Fired writer's case reaches labour court

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Fired writer's case reaches labour court OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK



Former Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) freelance writer and columnist Vitalio Angula's dismissal case is due to be heard in the labour court next month.

He will make his appearance on 17 June at the Office of the Labour Commissioner.

Angula saw his contract being terminated last year when he appeared on One Africa Television to air his views on the Fishrot scandal during that channel's It's A Wrap programme.

On the show, hosted by Erica Gebhardt, Angula said he had a problem with an Icelandic fishing company executive saying Africans were corruptible. He further accused Spanish fishing companies of illegally fishing in African waters, particularly those of Western Sahara.



Fishrot scandal

Icelandic fishing company Samherji stands accused of paying bribes in exchange for lucrative fishing rights.

The scandal has led to the high-profile resignations of former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau, former justice minister Sakeus Shanghala and former Investec CEO James Hatuikulipi. Angula maintains he did not require any consent to air his views and that his contract was terminated unlawfully.

“I am a freelance journalist. What is stopping me? I was never introduced as a Nampa employee, but as an independent analyst,” Angula said in a recent sit-down with Namibian Sun.



Risked agency's reputation

In a letter to Angula last November, Nampa's head of editorial services Jata Kazondu wrote that the agency's editorial policy stance had been compromised by his appearance on the broadcast. “You have risked the agency's reputation by taking part in a highly controversial nationally discussed show,” the letter read. Angula had been informed that no requests to participate in public debates would be entertained, it stated.

“Your participation in the show was without the prerequisite permission from the news editor or myself, which was a matter that was discussed extensively with you at the coming into force of your stringer contract.

“I have previously warned you several times not to take part in such or similar discussions because of your attachment to the agency,” Kazondu wrote.

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Man dies at China Town shop

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Man dies at China Town shop ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK



A 27-year-old Namibian man died at China Town in Windhoek yesterday morning when a wall collapsed and fell on him.

According to police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the deceased and two other men were breaking down a wall in a shop in China Town on Tuesday at approximately 11:00. The deceased was apparently drilling at the bottom of the wall while the other two men were breaking down the top of the wall.

The wall collapsed and fell on top of the man, who died at the scene.

The deceased was employed by a construction company owned by a Chinese national who has permanent residency in Namibia.

Competition commission uncovers price fixing

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Competition commission uncovers price fixingSanitisers, face masks among overpriced items Businesses have gone overboard in pricing items desperately needed to keep the coronavirus at bay. STAFF REPORTER

WINDHOEK



The Namibia Competition Commission says it has received complaints of massive increases on an array of products.

The prices of rice, ginger, oranges, naartjies, hand sanitisers and face masks have reportedly skyrocketed.

The commission conducted an analysis of price exploitation, with prices increasing from 14% to over 1 000% during April and May.

Forty percent of complaints related to increases on food and consumer items, while 13% related to health and hygiene products, it said.



Massive increases

A 143% price increase was noted for 1kg of rice, 267% for oranges and 263% for ginger, while an increase of 52% for 5kg of sugar, 39% for one litre of full cream milk, 27% for 10kg of sugar and 47% for Oshikandela was observed.

Even bigger price increases were noted regarding health and hygiene products, with the price for a box of face masks increasing 1 342%, while the price of single face masks increased by 567%.

“It can be observed that the price of face masks, hand sanitisers and immune-boosting products such as oranges, naartjies and raw ginger all saw huge price increases.



“Some of these products are unaffected by supply chain challenges and are therefore not subject to supply shortages,” the commission said.



Retailers to blame

Big retailers are accused of having adjusted the prices of their products, according to the commission.

These include big names like Spar, Pick n Pay, Woermann Brock and Shoprite-Checkers, it noted.

Thirty-six percent of the complaints it received were against Spar supermarkets, 21% against OK Foods Stores and 15% against pharmacies including Dischem, while 13% of the complaints were against Pick n Pay.

Clicks, Shoprite-Checkers and Woermann Brock accounted for 5% of the complaints.



Potential investigation

The commission said it would assess the allegations, but cautioned that complaints received did not imply that the retailers were guilty of price fixing.

“The commission will in due time make a decision to proceed with formal investigations against those implicated with due regard to the procedures set out in the Competition Act and the envisaged price directives.”

Complaints regarding essential products will be afforded priority, it added.

The commission advised members of the public to continue filing their complaints via email at covid19@nacc.com.na or via WhatsApp or text to 081 377 4800.

SA’s BCG booster trials seek low-cost weapon against virus

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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SA’s BCG booster trials seek low-cost weapon against virusFirst tests in Africa Researchers expect preliminary results within six months in the year-long trial. Perhaps it works, perhaps it doesn't, but it's definitely worth trying. – Prof Andreas Diacon, Founder: TASK Wendell Roelf - The idea of testing the BCG vaccine in Africa against Covid-19 was bound to cause controversy, yet officials say efforts underway could, if successful, give the continent a cheap and easily deployable weapon against the virus.

South African biotech group TASK this month started the continent's first trial to see whether 250 high-risk workers given a booster dose of BCG vaccine show better protection against Covid-19 than the same number given a placebo.

Three thousand health workers are eventually expected to be involved in the trial overall. Researchers expect preliminary results within six months in the year-long trial.

