Namibian Sun

Tradeport’s consultants urged to step down'Clearly biased in favour of live sheep exports' The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has weighed in on a plan to transship thousands of live sheep per month via Lüderitz to the Middle East - a practice that has already been rejected in South Africa.

JANA-MARI SMITH

WINDHOEK

The Namibian SPCA has called for the recusal of EnviroLeap, the consultancy working to secure environmental approval for Tradeport Namibia’s plans to import thousands of South African sheep for export via Lüderitz to the Middle East.

“It is clear that EnviroLeap is biased in favour of the proposed project,” the SPCA stated last week in response to EnviroLeap’s environmental scoping report detailing Tradeport’s plans.

Tradeport plans to buy up between 10 000 and 70 000 sheep in South Africa, and to transport the live animals through Namibia to the Lüderitz port for export via sea to the Middle East. Their plan has met strong opposition.

One stakeholder described the plan as “fatally flawed on ethical grounds”.

Several organisations and individuals have repeatedly warned that Namibia should avoid becoming complicit in an industry that is drawing increasing global condemnation.

Flawed

The SPCA argues that the scoping report shows clear bias by the environmental consultants hired by Tradeport to pave the way for an environmental clearance certificate.

The SPCA highlighted that EnviroLeap thanked the minority of registered stakeholders in support of the project, and “at one or more points dismissed or ridiculed those who have raised serious concerns and/or are in opposition of the proposed project.”

“A review board should be impartial and separate from the authoring company,” the SPCA notes.

Another question raised are the lack of public consultations with relevant stakeholders.

The SPCA’s own review found that no public consultations were held in Keetmanshoop, Aus, Lüderitz, all directly affected by the proposed plans.

“It is evident that EnviroLeap did not consult widely enough in either the initial period for registering of I&APs, nor throughout the one year preparing the second report,” the SPCA found.

No comment

Last week, livestock producers questioned the report’s failure to address the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in South Africa, which has led to a total ban of imports of sheep and other livestock into Namibia.

EnviroLeap refused to respond to several media queries on this issue.

NamPort said it has no knowledge about the project.

The ministry of agriculture last week confirmed that the transport of live sheep from South Africa to any of Namibia's ports is not permitted.

Breast cancer rated 15,5% of cancer deaths Breast cancer has exceeded lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer.

It is the fifth cause of cancer deaths in the world, with an estimated 2.3 million cases and 685,000 deaths in 2020. The cases are expected to reach 4,4 million in 2070. Among women, breast cancer accounted for approximately 24,5% of all cancer cases and 15,5% of cancer deaths, ranking first for incidence and mortality in the majority of the world countries in 2020.

The main risk factors for breast cancer are older age, high body mass index or obesity, exposure to tobacco, physical inactivity, high fat dietary, early age menarche, late age at first full-term pregnancy, shorter breastfeeding periods, use of hormonal menopausal therapy or oral contraceptives, breast density and family history of breast cancer. Elevated incidence rates of breast cancer may reflect increased prevalence of risk factors, opportunistic or organized mammography screening detections, aging, and growth of population. However, the difference in major risk factors, screening strategies, and population size or structures of different regions led to the disparities in the burden of breast cancer. For example, obesity is an important determinant contributing to breast cancer incidence. The prevalence of obesity had remarkable regional differences and ranged from 3.7% in Japan to 38.2% in the United States of America (USA) in 2015. In highly developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the USA, more extensive use of mammography screening has been one of the main reasons for the high incidence of breast cancer since the 1980s. Nevertheless, some African and Asian countries had relatively low breast cancer incidence but showed rapidly increasing trends due to changes in social economic development and lifestyle. In addition, the diagnosed age of breast cancer was also distinct among different world regions. Western countries had later onset age of breast cancer compared with some Asian countries.

Previous studies have only focused on the comparison of breast cancer burden between world regions or the description in one country. The burden of breast cancer and the summit age of diagnosis have not been well assessed between countries based on the 20 world areas. Herein, the aim of this study was to describe and compare the incidence and mortality rates of female breast cancer in specific countries across 20 world regions in 2020 by using the most up-to-date data, and analyze the temporal trends of incidence and mortality in major countries to provide valuable information for breast cancer prevention and control.

An estimated 2.3 million females were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, accounting for approximately 24,5% of all cancer cases worldwide. The crude and age-standardized incidence rates of breast cancer were 58,5 and 47.8 per 100,000 population. Of the different countries, China had the largest number of breast cancer cases, accounting for approximately 18,4% of global breast cancer cases, followed by the USA, with 1,8% breast cancer cases in the world. The age-standardized incidence rates among countries varied over 3-fold, from 113,2 per 100 000 population in Belgium to 35,8 per 100,000 population in Iran. Highly developed countries (Belgium, Demark, Australia, USA, United Kingdom, and Italy) had much higher incidence rates than the world age-standardized incidence rates (47,8 per 100 000 population), while developing countries (Iran, China, Mexico, Cameroon, and Costa Rica) had lower incidence rates than the world age-standardized incidence rates. The age-specific incidence rates of breast cancer were relatively low for female < 25 years old in all countries investigated and increased dramatically after this age. Remarkably, the peak age of breast cancer varied across the world regions. South Korea and Cameroon had the youngest onset peak age of 40 years old. China, Japan, Iran, Fiji, Morocco peaked among female aged 55-60 years old. The summit onset age of breast cancer in the USA, Belgium, Australia, and the United Kingdom were latest with age of 70 years.

