Namibian Sun

Erongo taxi fares unchanged Press briefing gate-crashed by Nabta deputy The taxi union Nabta has rubbished allegations of a fare increase for the Erongo Region.

The Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta) president, Vespa Muunda has dismissed allegations of taxi fare increases in Erongo region.

Muunda dispelled the rumour at a media briefing held at the Nabta offices on Wednesday in Windhoek.

The briefing was however disrupted by Jeffrey Platt who gate-crashed the meeting and started hurling insults at the media and accused Muunda of organising an illegal media briefing. “Leave this guy alone, he is illegal. This operation is illegal,” yelled Platt using explicit language against Muunda.

After the disruption was quieted down, Muunda maintained that there have been no fare increases since the signing of the agreement between the Ministry of Works and Nabta in May 2014. “To make it clear to the public there has been no increment at all,” Muunda assured.

Muunda also revealed that in future, taxi and long-distance bus fares might be charged based on the distance travelled.

Muunda also informed the media about a logbook that NABTA has launched for long-distance bus operators.

According to Muunda, the log book will serve as a multipurpose referral document to record passengers'' details using long distance public transport. He said bus owners can also use the book to keep track of the business and how it operates and how much passengers are being charged per trip and how often their buses are travelling. Most importantly, Muunda said, the book can be used to identify victims of road crashes.

MICHAEL KAYUNDE

Ndeitunga loses battle for Interpol post

Inspector-General of the Namibian Police Sebastian Ndeitunga has lost the contest for the Interpol presidency after receiving 28 votes, compared to his opponent, who garnered 123 votes.

Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi said in a statement yesterday that China''s vice-minister for public security Meng Hongwei won the election.

Shikwambi said Meng will take up his new role immediately after the 85th Interpol General Assembly which took place this week in Bali, Indonesia.

Ndeitunga remains Interpol vice-president for Africa.

In September 2016, the Namibian cabinet authorised the Ministry of Safety and Security to intensify Ndeitunga''s campaign to garner enough support for his bid to replace current Interpol President Mireille Ballestrazzi from France.

Interpol enables police in 190 member countries to work together to fight international crime by providing a range of policing expertise and capabilities through supporting three main crime programmes: counter-terrorism, cybercrime, and organised and emerging crime.

During Ndeitunga''s tenure as the vice-president for Africa Interpol, a lot of milestones were achieved, including the inauguration of the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation Centre of Excellence in Zimbabwe, the launch of the West African Police Information System programme in Ghana and the establishment of the African Mechanism for Police Cooperation.

Ndeitunga has been at the helm of NamPol for the past 11 years.

NAMPA

City still waiting for Burger's decision

Namdeb general manager Riaan Burger, the City of Windhoek''s top pick for the vacant CEO post, is yet to accept or decline the City''s offer of employment.

Mayor Muesee Kazapua told Namibian Sun yesterday that an offer was made to Burger and the management committee was waiting for his response.

He said the usual time frame for a response to an employment offer is 10 days but did not specify whether Burger was given a deadline.

“This is very important. We need to appoint a full-time CEO,” Kazapua said. He said the City hoped the new candidate could begin by December or early January.

“We are hoping for at least early January. We need the new CEO to start then.”

Burger has a master''s degree in business management and a bachelor''s degree in mechanical engineering.

Over the past years he has accrued experience in general management, strategic planning, project management and mining systems development, his LinkedIn profile states.

His climb up the ladder at Namdeb began with a post as engineering manager in 2006, after which he was promoted to head of strategic projects in March 2007. In December 2011, he became the Namdeb general manager.

The municipality''s CEO post has been vacant since former CEO Niilo Taapopi''s term ended in December 2014.

Various attempts to fill the post failed. In July, four candidates were shortlisted: Burger, Erongo RED CEO Robert Kahimise, former Social Security Commission chief executive Kenandai Tjivikua and Sanlam Namibia CEO Tega Shiimi ya Shiimi.

Kazapua yesterday said that should Burger decline the offer, the offer would be extended to the next candidate on the list.

Alleged girlfriend killer pleads today

JEMIMA BEUKES

A 29-year-old man has handed himself over at the Katutura police station after killing the mother of his 15-month-old baby on Wednesday evening.

The deceased is identified as 27-year-old Suri Metarere Kanguvi.

According to Inspector Slogan Matheus, spokesperson of the Namibian police, the man and woman quarrelled which resulted in him stabbing her with a screwdriver three times in the chest.

“It is alleged that, the woman took the child to the suspect’s house and an argument erupted between them which led to a fight, resulting in the suspect stabbing the victim with a screw driver three times on the upper body, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by the paramedics,” said Matheus.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court today.

