do, where to go and how to plan their trips.

Louis added the website also aims to enhance visitor experiences as well as that of the communities.

“As a means of encouraging tourists to explore communal conservancies and take the road less travelled, the project aims to develop sets of attractions and activities in the Kunene Region as well as enhance local revenues and alternative livelihoods,” she said.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, environment and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said according to statistics 73% of travellers use online sources when deciding on their destination.

“Travel searches conducted on mobile devices totalled 37% in Europe, 40% in Asia, 34% in Latin America and 38% in the Middle East and Africa,” he said.

Shifeta added that conservancies must develop tourist attractions to draw more tourists to their conservancies in a way that also generates funds for operations and benefits communities.

He urged all 86 conversations in Namibia to make use of this platform to promote tourism within their areas.

Opuwo Rural constituency councillor Kazeongere Tjeundo said the Kunene Region has the largest number of conservations, with a total of 38 out of the 86 in Namibia.

“We see conservation as key to rural empowerment and the development of structures that address local livelihoods and conserve biodiversity,” he said.

Tjeundo called on corporate Namibia to invest in the development of Kunene Region and its people.

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Career Expo 2019 inspires

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Career Expo 2019 inspiresMoving educational boundaries through practical thinking The Hashtag Career Expo provided an opportunity for hundreds of learners to get some much-needed career guidance.

Justicia Shipena and Elizabeth Joseph

Under the theme #LetUpAndGo, the Hashtag Career Expo took place at the Windhoek Showgrounds until 7 June.

The expo saw 26 exhibitors showcasing different careers paths.

It aimed to inspire and educate learners on the vast number of career paths and opportunities available to them.

It was also aimed at enabling learners to familiarise themselves with industry players.

Speaking to The Zone at the event, Nadia Coetzee-Huysamen, a life skills teacher at Academia Secondary School, said it is a good thing that kids are being exposed to such opportunities while still at school.

“It is a great idea for them to gain knowledge of career paths, especially the grade 11 learners,” she said.

Coetzee-Huysamen added the school does plenty of activities that teach the children about personal growth, their personalities and which career path they should embark on.

”They do job-shadowing and career studies, so we are quite busy,” she said.

She further urged life skills teachers to encourage their learners to take aptitude tests, so they can have open minds when choosing their careers.

A learner from Acacia High School said he was looking forward to seeing careers in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

“My passion lies in IT and it was such a shame I could not get more knowledge about it here,” he said.

Make sure to follow My Zone on Facebook for updates that were posted from the expo.

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Missing girl found

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Missing girl found

A 15-year-old girl who went missing more than two weeks ago from Okuryangava was found safe and sound in a shack at Goreangab late on Sunday.

Chief Inspector Kaunapawa Shikwambi of the Namibian police said Lydia Kweenda was found unharmed after the family and police were informed that she was living in a man's shack. It was reported that she had been able to move around freely and neighbours provided her with food.

“She is currently reunited with her family and receiving counselling services from social workers,” the police spokesperson said.

The police investigation into Kweenda's disappearance continues. An 18-year-old Angolan woman is under police guard in the Katutura hospital after she was accused of abandoning her newborn baby boy in a riverbed.

It is alleged the woman, who lives in Greenwell Matongo informal settlement, gave birth in her room and then took the baby to a nearby riverbed, where she left him. The baby was discovered by a passer-by.

The unidentified woman was traced and admitted to the maternity ward under police guard. A case of concealment of birth was opened.

Two Namibian nationals were arrested during an undercover police operation at a guesthouse in Rundu on Friday afternoon with two bags of dagga in their possession. The police estimated the value of the dagga at N$456 000.

Police at Gibeon are investigating the death of Eldon Sylwester Fransman (33), who was stabbed in the neck during an argument early Saturday morning. A suspect was arrested.

Another murder case is being investigated after the body of an unidentified man was found at the Okahandja dumpsite on Sunday morning. The police say the man suffered serious head wounds. It appears that the man, who had been sleeping at the dump, collapsed about 60 metres from where he was attacked.

Two fatal car crashes were reported over the weekend.

In the first Mathias Nerumbo (52) was killed in a head-on collision on the road between Outjo and Otjiwarongo late on Saturday night.

