Namibian Sun

United dash Kudus' semi-final hopesWanderers trounce Rehoboth The national rugby league is approaching its end with some clubs still in the race for the knockout stages.

United Rugby Club (RC) beat Kudus 43-40 Saturday to end the Walvis Bay team's dream of reaching the knockout stages of the Namibian Rugby Premier League.

At the United Trustco rugby field in Windhoek, Kudus were awarded a penalty in the first three minutes of the game but failed to convert, giving the home team a chance to take the lead with their first try in the 17th minute.

United extended their lead in the 24th minute with a second try.

In the 26th minute, Kudus got another chance to put points on the scoreboard, but failed to convert their penalty.

At the time, United had a 12-0 lead.

Kudus managed to score their first try in the 30th minute but failed to convert from the spot.

With just seconds before the end of the first half, United once again scored a try.

Out of the three tries, United converted two to give them a 19-5 half-time lead.

The Olympia-based outfit ran in three more tries, converted all plus a penalty in the second half to give them 24 points in the second half.

Meanwhile, Kudus shrugged of their first half misfiring and scored five tries which they converted to gain 35 points in the second half.

In other fixtures played in Windhoek, Wanderers thrashed Rehoboth 71-17, while Western Suburbs thrashed Walvis Bay 85-17.

Log leaders UNAM did not play their game, because their opponents, Reho Falcons, failed to show up.

NAMPA

Barcelona to face Chapecoense Barcelona will play Brazilian side Chapecoense, whose team was all but wiped out in an air crash last November, in a friendly match at the Camp Nou on August 7.

The match will “help pay tribute to the 71 people who died in the accident on November 28th, 2016, as well as their families,” the Spanish giants said on their website.

“Barca hopes to help Chapecoense rebuild institutionally and recover the competitive level it had before the tragedy,” it added.

The winner of the match will receive the Joan Gamper Trophy, named after the Swiss founder of Barcelona.

Nineteen Chapecoense players and 24 club officials died on November 28 when the team's plane crashed into a mountainside in Colombia.

Unsung Chapecoense had been on their way to face Atletico Nacional in Medellin for the biggest match in their history, the final of the Copa Sudamericana, South America's second-biggest club tournament.

After the tragedy, Atletico ceded the title to Chapecoense in tribute.

Barcelona invited Chapecoense in December to play in its annual Joan Gamper friendly tournament but the exact date of the match had not been known until now.

NAMP/AFP

SuperSport United secures point SuperSport United kept their hopes of a place in the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup alive with a battling 0-0 draw against Horoya of Guinea in Conakry on Saturday.

SuperSport had a depleted side with only four players on the bench, but managed to get a draw in a game that never reached any great heights.

Matsatsantsa barely tested the Horoya goalkeeper, and bar the final 10 minutes looked comfortable in defence themselves.

The point leaves them on seven points from five matches and in second place in their pool, but TP Mazembe is just a point back and have a game in hand.

SuperSport United will host CF Mounana from Gabon in their final game next weekend.

SuperSport: Williams, Kekana, Daniels, Gould, Modiba (Bhasera 90'), Furman, Letsholonyane, Morton, Phala, Mnyamane, Nkhatha (Brockie 66').

KICKOFF

Blatter regret at overstaying FIFA tenure Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, forced out as head of world football's governing body amid a corruption scandal in 2015, admitted on Sunday that he regretted not stepping down earlier.

The 81-year-old was banned over ethics breaches, bringing an end to his 17-year reign as FIFA chief, following a suspect two million Swiss franc (U$2 million, 1.8 million euro) payment to ex-UEFA president Michel Platini.

“I should have stopped myself earlier,” Blatter said in an interview published by Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick, adding that his ousting as FIFA boss was “a relief”.

Blatter, who was re-elected for a fifth term in May 2015 before promptly announcing his plans to resign, recalled the editor-in-chief of a Swiss magazine warning him the role of FIFA president had an expiration date.

“'At your place the date is 2014', he told me, and I said to him that sometimes it's written that the product can be consumed beyond this date if it's stored in a cool place,” Blatter said.

Blatter was also asked about a report in German newspaper Der Spiegel that current FIFA chief Gianni Infantino had feared being dismissed as the subject of another ethics committee investigation.

Infantino was cleared last year by FIFA of ethics violations after investigating him over his use of private jets, personal expenses, hiring methods and a contract dispute.

But FIFA assured last month “no investigation” had been opened into Infantino after sources said his role in the Confederation of African Football's presidential elections was being looked into.

“I don't know about that, I only know that former FIFA colleagues addressed themselves because of him to the ethics committee and that three or four weeks later, they were thrown out of FIFA,” Blatter said.

Ethics chiefs Hans-Joachim Eckert and Cornel Borbely were replaced in May at the annual FIFA Congress, with Borbely calling the decision “a setback in the fight against corruption”.

