Namibian Sun

Alibaba offers subsidies as shopping suffers

China's Alibaba Group will provide 1 billion yuan (US$144 million) in spending subsidies for a March online shopping festival to counter the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Alibaba's announcement, made in a social media post yesterday, comes as the e commerce giant wrestles with depressed consumer spending in China, which is in a state of semi-quarantine as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. – Nampa/Reuters

HP rejects Xerox's raised takeover offer

HP Inc yesterday rejected Xerox Holdings Corp's raised bid of about US$35 billion, saying that the offer still undervalued the personal computer maker.

The US printer maker had increased its offer last month by US$2 to US$24 per share, following rejections of its previous buyout offers by the PC maker.

"Our message to HP shareholders is clear: the Xerox offer undervalues HP and disproportionately benefits Xerox shareholders at the expense of HP shareholders,” Chip Bergh, chair of HP's board, said yesterday.

"The Xerox offer would leave our shareholders with an investment in a combined company that is burdened with an irresponsible level of debt and which would subsequently require unrealistic, unachievable synergies that would jeopardize the entire company," he said.

Xerox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Following the raised offer, HP had said it would implement a poison pill plan to stop investors from amassing more than 20% stake in the company. – Nampa/Reuters

Toyota recalls 3.2 mln vehicles worldwide

Toyota Motor Corp said Wednesday it is now recalling 3.2 million vehicles worldwide to address a fuel pump issue that could result in engines stalling.

The Japanese automaker first said in January it would recall 696 000 US vehicles with a fuel pump that may stop operating and lead to stalling of the engine. Dealers will replace the fuel pumps with new ones.

Toyota said the recall now covers 1.8 million US Toyota and Lexus vehicles in total in the United States, including older vehicles from as far back as the 2013 model year – and more than 1 million vehicles than it announced in January.

Toyota began a probe into the fuel pump issue in June. – Nampa/Reuters

Intu fails to secure vital funding

One of Britain's biggest shopping mall operators, Intu Properties, has failed to secure vital new funding and said on Wednesday it was in danger of breaching debt commitments due in July because of the tough climate for UK retailers.

Intu said it would seek other sources of financing, including looking at selling assets, and take mitigating actions which may include negotiating debt waivers where appropriate.

The company was stuck with a 4.5 billion pound debt pile at the end of 2019 and had planned to raise between 1 billion and 1.5 billion pounds to shore up its balance sheet after being hit by high-profile failures in the retail industry and rent renegotiations.

At its peak in 2006, Intu had a market value of nearly 13 billion pounds which had plummeted to around 81 million pounds on Wednesday.

The company said that, apart from the challenges caused by tenants going bust, its income has been "resilient in what has been a challenging year for retail and retail property". – Nampa/Reuters

Flybe dealt final blow by virus

British regional airline Flybe crashed into bankruptcy yesterday after the deadly coronavirus proved to be the final nail in its coffin.

The biggest operator of UK domestic flights said it has sunk into administration - a last-ditch process aimed at salvaging at least some of the company.

And with the carrier long blighted by fierce competition, volatile fuels costs and a weak pound linked to the uncertainty over Brexit, Flybe's announcement to ground all flights now places some 2 000 jobs at risk.

An airline source told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency that sliding demand owing to COVID-19 had "made a difficult situation worse".

A slew of airlines - including British Airways and Ryanair - announced Monday the cancellation of several hundred flights, in particular to Italy, as the novel coronavirus spreads throughout the globe. – Nampa/AFP

PetroChina suspends gas contracts

PetroChina has suspended some natural gas imports, including on liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and on gas imported via pipelines, as a seasonal plunge in demand adds to the impact on consumption from the coronavirus outbreak.

The company issued the force majeure notice to suppliers of piped gas and also to at least one LNG supplier, though details of the force majeure notice could not immediately be confirmed.

PetroChina, China's top gas producer and piped gas supplier, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

China is one of the world's top gas and LNG importers, so any cancellation of purchase is expected to have a big impact on prices, traders said.

Force majeure is a clause in contracts, typically referring to unexpected external circumstances that prevent a party to a contract from meeting their obligations.

PetroChina meets 40% of its total gas needs through imports and about 70% of imports are through piped gas from central Asia, Myanmar and Russia while the rest are through LNG, one of the sources said. – Nampa/Reuters

Drought: N$21m paid out to farmersClaims due today A total of 5 383 claims were received from farmers under the livestock marketing incentive scheme, with 3 031, valued at N$18.6 million, already paid.

About N$21 million has been paid out to farmers under different incentives and subsidies.

Farmers must submit their outstanding claims by today to the agriculture ministry.

According to the ministry, it was tasked by Cabinet to implement drought interventions in all 14 regions of the country.

These interventions include the livestock marketing incentive scheme, the animal feed subsidy and the lease of grazing and transport subsidy to assist drought-affected communities.

A total of 5 383 claims under the livestock marketing incentive scheme were received from farmers. Out of these, 3 031 claims valued at N$18.6 million were paid to farmers. According to the ministry, the remaining 2 353 claims are still being processed for payment.

Under the animal feed subsidy, 4 510 claims were received from farmers. Out of these, 1 440 claims valued at N$1.6 million were paid. The remaining 3 070 claims are being processed.

A total of 204 claims for the lease of grazing and transport subsidy, valued at more than N$716 500, were received and paid.

“The ministry would like to assure farmers that all claims submitted on or before the due date will be settled.”

Farmers are therefore urged to submit their claims before the due date, which is today, at ministry offices countrywide.

ELLANIE SMIT

Sinvula appointed Grootfontein CEO

Former acting Kunene chief regional officer Kisco Sinvula has been appointed as the new CEO of the Grootfontein municipality.

Sinvula replaces Charles Kariko, whose contract ended in March 2018. Grootfontein mayor Absai Haimene, who announced Sinvula's appointment during a media conference this week, said the new accounting officer has a rich educational background and served in various leadership positions, which they believe will enable him to carry out his job effectively and ensure that the town delivers much-needed services to the people.

