A Namibian Red Cross Society delegation met Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila on Friday to lay the groundwork for a closer partnership in addressing Namibia’s humanitarian issues.
Bience Gawanas, chairperson of the Namibian Red Cross Society (NRCS) governing board, told Kuugongelwa-Amadhila that the reason for the annual courtesy call was to brief the government on Red Cross activities and to strengthen their relationship.
Gawanas said the Red Cross was currently “repositioning within the context of the war on poverty as declared by the president and the recently launched Harambee Prosperity Plan.”
As part of its future initiatives Gawanas said the Red Cross, which “serves as an extension of government” as an institution set up by an act of parliament, needed to redirect its course as per the requirements of government.
“We need marching orders from you … to really say to ourselves how we can complement government efforts,” Gawanas said.
Gawanas highlighted the strengths of the society’s volunteer networks and its expertise in humanitarian aid issues, but noted that the Namibian Red Cross also faced a financial challenge.
“There is a lot government can outsource to the Red Cross, especially in areas of water sanitation, disaster management and social mobilisation. These are the strengths we bring to the table. We also have a huge network of volunteers,” she said.
On the other hand, she explained that despite government subvention and support from external partners, given Namibia’s status as an upper middle income country much of the financial support the society requires had dried up.
“We would like to hear how we can go about strengthening the financial situation of the Red Cross,” she said.
Gawanas pointed out that the Red Cross did not limit its humanitarian aid to times of conflict.
“Peace is not just the absence of war. Peace is the absence of poverty, ill health and destitution and that is how we see the role of the NRCS in Namibia,” she said.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila responded to the NRCS message with a number of suggestions on how to get the ball rolling in identifying focus areas where the Red Cross can assist.
She welcomed a proposed closer working relationship, specifically in line with the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which is being integrated into all government plans.
She said the government recognised that it is important to explore partnerships to address critical policy plans.
“We know there are many stakeholders out there who can add value to the efforts we are trying to make and we are willing to identify and engage them and see where we can work with them.”
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the first step was to hold detailed discussions and presentations with relevant stakeholders to ensure a “comprehensive briefing … in a systematic way” starting with key persons in relevant offices.
She explained this would establish a specific focus area in terms of how to strengthen the relationship and to “reach a conclusion on what the areas of cooperation will be”.
The prime minister said the government’s approach was to work with “non-state actors in whatever form they come who are involved in activities … we think are important to help realise policy objectives we have set.”
She said any cooperation going forward would need to focus on organising “each other’s capacities and complementing each other for the benefit of the public.”
The prime minister said the working relationship would require transparency and accountability.
She emphasised that apart from financial reports, a close partnership demanded meticulous performance and outcome record-keeping “so that at the end of the day we not only discuss what we can do together, but also what we have achieved together.”
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said careful record-keeping of cooperation was critical in determining whether “we have been able to achieve more through cooperation than on our own”.
Following the courtesy call, NRCS executive secretary Dorcas Kapembe-Haiduwa said the meeting with the prime minister “was just a courtesy call to update her on the progress we have made so far in our drought response activities as well as sharing with her the challenges we are facing in our daily implementation as well as finding areas of collaboration that can be beneficial to the national drought response”.
JANA-MARI SMITH

In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry last week said a water expert team had responded to media reports and official complaints during the past month from the Olukupa Combined School and village in addition to water supply issues reported at the villages of Ohenghono-Ohamokika and Onhinda villages in the Ohangwena Region.
Following site visits and telephone conversations with relevant authorities in the areas, a number of actions have begun to resolve the water crisis in addition to recommendations made by the field teams.
A team has begun drilling boreholes at the Olukupa village, and a contractor has been on site since 18 April.
Following water quality tests and the receipt of borehole information, it is proposed that the installation and construction of a pipeline from the exploration borehole needs to be commissioned if the data supports the action.
It is also recommended that the existing borehole at Olukupa village should be rehabilitated since the borehole infrastructure is still relatively new.
Moreover, a second borehole will be drilled behind the Olukupa Combined School to supply the school with sufficient water.
The Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination (DWSSC) will also apply for approval to utilise a deep exploration borehole in the vicinity of Epembe which does has “better quality groundwater” compared to the salty water found in most of the shallow boreholes in the area.
Throughout April, teachers and pupils at the Olukupa Combined School struggled to access water after a borehole, the community’s only source of water, dried up due to the devastating drought in the area.
The school closed temporarily but, reopened after water tankers began regular deliveries of water to the community.
Meanwhile, it was reported that although the water tanker services were bringing water to the school the services were rejected “amid demands that villagers wanted a reliable source of water such as a water pipeline or a borehole.”
In mid-April, it was reported in the media that residents at Ohenghono-Ohamokika and Onhinda villages in the Epembe Constituency were using dug-out wells as their main water supply.
It is further alleged that these villages have not had any formal or reliable sources of water supply since independence.
Consequently, the ministry instructed the DWSSC teams to intervene and resolve the water issues: “To ensure that every Namibian has access to safe drinking water”.
STAFF REPORTER