Meanwhile the police are still hunting for a Zimbabwean national accused of killing his Namibian girlfriend in Windhoek last month. According to Matheus, all border controls posts are on high alert about the wanted suspect.

“We have also mobilised all our counterparts in countries bordering Namibia and the search for the suspect is on-going,” he said.

In a separate incident, a 19-year-old boy died on Wednesday evening after being stabbed three times by an 18-year-old boy at a shebeen, in Etanga Street, Freedomland, around 20:00.

According to City Police spokesperson Cillie Auala, the incident happened after a fight broke out over a bottle of Capenheimer wine.

“The suspect is still at large, but a case of murder was opened at Katutura police station,” she said.

Phosphate issue will be resolved AG confident that the law will prevail The debacle around environmental clearance for marine phosphate mining was caused by miscommunication between various state organs, the attorney-general says.

JANA-MARI SMITH

The missteps that led to the recent issuance and then withdrawal of an environmental clearance certificate for offshore phosphate mining does not undermine the government’s trust that the matter will be handled with due care in the next six months.

The recent bungling of the issuance of the certificate and the public outcry, locally and internationally, have prompted government to “reflect on the need to review the relevant legislation and work towards a common oceans policy …,” a statement from the office of the attorney-general stated yesterday.

The government is considering reviews and adoptions of “elaborate and more realistic timelines in the management of resources, for the benefit of not only the Namibian public, but also investors whom we as a government continue to invite into our economy to invest their precious financial and technical resources.”

Attorney-General Sacky Shanghala noted that the decision by the minister of environment and tourism to order the environmental commissioner and other relevant parties to finalise consultations about phosphate mining within the next six months puts the matter to rest for the time being.

“We urge all to support the consultations ordered, so as to augment the precautionary principle and environmental protection,” Shanghala stated.

Shanghala further noted that government’s view on the issue of phosphate mining is to “let the matter be adjudicated upon, let the process of ensuring that there is no doubt about irreversible environmental degradation be commenced as instructed by the minister of environment and tourism and hopefully this time, the process passes muster.”

The statement also addressed potential investors, noting that while the country welcomes them into all sectors “we do so however, with the knowledge that we are a country run on the basis of the rule of law as articulated in Article 1(1) of the Namibian constitution.”

He said the rule of law requires the country to stand by the principles “embedded into the rubric of our national legislation, such as the precautionary principle, due process etc.”

The statement took note of the fact that the mining licences issued to Namibia Marine Phosphates and LL Namibia Phosphates in 2010 and 2011, took place before the enactment of the Environmental Management Act, 2007, which was gazetted only in 2012. This added another obligation to the licence holders, in terms of the Act’s requirements.

Overall, the legislations relevant to the phosphate mining prospecting involved the Marine Resources Act, the Minerals Act as well as the Environmental Act.

“All three legislation deal with the conservation and management of the natural environmental specifically and generally, as well as regulate the harvesting of resources, mining activities etc specifically.”

As such, three ministries carried various responsibilities for different activities, all linking to the prospect of phosphate mining along Namibia’s coast.

“In the case of the environmental clearance certificate issued to Namibia Marine Phosphate, it is clear that along the way, somehow, there may have been instances of miscommunication and unfortunate postulations of opinions from various state organs, leading into what may be termed differing sectoral views on the matter of issuing the certificate,” Shanghala’s statement read.

He noted that considering government’s size and the complexities of the various legislations “these inadvertent gaps sometimes do occur, and it is clear that there is much to be done to further harmonise the processes for external as well as internal consultations on matters as important as these.”

Steel, housing deals signedInvestment conference pays off A number of deals have been signed with international companies in the wake of the Invest in Namibia Conference.

STAFF REPORTER

The minister of information and communication technology, Tjekero Tweya, announced the signing of two agreements in the housing and manufacturing sectors before the conclusion of the Invest in Namibia International Conference.

Tweya said a South Korean steel manufacturer was eyeing a possible US$250 million investment in a steel plant at Otavi.

Efforts to address the housing shortfall will get a boost from Polycare, an English property developer which plans to deliver about 10 000 housing units per year.

Said Tweya: “MK International, a South Korean company and Otavi Rebar Manufacturing, a public private partnership between private investors and the Otavi Town Council, have signed a joint venture agreement in order to set up a reinforcing steel manufacturing plant. The plant will be strategically located on the Walvis Bay corridor network at Otavi and will be known as Namibia Steel Manufacturing.”

South Korean steel manufacturer MK International signed an agreement with the Otavi Town Council for the possible construction of the plant

“The initial production capacity of the plant will be 580 000 tons per year and the projected investment is estimated at US$250 million. More than 800 skilled and 700 semi-skilled jobs will be created. The product range will include but not be limited to rebars and steel products in a variety of profiles, allowing Namibia to reduce its dependence on imported construction material,” Tweya said.

