Namibian Sun

NAMPA/AFP

Nigerian power forward Precious Achiuwa announced Friday he is entering the 2020 NBA Draft, where analysts expect he could be a top-15 selection after a superb US college campaign.

Achiuwa, a 20-year-old freshman at the University of Memphis, averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocked shots and 1.1 steals a game this past season, the nation's only college newcomer to average a double.

“I've always dreamt of playing in the NBA since I picked up the game,” Achiuwa said in a statement posted on Twitter.

The Tigers, coached by former NBA star Penny Hardaway, went 21-10 in a season halted before the national championship tournament by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I want to thank coach Penny Hardaway and the entire coaching staff for pushing me every day to become better and helping me understand what it will take to become a successful professional,” Achiuwa said. Achiuwa, the only player to start every game for Memphis this season, was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, the first man since 1982 to sweep both awards. Achiuwa, who stands 6-foot-9 (2.06m) and weighs 225 pounds (102kg), was born in Nigeria and played football for much of his youth until turning to basketball as a teen when his family moved to New York. “Looking back at my journey and how far I've come, I must say it has been a blessing and a very humbling experience,” Achiuwa said.

The NBA Draft is scheduled for 25 June but could be delayed due to the deadly virus outbreak.

Haouas cleared to play after serving ban in lockdown

NAMPA/AFP

Montpellier prop Mohamed Haouas, who picked up a three-week ban for punching in France's Six Nations match against Scotland, will be deemed to have served his sentence during the coronavirus lockdown, the French rugby federation announced on Saturday.

Haouas, 25, was sent off after striking Scotland flanker Jamie Ritchie in the March 8 Test, a match the French went on to lose 28-17 after picking up three wins from their opening three games.

The prop, the federation added, will be able to play again “as soon as the sporting season resumes”.

The Top 14, France's elite rugby union division, came to a halt on March 13 as the COVID-19 outbreak swept the globe.

'Everything clouds over and goes dark'Iniesta on depression at Barcelona Andres Iniesta has described his struggle with depression while playing for Barcelona, which his mother says was a “bottomless pit” that caused her 25-year-old son to ask to sleep with his parents.

NAMPA/AFP

Footballer Andres Iniesta recalls his experience with the illness in a Rakuten TV documentary, 'Andres Iniesta - The Unexpected Hero', which was released on Thursday and covers his move to Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2018.

After winning the Champions League under Pep Guardiola in 2009, Iniesta was battling injury and then hit by the death of his friend Dani Jarque, the 26-year-old Espanyol defender who suffered a heart attack.

“The days pass and you realise you're not improving, you don't feel good, you're not yourself. Everything clouds over and goes dark,” Iniesta said.

On Jarque's death, Iniesta added: “That was like a body blow, something powerful that knocked me down again and I was pretty low, clearly because I wasn't very well.”

Iniesta's depression is described by those closest to him, including his mother Maria Lujan and father Jose Antonio.

“I noticed he wasn't well one night when we were sleeping downstairs and he came down and said, 'mum can I sleep here with you?'” Maria said. “Then the world came down on my head.” Jose Antonio said: “Our 25 year-old son coming down at midnight and wanting to sleep with his parents means he can't be well. He said, 'I'm not well dad'. I said, 'what's wrong?' 'I don't know, I don't feel well.'”

Iniesta's father admitted he thought his son might have to take a break from football. “At one stage I thought he would have to stop because the most important thing was him,” said Jose Antonio.

Iniesta began having sessions with psychologist Inma Puig, who said the Spaniard's recovery owed much to those around him, including Guardiola. “Guardiola said this is the first time I've been in this situation as a coach,” said Puig. “I remember he said, 'the most important thing now is Andres, the person not the player'.”

“They're people and this is a very human thing which affects millions of people around the world,” said Guardiola. “They have to know we are there for them.”

“Guardiola tried to get him out of that bottomless pit he was in,” said Iniesta's mother Maria.

Iniesta came through Barcelona's La Masia academy and went on to win nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with the club.

He also lifted the World Cup with Spain in 2010, after scoring the winning goal against the Netherlands in the final. Despite receiving a hero's farewell from Barca, Iniesta hinted his relationship with the board influenced his decision to go to Japan.

“People at the club never imagined I could leave,” Iniesta said. “It's like everything, in relationships if you don't discuss things at the right time there comes a time when there's no way back.”

The press in a democracy not above critique and introspection ALFREDO HENGARI

WINDHOEK

Following the release of the 2020 World Press Freedom Index on 21 April 2020, Namibia spectacularly retained the number one position in Africa in press freedom. Moreover, it is impressively in the top tier globally.

An incredible achievement, but one omitted by the press corps of journalists, which ought to cherish this feat. Unsurprisingly, the Namibian media does not take pride in this achievement of patriots.

To the fault-finding journalists, it only matters for the front page when Namibia falls in the World Press Freedom or Transparency Indexes.

Worryingly, analysts are indifferent to these and don’t rush to the pages of newspapers to opine this achievement or comment when President Hage G Geingob repeatedly guarantees media freedom for as long as he is head of state. There ought to be a new path forward for the local press corps.

The media plays an indispensable role in buttressing democracy.

It gives citizens a voice, it articulates their interests; and it brings to light the interests of transparent governance. In Namibia, the press carries out this role unhindered and without intimidation, which ought to be a source of pride for journalists.

Consistently within norms

Journalists ought to be pleased with our standing, as the country with the freest press in Africa because President Geingob acts consistently within norms, believes unequivocally in the role of the media as a transmission belt of our nation’s core values, which are eloquently captured in our Republican motto, Unity, Liberty and Justice. Without question, our press corps, with all its strengths and known limitations, exploits and operates fully within the framework of our constitution, and its foundational value of Liberty.