Haimene said office-bearers are looking forward to working with Sinvula and that the aim should be the effective provision of services to the residents of Grootfontein.

“As local authority councillors, we look forward to reaching consensus on resolutions that address most, if not all, challenges faced by the Grootfontein community in an effective, fruitful and balanced manner. We therefore wish you every success at the Grootfontein municipality,” Haimene said. Sinvula holds two master's degrees, one in geographical information science and another in urban management.

He has been the acting chief regional officer at the Kunene regional council for the past two years, and also served as the deputy director of planning and development there.

During the press conference, Sinvula said he is grateful to be accorded the opportunity to lead Grootfontein and that, through collective efforts, they will move the local authority to greater heights.

“I do not want to promise a lot but I do believe that what is critical is that we need to provide the services to the inhabitants of the town. I am blessed to be here,” Sinvula said briefly.

Kenya Kambowe

African airlines face US$40 mln hit from coronaVirus slashes demand African airlines are likely to suffer a total loss of around US$200 million this year.

Dawit Endeshaw - Coronavirus disruption could cost African airlines US$40 million in revenue this year, a global industry body said on Wednesday, a potentially devastating hit to often struggling airlines counting on lucrative Chinese routes to fund expansion.

The global hit to the aviation industry is projected to be US$29 billion this year - a 4.7% industry-wide drop in revenue per passenger kilometre, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.

The blow to African airlines could be as much as US$40 million, IATA's special envoy to Africa, Raphael Kuuchi, said at an aviation conference in Addis Ababa.

IATA forecast in December that African airlines would make a loss of around US$200 million this year, similar to 2019.

Tewolde GebreMariam, chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, said the virus had slashed passenger demand.

"The air travel demand for Ethiopian Airlines has declined by 20% due to the corona," Tewolde told Reuters.

"It is a big shock," he told the conference.

On Tuesday, Kenya halted direct flights from Italy's northern cities of Verona and Milan, which usually head to the Kenyan coast. Northern Italy has seen Europe's biggest cluster of coronavirus cases.

Last month, Kenya Airways and RwandAir suspended all flights to and from China until further notice.

The World Health Organisation has advised countries against banning flights. – Nampa/Reuters

NSFAF wants to earn cash from N$178m headquarters

Barely a year after the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) moved its operations to its new headquarters in the Eros suburb of Windhoek, the fund intends to use parts of the building for other purposes in order to generate income.

NSFAF has sent out a notice to announce its application to the Windhoek municipality for consent to use the building also as a multi-purpose hall and cafeteria for public functions, gatherings and events.

A gymnasium will also be open to the public, as well as a cafeteria and a day-care centre for the fund's employees and children from other areas. The erf is 15 487 square metres and is currently zoned as 'institutional', for a business building for office purposes.

The hall, gymnasium and other facilities form part of the main building.

NSFAF said it wants to use the massive building to its maximum capacity. Objections to the proposed uses of the building can be done in writing to the Windhoek municipality and NSFAF.

Controversial building project

Before moving into the new building, the NSFAF head office operated from a building in the central business district of the capital it rented from the United Africa Group.

The construction of the new head office was shrouded in controversy right from the get-go, not only for its location outside of the CBD that is difficult to access by young students – the main target group of NSFAF – but also because of the lack of proper tendering procedures followed in the appointment of the construction company.

The more than N$178 million contract was awarded to China Jiangxi International that teamed up with Namibian outfit Homefin Properties.

At the time, it was alleged that the tender was advertised over a two-day period without any reference to NSFAF in the advert.

There were also allegations that NSFAF had paid for three different IT surveillance systems doing the same thing over a two-year period.

The Tender Bulletin in late 2016 reported that while the project was launched and construction had started, it was not listed on the national development budget. It also reported not being aware of a public tender having gone out.

And now, it seems, the concrete-laden building is too big for NSFAF's core operations.

NSFAF's chief of human capital and corporate affairs, Olavi Hamwele, said the intention with the application to the municipality was to generate income, and shall be advertised on a competitive basis once the City's requirements are fulfilled.

Party admonished

The alternative use of the NSFAF building has allegedly already raised the hackles of Eros residents when a party held on the premises on the evening of Saturday, 22 February reportedly turned rowdy.

It is alleged that the City Police was called in to stop the party at around 01:00 the following morning. Hamwele said NSFAF has not received word of any such incident, adding that security personnel are deployed around-the-clock at the premises.

Members of the public pointed out that the party was held there illegally since NSFAF currently only has permission to use the premises for office purposes.

Catherine Sasman

Hope for Gordon abandonedResplendent sank 18 February With no prospects of finding the missing Resplendent captain, a special service will be hosted at Hangana Seafood's premises at Walvis Bay in honour of Carlo Gordon.

Hangana Seafood says based on the opinions of various experts, there is no reasonable prospect of finding missing Resplendent captain Carlo Gordon alive, or recovering his body from the wreck.

The company said that last Friday Gordon's wife and children carried out two extensive flights to the area where the ship sank, accompanied by their housekeeper.

A moment of silence was observed during the flight, while the family members scattered flower petals over the site.

The Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group subsidiary said it had decided, after careful consideration, that it was not a viable option to send divers or use a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to try and locate the missing captain in the sunken wreckage.

The cause and circumstances of the sinking on 18 February is currently under investigation by the directorate of maritime affairs (DMA).

The company said it will welcome the conclusion of the investigation and the publication of the DMA's report into the tragic incident.

Hangana also announced that it would be holding a special service at its premises at Walvis Bay for family and friends in honour of Captain Gordon and to assist everyone affected by the tragedy to deal with the incident at a date to be arranged.

It said that it was established, in consultation with Walvis Bay Diving, that even with the use of highly sophisticated equipment, diving at these depths is at the outer limits of human capability and would be a highly dangerous undertaking.

A search for the Resplendent in conditions of poor visibility, and with currents measuring up to seven knots, renders the operation dangerous and near impossible.

