Namibian Sun

Nigeria losing 200 000 bpd to pipeline damage

Nigeria is losing an average of 200 000 barrels of oil per day more than 10% of its production to pipeline vandalism, the country's information minister said on Monday.

Nigeria relies on oil exports for more than half its budget and 95% of foreign exchange. The cost to repair the pipelines alone is roughly 60 billion naira (US$145.99 million), information minister Lai Mohammed told a town hall meeting in Abuja.

"One can only imagine the impact on the economy," Mohammed said, adding that the resulting spills also had a devastating impact on the water, air and soil quality.

Typically, the damage is caused by thieves who tap pipelines to illegally refine the oil and sell it on the black market.

Nigeria, Africa's largest oil exporter, is pumping around 1.47 million bpd of oil as a result of an agreement with OPEC and other oil-producing nations to curtail output. Its capacity is around 2 million bpd.

Mohammed said official statistics showed that between January 2019 and September 2020, 1161 pipeline points nationwide were vandalised.

Many oil spills in the southern oil production heartland of Africa's biggest crude producer are caused by theft and pipeline sabotage. The taps used to steal the oil also cause accidents, fires and sometimes explosions. - Nampa/Reuters

We will arrest you – Ndeitunga

Kenya Kambowe

RUNDU

Police chief, Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, says despite the overcrowding in police holding cells across the country, the police will be relentless in arresting those contravening the Covid-19 regulations.

He told Namibian Sun they are not proud of the cat and mouse relationship they have with the public in terms of ensuring that people comply with the measures imposed by government to curb the further spread of the virus.

The police have arrested crowds of people found in contravention of the regulations, with the latest being 27 men arrested in Windhoek following furore at a funeral.

Ndeitunga, who described the public’s behaviour as uncalled for, said there are elements in society who are not taking the virus seriously.

He added that those being arrested pose a danger to inmates, which could result in the holding cells becoming super spreaders of Covid-19.

“The issue is that our cells are overcrowded. It makes administrative challenges for the police,” Ndeitunga said.

“If we arrest them, they have to go in and they will endanger those who are already [inside]. Those are the challenges we are talking about [which] the police are faced with. You do this, they complain; you do that, they complain,” he said.

“That is the issue – we have to arrest those who are contravening the law. Everybody should be aware that the cells are congested and overcrowded. We will not relent in arresting those who are in contravention of the law.”

Just behave

Ndeitunga said people should comply with the regulations.

“People should not do things [adhere to the regulations] because they are afraid to be arrested, but they should do it consciously. They must do it consciously knowing that we are facing imminent danger in our lives. We can only succeed if we do it together and not to be afraid to be arrested,” the police chief explained.

“What we are urging is that people should behave and avoid being arrested and fill the police holding cells which are already congested.”

Early last year when the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, police holding cells were among the super spreaders and a number of decisions were imposed by the police, such as banning visitors.

Some regions had to accommodate newly arrested inmates at other police stations due to the lack of space in holding cells.

kenya@namibiansun.com

APP to pay recalled councillor N$200k

KENYA KAMBOWE

RUNDU

The Windhoek High Court has ordered the All People’s Party (APP) to pay its former Grootfontein local councillor, Stanislaus Uiseb, whom they recalled in 2017, over N$200 000.

Judge Hannelie Prinsloo ordered the APP to pay Uiseb N$202 790 for the financial damages he suffered after he was recalled as a councillor.

The respondents in the matter were the party, its secretary-general Vincent Kanyetu, the Grootfontein municipality and the Electoral Commission of Namibia

Uiseb, who became a member of APP on 18 April 2014, was nominated as town councillor in December 2015.

He served until February 2017, when he was recalled by the party.

Uiseb testified that he applied for legal aid from the Legal Aid Directorate and had to wait for the outcome of the matter at the labour commissioner, which was received on 13 September 2019.

He then approached the Legal Aid Directorate again and was accorded legal representation that allowed him to initiate his claim against APP at the High Court in January 2020.

According to Uiseb, who received a monthly allowance of N$5 292.30 from the council and earned a monthly commission for writing insurance policies, he suffered financial damages of up to N$280 491.50, but the claim was reduced to N$202 790.43.

Misconduct

APP president Ignatius Shixwameni and Kanyetu both testified that Uiseb was recalled because of misconduct, which included missing meetings and being drunk in public.

The party leaders also testified that a number of meetings were planned to address these issues with Uiseb, but did not materialise.

They argued it was on that basis they decided to write to the local authority indicating the recall of their member.

Judge Prinsloo pointed out in her judgment that the APP constitution and code of conduct are silent on the procedures an aggrieved member should follow.

She also argued that the party did not act in accordance with the principles of natural justice when the management committee expected from the plaintiff to deduce from the vague letters what was to happen to him if he failed to attend the consultative meeting.

When contacted for comment, Kanyetu said they would study the judgement and based on the advice of their lawyer, the party may appeal against the order.

kenya@namibiansun.com

Samherji JV made to pay over dismissals Heinaste saga haunts Arctic Nam A company owned by a subsidiary of the Icelandic seafood company and Namibian partners has been told to remunerate workers it had unfairly dismissed.

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

The unfair dismissal of the Samherji-owned vessel the Heinaste’s crew in 2018 has come back to haunt local subsidiary Arctic Nam, who will now have to make a combined payment of N$407 124 to the crew members.