Polycare told Namibian Sun: “Our material is six times stronger than conventional concrete and we plan to make our concrete here. We have talked to the president, prime minister and minister of urban and rural development about a construction plant. There are other potential partners that have expressed an interest in partnering with us.”

Tweya announced that the City of Windhoek and Polycare signed a deal on the development of low-cost housing.

Polycare claims that its housing units can be constructed in two days and cost of N$250 000 at most.

It is believed that discussions are ongoing with a view to establishing Poycare’s manufacturing plant.

Grade 10 exams to goSchool curriculum gets major revamp From the 2018 school year major reforms in the basic education curriculum will be phased in.

The external grade 10 junior secondary examinations, which used to mark the end of the academic road for many learners, will be abolished in 2019.

This forms part of broad-based reforms in basic education aimed at addressing high dropout rates and improving the quality of basic education in Namibia.

The architects of the reforms say the goal is not only to keep students at their desks for longer by diversifying subjects and strengthening student support, but also to improve teacher skills and qualifications, a vital ingredient in improving basic education quality in Namibia.

At the end of 2018, grade 9 learners will write the first junior secondary semi-external examinations, following which they will be promoted to the senior secondary phase, starting with grade 10.

This will mark the start of a new, extended senior secondary phase of education, taking the form of a two-year Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) course.

Following that, grade 12 will allow students to complete the one-year Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Higher Level (NSSCH) course.

“We want to keep children in school longer and reduce the dropout numbers. This will also require extra training for the teachers. We need them to stand with us,” says Hertha Pomuti, the director of the National Institute for Educational Development (Nied).

Pomuti explains that the junior secondary semi-external examinations in grade 9 are for quality assurance purposes, allowing students to repeat if they fail.

Extending the final phase of schooling from two to three years has been proven internationally to keep children in school longer and to provide more thorough, quality education, Pomuti says.

“One of the important factors with these changes is that learners will have more time to study for their senior secondary education, because the duration has been extended from two to three years,” Pomuti explains.

Once the revised curriculum begins in 2020, grade 11 will be the first exit point from basic education.

According to experts, Namibia''s high dropout rates mean the country haemorrhages potential each year as students fall through the cracks.

Pomuti says statistics show that roughly 60 000 children enter first grade. By grade 5, 54 000 remain in the system and by grade 12, only 30 000 finish their schooling.

“So, we have to ask, where are these kids? They are all over the place. Losing them means you lose potential teachers, doctors, those who were supposed to be engineers.”

The NIED has been instrumental in shaping the educational reforms since 2010, and the first changes were rolled out last year.

“The reforms are being made to improve the quality of basic education, and one of the things you want to address is that there is more to education than the academic,” Pomuti says.

Besides tweaking the school phases, emphasis is being placed on broadening subject choices, with a focus on technical and vocational subjects, a renewed focus on learner support from teachers, life skills development as well as academic subjects.

Pomuti says global research has shown that in any system, about half of students prefer academic subjects and the other half more practical courses.

“But if the system does not make provision for learners to do practical, they drop out.”

She says one of the major issues of this reform is a diversification of the school curriculum where learners have more choices available between academic and practical subjects.

In line with this, another major change is the introduction of pre-vocational subjects in grade 5, and a host of technical studies from grade 8 onwards.

The technical courses, which will initially be introduced at one school in every region, will include bricklaying and plastering, electricity, plumbing and pipe fitting, and technical drawing. Office practice and hospitality subjects will also be introduced.

Pomuti explains that the basic education system should lay the groundwork for equipping students with relevant practical, entrepreneurial and vocational skills when entering the job market.

From this year, subjects such as life skills, religious and moral education, arts, information and communication, and physical education are accorded equal status as other subjects and are assessed.

“These are subjects that increase learners'' moral and personal development. Being intellectual is not the only important thing,” Pomuti says.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Roofs blown off at Engela

Families were left homeless when a storm ripped off the roofs of seven homes at Engela in the Ohangwena Region on Wednesday afternoon.

Dejected family members who have taken shelter in the old Engela church building told Namibian Sun that their belongings were damaged by the rain entering their houses.

Strong winds accompanied by heavy rain wreaked havoc at the village and roofing sheets and branches littered the ground when a news crew visited the village. Most affected by the disaster is 41-year-old Fernando Ferquissa, a businessman who has a wife and two children.

Ferquissa said he had spent more than N$16 000 to renovate the church house he moved into three years ago.

Ferquissa, who owns a printing business at Oshikango, said just before the storm he had stopped at home to drop off a photocopier that he had bought in Oshakati for N$10 000.