Hangana said that due consideration was also given to the prospect of contracting a specialised vessel to perform a survey of the wreck using a ROV to locate Gordon.

A ROV functions as a visual aid only and does not have the capability to recover bodies from the seabed. Moreover, it has significant limitations. The vessel sank at a depth of approximately 318 metres. The depth of the vessel and the conditions on the seabed are such that visibility is very poor and a ROV of the type needed would only be able to inspect the exterior of the wreck, once located.

Search and rescue

The company said its management had focused intensely on the search and rescue operations for Gordon after the sinking of the Resplendent occurred.

Hangana said it had invited the captain's close family members to fly to the incident site to view the vicinity first-hand from the air, as a gesture of goodwill and to help the affected parties come to terms with events.

Staff Reporter

Guilty verdict for man who beheaded girlfriend

Six years after Ananias Nekongo Nailenge stabbed and beheaded his girlfriend during a violent domestic argument at his Oshakati flat, he was convicted of murder this week and now awaits sentencing.

On Wednesday, High Court judge Marlene Tommasi brought the lengthy legal proceedings to an end when she said the State had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Nailenge was guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, Mirjam Tuyakula Nandjato (24), in February 2014 in Oshakati West.

On 4 February 2014, Nandjato had reportedly been asked by Nailenge to meet him at his flat during her lunch break from her job at the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP).

It was reported that shortly before she left work to meet Nailenge, she had briefly met with her mother, who never saw her daughter again. Her sudden and violent death at the hands of a man she trusted left her family, friends and the community reeling.

Nailenge was 24 years old at the time of the murder and initially made a full confession before a magistrate, before he withdrew it during the trial, claiming it had been given under duress.

Medical evidence presented at trial showed Nailenge had stabbed Nandjato in the abdomen and then decapitated her.

He told the magistrate they had argued about his young child, which he had with another woman, and claimed he lashed out to protect himself and the child.

Tommasi on Wednesday found Nailenge guilty of a count of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.

She however acquitted him on a count of robbery, saying insufficient evidence was presented for a guilty verdict.

Despite the initial confession, which had been given the green light to be entered into evidence for the trial, midway through Nailenge denied guilt, claiming he had given a false confession.

Tommasi pointed out that the alibi defence was raised late during the trial, during cross-examination, and that the alibi witness, who testified Nailenge had been at a bar at Outapi, could not confirm Nailenge's presence there after 13:00 that day, during the crucial time the murder took place.

Nailenge claimed he had been in Outapi from 13:00 until 16:00.

Tommasi dismissed his testimony, saying it was not credible.

During the trial, the court heard from Nailenge's uncle, a police officer who testified that his nephew had phoned him and confessed to the killing in the afternoon.

The uncle, alarmed by the news and his nephew's hints that he was planning to commit suicide, contacted the police and shortly afterwards Nandjato's body was discovered in Nailenge's flat.

Tommasi in her judgment described the admission during that telephone call to the uncle as the “single most damning evidence” against Nailenge.

She said the uncle's steadfast testimony was credible and had helped the State prove Nailenge's guilt.

A date for sentencing has not yet been set, although it is expected that a pre-sentencing hearing will take place in mid-May and a sentence will be handed down shortly afterwards. Proceedings are slated to take place at the Oshakati High Court, according to court officials.

Public prosecutor Jatiel Mudamburi represented the State while legal aid lawyer Petrus Grusshaber appeared on behalf of the accused.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Reaching for the starsMaking the impossible possible Michael Naukushu is a newly appointed brewer apprentice at Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) - a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group.

Mariselle Stofberg

Persevering in the face of adversity is easier said than done, but Michael Naukushu has proven that with the right mindset you can accomplish anything.

Naukushu graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science (biochemistry) from the University of Namibia (Unam) in 2018.

Even though he has a specialised degree, it was challenging to find a job, and he was unemployed for almost two years before being selected to become a part of NBL as a brewer apprentice.

“It was such a difficult time, but I would advise other students who might be going through the same thing to never lose hope. Continue to pursue a career that makes it possible for you to do what you love. I never gave up, and I always told myself that better things will come, I just needed to persevere.”

Naukushu further encourages youth to not just sit and wait for opportunities, but to use their gained knowledge and skills to create their own opportunities. “Try to come up with new industrial ideas and concepts that will set you apart from the rest, and enable you to create work for yourself.”

He grew up in the northern part of Namibia at Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region and started his brewer apprenticeship at NBL this year.

“I fell in love with science since I had the subject in high school, and knew I wanted to pursue a career where I could incorporate science.”

In the apprenticeship programme individuals are practically trained for three years within all technical, brewing-related departments at NBL.

After successfully completing his practical training in Namibia, Naukushu will be sent to Germany to the malt factory to learn how malt is produced and to attend the brewing vocational training college to learn the theory behind brewing processes.

The training in Germany takes place over nine months, during which apprentices become fully qualified brewers with a German certificate in the brewing trade - Gesellenbrief.

“We are now in the phase of learning about the brewing process. We are busy familiarising ourselves with the environment, processes and electronic systems used at breweries. We have already learnt so much, and I’m excited to further my knowledge and skills,” he added.

What motivates Naukushu is his drive and desire to be successful one day, and to be in a position to help others in his community.

His selfless and humble nature is a significant contributor to his vision to use his success to enable others to reach for their dreams and full potential.

Naukushu would like to develop a programme one day that will aid scientists in the country to find career opportunities and help them to use their qualifications to build their communities and society at large.

“I believe that anything is possible with faith and hard work. The sky is the limit, so never be afraid of dreaming.”

More than a signature on paperNust and Namcol sign agreement The Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) and the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) have committed to co-operate in joint projects that ensure benefits for stakeholders of both institutions through signing a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday.

Ester Kamati

This collaboration will be in various areas of mutual interest for both parties including areas of quality assurance, joint research and joint programme development as explained by Anneli Willemse, the acting director of quality assurance at Nust during the event. “In the long-term, this MoU is not just an educational corporation but also a contribution to forging good working relations and creating new networking opportunities,” she added.

