Business credit grows cold

February 2, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Business credit grows coldDemand freezes over Business’ temperature is expected to remain chilly this year as the consumer struggle to recover from the impact of the ongoing recession and Covid-19. Given the increased risk and slow recovery expected, access to finance may still be constrained. – Cirrus Securities Jo-Maré Duddy – Commercial bank credit extended to businesses in 2020 recorded six months of negative growth, reflecting the corporate’s sector struggle for survival, which is expected to continue this year.

The average growth in business credit extension last year was 0.6%. Overall private sector credit extension (PSCE) – money lend to individuals and corporates – averaged 3.1%. In 2015, the year before Namibia entered its current recessionary cycle, growth was 19.99% and 15.7% respectively.

IJG Securities says 2020’s annual PSCE growth statistics are the lowest on their records dating back 2002.

Data released by the Bank of Namibia (BoN) shows businesses owed commercial banks about N$44.3 billion in total at the end of December. This is N$546 million or 1.2% less than the end of 2019.

INVESTMENT

Total mortgage loan debt of businesses decreased by around N$1.17 billion or 8.7% to nearly N$12.4 billion.

“The decrease in mortgage advances is reflective of subdued economic activity and uncertain recovery prospects, resulting in the delay of expansion projects and reducing asset backed credit extension,” Simonis Storm (SS) says.

According to Cirrus Securities, the wide-ranging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns will have, at best, put a hold on many investment initiatives from the private sector.

“Rather, funding for such endeavours may well rather have been used to ensure continued operation (where there was disruption) or used to build up reserves to withstand extended shocks (given the uncertain operating environment),” Cirrus says.

OVERDRAFTS

Credit extended in the category for other loans and advances rose by a mere N$14.1 million or 0.1% from December 2019 to December 2020.

Overdraft debt, however, surged by nearly N$1.3 billion or 12.6% to N$11.4 billion during the year under review.

Commenting on the increase, Cirrus Securities says: “Strong reliance on these facilities in the current environment is understandable yet worrying, as the initial supply shock and latent demand shock mean the operating environment will remain suppressed.”

Instalment and leasing credit at the end of last year stood at about N$3.5 billion, dropping by N$661.2 million or 15.8% from the end of 2019.

Cirrus anticipates that business will continue to struggle to access finance at previous rates, “as the mismatch between administered and market-determined rates discourage commercial lending”.

“Given the increased risk and slow recovery expected, access to finance may still be constrained – particularly for firms in the construction, tourism and aviation industries,” the analysts say.

DEMAND RECOVERY

Domestic demand recovery will be one of the crucial drivers of economic recovery. Household consumption is the largest contributor to Namibia’s gross domestic product from the expenditure side and, according to Cirrus, generally accounts for roughly 70% of the total GDP.

The domestic demand shock resulting from the pandemic impact is concerning as it remains in its early phase, Cirrus says. “The local consumer entered Covid highly embattled, and this has been further exacerbated through the past year.”

Household indebtedness have been extremely high for several years, Cirrus points out, and this will further constrain a recovery in household spending in 2021.

BoN data shows that the average annual growth in overall credit extended to households in 2020 was 5.6%.

IN THE RED

Other loans and advances, which include personal loans and credit card debt, grew by 17.7% on average, while overdraft debt increased by 9.2%. At the end of 2020, households owed banks about N$9.7 billion in other loans and advances, while overdraft debt totalled N$2.45 billion.

The closure, downscaling, retrenchments and restructuring of many businesses in the aftermath of the pandemic outbreak – likely to continue this year – have caused aggregate household income to fall dramatically. Cirrus foresees “no immediate signs of material recovery and re-employment visible over the next few years”.

“As such, volume and value sales through wholesale and retail outlets can be expected to remain depressed, particularly where non-necessity items are concerned,” the analysts say.

Cirrus expects the retail space to remain under pressure, “especially for entities providing services to less resilient, lower LSM [living standards measure] clients”.

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PwC Business School offers fresh perspective

February 2, 2021, 2:00 pm

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PwC Business School offers fresh perspectiveNo traditional learning institution The PwC Business School has been operational for the past eight years. The PwC Business School takes pride in having experienced numerous pivotal moments in the training industry that have reinforced its belief that training is and remains an important investment which organisations can make towards their human capital in the continued strive towards business excellence.

The business school is not a traditional learning institution offering professional qualifications. It focuses on delivering relevant and development solutions based on deep knowledge and experience within PwC's core areas of expertise.

The Business School provides a range of business insights and knowledge-based programmes for directors, executives and managers alike.

It brings together four unique training solutions: Thought leadership events, client-specific learning solutions, public training solutions and business bitesize sessions.

NEW ADDITION

Senior manager, Mari-Nelia (Mimi) Hough, has joined the Business School this year.

Hough started her career with PwC Namibia in 2008. Through her exposure with the firm over the past 13 years, she gained extensive experience across a broad range of services and specialises in tax consulting and human resource consultations.

Hough has experience working with clients from a wide range of Namibian industries and is actively involved in various marketing platforms for the firm.

She has a passion for knowledge sharing and believes in educational empowerment. Having hosted and facilitated several client workshops and public training sessions, Hough will be a valuable resource to the Business School.

“We believe that our new addition to the PwC Business School will bring fresh perspective to service offerings, in the physical and virtual classrooms in our continued efforts towards skills development in our business community. We look forward to launching new, exciting digital enhancements with several new learning solutions,” PwC Namibia says.

TAILORED TRAINING

It adds: “We have tailored most of our training to be presented virtually. We make use of virtual platforms, ensuring the sessions are live and interactive, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the presenter.”

During February and March, the Business School will be hosting several key public training sessions, including virtual tax sessions, anti-money laundering training, finance training, time management and effective reporting writing training.

“As employers, we should continually invest in upskilling our most valuable resources, our employees, with the right skills and core competencies to ensure they reach their full potential. To quote Benjamin Franklin: ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest’,” PwC Namibia says.

For more information about the PwC Business School, visit its website at www.pwc.com/na/en/about-us/business-school or contact us directly at na_busschool@pwc.com

Hough can be contacted at 284 1070 in Windhoek or at mari-nelia.hough@pwc.com

Seeking green shoots

February 2, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Seeking green shootsPost-Covid growth Don’t be fooled by growth projections for 2021, analysts warn. Namibia’s road to economic recovery will be a long one. The speed of decision-making and action have become more critical to prevent us from falling further into the abyss. – Simonis Storm Jo-Maré Duddy – Following the deepest contraction in Namibia’s history, the economy is set to rebound this year, but analysts warn that growth will be merely a statistical phenomenon.