Tests to see if the century-old Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, widely used in Africa for tuberculosis, protects against the new coronavirus have also begun in the Netherlands and Australia.

But unlike those countries, where BCG vaccinations at birth aren't the norm, South Africa's trial involves injecting people for a second time. BCG injections are mandatory at birth in South Africa, where TB is a leading killer.

"We are trying to see if ... reminding the immune system of that vaccine will make a difference," said Andreas Diacon, a professor at Stellenbosch University's medical school who founded TASK in 2005 to hunt for novelty medicines and vaccines.

"Perhaps it works, perhaps it doesn't, but it's definitely worth trying ... [because] we just need to know if it can help us through this Covid-19 crisis," he told Reuters at TASK's high-security mycobacteriology laboratory.

Alarm bells

Trying out a new medical intervention in Africa always rings alarm bells because of an unfortunate history of big pharmaceutical companies using Africans as guinea pigs.

So when a French doctor last month suggested that the BCG should also be tested in Africa as a possible shield against Covid-19, it provoked a predictable social media backlash.

Yet the vaccine is widely regarded as safe, and officials involved in the trial at Tygerberg hospital in Cape Town point out that it is so readily available in Africa and the developing world that poor countries with limited health resources could benefit massively from the discovery that the jab is effective.

"If you look at BCG as a potentially cheap and available tool that African countries could afford ... it does make sense," Diacon said. "The results will be relevant for ... parts of the world that do not have access to first world medicine."

Possible epicentre

The World Health Organisation has warned that the next epicentre of the pandemic could very well be Africa, where measures to contain it are harder to implement and health services much more likely to be overwhelmed than in the West.

Across Africa, there is less than one intensive care bed and one ventilator per 100 000 people, a Reuters survey found. The continent has around 85 329 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2 784 deaths, compared with 300 000 worldwide since the virus emerged from China late last year.

There is no known cure for Covid-19 and scientists worldwide are scrambling for vaccine candidates.

"Our experts have ensured stringent ... criteria for trial participants, as well as all the requisite safety and efficacy monitoring measures during the trial," said a spokesman for the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. – Nampa/Reuters

Borrowing on our own terms

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Borrowing on our own terms They say beggars can’t be choosers, but in the context of a developmental state such as Namibia, where government plays the leading role in promoting industrialisation, the meaning of this phrase must be redefined.

Often, development aid, such as the loan facility being extended to Namibia by China to upgrade Hosea Kutako International Airport, is seen as aid in the true sense of the word, when it is actually a strict business transaction.

The fact that China has been dangling this tempting loan offer in the face of our broke government is because the Asian giant means business.

While the lender traditionally coins the terms of their loan facility, the world is heading towards a place where such agreements must give both parties equal powers of input.

If China is indeed our ‘all-weather friend’, to borrow from the vocabulary of Namibian political sloganeers, they must be amenable to suggestions from Namibia on how the loan deal can be structured.

Because the lender and the borrower need each other in equal measure, no one side must have the overarching power to dictate all the terms of what is clearly a mutually-beneficial arrangement.

The problem of perceived dominant China’s encroachment on Africa is not the Asian giant’s fault but Africa’s.

Africans go to the negotiation table trembling like puppies that endured rain in a cold season. This breed of coward political leaders and technocrats are China’s new favourite persons – for obvious reasons.

Air Namibia to jet out more foreigners

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Air Namibia to jet out more foreigners OGONE TLHAGE



WINDHOEK

The national carrier is in the process of preparing repatriation flights for more foreign nationals stuck in Namibia and seeking a swift return to their home countries.

The first such flight is expected to depart Windhoek this Friday, 22 May, making its first stop in Luanda, Angola, before it makes similar stops in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) before making its final stop in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

The United States embassy informed its citizens wishing to return home to make use of the opportunity and advised them to make additional arrangements for travel back to that country.

“From any of these destinations, passengers would be expected to arrange for their own onward travel via commercial flights,” it said in a circular.

“A second flight will travel from Windhoek to Frankfurt, Germany, on 27 May,” it said.

Similar arrangements

The Dutch embassy was making similar arrangements for its citizens to return home.

“Air Namibia is organising a repatriation flight to Frankfurt and London on 27 May. You are responsible for your onward booking from Frankfurt or London, so it is important to first confirm your seat with Air Namibia before booking your onward destination,” it said.

Consultations still underway

Air Namibia spokesperson Paul Nakawa however threw a spanner in the works, saying that consultations with the ministry of international relations were still in progress.

“We are in talks with the ministry of international relations. We have not received the go-ahead as yet,” he said.

Restricted travel

Following confirmation of the first positive cases of the coronavirus, government moved swiftly to impose a travel ban into and out of the country to curb its spread.

In March and April, German airline Lufthansa repatriated close to 1 200 passengers to Germany from Namibia, due to the global outbreak.

Namibians coming home

According to NBC News, Air Namibia will also fly to several African countries on Friday to repatriate over 100 Namibian citizens stuck in foreign countries.

The airline has 74 bookings confirmed.

The entire operation will be carried out in one day, according to Air Namibia sales manager, Ebson Ngondo.