Namcol’s CEO, Heroldt Murangi, shared that the relationship between Namcol and Nust did not start with this MoU, but dates back to August 2009, when Namcol proposed that the then Polytechnic recognise their communications course and allow students who have done this course to be exempted for English courses at the institution, which was approved on that same day and is currently still in place. “Gone are those days when we were competing,” said Murangi, who further explained that being funded by the same government, resources need to be shared. Furthermore, he aims to keep track of the progress made and said that “this initiative will be meaningless unless it is reinforced with deliberate efforts to promote this partnership”.

Mornè du Toit, Nust acting vice chancellor, shared that the two institutions are “already tapping from each other in terms of involvement of staff” through joint question papers, among other things. He added that through this, the institutions mutually contribute to the national development goals.

“Creating a collaborative education environment can build a community of caring individuals who collaborate towards one common goal, increasing positive student outcomes.” He added that regardless of the size of the institutions, there is a need to hold hands and build and nurture a culture of working together.

EPZs bled govt coffers dry - SmitTax amendments welcomed The official opposition has welcomed changes to the Income Tax Act, saying it hopes Namibia has learnt from its experiences. The first successful EPZ was ruined by Swapo by giving in to the demands of the labour unions. – Nico Smit, Finance secretary: PDM

OGONE TLHAGE - Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) secretary for finance Nico Smit has blasted the existing legislation guiding export processing zones (EPZs), saying this led to a situation where government coffers were being bled dry.

Under current legislation, enterprises operating in EPZs are exempted from paying corporate income tax as well as customs duties and value-added tax on machinery, equipment and raw materials imported into Namibia for manufacturing purposes. This comes as finance minister Calle Schlettwein is pushing for amendments to the Income Tax Act.

Sharing his disapproval of the current EPZ regime, Smit said in National Assembly earlier this week that the first signs of failure were noticeable in 1992 already, with the creation of the first zone to attract investment into Namibia.

“Who of the parliament members can recall the large iron gates put up in 1992 in the desert outside Walvis Bay on the airport road, and the loud fanfare with which this EPZ was opened? The only problem was that there was no legislation, and the large piece of land allocated to the sheik was randomly assigned by the Walvis Bay municipality, then newly under Swapo control, who wanted to make a political statement,” said Smit.

‘Convenient milk cow’

According to him, Swapo ruined the first EPZ.

“The first successful EPZ was ruined by Swapo by giving in to the demands of the labour unions. It was clear that our government saw the EPZ as nothing more than a convenient milk cow to be exploited for its own benefit,” he said.

After the exit of enterprises, government felt a need to change legislation guiding enterprises operating in EPZs, opening the door to abuse of the system, Smit argued.

“As the operational EPZ companies left the zone one after the other due to union intransigence, another attempt was made to change the status, locality and operations of companies in the EPZ regime by amending the legislation to grant EPZ status to several industrial areas. This is how we got Ramatex, but this is also how the door was opened for abuse,” Smit said.

“The irony is that Namibia’s business community and many members of the public have been aware of this for many years, but it has taken the government more than 10 years to realise that EPZs are bleeding its fiscus dry,” he added.

‘Painful experience’

According to Smit, it was legalised theft, allowed by government officials, many of whom received bribes.

Smit welcomed changes to the Income Tax Act, saying he hoped Namibia had learnt from its experiences.

“I fully support the Income Tax Amendment Bill, hoping that through this painful experience, the government has finally learnt that it, and thus the Namibian people, were robbed for so long by people who claimed to have the best interest of Namibia at heart.”

Kickback nation

Reams and reams of newspaper have already been used up by the unfolding Fishrot saga, which will still drag on for years, while the repercussions continue to haunt ordinary families, especially those of fishermen.

President Hage Geingob said as recently as last December that corruption is not systemic in Namibia, and that perceptions have been created that Namibia is a corrupt society.

Yet what has become increasingly clear is that we have evolved into a culture of kickbacks, whether it be cops wanting ‘cooldrink’ money to not write a speeding ticket or those who would sell the crown jewels of this nation just so they can drive around with their side-chicks and Ben 10s in luxury sports cars and SUVs.

For too long, public procurement has been the target of greedy officials who get kickbacks from deliberately overpriced contracts and other ways to channel everything under the sun through the backdoor. It has been a long-held assertion that there are those in government who are clearly abusing their positions in order to continue their nefarious activities.

In this so-called ‘Year of Introspection’, there must certainly also be action. We can list a host of tenders where the cost either ballooned or the necessary safeguards were not put in place to protect taxpayers against a shocking escalation linked to foreign currency fluctuations. Yet the officials and even politicians involved continue to wield power and act as if nothing happened.

Of course, this points to some kind of benefit accruing to those who have allowed these kinds of shenanigans. As much as the country’s economic woes can be traced back to external shocks, it was in fact the kind of spending like there’s no tomorrow that can be blamed for the current woes.

The kickback artists need to answer and should be held accountable for the horrors they have caused. Corruption did not start and end with the Fishrot bribery scandal and we should certainly not fall into the trap of thinking so!

Unapologetically braveSite agent at NHE Quantity surveying or construction management is a field mostly unknown to women.

Michelline Nawatises

Ndatyoonawa Theodora Tshilunga was born and bred in Windhoek, Namibia. She attended Emma Hoogenhout Primary School and later moved to Deutsche Hohere Privatschule (DHPS), where she matriculated. In her early teens, she was involved with the Uitani Childline Radio, which introduced her to projects that eventually sparked her self-confidence, independence and innovation.

Tshilunga pursued a bachelor’s degree in construction economics, which is equivalent to a quantity surveying qualification. She is currently a site agent at the National Housing Enterprise (NHE). “In addition to that, I have a certificate in project management, which generally embraces my job as a site agent,” she said.