Blatter also spoke out against the introduction of the video assistant review (VAR) system, currently being trialled at the Confederations Cup in Russia.

“The game loses attractiveness... You have to leave referees to make mistakes, what FIFA are doing is delicate and dangerous,” he said.

NAMPA/AFP

Crocodiles sink WarriorsNamibia lose on penalties Namibia's football national team, the Brave Warriors, suffered a shocking defeat to Lesotho's Crocodiles on Saturday.

Ricardo Mannetti's men failed to capitalise on their chances after losing 4-5 on penalties to a stubborn Lesotho in the Cosafa Castle Cup quarter finals.

The Brave Warriors looked the better side in both halves of the match, while Lesotho failed to create any threatening chances over 90 minutes.

Namibia dominated the ball possession and also dictated play all over the pitch.

Going into the second half, Lesotho clearly showed that they were settling for penalties as they defended deep in their own half.

Virgil Vries started in goal, while Chris Katjiukua partnered with Denzel Hoaseb in defence.

Ananias Gebhardt and Larry Horaeb started as wing backs for the Brave Warriors.

Captain Ronaldo Ketjijere and his engine room mate Wangu Gome were holding it down in the fulcrum while Deon Hotto, Petrus Shitembi, Itamunua Keimuine and Peter Shalulile lead the attacks for Ricardo Mannetti's men.

Lesotho had two good first half chances but Bokang Sello fired his free kick into the wall and Hlompho Kalake missed from a pass laid back into his path.

Poor shooting from Namibia cost them in the second stanza, notably Itamunua Keimuine, who had the goal at his mercy in the 63rd minute as the game finished goalless.

In the shootout, which followed 90 minutes of football, Lesotho kicked first but had their second effort saved.

For Namibia, substitute Roger Katjiteo missed for his side to lose the advantage and in sudden death, Lesotho goalkeeper Likano Mphuthi came up trumps to save from Gebhardt and win the match for his team.

The Brave Warriors will now, like last year at home, contest the Plate Section and will be in action on Tuesday as they take on the loser of quarterfinal four between Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

Zambia also advanced by beating last year's runners-up Botswana 2-1 as they seek a record breaking fifth southern African championship.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Additional reporting by NFA

Welwitschias too good for Tunisia

Namibia's national rugby team, Welwitschias, proved too strong for Tunisia after beating the North Africans 53-7 in the Africa Cup on Saturday.

Captain and flanker Rohan Kitshoff led from the front, scoring three tries in the match.

The other try scorers for Namibia were number eight Wian Conradie who scored two tries in the game.

Centre Justin Newman and backline replacements David Philander and Helarius Kisting were also on the score sheet.

Namibia took a 17-7 lead to halftime after playing some fine Rugby away from home.

In the second half, the Namibian team pushed for more points on the board.

Tunisia failed to make any comeback affords in the second half as their points remained the same.

In Saturday's other African Cup match played in Dakar, Uganda recorded a narrow 16-7 win against Senegal.

Namibia will now face a wounded Senegal in their next encounter in Windhoek this coming weekend.

The Namibia team for the match was:

15 Chrysander Botha, 14 Lesley Klim, 13 Justin Newman, 12 Darryl de la Harpe, 11 Johann Tromp, 10 Eugene Jantjies, 9 Damian Stevens, 8 Wian Conradie,7 Christo van der Merwe,6 Rohan Kitshoff (captain),5 Ruan Ludick,4 Mahepisa Tjeriko,3 AJ de Klerk,2 Louis van der Westhuizen,1 Casper Viviers.

Replacements: Shaun du Preez, Collen Smith, Desiderius Sethie, Max Katjijeko, Thomasau Forbes, Helarius Kisting, Gino Wilson, David Philander.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Griffin Gymnastics head to PortugalNamibians prepare for competition Several gymnasts from Namibia will have a chance to showcase their talent when they travel to Europe.

Gimno Clube Santarém (GCS), Viver Santarém, EEM and the City of Santarém have invited the Namibian Griffin Gymnastics Club to participate in a competition.

The fourth edition of the International Trampoline, Double-Mini Trampoline and Tumbling Competition “SCALABISCUP 2017” will take place in Santarém, Portugal from 8 to 9 July.

Santarém has been a city connected to the gymnastics, especially with the trampoline gymnastics, playing an important role in the development of the area.

The GCS desires to strengthen competitiveness in the gymnastics world and has invited more than 900 gymnasts to compete in their event.

The GCS relies on the contribution of all, to become a national and international reference and consolidated body.

The competition is able to provide the gymnasts, clubs and federations the opportunity to compete at a higher level.

Sports Reporter

Help the Paralympics team Last week, it was reported that the Namibia Paralympics team is struggling to raise funds in order for them to participate in the world championships.

The lack of funding in sports has become a terminal illness in Namibia. It is worse than metastasis in cancer tumours.