3 June schools reopening shrouded in scepticism

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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3 June schools reopening shrouded in scepticism OGONE TLHAGE



WINDHOEK

The education ministry’s announcement that schools will reopen next month has been met with scepticism.

Ministry executive director Sanet Steemkamp yesterday announced that schools would reopen on 3 June using a phased approached, with senior learners set to get back behind their desks first.

However, the Trade Union Congress of Namibia president Mahongora Kavihuha has questioned whether the ministry is adequately prepared.

“We are becoming sceptical whether some measures will be adhered to. Some schools have not even received funding for cleaning,” he said.

Worried

“We are worried, schools which were earmarked to get funding have not received funding yet,” Kavihuha added.

He encouraged the ministry to take the necessary precautions to protect the health of learners, and urged that learners displaying flu-like symptoms be kept from returning to school until they were better.

Meanwhile, Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) secretary-general Loide Shaanika said the ministry must make sure that schools which do not have the necessary facilities had these in place when the school year resumes.

“We have schools that do not have ablution facilities and potable water,” she said.

Appoint more teachers

Another measure to ensure the safety of learners was the appointment of additional teachers in overcrowded schools, Shaanika said.

She added that Nantu agreed that schools be opened for grades 11 and 12, as it was critical for these learners to complete the schooling year.

Return schedule

With grades categorised into phases and Phase 1, grades 11 and 12, set to resume face-to-face schooling on 3 June, pre-primary to grade three learners (Phase 2) will be back in the classroom on 22 June.

Phase 3, grades seven and nine, will resume schooling on 6 July, while Phase 4 (grades four to eight, and grade 10) will make their return on 20 July.

All grades will conclude the school year on 18 December, the ministry announced.

“The ministry, together with the regional directorates of education, schools, parents, other stakeholders and the community at large, will make sure all resources at its disposal are available to ensure that the safety of learners is prioritised and ensured, as far as possible, at schools,” Steenkamp said.

The ministry also announced that teachers would be allowed a mid-term break from 22 to 29 May.

“The revised school calendar with the ministerial guidelines on the re-opening of schools will still be communicated,” Steenkamp said.

Schools had been closed since 14 March in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

China offers 90% of airport funding

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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China offers 90% of airport fundingN$7 billion project back on the radar The Asian giant is dangling about N$6.3 billion in Namibia’s face, a tempting offer that is now receiving high-level attention. OGONE TLHAGE







WINDHOEK

The Chinese government has offered to finance up to 90% of the construction and expansion of the Hosea Kutako International Airport, whose cost last stood at N$7 billion.

This means China has put on the table about N$6.3 billion.

Namibia is, however, yet to take up the loan facility extended by the Chinese government, government said yesterday.

If Namibia accepts the Asian giant’s offer, it is still not clear whether government would cover the remaining 10% of the project from its own reserves or borrow elsewhere to make up for the shortfall.

China has been courting Namibia since 2017 with the conclusion of the Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where it availed US$60 billion (N$1.1 trillion) in infrastructure funding to African governments.

The funding is being rolled out under that government’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Not signed yet

Finance ministry spokesperson Tonateni Shidhudhu confirmed that Namibia has not signed on the dotted line, despite media reports to the contrary.

“The ministry is still working on the modalities for the financing deal. It is still not finalised. Hopefully the minister will pronounce himself after the delivery of the budget,” he said.

He would not provide any specifics related to the amount of funding earmarked for the development of the airport, but said up to 90% in project financing was being availed by the Chinese government.

No information was divulged on the potential interest government would pay, whether there would be a grace period before Namibia would restart loan repayments and whether any part of the loan was concessionary.

Newly appointed finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi is expected to table his maiden budget before the end of this month.

All-weather friend

President Hage Geingob had previously welcomed the loan offer made by the Chinese government.

“We would like to express our appreciation for the special financial package for our main airport. We are very happy to know about the package to help us build our new airport,” the president said.

He indicated the project would put China's assistance to Namibia in the public view.

“We must still come back because of this crisis to ask for more benefits in that relationship regarding the airport,” Geingob said.

The president was reported to have been on a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

“China’s loans to Namibia, as at July 2019, amounted to 2,6% of total government debt, and 7,9% of total external debt of Namibia,” Chinese embassy spokesperson Lu Hairong has previously indicated.

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Africa's tech scene tackles virus

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Africa's tech scene tackles virus We are making machines with locally available material. - Gordon Ogweno, Professor: Kenyatta University Fran Blandy - Watching from afar as much of the world was brought to its knees by the coronavirus, African scientists, engineers and innovators have turned to homegrown solutions to prepare for the worst case scenario.

By the time the virus hit Africa, where cases have risen relatively slowly, images of overwhelmed hospitals and stories of health workers strapped for protective gear had been streaming in for weeks.

Mehul Shah from Ultra Red Technologies, a 3D printing company in Nairobi, said he and his partner Neeval Shah quickly realised they could be "first responders" in producing locally-made equipment.

In only three days they put together a working design for 3D-printed face shields made up of a visor that clips onto a plastic sheet. They currently produce around 500 a day.

"It's very important that we can show Kenyans that we can do this here and we don't need to rely on importation. We have got the innovative know-how and the means to get this done here," he told AFP.