Her job entails facilitating pre-building processes, namely project cost estimating and compiling contract documentation as well as supervising the construction of affordable houses by making sure quality is maintained and contractors are paid timeously for work approved. Furthermore, she carries out budget control during all her projects. “I am the focal person for all projects in central and southern and facilitate post-building processes which include final accounts preparations, retention administering, etc,” she added.

Asked what challenges her about her career, she mentioned being in a male-dominated industry can sometimes be intimidating when working with contractors who are reluctant to take site instructions from a young woman. Her biggest accomplishment is being appointed by the minister of works and transport to serve as a board member in the Namibia Council for Architects and Quantity Surveyors.

The fierce Tshilunga’s typical day in the office consists of receiving a verbal update from her foreman on his site visit from the previous day and any other encounters that may need her attention or that may need the contract administrator’s input, as she directly reports to him. She then goes through her emails to reply to contractors or any other stakeholders within the company that may need information on a project she’s working on. “I carry out my site visits in Windhoek and return to the office to either attend to any unplanned or spontaneous problem or instruction which may arise. As construction can be really unpredictable, it requires one to be ready for anything,” she said.

The advice she would give to young people is that quantity surveying or construction management is mostly unknown to women. “I encourage more ladies to take it up and not have the wrong perception of it being a labour intensive industry which requires aggression and physical stamina, as these are just labels cultivated in our young minds by the dominating men who would like to pair it to masculinity,” she said.

Tshilunga plans to further her studies and create employment through a building consulting firm and introduce a new, affordable and durable building system. Her biggest fear is to be so accomplished that she doesn’t make any progress to develop herself further due to a false notion that she has achieved all she ever wanted.

If she had an opportunity to change something in the world, she wishes she could change the land and housing policies in Namibia, to enable new alternative technology to be normalised and accepted at local authorities and also to alter the dynamics of cheaper land servicing to ultimately make more people homeowners, she said.

Keeping herself updated with the ‘outdated’

Culture officer takes on anthropology

As a sociocultural anthropologist, Aina Paulina Muulila holistically studies people’s ways of life with deliberate focus to understand their cultures.

Ester Kamati

“Anthropologists are concerned with the social and cultural life of contemporary and historically recent human societies and try to understand how people are similar or differ in terms of the cultural practices,” said Muulila, who uses the ethnography research approach, which requires her as the researcher to interact with participants within her research project in their natural setting.

“I never knew that I would become an anthropologist,” she said. After completing grade 12, she enrolled at the University of Namibia (Unam) for a bachelor’s degree in adult education and community development. “Even when I was at Unam, I never heard of the word anthropology or anthropologist,” she said, although she has always had an interest in community development. After successfully completing the programme, Muulila gained employment at the Directorate of National Heritage and Culture Programmes, which was at the time under the youth, national services, sport and culture ministry. She served as a culture officer, which is how she was started discovering the concept of anthropology.

“I became immersed in culture and wanted to explore it further. By searching on the field of studies that majored in culture is how I came across anthropology.” During this search, Muulila became aware that there was no institution in Namibia that offered culture-related courses such as anthropology or cultural heritage studies. She did more research and in 2013, she was accepted at the University of Madras in India and enrolled for a master degree in anthropology, which she completed in two years through a scholarship awarded by the Indian government under the African scholarship scheme of the Indian Council for Culture Relations (ICCR). During her studies, she had to do a lot of field work and thus has been in the working field of anthropology for four years.

“What I like about my job is that you learn a new thing about culture every day. Conducting anthropological work is an everyday adventure. It includes exploring other cultures as well as discovering your own and understanding it better. Culture is broad and comprises of many elements that need to be explored.” She is currently a culture officer, which allows her to put her anthropological knowledge into practice daily.

On a typical day, Muulila is submerged in researching and the documentation of cultural heritage’s tangible and intangible elements. She investigates elements such as traditional medicine, traditional ceremonies and their associated rituals, cultural festivals and events, cultural and historical places, culture materials, indigenous knowledge systems and community livelihood. In addition, she spends some of her time advocating and informing the youth and community members on the importance of culture and culture preservation. She also coordinates the organisation of regional cultural events as well as plans and undertakes cultural exchange visits.

As a woman who treasures critical thinking and her ability to be patient as well as flexible, these are characteristics that help her excel at her work, on top of being observant. “Importantly, valuing and being sensitive to other people’s culture, non-ethnocentric, cultural relativism and acceptance of diversity is a must to all anthropologists,” said the avid reader who likes to keep herself informed.

“Anthropology helps me to grow as a person as it teaches me to appreciate humanity,” she said. Muulila added that in her line of work, she often makes new friends from different communities and diverse cultures, which she then learns more about. Due to her anthropological background and knowledge of culture, Muulila was recently appointed as an alternative member of the National Heritage Council of Namibia, the administrative body responsible for the protection and preservation of Namibia’s cultural and natural heritage.

Currently a PhD student at Unam undertaking a study on the role of cultural heritage towards socio-economic development in Namibia, Muulila believes that “cultural heritage is the legacy that gives us identity and unites people from diverse cultural backgrounds” and should thus be preserved. She further believes that cultural heritage can boost the country’s economy through investment in cultural tourism and creative industries.

According to her, the youth can play a role in culture preservation through arts and crafts and additionally through promoting it using social media. “Namibia has numerous of cultural heritage resources such as heritage sites, museums, culture villages, crafts shops, eateries, curio shops, community-based conservancies and many more that need to be promoted and marketed nationally and internationally,” she said, which she added can best be done through the usage of information and communication technology.

Apart from using technology in the sensitisation of the public on the importance of preserving culture and heritage, and in educating and the publication of cultural heritage books, reports and articles, it can also be used to “modernise some of our cultural heritage resources such as traditional games, for example. We have Owela (Uuholo), which is now modernised to digital.”

Corruption - A social disease (Part 167 d): Can Namibia be the least corrupt African country by 2020?

Johan Coetzee - The reluctance of the executive to get rid of the rotten and invested wood in their ranks is an indication that the corrupt is still being empowered under the pretext of “empowerment, inequality and development”.