The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) succeeded in having Arctic Nam pay 23 crew members who had been unfairly dismissed through the Office of the Labour Commissioner.

Reacting to the ruling, the NUNW’s Philip Munenguni said it was a victory for the dismissed workers.

“This judgement is directed towards Samherji management who are the cause for the loss of employment of the crew members,” he said.

Hold them to account

Munenguni urged concerted effort to see Samherji being held accountable in the crew members’ loss of income.

“Samherji cannot just apologise, they have caused a lot of damage. These are the people who were affected by Fishrot. What will Sanherji do with these employees? They are the ones who caused the damage,” he asked.

According to him, the recent judgement by the Labour Commissioner was but one step, with Munenguni warning that the matter could be taken as far as the High Court.

“If Samherji will not pay, we will not stop here, we will go to the higher courts,” he said.

Arbitration findings

The Labour Commissioner found that Arctic Nam did not provide proof that it had faced financial or mechanical problems when the workers were dismissed.

Arctic Nam had further not provided any evidence and had waived its right to be heard, the ruling found.

As a consequence, Arctic Nam was ordered to pay all the applicants 12 months of lost income, which translates to N$73 080 or N$6 090 monthly for crewmen, N$79 164 or N$6 597 monthly for deckhands, N$157 500 or N$13 125 monthly for motormen and N$97 380 or N$8 115 monthly for carpenters.

The Labour Commissioner further ordered that the payment be made on or before 30 July.

Sea transport key in boosting Namibia’s trade Road transport less preferred Namibia transported 810 940 tonnes of cargo through rail, road, air and sea, compared to 801 118 tonnes that were transported for April 2021.

PHILLEPUS UUSIKU

For the month of May 2021, sea transport was the main driver of total goods transported, with rail transport coming in second position.

According to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), the sea-cargo index which consists of sea-landed, sea-shipped and sea trans-shipped recorded a monthly growth rate of 35.5% month-on-month, further up from a decline of 45.4% registered in April 2021. However, the index recorded a decline of 21.6% year-on-year.

The monthly increase recorded in the sea-cargo index is attributed to sea landed and sea-shipped. Sea trans-shipped registered a slower growth during the review period.

In addition, the rail cargo Index recorded an increase of 9.7% month-on-month compared to a decline of 1.7% registered in April 2021. The growth registered on a monthly basis is mainly due to increased volume of cement and copper concentrate that was transported during the review period.

Furthermore, the road cargo index registered a monthly decline of 27.8% in May 2021 compared to a growth of 33.5% recorded for April 2021. On the other hand, on an annual basis, the index improved by recording a growth of 30.1% from a reduction of 30.0% in May 2020, NSA pointed out.

The sea-landed index recorded a growth rate of 45.7% month-on-month for May 2021. This is better-off when compared to a decline of 56.7% recorded in the preceding month. Over the year, the index remained weak, registering a contraction of 9.0%.

The increase observed monthly is mainly accredited to the high volumes of landing in bulk cargo by appliances of containers for petroleum and sulphuric acid imported through the port of Walvis Bay, NSA.

Volume

The sea trans-shipped index continued with a slowdown, registering a monthly growth rate of 3.7% during the month under review, while a growth rate of 19.5% was recorded in April 2021. On an annual basis, the index declined by 90.9%.

The increase recorded on monthly basis was mainly reflected in the high volumes of trans-shipment for break-bulk cargo of frozen fish in vessels and frozen products in break-bulk cargo trans-shipped through the port of Walvis Bay, NSA added.

The total volume of cargo transported by sea in May 2021 amounted to 407 390 tonnes compared to 300 680 tonnes recorded in the preceding month. The total volume of cargo transported by sea for May 2020 stood at 519 722 tonnes.

Overall, Namibia transported 810 940 tonnes of cargo through rail, road, air and sea, compared to 801 118 tonnes and 840 939 tonnes that were transported for April 2021 and May 2020, respectively.

Therefore, the overall composite cargo index recorded an increase on a monthly basis of 1.2% in May 2021 compared to a decline of 16.2% registered in April 2021. The index declined by 3.6%, year-on- year, NSA said.

Cricket Namibia scoops two awards SPORTS REPORTER

Cricket Namibia (CN) has been announced as the winner of the ICC Development Initiative of the Year and the ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year.

These awards acknowledge outstanding development initiatives delivered either through a physical participation programme or a digitally delivered game development initiative during the year, and the outstanding innovative use of digital platforms, campaigns or technology to drive engagement with fans and the wider community.

Great initiatives

The chairman of the ICC associate members, Imran Kwata, said that CN utilised the lockdown to embark upon an intensive capacity-building programme and demonstrated exceptional use of their time.

Kwata said the promotional activities CN carried out on the back of ICC Development Award in 2019 were the perfect case study of how a global award can be used to drive national engagement.

CN CEO Johan Muller was pleased with the ICC awards. “We are proud to receive this recognition for both ICC award categories. To be declared regional winners for Africa and shortlisted from 92 associate member countries is indeed a great achievement,” he said.

“As an administrative team we are dedicated to serving our stakeholders to the best of our abilities and for us to achieve this, we continuously increase our capacity and skills.

“The increase in capacity and knowledge of our staff, players, umpires, scorers and coaches was a priority and the lockdown period in 2020 allowed us to focus on these elements.