Moreover, it also stretches, as it should, a certain conception and idea of what press freedom, and its twin, freedom of speech entails.

In stretching the limits of a press freedom, as it should, it is bound to infringe, if not undermine some of the values and norms we have all committed to live up to, including unity, fairness and justice.

What should happen when the press and the media fall short in respect of these? This is a practical question, to which responses from

learned professors, including Andre du Pisani, should emerge. What should we do when the press is no longer respectful of the values of equality, fairness and justice? Is the one-man shop of the Press Ombudsperson sufficient or just a smokescreen to reinforce self-regulation?

Should we keep quiet because we are in government, and we are the guardians to be watched in that famous Latin phrase: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? In accessible English: Who is guarding the watchmen?

Just like the “watchmen”, the press as an instrument of modern communication has colossal amounts of power, and if left in its dangerous echo chamber and comfortable shadow of self-righteousness, without critique and public scrutiny, it is bound to abuse its power.

‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’

Are these guys in the press, who are able to make and destroy, capable of fairness, accuracy and objectivity? Can we trust that they will act impartially? Of course not! Just like all forms of power, in the words of Lord Acton, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Through that absolute power, abuse is likely; bad things that undermine our collective progress are likely to be visited upon us. And they have been visited upon us.

The ferocious campaign by the press against the person of President Geingob over the past five years reached a nadir during the electoral campaign of 2019. It is instructive for students and teachers of media ethics (if we have) and our nation’s political history. If we proceed and assess performance of the media against its own Code of Ethics, the comportment of the press is a case study of some of the bad things that should not happen in a democracy. There was without question a well-timed manhunt, a disinformation campaign, whose objective was to shape the minds of Namibian voters and determine the electoral outcome in this or that direction. Unfortunately, based on what we saw with our own eyes, the vote for President Geingob and the ruling party that he leads had to be significantly reduced.

Ordinarily, there is nothing odd for this or that media house to become partisan as a politically biased press. Democracy is about choice. But the rest of us should not be blind to the reality that such media, engaging in news as political and ideological activism would have deviated from its own Self-Regulatory Code of Ethics and Conduct for Namibian Media. This document, which calls for accountable journalism is consistently neglected, its articles are flouted with news presented inaccurately, if not out of context to advance a predetermined narrative and agenda. The principle of a multiplicity of voices is hardly respected; the views of the subject of critical reportage hardly sought out in advance; retractions and corrections never getting the required prominence as per norms in counties where their press is free. In light of these, and in 2020, the Year of Introspection as President Geingob summoned us, the media as a professional class through the Editors Forum of Namibia has the responsibility to reflect about its place and practice of the craft in society, thinking beyond dangerous partisan, sensational, self-righteous and self-serving considerations.

This exercise of introspection is urgent to avoid loss of credibility and faith in an important estate in the democratic compact. The press is not a sacrosanct island outside political critique and societal evaluation.

As journalism marches towards 30 years of the inspiring Windhoek Declaration on 3 May 2021, and Namibia retaining the top African country ranking in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, local journalism and media practitioners should urgently commence to labour critically about their journey and evolving role in a democratic state. At the heart of that journey lies the vital questions of fairness, accuracy, balance in reporting, and openness to critique.

*Alfredo Hengari is the presidential spokesperson.

Namibia and America will overcome COVID-19 together Lisa A Johnson

WINDHOEK

As US ambassador to Namibia, my priority has always been partnering with Namibia to improve the health of Namibians. The United States’ decades long investment in PEPFAR, in partnership with the Namibian government, has helped to save a generation of Namibians from HIV. Today, we are threatened by a new crisis, COVID-19, and the United States’ commitment to the health of Namibians remains as strong as ever.

Today, I am proud to announce that the United States is providing N$100 million in assistance to Namibia to fight COVID-19.

The United States has been part of the COVID-19 response in Namibia since day one. Our medical and technical experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are embedded in teams with their Namibian counterparts, supporting everything from laboratory testing to contact tracing.

The US-Namibia health partnership works and is helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Namibia has identified no new cases for the past three weeks, while continuing to expand testing.

The Namibian government is to be commended for its wise decision to take serious steps early in the outbreak, and the Namibian people are to be commended for their efforts to stay home during the lockdown.

Tough things to do

These are tough things to do, but medical evidence shows that they are slowing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping people healthy. Namibia is a partner in health that we are proud to invest in.

This N$100 million of US assistance will:

· Strengthen Namibia’s laboratories. Lab training will instruct staff on the best biosafety practices in order to prevent lab-acquired infections. New equipment will speed up lab test results and improve accuracy.

· Strengthen local communities around Namibia. Home care kits will allow patients with only moderate COVID-19 symptoms to quarantine at home without transmitting the virus to family. Training of health care professionals will improve treatment outside Windhoek.

· Strengthen Namibia’s emergency responses to epidemics. It will prepare for the implementation and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine when one is developed. Trainings will scale up rapid response teams.

· Continue to provide American medical and technical expertise through CDC personnel supporting the Namibian government’s response.

These are just some ways that this N$100 million will build Namibia’s resilience to COVID-19. We will do all we can to ensure a world safer and more secure from infectious diseases, both now and in the future.

The N$100 million contribution is an example of the United States’ all-of-government approach to fighting COVID-19 and includes contributions from USAID, CDC, and the Department of Defense.

Working together

Working together, Namibia and America will overcome COVID-19. I can say that confidently because we have done it together fighting HIV/Aids.

In 16 years of combatting HIV together, the PEPFAR program has invested over US$1 billion in Namibians’ heath. That money has helped save thousands of lives.