The team is also helping produce components that would allow ventilators to be used on more than one patient, as well as printing parts for locally-made ventilators.

While Kenya only has 912 cases and 50 deaths after a little over two months, "we are preparing for the worst case scenario," Mehul said.

He said it was "a first" to see manufacturers in Kenya and even worldwide collaborating so much.

"All the companies are looking at how they can use their resources to help out. All the competitors who would be fighting against each other are all coming together."

In Benin, the start-up Blolab - a digital fabrication laboratory - has also been printing 3D face shields.

Tracing apps

Developers in Kenya's thriving tech scene are among several on the continent working on contact tracing apps.

FabLab, an innovation hub in western Kisumu has developed an application called Msafari (Safari means journey in Swahili) which can track passengers on public transport.

With it, passengers entering a minibus taxi - known as a matatu - can input a simple code on their phone along with the vehicle registration number.

"If one of those passengers tested positive we are now able to trace all the contacts who checked in on that particular vehicle," said Tairus Ooyi, the lead app developer and data scientist at FabLab.

Ventilators

Another busy area of innovation has been the production of ventilators, which have been in short supply even in rich countries as Covid-19 patients needing oxygen have swamped hospitals.

Most African countries have only a handful of the machines and 10 have none at all, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Kenya, engineering students in collaboration with the medical department at the Kenyatta University, produced a low-cost ventilator at a tenth of the price of an imported machine - estimated at US$10 000.

Doctor Gordon Ogweno, a medical professor at the university said Kenya had about 50 working ventilators for a population of more than 50 million.

"We are making machines with locally available material ... pandemics can come and go but other conditions also require critical care," he said.

The ventilator is undergoing clinical trials.

In Ghana, the Academic City College in Accra and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi managed to produce a ventilator costing between US$500 and US$1 000 which takes only an hour to assemble.

A group of Rwandan biomedical scientists at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College in Kigali have also been testing a locally made prototype ventilator.

Resuscitator

Meanwhile in Somalia, which has limited capacity to respond to its growing caseload, 21-year-old Mohamed Adawe has invented an automated resuscitator.

While doctors normally need to pump oxygen via an Ambu bag valve mask by hand on patients struggling to breathe, Adawe's contraption - made up of a wooden box, pipes and an electric system - pushes oxygen from an air tank into a mask placed over the patient's mouth.

"I saw people having difficulties in breathing and many have died because they could not get a machine to help them provide vital oxygen," said Adawe, who is studying public health.

Robots

Aside from locally-made items - African countries are also employing other technology to tackle the virus.

Rwanda last week began using four humanoid robots in coronavirus treatment centres to minimise human to human contact. They can screen temperatures and monitor the status of patients.

In Ghana, the US-based company Zipline which uses drones to ferry medicines, blood and vaccines to avoid poor roads, has begun to transport coronavirus tests.

"The government told us that their biggest challenge is that the virus has spread out of the cities, they have suspected cases popping up in the rural areas and the logistics from the rural areas to the cities are very difficult," said Zipline CEO in Ghana, Daniel Marfo. – Nampa/AFP

WEF: Companies fear protracted slump

May 19, 2020, 4:00 pm

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WEF: Companies fear protracted slumpYouth unemployment a worry The debt accrued in the rescue packages could depress government and corporate finances and retard growth for years. London - A prolonged global slump and surge in bankruptcies arising from the coronavirus pandemic are the foremost concerns for companies surveyed in a World Economic Forum report yesterday.

Recessions on a scale not seen since the 1930s Great Depression demand more action from governments to ensure a timely recovery and to put growth on a healthier path, the report also said.

The survey of 347 company risk managers looked at the biggest concerns for the next 18 months, after the pandemic shuttered large swathes of production and forced massive rescue packages by governments around the world.

They identified the most likely fallout as an extended downturn, a jump in company failures allied with industry consolidation, along with high youth unemployment.

The debt accrued in the rescue packages could depress government and corporate finances and retard growth for years, and also stymie efforts to combat climate change, the report said.

The crisis has "revealed the inadequacies of the past", Saadia Zahidi, managing director of the World Economic Forum, said.

‘Unique opportunity’

"We now have a unique opportunity to use this crisis to do things differently and build back better economies that are more sustainable, resilient and inclusive," she said.

The WEF organises an annual meeting of political and corporate leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

Ahead of this year's conclave in January, when the Covid-19 outbreak was still largely confined to China, the forum's annual risk report showed climate change as the biggest concern for companies over the next 10 years.

But it also flagged up anxiety that health systems around the world were ill-prepared for another pandemic.

A second wave of Covid-19 was another concern identified in yesterday's report, along with the dangers of cyberattacks and data fraud as much corporate activity shifts online. – Nampa/AFP

Erongo’s fresh and popping

May 20, 2020, 6:26 am

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Erongo’s fresh and popping WINDHOEK • MICHAEL KAYUNDE

The Erongo region’s musicians have used the time they had on their hands during the first stage of lockdown to produce some good music.
The new hits are complements of Swakopmund’s rising star Yung Kevin, real name Paulus Kavindji, as well as Omaruru native trio Xtrazz.
Yung Kavin teamed up with talented dancer Koloko King to collaborate on a hit titled ‘Vang Vas’.