“The continuous development of our players through a life skills programme is also groundbreaking in the Namibian sports environment,” Muller said.

Teamwork

Muller added that he was proud of CN staff and players for their commitment during this period.

“We have wonderful initiatives planned for 2021 which will hopefully make us international winners at the next awards,” he added.

He thanked everyone who contributed and made this possible.

“We are humbled to have received these awards. It is a greater honour to be placed in such distinguished ranks as those of the past honourees,” Muller said.

Kaudondokwa closing in on a fight LIMBA MUPETAMI

WINDHOEK

Very soon, Namibian boxing fans will be able to see former African WBO Africa middleweight champion Walter ‘The Executioner’ Kaudondokwa back in action.

Kaudondokwa now trains with AC Boxing Academy and is currently in Mexico training for a fight.

Asked who the Namibian will be facing, promoter Immanuel ‘AC’ Moses opted to remain tight-lipped, saying that “all will be revealed when everything is finalised.”

The Namibian boxer last fought on 26 August 2019 against Kazakhstan’s Kanat Islam. The controversial win went to the latter. It brought Kaudondokwa’s total fights to 20, with 18 wins and two losses. Of those 18 wins, 17 were knockouts.

Fresh out of the box

In the meantime, those who follow boxers from the AC Boxing Academy are tantalised with snippets of the boxer training.

Other boxers who are also hard at work during the nationwide sports halt, preparing for fights on the horizon, are the likes of featherweight boxer Sakaria ‘Desert Storm’ Lukas and former unified light-welterweight world champion Julius ‘Blue Machine’ Indongo.

Lukas recently returned from Mexico, where he was training. Lukas last fought and beat Mexico’s Marco Chable (on 19 March) and Mario Macias on 26 February. Lukas has 26 fights, 25 wins and one loss.

Indongo, on the other hand, last fought Daniyar Yeleussinov on 27 November 2020. He lost that fight by technical knockout. He has 26 fights, 23 wins and three losses on his record.

Brave Warriors applicants leakedCosafa is Samaria’s lifeline Speculation is rife that current Brave Warriors interim coach Bobby Samaria will automatically become the frontrunner for the permanent hot seat, provided he does well at Cosafa. JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

WINDHOEK

Senior national team interim coach Bobby Samaria has allegedly applied for the permanent position, an informant has leaked.

It has emerged that Woody Jacobs and Ali Akan are also among the coaches who have applied for the Warriors hot seat.

Akan is the current coach of Tigers, while Woody Jacobs is in charge of Orlando Pirates.

Namibian Sun understands that more names will surface in the coming days, as more local coaches have applied for the job.

The applications pit Samaria against his former assistant coach Woody Jacobs, who is also alleged to have applied.

Samaria’s application comes months after he was told he would not be given the job on a permanent basis but would have to apply with other candidates even after two years of acting in the position.

The Brave Warriors gaffer, who is currently in South Africa leading the team into the ongoing Cosafa Cup, is said to be in a solid position to get the job on permanent basis, provided he does well at the Cosafa Cup.

Samaria is one of the most successful coaches in Namibian football, having won several league titles and knockout competitions.

The Namibian Football Association has received a number of applications from local coaches eager to take charge of the Brave Warriors hot seat.

NFA secretary-general Franco Cosmos has played down any information linking Samaria to the candidates who have applied.

“I do not know where you hear these things but I can’t tell you anything at the moment because this is confidential information.

“It is still a private matter regarding who has applied and who has been shortlisted.

“I will therefore not be able to assist you with any answers at the moment until the right time,” Cosmos said.

Last month, this newspaper announced that the association had thrown local coaches with CAF A licences a lifeline because limited financial resources made it impossible to appoint an international coach.

The NFA resorted to finding someone in the domestic football arena to avoid paying an exorbitant salary.

There was also talk that the association could consider appointing the successful candidate on a part-time basis to cut costs.

Since Ricardo Mannetti’s departure in 2019, the Brave Warriors have not had a substantial coach.

The NFA appointed former national team player Collin Benjamin to take over the team and manage it during the Chan qualifiers that year.

After Benjamin refused to stay on as a temporary coach, NFA roped in Samaria.

Tokyo scraps Olympic torch relayRelay legs in capital off The Olympic flame arrives in Tokyo on Friday, but private torch-lighting ceremonies will replace the relay across the capital to prevent crowds gathering to watch, the city government said. NAMPA/AFP

The Olympic torch relay has been scrapped on Tokyo's public roads, officials announced Wednesday, as virus concerns continue to plague the Games just over two weeks before they begin.

The latest setback comes only a day before International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach is due to arrive in Japan for the postponed mega-event.

And with coronavirus infections on the rise again in Japan, the government is expected to this week extend restrictions that are likely to affect how many fans if any can attend the Games.

Right up to the opening ceremony on July 23, the torch ceremonies will be streamed online, with authorities urging spectators to watch them "in the comfort of your home".

Only the relay leg in the Ogasawara islands a remote archipelago some 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) south of Tokyo will go ahead in public as scheduled.

The nationwide torch relay has been fraught with problems since it began in March, with almost half the legs disrupted in some way.

The relay was forced off public roads in famous tourist cities such as Kyoto and Hiroshima over fears that crowds of fans could spread the virus.