Our PEPFAR commitment to Namibia is unwavering, even as the United States increases support to the COVID-19 response. Our PEPFAR program, with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, is working hard to ensure HIV patients can get their medications. PEPFAR will increase its funding for Namibia next year.

Namibia is indeed a partner in health that the United States should invest in. That is why no other nation in the world has contributed more to Namibia’s growth. That is why America is committing this N$100 million so we can win the COVID-19 fight, just as we are winning against HIV/AIDS.

Global health

America has made a similar commitment to global health as we have for the health of Namibians.

For more than a half century, the United States has been the largest contributor to global health security. We built the foundation upon which the global health system is based, contributing more than US$140 billion in global health assistance in the 21st century.

Through the American people’s generosity and the US government’s action, the United States continues to demonstrate global leadership in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. government has committed more than $775 million in assistance specifically aimed at fighting the pandemic. This funding will save lives in more than 100 of the most at-risk countries around the world.

When China was the COVID-19 epicenter, in early February, the United States delivered more than 17 tonnes of medical supplies, donated by the American people to help keep Chinese health care workers safe. We continue to offer assistance to the people of China.

Our All-of-America approach is helping people around the world through the generosity of private businesses, nonprofit groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals. Together, Americans have provided nearly US$3 billion in donations and assistance, in addition to what the US government has provided.

As we have time and time again, the United States will aid others during their time of greatest need. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. We will continue to help countries build resilient health care systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Just as the United States has made the world more healthy, peaceful, and prosperous for generations, so will we lead in defeating our shared pandemic enemy, and rising stronger in its wake.

Nudo donates food parcels to poor

JUSTICIA SHIPENA

WINDHOEK

The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) has donated food parcels to the tune of N$10 000 to the health ministry.

The food parcels will be given to the homeless people who are being housed at the Katutura Youth Complex in Windhoek.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Nudo president Esther Muinjangue said the party could not sit idle and criticise the government's plans for handling the coronavirus crisis.

“We thought that as a party we have a responsibility to meet the government halfway,” she said.

Muinjangue said the party would continue to collect resources in order to help the less fortunate outside Windhoek.

“I would like to call on fellow citizens as well as political parties to lend a helping hand to the people in need during this difficult time,” she said.

Muinjangue also criticised those who defy lockdown regulations.

“We are still struggling to adhere to the measures and we need to stick to the rules,” she said.

Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said despite the rivalry between political parties he is impressed that opposition political parties are joining the government in the fight against the pandemic. “This is a display of patriotism at its best and Nudo has shown this by through this donation,” he said.

Livestock industry staggers

ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

Agriculture ministry executive director Percy Misika has revealed that the coronavirus state of emergency and lockdown has disturbed buying patterns and reduced the throughput at abattoirs.

As a result, Namibia has been unable to meet export commitments to markets like Norway, China and the European Union (EU).

Misika said because of lockdown regulations, auctions where between 50 to 100 farmers previously brought their livestock have seen buyer numbers dwindle.

“The buyers of livestock are also not free to travel and congregate at the auction kraals.”

Consignment delays

In the past, he said, sending meat to Norway through South Africa and China took about 28 days, but because of the coronavirus, consignments have to reroute through Walvis Bay to China and then Norway, now taking almost twice as long.

Misika added that because of the coronavirus, many people in South Africa have been laid off or experienced salary cuts, and so the demand for weaners from Namibia has also decreased.

Cashflow woes

Acting executive director of the Namibian National Farmers Union, Beata Xulu, said in terms of livestock in communal areas, prices have gone down by approximately N$9/kg.

“That has put pressure on the cashflow of farmers in that they are unable to pay loans. We have engaged with government and Agribank and asked to reschedule loan payments and activate the credit guarantee scheme.”

Xulu said farmers should be granted loan repayment relief for at least six months.

Namibian Agricultural Union executive manager Roelie Venter said due to the coronavirus, the Swakara industry cannot export pelts, while the dairy sector’s production has declined and the trophy hunting sector has experienced 100% cancellation of clients.

He said in the medium-term, there is uncertainty on what is going to happen regarding markets as demand patterns are changing in South Africa and the EU.

Venter said the agriculture sector exports 80% of the income farmers receive in the country.

“So, the export market is crucial for agricultural survival.”

Employment

In terms of employment, because agriculture is an essential service, operations on farms are continuing and farmers are doing everything they can to contain any retrenchments, Venter said.

He added that primary agriculture has not recorded any loss of employment.

Venter further said emphasis should be placed on primary agriculture to grow the rural economy.

Misika added that the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency was tasked to link small-scale farmers to markets during the lockdown period, with a budget of N$3 million to do so. Farmers with idle produce should contact the agency, he said.

Online education exposes inequalities13 000 out of 804 000 pupils can access e-learning platforms According to education minister Anna Nghipondoka, only 13 000 out of 804 000 pupils will be able to access the ministry's e-learning platforms.

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

The global Covid-19 pandemic has given a painful yet realistic reminder of gross inequalities when it comes to Namibia's education sector.

While it is almost business as usual for many pupils from plush and comfortable suburbs, as e-learning continues, beyond this there are the informal settlements and rural areas, where things like smartphones and data are a pipe dream, and where it is a simple scramble to eat.

For example, in Havana hundreds of poor kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, even during so-called 'normality', have to make do with a makeshift tent school.

This is a place where imagination or thoughts of learning online in such times is unimaginable.

With President Hage Geingob declaring a state of emergency and lockdown late last month and schools closing as a result, the education sector has turned to online learning.

However, glaring inequalities have hampered the take-off of this initiative.

Challenges

“We are looking at making use of visual and online education, as well as how to teach children offline. We are faced with challenges - there are those with access and those without access to internet and computers,” the executive director of the education ministry, Sanet Steenkamp, said.