Nerumbo's car apparently hit a kudu and swerved into the opposite lane, crashing into an oncoming vehicle. His wife and the driver of the other car both sustained serious injuries and were transferred to the Katutura Intermediate Hospital in a critical condition. Hausiku Jonas Mutuku (29) died when the car he was driving overturned between Nankudu and Tondoro village. He was not in possession of a valid driver's licence. The police are investigating a robbery at a guest lodge near Kalkrand on Saturday, where three men broke into a room in which two female German tourists were sleeping.

One of the robbers threatened the women with a stick, demanding money, but according to the police one of the tourists fought back.

The three men fled with two backpacks containing the tourists' passports, cameras, phones and cash. The total value of the loot was more than N$15 000.

The police have been able to recover some of the items, including both passports which were dropped by the fleeing robbers. No arrests have been made.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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Woman sues for bus accident

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Woman sues for bus accident

A woman who broke her arm when she fell out of a municipal bus four years ago is fighting to keep her High Court case on the roll after she sued the Windhoek municipality for negligence.

Elizabeth Swartbooi (57), an unemployed domestic worker, is claiming damages of N$142 850 from the Windhoek municipality.

She claims the bus was illegally overloaded and the doors were not properly closed before the driver abruptly drove off, causing her to fall out and break her arm.

She further alleges that the driver did not stop to check on her despite being alerted to the accident by screaming passengers. She also claims he failed to report the incident to his managers.

The City of Windhoek, cited as the sole respondent in the case, has not filed a notice to defend.

The accident happened on 15 September 2015 but Swartbooi only filed the suit in September last year. In an affidavit filed this month, Swartbooi informed the court that the delay was the result of health problems caused by the accident.

She said she has been ill for more than two and half years, suffering from “a severe depression arising from the worry, frustration and angst that I developed after my accident in September 2015”.

She further informed the court that she has struggled financially and emotionally, and contemplated suicide which prompted her to temporarily move to her family outside of Windhoek.

She said the delay was not “due to a lack of interest in the matter but due to my illness which rendered me unable to do many things.”

Yesterday, the court scheduled a hearing in order to decide whether the matter should be struck from the roll due to the lengthy inactivity of the case or whether an extension will be granted for an application for a default judgment.

In her particulars of claim, filed in September 2018, Swartbooi stated that as a standing passenger, she got off “the very full bus” at a stop to make way for other disembarking passengers.

When she got back onto the bus “the driver suddenly drove off, with the doors still open, and took a sharp corner that led her to tumble backwards out of the bus and onto the tarmac.” She further claims that although the driver was immediately alerted to her falling off the bus, he did not stop until the next intersection, where one of the women who had been standing next to Swartbooi alighted and ran back to check on her. It is alleged the driver then drove off again.

Swartbooi said she was only able to establish the driver's identity after reporting the incident to the municipality's call centre.

Swartbooi broke her left arm and stayed in the Katutura State Hospital for a week.

She claims she underwent twice weekly occupational therapy sessions which were stopped due to lack of funds.

Further, she claims that she experiences persistent pain and weakness in her left arm which has made it difficult to continue her work as a domestic worker.

Her quality of life has also declined further as she no longer feels able to garden, a passion of hers, or play with her grandchildren.

Swartbooi is represented by lawyer Happie Ntelamo-Matswetu and Judge Herman Oosthuizen is presiding.

The outcome of the hearing, scheduled for yesterday afternoon, was not yet known by the time of going to print.

JANA-MARI SMITH

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Hostel to stop cohabiting

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Hostel to stop cohabitingGovernor initiates fundraising drive A hostel is to be built at Omungwelume Senior Secondary School to stop the cohabiting of boys and girls in shacks.

Ohangwena governor Usko Nghaamwa has delivered over 58 000 bricks for the construction of school hostel at Omungwelume Senior Secondary School.

This follows a Namibian Sun exposé in March in which it was alleged that some Omungwelume pupils were cohabiting like husband and wife in shacks where they are staying, because of the lack of a school hostel.

On 22 June, the school, in collaboration with Nghaamwa's office, will host a fundraising event and gala dinner to raise money for the construction of a hostel.

School patron Kleopas Kapweya told Namibian Sun over the weekend that following the media report, they started receiving support from individuals.

A company, through Nghaamwa's office, donated over 58 000 bricks, while Queen Martha Mwadinomho waKristian yaNelumbu of OuKwanyama has also expressed an interest in supporting the school.