And it has also met with some public opposition, with a 53-year-old woman arrested on Sunday for squirting liquid from a water pistol towards a runner.

Tokyo 2020 was delayed by one year by the pandemic and will take place under strict anti-infection rules, with overseas fans banned and local spectators limited.

Participants have already begun arriving in Japan, with 11,000 Olympic athletes from around 200 countries set to take part.

Bach, who will isolate for three days on arrival, had initially been expected to visit Tokyo in May, but that trip was cancelled over virus restrictions.

Organisers set a limit last month of 10,000 fans, or half of each venue's capacity, but recently warned that a fully closed-door Games remains an option as the virus situation worsens.

Japan's Covid-19 outbreak has not been as severe as in some countries, with around 14,800 deaths, but experts say another wave could stretch medical services as the Games begin.

The government is this week expected to extend anti-virus measures in Tokyo and other regions likely until after the Games begin with a further decision on Olympic fans to follow.

Current restrictions cap spectators at non-Olympic sports events at 5,000 and limit the opening hours of bars and restaurants.

Media reports say fans are likely to be banned from the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, with events taking place in the evening also held behind closed doors.

The announcement of the results of a ticket lottery for oversubscribed events has already been pushed back to Saturday less than two weeks before the opening ceremony.

And even non-ticketed events are affected, with the public urged not to line the route of the Olympic marathon in the northern city of Sapporo.

The Japanese team held a stripped-down, socially distanced send-off ceremony on Tuesday, with almost all of the 582 athletes taking part online.

But star gymnast Kohei Uchimura appeared underwhelmed by the event, complaining that it felt "a bit unsatisfying".

"I've done a lot of online interviews recently, so I'm used to it," he told reporters.

"But to do a formal ceremony online feels a bit unsatisfying."

Mancini delights in defying expectations NAMPA/AFP

Having taken over Italy at their lowest ebb, Roberto Mancini revelled in defying expectations after the Azzurri made it through to the final of Euro 2020 with a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Spain on Tuesday.

Italy's transformation under Mancini in the last three years has been extraordinary, from a team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup to one that has gone on a national record of 33 games unbeaten including their Wembley semi-final.

They were made to fight all the way against Spain, taking the lead through Federico Chiesa's brilliant goal but being pegged back as Alvaro Morata's equaliser made it 1-1 and forced extra time before the Azzurri prevailed 4-2 on penalties.

After putting seven goals without reply past Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in the group stage they ground out an extra-time win over Austria, then beat Belgium in the quarter-finals despite losing star left-back Leonardo Spinazzola to a torn Achilles tendon.

Now they are closing on a second European Championship title.

"When you play in a World Cup or a European Championship it is intense, and there always comes a game where you have to dig in and suffer to win," said Mancini.

"It can't all be smooth as our progress had been up to now.

"We knew this was the one that was going to be really tough and that is why I think the players and everyone who has worked with us over the last three years deserves a lot of credit because it has not been easy by any means.

"Almost nobody believed we could do it and yet we are in the final, so we are pleased for Italians everywhere."

Italians took to the streets across the country to celebrate while 11,000 of their fans all UK-based as restrictions prevented supporters abroad from travelling were inside Wembley to see Jorginho score the decisive kick in the shoot-out.

Italy were in a mess after losing to Sweden in a 2018 World Cup qualifying play-off and Mancini had to pick up the pieces from that.

He has rebuilt them, and at this Euro they have been almost the complete side: from the veteran centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to brilliant attacking full-backs, a gifted midfield trio of Marco Verratti, Jorginho and Nicolo Barella, and a livewire front line.

"The players wanted to play a brand of football that people enjoyed and thus far they have managed to do exactly that," added Mancini.

Olutu lwokanona koomvula heyali lwa adhika momuthima NAMPA

OVENDUKA

Olutu lwokanona kokakadhona koomvula heyali owala dhika momuthima momukunda Onankulo mEtitano lya piti, palopota yiimbuluma yOpolisi yaNamibia.

Olopota ndjoka ya pitithwa mOsoondaha oya holola kutya nakusa okwa dhimbululwa kutya oMelanie Paulus, na okwa gwile momuthima ngoka sho a yi omuthenu omanga ya li ya ka konga omeya naanona yakwawo.

Moshiningwanima sha yooloka, olutu lwomunamimvo 52,

Beata Shimpulu, olwa adhika mondunda ye yokulala momukunda Oshendje-Elombo moshikandjohogololo shaNayena mEtitano. Omakonaakono goshiyetithi sheso otaga ka ningwa. Olopota yimwe oya holola kutya okakadhona koomvula 16 oya ningilwa omatilitho nokukwatwa onkonga komulumentu keeshiwike mOtjomuise mOvenduka mEtitano.

Moshiningwania shimwe, okakadhona komimvo 15 oka kwatwa onkonga momukunda gwopopepi nOniipa mOnayena.

Omufekelwa ngoka e li omushiinda shawo, okwa tulwa miipandeko.

Elcin ta ningi omagalikano uule woshiwike Ongeleka yaElcin oya tokola okuninga omagalikano uule woshiwike shimwe omolwa ombuto yoCovid-19 ndjoka tayi dhenge oshilongo oondhimbo onene. TUYEIMO HAIDULA

OSHAKATI

Ø Iilyo ya kunkililwa yi kale momagumbo

Ongeleka yoEvangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin) oya pula iilyo yawo yi dhidhilike oshiwike shomagalikano nokukala momagumbo, oshiwike shika twa taalela.