According to education minister Anna Nghipondoka, only 13 000 out of 804 000 pupils will be able to access the ministry's e-learning platforms.

This is despite repeated promises by the education ministry that no Namibian child will be left behind.

One of the hordes of pupils left behind is Kauna Muharimbutu's 10-year-old daughter, who normally attends school in a tent on the outskirts of Havana.

Muharimbutu sent her child to her remote home village in the north just before the lockdown came into effect.

Without any form of technology, except for an old-fashioned radio, her daughter will receive no schooling.

“The village is very far. They have no cellphones there and we have never even used WhatsApp,” she said. Her neighbour, Pawe Tjirunga, also sent her children, who are in grades 8 and Grade 10, to their village in the Kunene Region.

No electricity, no cellphones

In Havana, Abraham Ndapuka lives with his children, including his 12-year-old daughter who is in Grade 6, in a one-roomed shack with no electricity or cell phone.

“I am really worried for my child's future. It would mean she will fail and we do not have money to let her repeat,” he said.

Ten houses down, Mbahimue Kavari has no access to electricity or a cellphone to assist his school-going children.

“We only heard on the radio about online school, but no teacher came to visit us to explain how it will be done. We are just at home without food and the children are running around in the streets to get something to eat,” he said.

WhatsApp a headache

In the Oshana Region, online learning through WhatsApp has created a massive headache.

Teachers who spoke to Namibian Sun complained that although they have smartphones, these are for private use as they were not provided by the ministry.

Some claim that parents abuse the platform by calling them in the middle of the night to discuss school matters. “To me, working from home means I must study the scheme of work and do my lesson plans. There is no way I will do work-related activities with the cellphone I bought for myself and recharge [with] airtime myself,” a teacher said.

Holes in the plan

A document issued by the ministry last Wednesday shows that of 1 600 schools, 614 do not have access to telecommunication systems, 346 have no electricity, 250 are without sanitation and 211 do not have access to potable water.

The document states that access to ICT infrastructure and the capacity of teachers and learners to access e-learning is limited to predominantly urban schools, while the cost implications to provide equitable access to all learners is high.

Sustaining e-learning after Covid-19

ELIZABETH JOSEPH

WINDHOEK

E-learning systems have become a very important part of teaching, both as web-based systems for online education and as auxiliary tools for face-to-face study, where they provide an additional learning support for on-campus learners.

To ensure the sustainability of an e-learning system on both individual and social levels, the county has to cover many aspects of sustainability requirements such as human, technical, economic and environmental factors.

Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) president Simon Taapopi says sustainability can be confirmed only when it is established whether all learners and students have access to this form of learning.

“We call on all educational and ICT stakeholders to immediately develop the necessary infrastructure (educational, living and learning) at the most rural and vulnerable of places.

“This is the only way that e-learning can accommodate different learning styles found in classrooms,” he says.

Community involvement

To be able to sustain this form of education in a post-Covid-19 Namibia, the role of community members as primary educators must be encouraged. Furthermore, Nanso has reached out to the telecommunications sector to gather advice and resources, but stresses that having these resources will be in vain if municipal sectors don't quickly get on board.

“It does not benefit the students and learners having dongles or any other resource at their disposal but they have no electricity at home. We have to come together and see how we can have these two factors work in unison to better each other,” says the chairperson of Nanso's Covid-19 committee, Shaandre Finnies.

Teachers are utilising this form of learning and are making sure that it will be used even when the students and learners return to school.

“We are busy looking for parents' cellphone numbers to create WhatsApp groups to better communicate and in order to mitigate the situation at hand,” says a teacher from Jan Jonker Afrikaner Secondary School..

“Most teachers seem to be locked out of their places of work, which makes it more difficult when it comes to doing lesson planning, creating study materials, etc. “We would welcome this new way of ensuring that teaching and learning is taking place in time of this Covid-19 but also in future.”

Adult education

Taapopi further asked for the intensification of adult education classes in communities, as community members should be able to assist learners.

“Adult education forms a great deal of e-learning and its delivery in informal settlements. We see e-learning as a good and intermediate way of learning; however, its way of marginalising and excluding learners is worrying,” he said.

No exams for Unam students

ESTER KAMATI

WINDHOEK

The University of Namibia (Unam) has announced that there will be no examinations for the first semester of the academic year.

Francis Sifiso Nyathi, the university's registrar, issued a circular on 20 April, informing students that there will be no examinations this semester.

“Your examination mark shall be derived from a total average mark of the online continuous assessment tasks that your lecturers are currently administering,” read the letter, in which Nyathi also warned that students' ethical behaviour during this time would be put to the test.

Advised to take their online assessments seriously, students were further informed that all tasks given to them will be screened to ensure that plagiarism does not occur.

The university also stated that it would grant further opportunities for special or promotional examinations “on reasonable grounds” between 15 and 19 June. Students are advised to engage the university staff directly or through the student representative council.

They are also required to declare that the work submitted online is truly theirs.

If they are found guilty of plagiarism, students may receive a final grade of zero or may be suspended for one year, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

Winter school is scheduled for 22 June to 10 July, where students affected by online teaching and learning are catered for.

“These would be conducted in small numbers that will observe social distancing.”

City cop waits for rape bail ruling

ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

City Police spokesperson Fabian Amukwelele's lawyer has lashed out at the State for not calling the complainant in his rape case to testify in his formal bail application.

The bail application has been postponed until Wednesday, when Senior Magistrate Shaatuna Kalla will make her ruling.

The fact that the complainant, a City Police colleague of Amukwelele's, had not been called to the stand was latched onto by defence lawyer Mbushandje Ntinda on Friday during closing arguments in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court in Katutura. Amukwelele (37) was arrested on 8 April after he was accused of raping his 29-year-old colleague in January. His colleague fell pregnant.