There were approximately 685 000 females who died from breast cancer in 2020, accounting for approximately 15.5% of all cancer deaths in the world. The crude and age-standardized mortality rates of breast cancer were 17,7 and 13,6 per 100 000 population globally. Similar to the large number of breast cancer cases, China had the largest number of breast cancer deaths, accounting for approximately 17,1% of all cancer deaths, followed by the USA, which accounted for 6,2% of breast cancer deaths in the world. The age-standardized mortality rates across countries varied greatly (nearly 7-fold), from 41 per 100,000 in Fiji to 6,4 per 100 000 in South Korea. In contrast with the incidence rates, high mortality rates occurred in most undeveloped or developing countries (e.g. Fiji, Jamaica, Samoa, Nigeria, Cameroon), whereas high-income countries (e.g. South Korea, Japan, and the USA) had lower mortality rates. The age-specific mortality rates of breast cancer increased with the age and reached the highest in age = 70 among most of the countries examined. Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

MTC’s listing not untoward – Shiimi

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

Finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi says there is nothing untoward about the planned listing of telecommunications company MTC on the Namibia Stock Exchange (NSX), insisting rather that it will benefit the ordinary Namibian.

He made the comments in Parliament following remarks that government had lost its vision and strategy to run Namibia. This was in response to a question raised by Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEEF) member of parliament, Kalimbo Iipumbu.

Shiimi drew parallels to China, where many public entities had been listed on the Shanghai and Shenzen Stock Exchanges.

“I disagree with your opinion that government has lost its vision and strategy to run the country. In fact, I believe that the opposite is true in that you are, in fact, seeing a progressive, creative approach to mitigate immediate challenges,” Shiimi said.

“An interesting fact is that China, which is still largely regarded as a socialist country, has listed more than 1 000 state-owned enterprises on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges,” he added.

Despite MTC’s planned listing on the NSX, Shiimi noted that government would still be able to receive dividends from the company through its 51% shareholding it would hold after the listing goes live on 19 November.

“Once listed, government’s 51% shareholding will appreciate in value if the share price of MTC increases on the NSX over time,” Shiimi added.

Unlocking maximum value

The planned listing would further unlock maximum shareholder value and cashflow for government, he said.

“The proceeds from this listing will greatly enhance the ability of Treasury to meet the various demands and to apply funds according to appropriate priorities. The money will also provide an alternative to counter potential additional borrowing requirements and subsequent high debt levels,” Shiimi said.

It is anticipated that government will make approximately N$3.12 billion from the sale of its 49% stake in the telecommunications company. It will also become the first public entity to be listed. MTC shares are prized at N$8.50 per share and interested parties can acquire minimal shareholding for as little as 200 shares, or N$1 700.

‘Job took the files’ – Gawanas

JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

Landless People’s Movement (LPM) councillor Sade Gawanas has accused City of Windhoek mayor Job Amupanda of confiscating a list of applicants for the CEO position.

She also questioned Amupanda’s reluctance to push for public interviews for this position while strongly advocating for public interviews for public service positions.

Amupanda has not responded to questions sent to him.

Gawanas has, in the meantime, demanded for a rerun of the recruitment process, claiming that some tribes were deliberately overlooked while candidates who failed at their previous institutions are positioned to take over the city.

“My question is this: Where are the applications of Coloureds, whites, Damara, Nama, Tswana, and how many are capable but because friends must employ friends, do not get the opportunity to lead this organisation? “Why must those who already ran through all institutions be given this opportunity with their so-called vast experience and PhDs while there are many out there who are brilliant but denied the opportunity?” she asked.

Red flags

She told Namibian Sun yesterday that she received the list of applications from the City’s human resources department and said there are a number of red flags that need to be addressed.

City spokesperson Harold Akwenye said there are criteria used to shortlist candidates for positions, adding that concerted effort was made to ensure ethnic diversity and gender balance.

He added that he is not aware how the councillor got hold of the list and on what she based her claims.

“Surely there are criteria that were used to pick the current shortlisted candidates. Maybe Harold Akwenye is also part of the 68 people who applied. Does it mean that I should automatically be considered?” he asked.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Steinhausen fire costs Venani 94% of grazing landOver 32 cattle missing Not one, but two fires broke out at Steinhausen on Sunday, which set about 10 farms ablaze, including that of parliamentarian McHenry Venaani.

ESTER KAMATI

WINDHOEK

A fire which broke out on Sunday in Omaheke’s Steinhausen constituency gutted close to 10 farms in the area, including that of parliamentarian McHenry Venaani.

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader said about 94% of his grazing land has been lost, while at least 50% of the farm’s fence infrastructure had been destroyed.

“We nearly got stuck in the fire as our fire extinguisher became faulty but we had a spare one that saved us,” he shared, adding that they were able to escape the fire on time by using the extinguisher. “We thank the heavens for the mercy. I am drained both mentally and otherwise, but God is catering for me.”

Venaani’s farm Turfan suffered damages ranging in the millions, according to him, adding that assessments are still ongoing to determine the full cost of the damage.

Livestock is also being assessed at the farm, with over 32 cattle said to be recorded missing so far.

Venaani said fires came from three directions and some of the livestock may not have been able to escape, specifically those he described as ‘weak’.

