Namibian Sun

Giving a voice to the voicelessOtjiFM takes to the air Otjiwarongo-based radio station OtjiFM was officially launched on Saturday.

Ester Kamati

The OtjiFM radio station has become a trusted station for residents of Otjiwarongo in the first year of its operation and marked the issuing of its broadcasting licence with an official launch last Saturday.

Speaking at the ceremony, mayor Gotlieb Shivute said radio plays a significant role in shaping opinions and listed it as one of the most popular information dissemination media.

The event was sponsored by local companies including Town Square, Woermann Brock, Cenored and Town Square. Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Ekonia Mundjanima from Cenored stated that “us (sponsors) coming together is because we have a common belief in what the young people of our country are trying to do”.

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) was represented at the event by the CEO Emilia Nghikembua, who shared that so far the institution has issued 15 community broadcasting service licences, one signal distributor license and one public broadcasting license, adding that promoting the broadcasting industry countrywide tops the CRAN agenda.

Nghikembua further encouraged the broadcast of local content, which people can relate to as Namibians or people from Otjiwarongo and beyond.

“We hope sincerely that the station will be successful in achieving its mandate and delivering on its editorial content and programme policies and thus contributing positively to the communities of the Otjozondjupa Region through the robust dissemination of information, news and entertainment,” she said.

OtjiFM deejay ‘Eddy the Guru’ said that radio presenters have to come up with their own scripts and paint a picture for somebody using the spoken word. “As a radio presenter, you always want to be informative,” he added.

OtjiFM board chairperson Terry Ujamba said the station is a commercial radio station and not a community radio station.

The station has up to 24 young and vibrant team members working in various capacities, including interns, and last year won in the category best radio station at the Standard Bank Waka Kids Choice Awards. Listeners can tune in on the FM frequency 107.6 or on an app called Radio Garden for anyone outside Otjiwarongo.

The official opening was officiated by Taljaard Uaputauka, standing in for OtjiFM’s patron, parliamentarian Juliet Kavetuna.

COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

Discovery's streaming investments hit profit

Discovery Inc on Wednesday reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly profit, as the media company ramped up investments in its streaming platform, sending its shares tumbling 8% in early trading.

While Discovery benefited from a recovery in advertising sales on its networks during the quarter, the race to retain paying customers in the crowded streaming market that includes Netflix Inc and Walt Disney Co's Disney+ called for higher investments in content.

Discovery's total costs and expenses jumped 26% to US$2.40 billion in the three months ended March 31, as it bets on unscripted programming in categories including food and home improvement to take on competitors.

Total paid streaming subscribers globally was at 13 million at the end of the first quarter, primarily driven by its Discovery+ service that was launched on Jan. 4, the company said.

Net income dipped 62.9% to US$140 million, or 21 cents per share, during the quarter, missing Wall Street estimates of 65 cents per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. - Nampa/Reuters

KFC parent Yum Brands beats sales estimates

KFC owner Yum Brands Inc beat quarterly comparable sales estimates on Wednesday, boosted by the US economy reopening and sustained demand from consumers ordering online.

The roll-out of vaccines and the easing of dining room capacity restrictions in the United States have led to more people eating out after a year of ordering in, boosting sales at Yum's restaurant chains as well as those of its rivals.

Comparable sales rose 9% at the company, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, in the first quarter ended March 31, beating estimates of an 8.6% increase, according to data from Refinitiv IBES.

Net income rose to US$326 million, or US$1.07 per share, from US$83 million, or 27 cents per share, a year earlier. -Nampa/Reuters

Health insurer Humana beats profit estimates

Humana Inc on Wednesday beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit, benefiting from higher sales of its Medicare advantage plans for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Humana in February said it expected a positive impact of US$1.32 billion to US$2.04 billion from depressed non-Covid utilization in its Medicare Advantage health plans.

Sales from the company's retail unit, which includes its Medicare plans, rose 11% to $18.65 billion in the quarter ended March, as it added more members to its individual Medicare Advantage plans and on higher premium rates.

Its consolidated benefit ratio, the percentage of premiums spent on claims, worsened to 85.9% from 85.1% a year earlier.

The company said on Tuesday it would acquire the 60% stake it did not own in home health and hospice provider Kindred at Home for US$5.7 billion, to strengthen its patient care business.

Excluding items, the company earned US$7.67 per share in the first quarter, beating the average analyst estimate of US$7.06 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. - Nampa/Reuters

Uber to sign up 20 000 more UK drivers

Uber aims to sign up an additional 20 000 more drivers in Britain as the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions boosts demand, the ride-hailing app said yesterday.

The Silicon Valley-based firm has already seen a more than 50% increase in trips after restaurants were allowed to reopen for outdoor dining from April 12 in England, it said.

Further restrictions are due to be eased over the next few weeks and months as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government pursues a roadmap to unlock the economy.

In March, Uber gave its existing 70 000 drivers workers' rights, including the minimum wage, after it lost a Supreme Court case.

"As cities open up and people start moving again, we are encouraging 20 000 new drivers to sign up," said Northern and Eastern Europe boss Jamie Heywood. - Nampa/Reuters

Samsung Elec sees higher chip earnings

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said it expects chip profits to increase in the current quarter after announcing its highest first-quarter operating profit since 2018.

The world's top maker of memory chips posted a 46% jump in operating profit in the January-March quarter on the back of a 66% profit surge at its mobile business to 4.4 trillion won (US$3.97 billion), the company said.

The jump was led by sales of its flagship Galaxy S21 smartphone series, while profit also soared at its television set and home appliance business, buoyed by continued stay-at-home demand.