All the sports codes in the country are facing a torrid time which threatens their participation in global events.

Last year, the Paralympics team brought gold and silver medals from the Rio Paralympics games.

The country was jumping for joy because our sons and daughters delivered spectacular results.

It however came as a surprise to me to learn that after such a great 2016 for the team, they are struggling to raise funds for the world championships.

The government has continued to fail our athletes even if they carry the hopes of this great nation at global spectacles.

Corporate Namibia should be ashamed of reading such news in the media.

It is such a shame that even with so many big companies in the country, we are struggling to raise money for our athletes.

I do not want to be misinterpreted here because I do know that there are some corporate companies doing their best to keep sports off the lifesaving machine with their financial oxygen.

Companies like Namibia Breweries Limited, MTC, NamPower, FNB, Standard Bank and Bank Windhoek to name a few, have been doing their utmost best to keep the hopes and dreams of young sport people alive.

I do however believe that they are not the only companies that are based in this beautiful country.

There are so many black owned companies milking money from the citizens without ploughing back into the society.

Many will agree with me that Chinese owned companies in this country are on the increase.

With that said, one hardly hears that a Chinese company has sponsored a sports code or an individual seeking for assistance.

All their profits are being exported back their countries in order to benefit their people.

The Namibian government has indeed failed to regulate the Chinese and many other multinational companies.

I want to urge any individual reading this opinion to step up and help the Paralympics team.

It is important that they invest into these young and vibrant athletes who can become global stars.

We have to realise that sports can actually reduce poverty and therefore must be a priority to many people who live in Namibia.

My advice to the sports codes administrators is that they must recruit professional marketing personnel.

I have observed that many of our sports codes lack the marketing skills to attract various sponsors.

A person like Ananias Shikongo who just won gold medals in almost every competition he entered must have had a global sponsor by now.

Athletes in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa who win world competitions get sponsorships from multinational companies.

They become brand ambassadors of big companies like Nike and Adidas, to name a few.

These athletes appear on television adverts all over the world. They make enough money to sustain themselves and their families.

However, it appears as if the Namibia Paralympics Committee or the Ministry of sports failed to open a similar door for our Paralympics gold medallist.

As a country, we tend to celebrate the victories of the athletes in the first days of their triumphs.

After these celebrations are over, people go back to their normal lives as if nothing important has happened.

I can tell you that other countries have the energy to celebrate their athletes for a lifetime.

It is time that we as Namibians and the corporate world change our approach towards sports.

The truth is that whatever affects individuals will trickle down to the ignorant corporate world one day.

This can happen because if many of these sport individuals are unable to make money, they will also not be able to afford what the corporate world sells or offer as services.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Tyson does it again Defends WBF world title The Namibian boxer Tyson Uushona managed to retain his WBF world title in a cold night in Windhoek.

Namibia’s Bethuel ‘Tyson’ Uushona came out victorious against Russia’s Roman Belaev in a World Boxing Federation (WBF) World title bout on Friday.

The Namibian had a shaky start, but managed to see off Belaev in 12 rounds through a unanimous decision at the Ramatex Complex on Friday night.

Both boxers had a cautious approach towards the fight and were afraid to make mistakes.

The Russian had a game plan from the start and made sure that Uushona had to work hard for his title.

He managed to keep the Namibian on the ropes for most of the first six rounds with some fierce jabs on Uushona’s body.

The WBF world champion however managed to shake off the nerves he had in the first rounds.

Uushona threw great body shots in the last rounds of the bout which had the Russian on the ropes.

The Namibian countered with some intriguing body jabs and managed to score enough points to secure a victory.

The judges scored 117-111; 117- 111 and 118-110 in favour of Uushona.

“This was not an easy fight because my opponent was fighting with his whole heart.

“I am very happy that I at least managed to win this fight and defended my title.

“I would like to thank all of my fans who came in their numbers to watch me fight,” Uushona said.

His promoter Kiriata Kamanya could also not hide his joy after the boxer’s victory.

He felt that Uushona has reached his prime and will therefore go on to win bigger titles in the future.

“I am proud of what our boy did tonight because he put in a great afford to retain his title.

“The other boxing bouts where also great and I can say that our boxing bonanza was a huge success.

“Thanks to the fans that came in their numbers to support the Salute Academy’s boxing bonanza,” Kamanya said.

The win for Uushona took his record to 36 wins, five defeats and one draw in 42 fights he has fought.

In the main undercut bout, Lukas Ndafoluma managed to beat South Africa’s Barend van Rooyen in an IBO All Africa middleweight title fight.

Ndafoluma became the new IBO All Africa middleweight champion, with the judges scoring 117-112, 115-114 and 116-112 in favour of the Namibian.