‘Shock year’

The fire is suspected to have been started by negligent farm workers.

Venaani described 2021 as a “shock year” for him, reflecting on January when over 70 cattle were slaughtered on his farm through a suspected inside job or possibly a syndicate. This was during the time the parliamentarian was recovering from Covid-19.

He added that the Namibia Special Risk Insurance Association is one which can come to the rescue of farmers during tough times like these.

He further urged citizens to take care when dealing with environmental factors.

ester@myzone.com.na

Ramaphosa eases restrictions to lowest levelOpening up the economy ahead of summer The maximum number of people permitted to gather outdoors will increase to 2 000 from 500. The current trends in the progression of the pandemic mean that a number of the restrictions in place can be eased. Cyril Ramaphosa, President: South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has eased restrictions aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic to the country's lowest alert level, the second such loosening this month as the country looks to open up its economy ahead of the summer holiday season.

In a televised address, Ramaphosa announced the country would move down one level in a five-tier system of restrictions, where five is the highest, to an 'adjusted level 1' as South Africa emerges from its third wave dominated by the Delta variant of the virus.

"The current trends in the progression of the pandemic mean that a number of the restrictions in place can be eased," Ramaphosa said.

In addition to relaxing a curfew, now in place from midnight to 4 a.m., Ramaphosa announced that the maximum number of people permitted to gather outdoors will increase to 2 000 from 500, while the maximum number of people allowed at funerals could double to 100.

However, with local government elections set for 1 November, Ramaphosa urged people to get vaccinated to help prevent a resurgence of infections, as vaccine hesitancy crimped an inoculation programme that has struggled to get out of the starting blocks.

Risk

"Campaign activities pose the greatest risk to a surge in new infections," he said, adding that should South Africa reach its target of vaccinating 70% of its adult population by December, an estimated 20,000 lives could be saved.

Thus far around 8.6 million people, or more than one-fifth of all adults, have been fully vaccinated, he said.

On Sunday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said the country had exited its third and worst Covid-19 wave, with the national 7-day moving average of daily case numbers and percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus showing sustained decreases.

South Africa has reported just under 88 000 Covid-19 deaths and a total of 2.9 million laboratory-confirmed cases, the worst in Africa on both counts, since detecting its first infection in March last year, the latest data showed. -Nampa/Reuters

PSUN eager to address NBC workers’ plightContracts ‘not favourable’ The Public Service Union of Namibia’s Pauli Sitentu promised to hold NBC accountable for withholding pay from employees who participated in an almost month-long strike in May on a ‘no work, no pay’ premise.

OGONE TLHAGE

WINDHOEK

The Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN) is eager to address the plight of NBC employees with unfavourable working conditions, its secretary-general Pauli Sitentu said.

This comes as the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) recently lost its exclusive bargaining unit status at the corporation, as PSUN continues to make inroads into its membership.

Sitentu drew attention to employment contracts staff members - who were not on employed on a full-time basis - had received and said the NBC would be held to account going forward.

Unfavourable

“There are some employees who were on contract, they were offered already unfavourable conditions and as a trade union that is responsible for employees, we are supposed to ensure that these contracts are scrutinised properly before they are given,” Sitentu said.

“You cannot give a contract and say ‘you are a permanent employee’ and then the contract does not have benefits,” he added, referring to contract workers who had recently been appointed on a full-time basis with the corporation.

“You cannot give an employee a contract before you are permanently employed but you do not have benefits.”

Fix it

Contracts handed out had not been favourable, Sitentu claimed.

“We have managed to peruse through the documents and we have seen that there are malpractices that have gone on and as the PSUN, we are taking it up. Why are you giving employee A benefits but not employee B?” he asked.

Sitentu also promised to hold the corporation accountable for withholding pay from striking employees.

NBC employees had entered an almost month-long strike in May on a ‘no work, no pay’ premise.

“Deductions must be regulated, not stopped, we are going to ensure NBC is held accountable for deductions. We are going to serve them appropriately,” he said.

Meanwhile, NBC workers union representative committee chairperson Johannes Lengi said verification was still underway to establish whether Napwu had lost its bargaining status at the corporation.

“This needs to be verified. I don’t have a document to say PSUN has this much membership.”

EDITORIAL: There’s more to Geingob’s outburst While the “go to hell” comment President Hage Geingob made on Saturday covered most newspaper column inches and filled radio and television airwaves, there was more to even his most measured remarks on the day.

The belated efforts to pour cold water over what was clearly vintage Geingob letting off some steam towards his timid lieutenants in the central committee just showed how disjointed his entire administration – in both party and government – is.

There was a gulf in how Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who sat next to Geingob, interpreted the “go to hell” remarks and what presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari said later in his statement on the same issue. Simply put, the administration is not singing from the same hymn book.

To a certain degree, we sympathise with the spin doctors of this Geingob reign. The president limps from one jaw-dropping comment to another, so hard that even Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany Joseph Goebbels, who fashioned the myth of Hitler being a brilliant and decisive leader, would never positively portray these scandals.

But beyond what meets the eye, Geingob is starting to realise that the party’s running on fumes – something others predicted ages ago.

An infusion of excitement in the demoralised Swapo rank and file would take much more than just sloganeering in party regalia. A deliberate strategy is the only thing that’ll restore the hype.