Profits at its chip business, however, fell due to the cost of ramping up domestic production as well as losses at its Texas plant following a storm-related stoppage in mid-February that blunted the benefits of strong demand.

Net profit rose 46% to 7.1 trillion won. Revenue climbed 18% to 65.4 trillion won. - Nampa/Reuters

Calle defends farm purchase

STAFF REPORTER

WINDHOEK

The land reform ministry has defended its decision to buy two farms from a company co-owned by Prime Minister (PM) Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and her husband.

In a statement issued on Wednesday -seemingly to preempt Namibian Sun’s story - land reform minister Calle Schlettwein responded to a number of questions posed to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, some being asked in her private capacity pertaining to bonds over the properties.

Namibian Sun sent questions to both the PM and the minister.

The latter issued a statement in which he answered questions posed to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila only.

Schlettwein confirmed that Seize the Moment Investment 56 CC, which was sold by Nicolaas Grundeling to the PM and her husband, bought the two farms - Duwib and Agenab - for a total of N$5.2 million.

“At the time of the transaction, the sale of members’ interests did not require to be offered to the state to exercise the state’s preference right, and hence no certificate of waiver could be issued.

“This was so because the Agricultural Land Reform Act of 1995 did not provide for such obligation. The Act was, however, amended to include the requirement to offer to the state any transfer of shares or interests which include agricultural land,” he said.

Waivers and offers

“It should be noted that when Mr Karl-Heinrich Friederich made the offer on the 30 March 2011, he had an already signed agreement and deed of sale with Grundeling, who at that particular time was leasing Farm Duwib. In his letter of 17 March 2011, Grundeling admitted that he had a written agreement, signed by Friederich on 20 December 2010, to lease with an option to purchase Farm Duwib.”

According to Schlettwein, Grundeling said he employed all the employees on the farm, and should government grant the certificate of waiver, the employees would remain under his employment.

During the same year, on 1 July 2011, Friederich also made another offer to the state for Agenab, a portion of Farm Goab, and for this a waiver was issued on 5 September 2011, which permits the farm owner to sell the farm on open market.

Both transactions were sealed on 28 February 2012.

Govt undecided over PM farms…While landless San settlers languish in limbo While the state declined to purchase the farms in 2007, saying the land was not fit for resettlement purposes, it ostensibly changed its tune last year, forking out a substantial N$14.5 million.

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

Five months after controversially buying two farms from Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and her husband Tobias ‘Tona’ Amadhila, government still does not know what to do with the land.

This while over 150 landless San people living on the farms remain in limbo regarding their future.

Land reform minister Calle Schlettwein on Wednesday said the future of the farm is yet to be determined by the land advisory commission.

“It is not yet decided what will be done with the farm. I am still waiting from the commissioners to give me the recommendation and then a decision will be made,” he said.

Settlers on Farm Duwib said they are in the dark about the future ownership of the land and whether government will resettle them.

Government bought Farm Goab No. 760 and Farm Duwib 1149 in the Otjozondjupa Region from Seize the Moment Investment CC, a company owned by the Amadhilas.

Resettlement pleas

Schlettwein last week said he was looking into a letter from the previous owner of the farm who had beseeched government to buy the land and resettle the San community living there.

In this letter, the then owner Karl-Heinz Friederick pleaded with government that if the land falls in private hands, the people currently occupying it would be homeless.

“The history of Farm Duwib and the Hai//om people goes back 100 years... So basically, I view these people as my family and Duwib has become their home,” he wrote at the time.

Government declined to purchase the farms for resettlement purposes when they were offered by Friedrich in 2007, saying the land was not fit for resettlement.

However, the state’s stance ostensibly changed last year when it bought the farms - which cost N$5.2 million in 2012 - for N$14.5 million.

Languishing in poverty

Meanwhile, settlers on the farm say they are treated like prisoners and are not allowed to gather firewood or even hunt for food.

According to Jepunda Hondjera, who lived on the land with other settlers from the Hai//om San community, the inhabitants are languishing in poverty because they are restricted from eking out a living and many depend on handouts from Good Samaritans.

“They live in shacks and they cannot go hunt, collect firewood or keep livestock. Most of them are old people and they rely on government handouts like drought-relief and old age grant,” he said.

According to Hondjera, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has never engaged the community, while her husband’s presence in the area has been a menace.

“Every time he came there, he warned them and sometimes he threatened them to leave the farm, saying it is his farm and he cannot tolerate it,” Hondjera said.

He added that the couple made no improvements to the land since they took ownership, causing the value of the farm to depreciate.

Intimidation

Hondjera further expressed surprise that government bought the farms at a higher price compared to when it was sold to Seize The Moment Investment CC in 2012.

“They never brought anything there. They just warned and intimidated the people living on the farm and some people are warned to stay away from the farm,” he said.

Another settler from the San community who also lives on the farm agreed that the condition of the land has depreciated over the years.

“It was in a good condition - the homestead, citrus orchards and farm equipment such as windmills and reservoirs were all in a great condition. “But now, the general infrastructure such as the fence, water installations and windmills are all rundown because there is no farming taking place on farm. One wonders why it was bought,” the settler, who refused to be named, said.

Attempts to reach Amadhila were unsuccessful.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Catering for all your hair needsZZI kids hair studio transitions to a family hair studio. The staff of ZZI continually receive training in order to effectively work with all children type of hair “We love families and we cater to all races,” owner Morna Ikosa says.

MICHELLINE NAWATISES

ZZI Kids Hair Studio officially opened its doors at Maerua Mall on 30 March 2019. Since its inception, the Studio aimed to create an oasis for children to have their hair done and to educate them about care and treatment, whilst receiving VIP hair treatment. The studio uses Namibian made natural hair products, as they are determined to support Namibian made products and entrepreneurs.