Omumbisofi gwongeleka ndjoka,

Shekutaamba Nambala okwa pititha omukanda gwetsomukumo pethimbo ndika oshilongo sha taalela ombuto yo Covid-19.

Nambala okwa popi kutya otaya pandula Kalunga omolwa AaNamibia ya thika po

60 000 mboka yaaluka okuza kombuto ndjoka.

“Kakele kolopota yopaunamiti kombinga yaamboka ya aluka komukithi, omwaalu gwomaso omolwa oCovid-19 otagu londo pombanda. Epango lyombuto ndjoka otali pula eitulemo enene, eidhidhimiko oshowo eigandjo,” omumbisofi a popi.

Nambala okwa pula iilyo ayihe yaElcin yi tse oongolo koshipala shaKalunga kehe mpoka taya iyadha. Okwa pula woo iilyo yi simane nokulandula omilandu dhoka dha tulwa po kuuministeli nokuyanda omangundumano.

“Oshiwike shomasiku 12 sigo 16 otashi ningwa oshiwike shomagalikano oshowo okukala momagumbo. Oshiwike shoka oombelewa adhihe dhongeleka nadhi patwe. Aayakuli yongeleka oya pitikwa owala okuninga omayakulo gopaulumomhumbwe ngaashi omafumbiko nokonima uuna ya mana naya shune komagumbo meendelelo yaka galikane,” Nambala a popi.

Okwa pula woo aantu ya tuntilwe.

Toyota sold 56 460 units in second quarterOverall sales picking up momentum Out of the total reported industry sales of 38 030 vehicles, an estimated 32 847 units, or 86.3%, represented dealer sales. Vehicle exports continued their upward momentum during the month in terms of a timeframe for a full recovery to pre-Covid-19 vehicle record export levels. NAAMSA

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) marks the end of the second quarter with a total of 56 460 vehicles sold in South Africa since January.

Spearheading the company’s retail roll of honour is the country’s favourite ‘bakkie’ Hilux with 19 818 units sold, year to date. For the month of June, Hilux amassed a total of 3 320 sales. The Hilux made a remarkable contribution to TSAM’s total sales of 9 630, with an overall market share of 25% for the month of June.

Other notable performances year to date include Hiace, selling 1 269 last month, Starlet 1 165, Fortuner 819, Urban Cruiser 591 and Quest signing the month off with 490 units. Although Urban Cruiser has already garnered a total of more than 3 000 units this year, it should be noted that it was only launched locally in March.

The Land Cruiser nameplate continues its strong showing on the leader board, with the 70-Series pick-up posting 303 units last month, while Prado recorded a retail total of 100 units. The company’s luxury arm Lexus had a few models that registered double-digit figures, including ES (23), NX (15) while RX and LX recorded 11 units apiece.

On the truck front, Hino sold a total of 225 units in June. The 300-Series recorded 149 sales (23% of the Medium Commercial Vehicle segment) while the 500-Series ended the month on 71 units (14.9% of the Heavy Commercial Vehicle segment).

Dealers

Reflecting on the domestic industry sales, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) says “out of the total reported industry sales of 38 030 vehicles, an estimated 32 847 units, or 86.3%, represented dealer sales, an estimated 7.6% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3.9% to industry corporate fleets, and 2.2% sales to government”.

TSAM is proud that its parts’ supply business distributed no less than 1.4 million items to domestic dealers, while a further 320 000 pieces were shipped outside of the country. TSAM also recorded the highest vehicle exports last month, with a total of 7 497. According to NAAMSA: “Vehicle exports continued their upward momentum during the month in terms of a timeframe for a full recovery to pre-Covid-19 vehicle record export levels, much will depend on the ongoing path and management of the global pandemic.”

TSAM notes that while the June figures may be confidence-inspiring, the market remains challenging for both customers and manufacturers alike. Even so, TSAM believes that such challenges inspire its sales team and dealers to focus on the one thing that will definitely make a difference.

The recovery in the new vehicle market is gaining momentum and in line with industry expectations, notwithstanding the country moving from level 2 to level 3 in mid-June and subsequently to adjusted alert level 4 lockdown restrictions at the end of June 2021. -MOTORPRESS

Oxygen and mortuary space in ||Karas running low: Frederick NAMPA

KEETMANSHOOP

||Karas governor Aletha Frederick says the region is running out of ventilators and mortuary space as Covid-19 cases continue to surge.

Frederick, who was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, said with the increase number of hospitalisations, there is additional pressure on oxygen-generating systems due to the high demand because of rising Covid-19 cases, as well as other patients who require oxygen, which means more patients require mechanical ventilation.

“Despite the ministry procuring portable oxygen cylinders to assist patients, along with the standing intrapatch supplies, the supply remains insufficient for the increasing number of patients,” said Frederick.

The governor explained that one patient uses four 9.5 kg mobile cylinders, costing the government about N$1 600 per day.

“The suppliers on contract for the health ministry cannot cope with the demand. I urge the business community and individuals with the means to assist the government in this regard, the fight against the virus should be a collective one,” she said.

Frederick further said the region only has a mortuary capacity of 27 storage spaces.