Catchy tune
The amapiano track is catchy and Yung Kavin’s bass fused with Koloko King’s energetic singing throughout make it pleasant to listen to.
The song, which is available online on Namibian Music, has been downloaded 1 200 times and garnered over 2 300 streams on the platform in three weeks.
Video director Nicky Karihinga was entrusted with the visuals, which were recently premiered on YouTube.

Up the tempo
Moreover, Afro-pop trio Xtrazz are getting attention for their latest song, Ndifuna ubumnandi. It’s a radio-friendly track with up-tempo beats and potential to be bigger than it is now if promoted sufficiently.
Bux, a member of the group, told tjil that there are plans to shoot a music video for the track. “We will shoot one when it is safe to do so because we need more people in our music video. It is not yet the right time to shoot a video with the pandemic, but fans can expect one this year,” he said.
Ndifuna ubumnandi can be streamed and downloaded on Donlu Africa.

Exclusive listen
In related news, Aye-F4r is releasing his second single titled 'Dreams' this Friday at midnight, with tjil already having secured an exclusive listen. 'Dreams' will be available for streaming and download on Donlu Africa.

APC Marimba Band announces new album

May 20, 2020, 7:22 am

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APC Marimba Band announces new album WINDHOEK • MICHAEL KAYUNDE

Tsumeb-based APC Marimba Band has revealed that they will be releasing an album in the next two weeks.
Speaking to tjil, Lis Hidber, one of the founders of the Arts Performance Centre (APC) where the band is from, shared that the album is titled Melodies from The Heart of Namibia and features 18 songs.
“It is classical and traditional instruments put together,” she said.

For the youth
APC is a well-established arts centre based at Tsumeb that gives the youth a platform to explore their musical capabilities. It was founded in 2003 by the late Hans Leu and Hidber, mainly aimed at homeless children and underprivileged youth.
“Today more than 270 people are coming daily to take lessons in harp, marimba, all type of flutes, piano and visual arts,” Hidber mentioned, amongst many other instruments.
She added that APC has enjoyed great success on the music front, adding that last year, the Namibian police made use of students from APC to teach music to inmates at correctional services.
“Some of our students have made business through their music performances as music teachers at some private schools,” she added.

Other projects
Apart from gearing up for the release of Melodies from The Heart of Namibia, Hidber also announced that the centre has other projects in the pipeline, which includes selling art works and selling the book Stories from Namibia.
“It’s a book with a lot of stories created by our children in English and translated into German. It is of help to schools who are giving German lessons,” Hidber said.
For more information, call the APC at 081 2582520.

Coleman hints at Valencia exit

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Coleman hints at Valencia exit LIMBA MUPETAMI

WINDHOEK



Brave Gladiators poster girl and captain Zenatha Coleman on Tuesday hinted that she will not be featuring for her Spanish club, Valencia, when the season restarts.

The 26-year old, who joined Valencia in July 2018 on a two-season contract, has scored seven goals in 27 appearances for the club. At her previous Spanish club Zaragoza, she scored seven goals in 14 appearances.



Big news

“I will not continue with Valencia next season. It's time for a new challenge and growing as a person as well,' she wrote on a WhatsApp status post.

However, after dropping the bombshell, she soon removed the post and was unreachable for further comment on her future endeavours.

Valencia finds itself at 15th position on the log out of 16 clubs, with just 17 points. Barcelona leads with 59 points.

Cricket Namibia launches coaches' association

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Cricket Namibia launches coaches' association SPORTS REPORTER

WINDHOEK



Cricket Namibia launched the first-ever Cricket Coaches Association on Wednesday.

The association is aimed at upskilling cricket coaches with the objective to set and maintain the standard of coaching in Namibia.

It will also be responsible to oversee that the coaching profession promotes good practice and develops quality cricket coaches in the country.

'The coaches' association's purpose is to inspire and champion coaching excellence, advance the coaching profession and make a sustainable difference to individuals, organisations and society,' read a statement from Cricket Namibia.



Great opportunity

The coordinator of the Cricket High Performance Centre, Dee Thakur, said it is a great opportunity to involve all cricket coaches in Namibia to be aligned with national high-performance programmes. “We are extending this initiative to schools, clubs, coaches, parents and interested individuals. With this initiative, we would like to produce quality cricketers, increase participation of the game and align coaching under the strategic vision of Cricket Namibia.”

The initiative is open to qualified coaches as well as the general public, and women are encouraged to take part.

Nedbank Namibia launches Bridge Run

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Nedbank Namibia launches Bridge RunRun alone, be safe Nedbank Namibia is set to host a nine-day running event, kick-starting tomorrow. SPORTS REPORTER

WINDHOEK



Starting tomorrow, Saturday, 23 May, Nedbank Namibia will host a nine-day Bridge Run under the theme 'Run Alone, Stand Together'.

“As a strategic partner in supporting healthy living and overall wellness, Nedbank Namibia, together with OTB Sport, came up with an innovative solution to not only come to the aid of runners, but to also financially support those Namibians finding themselves in dire straits,” a statement on the event read.

Hosted in collaboration with IJG Securities, the Bridge Run represents the bond between Namibians who, despite their own realities, are committed to sharing resources with the less fortunate.

