Namibian Sun

Remittances to plunge amid pandemicSub-Saharan Africa drop 23% Namibians in 2017 sent about N$38 million home in remittances. That sort of decline is actually unprecedented in the recorded history. – Dilip Ratha, Economist: World Bank

Developing countries are losing a key source of revenue as the coronavirus pandemic causes worldwide shutdowns, sharply reducing payments from workers living abroad, the World Bank has said.

Remittances are expected to plunge by about 20% globally this year, the biggest decline in recent history, as closures cause a global recession and job losses that prevent workers from sending money to their families back home, the World Bank said in a report.

The World Bank based part of its report on data from knomad.org

The latest figures knomad.org has on Namibia is from 2017. The country’s annual remittance inflows then was about US$2 million, about N$38 million at Friday’s exchange rate.

According to knomad.org, about 138 600 Namibians were emigrants in 2017.

The top destination countries for Namibians were South Africa, Tanzania, Australia, the US, Angola, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Austria.

‘Vital income’

"Remittances are a vital source of income for developing countries," World Bank Group president David Malpass said in a statement last week.

"The ongoing economic recession caused by Covid-19 is taking a severe toll on the ability to send money home and makes it all the more vital that we shorten the time to recovery for advanced economies."

Total remittances are expected to fall to US$445 billion from US$554 billion in 2019, the report said.

Even with the decline, these payments are expected to become an even more important source of income in low- and middle-income countries "as the fall in foreign direct investment is expected to be larger (more than 35%)," the World Bank report said.

‘Lifeline’

Dilip Ratha, lead economist for the report, said the payments act as a "lifeline" and a way of "sharing prosperity" with the families who receive them.

"That sort of decline is actually unprecedented in the recorded history," Ratha told reporters, adding that migration also might decline due to the crisis.

In some countries, payments from workers abroad amount to a quarter or even one-third of GDP, including South Sudan, Haiti, Nepal, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Montenegro and Tonga.

Remittance flows are expected to fall most notably in Europe and Central Asia (27.5%), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (23.1%), South Asia (22.1%), the Middle East and North Africa (19.6%), Latin America and the Caribbean (19.3%), and East Asia and the Pacific (13%).

The efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 are expected to cause a severe global downturn, and there is a substantial risk of continued economic recession well into 2021, the report said.

Vulnerable

Immigrants are especially vulnerable to loss of wages since they tend to be concentrated in urban areas and work in service industries hardest hit by the economic shutdown, including food and hospitality, retail and wholesale, tourism and transport, and manufacturing.

And "as the farming season begins in many countries, there are emerging signs of labour shortages in the agriculture sector of industrial countries that rely on migrant workers," the World Bank said.

The report also cautioned that migrants are being left out of programmes governments have implemented to deal with the virus, including access to healthcare, and are also unable to return home due to transportation shutdowns. – Nampa/AFP

Corona Watch

South Africa

South Africa is seeking R95 billion from multilateral lenders to help it fight the Covid-19 pandemic, a senior Treasury official said yesterday.

The IMF has said South Africa is entitled to apply for up to US$4.2 billion in response to the crisis, and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said on Friday the government could negotiate for a facility of "maybe between US$55 and US$60 million" at the World Bank.

Ratings agency Moody's on Friday cut its forecast for South Africa's economy to a 6.5% contraction in fiscal 2020, saying the country's US$26.29 billion rescue package will weaken its public finances and constrain government's ability to provide support to state-owned firms. – Nampa/Reuters

Zambia

Zambia's budget has been thrown into disarray by the economic blow from the coronavirus outbreak and the government needs to take action to support businesses, president Edgar Lungu said on Friday.

Lungu said he had directed finance minister Bwalya Ng'andu to set up a coronavirus recovery fund to assist businesses and ordered the state Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund to invite more proposals for funding. – Nampa/Reuters

Mozambique

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it has approved a disbursement of US$309 million to help Mozambique meet urgent balance of payment and fiscal needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mozambique lowered its forecast for economic growth this year to 2.2% from a previous forecast of 4% because of the impact of the virus.

Its budget expects to record a deficit of more than 10% of gross domestic product in 2020. – Nampa/Reuters

Congo

Congo Republic's economy is expected to contract 9% in 2020 due to the coronavirus epidemic and a collapse in oil prices, the government said, a drastic revision of its earlier forecast of 1.2% growth.

A slump in global oil prices due to a coronavirus-induced supply glut has lead to a more than 50% fall in expected revenue for this year, government spokesman Thierry Moungalla said after ministers met to approve a revised budget. – Nampa/Reuters

DRC

The coronavirus pandemic will cause Democratic Republic of Congo's economy to contract by 2.2% this year, the International Monetary Fund said, as its executive board approved US$363 million in financing for the country.

The IMF said it was slashing its previous growth forecast of 3.2% because of the fall in prices for key exports such as copper and the impact of containment and mitigation measures against the coronavirus. – Nampa/Reuters

West Africa

The members of the West African monetary union UEMOA plan to raise 846 billion CFA francs (US$1.40 billion) on the regional debt market in response to the coronavirus crisis, lead manager UMOA-Titres said.

The issue of the so-called Covid-19 social coupons will begin today, UMOA-Titres said in an emailed announcement, adding that the instrument would benefit from access to a special refinancing office at the regional central bank.

UEMOA's members are Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. – Nampa/Reuters

Senegal

Coronavirus claimed its seventh fatality in Senegal on Friday, as health officials recorded the West African state's largest single increase in infections and warned that traders are particularly at risk.

Senegalese authorities said the same day that they had recorded 66 new coronavirus cases - out of a total of 545 - in the largest single increase since the pandemic began in the country.