Zambia lifts all Covid-19 restrictionsCitizens urged to get Vaccinated There will be no limits on the size of religious gatherings, while bars, markets, shops and nightclubs can all operate as normal. If indeed the projected fourth wave will be worse than the third, our low vaccination coverage puts us at a higher risk of severe disease and death. Sylvia Masebo, Health Minister: Zambia

Zambia on Friday announced the complete lifting of coronavirus restrictions from the weekend, although just three percent of eligible people in the southern African country are fully vaccinated.

"Following the reduced transmission of Covid-19 in Zambia, the government has decided to lift the restrictions," Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said.

Restrictions on gatherings in venues like places of worship and bars have been in place since last year in Zambia, a poor, landlocked country of 18 million people.

So far there have been over 209 000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3 650 deaths, with one in the past 24 hours. There will be no limits on the size of religious gatherings, while bars, markets, shops and nightclubs can all operate as normal and everyone can go back to work, Masebo said.

The lifting of the restrictions will be re-examined after one month, she added. For now, mask-wearing, social distancing and regular disinfection of public spaces will be kept in place.

Vaccines

Masebo also warned that Zambia could suffer large numbers of seriously ill people and deaths in a fourth coronavirus wave, given low levels of inoculation.

"If indeed the projected fourth wave will be worse than the third, our low vaccination coverage puts us at a higher risk of severe disease and death. Let us all take advantage of the available vaccines and get vaccinated," she added.

President Hakainde Hichilema urged citizens to get vaccinated, saying that he, his wife and his children had all received two-dose courses.

The country has been distributing Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm shots.

Across Africa, just over four percent of eligible people have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, far behind the rates above 60 percent seen in the world's wealthy nations. -Nampa/AFP

Nigeria gets World Bank financing

Nigeria got approval on Friday for US$400 million in World Bank financing to procure and deploy Covid-19 vaccinations, the bank said in a statement.

The World Bank board of directors signed off on the financing, provided via the International Development Association, which it said would enable Africa's most populous nation to purchase Covid-19 vaccines for 40 million people, some 18% of its population, and support vaccine deployment to 110 million people.

In a statement, the bank said the money would ensure that the government can vaccinate 51% of its population within two years and "avoid the dreadful consequences of another lockdown that left in its wake an economic toll the country is still grappling with."

The government last month said that around 20% of workers in Nigeria had lost their jobs as a result of Covid-19.

Nigeria has administered some five million vaccine doses to its 200 million citizens, and is in the midst of deploying millions more doses of Moderna and AstraZeneca shots received through the COVAX scheme aimed at providing vaccines to developing countries.

It also has 1.12 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) vaccine that it purchased through an African Union programme and is also scheduled to receive 7.7 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine via COVAX. -Nampa/Reuters

Covid-19: 18 months and N$1bn laterStaff expenses take biggest chunk of spending Namibia has spent N$1 billion on the fight against Covid-19, with salaries of healthcare workers being the largest spending item. JEMIMA BEUKES

Staff expenses: N$195m

Quarantine costs: N$177m

Covid-19 testing: N$132m

Isolation facilities: N$115m

Medical supplies: N$112m

WINDHOEK

The health ministry has spent just over N$1 billion on the Covid-19 pandemic, of which the bulk – N$195 million – went to staff expenses, followed by N$177 million in quarantine costs.

A total of N$80 million has been used to acquire Covid-19 vaccines, while N$11 million was used for the procurement of clinical supplies.

Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula told Parliament last week that they spent N$176 million to acquire personal protective equipment (PPE), N$27 million on household items for isolation facilities and N$132 million on Covid-19 testing.

The ministry also forked out N$115 million for the construction and renovation of isolation facilities and spent N$112 million to procure medical supplies.

Government constructed isolation facilities at Windhoek, Opuwo, Oshakati, Rundu, Okongo, Gobabis, Keetmanshoop and Walvis Bay.

This money was also used to refit health facilities that responded to Covid-19 cases including the Windhoek Central Hospital’s casualty department, Katutura State Hospital’s tuberculosis (TB) ward, Robert Mugabe Clinic as well as staff accommodation at Hosea Kutako International Airport.

N$3.6m to fight fake news

Meanwhile, N$31 million was spent on sanitising and cleaning materials, while N$1 million was used for the expansion of mortuaries.

The ministry also spent N$9.8 million on surveillance, rapid response and case investigations, which included the procurement of eight 4x4 vehicles that were converted into ambulances.

A total of N$3.6 million was used for community engagement and risk communication, which included detecting fake news and misinformation.

This money was used to print educational material and flyers, and translating key messages on Covid-19.

The ministry also spent N$659 071 on supporting surveillance and risk communication activities at entry and exit screening points. These funds were used to find and trace cases that were eventually isolated and quarantined, as well as for printing and distributing screening forms for travellers.

Sick numbers

Namibia recorded the first cases of Covid-19 on 14 March 2020 after a Romanian couple visiting the country tested positive. By the end of March, the total number of cases had reached 11, with all new cases being travel-related.

On 10 July 2020, 116 days after the arrival of Covid-19 in Namibia, the first death was reported. A 45-year-old man from Walvis Bay presented to a health facility on 5 July with complaints of dizziness, a cough and difficulty breathing. His condition deteriorated quickly and he died on 8 July.