Nedbank's JG van Graans said the event is aimed at fostering and strengthening links between and within communities.

“That is exactly what we, as Nedbank Namibia, would like to achieve. There are glaring inequalities in our society. However, together we are and can do better.”



Road running

Nedbank Namibia has always been instrumental in promoting road running in the country by hosting the biggest annual mass running event in Namibia, the Nedbank Citi Dash, which takes place in the capital.

The bank is also an anchor sponsor of the Hangana Hake Run and Ride, a flagship annual event at the coast. “The innovative approach to the Nedbank Bridge Run is certainly necessitated and amplified by the unprecedented times we are currently experiencing as a result of Covid-19. However, this does not detract from the undisputed yearning to keep fit and stay healthy despite the stringent measures relating to maintaining social distancing,” Van Graans added.He further said Nedbank supports government's initiatives and efforts to flatten the curve.

“This is why the introduction of the Nedbank Bridge Run excites us, as it provides a platform for runners to participate in an initiative aimed at rekindling one's competitive spirit and at the same time complying with all the measures which were introduced to combat, curb and contain the further spread of the novel coronavirus.”

Distances

According to Yvonne Brinkmann from OTB Sport, participants can choose from three distances: 3.9km, 7.5km and 15.5km.

She emphasised that this is a self-timed event.

“Alternatively, anyone who does not want to run but who wants to support the cause is welcome to make a financial contribution,” she added. All proceeds of the event will go towards a number of identified charity organisations.



Beneficiaries

These include Mammadu Centre, an after-school centre in Otjomuise where children are provided with a cooked meal, educational assistance and study support in a safe environment; Side by Side Early Interventions Centre, a facility that provides day care to children with special needs with emphasis on early childhood development and Co-Feed, a citizen-driven initiative whose purpose is to mobilise basic food supplies and necessities for distribution to the most vulnerable within our communities.

“Runners may participate in the event as many times as they wish during the nine-day period,” Brinkmann said. Information relating to the event and online entry forms are available on otbsport.com.

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NFA exco yet to decide on relief funds

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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NFA exco yet to decide on relief funds NAMPA

WINDHOEK



The Namibia Football Association (NFA) executive committee has yet to decide what to do with funds it expects to receive from Fifa, meant as coronavirus relief.

The funds were requested by the NFA normalisation committee.

A media statement issued on Tuesday by NFA acting secretary-general Franco Cosmos said the association received communication from Fifa with regards to the funds intended for its 211 member associations. He said the NFA has yet to receive the funds, and when the funds will be disbursed is yet to be decided.



Exco decision pending

“Those funds are not part of the NFA operational budget, therefore once received, we will notify the exco to decide on how to use that money in relation to Covid-19. We cannot prematurely talk until such time that the exco pronounces itself on those funds,” Cosmos said.

He did not mention how much is expected from Fifa, nor has the football governing body announced how much it will give to each member association.

Recently, the NFA received N$11 million from Fifa, also requested by the normalisation committee, to settle debts amounting to N$14 million which the association owes to various service providers.

“It was imperative that those debts were at least cleared to ensure a clean slate and we intend to use it for the purpose it was requested and given for. It will not cover all the debt, but we will try and do our best where we can to cover them,” said Cosmos.

Soroseb to retire at 45

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Soroseb to retire at 45Powerlifter targets 2024 Paralympics The 2014 disabled sportsman of the year will call it quits after one last Paralympic attempt. Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

WINDHOEK



Paralympic powerlifter Ruben Soroseb has hinted at retirement after the 2024 Paralympic Games.

The athlete, who is 41 this year, will be 45 when he competes for what is set to be his last time.

He will however first have to qualify to the Games, given that he failed to qualify for Tokyo.

“Well, as one grows older, the truth is that retirement always comes to mind, but I only want to do so at the next Paralympic Games.

“I always wanted to compete in one last Games before I call it quits.”



Plagued by injuries

“It was unfortunate that I did not qualify for the Tokyo Games because I was struggling with injuries,” Soroseb said.

The powerlifter however believes he will be able to make it to the 2024 Paralympics – if he remains injury-free.

Soroseb has not been able to train for the past three months because of the national coronavirus lockdown and restrictions.

The athlete usually trains at a gym because of the nature of his competitions.

“We do not know what the president will say about the next stage of the lockdown, but all we can hope for is for gyms to reopen again.

“I was injured for a very long time and I thought I would get back into shape much faster.

“The coronavirus outbreak came at the wrong time, but we have to accept that and the new normal.”



Achievements

Soroseb was diagnosed with polio during childhood, which left him disabled, and later found inspiration in sport.

Born in 1979 at Omaruru, he hasn't allowed his disability to become an obstacle in his life, and competes in top powerlifting events all over the world.

He was voted the disabled sportsman of the year in 2014 after winning gold medals at the Nedbank South African Disabled Championships.

Company news in brief

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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Company news in brief SA’s Land Bank in talks with lenders

South Africa's Land Bank told lawmakers on Wednesday it was negotiating with a consortium of lenders to try to restructure its debt facilities after it defaulted on R50 billion of loans in April.

