Namibian Sun

Swakop Women's League enters second round

The second round of the Swakopmund Women's Soccer League is scheduled to kick off tomorrow after a two-month break.

The amateur women's football league was established in June 2015, with eight football teams based in Swakopmund.

During the first leg of the second season, which ended in October 2016, Kavetu Football Club (KFC) from Arandis joined the league with two teams (KFC A and KFC B) that competed against the six teams that had been in the league since its inception.

Dragon City, Namib Daughters, Dream Team, Swakopmund Sport Development Club (SSDC), African Queens and Chelsea are all based in Swakopmund.

Namib Daughters were crowned champions in the league's 2015 maiden season.

The league's chairperson, Wilson Nguvauva, told Nampa on Wednesday that all teams were ready and excited to resume playing.

“Our league is growing. Playing in the league has kept a lot of young girls off the streets, which is a good thing for us as league administrators,” he told Nampa.

Nguvauva said they were working hard this year to find a sponsor for the league as well as registering it under the Namibia Football Association (NFA) second-division umbrella.

“We want our league to grow and currently we are in discussion with business people here to help fund it since we don't have a sponsor.”

Nguvauva said they were also informed of the need to register the league with the NFA second division, although it was already recognised by the NFA women's desk.

The fixtures for this weekend are as follows:

DRC football field, Saturday 11:00

African Queens vs Chelsea

African Queens vs Dragon City

Dream Team vs Chelsea

African Queens vs Dream Team

Dragon City vs Chelsea

Mondesa Stadium will see Namib Daughters take on Kavetu FC (B).

Namib Daughters will again play Kavetu FC (A) and then finish off their day against SSDC.

Next Wednesday at 15:00 at the Hanganeni field Dream Team will go up against Namib Daughters, followed by Chelsea vs Namib Daughters.

NAMPA

Forget World Cup heroics, says JosephJapanese coach draws blueprint for 2019 RWC Pressure will mount on the Japanese rugby team as they host the next world cup but coach Jamie Joseph is confident of the future.

Japan coach Jamie Joseph wants to forget the country's astonishing 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) run as he looks to create his own blueprint for the future.

The former All Black had a baptism of fire after taking over the 'Brave Blossoms' last November and is under no illusion over the size of his task before Japan host rugby's showcase event in 2019.

“What's important now is we leave the World Cup behind,” Joseph told reporters yesterday.

“We can't keep talking about 2015. I'm not sure any other team in professional sport talks about things that happened two years ago.

“The first three months was quite hectic but I'm starting to build a plan to see us going forward.”

Key to that plan will be closer ties to Japan's Sunwolves, with Joseph insisting he wants his World Cup squad members to be playing for the Super Rugby team.

“In a perfect world we would have our players together,” he said. “In 2019 the players we're looking at need to be involved with the Sunwolves.” Japan, who lit up the 2015 World Cup by winning three matches under Eddie Jones, failed to build on that momentum as Joseph first saw out his contract with the Highlanders before assuming control.

Joseph subsequently had a rude welcome as head coach as Japan were thrashed 54-20 by Argentina in November before a close win over Georgia and defeats by Wales and Fiji on their winter tour of Europe.

“After a very good World Cup expectations were very high but in reality the team had been in limbo for eight months,” said Joseph, whose side welcome Ireland for two fixtures in June before home tests against Australia and France in November.

“Effectively it was left with part-time coaches, which is not the best

Despite giving Wales a fright in a 33-30 defeat in Cardiff, Japan were beaten 38-25 by Fiji a week later, underlining their inconsistency.

“Against Wales we showed glimpses of the type of rugby we want to play going forward,” said Joseph. “But the Fiji match left a sour taste in my mouth.”

The 47-year-old also warned that Japan's World Cup success under Jones, which included a jaw-dropping victory over South Africa, is unlikely to be repeated without significant changes to the way the local game is run.

“A player like (captain) Shota Horie played pretty much every game of the Super Rugby competition last year, he plays Top League, Test matches for Japan,” said Joseph of the physical demands on Japan's senior players.

“You simply can't do that, it's not sustainable. The current structure we have for our best players isn't working - not if we want to be a top-eight team.”

Like Jones before him, Joseph sees tWhe Sunwolves as vital to the development of the Japan team.

“Super Rugby is the competition we're going to utilise to get our players up to speed,” he said. “It's time to roll the sleeves up.”

NAMPA/AFP

China's Xi pledges clean, green Winter Games in 2022 China will hold a clean and green Winter Olympics when it hosts the games in 2022, an event that will also help regional peace and stability, President Xi Jinping told the head of the International Olympic Committee.

Beijing and the nearby city of Zhangjiakou won the right to host the Games in 2015. The only other city bidding was Almaty in Kazakhstan, after other competitors dropped out, citing costs and other worries.

While Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Games to wide acclaim, its bid for the Winter Games was dogged by concern over numerous issues, such as corruption, the city's notorious smog, a lack of snow and China's poor human rights record.

Last month, a Chinese court jailed for bribery a former deputy sports minister who had been a member of the country's Olympics committee for 10-1/2 years.

Meeting IOC President Thomas Bach in the Swiss city of Lausanne, Xi said the 2022 Winter Olympic Games would be a “remarkable, extraordinary and excellent event”, state news agency Xinhua said late on Wednesday.

“The preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics will be a major task for China in the years to come. China will prepare and host the 2022 Games in a green, sharing, open and clean-fingered manner,” it paraphrased Xi as saying.

“Hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics will also boost the economic growth of China and other countries along the Belt and Road routes, and enhance regional peace and stability,” Xi added, referring to China's new Silk Road trade scheme.

The report made no direct mention of a possible lack of snow or Beijing's terrible smog problem. Large parts of northern China have been swathed in noxious fumes this winter.

There have also been concerns about Internet restrictions, though the IOC said in October it was confident China would guarantee uncensored Internet when it hosts the Games.

Xinhua made no mention of Internet access in its report.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Dikwena bolster squad with experienced signings

Platinum Stars have bolstered their squad with three experienced players, according to the club's website.

Dikwena confirmed on Wednesday they had signed midfielders Abia Nale and Gerald Phiri, as well as defender Willem Mwedihanga.

The North West team's general manager, Senzo Mazingiza, confirmed the deals.

“There have been talks between us and the coach in terms of players we want to bring on board. I can confirm that we have signed Nale, who has a wealth of experience. He will add value to our attack.

“Phiri is also an exciting number 10, who can also make meaningful contribution. We are hopeful that Mwedihanga will add the required experience at the back. We won't leak goals anymore.

“These are the additions that our coach Cavin Johnson will be proud of. He has been part of the plans and discussions in terms of who we should have in terms of beefing up our team,” said Mazingiza.

Mazingiza said the club would be making at least one more signing before the close of the transfer window. “There's also one player that we are still chasing. If all goes according to plan, we will make an announcement. Also concerning players who might be leaving, we are talking to them. We want to respect the players,” he said.

NAMPA/ANA

Defeated Real Madrid surprise ZidaneCelta inflict shock defeat on Real After surrendering a record 40-game unbeaten run, Real Madrid suffered a second defeat in four days on Wednesday as Celta Vigo took a 2-1 first leg lead from their Copa del Rey quarterfinal.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane admitted he was surprised by his side's slow start as they slumped to a second defeat in four days, 2-1 at home to Celta Vigo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Zidane's men hadn't lost in a Spanish record 40 games stretching back to April last year before conceding twice in the final five minutes to lose 2-1 at Sevilla on Sunday.

And Zidane believes the European champions suffered a hangover from that disappointment in a first 45 minutes devoid of goalmouth action at a frigid Santiago Bernabeu with temperatures plummeting below zero degrees

“It was a strange game, especially the start,” said Zidane.

“We have to analyse it, something is wrong for sure. We didn't do what we had prepared to do, especially the intensity. The intensity wasn't good at the start of the game.”

However, the real damage to the hosts was done in a six-minute spell midway through the second-half as Celta grabbed two vital away goals and their first win at the Bernabeu in a decade.

Iago Aspas's 15th goal of the season put the visitors in front before Marcelo equalised with a sensational volley five minutes later.

However, Celta went immediately back in front when left-back Jonny exploited a huge gap in the centre of the Madrid defence to slot home. The sides meet again for the second leg on January 25.

“There is no excuse. We are Real Madrid,” added Zidane.

“We have to keep working and think about the next game. We will overcome this.

“We have done well until now and in the last two games we can't be happy with above all the results. The performance in Sevilla was good, today it was a bit worse, but we shouldn't worry.”

However, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro admitted Real's confidence has been rocked by back-to-back defeats.

“This defeat is concerning because Madrid can never lose,” he said.

“Losing in Seville has damaged us.” Celta boss Eduardo Berizzo claimed he wasn't surprised by his side's success having knocked Atletico Madrid out at this stage of the competition last season.

However, he insisted Madrid remain the favourites to progress and believes Celta will need to play even better in the return leg in seven days' time to reach the last four.

“It is a bit arrogant to say we are favourites against Real Madrid, but we will enjoy a win like this,” said Berizzo.

“None of my team's victories surprise me. It is a huge win, coming to a place like this and facing the best team in the world, but we believed we could do it.

“We are happy to win, but it obliges us to play even better in Vigo because we are facing a brilliant opponent and it is the toughest footballing test.”

NAMPA/AFP

Is he cheating on you?

The Namibian Basketball Federation (NBF) will host a German basketball commissioner who is visiting the country for three days to familiarise himself with how the game is run here.

The president of the Basketball Association of Baden-Wuerttemberg (BBW), Joachim Spägele, has been assigned as a basketball commissioner to Namibia to engage NBF and other stakeholders in basketball development affairs.

Spägele touched down in Namibia on July 25 and is expected to leave tomorrow. Among other things, he will discuss the way forward with the NBF.

He will also be paying a courtesy visit to the Sports Commission and the Directorate of Sport to discuss cooperation to develop the game of basketball in Namibia.

Speaking to Nampa last Thursday, NBF president Andrew Masongo said Spägele’s visit would mean a lot to Namibian basketball, as they expected to learn a lot from him during his three-day visit.

“We had a memorandum of understanding with the German Basketball Federation (Deutscher Basketball Bund – DBB), which ended last year.

“They have now assigned someone to come and observe on what never worked between the two organisations and how we can improve on their support in going forward,” he said.

He added that the BBW would be engaging with the NBF from the grassroots level, which is the most important part of any sport development programme.

WINDHOEK–NAMPA

Middle age & eating disordersAnorexia and bulimia are not teen things A newly released study in the United Kingdom indicates that women of middle age are developing eating disorders linked with depression.

Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, affect a small but substantial number of women in their 40s and 50s, UK research suggests.