Senegalese health authorities are also increasingly concerned about a rise in cases that cannot be immediately traced to known infections - an indicator that the outbreak may be bigger than detected. – Nampa/AFP

Algeria

Algeria has taken further steps to ease restrictions over the novel coronavirus by allowing several businesses to reopen "to reduce the economic and social impact of the health crisis" caused by the pandemic, the prime minister's office said on Saturday.

It said shops to be reopened including those for materials for building and public works, appliances, fabrics, jewellery, clothing and shoes, cosmetics and perfumes, home and office furniture, pastries and hairdressers in addition to urban transport by taxi. – Nampa/Reuters

Namdeb glitters pre-CovidProduction to fade Namibia's diamond mining is gearing for a massive impact from the lockdown and the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Jo-Maré Duddy

Namdeb Holdings has probably delivered its last set of shining quarterly production results for a while, reporting an annual increase of nearly 5.8% in gems mined in the first three months of 2020.

The 511 000 carats produced in the past quarter is 28 000 more than the same three months in 2019, Anglo American's latest figures show.

Mining in Namibia was not disrupted by the global Covid-19 pandemic in the first quarter as the country initially only went into partial lockdown in the last week of March. Mines were then only allowed to operate minimally and do maintenance.

Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus, mining - and especially diamond mining - was banked on as one of the drivers of the expected economic recovery in Namibia this year. In February, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) still forecast annual growth of 5.3% in diamond mining in 2020. The BoN is currently working on its revised economic outlook for this year.

Flawed performance

However, a recent document compiled by the Bankers Association of Namibia (BAN) and the Economic Association of Namibia (EAN) on the economic impact of an extended lockdown warned diamond mining's best case growth forecast for 2020 is -7.5%.

The document further warned that Namibia's export earnings in diamonds this year may plummet by more than N$700 million or 7.5% compared to 2019. Diamonds will likely only earn Namibia about N$8.66 billion in exports this year, compared to N$9.4 billion in 2019 and more than N$11 billion in 2018.

“The impact on exports may be partially offset by the weak US$/rand exchange rate, however worsened by global price pressure due to weak global demand,” BAN and EAN said.

Anglo, owner of De Beers, echoed sentiments on a tough year for diamonds in its latest production report.

“In response to the impact of Covid-19 on mining operations, wholesale trading activity and consumer traffic in key consumer markets, production guidance has been revised to 25-27 million carats (previously 32-34 million carats), subject to continuous review based on the disruptions related to Covid-19, as well as the timing and scale of the recovery in trading conditions,” Anglo said.

Results

Not only did Namdeb Holdings – equally owned by De Beers and the Namibian government – perform better on an yearly basis in the past quarter, it also reported an increase of 12% compared to the last three months of 2019.

“Namibia production increased by 6% [year-on-year] to 0.5 million carats due to planned higher grade at the marine operations,” Anglo said.

De Beers, which also own diamond mines in Botswana, South Africa and Canada, produced 7.75 million carats in total in the first quarter of 2020, down 1% year-on-year.

Only Namibia and South Africa reported an annual production increase in the past quarter.

The bulk of Namdeb Holdings' latest production came from Debmarine Namibia. The mine delivered 417 000 carats in the first three months of 2020, up 15% year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter.

Namdeb's land operations produced 94 000 carats, 21% less than the first quarter on 2019. On a quarterly basis, production was up 1%.

Laughter in the time of corona

MICHAEL KAYUNDE
WINDHOEK

With the coronavirus national lockdown shutting down events, comedian Big Mitch has taken his comedy online.
He recently released five comedy skits of relatable Namibian content, with the episodes titled When You Promise Black People Money, One Minute Past Seven, National Security Threat, Finally Within and The Mysterious Call. “Overall, this series is about praising the president for the measures the government has taken during this pandemic and the reactions the stimulus package sparked.
“It is hilarious and I recommend people to watch it from the first episode to the last to get the humour and the message,” Big Mitch said.

Racking up views
The response to the series has been overwhelmingly positive, he said.
“I shared them on my Instagram and Facebook accounts and I surpassed 10 000 views on both platforms in a day.
“People are really enjoying them because it is relatable content and [the] majority of people really need to be entertained during this time.”

Live shows
The comedian announced that following the success of the skits, he has decided to do live shows on his social media platforms every Friday during lockdown.
“I started with the live show last Friday, again the response was awesome.”
The shows are not sponsored, he said, but he hopes sponsors will come on board.

Creative industry suffering
Big Mitch said the creative community is one of the hardest hit by the lockdown.
“The nature of what we do is centred around gathering people and the lockdown has brought that to a complete shutdown.
“Others are already benefiting from measures that have been put in place to ease what we are going through, but the same can’t be said about us.”

KBF lauds Sunshine and Salute

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

WINDHOEK

The Khomas Boxing Federation (KBF) has heaped praise on the MTC Nestor 'Sunshine' Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy and the MTC Salute Boxing Academy for their support towards amateur boxers.

This is after the rival academies donated food and hand sanitiser to the value of N$70 000 to those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Katutura last week. KBF public relations officer Zesora Tjipe said the donations came in handy given the difficult times boxers are facing. “KBF would like to give a word of thanks to the MTC Nestor 'Sunshine' Tobias Boxing and Fitness Academy and the MTC Salute Boxing Academy for supporting amateur boxers in these hard times. “We are really happy to see the boxing academies standing up and giving out a helping hand to the future champions,” Tjipe said.

Keep fit

The federation also urged amateur boxers to remain positive and hopeful that things will get back to normal after the coronavirus is defeated. “We would like to use this opportunity to tell the boxers to keep fit.