The rape charge stems from an incident that occurred on 11 January at Amukwelele's Rocky Crest home.

'Hearsay' evidence

Ntinda on Friday took issue with the fact that the complainant did not take the stand.

Instead, Dr Veronica Theron from the Office of the First Lady, who is also a social worker, testified on her behalf. Theron had counselled the complainant after the incident.

Ntinda said Theron's testimony was inadmissible hearsay, and while the State identified her as an expert witness, she was not objective.

He further questioned the role of the State's second witness, Sergeant Emilie Nambahu of the Gender-based Violence Protection Unit, saying when testifying she indicated that she was not the investigating officer and only assisted in initially opening the rape case.

Nitinda wanted to know why the investigating officer was not called to give evidence.

Not a trial

State prosecutor Rowan van Wyk emphasised that a bail application is not a trial.

“The prosecution does not does not have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the applicant (Amukwelele) is guilty at this stage of the proceedings. The requirement at this stage is for the prosecution to show through credible evidence that there is a prima face case against him.”

According to Van Wyk, both Amukwelele and Theron testified that the complaint said she was at his residence on the evening of 10 January, that she spent the night and that there was sexual intercourse between them the following morning.

“The complainant has registered a case of rape indicating that the sexual intercourse took place under coercive circumstances and that she informed Amukwelele several times during intercourse that she did not want to have sex.”

Air Namibia loses N$100m a month

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

Air Namibia has confirmed losing as much as N$100 million per month in revenue since its planes were grounded because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The government imposed a lockdown on 27 March, barring the entry of anyone except Namibian citizens or permanent residents, while travel within the country has been restricted within 10 zones until midnight on 4 May.

The national airline says it will continue to lose money until international travel returns to normal.

“Depending on how long the lockdown continues and depending on when other countries open their borders, irrespective when Namibia opens up, one can then do the sum,” said airline spokesperson Paulus Nakawa.

He added that many passengers were cancelling flights booked for the peak tourist season from July to October, further eating into non-existent revenue streams.

Government dependent

The government has been forced to bear the financial responsibility of some state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that find their operations hamstrung by the lockdown.

Public enterprises minister Leon Jooste confirmed that there were requests for funding from some SOEs that are not able to generate any cashflow as a consequence of the lockdown.

This comes as the business rescue practitioners of South African Airways, which was placed under rescue, opted over the weekend to hand out retrenchment packages to the 86-year-old airline’s nearly 5 000 employees.

“The sad reality is that our state-owned enterprises are not shielded from the economic effects of the pandemic and some of them are severely affected. This obviously depends on the level of direct economic exposure but Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), Namibia Airports Company (NAC) and Air Namibia are the primary victims.”

Jooste said the government was sustaining Air Namibia financially at the moment.

“For now, we are carrying the cost of Air Namibia but it is obviously not sustainable and discussions between us and the ministry of finance are ongoing,” he added.

Jooste did not provide any financial figures when asked about the size of the total bailout package requested by the SOEs.

According to him, Air Namibia has sought a large subsidy.

“The NAC is more straightforward with manageable creditors but Air Namibia has large creditors and we have to consider a far larger subsidy in their case.”

The airline has for long been the recipient of enormous funding from government.

Funding requests made

Ministry of finance spokesperson Tonateni Shidhudhu confirmed the request for funding from the ministry of public enterprises under which commercial SOEs fall.

“There have been a number of submissions that have been received. Various sectors have made submissions and those sectors that have not made submissions are requested to do so,” he said.

ogone@namibiansun.com

'Don't abuse your powers'Police, soldiers warned Police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga has spoken out against human rights violations during the lockdown.

ILENI NANDJATO

OSHAKATI

The commissioner-general of the Namibia Correctional Service, Raphael Hamunyela, says service chiefs will start holding commanding officers accountable for any violation of human rights.

He said this while addressing regional members of the security cluster at Oshakati. He was with Nampol Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, the chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), Air Marshal Pinehas Kambulu, and the director-general of the Namibia Central Intelligence Service, Benedictus Likando.

“When we go on patrols, you find junior security officers attending to people while senior officers are seated in cars. When anything goes wrong, they will say they were not there when such incident happened. I will address this once I go back to Windhoek,” said Hamunyela.

“That is not how it supposed to be done. The reason why we have commanders here is for them to lead operations. If we put our ranks forward, then we will fail because ranks do not do the work. Senior officers or commanders are the ones to give orders as to what must be done and not be done.” Hamunyela said he does not understand why some senior officers are not taking responsibility.

Violation

Police chief Ndeitunga spoke out against the mistreatment of members of the public by security officers, particularly the incident of a young man who was ordered to roll in tombo.

He urged officers to act professionally and not to create new rules for themselves.

“Any person who is suspected to have committed a crime should be explained the types of crime they committed and their right without humiliated. Security officers, our duty is to investigate and not to mete out punishment. Punishment is meted out by the courts,” Ndeitunga said.

“Some of our colleagues are harming the image of the forces as they are not following the rules and procedures in handling communities or suspects.”

Professionalism

Kambulu said when it comes to the enforcement of the Covid-19 lockdown the rules of the game have changed and officers have to change their tactics as well.

“We need disciplined officers and a disciplined public that obey the regulations that we are enforcing. The problem is when we are coming up with our own regulations different from what we are given. At no any point are we allowed to employ our own rules,” Kambulu said.

Stop with the mass testing delays! Every day the media attends a Covid-19 briefing where impacts on different sectors and so on is discussed, yet the elephant in the room remains a firm mass testing rollout plan.