“The lingering impact of 2020 leaves the average Namibian worse off than they were five years ago,” according to Cirrus Securities. In terms of real gross domestic product (GDP), the economy has regressed nearly a decade while the population has grown in the intervening years.

In the four years pre-Covid, Namibia ranked amongst the lowest growing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, it was the 16th slowest growing economy in the world, according to Cirrus. “While external conditions have been relatively favourable, local conditions have caused a material drag on growth,” the analysts say.

They add: “Off the back of several years of weak economic performance, slow divestment of capital and material budget deficits, the country entered this [Covid-19] shock with little in the way of reserves, and thus will take longer than many others to recover to pre-pandemic levels.”

“A full recovery to where Namibia was at her peak will take several years, at best,” Cirrus says.

“2020 will almost definitely be viewed as the global economy’s annus horribilis, Namibia included,” IJG Securities say, adding: “The negative economic impact [of Covid-19] will likely linger for another few years.”

‘LESS UNCERTAINTY’

The consensus estimate of last year’s contraction is around 8%, while economic growth for 2021 is estimated at some 3% plus.

IJG believes that 2021 will be better than last year “as more and more of the surviving businesses are finding ways to adapt to the new normal”.

“There is also less uncertainty surrounding the lockdown measures that Namibia could implement to contain the spread of the virus as we now have a much clearer plan of action from health officials should the number of cases start to increase again suddenly,” IJG says.

Cirrus comments: “Given that we now have a better understanding of the virus, countermeasures, and vaccines have been developed, a recovery from this absolute low base is inevitable – and simply returning to somewhat more normalised activity is not a triumph that should be lauded over.”

“We should be careful to heed those who lionise the economic recovery this year,” Cirrus warns.

VACCINES

According to Simonis Storm (SS), two major factors will shape Namibia’s economy in 2021: the timeline and effectiveness of a vaccine roll-out, and the ability of government to enact structural reforms.

“These are critical if an economic growth recovery is to be sustained from 2022 onwards,” SS says.

On vaccines, SS says the focus will be on government’s procurement of supply and roll-out logistics. “The key risk is an inefficient start and implementation of vaccinations. Some other risks could be the myriad of ideologies and beliefs and the credibility of science.”

Covid-19 will continue to be a factor for the foreseeable future, IJG says. “There will be instances of a resurgence of the virus, especially considering some of the mutations we have seen which have increased transmission rates.”

His biggest fear is not further waves, but the new variants that could render the vaccines less effective, says Dr Omu Kakujaha-Matundu, a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Namibia (UNAM).

“Should say the Pfizer vaccine not be able to effectively stop the virus, will Namibia be in a position to buy another batch of vaccines? That could be an added burden to fiscus, and could be the biggest economic catastrophe,” Kakujaha-Matundu says.

‘RAY OF HOPE’

Vaccines will play an extremely important role, according to IJG, safeguarding the most vulnerable, then achieving some form of group immunity as more and more people are vaccinated over time. The analysts say health officials have been “extremely proactive in ensuring that Namibia will receive enough vaccines, which we hope will be rolled out in the first half of this year”.

This will further reduce the need for shutdowns of certain parts of the economy, IJG says. “Namibia simply cannot afford anymore hard lockdowns. We are optimistic that we will not return to overly draconian measures like some of the restrictions put in place last year, which essentially brought the entire economy to a standstill.”

PSG Namibia describes vaccines as “a ray of hope”, but adds: “Namibia’s economic comeback depends as much on our own roll-out of vaccines as that of South Africa, Europe and the world’s.”

“The response to the virus has had major effects all around the world and even if Namibia does everything ‘right’ to eliminate the virus, our destiny is tied to what happens in all other countries,” PSG adds.

REFORMS

Cirrus maintains that necessary reforms could speed up economic recovery, “not just introduced as policy but also implemented with the requisite haste and diligence”.

“The former appears unlikely, at least not within the timeframe needed; the latter seems improbable given the perpetual uncertainty created around tabled policies like NIPA [Namibia Investment Promotion Act] and NEEEF [Namibia Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework],” Cirrus believes.

Government policy is crucial to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), IJG says.

Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) or net investment has been plummeting since 2014 and 2015 when it peaked at more than N$45 billion per year. Data released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) shows GFCF in 2019 amounted to about N$30.5 billion – the lowest since 2012.

Having some sense of policy certainty creates a conducive investment environment, IJG says.

“At the risk of sounding repetitive, NEEEF and NIPA are the main culprits here and without clarity on the exact implementation of these policies, we will likely see foreign direct investment suffer as a consequence.”

POLICY CERTAINTY

Sorting out policy uncertainty is crucial, SS says.

“The fickle nature of money is just that, if the environment is not lucrative/hospitable, then it will leave. The facts are known for years, publicised/boosted on many platforms. The economic agents within the economy must understand the rules of the game and be certain that those rules will be uphold – repatriation of profits, protection of intellectual property rights, the rule of law, etc. If uncertainty remains, investments will be withheld,” SS says.

Cirrus points out that the quantum of money pumped into the global financial system over the past year and with more on the way, as well as historic low or negative yields in developed economies suggest that driving such investment into Namibia should prove “simple, particularly where attractive real yields can be found”.

They add: “However, this requires a far more hospitable business environment, certainty on policy and property rights, and a guarantee that capital (whether foreign or domestic) is not only welcome within Namibia, but also to leave again. Until we can see these changes, Namibia will remain her own worst enemy on the road to sustained long-term development.”

Namibia’s ease of doing business could be greatly improved, says IJG.

“Many entrepreneurs still find it way too cumbersome to register their businesses, while bureaucracy makes registrations and licensing extremely difficult. The red tape needs to be removed to allow Namibian businesses to operate.”

PSG says Namibia cannot afford to continue on the path of increasing red tape and bureaucracy for people to do business. “It is this red tape that breeds corruption. Phrases in legislation that give ‘The Minister’ power over business’ destiny is what causes bribes to be paid.”

POLITICS

The manner in which the Covid-19 pandemic develops during 2021 may influence the political situation in Namibia, SS says.

“It will influence the public view about government in general, determine its impact on the economic dynamics and the impact on confidence in the short term. Successes or failures in this respect will be translated into political optimism/pessimism and levels of economic confidence,” the analysts elaborate.