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Caption

Pic 1

TOUGH CONTEST: Bethuel ‘Tyson’ Uushona (right) throws a punch against Russia’s Roman Belaev on Friday night. PHOTOS Jesse Jackson Kauraisa

Trump is done with N. KoreaSays he has run out of patience with Pyongyang American president, Donald Trump, has said he is in no mood for diplomacy with North Korea and added that they have no respect for human life.

President Donald Trump declared that the US had run out of patience with North Korea over its nuclear drive on Friday as he welcomed South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In to talks at the White House.

While Moon has been arguing for greater engagement with Pyongyang as the best way to put the brakes on its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, Trump made clear that he was in no mood to pursue diplomacy with a regime he accused of having no respect for human life.

And while Moon announced that Trump had accepted an offer to visit Seoul later this year, the leaders failed to map out any kind of joint strategy on how best to deal with the threat posed by the North Korean leadership.

“Together, we are facing the threat of the reckless and brutal regime in North Korea. The nuclear and ballistic missile programmes of that regime require a determined response,” said Trump.

“The North Korean dictatorship has no regard for the safety and security of its people, for its neighbours and has no respect for human life.”

The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.

There was also deep anger in the United States after Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea on a tourist trip around 18 months ago, was returned home in a coma earlier this month. He died several days later.

Trump had been pinning his hopes on China - North Korea's main diplomatic ally - to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang but declared last week that their efforts had failed.

“The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed, many years it has failed. Frankly, that patience is over,” Trump said at a press briefing in the Rose Garden.

And while he avoided criticising his guest's approach, Trump made clear he was in no mood to enter dialogue with North Korea but rather saw sanctions as the best way to proceed.

“The United States calls on other regional powers and all responsible nations to join us in implementing sanctions and demanding that the North Korean regime choose a better path and do it quickly and a different future for its long suffering people,” he said.

Washington, South Korea's security guarantor, has more than 28 000 troops in the country to defend it from its communist neighbour, which has been intensifying missile tests - including five since Moon's inauguration.

Moon said there was no dispute between his government and Trump over the nature of the threat posed by North Korea.

“The gravest challenge confronting our two nations is the nuclear and missile threat posed by North Korea,” he said.

“President Trump and I decided to place a top priority on addressing this issue, and coordinate closely on relevant policies.

“To this end, we will employ both sanctions and dialogue in a phased and comprehensive approach ... to seek a fundamental resolution of the North Korean nuclear problem.”

Moon has used his first foreign trip to lobby the Trump administration and congressional leaders to back his policy of engagement with the North.

Ahead of his arrival, Moon argued that Seoul and Washington must offer concessions to Pyongyang if it complies with demands for a nuclear freeze - as a gateway to dialogue, and to eventual dismantlement of its nuclear programme.

But the Trump administration's hardening stance was illustrated on Thursday when it slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank linked to North Korea - drawing an angry response from Beijing.

Pyongyang is seeking to develop nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that could reach the continental United States.

A senior US administration official stressed ahead of the talks that Washington and Seoul “share precisely the same goal, which is the complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.”

NAMPA/AFP

Boko Haram soldiers hiding as refugees

Boko Haram fighters have been found among refugees returning to northeast Nigeria from neighbouring Cameroon, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday.

“At least nine Boko Haram insurgents and 100 accomplices were identified among 920 Nigerian refugees who returned from Marwa in Cameroon on Wednesday,” the agency's head, Ahmed Satomi told AFP.

“They were arrested during screening of the returnees at the (Nigerian) border town of Banki by security personnel.”

The eight-year conflict in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20 000 people dead and forced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes.

Most of those who have fled have remained in Nigeria, staying with distant relatives and friends or in sprawling camps for the displaced.

Others have fled across the border into Niger, Chad and Cameroon around Lake Chad where the four countries meet, which have also been hit by suicide and bomb attacks.

Earlier this week, the UN refugee agency voiced concerns that Cameroon was forcing Nigerians to return because of the pressure it puts on already over-stretched services at camps. The UNHCR representative to Nigeria and the west African bloc Ecowas, Jose Antonio Canhandula, said a spate of recent attacks in northern Cameroon had made the authorities there “nervous”.

But he told AFP in an interview on Friday that it was “not the time to repatriate” and that Cameroon had a responsibility to give asylum to those who have fled.

“In managing security they (Cameroon) are forgetting they also have to manage asylum,” he said, adding that by forcing back Nigerians, they were sending them “back to the fire”.

Satomi said the returning refugees identified the accomplices as having worked for Boko Haram “in different capacities” when their villages were under Islamist control.

Some of those detained may have been forced to work for the group, he conceded.

“So far, 800 of the returnees have been screened but more are coming. It will be a continuous process,” he added.