To date, the country has recorded 127 862 accumulative positive cases, with a recovery rate of 96.3%. The virus has claimed 3 517 lives as of Sunday.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Windhoek sitting on sanitation time bomb

ESTER KAMATI

WINDHOEK

Informal settlements in the capital city could be in for a rude awakening if the municipality does not move swiftly to provide sufficient sanitation services to about 50 000 residents in three constituencies.

As Windhoek faces a serious sanitation crisis, the capital’s political leadership is scrambling to put measures in place to prevent a calamity which has already seen people being forced to make use of bushes when nature calls.

In other communities, more than 100 people are forced to share pit latrines.

City of Windhoek councillors have since tabled a motion for the resumption of a sanitary services provision project which came to a halt after the new council took their seats following last year’s local authority elections.

“It is common knowledge that the project of provision of sanitation facilities in the informal settlements of our city was well on track before we took over in December last year. However, when we took over, this important project was abandoned in favour of other projects, which have not yielded the desired results to date,” Swapo councillor Queen Kamati said in a letter to acting CEO George Mayumbelo, dated 23 September.

Bemoaning the dire situation, she called for the implementation of projects aimed at providing sanitation facilities, especially in parts of Katutura including the Moses //Garoeb, Tobias Hainyeko and Samora Machel constituencies.

‘Appalling’

“I find this to be an appalling and inhuman state of affairs,” she said in the letter.

“In fact, the situation also means that as a city, we are not in compliance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” she added, making reference to the lack of clean water and sanitation.

Kamati said she has “observed the situation first-hand”, which she said is “dire” and “requires urgent intervention”.

The lack of sanitation facilities has forced residents of these constituencies to resort to open defaecation, Kamati said, adding that the situation could spark a mass Hepatitis outbreak.

Underserved

According to Windhoek municipality statistics, Samora Machel constituency, which has 21 241 informal structures, has the highest population of people living in an informal settlement, yet is the most underserved when it comes to provision of services, the councillor said.

Tobias Hainyeko ranks second with 14 546 informal structures, and Moses //Garoeb with 9 052 in third.

Kamati further emphasised the safety hazards residents are faced with due to a lack of street lights in these areas.

While acknowledging the City’s programmes to provide affordable housing, she said such plans “will not materialise any time soon, as this by-law is expected to pass through many bureaucratic and cumbersome planning stages”.

In his response, Mayumbelo said Kamati’s motion would be placed on the council’s agenda.

ester@myzone.com.na

Ombudsman blasts Utoni

ESTER KAMATI AND JEMIMA BEUKES

WINDHOEK

The Ombudsman has accused labour minister Utoni Nujoma of abusing his powers as minister by appointing Kylikki Sihlala as deputy labour commissioner.

In a letter to the labour ministry written late last month, Ombudsman senior complaints investigator Nick Idhogela wrote to the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Simon Kavetu to inform him that the ministry has conceded to this oversight.

The Ombudsman’s office demanded feedback from Nujoma no later than yesterday, 4 October.

“The ministry had accepted that the honourable minister has acted ultra vires in appointing Sihlahla without observing the normal recruitment procedures applicable within the Public Service of Namibia,” Idhogela wrote.

He added that only after a public recruitment process can Nujoma recommend the new deputy labour commissioner.

The position was advertised in the media last Friday, in line with AR’s demands that it be publicly advertised to allow all interested and suitable candidates to participate fairly.

Handpicked

Namibian Sun reported in May that Sihlahla’s appointment as deputy labour commissioner raised eyebrows, with critics questioning her suitability for the job and claims circulating that she was handpicked because of her ties to the minister.

Sihlahla replaced Tuuliky Mwafufya, who at the time claimed that Sihlahla has no conciliation and arbitrary experience, which are key to the position.

The labour ministry has in the past insisted that the Labour Act allows the minister to appoint anyone as labour commissioner or as deputy labour commissioner and once these people are appointed, they are automatically arbitrators.

Attempts to get hold of Nujoma proved futile.

Fuel price increase could promote smugglingAn increase for two consecutive months Both petrol and diesel prices will increase by 30 cents per litre (c/l), effective from tomorrow. If successful, fuel retailers will lose out on lost revenues and government will collect less levies and taxes which are included in local petrol prices. Theo Klein, Economist: Simonis Storm

PHILLEPUS UUSIKU

After the Ministry of Mines and Energy announced that fuel prices will increase by 30 cents per litre (c/l), people expressed their frustrations on social media and threatened to smuggle fuel from neighbouring Angola as it is relatively cheaper. Last month, the price of petrol increased by 60 cents per litre, while the price of diesel increased by 30 cents per litre.

According to the ministry’s spokesperson Andreas Simon, the decision was made due to a series of events such as the hurricane storm in the Gulf of Mexico, uncertainties around the outcome of OPEC-plus meetings, and lastly the looming global energy crunch as China continues to grapple with energy supplies.

International prices for refined petroleum products have also been fluctuating significantly. The average price of refined petrol increased by US$3, from US$82 in August to US$85 in October, whilst the average price of refined diesel increased by US$4, from US$75 in August to US$79 in September, Simon pointed out.

The hurricane storm in the Gulf of Mexico has disrupted supply by damaging some of the oil facilities in that region. Moreover, OPEC-plus is still struggling to ramp up oil supply to agreed levels so as to match demand as the global market emerges from the Covid pandemic. This has left a shortage of supply in the market and increased the oil prices as result, he added.