“After that report we got calls from people declaring their interest to assist in the establishment of the school hostel at the school. The governor has already delivered the bricks donated to his office and a cow he donated himself, while the queen is yet to pronounce herself. We are, therefore, calling on everyone interested assisting the hostel construction at Omungwelume Secondary School to either come to the gala dinner and fundraising event on 22 June or just contact us,” Kapweya said.

He said he had made a section of his mahangu field available a few years ago for the construction of a hostel.

“Omungwelume location does not give a good environment for learners to live or stay in on their own. Learners come from far places to a school that does not have hostel. They are now squatting in a location, and that is where they are staying to attend school, and we are not happy with the way we are seeing them behave here,” Kapweya said. Principal George Nanghanda confirmed that Nghaamwa had delivered over 58 000 bricks to the school.

Nanghanda said the bricks will make a significant impact towards the construction of the hostel.

“We are thankful for what the governor is doing. We are just calling on interested people to come forward and assist the governor's effort to construct a hostel at our school,” said Nanghanda.

Nghaamwa said the sponsor's name will be made public during the fundraising event.

Omungwelume Senior Secondary School is a non-boarding school that hosts learners from all over the region. Learners are accommodated in shacks at the settlement.

About 118 grade 10, 11 and 12 pupils are also currently being accommodated at a rundown property bought by the Ohangwena regional council, following an instruction from Nghaamwa.

Ohangwena chief regional officer Fillipus Shilongo has, however, tasked regional education director Isak Hamatwi to find suitable alternative accommodation for the learners, before they are evicted from the council property.

Shilongo said the property at Omungwelume, for which the government paid N$6 million, was not bought so it could be used as a school hostel.

Kapweya said during a previous interview with Namibian Sun: “Parents have sent their learners to school, but here they are 'married' in shacks where they are staying. There is no one to control them since they are not living within the school.”

Concerned parents say Ohangwena is vast and the non-boarding school is taking in learners from all corners of the region - a situation that forces learners to take any available accommodation.

Grade 10 learners from as far as Okongo, Oshikunde, Epembe, Omundaungilo, Omauni, Ekoka and many other far-flung places are renting at Omungwelume to attend school there.

ILENI NANDJATO

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A step in the right direction

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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A step in the right direction Career guidance may be the most important part of a young person’s life, in terms of preparing to start adulthood. Octavia Tsibes

As weird as it may seem, many people do not think of it in that way.

Sometimes it might seem easier to just pick something out of a hat, but that might not be such a wise choice. Career guidance is there to provide support to individuals throughout their lives.

During life skills class in high school, learners get the opportunity to research careers and make decisions based on their research. These guidance counsellors play a vital role, as they facilitate the learners’ exploration of different careers. This is all good and well, but what about the one kid who can’t find anything and is pretending to want to be something, not so be embarrassed?

When you are unsure about career options it is important to contact a guidance professional, because it is a life-changing decision that you need to make.

Career counsellors can help with aptitude tests, which determine some of the careers most suitable for you as an individual.

These professional also help you with acquiring the knowledge you need about the educational requirements for certain jobs. Thus it is very important to start with guidance early on in your high school career, so you can put in the work to be able to fulfil those requirements. This is also important so that the learners can choose the correct subjects when the time comes.

These days far too many people are unhappy in the work they are doing, because their decision was based on the money that particular career offers. To bring home a paycheque is important, but not as important as job satisfaction. It is quite difficult to make a choice between the two. With the amount of time a person usually spends at work, it would be wise to make an informed decision to actually be in a work environment that you enjoy and are comfortable in.

One of the mistakes that many people make when choosing a career is listening to people who tell them they should or shouldn’t do something. Your parents, friends and even boyfriend might think that they have a say in the career you choose, but the truth is they don’t. It is, however, necessary not to alienate your loved ones, because they will be with you on your journey. You can choose to make that decision on your own, but make sure that you are making the right one.

The best thing to do is to always try to engage with people in that particular career, in order to get a more realistic feel out of it. They are more likely to tell you the truth about what that job is like, rather than Mr Google. Remember the internet is not always right! Also, take a look at what the future holds for that career. As we are living in a world where technology is advancing every day. it is important to make sure that the career you’ve chosen will still be relevant 10 years from now.

There really are no downsides to career guidance. It offers economic and social benefits to the individual and the country they live in. The learners discover things they never knew existed and also learn more about themselves. If people are happy in their careers they will be more productive and the country’s economy will start flourishing.