NAMPA/AFP

Shot of the day

UNIFORM: People's Liberation Army soldiers prepare for the arrival of China's President Xi Jinping at a barracks in Hong Kong on Friday. Tanks, missile launchers and chanting troops greeted Xi in a potent display of Chinese military might as part of his landmark visit to politically divided Hong Kong. PHOTO: NAMPA/AFP

Namibian, before anything else During an interview, published in four episodes and filmed over a period of two years, Russian President Vladimir Putin talks to American film director Oliver Stone about the emphasis his administration placed on the maintenance of the Russian family. Russia is home to Muslims, Jews and Christians, all of them native to the country, but each practicing different cultures. The emphasis by the government was that they are Russian. Russian first before they are Jewish or Christian or Muslim.

Putin tells Stone that the Russian family is the cornerstone of the country at large. Without the family there is nothing. Children being raised in safe homes, free to practice their culture alongside those Russians who may be different.

And Putin has succeeded for the Russian citizen is Russian first and foremost, before he or she is anything else.

In Namibia, it is an entirely different kettle of fish. There is no basic respect between races or tribes or cultures or language groups – however you would like to separate Namibians who differ. We have grandfathers, fathers and uncles raping small children. Lovers setting the mother of their children alight with paraffin, with the intention to kill. Pregnant women stabbed to death for the suspicion of cheating. Fathers are nowhere to be found. Mothers dump their babies on grandmothers in the village or simply, in the nearest dustbin.

Our Namibian drivers have no respect or tolerance for other road users and the accident rate in our small little country, indicates that.

We are a selfish nation and we are a lazy one too. It is expected of government to deal with everything. If the crops fail due to drought, government must help. If the crops flood due to heavy rains, government must help. On social media, below a photograph of the east wind in Walvis Bay, one user actually wrote that government must do something about the wind.

As citizens of this country, we need to start nurturing our families and our children. We need to know that with rights come responsibilities. Freedom, as the Americans say, is not free.

Let us start with our own families and take that connection further, out into our communities and then regions and so on and so on.

Let us focus on being Namibian first.

Ministry erred with hunting permitsDelay in 2017 hunting season due to admin error The environment ministry has admitted that an administrative error led to the late publishing of the opening of the hunting season in the Government Gazette.

A notice to officially open the hunting season was submitted late for placement in the Government Gazette due to an administrative error, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism admitted in parliament last week.

Namibian Sun recently reported that that although Namibia's hunting season had been open for nearly a month, the industry had been unable to get hold of hunting permits in the regions as these were only available in Windhoek.

The hunting season traditionally opens on 1 May every year and by the end of May, permits were still not available at regional offices.

The hunting industry and farmers said that this not only had an impact on them and caused severe inconvenience, but also criticised the ministry for its lack of communication and feedback on the situation.

DTA parliament member Nico Smit raised questions in parliament with regards to the issuing of hunting permits.

The deputy environment minister Tommy Nambahu said due to the delay in the placement of the notice in the Governement Gazette regarding the 2017 hunting season, administrative measures were not put in place in time for regional offices to issue permits.

For these reasons, he said, provisions were made to issue general permits at the head office in Windhoek so as not to inconvenience the farmers and hunters.

“It is true that a notice regarding the official opening of the 2017 hunting season was submitted late because of an administrative error - a situation we have publicly apologised for and one which will not repeat itself.”

Nambahu said farmers outside Windhoek was able to apply through the ministry's regional offices and these were submitted within two days after receipt and sent to the regional offices for collection.

He said that no famer or hunter was denied the issuance of a hunting permit by the administrative error in the ministry and everything is in order with hunting season thus far.

However the executive manager of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Sakkie Coetzee, described the situation at that time this as total red-tape and an inconvenience to farm owners, who were forced to travel to Windhoek to obtain these permits.

Meanwhile CEO of the Namibia Professional Hunting Union (Napha), Tanja Dahl also said that the situation had a definite impact on the industry.

Asked whether the ministry communicated whether hunting permits would only be issued in Windhoek, Nambahu said this was done through stakeholders such as the Namibia Professional Hunting Association and the Namibia Agricultural Union and their regional offices.

Both the NAU and Napha complained about the lack of communication from the ministry.

Nambahu said measures have been put in place to ensure the same mistake does not happen again.

According to Nambahu about N$450 million is generated from hunting on game per year. This excludes the net national income contribution made by the community-based natural resource management programme of about N$100 million in which hunting also plays a major role.

He said about 15 000 jobs are created from hunting in different categories such as professional hunters, hunting guides, skinners, trackers and others.

According to him hunting is part of tourism which is one of the contributing sectors to the gross domestic product along with agriculture mining and others. “Hunting therefore has a major role in the economy of the country.”

Nambahu also said commercial hunting has an impact on the broader economy and contributes to nation building by driving national economic growth.

ELLANIE SMIT

Gender ministry yet to respond

Gaps in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare hinder the ministry from offering assistance to those who urgently need it. This is the view of an expert in social work who spoke to Namibian Sun on condition of anonymity.