The local currency has appreciated against the United States (US) dollar, from an average of N$14.77 in August to an average of N$14.42 in September, 2021. This has helped keep the recorded under-recoveries lower than they would have been if it remained the same, Simon said.

Smuggling

According to Simonis Storm economist Theo Klein, “the impact of smuggling on our local market will depend on how successful smugglers are in importing large quantities of illicit fuel from Angola. If successful, fuel retailers will lose out on lost revenues and government will collect less levies and taxes which are included in local petrol prices. Household would enjoy a relief in their budgets and have more funds available for alternative expenditure items, but they could face prosecution by law enforcers as illicit trading of fuel is a legal offense. Given the difficulty in transporting large quantities of fuel illegally, and given the dangers in distributing fuel in secret, this strategy might either not be successful or only benefit a few.”

The use of fuel is widespread in economic activities such as farming, heating buildings, producing plastics and other industrial products, and logistics where fuel is used as an input for either production or operations. Logistics would include both private use of vehicles, as well as transporters of large cargo via road, air or sea. Any business importing products transported would therefore face higher transport costs. This implies that consumers are not only paying higher petrol costs when refilling their cars, Klein pointed out.

Given the widespread use of petroleum in different business sectors, consumers are likely to face higher prices when purchasing food, clothes, furniture amongst other typical household expenditure items, since these products are transported to retail outlets via road throughout Namibia. Of course, it depends on what extent businesses pass through higher operating costs on to the consumer. Given the current economic environment, it might be that businesses are not able to absorb increased costs and therefore pass it through to the consumer in the form of higher retail prices, he said.

MultiChoice to launch ‘Me’MultiChoice is excited to announce the launch of ‘Me’ – a channel offering a wide selection of international programming – on 1 November. A new destination for viewers to watch world-class series in one place

STAFF REPORTER

WINDHOEK

‘Me’, a channel is targeted at DStv Family and DStv Compact viewers, will also be available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus audiences.
The launch of ‘Me’ will see two channels, M-Net City (channel 115) and Vuzu (116), merged to create a bigger, better channel aimed to give viewers their famous, world-class series and reality shows in one place.
“We’re changing the way we package content and creating a single, extensive, well-curated destination. ‘Me’ will give our viewers and subscribers a multifaceted, competitive channel offering, and we’re pleased to offer the best international entertainment in one place,” Yolisa Phahle, CEO of general entertainment for the MultiChoice Group said.
M-Net City was launched as a channel where viewers can catch up on the latest and best international series, while Vuzu has always been the true voice of an edgier African youth.
‘Me’ will feature the best of both its predecessors, while establishing a new identity strategically crafted with the discerning audience in mind.
‘Me’ is a destination for primarily the 18 to 34-year-old market, and, in addition to international scripted content, it will feature lifestyle shows and celebrity content that has been previously broadcast on M-Net and 1Magic.
“‘Me’ is taking us in an exciting direction that speaks to the multiplatform world we live in and further sharpens our aim to give our subscribers content that they connect with,” Phahle said.

What to expect
‘Me’ will launch with daily episodes of ‘The Rookie’, ‘NCIS: New Orleans’, ‘Survivor Australia’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ from 17:00 to 20:00. From 20:30, you can join for a mix of local and international series like ‘Lioness’, ‘Prodigal Son’, ‘All American’ and ‘911’. ‘The Real Housewives’ (starting with the Atlanta crew) will bring the drama every weekday at 21:30, leading to the late-night slot. 22:30 is when you can get a little dark with acclaimed international dramas and thrillers like ‘Godfather of Harlem’, ‘Clarice’ and ‘Flight Attendant’.
On weekends, it’s ‘Me’-time. Start Friday evening with ‘The Bachelorette SA’ or a movie. Saturdays and Sunday are filled with game shows, talent shows and reality shows like ‘Beat Shazam’, ‘American Idol’ and ‘Growing Up Hip-Hop’. Sunday evening at 20:00 will feature acclaimed dramas such as ‘Queen Sugar’.
“‘Me’ is TV made personal. It’s a place to unwind. It’s a channel that will change and evolve to continue to offer viewers more of what they like,” Multichoice said in a statement, adding that M-Net City and Vuzu will officially close on Friday, 29 October. ‘Me’ will launch on Monday, 1 November, at 16:00 on channel 115.

Shalulile producing legendary numbers at Downs

KICKOFF

Peter Shalulile is producing legendary goalscoring numbers at Mamelodi Sundowns and is bettering club legends such as Daniel Mudau.

Shalulile has struck 29 goals in 48 appearances – all of them starts – since joining Sundowns from Highlands Park at the beginning of last season.

Based on domestic standards that is a phenomenal return especially for a player whose move to Chloorkop was greeted with elements of reservations in some sections of the football fan base.

Yet, the man from northern Namibia is now turning heads every week complementing his trademark hard work with goals.

At the rate at which he is scoring, he is growing into a reliable source of goals for the club the same way that Mudau did through his playing days at the club.

With goals showering for Shalulile as he turns 28 this month his numbers prove that he is doing a better job than Mudau did at the same age.

Into his second season at the club, Shalulile’s strike rate at present stands at 1,655 matches a goal.