He said he had just left when his wife called to inform him about the disaster. When Ferquissa got home, he found the house and their furniture soaked by the rain.

He pointed to a mark on the wall, saying: “As you can see, this is where the water level was and I had to make a hole in the kitchen wall because if I did not do so, it would have damaged all of my property.

“I hope this printer works as it cost me a lot and it''s no secret that business in Oshikango has gone down.”

Counting his losses, Ferquissa said two beds were soaked, the ceiling was damaged, a television set, cupboards, sofas, important documents, business equipment and food worth more than N$40 000 were damaged.

The family has taken shelter in one of the containers belonging to the church.

Another resident, Nipu Lungameni, said when the strong winds started he managed to move his belongings a friend''s house.

Lungameni said when people affected by the storm sought help from other residents they were told to be strong and pray.

“We were told to pray but we do not pay our rent with prayers,” he said.

Lungameni said most of the damaged buildings are old and that is why the storm ripped off the roofs.

KENYA KAMBOWE

I miss playing rugby – BurgerExactly a year and months of not executing his favourite tackles, Namibia’s rugby legend Jacques Burger still cannot come to terms with not being on the field to play the game that is close to his heart. Legend to look into developing the game

Burger announced his retirement from rugby last year and has now devoted his life to farming.

Namibian Sun caught up with Burger who took no time to express how he misses playing his favourite sport.

“I miss playing rugby so much as it was a massive part of my life. Considering that I have played professional rugby for 10 to 12 years, so it is tough when I stop what I really love and passionate about,” he said.

He mentioned that at the moment, he is still settling in, “so I am finding my feet at home as I bought a farm and as soon as I am fully settled, I will start with plans for Namibian rugby.

“My view has always been to come back and invest in this great country so I have come back and have done that and as soon as I find my feet I would like to get involved in rugby again.

Expanding on his future plans Burger said: “I would like to coach, I would like to do some stuff here with rugby and do some charity work here and hopefully we can do some great things.”

Being one of Namibia’s best products in rugby, Burger believes that the potential in the country is enormous. “If we can get professional people to come back and invest in those potential youngsters, then we can do some great things. So, at the moment it is a massive decision as I get to adapt to real life but I will be involved in rugby again.”

Burger spoke about his plans and how he would like to invest in rugby adding that he will roll out plans next year.

“I am doing a lot of planning on what I will be doing next year and how we can take Namibian rugby to greater heights, and I am not just talking about the national team but where it starts with the youngsters. That is where the game starts with development and also in less fortunate areas.

“If we can do some good stuff in areas were the game is not well known throughout Namibia and I am talking about northern Namibia and the deep south. There is a lot of less fortunate kids that do not get the opportunity to play rugby and get opportunities to get involved with the rugby clinic and that is something that we would like to change and get as many youngsters involved as possible,” he said.

He further indicated that his focus is more on development, stating that: “I think it will be selfish of me not to give back while the game has taught me a lot of things and have travelled the world and have been under a lot of great coaches and have a lot of experience. So, I think if I can bring that and plough it back in Namibia, it will be great.”

Burger disclosed that he has a partner with whom he will execute the project.

“I have got a partner so, hopefully we can get some sponsors on board and do some proper thing to really put rugby on the map in Namibia because I think there are a lot of Namibians who want to get involved in the game and have a professional coach to show them what professionals do and how do they can get there. I just want to make a difference in people’s lives,” he said.

KAINO NGHITONGO

Cosafa still alive Namibia Football Association has refused to give up on the Cosafa U-20 tournament despite its dire financial situation. NFA working hard to find solutions

As the U-20 Cosafa tournament days are drawing closer, the NFA president Frans Mbidi says the situation is precarious considering the fact that cooperate companies in the country are reluctant to bail out the association.

The association received devastating news from the Directorate of Sports that there are no funds for the team to participate in the tournament slated to take place next month.

Mbidi however told Namibian Sun that while the deadline for submitting the list of players who will take part in the competition was last week, the association has made a decision not to sit back and watch. The association will submit the names of the players while the boys will be called up for camp.

Although Mbidi could not say when the boys will camp, he said: “The deadline was on Tuesday, and the names are there and the team is ready. It is only that we need to start training and get the money to get to South Africa.

“We have already called the boys to prepare because we cannot fail to prepare in the absence of money. What if the money comes on the last day and we have to travel? So, that is why we have made arrangements for the boys to come into camp,” he asked.

Emphasising the association’s positive spirit, Mbidi said the team will prepare regardless of the bankruptcy.

“It is also difficult for us to say what will happen next as there are plans underway but I cannot disclose those plans. NFA does not borrow money, so it is not necessary to get an overdraft,” said Mbidi.

Meanwhile the Cosafa Competitions Committee chairman, Timothy Shongwe said they are expecting Namibia in South Africa.