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What a farce!

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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What a farce!

During the run-up to the 2017 Swapo elective congress, President Hage Geingob, the leader of the Harambee faction, often implored his Team Swapo opponents to play the man and not the ball.

This came amid vicious tit-for-tat attacks in the mainstream media and on social media sites, where the factions fought tooth and nail, while often attempting tribalist and other smears.

Fast-forward to 2019 and the ongoing campaigning for the upcoming Ondangwa Urban by-election. To say that Swapo leaders and their social media lackeys have chosen to play the woman and not the ball - in the case of independent candidate Angelina Immanuel - would be a severe understatement.

Most Namibians are still trying to figure out what the young woman's grandmother has to do with voting in this upcoming election, after Vice-president Nangolo Mbumba decided to reference this part of her family tree at a star rally this past weekend. Among his other comments seemed to cross the sexism line. Yet, what must be quite entertaining, if not downright baffling to many, is why the ruling party is giving an independent candidate so much airtime, and by implication, continues to build her public profile.

In this Monty Python-like farce, one would think that she must be a Trojan Horse, planted by the party, the way it has vigorously 'de-campaigned' her through unwarranted personal attacks.

Obviously all is not well in Swapo; this is apparent as the party fails to recover from the 2017 slug-fest that has now culminated in a court challenge that is ongoing in the High Court. And as the party prepares to plaster Geingob's face all over its election posters, along with its former presidents, only a sense of panic can explain what is happening in the Ondangwa Urban fracas.

It is now time for Geingob to step in and put an end to this playing-the-person-and-not-the-ball strategy, which he obviously didn't condone when he was up for election as Swapo president. Or does it have his tacit, yet silent, approval?

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Brains, sweat and sashes

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Brains, sweat and sashesPageants are about more than just pretty faces Reschelle Beukes has walked away with the Standard Bank Miss High School 2019 title.

Mariselle Stofberg

On 4 June the much-anticipated Chamber of Choirs competition and second Standard Bank Miss High School pageant took place at Maerua Mall in Windhoek.

Eight stunning young ladies took to the stage in casual wear, recycle wear and evening gowns, which left both the judges and the crowd thoroughly entertained.

These girls not only strutted their stuff on the runway, but put in real effort and hard work with their various community projects, which ranged from housework, to building classrooms, helping animals and assisting the elderly.

Reigning Miss Windhoek High School, Reschelle Beukes, was not only crowned as the new Standard Bank Miss High School, but also received the Miss Community Project award for her work done at Mount View High School in Windhoek.

“I believe this title will help me to further build on the success of this project. I feel so excited, humble and I truly believe that each one of these beautiful and stunning girls deserved this title. Not only did I learn so much, but I made some amazing friends along the way,” said Beukes. She has made great progress with her project and has, with the help of sponsors, built a containerised classroom and donated school stationery.

Tylo Blaauw from Windhoek Gymnasium was crowed as the first princess and Judite Correia from Walvis Bay Private High School as second princess.

Correia was also awarded the Miss Creative Wear and Miss Personality awards. Sylvi Iipinge from Shaanika Nashilongo Secondary School won Miss Social Media.

This year the competition aimed to not only showcase the beauty of the contestants, but to encourage the passionate ladies to invest in the community as well.

“This is a night full of glitz, glamour, brains and hearts as big as the Namib Desert,” said Yochanaan Coetzee, the master of ceremonies of the evening.

Every contestant had a certain community project that formed a part of their journey at Standard Bank Miss High School.

A whopping 75% of their final scores came from the work done they had done on their projects. This also proved the deciding factor between the top four contestants.

The judging panel included Sindano Nekundi from Standard Bank, Josephine Silas from Coca-Cola, reigning Miss Namibia, Selma Kamanya, and renowned singer and choirmaster Joe Besser.

“Tonight is more than just a pageant. It is beauty with a purpose, with these stunning, intelligent girls,” said Kamanya.

Standard Bank awarded the winner a N$10 000 cash prize to use as she sees fit.

“This competition is exactly in line with our corporate social responsibility goals and we would like to remain a part of this competition in the future,” said Nekundi.

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Jobs for foreigners

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Jobs for foreignersTeachers head the list The appointment of 114 foreigners was approved by the Namibian authorities in 2017/18.