“They must also commit to the national lockdown regulations by staying at home and sanitising their hands at all times,” Tjipe added.

Support

KBF also expressed gratitude towards sport minister Agnes Tjongarero for being supportive towards boxing. “Her speech was very motivational for many who are hopeless and we just want her to know that we appreciate what she has been doing for sport and boxing in general.”

The forgotten marathon kingThe man, the legend At the age of 54, Namibia's marathon great still holds the sport dear to his heart.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

WINDHOEK

National marathon record holder Luketz Swartbooi says he'll always miss the sport.

The athlete retired a few years ago due to health complications.

“It has been a very long time since I was on the track or road because of my health, but there is no day I do not think of the sport.

“I still have fresh memories of all the races I won and the opportunities I had to travel around the world.

“What motivated me the most was the desire to make myself and the country proud,” Swartbooi said.

The record

In 1992, he won the Rössing Marathon with a time of 2:11:23, a record that still stands to this day.

“I believe that anyone can break that record if they commit their lives and bodies towards marathon running.

“Well, I would not say I am not happy by the fact that no one has broken the record yet, but I actually do hope someone can do that in the future because records are meant to be broken.”

Greatest moment

The former marathon runner's biggest success to date was a silver medal he won at the World Championship in Stuttgart, Germany in 1993.

A fresh face from a country that had just gained independence, Swartbooi proved to the world that the size of your country doesn't determine the size of your heart.

“I would say that winning that silver medal in Germany was the best thing of my career.

“It made me feel as if I was on top of the world because I had beaten some of the best in the world at that time.”

Boston Marathon

In 1994, the athlete set his personal best in Boston with a time of 2:09:08, earning him the third-place spot in the Boston Marathon.

“Boston was special to me because I gave it my all and eventually finished third. Setting a personal best and walking away with a bronze medal was a huge achievement and an incredible moment.”

The hiccups

Despite many golden moments, Swartbooi's marathon career also saw some dark days. He finished 48th at the 2002 Summer Olympics in Australia and received a public warning from the IAAF after testing positive for a steroid, prednisolone/prednisone, in 2005.

“There are moments in life that one does not always win or have things go your way, but that only makes you stronger as a person,” he said. The 54-year-old is now an employee at the Rehoboth town council and a father of four.

“I am married to my beautiful wife and I'm a father to four good children. I do sometimes exercise but it has become extremely difficult.”

How Anelka, Drogba blazed trail in China

When Premier League stars Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka made surprising moves to China in 2012, they put Chinese football on the map.

Others would ultimately follow as money poured into the Chinese Super League, but the former Chelsea duo's chaotic spell served as a cautionary tale.

Anelka lasted only one turbulent year at Shanghai Shenhua while his fellow forward Drogba did barely six months at the club.

Drogba signed in June 2012 at 34, just weeks after he scored the winning penalty for Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Challenge

“For me, it would have been easy to go to another team in Europe but I chose China because of the challenge,” he said at the time, after becoming one of the world's best-paid players on a reported N$5.7 million a week. Drogba lived up to expectations, obliterating opposition defences and scoring eight goals in 11 matches.

Anelka was already at Shenhua when Drogba pitched, having also signed from Chelsea, in January 2012, on similarly vast wages.

But while Drogba was a success on the pitch, the Frenchman found himself sometimes playing out of position in defensive midfield or on the wing.

Anelka managed only three goals in 23 matches before both departed China in January 2013

.

What went wrong?

Shenhua were owned at the time by video gaming mogul Zhu Jun.

Zhu made Anelka China's first direct import from the Premier League and he also lured another famous Frenchman, Jean Tigana, as coach.

But the ex-Fulham manager was hit by a player revolt against his training methods and was sacked after just five games in charge.

Upon learning his services were no longer required, Tigana departed the stadium before kick-off for a home game. Anelka, who had no coaching experience, announced he was Tigana's replacement. But Zhu soon brought in Argentine Sergio Batista as coach, much to Anelka's annoyance.

Some good times

There was the odd high, such as a 5-1 home thrashing of rivals Hangzhou Greentown with Drogba scoring twice and Anelka laying on two assists.

But it was only a glimpse of what might have been and the pair found themselves pawns in a boardroom dispute.

Zhu said his fellow owners had promised him a majority stake because of his heavy investment, and he threatened to withhold the foreign players' salaries unless they handed it over.

Drogba and Anelka missed several games between them towards the end of the season, ostensibly due to injury, but many suspected the dispute was to blame. Shenhua finished the season ninth out of 16 teams.

- NAMPA/AFP

Skinner continues to swim during lockdown• Making use of nature's blessings With sports events postponed, swimmer Xander Skinner uses a rain-filled dam to stay fit.

LIMBA MUPETAMI

WINDHOEK

Countless athletes' lives have been flipped upside down due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent countrywide lockdown, but local swimmer Xander Skinner is one of the lucky few who has managed to keep training.

Skinner has been using a dam filled with rainwater on their family farm, Omburu Sud Hunting Safaris, to keep fit.

With gyms, pools and other training facilities closed until at least 4 May, Skinner hasn't been sitting idle.

He tries to swim six hours a week and continues to cycle and do at-home workouts. The swimmer added that his dad has been a massive help during this time, swimming right behind him and urging him on.

Showers of blessings

The dam, which was bone dry last year, filled up in January thanks to the good rainfall most of the country experienced.

'Usually I swim 18 hours a week, but now that is not possible,' Skinner said.

But swimming outdoors comes with its own challenges. Asked whether he's afraid of snakes in the water, Skinner admitted he was at first, but after a few sessions, his fears faded.