He said Cosafa has not received any cancellation or withdrawal of the Namibia U/20 national team and therefore “we are expecting Namibia to participate in this tournament as confirmed by the NFA.”

He further said preparations for the Cosafa tournament are at an advance stage and Namibia is expected to be in South Africa in December with the rest of the participating Cosafa countries.

The 2016 Cosafa Under-20 Championship will be held in Moruleng, in the North West province from 07-16 December.

Namibia is in Group C with Angola, Seychelles and Mauritius.

KAINO NGHITONGO

Nakathila's trip delayed

Jeremiah Nakathila has revealed that he was unable to fly to Russia on Friday because of technicalities.

Namibian boxer Jeremiah Nakathila whose flight to Russia was scheduled for Friday is still in the country, the Namibian Sun has learned.

Nakathila is scheduled to fight Russian Evngeny Chuprakov for the WBO intercontinental Super Featherweight title on 18 November.

However, the boxer and his delegation did not board the plane on Friday due to various technicalities they experienced.

Nakathila however, confirmed to the Namibian Sun that his team will fly to Russia on Monday afternoon.

“We were not able to go on Friday because of several problems we encountered.

“I am not able to tell you what they are at the moment, but what I can confirm is that we will be flying to Russia on Monday. I am not disappointed at all even though I would have loved to settle a few days before the fight.

“I am still full of confidence because of the way I had prepared myself and that is why I am ready to bring the title home. Like I said in an interview with you last week, I am full of hope because I gave it my all in the gym,” He said.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Ya thigwa pomutenya koshikungulu

Oofamili dha thika puheyali odha thigwa pomutenya sho oombuli dhomagumbo gawo dha pepwako kombepo yoshikungulu ndjoka ya dhenge omudhingoloko gwEngela mOshitopolwa shaHangwena Etitatu lya piti.

Aanamagumbo mboka ngashiingeyi yeli momatungo gongeleka mEngela oya lombwele oNamibian Sun kutya iinima yawo oya yonagulwa komvula ndjoka ya loko sha landula sho iipekeki yomagumbo gawo ya pepwako kombepo.

Ombepo onene ndjoka yeendele mumwe nomvula oya yonagula oshindji momukunda ngoka sho iitayi yomiti ya monika ya halakana kehe pamwe pethimbo sho oshifokundnaeki shika sha talele po ehala ndyoka. Gumwe gwomwaamboka ya gumwa noonkondo omunamimvo 41, Fernando Ferquissa, omunangeshefa ngoka e na aanona yaali pamwe nomukulukadhi gwe.

Ferquissa okwa popi kutya, okwa longitha oshimaliwa sha thika poo-16 000 opo a longithe egumbo lyongeleka moka ya tembukile oomvula ndatu dha piti.

Ferquissa, ngoka e na ongeshefa yokutopaatopa oombapila mOshikango okwa popi kutya omanga ombepo inayi tameka okwa li a yi pegumbo opo a falepo eshina lyokuninga ookopi dhoombaapila ndyoka opo a landa mOshakati koshimaliwa sho-N$10 000.

Okwa popi kutya konima owala yethimbo efupi sho a zi mo megumbo, omukulukadhi gwe okwe mu dhengele ongodhi te mu lombwele kombinga yoshikungulu. Sho a yi kegumbo okwa adha iinima yawo ayihe yi li kohi yomeya.

Okwa popi kutya iinima yawo mbyoka ya kanitha ota fekele yongushu yoo-40 000. Omukwashigwana gumwe Nipu Lungameni, okwa hokolola kutya sho ombepo ya tameke okwe shi pondola okututila iinima ye yimwe megumbo lyakuume ke.

Oonakuninga iihakanwa mbyoka otaya pula eyambidhidho okuza moshigwana.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Ekonaakono lyondondo onti-10 tali kuthwa po Omalunduluko oga nuninwa okuyambulapo ongushu yelongo Omusindalongo gwaNamibia okwa tegelelwa gu ka lundululwe mo-2018 sho taku ka kuthwa po ekonaakono lyondondo onti-10.

Omalunduliko ngoka ogamwe gomomalunduluko ngoka ga nuninwa okushunitha pevi ondjele ye thige po lyooskola nokuyambulapo onkalo yelongo moshilongo.

Omalunduluko ngoka oga nuninwa okukaleka aanaskola mooskola nokuya pa omayambidhidho nokuyambulapo woo uunongo nuulongelwe waalongi.

Mo-2018, aanaskola yondondo onti-9 otaya shanga ekonaakono lyawo lyopashigwana na otaya ka ya kondondo onti-10 uuna ya piti.