The results of both the most recent national and regional elections have made it clear that voters are getting tired of growing corruption, governance failures and abuses of office, IJG says.

Cirrus attributes Swapo’s loss of support in the national and regional elections to economic stagnation, worsening living conditions, deteriorating unemployment and high-level corruption allegations. This loss happened “much quicker than could have been anticipated just five years ago”, the analysts say.

According to SS, the change of the political landscape and the renewed public interest in social and political issues, as displayed by recent demonstrations, can lead to an “increased sense of accountability, transparency and urgency of service delivery”.

“This may create a platform for genuine, intentional public-private sector dialogues on a regular basis and in a structured manner with the aim to agree on a workplan and clear responsibilities,” SS says.

Kakujaha-Matundu the impact of the changing political landscape “could go either way”.

“The so-called progressive elements could stave off the plunder of the people's resources by introducing transparency, mostly at local level and deliver greater level of public services. However, the pressure to live by their promises could bring about greater pressure on the meagre local government resources. That could maybe lead to the ‘summer of discontent’ with more service delivery demonstration and claims on municipal land,” he says.

PRIORITIES

Wasting taxpayers’ money on non-essentials in the budget is the one thing Namibia simply cannot afford to do in 2021, IJG and Kakujaha-Matundu say. So is corruption.

SS says government can’t allow the further deterioration and procrastination of structural reforms of the business and investment environment.

“There is no better time than now, we simply need to act and act swiftly,” the analysts say. “The speed of decision-making and action have become more critical to prevent us from falling further into the abyss. Now, more than ever, we require someone to unite and galvanise the nation.”

“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” says IJG.

“The pandemic has been a huge shock to the Namibian economy. However, the country was not on a sustainable economic trajectory in the years leading up to the pandemic. This is the ideal time to reprioritise and refocus on areas that matter to promote long-term, sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” according to IJG.

Judges unveiled for Nigerian Idol season six

February 3, 2021, 5:22 am

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Judges unveiled for Nigerian Idol season six STAFF REPORTER

WINDHOEK

MultiChoice Nigeria on Monday, 1 February, announced the host and judges for the new season of the Nigerian Idol. The announcement was made weeks after the company announced the return of the African fan favourite reality show after a three-year break.
Proceeding with plans for season six of the show, MultiChoice announced popular TV personality IK Osakioduwa as the host of the music reality show for this season.
Osakioduwa is a TV personality with over a decade of experience hosting several high-profile events across the continent, including the Big Brother Africa show.
“I was excited when I was called to host this show because I once auditioned to host the show and I didn't get it. I did go on to host something else that just as beautiful produced by African Magic or M-Net at the time, but now is like a chance to go back and I am excited about this.
“I can guarantee that this will be like nothing the fans have ever seen,” he said.

Judges
MultiChoice Nigeria also announced that sensational musician Seyi Shay, DJ Sose and creative industry entrepreneur Obi Asika will all be judges on the show. This line-up of judges is a mix of industry experience, an understanding of the business of music as well as a clear understanding of fan engagement.
Speaking on her involvement with the Idols franchise as a judge, Seyi Shay said: “I am really excited about being a judge on this show this year. I am looking for something refreshing, especially after the year we had in 2020 that didn’t allow us to focus on unearthing talents for the industry.
“With Idol, we have a unique opportunity to not only entertain, but also unleash fresh talents, and I am proud to be a part of that.”

For more information, visit africamagic.tv/nigerianidol.

Under-20 team seeks players

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Under-20 team seeks players Limba Mupetami



WINDHOEK

The Namibian under-20 national rugby team has urged schools and clubs to send them names of potential players for trials.

This is in preparation for the 2021 Rugby Africa Barthés Trophy.

The Kenyan Rugby Union will host the tournament from 25 March to 4 April. Apart from Namibia, Kenya, Senegal and Madagascar will also participate in the competition.

Players born between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2002 are eligible to be selected for the team.

Schools and clubs are invited to nominate eligible players that are skilful and have the determination to play for the national team.

“Since no official rugby was played during 2020, players are encouraged to make contact with their school and club coaches for them to be nominated to be included in the u20 training group.

“It will be highly appreciated if the union could briefly be advised on the achievements as well as what the position of the players are,” Theo Grunewald, interim CEO of the Namibia Rugby Union, said.

Start training

Fallback dates for the tournament are set for June 2021, with the winner guaranteed qualification to the Junior World Trophy tournament organised by World Rugby, and set for September.

Nominations can be submitted to Jacky Husselman, the u20 team manager, before end of business tomorrow, 5 February, via jacky.h@nrrs.com.na.

Trials will take place on 19 and 20 February if Covid-19 regulations allow.

It is thus of utmost importance that players immediately start training - if they have not done so yet - to be able to participate in the trials and possibly be selected to represent Namibia in Kenya. Registration for the trials will take place on 19 February.

NFPL clubs' patience wears thin

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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NFPL clubs' patience wears thin Jesse Jackson Kauraisa



WINDHOEK

Several Namibia Football Premier League (NFPL) clubs are mounting the pressure on the Namibia Football Association (NFA) and NFPL officials to start football.

A member of a club registered with NPFL - who spoke on the condition of anonymity - said the clubs are becoming restless and want football to start.

“We were promised that football will start in February, but nothing is really happening and that is frustrating us.

“There are around four to six clubs I will not mention to protect them that are fed up with the situation and the empty promises,” the source said.

Last year, the NFA congress adopted the proposed dates for the restart of the football season, with league football set to make a comeback from the end of February to August, subject to Fifa approval.

The NFA announced that Black Africa, Citizen, Young African, Civics, Orlando Pirates, Blue Waters, Young Brazilians, Tura Magic, Mighty Gunners, Okahandja United, Life Fighters, Tigers and Julinho Sporting were all part of the league.

It was also announced that former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Mabos Vries will be the director of the league.

Hungry for action

“We are now in February as it was promised, but there is nothing going on.

“The players are hungry for action and the clubs are eager to play,” the source said.

Vries acknowledge having received complaints from the clubs.

He, however, noted that it was too early to respond to queries from the media.

“Yes, I know about these clubs and I understand them because I would have also been frustrated if I was in their position.

“We are, however, having meetings as the executive on the way forward.

“Once we are done with the meetings, we will first inform the clubs on the decisions we have taken before informing the media,” he said.