'If you have a fear of sharks, you will never swim in the ocean again,' he said.

He mentioned that his coaches send him workouts, adding that it's important to not only stay active, but to stay safe as well.

Achievements

Skinner competed in the African Games in Morocco in 2019, competing in the 50, 100 and 200-metre freestyle as well as the 100m backstroke and the 50 and 100m butterfly.

In 2017, he was part of the team that competed at the World Aquatics Championship in South Korea, taking the 56th and 60th positions in the 100 and 200m freestyle, respectively.

He also competed in the 2016 African Championships in Bloemfontein, taking sixth and eighth places in the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly respectively. The swimmer is a third-year exercise science and sports performance student at the University of McKendree in Lebanon, Illinois.

Oohango dhaMei dha undulilwa komeho

ILENI NANDJATO

ONDANGWA

Aantu oyendji mboka yali taya longekidha okuhokana momwedhi Mei, oya undilile oohango dhawo komeho omolwa etukuko lyocorona, omanga aashona ya tokola okuya komeho niituthi yawo yoondjokana, palandulo lyomulandu gwaantu inaya pitilila pomulongo, oshowo okwiikala kokule.

Aalongekidhi yoohango oya popi kutya otashi zi kaahokanathani opo ya pule komeho noohango pethimbo lyoshikako shoohango.

MoNamibia aantu oyendji ohaya hokanene koompangulilo nenge moongeleka, niituthi yawo ohayi nana aantu oyendji.

Pethimbo lyetseyitho lyomupresidende lyopaulumomhumbwe omagongalo gopamwe oga uthwa owala okukala naantu ya thika pomulongo.

Amushanga-ndjai gwoEvangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin), Omusita Alpo Enkono, okwa popi kutya aantu oyendji mboka yali ya shangitha oohango dhawo oya pula ongeleka opo dhikalekwe manga. Enkono okwa popi kutya aantu yendji mboka yali ye na okukala noohango momwedhi Mei oya ukitha oohango dhawo komeho nongeleka kayi na mo etokolo lyasha momatokolo gawo. Okwa popi kutya elelo lyongeleka okwa tegelelwa li ninge omutumba momwedhi twa taalela, ihe omolwa omilandu ndhoka dha tulwapo manga otashi vulika omutumba ngoka kagu ningwe manga.

Enkono okwa popi kutya pethimbo ndika otaya simaneke owala omatokolo gaahokanathani na itaya vulu okugandja omayele gasha.

Omumbosfi Lukas Kaluwapa Katenda gwoReformed Evangelical Anglican Church (REACH) okwa popi kutya mboka yahala okuhokanathana otaya vulu okupula komeho nenge okukaleka iituthi yawo.

Ngele otaya pula komeho oya pumbwa okulandula omilandu ndhoka dha tulwapo.

“Oohango dhopamuthigululwakalo iituthi yetumba kaaihokanathani naavali, naashoka osho hashi etitha ku hiwe aantu oyendji opo ya ninge oombangi dhiituthi mbyoka. Oyendji otaya undulile komeho iituthi yawo nomatompelo kutya oya longitha nale iimaliwa oyindji melongekidho lyiituthi yawo na oya hiya nale aantu oyendji, Katenda a popi” “Ondjokana kayi na sha naantu oyendji ya kala poshituthihango. Shoka sha simana aantu yaali mboka taya yi mondjokana, naashoka osho ta tu popi kutya otaya vulu okupula komeho shampa owala taya landula omilandu.”

Elongo lyopamalungula otali holola okwaahathikapamwe Pauyelele mboka wa gandjwa kuMinista Anna Nghipondoka, aalongwa owala yeli omayovi omulongo nagatatu yomaalongwa omayovi omathele gahetatu naalongwa omayovi gane oyo taya vulu okulongwa palongitho lyomalungula.

JEMIMA BEUKES

OVENDUKA

Ombuto yoCovid-19 oya eta polweela uuyelele tawu ehameke kombinga yokwaahathikapamwe paliko ngele tashi ya kelongo moNamibia.

Nonando oshili ngaashi sha kala kaanaskola yamwe nelongo lyopamalungula tali tsikile kaanaskola mboka, momahala ngaashi omalukanda nomikunda iinima ngaashi oongodhi dhoshinanena noodata dhokuya komalungula oondjodhi dhowala ndjoka itayi vulu okutsa.

Oshiholelwa ongaashi moHavana moka aanona oyendji aakwanaluhepo, haya longelwa moongulu dhootenda.

Ndyoka ehala moka edhilaadhilo lyelongo lyopamalungula itali vulu okudhilaadhilwa.

Sha landula sho omupresidende Hage Geingob a tseyitha onkalo yopamulumomhumbwe nepato lyoshilongo omwedhi gwa piti sha etitha woo epato lyooskola, oshikondo shelongo olya tameke nelongo lyopamalungula.

Nonando ongaaka omikundu dhimwe odha etitha ekateko lyelongo ndyoka.

Omaupyakadhi

“Otatu tala kelongitho lyomalungula melongo oshowo nkene tu na okulonga aanona itaku pumbiwa oodata dhomalungula. Ope na mboka ye na ointernet nookompiuta,” Omunambelewa omukomeho gwelongo, Sanet Steenkamp, a popi.

Pauyelele mboka wa gandjwa kuMinista Anna Nghipondoka, aanaskola owala 13 000 yomaanaskola 804 000 taya vulu okulongwa palongitho lyomalungula.

Onkalo ndjoka oyo yi li po nonando otaku ningwa omauvaneko kuuministeli welongo kutya hakanona taka patelwa pondje.