Etokolo ndyoka otali etitha woo elelepeko lyelongo lyondondo yopetameko yopombanda ano Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) sho tali ka kutha oomvula mbali.

Mondondo onti-12 aanaskola otaya ka pitikwa ya manithe eilongo lyuule womvula yimwe lyoNamibia Senior Secondary Certificate Higher Level (NSSCH).

“Otwa hala okukaleka aanona mooskola uule wethimbo opo ku yandwe ethige po lyooskola unene ngele aanona ya ndopa ondondo onti-10. Otaku ka gwandjwa omadheulo ga gwedhwa po kaalongiskola,”

Hertha Pomuti, ngoka e li omukomeho gwoNational Institute for Educational Development (Nied) ta ti.

Pomuti okwa yelitha kutya ekonaakono ndyoka tali ka shangwa mondondo onti-9 olyopamuthika gwopombanda na otali ka pitika aanaskola ya endulule ngele ya ndopa. Okwa popi kutya okulelepeka ethimbo nuule woomvula ndatu otashi kwathele okukaleka aanona mooskola na osha longithwa miilongo oyindji muuyuni, na osha etitha iizemo iiwanawa.

Okwa gwedha po kutya kutya elelepeko lyomvula okuza pumbali okuya pundatu otali ka gandja ompito kaanaskola ya ilonge nawa.

Pomuti okwa popi kutya pamiyalu okwa hololwa kutya konyala aanona ya thika po-60 000 ohaya tameke oskola mondondo yotango, ihe okuya mondondo onti-5 ohaya kala lyopo-54 000. Omiyalu odha holola kutya o-30 000 owala haya manitha eilongo lyawo.

“Monena otatu ipula kutya aanona mboka oyeli peni? Omo owala yeli moka. Otwa kanitha aalongiskola noondohotola dhetu, oshowo ooindjinia.”

NIED okwa kala noshikugwanithwa shokuyambulapo elongo moshilongo nokuninga omalunduluko okutameka mo-2010, nomalunduluko gotango oga ningwa omvula ya piti.

Pomuti okwa yelitha kutya omalunduluko agehe ngoka taga ningwa oga nuninwa okuyambulapo ongushu yelongo moshilongo.

Okwa gwedha po kutya oya hala okugandja oompito kaanaskola opo ya kale ye na omahogololo giilongwa mbyoka aya hala okwiilonga nokutula woo miilonga iilongwa yopaungomba okutameka mondondo onti-5 oshowo iilongwa yopautekinika mondondo onti-8.

Iilongwa yopautekinika mbyoka tayi ka tulwa miilonga ongaashi, omatungo, omalusheno, okulonga nominino oshowo iilongwa yilwe ya gwedhwa po.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Zim lobby wants rand to return The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, which represents most large industries in the country, said the government should adopt the rand as its “reference currency” instead of the US dollar.

The chamber said that the country''s unique “multi-currency system” should be maintained, but that financial reporting should be done in rand, according to a statement handed to reporters ahead of national budget negotiations this week.

“We suggest the minister of finance starts presenting his budget in rand instead of dollars,” the CZI said in proposals it will present to the finance ministry.

Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency in 2009 to end hyperinflation and uses mainly US dollars, though rands, euros, pounds and several other currencies are legal tender.

A shortage of foreign exchange after a collapse in exports has caused a liquidity crisis that''s forced the government to pay its workers late. Last week, President Robert Mugabe authorised the introduction of dollar-backed bond notes to ease a shortage of the US currency.

The CZI said it''s “satisfied” that the finance ministry and central bank have put in place sufficient safeguards to ensure that the bond notes won''t be misused.

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa will present the country''s 2017 budget late November or early December, Finance Secretary Willard Manungo said last week.

In an interview with Zimbabwe''s state-controlled Sunday Mail, South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said South Africa is unlikely to lobby for Zimbabwe to join a rand monetary union.

“It''s not anything that we, particularly as the government of South Africa, are pushing for,” he said. “It''s a sovereign decision for the government of Zimbabwe.”

FIN24

Blooming good Saying it with flowers Kenya grows almost 40% of the flowers sold in Europe and its total earnings are expected to surpass US$630 million (N$8.8 billion) in 2016.

Kenya, which supplies more than a third of all cut flowers sold in Europe annually, said profit from stem shipments advanced 18% in the first nine months of the year as volumes exported climbed.

Earnings rose to US$529.7 million (N$7.4 billion), the National Bureau of Statistics said on its website last week. The volume exported increased 6.5% from a year earlier to 96 788 metric tons, it said.

The East African nation''s farming exports, including shipments of black tea, fruit and vegetables, are the biggest source of foreign exchange for the US$63.4 billion (N$886 billion) economy after remittances.