The NFPL replaced the expelled Namibia Premier League, which was booted from NFA structures for not complying with NFA and Fifa directives.

As things stand, the NPL is still fighting against its suspension and the case is at the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In January, CAS revealed that it has scheduled the appeal hearing to take place via video conference and that the two parties need to confirm their availability.

Broken board on autopilot

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Broken board on autopilot Haufiku, Shikongo left in cold The Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board’s (NPBWCB) Bernhard Haufiku has been accused of allegedly running the board in an unruly manner. Jesse Jackson Kauraisa







WINDHOEK

The Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (NPBWCB) is running on autopilot, with only two board members remaining.

Chairperson Bernhard Haufiku and Josef 'Joe Archer' Shikongo are the only people currently still part of the board following the latest resignations.

Lawyer Saima Nghihalwa and director of commerce at the industrialisation ministry Maria Pogisho allegedly both resigned from the board recently.

These resignations confirm the troubles reported by former board member Trevor Mills, who resigned last year.

Mills revealed that he and the board were supposed to meet to discuss the situation, but this never materialised as no one made the effort to meet him last year.

Appointed in October 2019, the former board member’s term was due to run for three years.

“I hear that Bernhard Haufiku is the problem and the reason why board members are resigning,” a source said.

It is alleged that the recent resignations stem from disorganisation and a lack of communication among board members.

‘Just not working out’

NPBWCB board chairperson Bernhard Haufiku confirmed one of the resignations.

“All I know is that one of the ladies had resigned, but I was not told that they both did.

“The truth is that this thing is not just working out and I hope that the minister of sport will just dissolve this board in order for a new one to come in,” Haufiku said.

He added that lack of money and time have hampered the operations of the board, and believes things would be different if everyone had been pulling in one direction.

“There have been so many misunderstandings amongst board members, even though we held so many meetings.

“I already requested to meet with the minister on the way forward,” he said.

Pending tournaments

The NPBWCB currently has pending boxing tournament requests that they need to sign in order for these events to take place.

“We are unable to sign this because we first have to come up with regulations.

“The fact that coronavirus pandemic is in our midst calls for better health protocols. No official or fan must be allowed in the boxing premises without providing a negative test result,” he said.

Haufiku added that one of their plans is to amend the Boxing Act.

As things stand, the country’s boxing board is still reliant on an Act which has been in use since 1980.

Nedbank launches second Golf for Autism series

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Nedbank launches second Golf for Autism seriesGreat golfing action awaits Omeya After the success of the 2020 Golf for Autism series, which raised over N$130 000, Nedbank has announced that it will sponsor the event again this year. SPORTS REPORTER







WINDHOEK

The 10-event 2021 Nedbank Golf for Autism series will kick off on 20 February at Omeya Golf Club – situated 30 km outside Windhoek. The year’s edition will come full circle with the final also slated to take place at Omeya on 21 November, after first teeing off at nine golf clubs across the country.

The aim of the series is to raise awareness and funds for the Autism Association of Namibia (AAN).

“As a bank with a long-standing association with the development of sport in our country, golf has special allure for the Nedbank brand in its entirety,” Martha Murorua, Nedbank Namibia’s managing director, said.

She mentioned that their past association with junior golf development has produced champions like Stefanus Bonifatius and Likius Naande, adding that they “look forward to extending great golfing experiences to golf courses and clubs across our country”.

As with last year, all golfers with an official handicap are allowed to participate in the series. The winner of each event will progress to the final, with the format being an individual stableford.

At the final, the 10 winners will team up with an invited sponsoring team consisting of three players to compete for team prizes as well as attractive overall prizes, which are “unmatched on the local golf scene”, the bank said.

The prizes will be announced at the opening event.

Great impact

According to Petra Dillmann, director of the AAN, the continuation of support for the project will have a great impact as it increases the chances of sustainability towards supporting autistic people, their parents, teachers and the community in learning about and retaining their awareness, understanding and knowledge about autism.

“The AAN remains immensely grateful to the organisers, sponsors, players and supporters in helping with this important work,” she said.

Organiser Dan Zwiebel expressed his excitement for the 2021 edition.

“I’m extremely proud of our achievements in 2020 and I am excited to roll out an even better 2021 edition. A big thanks to all the sponsors for the valued support, ensuring that we can make a significant difference through the game of golf.”

Competition schedule

Omeya Golf Club on Saturday, 20 February; Mariental Golf Club on 6 March; Gobabis Golf Club on 27 March; Tsumeb Golf Club on 24 April; Oshakati Golf Club on 26 June; Okahandja Golf Club on 24 July; Walvis Bay Golf Club on 21 August; Rossmund Golf Course on 28 August; Henties Bay Golf and Lifestyle Estate on 4 September; Windhoek Golf and Country Club on 16 October, and the final at the Omeya on 20 November.

Anyone interested in registering can email Zwiebel at dan@dzgolf.com.na.

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Louw fends off Jauss

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Louw fends off Jauss SPORTS REPORTER



SWAKOPMUND

The first Namibian Tennis Association (NTA) junior tournament for the year took place in Swakopmund last weekend.

The competition was attended by players from Windhoek, Okahandja and the coastal towns, garnering 58 entries in total – 39 boys and 19 girls.

Top-notch tennis was played, with players braving the heat to show off their skills.

George Louw walked away as the winner in the under-18 boys category, clinching the title after a nail-biting match against Daniel Jauss with a 6-4, 6-4 win. Dian Calitz took the third spot.

Elze Stears came out on top in the u16 girls competition. The u16 boys had some exciting matches as well, with Joel Hiveluah putting on a great performance before giving in to Oliver Leicher’s strong display.

Interesting outcomes

The u14 girls and boys also had some interesting outcomes as 11-year-old players Joanivia Bezuidenhout and Lian Kuhn progressed to the finals.

Lila Kidd and Samuel Nel took the u12 gold medals home.

The organisers thanked RA Commercial Investment for their support and sponsorship as well as the Swakopmund Tennis Courts, officials and all spectators.

The next tournament – the u14 nationals -will take place in Windhoek on 26 and 27 February. Windhoek will also host the next NTA junior tournament on 5 and 6 March where all age groups will be welcome.

Britz’s team fine-tuned for Mauritania

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Britz’s team fine-tuned for Mauritania Limba Mupetami



Windhoek

In a couple of days, the Young Warriors of Namibia will depart for Mauritania to compete in the under-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

The competition will take place from 14 February to 4 March.