“We are running out of storage space and at times making use of private mortuaries. Therefore, we would like to ask the families to assist the ministry by burying their loved ones within the required time frame allowed by the regulation pertaining to Covid-19 burials, which is 10 days,” said Frederick.

||Karas had by Tuesday recorded 6 066 Covid-19 cases and 132 deaths, while 29 people were hospitalised. About 5 136 people had been vaccinated with their first dose, while 1 230 had received their second dose.

Ignoring curfew

Speaking at the same occasion, the regional police commander, David Indongo, said the police are concerned about the movement of people during curfew hours, adding that since 16 June this year, at least 19 people had been arrested for contravening the Covid-19 regulations.

“Young people continue to move around unnecessarily. People are still not complying with the wearing of masks and gatherings are still happening in big numbers, especially funerals. The elders who are at high risk are the ones attending these funerals in big numbers,” he stressed.

Keetmanshoop vendors bemoan new stallsInitiative doing more harm than good Vendors are complaining about the market stalls erected by the Keetmanshoop municipality with the help of German development aid. ELIZABETH JOSEPH

KEETMANSHOOP

The past 12 months have been tough for street vendors in Keetmanshoop, with the Covid-19 pandemic curtailing their operations.

Just as they started to see light at the end of the tunnel, a new Covid-19 relief strategy implemented by the Keetmanshoop municipality is said to be doing more harm than good for vendors.

The municipality recently ventured into a partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through which it provided mobile stands for informal traders and street vendors in the town so that they have a safe place to operate from instead of selling on the side of the street.

About 30 fully-funded mobile stands were erected in the centre of town to assist traders who have been exposed to harsh conditions while doing business, however, less than two weeks later, traders have already started identifying shortcomings.

Some of the vendors are not happy with the positioning of the stalls, saying it exposes them to direct sunlight, which they say is damaging to their perishable goods.

The stands, which cost a combined N$92 000 to assemble and install, have also been said to be “quite small” and vendors feel they don't have enough space to sell from and store their products.

"I am worried that the space is not sufficient. One does not want to complain but if I was being honest, I preferred it a lot better outside. There, customers were also better able to see us, whereas now they struggle to know who they are going to. We now opt to rather sit outside and sell from there," Evelina Shigwedha said.

Registration fees

Other vendors, like Selma Dirks, are happy with the new way of doing business.

Dirks, who has been a vendor for close to five years, said she appreciates doing business in better conditions now.

"The only problem I have with the mobile stands is that we are still heavily exposed to the sun. We also have ablution facilities for which we pay N$2 for the upkeep of the facility, of which I am in charge.

“It concerns us that certain vendors are not registered and do not pay the monthly fee, they just show up on the premises and start selling."

In addition to a N$420 yearly registration fee, traders pay a monthly rental amount of N$100, which they all feel is a fair amount.

According to municipal public relations officer Dawn Kruger, the department of health at the municipality grants permission for all informal traders to trade at a specific place.

"All the traders who are currently in mobile stands are registered; the rest of the people have gotten special permission to be able to operate there," she said.

Meanwhile, most of the vendors say they were under the impression there would be electricity provided to make things more comfortable, but according to Kruger, that was never part of the discussion.

"The only thing we did was work with GIZ and erect those mobile stands. Making electricity available was never part of the talks," she said.

The municipality has since promised to engage the vendors to discuss their concerns.

COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF

BBC cuts pay bill for its top stars

Britain's BBC said it had cut spending on its top stars by 10% and reduced its total public sector workforce by over 1 200 in the last financial year, becoming leaner even as the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted production and demand for news soared.

The broadcaster, which is funded by a licence fee paid by all TV-watching households, currently 159 pounds (US$220), is facing increasing competition from video-on-demand services like Netflix and political scrutiny of its output, particularly news.

Its highest paid presenter remained Gary Lineker, the "Match of the Day" host who is currently anchoring BBC's Euro 2020 coverage, on between 1 360 000 and 1 364 999 pounds. That is down from 1.75 million pounds after he signed a new contract.

BBC Radio 2 breakfast show presenter Zoe Ball was the second highest paid, with a salary between 1 130 000 to 1 134 999 pounds, the BBC said in its annual report.

BBC Director General Tim Davie said Ball had volunteered to take a pay cut, which would be reflected in full this year. Her pay this year will be 980 000 pounds, the BBC said. - Nampa/Reuters

Danish fintech Pleo raises US$150 mln

Danish fintech Pleo, which offers expense management tool and smart company cards, on Tuesday raised US$150 million at a valuation of about US$1.7 billion from US investment firms Bain Capital Ventures and Thrive Capital.

Pleo currently has more than 17 000 customers across six countries: Denmark, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Sweden.

Founded in Copenhagen in 2015 by entrepreneurs Jeppe Rindom and Niccolo Perra, Pleo had earlier raised funds from Stripes, Kinnevik, Creandum, Founders and Seedcamp.

"Pleo is well-positioned to become the dominant player in small business spend management, an US$80 billion plus opportunity in Europe alone, and will only grow more essential to businesses as the company expands into bill payments in the near future," said Merritt Hummer, a partner at Bain Capital Ventures. -Nampa/Reuters

Twitter loses immunity

Twitter Inc no more enjoys liability protection against user-generated content in India as the US microblogging giant has failed to comply with new IT rules, the Indian government said in a court filing.