Morna and Mario Ikosa are the owners of the ZZI hair studio.

Morna said her kids as well as other children who were treated like second class citizens, inspired her to start this family hair studio. “We love families and we cater to all races,” she said. When asked about the story behind the name of the studio, Ikosa says they named the studio after her children's names.

The top qualities of the studio and the friendly service; the professional and caring way children are handled, the gentleness in dealing with all hair types; the hygiene; comfort; tranquil and clean environment; made parents fall in love with the ZZI - to the point where they too wanted their hair done there.

Open to all

It is for this reason that the entrepreneurs decided to transition from a kid’s hair studio to a family studio. They want mom, dad, and their kids to enjoy the comfort and services that ZZI offers.

ZZI Family Hair Studio is fitted with a UV steriliser, where combs, brushes and other items are placed in order to ensure exceptional hygiene. Due to Covid-19 regulations, the studio disinfects every second week and the stations and brushes are continually sanitised.

The staff continually receive training in order to effectively work with all types of hair and to ensure they provide excellent service to all clients. All the equipment caters specifically to the needs of a family, from hair dryers, booster seats and other items.

ZZI Family Hair Studio offers the following services and activities to ensure:

• An art corner, where kids are given the liberty to express themselves artistically

• Storytelling, where the staff reads to the children and tell stories

• Braiding, and all other hair regimens (i.e colour, treatment, wash and blow, protective styling, cutting, perm, colour, bridal styling).

• Bead grooming, cuts for gents (with a complimentary massage)

The Studio also recently commenced with a hair talk show where experts and others talk about all things hair and give hair and product advice.

For the natural hair enthusiasts; you now have a home. Many who are transitioning to natural hair have been finding it difficult to find a place that is knowledgeable about their hair and can handle their hair gently. The studio also caters to all other hair types.

Recently “tribe packages” were introduced, to welcome clients to join the ZZI family. The monthly packages range from N$250- N$600.

What is important for ZZI is that they are part of your hair journey. “We are passionate about hair care and hair health. Hair is an organ, and thus needs the nourishment, and tender care that any organ in our body needs,” Morna Ikosa explained.

For more information on ZZI Family Hair Studio visit their social media pages.

Facebook: ZZI Family Hair studio and boutique

Instagram: ZZI Family Hair Studio

For any bookings call: 0855 222 139

Where eyecare meets animal welfareOlympia Eye and Laser Clinic donates towards SPCA A donation made by the Olympia Eye and Laser Clinic will assist SPCA branches in Windhoek and Walvis Bay.

The Olympia Eye and Laser Clinic has made a donation worth N$45 000 to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) after selling face masks to clients.

An amount of N$16 650 was raised over the last six months. Dr Jonathan Joffe, the director of the Olympia Eye and Laser Clinic, topped up this amount to a total of N$45 000.

This was split between the SPCA's in Windhoek and Walvis Bay, with Windhoek receiving N$30 000 and Walvis Bay receiving N$15 000.

Funds have been are earmarked for the SPCA's Dixie Fund for veterinary expenses and will be used to vaccinate and sterilise shelter animals and provide emergency medical treatment.

“While Olympia Eye and Laser Clinic is situated in Windhoek, we serve clients from all across Namibia. It is with this in mind that we extend our social contributions to towns and regions outside Windhoek, supporting worthy projects in those communities that support us. Thank you to every client who supports the Olympia Eye and Laser Centre, as this makes it possible for us to share more widely,” said Birgit Hoffmann, the general manager of the business entities owned by Joffe.

“The animals at the shelters were deserted by their owners for various reasons. Now they are in need of medical support, food and shelter, and cannot help themselves. I am happy that the Olympia Eye and Laser Centre can make a small contribution to lighten the plight of the shelter animals and support the SPCA's in the valuable work they are doing in our society,” Hoffman added.

“This donation is a second donation based on masks we sold. During October last year, we already supported various SPCAs by donating funds raised via sale of masks,” she said.

The company will continue to sell the Covid-19 protective masks at their business outlets, being the Olympia Eye and Laser Centre, Aesthetics Centre Olympia, Olympia Optics and Café Coffee.

Hanna Rhodin, the national director of SPCA Namibia Windhoek, said they would like to extend their gratitude towards Olympia Eye and Laser Centre and their customers.

Parliament is delaying coalition agreement

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

Popular Democratic Movement secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe says opposition parties in the Windhoek city council have been unable to finalise a coalition agreement because of parliamentary duties.

Following the regional and local authority elections held last year, councillors representing the PDM, Affirmative Repositioning, Independent Patriots for Change and National Unity Democratic Union are yet to sign an agreement formalising their coalition.

“The parties are busy with parliament, it's just that delay,” Ngaringombe said.

He felt that it was necessary for the coalition to agree on the terms, saying: “We have to have a strategic document.”

Despite the delay, he said the coalition was working on addressing the needs of Windhoek's residents.

'No cracks'

Ngaringombe also denied that the delay was brought on by cracks in the coalition.

“There are no cracks; outsiders are praying for cracks. With [the parliamentary] recess, we might have time to sign,” Ngaringombe said.

IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge said the agreement had nothing to do with how the councillors were going about their work for the City.

“What is a coalition agreement? Page what is it on the Local Authority Act of 1992? [The] coalition agreement has nothing to do with what we must achieve as coalition, or in your view are we violating the laws of the republic for doing our work without the so-called coalition agreement?” Nashinge asked.

The coalition has elected councillors to the council's management committee.

They include AR leader Job Amupanda as mayor, the PDM's Claudia Hanases as deputy mayor and the IPC's Filemon Hambuda as chairperson of the management committee.