Drawn in Group B of the tournament, Namibia will face competition from the likes of Tunisia, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso.

The team was supposed to undergo Covid-19 testing on Tuesday, but that was moved to today, according to coach James Britz.

He said that they have 30 players in camp, from which he will pick 26. Britz added that right after the results are out, those names will be announced.

This is the first time Namibia will appear in the competition.

The 30 players are:

Jovane Narib (Otjizondupa), Promis Gurirab, Tuhafeni David, Pitsi Ameb, Immanuel Hamunyela, Felippo Michelletti, Carl Karuuombe, Denzil Narib, Romin Berendt, Romeo Amon, Xavier McClune, Edgar Kamatuka, Tulli-ngenovali Nashuxua, Ro-Giano Goagoseb, Penouua Kandjie (Khomas), Gonzales Tsuseb, Giovanni Kaninab (Kunene) , Ngazikue Kandetu (Omaheke), Prins Tjieuza, Steven Damaseb, Herman Uwuseb, Gerson Paulus, Ruhaka Ngatangwa (Erongo), Juninho Jantze (Hardap), Mwanyekange Matheus (Omusati), Joseph Erastus (Oshana), Eubrahim Apollus (Karas), Garere Damaseb and Ngero Katua (Otjizondupa).

Venturing into trade markets and investing in stocks

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Venturing into trade markets and investing in stocks While stock represents a fraction or share of ownership in a specific company, an Exchange-Traded Fund (EFT) is professionally managed and pooled investment.

ETF managers will buy stocks, commodities, bonds and other securities, creating what is generally referred to as a basket of funds. The funds within the basket are called holdings. When you buy a share of an ETF, you own a fraction of that pool of investments while stocks - also known as equities - are shares of ownership issued by companies in efforts to raise funding.

A share of stock gives you a portion of voting ownership in a company. Both ETF and stock values will change or "move" throughout a trading day. They trade on an exchange, offering high liquidity and transparency; give you a broad range of investment options; support a wide variety of order types; make it possible to use options or even sell short; may pay dividends, and can be traded with zero commissions.

The differences between stocks and ETFs are that ETFs are made up of more than one holding that affect your portfolio performance, diversification and focus of the investment.

The main difference between buying an ETF and buying stocks is that even one ETF share is already a diversified portfolio. An owner of a single company’s stocks is dependent on its success. If the chosen company goes down, the shareholder loses all invested funds. The capital of ETF owners is more immune to risk. ETFs often include securities of a large number of companies (except for several commodity ETFs like the American oil fund). In case of any problems, a decline in the price of one asset is compensated by the growth of the rest.

ETF vs CFDs

Contract for Difference (CFD) is a tradable financial instrument which constitutes a contract between two parties to exchange the difference between the current price of an underlying financial instrument and its price when the contract expires. CFDs provide opportunities for speculation and are usually utilised for short-term investment strategies, whereas ETFs are mostly suitable for long-term investment. ETFs are safer investment instruments with smaller gains. With ETFs, a trader can never incur more losses than his/her initial investment. However, with CFDs, the use of leverage implies that both profit and losses will accumulate.

With ETFs, the main goal is to make money passively without being overly involved in the markets. The premise of an ETF investment is to receive returns from the discrepancies of a particular index. You can find ETFs being traded in the normal stock market just like other commodities. In general, they are, however, different in actual value since CFDs are initially cheaper than ETFs.

CFDs also have more flexibility when it comes to the scope and range of trade, while ETFs have characteristics that make them like traditional assets.

ETF or Indices

Indices are a measurement of the price performance of a group of shares from an exchange. For example, the FTSE 100 tracks the 100 largest companies on the London Stock Exchange with the highest market capitalisation, and S&P 500 represents a broad range of 500 American companies. Trading indices enables you to get exposure to an entire economy or sector at once, while only having to open a single position.

The composition of exchange-traded funds can be similar to indices: For instance, QQQ, Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 is analogous to NASDAQ-100. However, ETFs may combine very diverse assets that never go together in classic instruments. Or they can have only one underlying asset: For example, GLD (the ETF of SPDR Gold Trust) is a trust with 100% gold-backed stocks from the company’s own reserves.

LAMM Investment

The cutting-edge copy trading platform Lot Allocation Management Module (LAMM) is an automated system that allows newcomers to make huge profits by mirroring orders placed by professional traders. With LAMM investment, the fund manager not only does business with his account but his or her transactions are duplicated in the accounts of the investors. An investor can always check the manager’s real-time action. This service benefits both the trader and the investor. The manager doesn’t have to worry about the number of investors connected to the account. Investors can independently monitor every trade being copied. Moreover, the investor can diversify funds by allocating several fund managers.

The benefits of LAMM investment is that investors’ funds are not transferred to the manager’s account, but stay with the investor all the time. The investor can cancel or disconnect from the manager any time he or she feels like it. Transaction is copied automatically, and withdrawal can be done any time.



Helena Nyau is the Namibian business coordinator for Grand Capital.

Suicide: The tragic taboo - Part 2

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Suicide: The tragic taboo - Part 2 In African cosmology, witchcraft is the common way of rationalisating suicide. So why, then, is suicide such a taboo?

1. Mental illness

Mental health is misunderstood, thus the link to suicide is also not made. However, research shows that most people who have either contemplated or attempted suicide report intense pain deep in their psyche, and that death is the only possible outlet of relief. Depression is a significant risk factor for suicide and individuals with mood disorders represent a particularly vulnerable group.

2. Feeling like a burden

A local newspaper reported that a centenarian committed suicide, while another reported a suicide case of a 10-year-old. What is puzzling about these age groups is the belief that a 100-year-old and a 10-year-old should not have problems - as it is assumed that they have care givers. Yet the reality is that when people are either too young or too old, they pose the most burden on their support system.

When there is a breakdown in family relations, it’s the young and old who suffer the consequences as no one is willing to take on the responsibility. People who have attempted or have committed suicide and left a note often state that their loved ones or the world, in general, would be better off without them. This may be due to the rigidity in thoughts, as they hold a strong belief that they are beyond any type of help.

3. Family history

Family history of suicidal behaviour represents a significant risk factor. This leaves the question whether suicide can be inherited? Mental health disorders, including mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and major depression, schizophrenia and substance use and abuse, and certain personality disorders, which run in families, increase the risk for suicidal behaviour. This does not imply that individuals with this family history will eventually commit suicide; it simply means that such persons may be more vulnerable and should take steps to reduce their risk, such as getting evaluation and treatment at the first sign of mental health.