“We expect this year''s earnings to surpass last year''s US$630 million, mainly because of higher prices our flowers have been fetching at the new direct-sale markets,” Kenya Flower Council Chief Executive Officer Jane Ngige said in an interview in the capital, Nairobi.

Sales by growers in the nation to buyers in places such as Japan, Russia and Dubai now make up 60% of the nation''s exports, compared with only 20% five years ago, according to the council. Kenya traditionally sold its flowers at the Royal FloraHolland auction in Aalsmeer, about 30 kilometres west of Amsterdam.

The closing of the local unit of Karuturi Global Ltd. in March has hurt flower production, Ngige said. The Bengaluru, India-based producer''s commercial-farming lease in neighboring Ethiopia was also canceled last year. Annually, the company produced 422 million rose stems in Kenya, and 115 million in Ethiopia, according to its website.

Direct Flights

Kenya exported 122 825 tons of flowers last year, according to the council''s website, down from 136 601 tons in 2014, as heavy rains hurt production.

Lower oil prices have made transport logistics through Nairobi''s main airport cheaper, which helped to boost direct exports, Ngige said. The facility can handle 5 000 tons weekly, compared with demand of 3 000 tons, said Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and chief executive officer of Astral Aviation, which operates four flights to Europe weekly, shipping 400 tons of perishables.

The US could become a key export target if authorities there allowed for direct flights from Kenya, Ngige said. At the moment, flights headed to the US from Kenya have to make a changeover, typically in an African or European city, because of security concerns.

“The US is the single most important market for us,” Gadhia said.

BLOOMBERG

Trump pushes China back Meets with Japan''s Abe as ally President-elect Donald Trump’s meeting with the Japanese prime minister may indicate that the pressure is growing on limiting China’s Asian influence.

US President-elect Donald Trump''s meeting next week with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may mark the start of talks to garner Japan''s support for a push back against China''s growing influence in Asia, a security adviser to Trump said.

Trump''s campaign comments, including a demand Japan pay more for the upkeep of US forces on its soil, have worried Tokyo about a rift in a security alliance with Washington, in the face of a rising China and a volatile North Korea, that has been the bedrock of its defence since World War Two.

A tougher stance against China, however, and a call for Japan to play a bigger security role through a Trump-Abe axis would however fit with Abe''s hawkish policies that include allowing the military to operate more freely overseas.

Abe will meet Trump in New York on Thursday before going to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.

Trump was looking to Japan "to play a more active role in Asia", the adviser, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to talk to the media, told Reuters.

Abe, he added, was "a uniquely placed figure to offer leadership in the alliance".

Senior US Navy commanders have said they would welcome joint air and sea patrols with Japan''s military in the disputed South China Sea, where the construction of island bases is extending Beijing''s influence. Tokyo has balked at direct provocation of its neighbour, choosing instead to assist nations in the region with disputes with China, such as the Philippines.

Trump in his first 100 days in office would end budget sequestration that mandates spending, including cuts in military outlays, and submit a budget that would fund construction of dozens of new warships, the adviser said.

It would "send a message to Beijing as well as allies Japan and South Korea and other nations that the US is intent on being in (Asia) for a long time", he said.

Trump on Thursday wants to allay any "unfounded" concerns Abe may have and affirm his commitment to their countries'' security alliance, he added. "This is going to be a respectful conversation."

Potential friction between the two countries, however, exists over how much Tokyo pays for the deployment of US forces in Japan. Japan says the funding it provides, which covers three quarters of the cost, is enough.

"We are bearing the burden for what we should bear," Japanese Minister of Defence Tomomi Inada told reporters in Tokyo on Friday, Kyodo news reported.

Abe knows little about Trump, and in New York is likely to want to begin building a relationship that could yield a common world view, a person who knows the prime minister said.

"He has proven to be able to get along with fairly edgy people," he said.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Budget cuts necessary

There is a need to accelerate State-owned-enterprises’ reforms to support investment opportunities in the market while government ministries will have to do more with less.

These were the remarks made by the finance minister Calle Schlettwein when he replied to comments made by members of parliament on the Appropriation Bill.

Schlettwein also emphasised that the proposed expenditure cuts are comprehensive and added that it is necessary from sustainability and timeliness perspectives.

When Schlettwein tabled the mid-term budget last month a number of parastatals had their budgets slashed while a number of capital projects were put on hold.

“We will also maintain policy coordination between fiscal and monetary policy to support the adjustment period, while catalysing opportunities for greater private sector participation in the economy. The proposed speed of fiscal consolidation only reinforced the actions that government has initiated already,” said Schlettwein.

He also highlighted that the provision of modern taxpayer services to all the taxpayer community and upgrading of tax assessment and audit skills are important areas of action and institutional reforms.