Other members of the management committee are IPC councillors Ndeshihafela Larandja and Desiree Davids, AR member Illse Keister and Nudo member Joseph Uapingene.

Councillors representing Swapo and the Landless People's Movement are serving as ordinary council members.

City Police slammed for 'arresting babies'

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

The City Police have come under fire for arresting seven minors, including nursing babies, and two pregnant women when they rounded up a group of people for grabbing land and obstructing the police.

The group of unemployed people say they were not grabbing land.

They say they were arrested at a City Police satellite station when they sought permission to march to the office of mayor Job Amupanda on the issue of land.

“We initially went to the Namibian Police at Wanaheda but we were told the station commander was unavailable and so we approached the City Police, where we were told to enter the yard and the yard was locked and a police van used by the Kalahari crime unit also arrived and arrested us on the spot,” says one of the group.

They also claim that they had been informed by some officials that the City was in the process of allocating land, hence their attempt to meet with the mayor.

Official version

Court documents suggest instead that the group of people attacked police vans with stones and barred police officers from removing corrugated iron sheets from their illegal shacks.

The accused were all released on warning while the minors were released into the care of their guardians.

The case was postponed to 18 June for further investigation. Meanwhile, the court will hear the matter relating to the minor accused on 7 May.

The matter was heard in the Katutura Magistrate's Court by Magistrate Niinja Hochobes.

The State was represented by Tuaundamuje Mukumbo.

Vilen Hifindaka from the People's Litigation Centre (PLC) represented the minors.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Parliament, Mushelenga clash over information bill…As World Press Freedom Day looms The Access to Information bill, which has been in the works since 2012, is expected to enhance the work of journalists and promote transparency and democracy.

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

A proposed bill to regulate access to information in the country has pitted information minister Peya Mushelenga and the secretariat of the National Assembly against each other.

The low-key fight between Mushelenga and the secretariat exists at a time when Namibia, together with the rest of the world, will commemorate the Windhoek Declaration on World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on 3 May.

The Access to Information (ATI) bill, which was tabled on 17 June 2020, is expected to enhance the work of journalists and promote transparency as well as democracy, amongst other things.

The bill has been in the pipeline since July 2012 after it was compiled by civil society and media organisations in the country.

It has since been with the parliamentary ICT standing committee for fine-tuning, but has yet to move from there since the committee did not exist at the time of referral and was elected only months later.

Mushelenga yesterday said he was told to resubmit the bill because of the committee dilemma, adding that he declined the instruction because it was not legal advice from the Attorney General’s office.

“You must speak to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi. They were telling the Speaker that the bill must be resubmitted because the bill was referred to a committee and the committee was elected only much later. “Speak to the Speaker and tell him that Mushelenga is still waiting for you to inform him about your consultations with the Attorney-General,” he said.

Back with ministry

Meanwhile, Joyce Nakuta, the director of committee services at the National Assembly, yesterday confirmed that Mushelenga was requested to resubmit the bill, adding that “the bill is back with the ministry”.

Social commentator Graham Hopwood yesterday said government should not be blamed for the delay because the minister tabled the bill last year already.

He added that civic society organisations under the Action Coalition banner have been unable to secure an audience with Katjavivi to discuss the delays.

Hopwood said his biggest worry is that - even when passed - it will take years to get the office of the information commissioner up and running without the required political will.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Taking risks confidently Ntelamo Nancy Maphosa is the marketing manager at Alexander Forbes Financial Services

Wetumwene Shikage

Maphosa who was raised in Windhoek, is the eldest of four children and is married with two boys. After completing her grade 12 at Delta Secondary School Windhoek she was accepted to study law at the University of Namibia (UNAM). However, she later changed and decided to pursue studies in marketing.

She holds a Bachelor in Marketing Degree, Associates Degree in Business Development and a certificate in Brand management. Maphosa describes herself as a people’s person “As a person, I’m creative, down to earth, composed, caring and passionate about people. I love reading, listening to music and spending quality time with family and friends,” she says.

As marketing manager, her job involves implementing the Alexander Forbes Group marketing strategy, planning and executing advertising campaigns in Namibia, while maintaining the image and brand standards.

Challenges and accomplishments

While Maphosa’s biggest challenge was always playing it safe and never taking risks, her biggest accomplishment was overcoming her challenge and taking risks confidently.

“I believe challenges are opportunities for growth and force us to strengthen ourselves,” she said.

A typical office day for her starts off with a warm cup of green tea, monitoring campaigns, replying to emails, checking in with the charities supported by the company, attending to her “to do list “and any meetings that are scheduled for the day.

Being a mother, she says her children are her loves who inspire her to be a better person. “Their eagerness to learn inspires me and reminds me of what it’s like to just be excited and discover to learn something new every day. They also inspire me to be creative and think out of the box, which, as adults, we sometimes lose the ability to.”

With plans on furthering her education and growing herself, she advises those in the same field type and career path that circumstances should never define them. She says, “Never let your circumstances define you, one can say that our greatest power is our ability to choose, you can change the world. Be the best version of yourself, and once you change the world, change it again!”

Her greatest fear is regret, living a life full of regret, knowing that she is capable and has the ability and confidence to do anything, but yet, end up doing nothing!

Maphosa says if she had the opportunity to change something in the world, it would be ending hate and cruelty that humans show towards one another, promoting peace, love, unity and humility. Making the world a better place.

The best desk jobRosalind Fobian, art director at Weathermen & Co, is driven to improve her art Inherent in many creatives is a need to be plugged into the latest changes and disruptions in the world and find meaning in them.