A total of 114 foreigners were employed in Namibia in 2017/18, including as science and language teachers, while an application to appoint a foreigner as chief constable at the City of Windhoek was turned down.

An exemption to employ a foreigner as a theatre and ICU nurse for Ongwediva MediPark was also denied.

These details are contained in the Labour Advisory Council Annual Report for the 2017/18 financial year.

Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) secretary-general Mahongora Kavihuha said his experience was that foreigners are employed, but no Namibians are employed as their understudies.

“Just reading from that report you can tell that no Namibian was appointed and so no skills were transferred,” he said.

While he admitted that the quality of teacher training in Namibia is “questionable”, Kavihuha pointed out that private schools have the responsibility to take on new graduates and mentor them.

“Are you telling me that we do not have accountants in Namibia who can speak German? This is not acceptable; there are so many teachers that have graduated but they are on the streets,” he said. He also questioned the exemptions granted for foreign science teachers, saying there are enough science teachers in the country. “It is not true; we do not have a lack of skills amongst accountants. We have enough science teachers; there are critical areas where we do not have teachers. One is vernacular language, which of course includes German. The other area is agriculture, which has been a concern that we have raised with the higher education ministry,” he said.

Namibia Society of Engineers president Charles Mukwaso condemned the exemptions granted to Erongo Marine Enterprise to employ engineers, welders and fitters and turners. According to Mukwaso these skills are easily found in the labour market, but some companies opt for “cheap labour” in the form of foreigners.

“When you talk of fitters and turners, then I can tell you our vocational training centres train them here in Namibia. Certain companies are not really going out and finding qualified Namibians; they have misperceptions, while others employ foreigners deliberately because you can pay them whatever you want,” he added.

Private schools target foreign teachers

Windhoek International School successfully applied for exceptions to appoint 15 foreign teachers.

These include a homeroom teacher, two secondary school teachers, four primary school homeroom teachers, a secondary mathematics teacher, a science laboratory technician, a middle-school English teacher, a social studies International Baccalaureate (IB) visual arts teacher, a middle-school teaching assistant and a mathematics support teacher.

The school also received permission to employ foreigners as a primary years' programme coordinator (IBPYP), a secondary school German teacher and a secondary school French teacher.

Deutsche Schulverein Windhoek applied for exemptions to employ 26 foreign teachers, but was only granted permission to appoint 24 of them, on condition that the institution demonstrates effort to narrow the skills gap shortages in the country and submit a progress report to the Employment Equity Commission and Labour Advisory Council.

These positions included 14 German teachers, two ordinary teaching posts, a German child and youth centre teacher, a German boarding school teacher, a German pre-primary teacher, a head of kindergarten, a German and French teacher, a German coordinator for language facilitation, a German head of pre-school, a German pre-primary assistant teacher, a German boarding school education manager and a German receivables accountant.

St George's Diocesan School in Windhoek successfully applied for exceptions for six positions.

These included a science, history and English teacher, as well as an additional senior English teacher.

The other positions included a chaplain, mathematics and business studies teacher.

Triumphant College was also granted permission to employ six foreigners in lecturing positions for a period of three years, while the International University of Management (IUM) was granted permission to employ three foreigners for its education and nursing lecturing positions.

Fitters and turners

Erongo Marine Enterprises was also granted exemptions to employ 22 foreigners for a period of three years as engineers, motormen, electricians, chief technologists, chief trawl masters, mechanical adjusters, welders, turners, joiners and fitters and as a medical doctor.

This was done on condition that Namibians with Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (Namfi) qualifications are funded to study the applied skills in Sweden or Russia. Five Namibians should be funded every three years.

The Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) successfully applied for exemptions to appoint six foreigners as technicians, technologists and in various pathologist positions.

I-Tech applied for exemptions to appoint four foreigners as a demand creation manager, HIV support physician, HIV clinical nurse and as a mentor.

This application was, however, rejected because the existing work permits of the non-Namibians had expired and the skills are not scarce in Namibia.

The University of Namibia (Unam) was granted permission to appoint 13 foreigners for its veterinary medicine, pharmacology, researcher, anaesthesiology, paediatrics, morbid anatomy, psychiatry, nautical mechanics, associate professor, statistics and population science and associate professor for physics posts.

This exemption was granted on condition that Namibians are identified for training in veterinary science through the current staff development programme and that a progress report is submitted to the Office of the Employment Equity Commissioner.