When Mudau turned 28 in September 1996, he had scored 65 goals in 142 starts for Sundowns spread over four years having made his Brazilians first team in 1993 after returning from a loan at Ratanang Mahlosiane the previous year.

That meant Mambush had scored at a rate of 2,18 games per goal.

The legendary forward went on to play the rest of his career at Sundowns until he retired just before turning 35 in 2003 with 172 goals in 390 starts for the club at a rate of 2,27 games per goal.

Mudau won four league titles, the BOB Save Super Bowl and the Rothmans Cup while Shalulile has one league title so far.

The retired forward is regarded as the best striker to ever play for Sundowns.

Frylinck stars in Eagles’ win over UAE ANDREW POOLMAN

The Namibian Eagles put up a great performance yesterday to beat the United Arab Emirates by 17 runs at their home field, the ICC Academy stadium in Dubai, in a warm-up match before the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Jan Frylinck’s career best bowling performance in an international T20 match earned him the award as player of the match. The 27-year-old left-arm fast medium bowler took six wickets for 24 runs in his four overs.

The Emirates won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat first.

The Namibian batting total of 159/8 was built on solid contributions from Stephen Baard (39 off 34 balls, four fours), a fifty by Craig Williams (57 off 37 balls, 7x4 2x6) and captain Gerhard Erasmus (27 off 19 balls, 2x4). JJ Smit also hit one six in his 14 off 9 balls.

Born Pakistani medium fast bowler Zahoor Khan took 4/29 in 4 overs for the Emirates.

David Wiese, the former Proteas T20 World Cup player in his debut match for Namibia, opened the bowling and took the first wicket to finish with 1/29 in 4 overs.

The other opening bowler, Ruben Trumpelmann, was also in solid form taking 2/22 in 4 overs.

Frylinck’s first breakthrough was to have the Emirates’ best batsman of the day, Waseem Muhammad (39 off 36 balls), caught behind the wicket by Zane Green. Later, in the 16th over, he also got rid of Basil Hameed (20 off 12 balls) and the experienced Rohan Mustafa (0 off 1 ball).

Frylinck bowled the 20th and final over, in which the Emirates had to score 24 runs for a victory, but the Namibian had the last laugh, conceding only six runs and taking two wickets.

The Namibians’ next warm-up match will be against Papua New Guinea in Dubai today.

Masilingi and Mboma given diet freedom

Allowed to eat ice-cream and to be youngCoach Henk Botha has revealed that he is not putting any pressure on the athletes and expects them to have a normal life during their off-season.JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

WINDHOEK Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma have been given the freedom to eat whatever they want during their off-season.

Their nutrition freedom will be short-lived, however, as they will resume training in November.

“This is the only time that they are off and the only time that they can be young, so I told them to eat as many ice-creams as they can because they will not have that opportunity when November starts,” coach Henk Botha has said.

The life of an elite athlete is far from that of an ordinary person, given the strict diet required during the season.

Athletes are encouraged to eat peanut butter and honey on crackers, fruit and yogurt smoothies, low-fat cottage cheese, lean hamburger or chicken on a whole-wheat bun before competitions.

They are not allowed to have high-fat foods such as potato chips, hot dogs, chocolate or doughnuts.

Athletes are advised to avoid carbonated beverages (such as cooldrink), because they may cause stomach discomfort during the competition.

“As a coach, one also has to advise them not to have these foods they do not normally enjoy in excessive amounts,” Botha said.

Athletes are also expected to behave impeccably at all times, given that they are public figures and brand ambassadors. Botha is confident that this will not be a problem for the two well-mannered young sprinters.

Mboma and Masilingi had a dream season, with both of them collecting several local and international accolades.

The athletes reached the 200-metre final of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with Christine Mboma winning a silver medal.

“They are however still aware that the season is not so far away from starting and we will have to go back to the drawing board as soon as November starts.

“This will mean that they will have to say goodbye to the food they are enjoying right now and back to the lifestyle.

“This is really just a time to be a normal human being and enjoy life as young people,” Botha added.

FirstRand Nam weathers the stormCapitalising on growth opportunities Locally-listed FirstRand Namibia's latest annual results delivered good dividends to local and international shareholders for the year ended 30 June 2021 – and an increase of about N$199 million in profit, or nearly 24%, compared to the prior book-year. The group’s chief financial official, Oscar Capelao, elaborates on the financial... The group is well positioned to deliver growth given our well-capitalised position and strong balance sheet.

B7: To which extent does FirstRand Namibia’s 2021 annual results reflect the impact of the ongoing recession and Covid-19?

OC: We implemented specific actions early on to weather the storm better in the next 18 to 24 months. For example, we entered the current financial year appropriately provided for. We did not release impairments; the charge was just lower this year. IFRS 9 is a forward-looking accounting standard, that has some effect but realistically some of the pain was felt in last year numbers already, that were down 18%.

The impact of the 300 basis-points rate cuts by the Bank of Namibia (BoN) fully reflect in our numbers - that’s at least N$248 million decline in our net interest income.

B7: What are the highlights in the results?

OC: Our digital banking platforms excelled during these testing times as volumes moved above the normal migration trend to these channels. We were able to contain the decline of pre-provision profit to minus 2.2%. Our home loans advances grew by 5.3%. The FNB App volumes were up 106%. We thankfully didn’t have any retrenchments either. We certainly had to contain staff costs though and to protect the income of the majority of the group, we committed to no increases for executives and below-inflation increases to managerial staff. The uptake of the contactless credit and debit cards also stood out as a highlight.