How do we restart our economy in a phased approach if we are flying blind into this Covid-19 storm?

How can we give Namibians hope that their right to earn a living and feed their families will be restored at such and such a time, while we feel around in the dark without mass testing?

Yesterday, health minister Kalumbi Shangula said Namibia still had 16 Covid-19 cases and one new recovery, bringing the total number of recoveries to eight. All eight active cases (patients) are in a stable condition and 828 samples have been received for testing, while 704 tests have been processed. On Saturday, 32 tests were done and all of the tests conducted were negative.

Without mass testing there will be pain and starvation for ordinary Namibians and their loved ones.

The race against time now is to stop this crisis from consuming vulnerable families who live hand to mouth. The only way to establish a scientific basis to restart our economy - in phases if necessary - is to establish the reality of what we are facing and where the largest pockets of infection are. This can only be done through mass testing. Let there be no further delays!

Malls chock-a-block despite lockdownShoppers line up for winter goodies After a month of subdued sales because of the Covid-19 lockdown, Windhoekers flocked to the shops this weekend to buy their monthly groceries as well as winter clothes.

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

Malls around Windhoek were packed with payday shoppers over the weekend despite the threat of the coronavirus lingering in the air.

Namibian Sun visited the Wernhil, Black Chain and B1 City shopping complexes, where queues of people could be seen waiting their turn outside supermarkets and clothing outlets such as Mr Price, Pep Stores and Ackermanns, which were open for the purpose of the selling of winter clothes and blankets.

John Tuerijama, a shopper Namibian Sun encountered at the B1 Shopping Complex, was satisfied with his fellow shoppers' compliance with social distancing measures.

“The shoppers are adhering to the measures that were put in place. You can see the security personnel making sure that the social distancing is really maintained. Here at Pick n Pay, it's really smooth. It was not really congested; people understand the seriousness of the virus. I have not seen people fighting, they are just adhering to the measures,” Tuerijama added.

Trolley madness

Angelo Basson, a trolley guard at the Black Chain shopping complex, said he had collected more trolleys than usual from shoppers over the weekend.

“It is very hard to collect the trolleys scattered all over but we are coping. There were really a lot of trolleys that we had to pick up,” he said.

Earlier this month everything was quiet, Basson said, but thanks to month-end shopping he was collecting up to 50 trolleys an hour over the weekend. According to Basson, an effort was made to clean the trolleys regularly, given that the coronavirus can live on hard surfaces for up to three days.

“We are cleaning the trolleys, sanitising them, so we are on a good track,” he said.

The manager of Mr Price Sports in Wernhil, Paulina Swartbooi, described the activity there as quiet.

“It has been very quiet since the start of the lockdown. We don't have any customers right now,” she said.

The nationwide lockdown is expected to end on 4 May unless a decision is made to extend it.

Sisa won't kiss and tellClaims client-attorney privilege The president's attorney has claimed that Al Jazeera journalists were working with some locals to disadvantage the head of state ahead of last year's election.

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

As pressure mounts on Sisa Namandje to open his books, the lawyer says he will under no circumstances breach attorney-client privilege because that could get him disbarred.

Namandje is accused of having used his firm's trust account to launder money for the so-called Fishrot Six.

Namandje, who denies that he is unwilling to cooperate with the investigation into the bribery scandal, has been dragged to court by Law Society of Namibia (LSN) chairperson Retha Steinmann, who applied to the High Court for a search and seizure warrant. Namandje claims that in its court application the LSN disregards the fundamental issue of client-attorney privilege.

“It approaches the matter like the press and other uninformed members of the public as if the very fact of complying with this fundamental principle of law is somehow wrongdoing,” he says in a lengthy affidavit filed with the court.

Namandje argues that the Law Society's application is fundamentally at odds with the firm's obligation towards its clients and the rule of law.

“The dilemma we face is this: if we comply with our attorney-client privilege obligation, the application says we are hiding some wrongdoing and are not worthy of being legal practitioners.

“If we succumb to the pressure to submit to an unlawful process and disclose privileged information in this application, thereby breaching our obligations towards our clients, those clients will demand our removal from the roll for not being worthy legal practitioners,” Namandje's affidavit reads.

He adds that the Namibian Constitution provides that the right to obtain a warrant must be prescribed by an Act of Parliament, thus the Act itself must prescribe the procedure.

“The power to determine the applicable procedure and the circumstances under which a warrant may be obtained cannot be delegated to a rule-making body. This is reinforced by considerations relating to the doctrine of separation of powers.”

Inadmissible

Namandje also argues that video recordings and the Al Jazeera 'Fishrot' documentary constitute inadmissible evidence.

WikiLeaks documents allege that state-owned fishing entity Fischor paid N$17.5 million into Namandje's trust account in 2015 and 2017.

This money was allegedly linked to the Fishrot scandal in which former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala and others are implicated.

The two former cabinet ministers and four others have been arrested and are in custody in the main Fishrot case. There are three further cases linked to the saga.

“Without admitting any portion of the applicant's allegations concerning the Al Jazeera documentary, I must make one thing clear. The Al Jazeera journalists were in Namibia at the time working with some locals primarily to get access through me to President Hage Geingob in order to film him prior to the elections and use that evidence to his disadvantage during the elections. This they tried at least six times without success,” Namandje claims.

The six main accused - Esau, Shanghala, former Fishcor board chairperson James Hatuikulipi, former Investec executive Ricardo Gustavo, Esau's son-in-law Tamson 'Fitty' Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo - are being detained at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility. They have been implicated in receiving over N$150 million in bribes from an Icelandic seafood company in exchange for facilitating access to Namibian fishing quotas.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Govt wants schools to cough up MONEY

ILENI NANDJATO

ONDANGWA

The education ministry has directed regional directors to assess how many schools have money they're not using.