The study, involving more than 5 000 women, found just over 3% reported having an eating disorder.

Some said they had experienced it since their teens, others developed it for the first time in their middle age.

Julie Spinks, is 48. She was not involved in the study, but can relate first-hand to its findings.

She developed anorexia for the first time when she was 44.

“It was a complete shock at the time,” she recalls.

“I knew that I was restricting my food but I didn't ever think I had anorexia.

“I'd been really unhappy at work and had very low self-esteem. To begin with I just thought I had lost my appetite.

“I felt depressed, like I was not worth feeding or existing. I wanted to disappear and fade away.”

Julie started to lose weight quite quickly and began to exercise as well. She realised something was very wrong one day after she had been to the gym.

“I'd run for about an hour and burnt off about 500 calories. I remember thinking that's about the same as a chocolate bar. That's when I started to link food and exercise.”

Julie still did not recognise she had anorexia though.

“I thought anorexia was something that happened to other people. It didn't occur to me that I might have it.”

After a breakdown at work she went for a mental health assessment.

Her doctors then diagnosed her with anorexia and depression.

Julie was given antidepressants and began therapy sessions to help with her eating disorder.

She says it has been an incredibly difficult time - at one point she had to be hospitalised because her weight became dangerously low - but she is now back to a healthy weight and is doing well.

“I'm much better but I would say it is always in the back of my mind. I have good days and bad days. The whole eating process is a struggle,” she explains.

“Before I knew about eating disorders I thought anorexia was a teenage thing. I thought it was a thing that affected people who wanted to look good or be a model. But it's not about looks, it's about how you feel.”

Dr Nadia Micali, lead author of the study that is published in the journal BMC Medicine, said: “Many of the women who took part in this study told us this was the first time they had ever spoken about their eating difficulties, so we need to understand why many women did not seek help.”

Tom Quinn from the charity Beat says social stigma is part of the issue.

“Stereotypically, the world sees people with eating disorders as young,” he explains.

“When we reinforce stereotypes we also add to the stigma of these serious mental health illnesses and this stigma can prevent individuals coming forward to seek help - a dangerous path to take when the chance of full and fast recovery is vastly improved when treatment is found quickly.”

Eating disorders also affect men and Tom adds: “Last year, 15% of calls to our helpline were about someone over the age of 40 and this research from Dr Micali only goes to further support the importance of providing an appropriate treatment pathway for individuals with eating disorders at all ages.”

BBC

Visualising, goals and resolutions When we as human beings want to build a house or any structure for that matter, we engage in meticulous planning and setting of goals, often set out in the form of a blueprint. This blueprint enables us to see clearly what needs to be done and what our structure will look like upon completion of the building or renovating. I think that we should place just as much time, importance and planning on the way we live our lives. If we want to achieve our goals, then the first step toward goal attainment would be, goal setting. We need to make an effort to set out for ourselves what we truly want to accomplish in this life in accordance with our passion and purpose. Things like New Year’s resolutions, vision boards and goals enable us to do just that. It took a while for me to realise the importance of goal setting but now that I am fully engaged in loving my future enough to plan for it, I can feel how my mentality toward my future is starting to shift toward a more positive and optimistic outlook. The end of a year is a wonderful time for reflection, to see what can be done better in the year ahead, how we can live more fulfilled and happier lives. This is why I was so thankful when I started reading Mind Power Into the 21st Century by John Kehoe. The book is basically about empowering yourself by manifesting your goals through not only action, but also through clear and vivid visualisation. Inspired by his book, I decided to create my very own vision board. Being a writer; I wrote down five very clear and concise goals and then designed my vision board around my goal. I think it’s important to set smart goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timeous as opposed to just writing down resolutions in a willy-nilly fashion. Anyhow, back to visualisation and the vision board; I keep my board in my bedroom, on my writing desk where I can see it every day. Besides helping me create clearer mental pictures of what I foresee for myself this year and beyond, it also serves as a reminder to do the small things that will bring me closer to reaching my goals. For example, one of my goals is to practice yoga every day and to run 3 kms three times a week, so every time I look at my vision board and see the magazine cut-out of the runner or the yoga girl, I am reminded to get off my butt and get to work. Besides all of that I usually spend my New Year’s Eve indoors with my son, so this was a fun activity for us both, he helped me with the cutting and pasting and we chatted about what we could do more of this year, so it could serve as a great family activity too. May 2017 be everything good and beautiful that you’ve ever dreamed of and planned for yourself!

www.yogabybeauty.wordpress.com

Fed signals possible hikeS&P pushed up Waiting too long to begin raising rates could “risk a nasty surprise down the road,” says Federal Reserve chairperson Janet Yellen.

Asian shares slipped on Thursday and the dollar rebounded after Federal Reserve chairperson Janet Yellen signalled that the US central bank was poised to pursue a path of steady interest rate hikes. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slumped 0.3 %.

Financial spread-betters see modest opening gains for European bourses. On Wall Street overnight, stronger financial shares helped push up the S&P 500, though the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down.

“Stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic continue to trade in a cautious fashion this week, with politics just as much a driver as the economics with European markets recovering from their Tuesday sell-off, and US markets closing mixed,” CMC Markets chief market analyst Michael Hewson said in a note.

The dollar had been grinding lower in recent sessions, and marked its weakest levels since early December after US president-elect Donald Trump expressed concerns about the effects of a stronger greenback in a weekend interview.