Nurses and doctors

Meanwhile, the Labour Advisory Council denied exceptions to appoint 34 nurses at four different institutions, because there are currently Namibians who can be appointed as understudies.

Ongwediva Medipark applied for exceptions for two nurses and Lady Pohamba Private Hospital applied for 18 exceptions, while Walvis Bay MediPark applied to appoint 14 foreign nurses.

Air Namibia applied for exemptions to appoint seven foreign pilots, however, exemptions were granted for three, as the other four did not have valid work permits.

Claud Bosch Architects applied for exemptions to appoint seven foreign architects, but these were not granted because the council was not convinced that these skills were not easily obtainable in the Namibian labour market.

An application by E-Med Rescue 24 to appoint two foreign paramedics was approved.

The council also granted an exemption to Medical Imaging to appoint one foreign radiologist. A second application for exemption was not granted because the employee's work permit expired while the application was due for consideration.

Northlands Medical Group (NMG) applied for exemptions to appoint six foreign doctors but was granted permission to appoint only three.

This exemption was granted on condition that NMG grants at least one bursary to a Namibian to study medicine.

It was later found that NMG did not comply with this condition and the committee recommended that the labour minister withdraws the previous exemption.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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'Sexist' Mbumba called out

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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'Sexist' Mbumba called out

Vice-president Nangolo Mbumba has been criticised for an alleged sexist remark made during a Swapo star rally at Ondangwa on Sunday.

Mbumba, who was the main speaker at the Swapo event, apparently referred to independent candidate Angelina Immanuel when he told the ruling party supporters: “Just because you are beautiful doesn't mean you can stand for election.”

Mbumba also told supporters not to vote for independent candidates whose grandmothers they don't know.

Political analyst Graham Hopwood said it seems Mbumba has a tendency of making “tone-deaf” comments, which don't resonate well with the broader electorate and even Swapo's core supporters.

“He was trying to be humorous but his (beautiful) comment just came across as patronising and unnecessary. I would think that he is too senior in the national and Swapo ranks to be called to order. Although these kinds of remarks are distasteful they don't necessarily affect voting intentions,” he said. Youth activist Job Amupanda said the remark by the former Swapo secretary-general was clearly aimed at Immanuel.

“In a country where women are objectified, resulting in gender-based violence, this is how your country's 78-year- old Vice-President Mbumba insults Angelina Immanuel. How can a vice-president of a country publicly and thirstily declare the beauty of a 27-year-old? What type of society do we live in, in which a 78-year-old man can salivate and focus on the beauty of a 27-year-old young enough to be his granddaughter? So sickening and disgusting. I am ashamed as a man,” said Amupanda.

The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) also believes the remark was both “sexist and inappropriate”.

“All political leaders should treat male and females with the same respect and not make comments that could indicate that sex or appearance would matter when candidates stand for office.

“The director of elections could address this issue at the meetings that all political parties ought to have during a campaign,” the LAC said.

Approached for comment, Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa bluntly said: “Get me out please.” Shaningwa added she could not comment, as she was not at the event in Ondangwa.

Immanuel and four others are contesting the Ondangwa Urban by-election, which takes place this coming Saturday. Swapo has fielded former Ondangwa mayor Leonard Negonga as its candidate, while the APP and PDM have chosen Asser Vincent and Johannes Martin, respectively, to contest. The CoD is fielding Mandume Andreas Tuhafeni.

JEMIMA BEUKES

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King Nangolo prevails

June 10, 2019, 4:00 pm

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King Nangolo prevails

The bitter battle over the Ondonga kingship ended yesterday when the government recognised Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo as the 19th king of the traditional authority.

Nangolo takes over from the late Omukwaniilwa Immanuel Kau?luma Elifas, who died in March this year. Nangolo (44) has long been considered heir apparent to Elifas and was named as his successor and deputy in 2002 already.

However, a section of the royal family disputed this and preferred Elifas's nephew, Konis Kalenga, as the next king. Urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga said yesterday that Kalenga's application for designation as the next Ondonga king did not pass the verification process. On 14 April this year, a traditional ritual was performed to crown Nangolo as the new king at his Onambango homestead, while the roya?l family inaugurated Kalenga.

“It is true that I approved Nangolo's application. You can only recognise one omukwaniilwa and I also have only approved one. The Act provides that the application must go through verification and the governor also needs to do the verification. When it gets to me, only one application could pass the verification and that is for Nangolo,” said Mushelenga.