Gumwe gwomaanaskola mboka ya patelwa pondje okanona komunamivo 10, kaKauna Muharimbutu, hoka haka hiti oskola potenda pondje yaHavana.

Muharimbutu okwa tumu okanona ke komukunda monooli omanga epato lyoshilongo inali ningwa.

Sho keena sha omukalo gwontumba gwopashinanena ngoka tagu vulu okulongithwa melongo lyokanona ke kakele koradio yoshikulu shonale ndjoka e na, okanona ke oka patelwa pondje ngele tashi ya kelongo.

“Omukunda oguli kokule na kakuna oongodhi dhopeke, na inatu longitha nando onale oWhatsApp,” omukiintu ngoka a popi.

Omushiinda she, Pawe Tjirunga, naye kwa tumu uunona we wuli mondondo onti 8 no 10, komukunda gwawo moshitopolwa shaKunene.

Kakuna olusheno noongodhi dhopeke.

MoHavana, Abraham Ndapuka oha zi pamwe nuunona we, mwa kwatelwa okamonakadhona koomvula 12 keli mondondo onti 6, mombashu yondunda yimwe kamu na olusheno oshowo ongodhi yopeke.

“Onda limbilikwa konakuyiwa yokanona kandje. Otashi ti ota ndopa nakatu na iimaliwa opo a vule okweendulula,” Ndapuka a popi.

Konima yomagumbo omulongo, oku na Mbahimue Kavari ngoka keena olusheno nenge ongodhi yopeke.

“Otwa uvu owala moradio kombinga yelongo lyopaamalungula ihe kape na omulongiskola e tu talelepo e tu yelithile kutya otali ningwa ngiini. Otu li owala megumbo twaahena iikulya nuunona otawu tondoka owala momapandaanda tawu kongo iiikulya,” Kavari a popi.

Moshitopolwa shaShana, elongo lyopamalungula, palongitho lyoWhatsApp olya etitha omukundu.

Aalongi mboka ya popi noNamibian Sun oya nyenyeta kutya nonando oye na oongodhi dhoshinanena, odhawo dhokulongitha paumwene molwaashoka inaye dhi pewa kuuministeli.

Yamwe oya popi kutya aavali otaya longitha pambambo ompito ndjoka taye ya dhengele omausiku omanga ya kotha taye ya pula kombinga yiinima yoskola.

“Kungame okulonga okuza kegumbo otashi ti onda pumbwa okunongonona iilonga yandje nokulongekidha oompangela dhiilongwa yandje. Itashi vulika ndi longe nongodhi yandje yopaumwene ndjoka nda landa ngame mwene nokulongitha ethimbo lyongodhi ndyoka nda landa ngame mwene,” omulongi a popi.

Ondokumende ndjoka ya pitithwa kuuministeli welongo mEtitatu lyoshiwike sha piti, oya holola kutya mooskola 1 600, ooskola 614 kadhi na omakwatathano gopamalungula, 346 kadhi na olusheno, 250 kadhi na omahala gokwiikwathela omanga 211 kadhi na omeya ga yogoka.

Katti suspends Kombat's rent for two months

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

Businessman Knowledge Katti has suspended rent payments for residents of Kombat for two months as the coronavirus pandemic rides roughshod over the economy.

This forms part of Katti's relief measures rolled out to residents at the former mining town.

“We will continue to monitor the need for additional support and encourage regional smart partnerships supported by a data science approach in order to be effective in deploying support as swiftly as possible” said Katti, chairperson of Kombat Village Properties.

Further assistance is also being extended in the form of public health support, virtual volunteerism and through monetary support to the New Sommerau informal settlement on the outskirts of Kombat, he said.

Kombat Village Properties will also grant rent relief to Welwitschia University Kombat Campus students for the months of April and May.

“We are also providing support to the community at large, by offering support to tenants affected by the crisis via rent relief also for the month of April and May 2020,” Katti said.

“As part of our corporate support, we plan to work with interested organisations in deploying a minimum of N$100 000 to the Kombat Community Trust in order to implement efforts to support the unemployed and low-income members of the Kombat and Neu Sommerau informal settlement communities. These efforts include providing food parcels to the communities.” According to Katti, a coordinator will be appointed to reach out to partners to identify volunteer opportunities that can be performed during the pandemic.

Katti also donated a portable oxygen concentrator to be used for oxygen therapy.

Pathcare to test locally for coronaTest kits received The private pathology laboratory Pathcare Namibia is verifying the accuracy of the test kits it has received to make sure they meet international standards.

HENRIETTE LAMPRECHT

WINDHOEK

If everything goes according to plan, Pathcare Namibia will start performing coronavirus tests in Windhoek this week.

Dr Frans Colesky of Pathcare said the company already had the necessary equipment, which is also used for other tests. The challenge was to obtain the necessary test kits or reagents – a pre-packaged cocktail of chemicals used to confirm the presence of the virus in tissue samples.

He said they received the first batch of the reagents, which are in high demand worldwide, and are verifying their accuracy.

As a laboratory accredited with the International Standards Organisation, Pathcare must comply with ISO standards, he said.

48 hours

The Windhoek laboratory will be able to do 200 tests per day, Colesky said, and depending on demand, the results will be available within a day or two. Pathcare's other laboratories in Namibia have the necessary equipment but are still awaiting test kits.

Colesky said countries with large numbers of infected people, such as the United States, are first in line for the coveted test kits. Less seriously affected countries such as Namibia have to wait their turn.

The cost

The state-owned Namibian Institute of Pathology (NIP) will test state patients and members of the public medical aid fund Psemas free of charge. Private medical aid schemes will cover the cost of coronavirus testing for their members, Colesky said.