Investors remained anxious ahead of Trump' inauguration on Friday, with many using the event as an excuse to lock in gains on their positions.

In a speech on Wednesday to the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco, Yellen said that holding off too long to begin raising rates could “risk a nasty surprise down the road,” and that it “makes sense” for the Fed to gradually lift rates.

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index was down 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite Index was 0.4% lower.

Short-term funding costs in China shot to their highest in nearly 10 years on fears that liquidity was tightening sharply heading into the long Lunar New Year holidays at the end of this month.

“The market is typically short of liquidity ahead of the Lunar New Year,” said Gu Weiyong, chief investment officer at bond-focused hedge fund Ucom Investment Co, adding that a cash injection by the central bank was insufficient.

Japan's Nikkei stock index ended up 0.9%, lifted by the tailwind of the weaker yen.

“The dollar clearly rose on Yellen's remarks,” said Mitsuo Imaizumi, chief currency strategist at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo, who noted Japanese investors remained cautious ahead of Trump's inauguration.

While traders expect the incoming US administration to adopt stimulus policies to lift growth and inflation and keep the Fed on course for rate hikes, many investors worry about the potential fallout of Trump's protectionist policies.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major counterparts, rose 0.3% to 101.22.

The dollar gave up early session gains against the yen and inched down to 114.58, but stayed well above the previous session's low of 112.57 yen. Sterling was 0.1% higher, at US$1.22, after it shed more than 1% on Wednesday. The pound had surged 3% on Tuesday after British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech reassured investors worried about a “hard Brexit”.

The euro firmed 0.1% on the day to US$1.06 ahead of the European Central Bank's regular policy meeting later in the session. The ECB surprised markets last month by saying it would trim monthly bond purchases in April.

None of the economists polled by Reuters last week expected any change at Thursday's meeting. They were unanimous in saying that the ECB's next move, after April's planned cut, would be to further taper it is quantitative easing.

Crude oil prices regained some ground lost in the previous session when the dollar strengthened, with investors turning their attention to upcoming government data on U.S. inventories. A stronger dollar makes dollar-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

U.S. crude added 0.9% to US$51.55 per barrel, after shedding 2.67 % on Wednesday. Brent crude rose 1% to US$54.44 after slipping 2.79%.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Go well, Charlz

It is with heavy hearts that we mourn and remember Charlz, one of Namibia's most prolific gospel artists.

Born Charles Nguvenjengua Zambuee, Charlz died on 16 January after a short-illness at Katutura Hospital. He was born on 5 December 1983 and he went on to produce four albums, 'Ngatujere Omeho' (2009), 'Amen' (2011), 'Increase in Me' (2013) and 'Uzira' (2015).

He was voted a finalist in the “Best Gospel Artist” category in the 2012 NAMA Awards. The founder and president of Charlz Muzik Records was a down-to-earth individual whose music crossed tribal boundaries and united many.

He will be buried in Okahandja this Saturday. “We have compiled an album, dubbed 'The Very Best of Charlz' it will be sold at the Memorial for N$100 to help raise funds for the bereaved family. It will be a celebratory event in honour of our beloved brother,” says Shadreck Nyaungwa, the artist's manager and producer. His sudden death sent shock waves throughout the music community in Namibia and has left a hole in the hearts of many who loved him and who were touched by his ministry and testimony.

Staff reporter

COTA graduates showcase talent'New Beginnings' kicks off The National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) is pleased to announce the exhibition 'New Beginnings', an exhibition of artworks by the College of the Arts Visual Arts graduates which is on in the Foyer and Main Gallery from 26 January until 11 March.

Every year, the College of the Arts (COTA) holds an exhibition of work by graduates of the Visual Art Department. 'New Beginnings' is now in its eighth iteration celebrating yet another year of success in teaching, learning, thinking and making. After 14 years of tuition, the COTA Visual Art Department has become an established institution in the field, producing some of Namibia's most exciting and innovative artists. Their accredited three-year Visual Art Diploma programme teaches a variety of art and craft skills and allows students to major in a technique of their choice in the final year.

With each passing year, the 'New Beginnings' exhibition takes on a different identity, influenced by the concerns of the present day and shifting with the addition of new minds and ideas added to the pool of graduate artists. These personal histories are often present in the work that they create, as is evident in the work of Laimi Mbangula whose textiles are patterned using motifs derived from traditional utensils and tools. Similarly, the works of Elisia Nghidishange and Innovandu Katuuo draw heavily on their culture and traditions; in the case of Nghidishange we see a questioning of the role and place of these traditions in contemporary Namibia.

This contemporary and deep investment in the present moment is clearly evident in the works of Sem Amuthitu, Jeremiah Haihambo, Sidney Lamberth, Viola Rantsch and Vaughn Riekert. Their works, which stem from concerns with social issues prevalent in Namibia today, allow this exhibition to touch on the topics of alcohol abuse, malaria, land ownership and gender-based violence.

With this new beginning, the first exhibition of 2017, the NAGN welcomes new artists to the fold and looks to the future with optimism.

Staff reporter

My family chops my money Dear Aunty Nangy, I’m a boy aged 25 who is working. I have my account but I’m don’t manage to save because my family is always asking for money from me and I always get to the December holiday with zero money in my account. What must I do about this?