These schools are urged to donate funds to other schools struggling during the coronavirus lockdown period.

Ministry executive director Sanet Steenkamp said this is an unprecedented situation and resources must be wisely utilised.

Some schools have however indicated that despite receiving funds in January, their coffers are already empty.

Free education funds

While primary schools were meant to receive N$300 per pupil per semester and secondary schools N$400, the ministry only gave schools N$50 per pupil for the 2019 academic year.

“The money we were given in January was for the 2019 academic year and it is already finished because we used it for the 2019 needs. We had debts that we had to settle and also to refund teachers who have been using their own money to assist,” a source said.

“Our wish was for schools to assist teachers with data bundles to conduct their online teaching at their houses or transport costs to contribute to the development of teaching and learning packages, but we do not have anything.”

Unprecedented situation

Steenkamp said they do understand how schools have used up their money, but added there are schools with money available.

“Our instruction to the regional directors is very clear that they must conduct an assessment on the availability of funds in each and every school. A certain percentage of the available money in the region will be then used for the region,” she explained.

“We are dealing with an unprecedented situation and we need to look at our currently existing resources. We do not have fill in from the national budget yet and it is difficult for us to determine how much money we need to put into the region for preparedness.”

Sources have revealed that while some schools have money, it is not from the government.

“Schools raise money or get donations from parents, individuals or businesses for various reasons. The ministry cannot rely on such money,” the source said.

Bosses hit back at Covid-19 retrenchment ban

ESTER KAMATI

WINDHOEK

Directives communicated by the ministry of labour have been disputed by the Namibia Employers' Association (NEA) and Namibia Employers' Federation (NEF).

The directives include a ban on retrenchments for 28 days after the Covid-19 lockdown period, which is supposed to end at midnight on 4 May.

To reduce wages and salaries, trade unions and/or employees' consent will be needed in writing. It is also prohibited to reduce people's compensation if they work a full day - whether in the office or at home. The Labour Act prohibits a reduction of more than 50% in employees' pay. Any reduction in benefits must, by law, be reflected by a reduction in working hours. In a letter to labour ministry executive director Bro-Mathew Shinguadja, the NEA objected to the directives and appealed to the ministry to reconsider the matter and not gazette the regulations. The NEA, which was not part of the discussions that took place from 24 March, supposedly did not respond to the ministry's invitation sent via email on 23 March.

In the letter, the NEA suggests that the ministry discuss the regulations with the Labour Advisory Council (LAC) prior to gazetting them. “The directives came as a result of consultations that we had among the trade union federations, the employers' federation and ourselves,” replied Shinguadja. He added that during the discussions there was general agreement on what the guidelines should look like.

“That's true, they (the NEA) were not consulted because an email sent on 23rd was unanswered.”

The Namibia Employers' Federation, National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) and Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna), who are all members of the LAC, were consulted, Shinguadja said.

Wording changed

The NEF's Daan Strauss said the wording of the directives was not the same as what was agreed upon during the meetings. He added that it came as a surprise that it was now unlawful to retrench.

“When we last met, the wording was quite different and there was no talk of making it retrospective from the first of April and for 28 days after the lockdown,” Strauss said.

He added that some employers had already negotiated retrenchment packages with their staff from the beginning of February and reached amicable agreements.

The NEF had requested a meeting with the ministry and was awaiting feedback, he said.

Bringing Namibian artists to your living roomAt Home with Goethe is an initiative that aims to entertain the public during the Covid-19 lockdown and provides Namibian artists with a platform to showcase their skills online. The Goethe-Institut Namibia collaborates with Bank Windhoek The 2019 Namibian Annual Music Awards' Artist of the Year, Lize Ehlers, The Lof, the Ell’s, Sean K and even Big Ben, to only mention a few, are some of the locally acclaimed Namibian artists who have been given the opportunity to showcase their skills online.
The Goethe-Institut Namibia, in collaboration with Bank Windhoek, utilised social media and the internet to host online streaming performances featuring acclaimed Namibian musicians on Facebook every Friday.
‘At Home with Goethe’ is an initiative that aims to entertain the public during the Covid-19 lockdown and provides Namibian artists from various disciplines with the opportunity to maintain a relationship with an audience.
Performances will be streamed live on the Goethe-Institut Namibia’s Facebook page.
Live streams started earlier in April with more streams scheduled for Friday 1 May featuring Lize Ehlers and The Lof and Friday 8 May featuring the Ell’s and Sean K, with each show including an interactive question and answer session.
“Remote office was applied fast and our team had the space and time to think about how we are to have our operations and projects adapt to the current social situation in Namibia. They say two heads are better than one and so this idea was developed in a meeting on how we are to adapt our projects to the national lockdown, which has forced creatives in Namibia and around the world to rethink how they are to continue their practices and survive a tough time,” said Lendl Izaaks, who runs the press and communication department at the Goethe-Institut Namibia.
Izaaks further said everything has gone online because of social distancing and it only made sense to provide artists in Namibia with the opportunity to showcase their talents online.
“As the cultural institute of Germany that encourages cultural exchange, we are open to collaborations with local partners and welcome concerted efforts towards the arts and cultural development in Namibia,” he said.
“Through investing in arts and culture, the business community contributes towards not only to showcasing Namibian talent but the financial well-being of our artists as well. This is not the first time we have collaborated and we are definitely open to partnering with Goethe-Institut Namibia on future projects to promote arts and culture in Namibia,” said Bronwyn Moody, the head of corporate social investments (CSI), sponsorship and events of Bank Windhoek.
“Bank Windhoek and the Goethe-Institut Namibia share one common goal: to develop the arts and culture in our country. As a responsible corporate citizen, Bank Windhoek is proud to be associated with the ‘At Home with Goethe’ initiative, because during these unprecedented times, arts can bring us together since it is a vehicle of social change. Despite Covid-19, thanks to the internet, we can still connect online. We encourage everyone who can access Facebook to tune in,” said Moody.
Within these times, it is easy to get lost in the negativity, but this initiative is an opportunity to create something positive and uplifting.
“Negativity should be felt, experienced and thereafter viewed as inspiration to keep yourself afloat instead of being suppressed and creating a time-bomb. Acknowledging common interests and working together towards the well-being and development of Namibia should be at the forefront for all and at all times, not only at a time like this,” Izaaks added.
“Companies, organisations and all members of the nation are encouraged to take up their social responsibility and do their part in supporting each other, particularly cultural practitioners who are normally pushed to the side during an unprecedented situation such as this. The importance of arts and culture are too often undervalued and thereby, the value of practitioners is underestimated,” Izaaks said.
“The music you listen to, the concerts you attend, the films you watch and the interior decoration in your home require a skill, effort and commitment to produce, and this is done by a human being wanting to communicate something about themselves or society. Let us not allow the homogenisation of arts and culture in Namibia, and instead unite in developing tangible and intangible artifacts that we identify with and are proud to claim ownership of," Izaaks concluded.