The expert was responding to queries regarding gender ministry's role with regard to the plight of two babies who live with their mothers who live in an abandoned government house. The ministry was informed two weeks ago and the babies are still not removed. The social worker said that the ministry cannot respond to all cases because they have to prioritise between the kinds of cases they deal with. “There are too many cases and the ministry have to prioritise between rape, infanticide and child neglect cases. There is a huge shortage of social workers,” she said.

The ministry had in fact attended to the matter but opted to leave the babies with their mothers as both were too inebriated, they said, to explain why the babies were being removed.

Another social worker said that the workload of government social workers causes them to leave their jobs for greener pastures. “A lot of burnout that social workers go through from working tirelessly also causes them to leave their positions. There is a high staff turnover in the gender ministry.” She also added that some social workers do not get the professional support that is needed to help them carry out their tasks and this demotivates them.

One of the mothers who stays in the dilapidated government houses with her six-month-old baby, Cynthia Goagus 27, said that she will fight to keep her baby if the gender ministry comes for him. “If they want to come and take my baby they should make plans for me and look for a proper place where I can take care of my baby. I did not come here because I want to, I am here because of many circumstances. I can take care of my baby, they just can't take him away from me,” said Goagus. Goagus said that a few officials from the ministry had come to the abandoned house and took pictures of the place but they left without taking her baby. “If they really wanted to take the babies they would have done that, but they must take me with my baby. We have been moved from many places and the ministry is aware of me and hasn't taken my baby yet,” said Goagus.

The gender minister, Doreen Sioka, could not be reached for comment.

Shona Ngava

Women and girls under spotlightWomen parliamentarians meet to discuss vulnerabilities The causal factors of the high HIV prevalence in young women and girls in Africa will be investigated this week.

Civil society organisations, United Nations agencies and other partners are working with the SADC Parliamentary Forum to hold the first ever Women's Parliament in Mahe, Seychelles this week 5 and 6 July.

The organisers say the parliament will bring together SADC female MPs and their counterparts from other parts of the world to critically discuss and sustain the engagement of parliaments to implement Resolution 60/2 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) which focuses on women, the girl-child and HIV and Aids.

Through Resolution 60/2, the UNCSW calls for full attention to the high levels of new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls, and their root causes.

As the Report of the United Nations' Global Commission on HIV and the Law noted almost exactly five years ago, such root causes include a country's body of laws concerning HIV and Aids. The evidence indicates that an enabling legal environment, including one that ensures both the legal and practical equality of women and girls, is much more likely to result in lower rates of HIV infection than a punitive one that enshrines historical inequalities.

Consideration of women and girls in the HIV discourse is a response to the high burden of disease among women and girls in the region and globally. United Nations statistics indicate that 51% of all adults living with HIV globally as of 2015 were women aged 15 years and older. In east and southern Africa, women account for more than half of the total number of people living with HIV. Represented in actual numbers, the data shows that 17.8 million women were living with the HIV virus across the globe, of which 900 000 accounted for new HIV infections among adults as of 2015.

The United Nations estimates that an estimated 2.3 million adolescent girls and young women aged 15 – 24 years are living with HIV, constituting 60% of all young people living with the virus. These statistics indicate the urgency needed by policy makers for countries to benefit from the demographic dividend that HIV and Aids threaten to jinx.

Experts say that men tend to acquire HIV later in life, indicating that most of the infections among adolescent girls and young women could be attributed to intergenerational sex in which the younger sexual partners often have limited power to negotiate safe sex.

Girls' vulnerability in southern Africa is further compounded by their low status in a strongly patriarchal society. Against the background of often limited economic opportunities, gender-based violence and discrimination, entrenched gender inequalities, conservative harmful social and cultural norms, stigma and discrimination, produce a vicious cycle of HIV infection among women and adolescent girls.

Dr Esau Chiviya, secretary-general for the SADC PF says the active involvement of MPs in general and that of women in particular, can be a game changer as the world responds to the HIV epidemic.

“This Women's Parliament is therefore being convened to drum up support among Parliamentarians towards closing the gaps which leave women and girls vulnerable to HIV,” Chiviya says.

“Data shows that in eastern and southern Africa 54% (10.3 million people) of all people living with HIV, were accessing antiretroviral therapy in 2015. Access to treatment has contributed to the reduction of Aids-related deaths from 2 million in 2005 to nearly 1.1million in 2015. This is commendable,” Chiviya says.

He says thanks to a well-functioning and accessible prevention of mother–to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes, more babies born to HIV-positive mothers test negative for the virus.

“Within the SADC Region, there has been a 66% decline in new HIV infections among children between 2010 and 2015,” Chiviya says.

Be that as it may, experts and organisers of the upcoming Women's Parliament recognise that this progress has not reached full scale because of significant inequalities in access to quality services, information and education across and within many countries in the SADC Region and beyond. They say far too many women and adolescent girls continue to fall through the cracks.