Preparations are now in full swing for the official coronation set to take place on 29 June at Onambango outside Ondangwa.

At the time of going to print, no comment could be obtained from the senior elder of the royal family, Selma Gwanandjokwe Sheyavali, whose faction had appointed Kalenga.

The gazetted leaders of the OTA, most of them Nangolo supporters, were reportedly in a meeting and could not be reached for comment.

ILENI NANDJATO

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Crashed truck hit by train

June 11, 2019, 7:42 am

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Crashed truck hit by train

Miracles do happen: All the people involved in a freak crash involving a truck, a smaller truck and a train on the B2 highway between Usakos and Karibib this morning sustained minor injuries. The accident occurred at 07.30 on the railway bridge near Kranzberg.
According to well-placed sources, the first collision occurred between the two trucks on the bridge. The exact cause of this crash is still unknown. The truck carrying heavy fuel oil crashed through the bridge barrier and fell about five meters onto the railroad track where it finally came to a standstill.
The driver of the smaller truck hurried to the other driver to free him from the vehicle. “While they were still opening the driver’s door, they noticed the oncoming freight train. They barely managed to get to safety before the train hit the truck,” said the source. The train, which was travelling towards Walvis Bay, dragged the truck underneath the bridge where it came to a standstill. The locomotive as well as a few wagons derailed during the incident. Luck, it seems, was also in favour of the train personnel as no one on the train was injured.
The total damage caused during the freak accident is estimated at several million Namibian dollars. The railway bridge, however, was only slightly damaged and was open to traffic by mid-morning.

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Minister denies Westair connection

June 11, 2019, 8:55 am

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Minister denies Westair connection

Public enterprises minister Leon Jooste today said he has no interest in Westair Aviation as alleged in the local media. He also said denied that there was a “concerted effort” to kill Air Namibia to benefit Westair. In 2017, The Patriot reported allegations of a “well-crafted conspiracy”, which allegedly includes cabinet ministers, aimed at deliberately ensuring that Air Namibia will remain depended on leasing aircrafts at exorbitant amounts. This is after reports surfaced that Westair had reportedly bought almost half of the Air Namibia’s fleet from Air France Regional. The newspapers’ sources claimed that Jooste was one of the ministers aware of the deal. Jooste denied this at a media briefing. Westair last night announced it has been granted designated carrier status by the National Transport Commission of Namibia, which makes it an official scheduled passenger airline with flights to various destinations domestically and in the subregion under the brand name FlyWestair.
STAFF REPORTER

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Air Namibia business model in spotlight

June 11, 2019, 9:36 am

≫ Next: Cosafa Cup is about development - Mbidi

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Air Namibia business model in spotlight

The embattled Air Namibia has appointed consultants to come up with a more suitable business model that would allow it to break even in the next three years. The announcement was made by public enterprises minister Leon Jooste at a media briefing today. According to Jooste, the consultants completed their first part of the assignment and the matter is now in the hands of the Cabinet Committee on Treasury. “This report has given us a more accurate picture of the various realities surrounding Air Namibia and what may be required to restore the commercial viability of our airline,” Jooste said. “During recent deliberations at the Cabinet Committee on Treasury, the Air Namibia cashflow and associated challenges were discussed. This finally culminated in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Overall Policy and Priorities that was held on Wednesday, 5 June 2019. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the feasibility of Air Namibia and the way forward.” Air Namibia has been hogging the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent days. Only one of Air Namibia’s four Airbus A319 aircraft is operational at the moment, with the remaining three having been seized in South Africa and Cyprus because of unpaid debts. As a result, the national airline cannot keep up its regional flight schedule. As from 3 June, Air Namibia has suspended all flights between Windhoek and Luanda and reduced the number of daily flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

STAFF REPORTER

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Cosafa Cup is about development - Mbidi

June 11, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Cosafa Cup is about development - Mbidi

The Cosafa vice-president Frans Mbidi has insisted that the Cosafa Cup senior tournament is still relevant.

The tournament was recently held in South Africa, with Zambia winning the competition.

In the past, most teams competing in the tournament fielded their senior players, while it also attracted a large number of passionate spectators. However, things have changed in recent times, as most teams now field their junior players or under-23 players. It is also evident that the tournament barely attracts any supporters, even when host nations are playing, compared to the 1990s and early 2000s when large crowds flocked to the venues.