The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank), the country's largest agricultural-focussed lender, was downgraded by Moody's in January and last month missed loans repayments, leading to defaults on its credit facilities and sparking fears about its ability to stay afloat.

Around R5.7 billion of its debt is guaranteed by the government, and the National Treasury has said it cannot afford to recapitalise the bank as its fights the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Land Bank chairman Arthur Moloto told parliament the state-owned lender had every intention of honouring its financial obligations to service interest on its debt, which it has struggled to do due what it called "liquidity constraints".

"We are at this stage engaging with a consortium of bond lenders, composed of commercial banks and institutional investors. The negotiations are at a very sensitive stage," Moloto said. – Nampa/Reuters

Denel can't pay May salaries

South African state defence firm Denel said on Tuesday it could not pay salaries for May and wages for June and July were at risk, highlighting the gravity of its financial position.

Despite a slight easing of South Africa's lockdown restrictions this month, Denel is running a reduced operation.

"Denel is not in a position to pay salaries for May. Also the June and July salaries are in serious jeopardy," Denel said in a message to employees seen by Reuters.

Denel chief executive Danie du Toit said in a separate statement the company was in ongoing conversations with the government "to find solutions to the current crisis".

Denel, which makes military hardware for the armed forces in South Africa and around the world, is awaiting a R576 million bailout announced in a budget speech in February, after receiving a R1.8 billion bailout last year. – Nampa/Reuters

'Reasonable prospects' Comair can be saved

Administrators in charge of South African aviation company Comair believe there are "reasonable prospects" of saving the company, it said on Tuesday, after filing for a form of bankruptcy protection earlier this month.

Comair has assets of R7.4 billion on its balance sheet compared to R5.5 billion of liabilities and is not factually insolvent, the company said in a statement.

The administrators will probably publish a business rescue plan on June 9. – Nampa/Reuters

Lafarge Africa halts capex

Lafarge Africa will freeze capital expenditure this year, chief executive Khaled El Dokani said on Tuesday after the cement company forecast a drop in second-quarter sales as the coronavirus pandemic hits demand.

Major infrastructure projects have been put on hold, El Dokani said, citing Nigeria's lower oil revenue because of a slump in oil prices, with the company's sales volumes also hit by the country's coronavirus lockdown.

The Nigerian unit of Franco-Swiss building materials group LafargeHolcim did not provide a sales figure for the second quarter. Sales for the corresponding period last year were 81.78 billion naira (US$227.2 million).

Capital expenditure in the first three months of the year stood at 2.9 billion naira, down from 6.9 billion naira in the same period last year.

At the start of the year, the company had forecast growth in its main Nigerian market as well as targeted exports.

Cement volumes in the first-quarter rose 8% and overall sales of 63.7 billion naira were up 9.8%, El Dokani said, helped by a 2% price rise that had taken effect in December. – Nampa/Reuters

Angola picks Africell as telecoms operator

Angola on Tuesday awarded the licence for its fourth telecoms network to Lebanese group Africell, as Sub-Saharan Africa's second-biggest oil producer opens other economic sectors to foreign competition.

Africell is already present in four African countries - Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Angola had awarded the licence last year to a domestic start-up called Telstar but president João Lourenço annulled the decision, saying the company failed to meet the bidding requirements.

Angola's mobile phone market, with almost 14 million users, is currently dominated by two privately held companies - Unitel and Movicel. A third operator, Angola Telecom, offers fixed and internet access but no mobile services.

Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, owns half of Unitel's share capital. She was recently indicted for a host of high-level financial crimes. – Nampa/Reuters

Zambia partners with Array Metals

Zambia's state mining investment company ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH) has entered into a joint venture with mining services firm Array Metals to process production from a gold deposit, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Africa's second-largest copper producer, Zambia is trying to diversify its revenue base, and aims to produce 40 000 kg of gold in 2020 from primary and secondary sources including gold bought from small-scale miners.

ZCCM-IH subsidiary Consolidated Gold Company Zambia (CGCZ) will hold 65% of the project processing gold in Mumbwa, west of Lusaka, with Array Metals Zambia holding 35%.

The project aims to produce about 3 tonnes of gold within the next two years, worth approximately US$150 million at current prices, the statement said. – Nampa/AFP

A preacher's encouragement

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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A preacher's encouragement Reverend Shivute David Aipinge



Hope is not easy to define, to achieve or to recover when lost. Recovering hope is not easy. Once hope is lost, it can lead to suicide. Therefore, we must be hopeful always, whenever and wherever.

Even if we are diagnosed with deadly diseases; even if we lose all our future investments; even if we lose our spouse due to divorce or death; even if we are informed that the company we work for no longer needs our services; even if we failed to win the heart of the girl we were planning a future with, there is hope.

Habakkuk (3:17-18) has set us an example: “Although the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour”.



Hard times

These two verses describe a picture of hard times. Life is pictured at its most desolate point. There are no buds on the fig tree; only dry, lifeless branches. The vineyards are not producing vines, there are no crops from the olive orchard, there are no livestock in the kraals.

We can summarise it to mean no money or even food. This is the exact situation today in Namibia. People lost jobs, they have no income, no resources, no prospects. The cupboard is bare, the pay check is gone and the food pantry just closed down. What now?