B7: To which extent has FirstRand Namibia provided relief to its clients who were impacted by Covid-19 during the period under review?

OC: FirstRand Namibia provided relief, by way of payment holidays, to well over N$2 billion worth of client exposures. Support regarding debt consolidation, working capital protection and Covid-19 relief reductions in fees and charges for stipulated periods occurred alongside the more than N$20 million spent on Covid-19 national health priorities and social responsibility in the same year.

B7: Banks have been hit by the historically low interest rates across the spectrum. To which extent has the Bank of Namibia’s monetary policy affected FirstRand Namibia and how does the group mitigate the impact?

OC: From a client perspective, debt is more affordable with interest rates at this level. As a bank, low interest rates help with the impairments line. We continue to actively manage our balance sheet. In a decreasing interest rate environment we experience negative endowment, but considering the challenging economic situation for regular Namibians, we have committed to maintaining our pricing discipline. Our pricing and rates remain competitive year on year, with many industry-leading products and services, especially digital and self-service options keeping the industry honest about real costs.

B7: Despite the low interest rate environment, private sector credit extension has remained muted. Why is that?

OC: We are all more cautious – the business community and individuals. Given the uncertainties of the economy, it is to be expected that on average the sentiment would be tilted towards less credit. Also playing a role was crowd psychology - when macros are reported as negative, investors and companies are less likely to take up more debt. In many instances, and considering low interest rates, this is possibly a good time to take up credit and prepare for future growth. The gross domestic product (GDP) forecast revision was more downwards after the economics forecast reassessment of the third wave impact, but the country certainly needs new investment and take up of opportunities and vision.

B7: Please elaborate on the quality of FirstRand Namibia’s loan book and its non-performing loans (NPLs).

OC: The book definitely performed better than we thought a year ago and the portfolio remains conservatively well provided for. At inception of credit, we do stress tests and the low interest environment is supporting the good quality of the book.

B7: What are the major challenges facing FirstRand Namibia in its current financial year?

OC: The operating environment remains challenging, including the risk of additional Covid-19 waves and the slow vaccination take-up.

Without herd immunity, lockdowns remain a threat to the economy, impacting credit originations, slowing recovery and crippling growth. Countries which have vaccinated have started opening up with economies beginning to act on new opportunities. Lack of vaccination take-up countrywide has a negative impact on Namibia from being one of those opportunities - either by way of tourism or investment into infrastructure, agriculture, mining and construction.

B7: What are the biggest growth opportunities for the group?

OC: As a market leader in digital banking, we will continue to see benefits off our market-leading digital platform, the FNBApp. RMB is also working on some great new engagement opportunities, and we look forward to reporting on it. We will also be growing our deposit base in the retail space as clients have become more savings and investment conscious.

Looking forward, FirstRand Namibia - through RMB, FNB, Ashburton and WesBank - is well positioned to deliver growth given our well-capitalised position and strong balance sheet. Building a globally competitive Namibia remains a defining goal for us.

HOPE in the times of Covid

In response to the unexpected and unprecedented social challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic presented, FirstRand Namibia created the Health Optimisation in a Pandemic Emergency (HOPE) Fund immediately following lockdown.

HOPE is a public benefit fund created to assist government and other social partners in responding to the healthcare challenges of Covid-19 in Namibia. The fund facilitated a number of interventions particularly focused on healthcare solutions and feeding schemes for vulnerable communities.

Government asked local businesses to come together to fund one-third of the cost of the vaccine, which will be distributed free of charge to all Namibians. The funds in the Vaccines for Hope account will be used to buy vaccines directly from suppliers and cover the logistical costs of distributing and managing the vaccine roll-out.

OTHER INITIATIVES

FNB Namibia, through HOPE, donated 15 thermal cameras to the value of N$1.4 million to support government’s efforts in detecting any infections as soon and as early as possible. The cameras were deployed at high contact points of migration between regions and borders as well as other crowded areas such as hospitals, to help those on the frontline of this pandemic and to manage Namibians at risk of infection.

A Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits valued at N$810 000, is vital in ensuring that public healthcare workers continue to operate with confidence and a sense of safety, to ensure that our country stays afloat and productive in this time of crisis.

Given the potential shortage of ventilators across the country, and specifically in the public health sector, a low-cost, disposable emergency respirator has been created to manage patients in respiratory distress.

The first 100 units valued at N$3 200 each have been manufactured and deployed for use, with very positive results in critical patients. A further 200 units will be manufactured and supplied to the Windhoek Central Hospital ICU team.

CO-FEED NAMIBIA

Project Co-Feed Namibia is a citizen-driven initiative with the sole objective to mobilise food supplies and other basic necessities for distribution to the vulnerable within communities in response to the national lockdown necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Working with local retailers, social partners and some investee companies, Co Feed created a platform for willing citizens to directly mitigate the inevitable shortage of basic necessities amongst the vulnerable members of our community. Ashburton’s executive members contributed N$50 000 towards Co-Feed, which was further topped by the HOPE Fund.

RMB, through the HOPE Fund and in collaboration with Bokomo Namibia and Co-Feed established a food drive aptly named the Bag of Hope Initiative. Through this food drive, employees and the public donated N$166 000, all of which was handed over to vulnerable members of our communities.