Young man you don’t have a problem but I think you are the problem. No one will take money from you unless you yourself take it out of your pocket or bank account. You are working for yourself and I don’t know whether the family members you are giving money are young or old. You are working hard for yourself and if you don’t look after your needs first you are the problem and not your relatives. Any sensible person will only give when they have money to spare. I am advising you to stop dishing out money to people who can work for themselves like you and start saving for your December holiday now.

HIV positive

Dear Aunty Nangy, I am 17 years old and I am dating a guy who is 19 years old. We have been dating for four years now. I love him very much but he is HIV positive. Whenever he asks me to have sex with him he doesn’t want to use condoms. Help me aunty, I really love him very much.

Firstly, I feel you have been very careless with your youth. You are only 17 years-old now and you said you have been in love with this guy for four years. What it means is you have been in a romantic relationship since the age of 13 and that is not good. You are having unprotected sex with a man who is HIV positive? I am not saying you cannot fall in love with an HIV positive person but you must use condoms so that you do not pass it on to others. I hope you have gone for testing and my advice to you is, if the guy does not want to use condoms when he knows he is HIV positive then he does not love you. Just leave him.

I love him but far

Dear Aunty Nangy, I am 18 and I have a boyfriend who is 21. We love each other but we are far away from each other. I miss him but he is a long distance away for me and for me to go to him. What should i do?

True love is blind to long distances. All I am saying is it does not matter that your boyfriend is far away from you. If you truly love each other the distance should make your love stronger. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and this what the long distance is doing to your relationship. When people are in love and they are living away from each other, you miss each other more and the love grows. When you meet you have no time to quarrel or argue but to kiss and hug and enjoy to the full each other’s company. Hang in there and just love that man. The distance will make your love grow.

Am I pregnant?

Dear Aunty Nangy, I have a problem with my periods. In December they started on the 3rd then stopped on the 6th then they started again on the 28 and ended on the 31st of December. Now my question is I pregnant or not? Today I woke up and started vomiting. What’s the problem here? I am very afraid.

It is difficult for me to give you advice. The best thing for you to do is to go the clinic and take a pregnancy test. There are many other reasons that can cause a woman to bleed on and off and some of them can be serious health problems. See your doctor as soon as possible.

I don’t want to sleep with him

Dear Aunty Nangy, I have a problem with my boyfriend. He wants me to have sex with him but I don’t want. What can I do?

Your question leaves me with a lot of questions too. I don’t know how old you are and you didn’t say why you don’t want to have sex with your boyfriend. What I think you need to do is to sit down with your boyfriend and explain why you don’t want to have sex with him. No one can force you to sleep with a man and not even the man who wants to sleep with you. You are the one in charge and just don’t do it if you don’t want to.

Colour run gets closerTickets and goodies galore Everything is set for the annual Namibia Colour Run - Windhoek edition to be held at Trustco Grounds on the 29 April.

The biggest colour running competition is about to hit the land of the brave and many events are going on.

“We are very excited about the event and the support from SAB Miller team. Other partners include 99Fm, Web tickets plus other sponsors soon to confirm. As promised, early registrations will get free goodie bags, shirt, headbands, colour packet and happy tattoo,” said the event coordinator Bright Gumbochuma. Lucky participants will also get glasses if they buy tickets early before the 1 000 tickets are sold.

The event activities will include a 5km run, sunset yoga, aerobics, colour bombs, colour throws plus other competitions ideal for families, friends, individuals and companies. It's not all; there will be an after party from 18:00 till midnight dubbed Neon Glow Party.

“This is when we will light up the night with neon colours and glow merchandise.

This will be a magical outdoor experience and one cannot miss this amazing event. The night event will be for adults only. We are in talks with some South African popular Djs that will perform at the Colour Run and we will release the names end of February,” said Bright.

Bright also said the event's name has been changed to Flying Fish Colour Run , it's simply because Flying Fish brand is the main sponsor and is one of the SABMiller Namibia brands.

Tickets are limited and selling from selected Pick n Pay outlets which are Auas Valley, B1 City, MEGA centre, Wernhill, Swakopmund or online www.webtickets.com.na and they still come with free goodies until the first batch of 1 000 is finished.

“We are really excited and we can't wait for this unique event and we promise a world class event. We give thanks to our main sponsor Flying Fish for adding some flavour to this event plus all other partners but the most important is you the colour runners,” said Bright.

A tjil reader can walk away with a ticket and a goodie bag by simply answering the following question, who is the main sponsor for Namibia Colour Run?

The answer can be forwarded to sun@namibiansun.com

Staff reporter

Mi Casa sizzle on stage in Namibia Local house band Mi Casa is in Swakopmund and enjoying the most that our neighbouring country has to offer.

“Feels good to be back in Namibia with my team, we can't wait for the show,” a band member said.

It appears the group flew in for a private function but they were seen by locals jogging on the beach and dining at local restaurants.

J'Something, Dr Duda and Moshe Kgasoane were reported to be at the coastal town performing and exploring.

Moshe Kgasoane even went on his first ever 10km run with J'Something and encountered some challenges like running from two dogs.

J'Something really enjoyed his time in the coast and shared it all over his social media.

“Joao Carlos. That's my name for those of you that don't know.

We're out in Swakopmund. It's beautiful,” he said in a post on Instagram.

Moshe Kgasoane also shared a little about Namibia to his South African fans.