Company news in brief

SAA severance deal deadline extended

South Africa's government and specialists appointed to try to save the state-owned airline have agreed to extend a deadline for trade unions to agree staff severance terms, a letter from the public enterprises department showed yesterday.

South African Airways (SAA) entered a form of bankruptcy protection in December and its fortunes deteriorated further when the coronavirus pandemic forced it to suspend all commercial flights.

The airline offered severance packages to its roughly 5 000-strong workforce after the government said it would not provide more funds for rescue efforts.

"We advise that the department agreed with Business Rescue Practitioners on a moratorium on the signing of the retrenchment (layoffs) agreements until Friday 1 May 2020," said the letter signed by public enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, which was addressed to unions at the airline.

"As a result, the employees are not obliged to sign the collective agreement for the retrenchments for the period of the moratorium," the letter added. – Nampa/Reuters

Dis-Chem rejects claim it hiked prices

South African drug store chain Dis-Chem said on Friday it will oppose a referral to the Competition Tribunal after an investigation found it had inflated prices of dust and surgical masks during the coronavirus outbreak.

On Thursday, the Competition Commission, which investigates competition complaints and refers them to the tribunal for prosecution, said it had found that Dis-Chem hiked the prices of those masks by as much as 261% during the State of National Disaster in early March.

In an emailed response, Dis-Chem said it was consulting its legal team and economic experts and would oppose the complaint referral.

Dis-Chem said its pricing was within regulated guidelines and it did not engage in price-gouging or excessive price-fixing.

The Commission has asked the tribunal to impose a maximum penalty against Dis-Chem. – Nampa/Reuters

Gold Fields eyes full output at SA mine

Gold Fields hopes to reach full production at its only gold mine in South Africa by the end of May, its chief executive said on Thursday, as it forecast limited impact to its global output from the coronavirus pandemic.

Gold Fields operates the South Deep mine near Johannesburg and brought it to profitable production last year after making losses for many years due to challenging geology 3 km below the surface.

The company had to shut the mine after president Cyril Ramaphosa declared a five-week lockdown in Africa's most industrialised country from the end of March to contain the spread of the pandemic. The government has since said mines can operate at up to half capacity.

The company expects to reach 100% production in 5-6 weeks, assuming the government allows a ramp up of mines beyond 50%.

It expects to lose 32 000 ounces of production at the mine, according to current estimates. – Nampa/Reuters

Amplats targets R4 bn in savings

South Africa's Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) aims to save about R4 billion this year through cost cuts and reduced capital expenditure to offset production losses during a nationwide lockdown to fight the coronavirus.

The company has suffered a 7% drop in first-quarter output of platinum group metals (PGM) to 954 800 ounces, with 61 000 PGM ounces lost at its South African operations alone, hit by a coronavirus lockdown that started on March 27 and has been extended until May.

Amplats said it will seek capital expenditure reductions that support the updated production profile while ensuring long-term asset integrity. It will make further savings from cost cuts and reductions overtime payments and production bonuses for employees not at work.

Another member of the Anglo American group, Kumba Iron Ore, said it is also targeting cost savings, aiming for a total of R325 million, and would defer non-critical capital expenditure of R1 billion to bolster its financial position.

It now expects 2020 output to be between 37 million and 39 million tonnes, against previous guidance of 41.5 million to 42.5 million tonnes. – Nampa/Reuters

Sonangol begins selling assets in firms

Angolan state oil company Sonangol said on Friday it has opened a public tender to sell its stakes in some private firms as part of a government bid to privatise key state assets including parts of Sonangol itself by 2022.

Describing Sonangol as an "octopus," the country's minister of mineral resources and petroleum, Diamantino Azevedo, has said it would need to shed stakes in everything from hotels to aviation around the world before a 30% share sale in 2022.

Sonangol is divesting 30% of its capital in oil and gas contractor Petromar, Sonadiets Ltd and Sonadiets Services SA, 51% in Sonatide Marine Ltd and Sonatide Marine Angola Ltd and 40% in Sonamet Industrial SA and Sonacergy Services and Construction Petroleum Ltd, it said in a statement.

The Angolan state will exit full or part ownership of 81 companies this year via public tender, including six by auction and three in IPOs, with 12 set to be privatized in 2021 and four in 2022, according to state news agency Angop.

Among the last will be Sonangol, along with state-owned diamond company Endiama. – Nampa/Reuters