The Women's Parliament is expected to come up with a position paper, and interrogate the UNCSW Resolution 60/2, with a view to give it much needed traction to close gaps and reduce the vulnerability of women and young girls to HIV.

Over the two days of the Women's Parliament, delegates will hold discussions around key thematic issues which include accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for adolescent girls and young women, accessing safe abortion, addressing gender-based violence and addressing the unique needs of women and girls.

STAFF REPORTER

Burglars nabbed with stolen property

Erongo police busted three housebreaking syndicates operating in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and recovered various stolen items at the coast last week.

Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu called on the community to come forward and alert the police about the whereabouts of Malakia Iyambo Kotokeni, who is a suspect in a housebreaking and theft case in Walvis Bay.

According to Iikuyu, Kotokeni fled before the police arrived at the room where he resides. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can contact Sergeant Povanhu on 0813089159 or inform the nearest police station.

In the latest incident, the suspects allegedly broke into the house no 62 Neptune Street in Narraville.

“They removed an HP laptop, three Samsung cell phones, one iPad and N$1 000 in cash. The total value of the stolen items is an estimated N$35 000 and they were recovered at a room in Namport suburb, Kuisebmond. One suspect, 37, who is the owner of the room was arrested later in the day. The suspect was also found with an illegal firearm and we are busy tracing the owner of the weapon. He will appear in Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court today.”

Two suspects were arrested during a crime prevention operation in the Tutaleni area on Thursday evening. Police officers came across two men carrying two suitcases with various items including a portable welding machine, clothing and shoes.

The suspects were approached and questioned. They could not provide proof of ownership of the items.

“They had broken into a ghetto and removed the items. One suspect fled when he saw the police approaching. The second was taken into the custody. Charges of the possession of stolen property, being in possession of housebreaking implements and being in possession of dangerous weapons were laid. The police are confidently pursuing the person that ran away,” said the officer responsible for community policing in Erongo Warrant Officer Ileni Shapumba.

Three suspects were arrested in DRC suburb Mondesa in connection with a burglary which took place at Nonidas during the late hours of Sunday evening and in the early hours of Monday morning.

The burglars removed implements (including a concrete mixer and a fridge) worth N$57 000 from a container used as a storage facility.

Shapumba confirmed that the police retrieved various items worth N$37 000 due to ongoing investigations and also confiscated a Mazda Drifter 4x4 bakkie allegedly used by the suspects to transport the loot from the crime scene.

“The flourishing market for stolen goods is a main concern. Laptops, flat screen TVs and cell phones are normally targeted by thieves. It indicates there is a demand for such items and those we hardly suspect are supporting this criminal behaviour. Members of the public cooperate when it comes to providing information on other serious crimes but it's very hard for the police to obtain information when it comes to housebreaking and theft

cases.”

OTIS FINCK

City's deficit N$500 millionCapital's council to spend more than N$4.68 billion this year The City of Windhoek is looking at tariff increases as well as property development to increase revenues to make up for its deficit.

The Windhoek City Council has approved the City's 2017/18 budget in spite of a deficit of N$505 million, representing an increase of 127.4% as compared to last year. Council intends to spend roughly N$4.68 billion and further to this, to collect NM$4.18 billion in revenue over this financial year.

According to the management committee's chairperson Matheus Amadhila, “Our current revenue base along with alternative streams of revenue cannot meet the demand for services in the current economic climate.”

Residents of Windhoek will also have to pay more to cover the City's expenses with increases in all services. George Esterhuizen, the City's strategic executive for finance, low-income families will pay around 8.49% more per month, about N$70 on their monthly account. Middle-income families will see a 9.45% increase or N$190 monthly and high-income households should see roughly N$427 added, or 9.4% per month.

Esterhuizen explained that the deficit is due to the application of the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) which makes provision for depreciation, adding that N$406 million can be attributed to this. However, on the flip side, IPSAS could lead to a doubling in the value of the City's assets, currently at N$3.5 billion. Without IPSAS, the deficit would have been less than N$100 million, far below that figures of N$378 million, N$270 million and N$157 million in the last three years.

He explained that the City will spend some 34% of its budget on bulk suppliers like NamPower and 9% for NamWater. Around 30% is allocated to salaries and 5% to maintenance.

Esterhuizen continued by saying capital expenditure will amount to N$638.4 million of which N$208 million will be used for technical infrastructure while N$188 million will be spent on electricity infrastructure. Some N$61 million will be allocated for housing and N$45 million for economic development. Transport plans will cost N$71 million and N$40 million will be spent on the development of informal settlements. City Police will use N$8.2 million and the office of the CEO will receive N$5 million for services to the community of the Windhoek district.