Pathcare will offer the tests at cost price, which is around N$850.

He pointed out that Pathcare has not received any state subsidy or donations from other entities to offer this service and has to buy the test kits on the international market.

Rapid development

The reason for the slow start to mass testing is because RNA tests for the new virus first had to be developed before mass production could start.

The process is complicated by the fact that the test has to work on different brands and models of laboratory equipment, Colesky explained.

These factors, coupled with the high demand for test kits, have limited their availability.

The RNA test determines the presence of the coronavirus in the patient's body and is the better option for diagnostic purposes.

Another type of test, called an antibody test, is cheaper and faster but it can only show whether the patient has been infected before.

That makes it less suitable at this early stage of the pandemic, Colesky explained.

Company news in brief

Adidas reports 93% profit plunge

Adidas reported a 93% plunge in first-quarter profit and sales off 19%, missing forecasts, and warned of a deeper hit to second-quarter revenue as lockdowns forced the German sportswear maker and other retailers to close stores.

First-quarter operating profit fell to 65 million euro, well short of the 263 million expected by analysts.

Adidas said it had taken a hit of around 250 million euro on unsold stock in greater China, purchase order cancellations and higher bad debt provisions.

Sales fell 19% to 4.75 billion euro versus 4.85 billion forecast by analysts, Refinitiv Eikon data showed, and the company warned of a possible 40% fall in the seond quarter.

It said it could not provide an outlook for the year given the uncertainty over when closed stores might reopen. Adidas said more than 70% of its stores were currently closed worldwide, with a 35% rise in e-commerce in the first quarter only partially offsetting that. – Nampa/Reuters

VW re-starts Europe's largest car factory

Volkswagen the world's largest carmaker by sales, yesterday said it had resumed work at its biggest factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, to give its workers time to adapt to new hygiene measures to combat the coronavirus.

Encouraged by a fall in infection rates, Germany eased lockdown rules and carmakers are relying on the country's ability to trace and contain the coronavirus to put Europe's largest economy back to work.

In Wolfsburg, around 8 000 workers started building cars again yesterday, including the VW Golf. This week 1 400 cars will be built, followed by 6 000 cars in a fortnight, VW said.

Production capacity in the Wolfsburg plant will be at around 10%-15% to begin with, and reach around 40% of pre-crisis levels in the week after, Andreas Tostmann, VW brand's board member responsible for production told Reuters.

This week Volkswagen Group will re-start production in Portugal, Spain, Russia, South Africa and South America and from May 3 onwards in Chattanooga in the United States. – Nampa/Reuters

Egypt's CIB buys 51% of Kenya's Mayfair

Egypt's Commercial International Bank (CIB) has acquired a 51% stake in Kenya's Mayfair Bank, the Kenyan central bank said on Friday, the latest in a string of deals in the East African nation's banking sector.

Mayfair, which started up in 2017, controls just 0.2% of the market and is expected to benefit from funds, skills and banking infrastructure from CIB to help it grow, the central bank said.

CIB, one of Egypt's leading private sector banks, has assets of US$24.18 billion, according to the central bank added. It is the first Egyptian bank to venture into the Kenyan market.

Kenya's banking industry has had a flurry of deals in the last three years after the government capped interest rates, hurting earnings for many banks and forcing them to look for ways to preserve earnings or survive.

CIB has injected additional capital of US$35 million into Mayfair under the deal, CIB chairman Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, told Reuters. – Nampa/Reuters

Zoom users top 300 mln

Zoom video conferencing app's user base grew by another 50% to 300 million in the last three weeks, as the company fought to quell a backlash around security and safety that has seen a number of governments and firms ban its applications.

Shares of Zoom, which have surged nearly five-fold since the company went public in March last year, rose 12% to a record high of US$168.24 on Thursday.

Zoom's growth has continued even as it faced a barrage of criticism from cyber security experts and users alike over bugs in its codes and the lack of end-to-end encryption of its chat sessions.

It has appointed former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos and a number of other experts to attack these concerns and security researchers say it has responded robustly to the issues. – Nampa/Reuters

Airbus warns staff on jobs

European planemaker Airbus issued a bleak assessment of the impact of the coronavirus crisis, telling the company's 135 000 employees to brace for potentially deeper job cuts and warning its survival is at stake without immediate action.

In a letter to staff, chief executive Guillaume Faury said Airbus was “bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed” and that a recent drop of a third or more in production rates did not reflect the worst-case scenario and would be kept under review.

Airbus has begun implementing government-assisted furlough schemes starting with 3 000 workers in France, “but we may now need to plan for more far-reaching measures,” Faury said.

“The survival of Airbus is in question if we don't act now,” he added.

Industry sources have said a new restructuring plan similar to its 2007 Power8 which saw 10 000 job cuts could be launched in the summer, but Faury indicated the company was already exploring “all options” while waiting for clarity on demand. – Nampa/Reuters

Ndeitunga condemns video of dead soldiers NAMPA

OSHAKATI

Police inspector-general Sebastian Ndeitunga wants the individuals who filmed a video clip showing the bodies of Namibian Defence Force (NDF) members who died in an accident in the Omusati Region identified and dealt with severely.

Ndeitunga made the plea while addressing police officers, soldiers and members of the Namibian Correctional Service and Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) who are manning the lockdown checkpoints in northern Namibia over the weekend.

The individuals, Ndeitunga said, took the video along with photos at the accident scene last week before circulating the material on social media platforms.

Disturbing images

Ndeitunga stressed that the clip is disturbing as it shows the two lifeless bodies of the NDF members and those of other members who were seriously injured in the same accident, which occurred on the Elim-Oshikuku road last Wednesday.