The statement is the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has officially said Twitter has lost its immunity after repeatedly criticising the company for non-compliance.

The dispute and the public spat have raised concern that American firms will find it difficult to do business amid a more stringent regulatory environment.

India's IT ministry told the High Court in New Delhi that Twitter's non-compliance amounted to a breach of the provisions of the IT Act, causing the US firm to lose its immunity, according to the filing dated July 5.

The filing came in a case filed by a Twitter user who wanted to complain about some allegedly defamatory tweets on the platform, and said the company was not complying with the new law that requires appointment of certain new executives. - Nampa/Reuters

Sainsbury's sales beat expectations

British supermarket group Sainsbury's on Tuesday beat expectations for first-quarter sales though growth did slow sharply reflecting a tough comparison with last year when shoppers stocked-up for a first Covid-19 lockdown.

The group, which trails market leader Tesco in annual sales, said like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, rose 1.6% in the 16 weeks to June 26, its fiscal first quarter versus analysts' average forecast of a fall of 1.7% and a rise of 11.3% in the previous quarter.

Sainsbury's said sales of grocery, general merchandise and clothing were all higher than its expectations throughout the quarter. It said it outperformed competitors and grew market share.

It said it had further tough comparable ahead as pandemic restrictions continue to ease and customer behaviour normalises.

Sainsbury's said it expected to report underlying profit before tax of at least 660 million pounds (US$917 million) in the 2021-22 year, up from 356 million pounds in 2020-21.- Nampa/Reuters

Gopher defends offer for software maker

Playtech Plc shareholder Gopher Investments on Tuesday made a case for its offer to buy the gambling software maker's financial trading division, after the company agreed to sell the business to a consortium led by private-equity group Barinboim.

Hong Kong-based Gopher, which holds 4.97% of Playtech, responded to the British company's statement on Friday and said it did not "fairly reflect" the US$250 million offer the fund had made to Playtech's board late in June.

London-listed Playtech began talking to the Barinboim consortium in January to sell the unit, Finalto, as part of plans to shed non-core assets and focus on its B2B businesses. The parties in May agreed to a deal worth US$210 million.

In defence of its offer, Gopher said it had already allocated funds for its proposal, and was confident of getting necessary approvals.

"Gopher urges the Board to adjourn the General Meeting, due to take place on July 15, 2021, and engage in discussions with Gopher to proceed towards a recommended transaction that delivers materially better value to Playtech's shareholders," it said in a statement. -Nampa/Reuters

Covid: Otjiwarongo unites against virus

RONELLE RADEMEYER

WINDHOEK

Thanks to heartwarming cooperation and teamwork, the community of Otjiwarongo was able to set up a 12-bed hospice for recovering Covid-19 patients within a week.

Theo Borstlap, chairperson of the committee which managed the project, said the aim is to transfer patients from the town’s hospitals to the Healing Haven Hospice once they’re no longer seriously ill.

“Here, they will be rehabilitated by physiotherapists, while pastoral psychologists will also be available for counselling,” Borstlap, a businessman, said.

They started transforming a house at the town into the hospice last Thursday, he said, adding that the work was completed within four days by Edna de Jager and a team of handy residents.

In fact, the hospice was De Jager’s brainchild. Meanwhile, the property belongs to Marie Gey van Pittius.

Private doctors, a coordinator from the health ministry’s Covid-19 team at the town, state nursing staff, the municipality, the private sector, health inspectors, physiotherapists, business people, lawyers and churches all joined hands to make the hospice a reality in record time, Borstlap said.

“We received our certificate of fitness from the municipality and we are still waiting for the one from the state. We hope to open on Thursday. If not, we will be able to take in the first patients on Friday at the latest,” he told Namibian Sun’s sister publication Republiklein this week.

Borstlap said the only requirement is that patients should be referred to the hospice by a doctor. These patients should be in the post-Covid phase, no longer need as much oxygen and need to be rehabilitated by physiotherapists.

Teamwork makes the dream work

Dr Maritz Laubscher and physiotherapist Antje Pfaffrott are closely involved in the project, while his wife, Colia Borstlap, is in care of the nursing staff, he said.

Vicky Laubscher is responsible for communications, while Mariette Badenhorst will coordinate catering for both the staff and the patients.

Furthermore, lawyer Anneke Campbell offered to handle the documentation for the hospice’s registration.

Zuan Brand will coordinate donations they’ve received, which will be used to buy medical equipment like oxygen concentrators.

“The hospital beds were donated by Mediclinic and the Altersheim in Otjiwarongo,” Borstlap said.

He added that he has immense gratitude for how all the stakeholders pulled together to make the project a success in such a short amount of time.

–ronelle@republikein.com.na

Ministry sees no reason to respond to Nghitila accusations

ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

The environment ministry says there is no need to respond to allegations that its executive director, Teofilus Nghitila, is connected to illegal fishing.

The Namibian reported this week that Nghitila and a chief legal adviser in the attorney-general's office, Chris Nghaamwa, head Omukokoli Fishing, which is accused of catching fish illegally.

“The minister and the ministry have no basis to intervene on allegations levelled against a staff member in their personal capacity,” said ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda.

He added that until such allegations are confirmed and the person is convicted, neither the ministry nor the minister has any say in the matter.