Other expenditures include N$227 000 for entertainment for senior management, a 25% increase from last year, N$350 000 for general entertainment, N$1.44 million for marketing, N$275 000 for refreshments, N$27 600 for parking tickets and N$50 000 for souvenirs. Esterhuizen explained that the strategy for this financial year is to improve business procedures to save on operational costs, and to generate funds through the sale of land. The City plans to identify and develop land through the use of bank loans and then to sell this land, settling the loan and using the profits to fund the budget.

Augetto Graig

Rössing victorious in pension fund saga

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the former members of the Rössing Pension Fund failed to establish that the fund and Rössing Uranium had acted unlawfully.

The court was filled to capacity with former employees in attendance.

The bench ruled that trustees of the fund had acted in accordance with the rules of the fund.

“The rules provided that the final decision concerning a surplus distribution lays with the employer,” Acting Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Dave Smuts said. The other two members of the bench Chief Justice Peter Shivute and Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb.

In October 2011, the trustees of the Rössing Pension Fund recommended to Rössing during November 2011 an equal three-way distribution of 33.33% each in respect of members, which included pensioners, Rössing, and former members, should be made.

However the Rössing board on 24 February 2012 decided otherwise, deciding upon a split of 52% for members, 33% for Rössing and 15% for former members.

A group of former members of the Rössing Pension Fund, in the appeal, challenged the decision taken to distribute the surplus as well as the legality of a rule of the fund which permitted that. The application was opposed by both the fund and the principal employer Rössing Uranium Limited.

The High Court had reviewed and set aside the decision of the trustees on the basis that the trustees had in essence abdicated their decision-making function to Rössing.

It had found that the sole responsibility for the management of the fund vested with the trustees and that it was impermissible for them to act as a 'rubberstamp' for Rössing's decisions and act under its dictation.

Rössing and the fund appealed against this finding of the High Court.

The Supreme Court in its ruling stressed that the trustees had made recommendations to the employer to distribute the surplus. The decision to distribute the surplus in the ratio impugned in the proceedings was made by Rössing as employer, and not by the trustees.

“It was thus not competent to seek to review a decision of the trustees,” Smuts stated.

The Supreme Court also ruled that the decision to distribute the surplus did not constitute administrative action because of the nature of the functions and powers exercised by the trustees and the employer in doing so. The Act does not regulate how a surplus in a pension fund is to be distributed.

The rules of the fund were revised in 2002 to include rules which dealt with the distribution of a surplus in the fund.

Smuts said it provided that in the event of a substantial surplus, the trustees should make recommendations to the employer for the distribution of the surplus. The rule further provided that the employer would then make the final decision on the distribution of the surplus within the limitations of the Act and the trustees would implement that decision.

As at 1 April 2012, the fund had 515 active members, 137 suspended pensioners and 690 pensioners. According to an actuarial valuation, the fund at that date had a surplus of approximately N$454 million. Since 1993, fund members had benefited from the surplus by not having to make contributions.

The surplus had over the years been a source of dissatisfaction amongst members.

FRED GOEIEMAN

Shoprite must drop charges

The Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) has called on retail giant Shoprite to drop disciplinary charges against its workers for a 2015 strike they participated in.

The chairperson of ESJT, Herbert Jauch was speaking at a demonstration on Friday organised by the unions that represent the workers. He said the workers are currently represented by three unions and the fact that all three unions do not have a majority representation of all Shoprite staff, the retailer has been able to mistreat the workers. “Shoprite determines conditions of employment for its employees unilaterally without the workers' input. That has enabled them to mistreat the workers,” said Jauch.

Jauch said that the unions have tried to assist the employees but to no avail. He further said Shoprite management has been dragging its feet in terms of making sure that the charges are dropped against their workers and in ensuring that their employees had a good working environment. “Management still says the unions do not have an outright majority and that it did not negotiate with the unions. The negotiations failed because Shoprite management decided for the workers what kind of benefits they could get and what wages and increases they could get. This frustrated the workers in 2015 until they walked out at Shoprite and now they are facing disciplinary charges for that,” shared Jauch.

The trust said for almost two years, over 100 workers at Shoprite in Windhoek were facing disciplinary charges for taking part in a strike in 2015, adding that Shoprite had already dismissed 176 workers at Rundu and Gobabis.

According to the unions, the company continues to violate workers' rights and this must be stopped.

The spokersperson of the trust, Elsie Ashipala, said it was unfair and unacceptable that the average Shoprite worker was earning N$2 500 per month. “The average worker at Shoprite still earns about N$2 500 per month or less. As they receive no transport allowance, the workers spend between N$480 and N$960 per month on transport, depending on where they live. They also have to pay rent, on average N$1 000, even for a shack in a backyard. This is before they can even think of food, water and gas for cooking, and other basic necessities,” said Ashipala.

The workers in 2015 were charged with violating several company regulations - participating in an unlawful strike, gross insubordination, absence from duty without authorisation, incitement and the organisation of an unlawful strike, assault, destruction of private property and interfering with a company investigation

Shona Ngava