How often these words are uttered by the executive contrubutes to the hollow ring to it, especially given the so often reference to “inclusivity”, a hallmark of the Harambee Prosperity Plan.

Mega operators stand to risk exposure in terms of diamonds, gas, data, electricity and water.

No decisive decision, amidst the biggest water crisis in our history has been made to alleviate the increasing reliance on outdated alternatives such as boreholes, dams and channels, instead of seriously considering investing in a thermal desalination power plant to bring water from the coast to areas in Namibia with reverse osmoses. Such crises of delaying long term decisions in respect of water, echoes problems in the health industry where a shortage of medicine exists, especially since 2018/2019, due to the lucrativeness of creating such crises for “emergency deals” of massive proportions to bypass tender procedures and rely on quotations which includes justified “inflation” and withholding such information from public oversight.

INEFFECTIVE WATCHDOGS

Transparancy International (TI) released its annual Global Corruption Barometer Report during the second half of 2019.

It found that 78% Namibians felt that corruption increased and 65% is of the perception that the government has not done enough to reduce corruption.

The Director General (DG) of the ACC responded by saying: “I was laughing when I saw it at first . . . We are able to give factual data and information that are assessment fact-based” (Kahiurika). From the response, it can be deduced that the DG did not understand the purpose of perception studies. The DG defended the state of corruption in Namibia and has been very critical about Namibians’ perceptions about corruption. The Ombudsman questioned the sources of TI and their methods to collect information.

TI collected the perceptions of Namibians based on a representative sample of 2 000 Namibians that represented all regions, all constituencies, and all ethnic and cultural groups. Their findings were within a 95% confidence level and within a three percent plus and/or minus error parameter.

How the DG of the ACC can question a scientifically valid and reliable perception survey executed in 37 African countries and on all continents is beyond comprehension. From the responses of the Offices of the ACC and the Ombudsman, it can be deduced that the drive for reducing corruption will not come from these offices.

It seems to me highly unlikely that NAMFISA, the regulator of financial institutions, BoN and the FIC, supposed to detect money laundering will be able to lead the fight against corruption considering the cases of the SME Bank and the Fishrot scandal.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

From interpreting the long-term trend of corruption during the previous two decades, it is possible to synthesise that Namibia is not improving.

With a rating of 5.2 in 2019 and the sixth least corrupt country in Africa, it is highly improbable that Namibia can improve from 5.2 to more than 6.6 in one year and maintain such rating sustainably.

In the aftermath of the Fishrot scandal and three ministers that resigned due to corruption during 2019, the planned regulation of the social media, the excessive and increasing dominance of the legislative by the executive, the absence of strong leadership in the private sector to leverage their influence on government to put checks and balances in place to improve the investment environment, ineffective watchdogs and professional organisations that are reluctant to penalise members that participate in corruption, it is expected that corruption will increase during 2020 and that the 2020 rating by TI, will reflect Namibia as a country with increased unsustainable governance, and an increase in an already uncertain business and investment environment.

A projected rating below 5/10 for 2020, will further deteriorate Namibia’s prospects to attract much-needed foreign, portfolio and local investment to stimulate the private sector for increased job creation.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Not addressing corruption amidst a world and local recession can mean that investor confidence will further deteriorate.

Policy uncertainty exists about the new Economic Empowerment Bill (NEEEB) that seemingly will be made applicable to all businesses without clear indications how it can reduce unemployment, an expected increase in poverty, unemployment and inequality; the unresolved urban and commercial land issue; the reduced credit rating of Namibia by Fitch, not to exclude an expected increase in unemployment; and an increase in our public debt to GDP ratio to peak at 53% and the private debt level of N$2 billion currently. Alle these factors can contribute to an increase in corruption.

It will be not be a surprise if Namibia’s TI corruption rating reduce to below 5/10 during 2020 and stays there for years to come.

Namibia will most probably not achieve the target set in the Harambee Prosperity Plan to be the least corrupt country in Africa by 2020. “Salvation from corruption” will not come from political leaders, they are not committed to reduce corruption. Civil society can and should play a role.

It is worthwhile to conclude with the cliché “God is in the principle and the devil in the detail” and the words of an African poet and advocate: “Tell them we have tried.” (Nwkolo)

References

Kahiurika, N. (2019). Noa dismissed corruption barometer findings. Article in The Namibian, 18 July, Windhoek.

Nwkolo, C. 2018. The Bribe Code. Lagos. Author of 7 books about African literature and Chairman of Project Consortium Africa, Lagos.

Jcoetzee.nust.na

First corona case in SA, Namibians to stay put in China

Namibian authorities have decided not to evacuate the 500 Namibians in China to limit the risk of importing the coronavirus into the country.

Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said in parliament on Wednesday that none of the Namibians in China have been infected with the virus, adding there is a greater risk of infection during transit.

The virus crept closer to Namibia's borders yesterday with a first case conformed in South Africa.

A 38-year-old man has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in KwaZulu-Natal.

The man recently travelled to Italy and has been in self-isolation since.

Over 90 000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide. More than 3 000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China.

The Namibian government has come under pressure from parents who want their children repatriated, especially after South Africa decided to have its citizens evacuated from China.

“We are not throwing our young people under the bus. It is better for them to stay there. Almost all countries that have evacuated their citizens have reported cases of infection. We are not sacrificing the young people; we are doing it to protect them,” said Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.

Shangula said cost considerations are not the reason for Namibia's decision not to bring back its citizens, saying: “You cannot put a price on anyone's life”.

He, however, said Namibia has limited capacity to quarantine a large number of suspected cases, and the country's isolation facilities are sufficient to accommodate the 500 Namibians if they were to be evacuated.

“[The] challenge of providing them with appropriate medical services will be daunting. Doing so will place additional strain on the already stretched resources at the disposal of the state,” Shangula said.

He said an estimated cost for a response plan is N$50 million, which includes cost of travel from China, the cost of quarantine or isolation, the provision of personal protective equipment and the cost of medical services.