“We cannot act on allegations. Our systems and processes do not allow us to. You are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. If we are to talk about principles, we must be principled ourselves,” said Muyunda.

“Every public servant has an obligation to uphold strong governance,” he added.

Nghitila has been working for the environment ministry since 1999: first as chief development planner, before being appointed as deputy director (1 April 2001 – 31 March 2002), director of the Directorate of Environmental Affairs (1 April 2002), and as environmental commissioner and head of the Department of Environmental Affairs since 2012.

He has been responsible for the environmental impact assessment process and enforcement of environmental management plans, policy formulation on environmental matters and the coordination of Namibia’s participation in multilateral environmental conventions. He was appointed as executive director in 2019 after acting in the position the previous year.

$Allegations threaten to fracture fragile tourism industry$ Allegations threaten to fracture fragile tourism industry‘New player is stoking disunity’ Rival tourism associations are scrabbling for what remains of Namibia’s embattled travel industry.

ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

Namibian tourism organisations say a new player in the industry is stoking disunity within the sector with false and misleading allegations.

Nrupesh Soni’s Namibia Travel and Tourism Forum has, since it was founded last year, consistently bumped heads with the Namibian Tourism Board (NTB) and the Hospitality Association of Namibia (Han).

Amongst recent allegations he made, Soni said Han is trying to be the mouthpiece of the tourism industry and deliberately trying to cause a rift within the industry.

This, he said, is because the Federation of Namibia Tourism Associations (Fenata) and its chairperson, Netumbo Nashandi, were not invited to Han’s annual general meeting (AGM), set to take place today.

Soni claimed this was because of race.

He added that in previous years, Fenata’s executive committee was invited to these meetings.

“This is a deliberate attempt to fragment the industry,” he said.

You’re confused

However, CEO of Han, Gitta Paetzold, dismissed the allegation, saying Soni is confused.

“In the past when times were normal, Han hosted its AGM as part of a two-day event preceding its tourism congress, tourism trade forum and gala.”

The latter three events were always open to the media and stakeholders, she said.

“We had planned such event for Lüderitz, but due to Covid-19, we had to postpone the events.”

Paetzold added that constitutional requirements, however, require Han to hold AGMs in a given time frame.

Soni added that based on NTB’s latest data, 5 473 tourism establishments are registered, while only 880 belong to tourism associations, of which 280 belong to Han.

“How is it that an association with 5% members from the entire industry gets to be the voice? Their perspective is only lodges, not tour operators, etc. How would they know what is happening on the ground and at borders?”

He said, she said

Paetzold stressed that she is not the mouthpiece for the sector, adding that Han has been in existence for more than 30 years and is a voluntary organisation.

“If people want, they can join us. People choose to belong to us.”

She added that it seems as though Soni has an issue with associations and therefore tries to discredit them.

“Namibia has freedom of associations. We do not accept the allegations of misconduct and exclusivity that has been made because Han follows the guidelines and constitution of Han and, as a voluntary organisation, members choose to belong to Han.”

She said its responsibility, therefore, lies with the client and it is not about keeping anyone out.

She also dismissed all allegations of racial discrimination, adding that Nashandi is not Fenata’s first black chairperson.

Soni’s other allegations, regarding misappropriation of funds and misconduct, have all been proven false, Paetzold said.

She further said it should be a concern to everyone that Soni is trying to destabilise an already fragile industry.

Not affiliated

Meanwhile, CEO of NTB Digu //Naobeb said Soni’s company is creating confusion among international tourism agents.

He explained that Soni has been sending newsletters to operators in Germany from his company, adding that people are under the impression these newsletters are from NTB, which has resulted in damage to the company.

He said NTB is the official tourism marketing organisation of Namibia and is not affiliated with the Namibia Travel and Tourism Forum.

Zimbabwe introduces new banknotes Higher denomination to address inflation Zimbabwe reintroduced its own currency, the Zimbabwe dollar, in June 2019, ending a decade of dollarization. New notes would be injected immediately into the banking system, making it easier for Zimbabweans to use cash in day-to-day transactions. John Mangudya, Governor: Central Bank of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe started circulating a new 50 Zimbabwe dollar note as from yesterday, central bank governor John Mangudya said, as authorities gradually introduce higher denominations in a country still haunted by memories of ruinous hyperinflation.

Mangudya said 360 million Zimbabwe dollars (US$4.2 million) worth of new notes would be injected immediately into the banking system, making it easier for Zimbabweans to use cash in day-to-day transactions. Two of the new Z$50 notes would be roughly enough to buy a loaf of bread.

Zimbabwe reintroduced its own currency, the Zimbabwe dollar, in June 2019, ending a decade of dollarization. The move sent inflation rocketing to as high as 837.53% by July last year, reviving memories of hyperinflation that wiped out the economy in 2008.

The government has since allowed the United States (US) dollar to circulate alongside the local unit, and inflation has come down to around 106 percent.

But the authorities have been loath to print bigger banknotes for fear of reawakening memories of the darkest days of the previous currency, when there were notes in circulation with a face value of Z$100 trillion.

The new Z$50 bank note is equivalent to US$0.59 at the official exchange rate, or around US$0.35 on the black market.

In May last year Z$10 and Z$20 notes were introduced but they have been eroded by inflation. Many Zimbabweans now conduct their transactions through mobile money, electronic cards or in US dollars. -Nampa/Reuters