“Thanx to my boi @jsomethingmusic for the Power Run, This was my first 10km Run, There was a time when he was ahead of me along the beach Lol, then to my surprises I bumped into 2 Rottweiler's, This was where I thought I was going to turn back because he couldn't hear me shouting and I thought I was gonna get eaten, But I was brave enough to finish my run, It was really refreshing. #fitnessjourney #TeamMicasa #conquerafrica,” read his Instagram post.

Hopefully next time they fly in they will let their fans know and make it a party for everybody.

www.channel24.co.za

203 more NAMA entries

The 7th Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMA) has received a total of 802 entries compared to the 599 entries received for the 2016 event and the sponsors anticipate it to be best awards show yet.

With the date and location undisclosed to the public, Namibian musicians seem to have gone out of their way and come out in numbers to take part in the prestigious and most-watched music awards show. The annual entries submission process for the 7th NAMAs which was open to Namibian music artists and music professionals had entries commencing on 15 October and closing on 2 December last year with the NAMA vetting committee set to commence the compliance process for the judging phase.

Since then, the organising committee has been hard at work over the entire festive season to tally entries and load them onto the electronic system, after which the vetting committee will now start with their duties.

A total of 24 categories were open for entry with the Best Collaboration category receiving the highest number of entries with 120 entries, followed by the Best Single category which raked in 92 entries, in a distant third it was Best Song with a message category with 75 entries, whilst Best Music Video have 68 entries and Best Gospel 63.

The categories with the least number of entries are Best Afrikaans and Best Entertainment Journalist of the Year with five entries each, followed by Best Damara Punch, Best Oviritje and Best Acapella with seven entries, whilst Most Socially Responsible Artist got eight entries. John Ekongo said the numbers speak differently about the NAMAs. “This means that the artists have realised the power of producing quality music and they are indeed playing a greater role in the positive development towards Namibian arts and culture. We are very delighted by the number of entries with the best collaboration category attracting the most entries,” said Ekongo.

The steering committee will now immediately commence with the vetting exercise, i.e.: going through every entry to check whether it complies with the rules. Entries that are not compliant with the rules will be disqualified while all entries that comply will go through to the judging phase, where a vigorous judging exercise is to be undertaken by an independent panel of judges. “The committee will be starting with the judging phase towards February and we hope to conclude by March so that the artists who entered the public vote categories scan have ample time to get their voting campaigns on,” said Ekongo.

The vetting committee consists of an independent panel of experts drawn from within the music industry and are drawn from various music labels, shows and production houses, broadcasters and within the music media landscape and experts in the music industry that volunteered to serve on the committee.

The number of entries received per category are: Best Afrikaans = 5, Best Damara Punch = 7, Best Oviritje = 7, Best Shambo = 18, Best Soukous/Kwasa = 21, Best Afro Pop (incl. Township Disco) = 54, Best Collaboration = 120, Best Gospel = 63 , Best Kwaito = 38 , Best R&B = 33, Best Rap/Hip Hop = 50, Best House = 31, Best Traditional = 18, Best Reggae = 17, Best Kizomba = 17, Best Acapella = 7, Best Single = 92, Best Music Video of the Year = 68, Best Song with a message = 75, Most Socially Responsible Artist of the Year = 8 , Best Musical Event of the Year =11, Radio DJ of the Year = 20, Entertainment Journalist of the Year = 5 and Best Live Performance of the Year = 17.

Artists can keep an eye on the official website www.nama.com.na and social media accounts of NAMA for updates.

June Shimuoshili

Pandeinge switches up her styleFrom portraits to walls and building, the sky is indeed the limit Many know her as the girl who sketches but she has recently developed a new love for something bigger and challenging, still in the arts department.

Self-taught sketch artist Pandeinge Shambwila well known as Shwaty-P paired up with visual art student and artist Petrus Amuthenu AKA Jero whom have since conquered the art world together. Shawty-P says she never saw the need of working with someone else until she met Jero. “I didn't see much need to reach out to other artists before, but I do now, as one gets to realise that you can't win alone sometimes, a helping hand is always essential. Jero is very talented and with his help, I've realised how good I was getting, because he encourages me to use mixed media and such, unlike back then when I used to be scared to use different art mediums when painting or drawing. I'm comfortable with that now, plus he encourages me to work harder, as he is a very hardworking artist himself,” said Shawty-P.

Their first big project together was a project conducted by Advantage Namibia and NamWater last year, which was a project set to help raise awareness on the water shortage and car washes water usage. The exhibition was a success and the mayor of Windhoek was present as well. “From there, we started collaborating on clients' artworks together, mostly portraits and random paintings. We also managed to sell artwork to some artists like Gazza and South African musician Cassper (portraits of themselves). We get to do portraits of a lot of prolific and well-known individuals too, which is always exciting and helps increase our artist profile,” said the proud Shawty-P.

Shawty-P said they had a very busy year when it comes to murals (wall art) which was something she hasn't doing before. They had requests from individuals wanting their houses painted with art, interior or external. “We received requests from certain schools too, bars, clubs. Our most recent project, which we did sometime in December 2016, was huge murals inside a new club in Ongwediva, called Levels Night Club previously known as Lollipop from back in the day which just got back in business now - it was a success,” said Shawty-P.

Shawty-P laughed off the idea of being a solo artist reasoning that two heads are better than one. The duo says they have no target market and everyone is welcome to ask for their help. “Everybody, from individuals to businesses, because they all have different types of ideas to put on the table, which in return, helps us too,” said Shawty-P who says she plans on working more with business individuals or companies rather than random clients. “It's a wise step to take, if I am planning on taking this to greater heights.”