There are many other causes of and risk factors for suicide, eg abuse; bereavement; the end of a relationship; chronic illness; life adjustment such as retirement, unemployment or retrenchment, and finally, financial problems.

Let’s talk about it

In conclusion, talking about suicide makes a lot of people uncomfortable because it requires us to either confront unresolved pain or end up being soothed by a vice as a way to cope. When trying to escape from repressed emotions, compensation is often the defence mechanism used. This is when feelings of inadequacy or incompetence in one area of life are disguised as excelling in another. For example: After the loss of a spouse, the surviving widow will over-spoil her children with material things so that they don't feel the void left by their father.

Lastly, it is worth noting that the intense cultural prohibition regarding suicide remains the greatest barrier to curbing irrational views held as "the law finds it a criminal offense, religion treats it as sin and society views it as insanity". Let’s talk about suicide. Silence is like a band aid on the psyche wound, it can only heal after the wound is exposed.

Ceaseria Matiti is a psychological counsellor.

Nanso pays homage to Iyambo

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Nanso pays homage to Iyambo NAMPA



WINDHOEK

The Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) on Tuesday paid homage to former education minister, Dr Abraham Iyambo.

The late minister, who is remembered for his unique approach to leadership and his contributions to the Namibian education sector, died on 2 February 2013 - coincidentally his birthday - at age 52.

In commemorating his legacy, Nanso declared 2 February ‘Dr Abraham Iyambo Day’ and held a discussion titled ‘Abraham Iyambo - the pursuit of free, accessible and quality education in Namibia’ at the Covid-19 Communication Centre, during which Iyambo was described by panellists as a hands-on, inclusive leader.

Panellist Sharonice Busch, executive chairperson of the National Youth Council and former Nanso secretary-general, said the decision made by Nanso to declare 2 February ‘Dr Abraham Iyambo Day’ was not a difficult one to make because of Iyambo’s resolve to meaningfully transform and impact the lives of those he led and those he served.

“During the time when we were leading in Nanso, Dr Iyambo was very recent in the ministry as education minister and in the short time he served in the ministry, you could see and feel his commitment to the Namibian nation,” she said.

Passionate about the cause

Busch said Iyambo was passionate about his cause, adding that during his time in the ministry, his work showed that leadership is not a top-down approach.

“His approach was decentralised and he placed great emphasis on accountability, which is how he gained the trust of those he led,” she shared.

Speaking at the same event, the executive director for formal education in the education ministry, Edda Bohn, said she was privileged to have worked alongside Iyambo, adding that he taught her to not shy away from any action to get the job done, even if it meant to go through the impossible.

“What I equally embrace and what I have taken on was the approach of consultation; Dr Iyambo would consult widely, have the fact-finding and have trust in the youth, in the children, the learners who we serve,” Bohn said.

Nanso secretary of finance and economic affairs, Luciano Kambala, said though he was just a learner and a regional youth representative at the time, Dr Iyambo was the leader of choice.

“One of the policy interventions he introduced that still has great impact on the education sector today is the implementation of free basic education, which enabled learners who would not have been able to afford it get an education,” he said.

Helping the unemployed cut their way through life

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Helping the unemployed cut their way through life TUYEIMO HAIDULA



OKANDJENGEDI

Joel Mwatilefu is helping unemployed youth with a passion for grooming get back into the job market by teaching basic cosmetology and stylist skills.

Joe’s Fade Cuts is a barbershop situated in Okandjengedi, Oshilemba complex, in the Oshana Region.

Mwatilefu (29), who is the founder of JJJJ Investment Group - which the barber shop operates under, kicked off with the free classes on 2 January.

He has been offering the training since 2015 for N$2 000, but since the Covid-19 pandemic, he noticed more and more young people showing interest but not having the funds to register.

This spurred him on to offer the training for free in the hope that they can use the acquired skills to start a career.

“This is just a way to introduce barbering to them. Hopefully they can use the skills to build a future rather than sitting at home doing nothing,” he said.

Reducing unemployment

Mwatilefu said the training will include visiting orphanages and villages in Oshana offering free cuts to residents and providing awareness on how to maintain a clean cut.

He added that he hopes to train 10 people by the end of the year and ensure that job opportunities are created for them.

“Our main aim is to reduce unemployment in the community by giving training to anyone willing to learn and be able to start their own business too,” he said.

Mwatilefu said the training is a step toward reducing the unemployment rate in small towns, with the current rate being at 20.59% in Namibia. Once his trainees have completed the training, they can start their own business and make a living for themselves and their loved ones, he said.

He noted that those who get training will also have an opportunity to work for Joe’s Fade Cuts, which will open a branch in Windhoek soon.

So far, he has trained three people, and encourages other unemployed youth to apply for the opportunity.

This Monday marked 22-year-old Panduleni Amashili’s second month of training.

Amashili told Namibian Sun that he saw Mwatilefu’s post on Instagram and decided to apply to polish his craft so he can have a side hustle.

“I am a pencil that needs to be sharpened as I have already been doing this at home. While I wait to get an internship opportunity, I will be busy with haircuts,” he said.

A second-year electrical engineering student at the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology, he said he loves to groom people because it helps to boost their self-esteem and improves their confidence. As he has not been successful in securing internship as part of practical work for his course, cutting hair keeps him busy for now.

“When you are well put together, it helps you to take on the world confidently,” he said.

– tuyeimo@namibiansun.com

Burial stopped as family demands second post-mortem

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Burial stopped as family demands second post-mortemBody found by neighbours On the day of the burial, the police were informed that when the body was washed at the Nankudu Dirstrict Hospital mortuary, bruises and signs of assault were discovered, which the family believed could have led to her death. Kenya Kambowe







RUNDU

The burial of a 51-year-old woman - whose body was found at Sirikunga village in the Kavango West Region - had to be stopped as the family demanded for the police to conduct a second post-mortem.

Namibian Sun was informed that some members of late Regina Muyenga’s family demanded that the burial, which was in process last Saturday, be put on hold and that a second post-mortem on the deceased be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Muyenga’s body was found on 21 January by neighbours.



According to the Kavango West police commander, Commissioner Josephat Abel, the first post-mortem - conducted on 26 January – found that Muyenga died of natural causes.