Mbidi said the tournament has diverted most of its attention to development.

“Most of our tournaments are set-up to ensure that there is development taking place. I believe this competition is still important and relevant, even if teams are not fielding their senior players.

“The senior players often play in other competitions throughout the year and that is why an opportunity is given to the other players to grow into future superstars, by playing in the Cosafa Cup,” Mbidi said.

He also lauded the quality of play at the just-ended Cosafa tournament, saying the coaches and players produced competitive performances.

“In terms of expectations, we are happy because we believe that the tournament proved a success. Yes, the crowds were not as much as we would have hoped for, but there was enough hype from several nations.

“One thing that I will not forget to mention is the fact that some teams really played good football and their players will definitely attract big football clubs,” Mbidi said.

The following teams have participated in the tournament in the past: Tanzania, Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe have won six titles, followed by Zambia with five and South Africa with four.

Namibia won their first-ever Cosafa Cup in 2015 and went on to win the plate competition in 2016, when they hosted the competition in Windhoek.

The first editions of the competition were played as knockout tournaments staged over several months.

As the competition grew, it transformed into a series of mini-tournaments.

This year the tournament was to have been staged in Zimbabwe, but the hosting rights were eventually granted to South Africa after Zimbabwe withdraw as hosts.

Mbidi called on other nations to also host the tournament in order for it to rotate around southern Africa.

“Every country can host it as long as they are financially equipped to do so, because it takes plenty of financial resources to host it. We are encouraging other nations to take up the challenge and host the competition too.

“Namibia can actually also take up the bid to host it next year, if its financial resources are in place,” Mbidi added.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

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Mannetti backs Kazapua

June 11, 2019, 4:00 pm

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Mannetti backs KazapuaMaccabi FC keeper set to don number one jersey at Afcon Coach Ricardo Mannetti says Loydt Kazapua will be in the Brave Warriors starting line-up at Afcon 2019.

Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti says Maccabi FC goalkeeper Loydt Kazapua is his first choice to start at Afcon 2019.

The shot-stopper was included in the final 23-man squad to represent Namibia at the upcoming continental showpiece in about two weeks' time.

Kazapua was chosen ahead experienced goalkeeper Virgil Vries, who was dropped from the squad at the last minute.

The other two goalkeepers are Golden Arrows' Maximilian Mbaeva and Ratanda Mbazuvara of African Stars.

Mannetti expressed confidence in the keeper and has backed his decision to choose Kazapua over Vries.

“Loydt was exceptional against Ghana and has proven his worth to the team in the last couple of matches. He will be our number one goalkeeper at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“I am also asking for the entire nation to stand behind him because he will need our support,” Mannetti said.

The coach also explained some of the decisions he made when selecting the final squad.

“Some of the players are not in the right physical condition and have not played for months.

“Others did not just show enough over the past two weeks and then there is attitude, which needs to be good,” Mannetti said.

Namibia have a mountain, after being drawn in Group D against Bafana Bafana, Ivory Coast and Morocco.

This will be the first 24-team Afcon - up from 16 - and will be hosted until 19 July.

The six group winners and six runners-up automatically qualify for the knockout stages and will be joined by the four best third-placed teams.

After the eight second-round fixtures, there will be the quarterfinals, semi-finals, a third-place play-off and the final.

Namibia will be kicking off their tournament against Morocco on 23 June.

They will play their second match against neighbours South Africa on 28 June before closing off their group encounters with a match against Côte d'Ivoire on 1 July.

Namibia are seeking their first-ever win in the competition after having failed on two occasions - in 1998 and 2008 - to secure a victory.

Group D is nearly a repetition of the 1998 Afcon tournament in Burkina Faso, when Namibia was drawn against Côte d'Ivoire, South African and Angola.

In 1998, Namibia finished at the bottom of the table with only one point from three matches, as Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa topped the group.

In 2008, Namibia also finished at the bottom of their group, which included Ghana, Guinea and Morocco.

Namibia's only two Afcon points came via draws against Angola (1998) and Guinea (2008).

Cameroon are the defending champions after winning the 2017 final against Egypt 2-1, courtesy of goals from Nikolas Nkoulou and Vincent Aboukabar.

Only Congo (1968), South Africa (1996) and Zambia (2012) have been able to bring the trophy to southern Africa.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

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