Wetumwene Shikage

Fobian was born in Swakopmund and grew up in different conservation areas all around Namibia. Fobian was first inspired to enter the creative arts by her mother, who had studied fine arts. She launched into the field of design through her studies in visual media and desktop publishing. She then progressed into the realm of economic and management sciences, and is currently completing the final year of her Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management through UNISA.

In addition to completing her degree, Fobian will also be celebrating her six-year anniversary at Weathermen & Co this month. She describes her workplace as one that provides her with continuous training every day.

“In the field of marketing you are always learning. Comfort zones really cannot exist if you want to stay up to speed with, or even ahead of, the latest trends,” she says.

It is these continuous discoveries that come with the constant learning that Fobian finds most fascinating about her job.

“It is incredible to explore the ways an image or colour can make someone feel something, or the way copy can shape perceptions of a product. Being able to drive consumer behaviour through design elements like these has to be the most exciting part of what I do.”

Along with putting these insights into practice, Fobian engages in extensive research and keeps her finger on the pulse of market trends to better inform the agency’s decisions to meet both clients’ objectives and consumers’ needs. She is also responsible for the conceptualisation and design of marketing and advertising materials, whether by producing animated videos or by directing photography.

“We’ve had to keep upskilling as new innovations have shaped the media landscape. It’s funny to think that not too long ago, we didn’t even have GIFs and now we work with them all the time. Being a part of the Weathermen team and our larger Ohlthaver & List (O&L) family, both of which are committed to innovating and investing in its people, has been rewarding in this regard,” Fobian says.

Fobian attributes much of her growth to her team and working environment, saying that It is wonderful to work in a place where your superiors are mentors before bosses, colleagues are friends, and where diversity is genuinely celebrated.

“In some ways, it feels like an extension of home, possibly also because my husband, who likewise works for the O&L Group, happens to work in the office just across from mine,” she says.

Grateful for this camaraderie and an environment which equips her to push the envelope through her designs, Fobian believes that she has not only found her passion, but she has also found her place at Weathermen & Co. “Even though I have a desk job, it’s one of the best desk jobs out there,” she says.

New kid on the block of TransNamibBertus Christiaan joins the Rail It team He is optimistic about the new strategy planned by the executive team to take the company forward. Pull quote: “It is a new position with new challenges which I am optimistic to learn and apply new methods for the benefit of the company.” - Bertus Christiaan

Michelline Nawatises

Bertus was born at Karasburg but raised in a communal area called Haib. He started school at Gabis, which is a Catholic school, and later joined Ernst Jager from grade two to grade nine. He finished school at Karas High.

Christiaan describes himself as a highly determined individual who likes to set goals and achieve them. From 2007 to 2010, he worked for VKE Consulting Engineers where they designed roads. In 2010 Bertus moved to Rosh Pinah where he worked at the zinc mine where he was responsible for all construction and civil maintenance works.

From 2014 to 2015 he worked at Nexus where he was responsible for the construction of a bitumen standard road to a value of N$100 million and bulk earthworks for the Ondangwa prison to the tune of N$21 million. He then started a construction company that worked for various mines with a total workforce of 180 employees at its peak of operations and joined TransNamib on 12 April 2021 as the regional engineer for civil infrastructure.

His duties include translating sectional performance standards into work programmes, allocating work, monitoring progress and taking corrective actions when necessary, as well as civil infrastructure maintenance. Christiaan will also be responsible for developing operating systems and facilitating their implementation in the section (e.g., policies, procedures, processes) for quality management of construction/maintenance work.

His portfolio is a crucial one for TransNamib and his day consists of coordinating and controlling the construction, repair and maintenance of the permanent way, buildings and structures in the civil infrastructure section of the company, to ensure a safe infrastructure and the smooth running of rolling stock, management of human resources, and liaising with external stakeholders.

Educational History

• Bachelor of Technology: Civil Engineering- Namibia University of Science and Technology (2009)

• Post Graduate Diploma: Project Management- University of Stellenbosch (2014)

• Master Degree: Business Administration- University of Stellenbosch (2019)

Christiaan says he has fit into the culture of the company and is sure his contribution will be significant for the company.

“It is a new position with new challenges which I am optimistic to learn and apply new methods for the benefit of the company,” he says.

“I chose this career path because I enjoy building and construction activities. Managing projects gives me positive satisfaction especially when completed on time and within budget at the specified quality.”

He has completed various projects within cost, specifications, and time throughout his career.

“I believe it is a huge accomplishment to complete an MBA,” he says. One of the major challenges that he was faced with is company politics that constrain performance.

Christiaan is optimistic about the new strategy being planned by the executive team to take this company forward, after all, their performances are impacted by the strategic decisions taken by management. “With the relevant support, I am sure that I will make a success in this position. We measure the base of our project on quality, cost and time which are quantitative tools,” he adds.

The ambitious individual believes he has the necessary attributes to lead TransNamib into the future by going through various structures and positions.

Tackling a rare disease in a global pandemic'End is in sight' Guinea worm would be only the second disease in human history after smallpox to be eradicated. The programme doesn't exist without community ownership. - Adam Weiss, Director: Carter Centre

Emeline Wuilbercq - Okello Aballa Ognum regularly has to walk deep into the jungles of south-west Ethiopia to treat the water ponds that harbour a debilitating parasitic disease.

Painstakingly, he measures the water volume to determine how much chemical treatment to use against copepods, the tiny water fleas that carry the Guinea worm larvae.

If ingested by humans, the larvae can grow up to a metre long before emerging through the skin, leading to serious disability and amputation in the worst cases.

Killing them is only part of Okello's job - he also teaches the community about the dangers of drinking unfiltered pond water.