Ndeitunga added he wants the intelligence community, made up of the police special branch, NCIS, NDF intelligence, as well as the surrounding community to help identify the particular people so that they can be dealt with.

He described the culprits as irresponsible citizens who “should not be tolerated”.

Two NDF members, Anna Lisa Kapweya (49) and Musindikizi Luseso (29), died in the crash after the official vehicle they were travelling in left the road and overturned, leaving four other members seriously injured.

They were on their way from the Zone 4 roadblock on the Oshakati-Okahao main road to the Zone 3 roadblock at Onampira on the Oshakati-Oshikuku main road when the accident occurred.

LifeLine/Childline rolls out feeding programme LIMBA MUPETAMI

WINDHOEK

Lifeline/ChildLine Namibia last Thursday rolled out a feeding programme in Windhoek’s Okahandja Park informal settlement, with the aim of feeding 6 000 children in the Khomas, Erongo, Kavango East and West regions.

The Roger Federer Foundation (RFF) granted funding to the tune of N$3.8 million in support of feeding schemes in schools and preschools supported by LifeLine/Childline, the Child Alliance for Orphans in Oshana and Khomas, and the Women’s Action for Development Centre in the Ohangwena Region.

All these programmes are registered under the School Readiness Initiatives (SRI) in Namibia and southern Africa.

LifeLine/Childline received N$1.8 million from these funds to support the 6 000 children registered.

‘‘The funding is meant to provide supplementary nutritional support to vulnerable children in early childhood development (ECD) facilities and schools supported under RFF and SRI.

‘‘The Covid-19 enforced shutdown of schools in Namibia has led to a situation where children cannot access crucial nutritional support at the learning facilities, and this is felt to further jeopardise their development,’’ said Nicolette Bessinger, LifeLine/Childline director.

‘‘The programme will support 150 ECD centres and 40 schools. The feeding scheme will run from now until June 2020. Three teams in those three regions will be handing out food packages for the next coming weeks,’’ added Bessinger.

“The targeted beneficiaries for this emergency intervention are all children in the 375 RFF- and SRI-supported facilities, currently standing at 13 052.

“The funding support will prioritise facilities where there are highly vulnerable children in Khomas and Erongo regions which are under lockdown. Secondly, facilities where there are no feeding schemes will provide supplementary aid to those that already provide feeding,” Bessinger said.

Elephant conflicts escalateMitigation, preventive measures intensified Reports of elephants damaging crops and property have been received from several regions.

ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

In light of escalating cases of human-wildlife conflict involving elephants, the environment ministry is intensifying its efforts to manage these conflicts with specific mitigation and preventive measures.

Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said reports of elephants damaging crops and property have been received from the Ehirovipuka and Kamanjab areas in the Kunene Region, the Ruacana, Okahao and Tsandi constituencies of the Omusati Region, the Okongo, Nehale Lya Mpingana and Eengondi constituencies in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions.

Incidents have also been reported in the Grootfontein commercial farming area in the Otjozondjupa Region, Mangetti and Musese areas in the Kavango West Region, areas around Khaudum National Park and Bwabwata National Park in Kavango East Region, the Omatjete area in the Erongo Region and several parts of the Zambezi Region.

Muyunda said elephants are attracted by maize, mahangu, watermelon and other crops that are flourishing after a good rainy season.

He said another contributing factor to the escalating cases of human-wildlife conflict is noncompliance with the Environmental Management Act by organs of state when allocating land for economic activities such as farming.

Interventions

According to Muyunda, mitigation and preventative measures will include rapid response to assist affected communities by driving away elephants from their fields and settlements, and the capture and relocation of elephants to areas where they are less likely to cause problems.

He said other measures may include collaring specific elephants in different herds to monitor their movements, alerting communities and farmers, creating separate water points for elephants in the wild, destruction of declared problem animals and mapping out of wildlife corridors.

Muyunda said the mapping of wildlife corridors had been completed in the Zambezi Region and the ministry was completing the exercise in the Kunene, Erongo and Omusati regions.

Muyunda said the elephant conflicts were regrettable and unfortunate and the ministry sympathised with everyone affected.

“We urge communities in human-wildlife-conflict-prone areas to always be on alert and not deliberately put their lives in danger. Furthermore, members of the public are called upon not to take the law into the hands by hunting down problem-causing animals.”

COVID-19 could cost Africa U$500 billion

Kingsley Ighobor – Up to 20 million jobs in the formal and informal sectors in Africa could be lost because of Covid-19, according to a new study by the African Union.

The study found that foreign direct investment (FDI), tourism receipts and remittance flows will also suffer significant declines as the continent tackles the pandemic. Titled The Impact of Coronavirus on the African Economy, the study modelled two scenarios, each with equal chance of being realized. Under scenario one (realistic), the pandemic will be contained within five months, inflicting minimal damage; under scenario two, the pandemic will last for eight months and countries will be severely affected.

The more optimistic scenario one projects a 2020 GDP growth of -08% while the pessimistic scenario two will result in -1.1% growth. Given that the continent’s 2020 GDP growth had been projected at 3.4%, even the optimistic scenario is a significant decline of 4.18% while the pessimistic scenario projects a decline of 4.51%.

The negative growth would be due to a “disruption of the world economy through global value chains, the abrupt fall in commodity prices and fiscal revenues and the enforcement of travel and social restrictions.”

Furthermore, a 35% dip in exports and imports would be worth $270 billion. Yet, Africa will require $130 billion to “fight against the spread of the virus and medical treatment,” stated the African Union.