Signs of assault

On 30 January, the day of the burial, the police were informed that when the body was washed at the Nankudu Dirstrict Hospital mortuary, bruises and signs of assault were discovered, which the family believed could have led to her death.

The police then took the body to Rundu for a second post-mortem, which was conducted yesterday.

“It indicated heart failure, meaning it was a natural death,” Abel said, adding that the allegations of assault and bruises on the victim’s body were unfounded and the matter has been resolved.

kenya@namibiansun.com

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COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF Glencore appoints Anglo American's ex-boss

Swiss commodities trader Glencore said on Tuesday it had appointed Cynthia Carroll, the former chief executive officer of London-based miner Anglo American, to its board of directors.

Carroll, who led Anglo American for more than five years until she stepped down in 2013, will join Glencore's board immediately as an independent non-executive director.

The appointment follows report of Glencore's long-time boss, Ivan Glasenberg, stepping down later this year to be replaced by Gary Nagle, head of coal assets at the mining and trading group.

A geologist by training, New Jersey-born Carroll moved from the aluminium industry to become the first non-South African, the first woman and the first outsider to take the top job at Anglo in 2007.

She is currently a non-executive director at Hitachi, Baker Hughes and Pembina Pipeline. - Nampa/Reuters

Ford to invest US$1 bln to upgrade SA operations

Ford Motor Co will invest US$1.05 billion in its South African manufacturing operations, including upgrades to expand production of its Ranger pickup truck, the US automaker said on Tuesday.

The investments aim to increase Ford's installed capacity in South Africa from 168 000 to 200 000 vehicles, said Andrea Cavallaro, operations director of Ford's International Market Group.

"It's the biggest investment in Ford's 97-year history in South Africa and one of the largest ever in the local automotive industry," he told an announcement event.

The amount includes US$683 million for technology upgrades and new facilities at its plant in Silverton, a suburb of the administrative capital Pretoria, and US$365 million to upgrade tooling at major supplier factories.

The expanded production will create 1 200 jobs with Ford in South Africa, increasing the local workforce to 5 500 employees, while adding an estimated 10 000 new jobs across the carmaker's supplier network.

Ford also aims to make the Silverton plant entirely energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral by 2024, Cavallaro said. - Nampa/Reuters

BP profit sinks as epidemic pummels demand

BP's fourth-quarter profit sank to US$115 million, missing analysts' forecasts, strike by continued weak energy demand due to the coronavirus epidemic and weak trading results.

On annual basis, BP sunk to a loss of US$5.7 billion, its first in a decade after it wrote down the value of oil and gas assets by US$6.5 billion as a result of sharply lowering its long-term energy prices.

Its fourth-quarter underlying replacement cost profit, the company's definition of net income, reached US$115 million, beating the US$360 million loss seen in a company-provided survey of analysts.

That compared with a US$86 million profit in the third quarter and a profit of US$2.6 billion a year earlier. - Nampa/Reuters

Siemens Energy to cut 7 800 jobs

Siemens Energy, which supplies turbines to the power sector, will cut 7 800 jobs to counter a drop in demand for new coal-fired energy stations that has also hit rivals General Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Siemens Energy last year announced it would no longer bid in tenders to supply turbines to coal-fired power plants, responding to a weakening market as numerous governments around the world are phasing out the polluting fuel.

The jobs to be lost represent 8.5% of the company's workforce. The bulk of the cuts will be implemented by 2023 and incur restructuring costs in a mid- to high-triple-digit million-euro range for the fiscal years 2020 to 2023, it said.

"The energy market is significantly changing which offers us opportunities but at the same time presents us with great challenges," Chief Executive Christian Bruch said.

In a sector shaped by fierce rivalry, General Electric filed a lawsuit last month accusing a unit of Siemens Energy of using stolen trade secrets to rig bids for gas turbine contracts. - Nampa/Reuters

Alibaba beats quarterly revenue estimates

China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter revenue on Tuesday, as its e-commerce business benefited from a switch to online shopping triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The results come as China clamps down on founder Jack Ma's sprawling business empire, having forced the suspension of a blockbuster US$37 billion IPO for Alibaba's financial affiliate Ant Group.

Alibaba's post-Covid-19 Singles Day sales event, the world's biggest online shopping event that eclipses the sales of US shopping holidays Black Friday and Cyber Monday, registered total sales of US$74 billion in November.

Core commerce revenue rose 38% to a record high of 195.54 billion yuan in the quarter, powered by the company's China retail marketplaces as the economy rebounded from the Covid-19 crisis.

Revenue rose 37% to 221.08 billion yuan (US$34.24 billion) in the three months ended Dec. 31, above analysts' estimates of 214.38 billion yuan, according IBES data from Refinitiv.

Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was 79.43 billion yuan, or 28.85 yuan per American depository share, compared to 52.31 billion yuan, or 19.55 yuan per American depository share, a year earlier. - Nampa/Reuters

Fishrot: Stop denying and apologise, APP tells Swapo

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Fishrot: Stop denying and apologise, APP tells Swapo Kenya Kambowe



RUNDU

The All People’s Party (APP) has called on the ruling party to stop denying that it benefitted from the Fishrot corruption scheme and instead come out publicly and ask for forgiveness from the Namibian people.

The APP said Swapo should rather deny knowing that the money they allegedly received was part of corruption instead of saying that they did not benefit at all.

APP secretary-general Vincent Kanyetu made the call during a press conference in Rundu yesterday, where he said that time has come for Swapo to acknowledge that it had been a beneficiary of Fishrot monies.

It is “annoying” that the ruling party keeps denying it while evidence of its benefitting has come to light of late, he said.

Kanyetu said at first it seemed as if only the two former ministers, Sacky Shangala and Bernhardt Esau, were the only top Swapo leaders involved, but added that things are “getting interesting” as it has recently been alleged that President Hage Geingob is among the mix as well.

Who’s fooling who?

The president’s 2014 Swapo presidential campaign was reportedly funded with Fishrot money – an allegation the ruling part has on numerous occasions denied.

“Why don’t Swapo leadership openly just say ‘this is how much we have benefitted from Fishrot’ because truly speaking, the more they are denying, the more things are coming out,” Kanyetu said.

“First it started with two ministers and they are still in custody. Now the president’s name is coming… and now the daughters of the president and the former president are coming up. Who is fooling who here?