"We tell them we are [treating] the ponds, but we are not killing all the copepods," the 24-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Gog district in Ethiopia's Gambella region.

"Don't think that since this pond was [treated], we can drink, it is free."

Guinea worm afflicted 3.5 million people 35 years ago. But only 27 human cases were reported in 2020, most in Ethiopia and Chad, according to the Carter Centre, the organisation set up by Jimmy Carter that leads the international eradication campaign.

That was 50% less than in 2019 and the 96-year-old former US President has said he hopes to live to see the last case of Guinea worm, which would be only the second disease after smallpox to be eradicated in human history.

1.7 BILLION PEOPLE

Eradication of guinea worm is one of the goals the World Health Organisation (WHO) set out in January when it published its roadmap to tackle 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by 2030.

Together, these curable or preventable diseases affect more than 1.7 billion people in some of the world's poorest countries, often severely disabling them and leaving them isolated and unable to earn a living.

Last year's progress on Guinea worm came despite the impact on public health systems from the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hit efforts to tackle some NTDs, particularly where health workers were required to travel to sufferers.

Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Centre's Guinea worm eradication programme, said the community-centred approach had been key to success in tackling a disease for which there is no vaccine or treatment.

"The programme doesn't exist without community ownership, without community involvement and leadership," he said.

"And the places where [it] has been the most successful ... are where there were dynamic community leaders, dynamic community volunteers."

'BEYOND THE END OF THE ROAD'

In Gambella, where 11 human cases were reported in 2020, dozens of community members like Okello have been mobilised to treat ponds, provide drinking water and raise awareness of the dangers of drinking contaminated water.

The disease disproportionately affects poor rural communities with no access to clean water and Guinea worm officers work with community leaders and volunteers, going house to house to look for suspected cases and distribute filters.

"We have to remember that this parasite is designed to survive. It's found a way to sustain itself in populations that really are ... beyond the end of the road," said Weiss.

One major obstacle to progress in the last decade has been animal infections.

Chad went 10 years with no reported cases of Guinea worm before the disease suddenly reappeared in humans in 2010, apparently driven by dogs consuming raw fish and then infecting water sources.

Volunteers trained under the national eradication programme encouraged people to bury fish discards, while cash rewards are given to those who report infected animals and keep them away from water sources.

Ethiopia detected the worms in baboons in 2013, according to Kassahun Demissie, coordinator of the Ethiopian Dracunculiasis Eradication Programme.

"This makes it difficult to eradicate this disease because we don't know the dynamicity of wild animal infections," he said by phone.

LAST-MILE CHALLENGES

Owar Ojulu Aballa, a field coordinator for the Carter Centre in the Gambella region, pointed to another problem - poor villagers deliberately infecting themselves to get the 10 000 birr (US$240) compensation, a significant sum in one of Ethiopia's most deprived areas.

Now local teams seek to ensure the community takes precautions, from using filters to hiring pond guards and providing tankers of clean water.

They can also count on villagers to help educate the community, such as Obang Odol Okello, 25, who was infected in April last year and was in severe pain until the worm was slowly removed by rolling it over a wooden stick.

The father of two was barely able to walk and could not grow his maize and sorghum or stop wild baboons from eating his crops, a painful experience that has helped him as a volunteer in the eradication programme.

"I always take the time to show them what happened to me last year," said Obang, who is paid 300 birr to go house-to-house and urges people to use the cloth and pipe water filters.

"To eradicate guinea worm disease right now, there must be safe water," he said by phone from Ethiopia's Gog district, saying the disease could be eradicated immediately if everyone had access to clean water.

"The end is in sight," said the Carter Centre's Weiss. "But we also have to be mindful that more research, more investment in the communities, is required to overcome some of the last-mile challenges."– Nampa/Reuters

Rand a surprise safe haven in emerging market maelstrom

Karin Strohecker - The rand has emerged as an unlikely winner among emerging market currencies since the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, despite South Africa's high levels of debt and unemployment.

US sanctions have rumbled Russian bond markets, Turkish assets have been hit by monetary policy concerns and other big developing countries such as India and Brazil have taken a hard hit from the coronavirus crisis.

"The rand has been trading very, very well, like a safe haven almost, within the high-yield part of the index," James Lord, global head of FXEM strategy at Morgan Stanley, said.

The South African currency has strengthened 2.4% this year and soared some 30% over the past 12 months, while an index of emerging market currencies is down around 2%.

And rand-denominated government bonds have delivered handsome returns despite this year's hefty rise in US treasury yields, which roiled other emerging markets.

YIELDS

South Africa offers some of the highest real yields in major emerging markets, with 10-year government bonds yielding just over 9% with inflation at 3.2% year-on-year.

"Russia and Turkey obviously have huge amounts of domestic risk ... and people are a little bit hesitant to get too involved in these markets, which leaves South Africa as the default option if you want to invest in a big, liquid market that has yield," Lord added.

Morgan Stanley calculations show that South African bonds grew to 1.8% overweight - the largest in the index - by the end of March. Lord says this trend has accelerated again in the first two weeks of April.

Commodity price gains have bolstered South Africa's case, said Manik Narain at UBS, who points to metal fuelled export growth being up 20% year-on-year in February. That has lifted the country's trade surplus to 6% of GDP, its highest in more than three decades.

South Africa now appears to be a far cry from its time among the so-called Fragile Five, a group of countries roiled by the 2013 taper tantrum due to their reliance on foreign capital to plug funding deficits.

Meanwhile stocks have given bonds a run for their money. The MSCI South Africa is up 15% this year, in US dollar terms one of the best performing in the emerging world.

CHALLENGES

But Africa's most industrialised economy faces challenges, with the government trying to rein in public sector salaries to arrest a rapid debt build-up exacerbated by the pandemic.