The two can be contacted on Instagram user names: Pandeinge Shawty_P1 &Jero GS AmuthenuJeronometry and on Facebook: PandeingeShawty-P Moses &JeronomeryMwinomaAmuthenu

June Shimuoshili

A true GiftEntertainment industry at his feet Jack of all trades and master of all, Gift has taken Namibia's entertainment world by storm and shows no signs of letting up soon.

He captured many hearts when he acted as the disabled young boy Kondja who defied the odds in the local movie 'Katutura', and today he finds even more ways to dominate the entertainment industry.

Charming and funny, small-town boy Gift Uzera says he never thought he would have become an actor in a million years.

When asked to describe himself he said he is a man of many personalities.

“I am a human being, an actor, a dancer and a psychology and music graduate at the University of Namibia. I come from a little town in the Otjozondjupa Region called Coblenz and I moved to Grootfontein when I was Grade 3 until I came to Windhoek for tertiary education,” said the performer.

“I grew up in a small town and the mindset there was also very different.

The only thing one could be is a teacher or nurse but when I moved to Grootfontein I realised that one could even be a rugby player - you know since it was a white-dominated type of area.

“Any dream can be achieved,” said Gift. He recalls the first time he was fascinated by a stage in Grade 4 with different sets and it blew him away.

He only got his first role in a Grade 7 play where he had to recite one line and he knew from there that he wanted to be an actor.

In Grade 10, Gift joined an Eisteddfod programme where he was taught how to act and articulate and by the time he had to choose his field of study, he was certain of getting into the drama department. Of course it's not easy convincing African parents about pursuing a career in arts but he found a way.

“They were worried of how I would support myself from acting only so I had to choose a backup plan and psychology was it,” says Gift.

Gift says getting to land a role in a movie is very tough and he had been rejected so many times but still remained persistent.

He was informed by his lecturer about the 'Katutura' movie auditions and gave it a shot. “I auditioned for two roles including Kondja's and I got a phonecall saying I had made it.

“I really didn't know it was a major movie initially, until we began to shoot and I was being treated like a big-shot actor. People actually cared about what I wanted to eat and how I felt. It made the whole process easier and fun,” said Gift. He recalls not being very close to Kondja as a character initially but it all changed when he got to know him. “I thought he was a lame kid and I didn't like him at all, but got to know him and he was kind and easy to talk to. He was so many things I'm not, like his altruism and his positive mindset being all sunshine everywhere regardless of his disability. It took me three months to completely switch to Kondja and to get fully into character.

“As an actor one needs to know when to get into character and when to get out because it is really easy to get lost and that is dangerous,” says Gift.

Gift's role as Kondja was so outstanding it landed him another gig in a good budget movie, 'The Hidden Sky.'

“I got a name from 'Katutura' and I owe them all my acting credits. 'Hidden Sky' was very challenging as I had to play a Damara boy and I'm not even Damara-speaking to start with.

“I played the character of Theo who had to help an Argentinean anthropologist find a mythical explanation to the death of villagers.

“I was the supporting actor and it was another great production,” he said

Gift's third movie will première this year titled 'Underneath the Sky where he plays the role of a drug addict who is in and out of rehab. He has also worked with Sasha the ballet Moon Goddess in many of her projects for charity which aired on NBC.

Currently he is under the leadership of Tracy Munyama in the 'Da-mai Dance Ensemble' where they do a lot of dance shows including the 'Mourning, Tales of Nyambe' and other productions like 'Pamwe.' Gift recently got a role in a local musical which finds him exploring his vocal abilities.

Gift says the Namibian film industry has a lot to work on and is not a friendly one.

“It is developing at a very slow pace and a lot still needs to be done. The government needs to intervene because many a times the Ministry Of Education and Art's budget is cut and it's the arts that are affected.

“We are not taken seriously as it can be a career.

“Look at the number of people who apply to the College of the Arts and those that end up with degrees hung on walls at homes whilst they hustle. When the budget is cut, not many projects come up that create employment for people. But it doesn't mean one should give up, get up and go out,” said Gift.

He said 2017 will be a year of working hard and achieving a lot. “I want to inspire the youth so there is no stopping of Gift Uzera. I have a lot of projects lined up which I'm not obliged to talk about but watch out guys,” concluded Gift.

June Shimuoshili

Don't stop - keep going! I know many are probably tired of talking about the 2016 matriculation results and how those that were in the hot seats are so over it, especially if they didn't do so well.

I overheard one saying to his fellow that he will pursue a musical career and he was actually glad that he didn't make the cut because music is his “life”. From this conversation I have two questions on my mind… firstly, are there learners who actually fail so that they can do music? And secondly, is this how little people know about the industry? Shame guys....

I'm sure most of us use Google even for the most simplest of things and I'm pretty sure if artists want to be use the search engine to their advantage, they would find out that music as a career needs to be studied just like any other career. Well, that is if you want to be the best of them all.

Take a look at the iconic rock band Queen – every single member had a degree in music and look what they produced.

I'm sure we have seen and know of many of our local artists who thought they had it all just by having the voice but news flash!

They don't really make it as far as those that take the business side of music seriously.

Now imagine how advantaged you will be if you are the artist who emerges from a musical background with education!? Madonna, Childish Gambino, Hugh Jackman, Orlando Bloom, Robbin Williams, Sandra Bullock, Gift Uzera and Zindri Swarts.