Shangula said the response plan is adequate to deal with any imported cases of coronavirus, but not enough for 500 people at a time.

In Namibia, two possible cases of the virus have been tested, but the results were negative.

The response plan was developed by an extended national health emergency committee. The plan has been duplicated at regional level.

International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said all foreign students, including Namibians in Wuhan, which is at the epicentre of the virus outbreak, are living in their dormitories and receive tutorials online where classes have resumed.

She said the Namibian foreign mission in Beijing keeps updating authorities here on the situation.

“As a government, we understand the concern of the nation. At the same time, we appeal to the nation to remain calm and our students in China to cooperate and comply with all the protocols put in place in the management of the coronavirus,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

There are 27 Namibian students at the Hubei University of Science and Technology (HUST) in the Hebei province in China.

The provincial capital is Wuhan.

Chinese authorities on 27 February issued a notice to say that the university would relocate some students from the main campus to make way for a centralised 1 000-room quarantine and observation site for coronavirus patients discharged from hospitals.

CATHERINE SASMAN

Itula blasts registrar, demands hearing

OGONE TLHAGE

Presidential candidate Panduleni Itula remains unrelenting in his efforts to have the Supreme Court review its ruling that refused to nullify last year’s presidential election, although finding that using electronic voting machines (EVMs) without a verifiable paper trail was unconstitutional.

Itula wants the highest court in the land to review its ruling, but was taken aback yesterday by a letter from the Supreme Court registrar which said the matter had been finalised and that his review application would not be entertained.

Itula, through his lawyer Elize Angula, said the registrar does not have the authority to inform him of the status of the review application and questioned why it was struck from the roll.

“Your response significantly does not purport to be written on behalf of the five judges comprising the court empanelled to hear the matter and who delivered the judgement to which the notice pertains,” Angula wrote to the registrar.

“In any event, to our client’s knowledge, the five judges have not convened (least of all in an open court, and accordingly with the parties in any hearing) to deal with the notice and supporting affidavits, and now answering and replying affidavits filed by all active parties.

“Nor, equally, does your letter purport to have been addressed to us at the behest of the chief justice. Thus, the letter is not from the chief justice,” the Angula’s letter added.

Itula said through Angula that no statute nor rule of the court vests the registrar with the power to pronounce upon a proceeding in the terms set out in the letter sent to Itula.

When contacted for comment yesterday, Itula simply said: “I trust that it is served.” He was referring to the letter from Angula to the Supreme Court registrar.

On 5 February, Chief Justice Peter Shivute handed down the highly publicised judgement which found that the use of EVMs without a verifiable paper trail was unconstitutional, but which said there was no evidence of mass manipulation of the results that could have affected the poll outcome.

President Hage Geingob garnered 56.3% of the presidential vote, a massive decline from the 87% he received in 2014, while Itula received nearly 30% of the vote. If Geingob had received less than 50+1% of the vote, an automatic rerun would have occurred.

Shivute and justices Sylvester Mainga, Dave Smuts and Elton Hoff and acting judge of appeals Bess Nkabinde declined to nullify the poll and order a rerun.

Independence turns into political footballPolice on alert amid opposing demonstrations The country is deeply divided on formal independence celebrations, with demonstrations by opposing camps scheduled for tomorrow.

Tempers are flaring high ahead of the country's 30th independence anniversary, with demonstrations being lined up this weekend by both proponents and critics of the official celebratory event set to take place at Independence Stadium.

Police Chief Sebastian Ndeitunga said permissions were sought for demonstrations to be held from tomorrow.

“We have received some notification from Swapo and AR, probably mixed with independent candidates.

For the Khomas Region, I received a notification,” he said.

He then turned his attention to the Independence Day celebrations, saying those who plan on attending the event should expect a high level of security.

“We are going to have the highest level of security. Everyone should make sure that they do not come with firearms or weapons,” he said.

“We don't want to cause inconvenience to anyone. There is no reason to carry weapons to the independence celebrations; those who carry firearms will lose their firearms.”

Namibian Sun understands there are plans by some demonstrators to sustain their protests beyond the weekend.

Critics of formally celebrating the day argue that the country has nothing to show for its three decades of self-determination.

Some of these critics include supporters of former independent candidate Panduleni Itula, who argue that last year's election, which their man lost, was not credible.

They are opposed to President Hage Geingob being sworn in for his second term on 21 March. This was after the Supreme Court ruled that use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) without a paper trail in last year's election was unconstitutional, but refused annul the results.

Both sets of supporters have since widely circulated banners stating their positions.

In their banners, the Geingob supporters vowed to defend the incumbent, whom they describe as democratically elected.

Police are on high alert to avert any clashes between opposing camps.

A letter by Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa urged party members to demonstrate on the same day as those opposed to formal independence celebrations.

The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, whose leaders backed Itula in the election, said Independence Day celebrations are an excuse to have a lavish swearing-in ceremony for Geingob following what they consider an electoral process without credibility.

“The party leadership has noted with concern some unscrupulous members of society who want to undermine the democratic election process exercised by members, supporters and sympathisers of Swapo party by inciting demonstrations against comrade Hage Geingob,” said Shaningwa, calling for a mobilisation of demonstrations in all 14 regions in defence of Geingob.

The Swapo demonstrations would start tomorrow, the same day AR and opponents of independence celebrations planned on having theirs.

AR activist Pau Pau said they were planning unending demonstrations which would start tomorrow until Independence Day, 21 March.

“We have written to Inspector General [Sebastian] Ndeitunga as required,” he said when asked about the movement's planned demonstration.

The demonstration, Pau said, was in opposition to Geingob's swearing-in. “There was a court case where the elective process was declared unconstitutional but someone will become a constitutional president.”

Itula said no one was obliged to attend the Independence Day celebrations.

“Our Article 21, freedom of association, does not oblige us to attended national events. If anything, it gives us freedom and rights to determine with whom and with what events we may associate with. There can be no coercion and blackmail in the exercise of our rights and freedoms,” he said.