Drop in oil prices

Africa will lose between 20% and 30% of its fiscal revenue, which was 500 billion in 2019, forcing governments to resort to borrowing to meet the shortfall. Commodity-dependent countries such as Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Republic of the Congo will be most affected.

The slump in oil price to below $30 a barrel, and a nosedive of the tourism and air transport sectors, will upend countries’ development agendas.

The tourism and oil sectors represent 25% of the GDPs of Africa’s top five economies—Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. The study emphasized that, “The level of the impact of COVID-19 on these five economies will be representative for the whole of the African economy.”

Oil constitutes 90% of Nigeria’s exports and 70% of its national budget, meaning that any dip in price will have an impact on earnings. Both Nigeria and Angola, Africa’s top two oil producers, could lose up to $65 billion in income.

Effects on tourism

In South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens the countries’ main sources of income—mining and tourism. With 10.47 million arrivals in 2018, the country was second only to Egypt in tourism receipts, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Overall, tourism contributed $194.2 billion or 8.5% to Africa’s GDP in 2018.

Top African airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, will be affected by travel restrictions across the world.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Africa’s air transport industry contributes up to $55.8 billion (2.6%) to Africa’s GDP and supports 6.2 million jobs. By 11 March, African airlines had lost $4.4 billion in revenue due to fallout from the pandemic.

Parliament to go virtual for budget

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

The speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Peter Katjavivi, has confirmed that parliament will convene on 19 May to discuss the national budget.

The Chief Whips Forum recently agreed that parliament would convene on 21 April, with 49 members allowed to gather in the chamber and the remainder to tune in virtually.

Katjavivi said yesterday that a postponement was necessary to make the necessary logistical arrangements for a parliamentary debate via video conference.

“We have never budgeted for these things; we need to liaise with the finance minister and also with the health ministry in order to make sure we are in compliance with the lockdown regulations,” he said.

National Assembly spokesperson David Nahogandja confirmed that three quotations for the provision of information technology solutions had been received, some amounting to close to N$600 000. “A decision on the way forward will be taken from 5 May to determine what would be the best possible platform to adopt for the law-making process,” he said.

LPM chips in

Meanwhile, Landless People's Movement (LPM) chief whip, Henny Seibeb, has accused Katjavivi of double standards.

According to him, Katjavivi had snubbed a meeting with the chief whips who agreed that parliament should resume on 21 April and not 19 May.

“Ironically, on 19 April 2020, he appeared at the National Assembly celebrating a so-called 60th anniversary of Swapo with his comrades. It is not so good that while he claims not to have time to meet chief whips of different political parties, he makes time for his party's celebrations, amid the Covid-19 lockdown, breaking the very regulations of the state of emergency in place,” said Seibeb.

He said Katjavivi failed to officially communicate the change of date to them, which in his view is “a sure sign of rising tendencies of an authoritarian leadership”. Katjavivi denied this, saying he had communicated the date change through Swapo chief whip Hamunyera Hambyuka and added that the Swapo anniversary has nothing to do with his work as speaker.

“Listen, I do not want to get involved in that kind of talk. The Swapo anniversary was a small event and should not be confused with the work of parliament,” he said.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Kandjii granted N$3 000 bail

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

Katutura Central constituency councillor Ambrosius Kandjii was granted N$3 000 bail yesterday following his arrest over the weekend for alleged assault.

Kandjii, a former professional boxer, is accused of assaulting two people and pointing a gun at them.

According to police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, a case of malicious damage to property was opened against the Swapo councillor for allegedly damaging the vehicle of his first victim, a 26-year-old man.

Violent altercation

An additional case of assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm was opened after he allegedly punched a 31-year-old woman in the face and threatened to shoot her.

It is alleged that the woman asked the councillor about food distribution, which apparently resulted in the altercation.

Kandjii was represented by Ketuu Kaura from the Kangueehi and Kavendjii legal firm, while the State was represented by prosecutor Victoria Likius.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Covid-19: May weddings postponedPandemic ruins traditional wedding month Many couples who had planned to get married next month have had to change their plans.

ILENI NANDJATO

ONDANGWA

Many people who were planning to get married next month have postponed their weddings because of the coronavirus pandemic, while a few have decided to go ahead under the social distancing rule banning gatherings of more than 10 people.

Wedding planners say it is up to the couples to decide whether to go ahead during the traditional high season for wedding ceremonies.

In Namibia, many people exchange their marriage vows at magistrate's courts or at churches, and the festivities attract hundreds of people.

Under the Covid-19 state of emergency social gatherings are limited to 10 people.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin) secretary-general, Reverend Alpo Enkono, says many couples who had booked weddings for May have approached the church to postpone.

Church locked down

“There are many people who have booked their weddings with our congregations for next month, but they have started postponing them. As a church at the moment we have no say in their decision as the church council has not yet met,” Enkono said.

“The church council was scheduled to meet next month but due to the national lockdown and social gathering restriction the meeting might not be able to materialise. We have many things to discuss regarding church events that are affected by the pandemic.”

Enkono said at the moment they are just respecting the couples' decisions, but they will not give any advice.

Not just a party

Bishop Lukas Kaluwapa Katenda of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church (REACH) says couples who want to exchange their marriage vows have two options: to postpone or to go ahead, but adhere to the social distancing restrictions.

“Traditionally weddings are a proud event for couples and their parents. That is why to make it significant they invite a lot of people to witness such an achievement.

“Many people are therefore postponing, claiming that they have already spent a lot and have invited many people,” Katenda said.

“Marriage is however not about how many people attend the wedding. What is important is the two people who are exchanging their vows.

“That is why we are saying they can go ahead, as long as they are adhering to the social gathering restrictions.”