And one of South Africa's largest public sector trade unions is preparing for a strike over stalled wage talks.

"Further progress on the public sector wage bill is key," said Narain, adding the fiscal arithmetic raised more flags with trend growth of 5-6% below effective funding rates of 7.5%.

And some analysts expecting commodity price gains to slow or even decline in the second half of the year.

JPMorgan's Sonja Keller predicts the economy might grow just 0.4% in the first quarter, and that the rand could soften to 16 to the US dollar in the fourth quarter, from currently 14.32.

"They have been dealing with the pandemic reasonably well recently which is great but there is implementation risk on the fiscal side," Morgan Stanley's Lord said, adding: "Can they deliver on their targets of consolidating the budget?"– Nampa/Reuters

Northern fish farmers harvest 2 000 tonnesMore reserves gazetted The ministry of fisheries and marine resources oversees at least eight aquaculture and inland fisheries farms

Fish farmers in the North last year harvested around 2 000 tonnes of fish valued at N$120 million from wild fisheries landing from the region’s rivers.

Tabling the N$191.4-million budget of the ministry of fisheries and marine resource in parliament this week, minister Derek Klazen said a large sector of people in Namibia’s rural areas engage in subsistence inland fisheries activities, whose sustainable commercialisation is continuously assessed to safeguard the resource base for those who are dependent on it.

He said his ministry has gazetted an additional five fish-protected areas or fisheries reserves in the Kwando/Chobe system for sustainable management directly by the communities themselves to prevent external unsustainable exploitation.

Klazen said the ministry oversees at least eight aquaculture and inland fisheries farms which produce fingerlings and or market-size fish for distribution across the country.

Those farms, he said, produced 36 tonnes of fish from freshwater aquaculture with a value of N$1.8 million, while the industry produced 149 tonnes of oysters with a total value of N$11.36 million.

BIOMASS SURVEY

Klazen further informed the House that a biomass survey will be conducted to assess and decide whether the stock, especially commercially important stocks such as hake, monk, horse mackerel, pilchard, deep-sea red crab, rock lobster and seals have recovered adequately to resume commercial exploitation.

“The three-year moratorium on sardines (pilchard) has lapsed and a biomass survey is planned for 2021 to establish the status of this important stock and advise on the way forward. As such, the ministry plans to use its two research vessels to conduct these surveys and funds need to be availed for the running, maintenance and repairs, as well as for other operational costs associated with the operations of these vessels,” he said.

Additionally hake fishery, he said, has been conditionally certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable, a status that is expected to lead to access to lucrative markets. However, to attain full certification, the ministry is required to improve its understanding of the marine ecosystem and to do so, increased research on ecosystem aspects needs to be done. - Nampa

Ongwediva road upgrade faces delay The contractor failed on several occasions to attend site meetings. – Jackson Muma, Spokesperson: Ongwediva town council

ONGWEDIVA – The Ongwediva town council has terminated a tender awarded to Neu Olulya Trading to upgrade Church Street to bitumen standard, following non-performance on the part of the company.

Church Street is approximately 1.6 kilometres long, stretching from Abraham Nyambali Street to Kahumba Kandola Street and once the upgrade is completed, it is expected to connect various institutions to important services in the town.

The council’s spokesperson, Jackson Muma, said the N$6.3-million project, which was awarded in November last year, was scheduled to take eight months to complete.

Until April 2021, Muma stated, no significant progress had been made despite numerous communication addressed to the contractor.

“The contractor also failed on several occasions to attend site meetings, which are crucial to track progress,” he said.

The delay has compromised the projected completion period and does not conform to the standards and values of the Ongwediva town council and its residents.

According to Muma, the council will restart the bidding process in due course in order to get the project done, although with an extended period of time.

Efforts to get comment from the contractor were futile as his cell phone appeared to be switched off and a text message sent to him also remained unanswered. - Nampa

EDITORIAL President Hage Geingob’s press secretary Alfredo Hengari continues to create animosity between the country’s highest office and various stakeholders.

Just this week, Hengari tore into the Zambezi Lives Matter movement - whose agenda, whether justified or not, is so far outside the realm of his work - before turning his fury to the media for reporting about the remarks he made himself in a press release.

In the case of Namibian Sun, for example, Hengari failed to point to any factual incorrectness in the article in which the Zambezi Lives Matter movement responded to his attack, but instead tore into the editors for placing the story on the front page.

Hengari, gloating in his bloated sense of self-importance, thinks he is so powerful that he can even tell newspapers where to place news items. He is, in fact, currently presiding over the ugliest period of relations between the press and State House.

Control freak that he is, Hengari thinks he can attack the Zambezi movement in his official press statement, but then expects that the movement should not be accorded column inches in newspapers when it responds. This is a sign of a man who recklessly starts fires and struggles to put them out, burning his hands in the process instead.

Unfortunately, this fire is not only scorching Hengari’s controlling fingers - the entire presidency is often caught up in the flames of his negligent pronouncements.

Intentionally grooming the youth Regto Ndemufayo David is one of Namibia’s leading youth entrepreneurs.

Wetumwene Shikage

Ndemufayo is the founder and executive chairman of RND Holdings (Pty) Ltd and he was born in Swakopmund. He leads a diversified youth-owned Namibian company with headquarters in Windhoek and a branch in Swakopmund, employing young people over the past six years. The company has the vision to serve and form partnerships through a collaborative approach to create economic opportunities and foster growth to promote youth innovation and prosperity.

The holding company comprises the following portfolio of services: property development, insurance, VIP vehicle rentals, legal consulting and seafood. The portfolio is steadily growing, making inroads throughout Africa and the Middle East through venture capital investment opportunities.