“Get together on the pavement adjacent to your house, village or under a tree in the fields, and have a barbecue. Speak to that neighbour you always just wave to with a 'hi'. Reflect on the state of our nation,” Itula said on suggestions of how to spend Independence Day.

Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari did not comment when asked to weigh in on the calls made to boycott the Independence Day celebrations.

Parliament-bound National Unity Democratic Organisation member Joseph Kauandenge said he would not support calls made by those opposing the celebrations on the grounds that it was accompanied by reflection over what had been achieved and what needed to be improved.

“To call for the boycotting of a national event simply for the purpose of boycotting it, I do not agree with that,” he said.

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) youth league secretary Benson Katjirijova said there is little to celebrate after 30 years and the government must use the money meant for the celebrations on more pertinent issues.

“We cannot celebrate in hunger, joblessness, homelessness and landlessness. We are therefore calling on all Namibians to boycott this year's 30th Independence Day celebrations. Independence is not only political but an economic issue as well,” he said recently.

OGONE TLHAGE

Set your new employee up for success

To ease anxiety, create a comfortable environment and have a plan to get your new employee involved while remembering not to overwhelm him/her. Not only is this your opportunity to give information, but it is also your new employee’s chance to share beyond what was discussed pre-arrival. At the end of the day, they should know the basic operations of the department and leave feeling that they’ve joined the right team.

New employee orientation is the process you use for welcoming a new member to your organisation. The goal of an orientation is to help the new employee feel welcomed, integrated into the organisation and able to perform their new job successfully as quickly as possible.

In organisations, a core of information exists that you need to share with every new employee. But, depending on the level of the job, the responsibilities of the job and the experience of the new employee, components will vary. New employee orientation, often spearheaded by a meeting with the Human Resources department, generally contains information in areas such as work environment, new job description, benefits and benefits eligibility, the employee's new manager and coworkers, etc…

This orientation often includes an introduction to each department in the company and a list of employees to meet who are crucial to the new employee's success. The best orientations have set up these meetings prior to the new employee's arrival.

Employee onboarding also includes training on-the-job, often with a coworker who does or has done the job. New employee orientation frequently includes spending time doing the jobs in each department to understand the flow of the product or service through the organisation.

Timing and presentation

Various organisations do new employee orientation differently. Orientations range from a full day or two of paperwork, presentations and introductions to a daily orientation programme that was effective in one company for years.

In the daily orientation programme, the manager of the new employee's department sets up a 120-day orientation during which the new employee learnt something new about the company every day while also performing the job.

From meeting the CEO to operating each piece of equipment in the plant, this longer-term orientation welcomed the new employee and gradually immersed them in the organisation's operation, history, culture, values and mission.

Early in the 120-day programme, new employees attended training sessions and completed the necessary employment and benefits paperwork, but the rest was custom designed for the employee.

Effective new employee orientations often contain components over time whether for 30 days, 90 days or more. It is not effective to hit a new employee with too much information during their first few days of work.

Finally, many organisations assign a mentor or buddy to the new employee. This coworker answers all of their questions and aids them to quickly feel at home.

The selection and training of these mentors are critical. You don’t want a disenfranchised or unhappy employee guiding others.

thebalancecareers.com

Doing what he loves mostTurning a hobby into an occupation Daniel Stoevesandt, originally from Germany, has been living in the heart of Windhoek for four years.

Michelline Nawatises

Daniel Stoevesandt completed his masters in Middle Eastern studies, law and political science and it was therefore no surprise that he started working for the Goethe-Institut in different positions in Cairo and Alexandria. After seven years in Egypt, he spent a short time at their headquarters in Munich, before the transformation of the former Goethe Centre into the current Goethe-Institut in 2016 formed an interesting perspective for him.

He is the director of Goethe-Institut and representing a German institution in Namibia is an extremely interesting task for Stoevesandt.

After four years in this country, he shares he has learned a lot and is still learning more.

He mentions that the two countries - Namibia and Germany - will always have a special relationship due to the colonial past.

But also in modern times, there are also many connections. The thousands of German-speaking tourists that come to Namibia every year leads to a continued strong interest in German as a foreign language, but also many partners from German cultural institutions come to Namibia to initiate projects here. Therefore, it is a very interesting job that can also be challenging here and there.

Some of the accomplishments for Stoevesandt was starting the new Goethe-Institut, which meant transforming the former Goethe Centre and giving the institute a new profile and integrating it into the network of the 15 other Goethe-Instituts in the region. “That was not always easy but I’m very grateful for the continuous effort that my team put in to reach this goal, so we can be very proud of this,” he says.

When asked by Careers what his short-term goals are for the Goethe-Institut for the next two years he mentioned fostering the role of German as a foreign language in the national education system and strengthening the creative industries in Namibia.

He says it’s not easy to simplify how he spends his typical day.

“Unfortunately there is still a lot of time spent at my desk, but there are always meetings in town with partners of ours and here and there are a few trips in the country, which is often very interesting,” he says.

One fact about him is that he is impatient; his wife once said he is the most impatient person she ever met. An interesting fact is that one of his hobbies is his job.

This is adding to the list of countries and cultures he explores, as it is one of the most interesting things to experience and constantly broadens one’s horizons, Stoevesandt says.

If he could turn back the hands of time, he would tell his younger self not to take things too seriously, as he learnt that life will always find its way. His best childhood memory is the moment when he managed to ride his bike for the first time.

Less profit cheers for NamBrew

Namibia Breweries expects its profit after tax, basic earnings per share (EPS) and headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the six months ended 31 December 2019 to drop by between 10% and 15% compared to same half-year in 2018. Operating profit is likely to decrease by between 5% and 10% on an annual basis, the locally-listed company said Tuesday in a trading statement on the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX). The group will release its unaudited interim financial results next week. NamBrew closed at N$47 per share on the Local Index of the NSX on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day. The share price has shed 2.6% since the end of 2019. Photo Nampa/Reuters