When life is upside down

What do you say when you pray and believe and trust God and try to live a decent life, but still you are lying in a hospital bed, sick and frightened and in pain and the doctor tells you he is sorry but there's nothing they can do for you? What would you say when your husband informs you he is just plain tired of being married to you and that he found real love for first time in his life – with someone else? Or you had a miscarriage, a baby you have been trying to have for the past 10 years? Or you apply for jobs but are never called in for interviews? Or you've been working for long and very hard, but never get a promotion? What will you say when life seems to be upside down?



Sing a joyful song

A lot of people may literally say in quietness “to hell with it” and this will even lead them to turn their back to God or to lose hope for the future. But Habakkuk says this: “Even though the crops have failed and there is no livestock in my barn, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Saviour”. Whatever life brought to Habakkuk, he was joyful. He sung a joyful song. Not necessarily because he doesn't care about life or that he's mentally disturbed, but because he learnt to sing his joy in a minor key. Musicians will know how challenging is it to sing joyfully in a minor key.

Life changes to challenge our situation. Habakkuk doesn't sing because he is happy with the situation, but because he is rejoicing in the Lord. Things can be as they are yet we are joyful in God, our Saviour.



Test of faith

In life, we rejoice when things are well with us and on our sides. The real test of our faith is how we meet loss. Most of us are challenged by the outbreak of the coronavirus: Business people have lost income; those in the transport industry have lost income; bars and shebeens are closed; internet sellers are restricted; the situation is no longer the same. Employers have nothing to pay their employees, yet they are being told not to retrench them; employers must look for a way how to handle their employees.

Churches are closed, no more income either to pay for the essential services such as water, electricity, municipal bills as well as bank charges.

The question might arise now: Is there anything left to be joyful about?



Rejoice anyway

The answer is yes. We are not to rejoice because we are waiting, or comfortable and happy, or in love with a wonderful guy. All these things plus many others I didn't mention here can disappear in a blink of an eye. We are to rejoice because we know the Lord, because in Jesus Christ we are adopted by the Creator of the whole universe.

Therefore, one can be joyful even if his crops (or efforts in life) have failed and your kraal (or bank account) is empty.

I don't recommend resignation when things are not in your favour. Resignation is when you give up hope. You accept the inevitable, because there's nothing else you can do about it. You simply resign, the way a gambler presses the 'payout' button when he sees that the machine is not on his favour and he is about to lose his money.

Biblical faith is not resignation. Faith is different. Faith sings. Faith even leaps. It climbs like a deer, as per Habakkuk 3:19. Apostle Paul is telling us that in Christ we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).



Live by faith

In whatever situation, we are to live by faith. Dr Paul Harrison defined living by faith as: “Nothing is too high to be attained, too good to be hoped for, too hard to be endured or too precious to be given away”. Trusting in God is great, but it's not magic. It does not automatically make all our problems go away or remove our very natural reactions to them. You can be faithful and still be fearful too. Yet we are living by faith and have hope for the future.

We must not give up our hopes, neither resign our faith. Things will change as time goes by.



• Reverend Shivute David Aipinge presides over the Okando Lutheran Parish in the Omusati Region.

National budget after Covid-19 disaster

May 21, 2020, 4:00 pm

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National budget after Covid-19 disaster Peya Mushelenga



Since it emerged in late 2019 when a mysterious illness was reported in Wuhan, China, Covid-19 has not only caused panic in China but worldwide as the new coronavirus that has since spread to many countries around the world and become a pandemic.

Countries around the globe began to put measures in place in order to curb the spread of this notorious virus.

Accompanying control measures are relief packages, which are aimed at leveraging consumers and businesses affected as a result of governments' control measures such as partial and total lockdowns. Despite these reactive actions, the question is: Are we ready to handle the aftermath of Covid-19?



Aftermath

Jobs are at risk from lay-offs, furloughs, reduced pay and lost hours. Virtually every sector of the economy in Namibia stands to lose a large chunk of its business, household incomes will be devastated and spending by consumers and firms will rapidly decline. This has been observed already during the period of March to May.

It's no secret that as a nation we entered 2020 with a limping economy. Namibia's rising debt burden raises the danger of future economic stagnation, reduced ability to deal with national goals and commitments to the public and surely a possible escalation of interest rates.

So, while we are in this unprecedented health and economic crisis, it is also the time to come up with a large and decisive government fiscal response.



Uncertain future

When employment and income prospects are uncertain, sending cash as we did with the N$750 to families is like pouring water into a leaky bucket. What the Namibian government really needs is policies to create good jobs once the crisis has passed. Once the pandemic is behind us, we need to start hiring. Policymakers should already be preparing public service and guaranteed-job programmes for anyone who shows up at the offices, ministries and agencies.



Recovering economy

Since we already have standing policies, plans and national programmes in place, job guarantee should be paired with training and education through various interventions, especially at grassroots level, to help workers qualify for better paying private sector employment when the economy recovers. We therefore need to put in place interlinked procedures that will help policymakers and the public prepare for the less urgent but equally important task of managing the future fiscal and economic threats from today's emergency actions.



* Peya Mushelenga has a bachelors in economics, an honours degree in economics and a master's of business administration in management strategy.