Experiences and background

His experience ranges from corporate leadership to project management, communication, labour relations, commercial law, labour law, HR management, affirmative action and stakeholder engagement. He has served at senior management level at the Ohlthaver & List Group of Companies, Namibia Dairies, Windhoek Schlachterei as well as Kraatz Marine and Engineering based in Walvis Bay.

In addition to his extensive field experience, David holds a B.Com in business management and industrial psychology (Unam), a postgraduate certificate in dispute resolutions, mediations and negotiations (UNAM) and a master’s degree in commercial and labour law (UWC). He is currently completing a Bachelor of Law (LLB) at the University of Namibia (Unam) with the view to be admitted as a Legal attorney specialised in civil, commercial and labour law.

Education

Ndemufayo has received various awards and nominations including the Sanlam Innovation Award 2019, IPM Namibia HR Excellence Award 2016, NYC Young Person of Excellence Award in 2016; NYC Most Promising & Innovative Entrepreneur in 2016; Total Start Upper of the Year Finalist 2016; Global Entrepreneurship Network Namibian Finalist 2015; African Entrepreneurship Awards nominee Finalist 2015; DBN Business Innovation Award winner in 2014.

Ensuring safety - one lift at a time Johannes Shihepo is a machinery inspector at the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation

STAFF REPORTER

A busy day at work for Shihepo begins at 08:00 at the ministry of labour, industrial relations and employment creation, where he works in the occupational safety and health (OSH) division.

He grabs his personal protective equipment and an inspection checklist and heads out for either a scheduled, routine, requested or emergency inspection.

Machinery inspections are done at factories and associated industries, public or private institutions and shopping malls where the OSH regulations are applicable for the purpose of enforcing them.

Such inspections involve the inspection of dangerous machinery such as lifts, escalators and boilers to ensure that they are designed, installed, used, maintained and repaired according to safety and other control measures, and also for the purpose of preventing accidents.

“During routine inspections I verify if these units are safe for further use, operating within the boundaries of the law. We conduct inspections accompanied by the approved inspection authorities (lift, escalator or boiler installers and maintenance service providers) approved by the ministry and contractually appointed by the client. Such an AIA is usually the link between the ministry and the client."

In addition to conducting inspections, OSH is also responsible for the registration and issuance of certificates to competent AIAs who render services to the public in occupational safety and health related areas; awarding of certificates for use to successful escalators, lifts and boilers and in cases of emergencies or incidents, conduct investigations and draft reports to the prosecutor-general for possible accountability.

On his busiest work day, Shihepo may have up to six inspections and once completed, he heads back to his office to draft a report on his findings and make recommendations. In the midst of the busy schedule, he says he still makes time to read and keep himself abreast of the latest technology.

Co-workers describe him as a reliable, down-to-earth and proactive individual with a passion for his work. His hobbies involve watching motorsport events (spinning, drifting and racing) and listening to music.

Shihepo completed his secondary education at the Oshigambo High School in the Oshikoto Region, after which he pursued a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnic of Namibia (now Namibia University of Science and Technology).

His career began at CMB Consulting Engineers in Windhoek, where he did his work-integrated learning before taking on his first job at Namibia Breweries Limited. He then worked at Coca-Cola Company at Oshakati as a maintenance planner before joining the labour ministry as an OSH machinery inspector.

"I love my work because it comprises of almost everything that I have done in my career, both technical and working with people from different backgrounds," he says.

To pursue a career in the OSH Division, Shihepo says, one must be professional - with high-level integrity, independent, unbiased, have communication skills and a passion for serving people.

Additionally, a mechanical or electrical engineering qualification from a tertiary institution, a valid driving licence and knowledge of the Labour Act and OSH regulations are an added advantage.

Given the power to change anything at all in the world, "I would work hard to minimise and hopefully eliminate people's perceptions and fears of safety and health concerns emanating from dangerous machinery in workplaces," he says.

Always working towards the bigger picture Gisela Nampasita Naris works at the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) and is responsible for the Fund’s procurement, bidding, supplier and contract management. “Surprisingly, working with people and organisations with various backgrounds has been by far the most fulfilling.”

Monique Adams

She was born and raised in Swakopmund. Her primary role in procurement is to ensure that the organisation’s cost-to-serve ratio as prescribed in the corporate strategy is achieved. Being the custodian of all financial commitments within the Fund, it is the responsibility of her division to ensure that the Fund does not only spend within the cost-to-serve ratio, but to also keeps the procured costs as low as possible without compromising quality.

Naris said after joining the unit in 2017, they started reviewing the procurement policy that had been approved in 2018. The policy is the key driver in optimising compliance and efficiency for procurement within the Fund.

“I must emphasise that I would not have been awarded the top performer, if it were not for the support I received from my team members. Each member has a role in this process so I must acknowledge that everyone in the finance department possesses diligence, commitment and exceptional teamwork which is commendable,” she says.

Her demanding role comes with great challenges. One of the challenges is the fact that suppliers at times do not meet their commitments. This puts a lot of pressure on the department, which must often make difficult decisions such as blacklisting them from the suppliers list. She is however quick to mention that one of the perks she enjoys is the good relations she has built with various individuals and organisations over time.

Naris is currently studying towards a master’s degree in development finance through the Stellenbosch Business School. Apart from being a full-time employee at the Fund, she lectures part-time and has an interest in real estate and micro-lending.

“What I look forward to in the future is to not only achieve goals, but attain them with excellence. Having access to various industries through the procurement unit, I have developed a strong passion for investments, asset management and exploring options to learn and grow within that space. It is indeed a clear example that anything is possible with good planning,” she says.