“We have segmented taxpayers in various categories in order to better manage and administer the provision of taxpayer services to the specific categories of taxpayers. As such, the large taxpayers resort under the large taxpayers office with associated skills needed to provide services and conduct appropriate assessments at that level,” said Schlettwein.

According to him the country’s large taxpayers office is receiving technical assistance from Finland and further audit capacity development to strengthen it to fight illicit financial flows and to address revenue base erosion.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Polycare makes bid for homes Will construct 10 000 houses per annum A new player in the construction industry is confident it can deliver 10 000 homes per year and has caught the attention of many.

A new player in the construction industry is confident it can deliver 10 000 homes per year and has caught the attention of many.

Property developer Polycare, is confident that it can deliver approximately 10 000 houses per annum and used the Invest in Namibia conference as the perfect platform to market their potential game-changer. The company believes the material it uses is of a superior quality and is cheap but the houses are of a high standard adding that they are keen to hit the ground running.
Polycare developer Ramon Gray believes in his product and is punting it as a potential solution to the current housing crisis. “Our material is six times stronger than conventional concrete and we plan to make our concrete here. We have talked to the president, prime minister and minister of urban and rural development about a construction plant. There are other potential partners that have expressed interest.”
He added: “We are in discussions with the relevant line ministry for the construction of a local manufacturing plant. This plant will be the first of its kind in the world.”
Gray believes Polycare can deliver the units anticipated, indicating that it was possible to construct the houses fast. On possible lead-times he said, “It will depend on the number of machines, it is quite possible to build 20 houses a day at a cost of between N$225 000 and N$250 000.”
While Gray confirmed that standard testing had not yet been done locally, he was very confident the cement mixture would meet the requirements of the Namibian Standards Institution, indicating that he was prepared to share the results of Polycare’s stress-standards with the institute.
Added Gray: “We have been talking to a number of bodies with regards to testing on their part.” He indicated that he would travel to the Oshana Region with Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, to test a completed model in actual conditions.
Kavango Block Bricks has in the past made a similar attempt to construct low-cost housing. It however appears that not much progress has been made with the commercialisation of the Kavango Block Brick housing project.
OGONE TLHAGE

Southgate cements position

Gareth Southgate edged closer to being appointed England''s permanent manager with a victory that weakened Gordon Strachan''s grip on the Scotland job.

A trio of headers from Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill ensured a 3-0 victory on Friday.

It gave Southgate seven points from the three competitive matches of his interim spell in charge of England following Sam Allardyce''s abrupt departure after one match in charge over unguarded comments to undercover reporters.

Whether Southgate is handed the job permanently will be determined after England hosts Spain in a friendly on Tuesday.

While the displays under Southgate have lacked the dynamism expected by fans of a team of Premier League stars, they weren''t any better in recent years either.

“What I''m really pleased about is that I was given the task of picking the job up in a very difficult situation for everybody and I feel like we''ve prepared the team really well,” Southgate said.

“The rest is out of my hands. I''ve loved it. I''ve really enjoyed the role. I''ve enjoyed the responsibility. I''ve enjoyed the challenge of every part of it,” he said.

NAMPA / AP

All Blacks 'bounce back', ready for Ireland rematchNew Zealand captain, Sam Cane said that the win against Italy brought back the self belief the team always had before it lost to Ireland last week. New Zealand retains confidence

A 10-try rout of Italy and some of the less experienced players getting some minutes under their belt put the disappointment of a first loss to Ireland behind them and prepared the team for a shot at redemption in Dublin, according to the All Blacks.

The All Blacks suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Irish in 111 years, losing 40-29 in Chicago last week in a match that ended the world champions'' record tier-one run of 18 consecutive test wins.

With coach Steve Hansen making 12 changes from the team that lost in Chicago, they responded on Saturday by scoring five tries in each half to thrash a limited Italian side 68-10.

“We needed to bounce back this week after a disappointing game by All Black standards last week,” stand-in captain Sam Cane said. “We all gelled and came together and kept the scoreboard ticking over throughout the 80 minutes, which was very pleasing.”

After being exposed on defence last week against Ireland, the All Blacks were rarely challenged by Italy at the Stadio Olympico, with the Azzurri''s game plan limited to aimless kicking that failed to put any pressure on the visitors.

Hansen gave little away about how the Italy game would shape selections for the Ireland rematch in Dublin next Saturday, though he praised the performance of man-of-the-match Aaron Cruden, who dictated the game from flyhalf.

“He hasn''t played a lot of rugby so we wanted him firstly to get more match time,” Hansen said.

“Secondly, (we wanted him) to do his core roles really well – his passing, kicking, running and organising – and get back into the flow of rugby again.

“As the game went on he got better and better.”

NAMPA / REUTERS