“We are all people. Swapo, we are calling upon you - not the president but the secretary-general who is the chief administrator - to come forward and tell Namibians how much Swapo has benefitted and I am sure nobody but the laws will deal with them, just like those who are in custody,” he said.

“Every time Swapo denies itself at a press conference, the next day you hear evidence that Swapo has benefitted with their children, dogs and chickens. What is this?”

Ask for forgiveness

Kanyetu said while the law is dealing with the matter, Swapo should ask for forgiveness.

“Why don’t they publicly come out and say that they are sorry and ‘we did not know it was corruption’?

“Namibians are good people, maybe they will forgive them. So, we are calling upon the majority party in our country to come with the truth and confess to the nation because those were resources of the country and they don’t belong to any family or political party,” he argued.

kenya@namibiansun.com

Namibia drops on corruption index

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Namibia drops on corruption indexScores 51 points out of 100 The index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. ELLANIE SMIT







WINDHOEK

Transparency International, the leading civil society organisation fighting corruption worldwide, has ranked Namibia 57th out of 180 countries on its latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Namibia scored 51 points on the index, dropping one point and one ranking since the previous year.

The index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses a scale of 0 to 100, where a score of zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

Of the sub-Saharan African countries, Namibia is ranked sixth, dropping one place from last year, when it was ranked fifth.

Seychelles (global score of 66), Botswana (60), Cabo Verde (58), Rwanda (54) and Mauritius (53) are among the Sub-Saharan African countries ranked above Namibia.

“With an average score of 32, sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest performing region on the index, showing little improvement from previous years and underscoring a need for urgent action.”

Bribery impedes access

It added that, generally, bribery continues to impede access to basic services.

The index said to reverse the region’s position as the worst performing, governments in sub-Saharan Africa must take decisive action, particularly in those economies already weakened by the ongoing economic recession stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

The top performing countries globally are Denmark and New Zealand, with scores of 88, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland, with scores of 85 each.

The lowest ranked countries are South Sudan and Somalia, with scores of 12 each, followed by Syria (14), Yemen (15) and Venezuela (15).

The index is the leading global indicator of perceived public-sector corruption, offering a yearly snapshot of the relative degree of corruption by ranking countries from all over the globe.

It highlighted the impact of corruption on government responses to Covid-19, comparing countries’ performance in the index to their investment in healthcare and the extent to which democratic norms and institutions have been weakened during the pandemic.

No country free of corruption

Transparency International said although no country is free of corruption, the countries at the top share characteristics of high standards in open government, press freedom, civil liberties and independent judicial systems.

It was, however, pointed out that some of the 25 top performing countries in the index, such as Norway (84), are facing major corruption challenges.

It specifically pointed to the international Fishrot scandal and how prominent state-owned Norwegian bank, DBN, was a gatekeeper for laundered money that flowed through shell companies from lucrative proceeds of illegal offshore fishing.

It also highlighted Iceland (75), saying the country’s reputation as a corruption-free country took a nose dive when the Fishrot Files exposed how far its biggest fishery player would go to extend its business and launder suspicious proceeds.

Namibia to minimize agricultural imports

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Namibia to minimize agricultural importsPrioritising local producers The move aims to empower Namibian farmers and allow them a fair chance to supply their goods to the local market. We have seen that the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) is doing a good job in minimizing imports. Calle Schlettwein, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform. Namibia will minimize importing agriculture products and prioritize creating market access for locally produced goods to stimulate economic growth, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein said Tuesday.

Schlettwein said the move aims to empower Namibian farmers and allow them a fair chance to supply their goods to the local market.

"We have seen that the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) is doing a good job in minimizing imports of agriculture and horticulture products that can be produced locally. We have since laid a plan to improve production in our green scheme projects by improving the irrigation systems there as a way of giving local farmers a better chance to improve their farming techniques," he said.

Meanwhile, the NAB said they have heavily scaled up the production of grain reaching 76 660 tons of white maize, 2 344 tons of pearl millet and 6 863 tons of wheat in the previous farming season.

The NAB, a regulatory body under the Ministry of Agriculture, also said that they have achieved 60 percent local production of white maize, 40 percent of pearl millet and 4 percent of wheat respectively and have set plans to improve local fruit and vegetable production and reduce the country's imports. – Nampa/Xinhua

Covid-19: Ovaherero traditional authority disputes burial protocols

February 3, 2021, 2:00 pm

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Covid-19: Ovaherero traditional authority disputes burial protocols ESTER KAMATI



OTJIWARONGO

The Ovaherero traditional authority has disputed the Covid-19 burial protocols implemented by the government, claiming they are unconstitutional and out of line with international best practice.

In a letter addressed to President Hage Geingob on Tuesday, the traditional authority said their communities were appalled when confronted with the protocols enforced by the health ministry. Community leaders have supported the government through the fight against Covid-19 and, according to them, encouraged their communities to adhere to protocols.

“We further encouraged that our communities review their centuries-old rituals and practices, for example, at funerals, weddings and other cultural events so as to be compliant with government’s health protocols.”

The statement, signed by the paramount chief of the Ovaherero, Vekuii Rukoro, expressed disappointment in the limited role of the deceased’s family in a Covid-19 related death, where only a handful of relatives are allowed to view the body at the mortuary, while only 50 relatives are allowed to witness the funeral from a distance of 50 to 100 metres.

Meanwhile, transportation of the remains for burial to any place other than where the deceased died is only allowed when the state is given permission to cremate the body, which “is totally foreign and unacceptable to the culture and religious beliefs of our indigenous people”, the statement read.

Violation of our rights

The policies rolled out are in violation to people’s rights to be treated with dignity, humanity and respect, it said.

The Ovaherero traditional authority further discouraged the inconsistent application of these regulations.

“We have observed a lack of uniform application of the protocols and the regulations by both government and its Covid-19 task force burial team.

“In burying high-profile fatalities, the team relaxes the protocols and allows family members to participate fairly closely in the burial of their loved ones, while this basic right continues to be denied other Namibian families,” it said.

The letter calls for the uniform application of the regulations without regarding the political affiliation or economic status of the deceased.

They additionally called on the president to restore the rights of the people, which Rukoro said the constitution prohibits from being suspended - even during a state of emergency.

“These include the right to human dignity in article 8 and the freedom to practice one’s culture, tradition and religion in article 19.

“We strongly recommend that the government immediately amend those provisions and practices in the protocols and regulations which are not scientifically necessary for fighting the coronavirus.”



- ester@myzone.com.na