These are a small example of people who thrive at what they do and they went to school. Of course you get exceptionally good artists who didn't go to school and still made it in life, but we are not all the same. What works for the next person may not work for you.

So if you didn't qualify to study medicine as you wanted, why don't you take a course at the College of the Arts (Cota) and find your inner talent and make it work for you.

There are courses like fine art, photography, fashion and design, music, drama and so much more at your fingertips. I bet your parents would rather send you to a renowned school than you take it on the streets, because you will fail dismally.

It is tough out there and even those that have been in the industry for some time are having challenges.

The University of Namibia also has a great arts department.

Go and try your luck! And only then should you refer to YouTube tutorials to help you play the cello.

Times have changed and the world is becoming a digital one. The way The Dogg and Gazza came into the limelight is not what will make you through today. Think twice and be cool for school!

june@namibiansun.com

Naspers seeks partnershipsSA media giant prepares to take on Netflix Naspers is seeking to maintain its market-leading position with online products like Showmax, which offers movies and TV shows such as 'Game of Thrones' and 'Vikings'.

Naspers Limited, the biggest company by market capitalisation on the JSE, is seeking partnerships with mobile-phone operators on the continent to boost its video-on-demand business and help compete with US giant Netflix Incorporated.

The owner of Africa's biggest pay-TV provider is planning to build on a joint venture agreed last year with Kenya's largest company, Safaricom Limited, to roll out online service Showmax at more affordable data prices. Safaricom is 40% owned by Newbury, England-based Vodafone Group Plc.

“We will be targeting the whole of sub-Saharan Africa for mobile partnerships,' Naspers CEO Bob Van Dijk said on Wednesday at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Working together with telcos will be a big part of what we do. We are live in Kenya and there are several others that we are targeting,” he said.

While the Cape Town-based company's satellite pay-TV business has long dominated the sub-Saharan African market, it was hurt last year by falling currencies against the dollar and new competitors such as Netflix and Econet Wireless Global of Zimbabwe. Naspers is seeking to maintain its market-leading position with online products like Showmax, which offers movies and TV shows such as 'Game of Thrones' and 'Vikings.'

“There's not a lot of cable on the continent and never will be,” Van Dijk said. “The video-on-demand business will have to be a mobile play through affordable data.”

Naspers has evolved from a South African newspaper publisher into a global investor in technology companies, with its most successful venture to date being an early-stage investment in the Chinese creator of WeChat, Tencent Holdings Ltd. The shares have increased 8.6% this month, valuing the company at US$71 billion.

The company posted a 31% rise in its first-half profit as strength of its e-commerce businesses and stake in Tencent outweighed slumping earnings at the pay-TV service. So-called headline earnings were US$914 million in the six months through September.

Naspers plans to harness artificial intelligence to enable growth across its businesses, said Van Dijk. Other Naspers companies include Indian travel operator Ibibo and Russian social media provider Mail.ru Group Limited.

“We want to get people on board and build our AI capacity internally rather than investing in an AI business,” he said. “We want to bring in the skills. We plan to push this very hard.'

BLOOMBERG

Deciding on the best investment

A new year brings new possibilities. It is the time of the year when people are well rested and have the time to do some forward planning. It is therefore the perfect time to evaluate your savings and investment plans, says Diederik Kruger, head of funding and liquidity management at Bank Windhoek.

Term of the investment

It is important to consider the recommended investment period for an investment. Many of the market linked investments recommend a three- to five-year investment horizon because market fluctuations in the short term can affect the return on your investment. Similarly, when we look at term deposits, short-term deposits will not give you the same return as long-term deposits. In a market with high uncertainty on the direction of interest-rate movements, the difference between short-term, one-month deposits and 12-month fixed deposits will favour the long-term investor. An investor can decide to wait for future rate increases by keeping their money in short-duration deposits or they can choose to earn a higher return from day one and potentially outperform their peers. Some investors will favour the second option to have a guarantee of their income for the period.

Return and taxability

When comparing investment returns, market-linked portfolios' past performance is no guarantee for future performance. Past performance against a benchmark is testimony of the fund manager's ability to outperform the benchmark in a volatile market. When considering returns, the impact of tax or withholding tax on your return must be taken into account and this is important when you are dependent on your income for living expenses. When choosing an investment, ask your bank or advisor about the after-tax rate to make sure that you compare like with like and make an informed decision.

Risk and volatility

This is certainly an important part of every investment decision. Investors have varied risk appetites and therefore it is important to gauge your own appetite before you make an investment decision. Market risk is the impact of adverse market movements on the return on your investment and your capital invested. During uncertain times, clients may choose to convert some of their investments to low risk guaranteed return products to offset some of the market risks in their portfolio. Investors who rely on the portfolio income for their monthly living expenses may find that fluctuating performance can deteriorate their capital base when market returns are low or negative. This may only be a short-term situation, but the impact on their capital base may have longer-lasting negative effects on their income.

Why invest in fixed deposits?

There is a host of investment vehicles for individuals these days and investors are often overwhelmed by the complexity and fine print of these investments. Investors want to know that they can trust the organisation that offers the best investment and have some guarantee of the income that they will earn on the investment. It is therefore not surprising that the time-tested benefits of a fixed deposit are still the same today. A fixed deposit offers short- to long-term investment options that are low risk with a guaranteed return. A fixed deposit is easy to open through your local bank branch and with this personal contact you can ask questions to help you make the correct investment decision.

STAFF REPORTER