A negotiated settlement between TransNamib and its suspended chief executive officer Sara Naanda has been sealed following an endorsement of the package by Minister of Works and Transport, Alpheus !Naruseb, this week.
The new board, under the chairpersonship of Paul Smit reached the settlement agreement with Naanda because the new board did not want to get involved in a disciplinary process started by the former board, sources privy to the matter allege.
According to the sources, Naanda was not dismissed. She was, however, “encouraged” not to pursue reinstatement because of the low morale among staff at TransNamib.
Namibian Sun is reliably informed that the settlement amount is “much lower” than the N$10 million that Naanda was entitled to in her five-year contract of employment with the company.
Public Enterprises Minister Leon Jooste had been approached for advise on the matter and was informed every step of the way leading up to the separation agreement.
Naanda was suspended on 30 October 2014 for alleged breach of confidentiality obligations, conflict of interest and breach of trust.
A disciplinary hearing against her was held in her absence in July 2015 and, the recommendation of that outcome was made known to the board in April. However, the board took a decision not to pursue the charges to avoid another disciplinary process against TransNamib, and as such the disciplinary process against her was never finalised.
The new board appointed in November 2015, was encouraged by both !Naruseb and Jooste to settle the Naanda case as a matter of urgency so that a recruitment process could start to appoint a new head for the parastatal. This recruitment process was anticipated to start on 1 March but was delayed because the Naanda matter took longer to conclude.

CATHERINE SASMAN

BUSY DAY: The Oshakati Town Council and other stakeholders yesterday de-bushed some areas in Oshakati West under Operation Omake. The operation was launched by President Hage Geingob and Safety and Security Minister Charles Namoloh in November last year and is targeted to end on 8 May. The initiative was launched to clear bushy areas in and around residential areas and river beds that are used as hideouts by criminals.

PHOTO: KENYA KAMBOWE

An Edinburgh University student is working to bring dignity to all women around the world – at all times of the month.
Liita-Iyaloo Cairney, a global health PhD student at Edinburgh University, is working to design a high-quality, affordable reusable sanitary product to help transform the lives of young women in developing countries.
It is estimated that some girls in Africa miss up to 10% of their education due to menstruation because they don’t have access to the right items to make them feel clean and comfortable. Higher dropout rates are said to follow as a result.
Cairney, 32, who is originally from Namibia, said her own personal experience of having lack of access to sanitary wear as a teenager and an “intellectual thirst” had driven her to create the koree, a silicone cup fitted with a bamboo liner that can be changed or washed and reused as required.
Her idea was first developed with the help of Launch Ed, the wing of Edinburgh University that supports students to develop new business opportunities.
She has since been awarded Scottish Enterprise funding to develop the koree and a prestigious enterprise fellowship with the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Her company, Kalitasha, has also received backing from a Glasgow-based early stage equity investment fund.
Cairney, a PhD student in global health policy, said: “The largest social issue faced by girls in many countries around the world, including Namibia, is having effective means to manage their period.
“That can be due to a combination of financial reasons but it is not always that people can’t afford to buy sanitary products, it is just not a high priority for some.”
Cairney, who is married to a Scot, said she was keen to make a difference in her home country and was recently given a letter of endorsement by First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, for her work in this area.
She said: “People on the ground in Namibia want to solve the problems that they face but they are not necessarily aware of what is possible or the capability to change. I would definitely love to make an impact there.”
Cairney is to launch a new website at the end of next month to coincide with Global Menstrual Hygiene Day to help educate and inform girls about menstruation and body changes in a light-hearted way.
“My message is really about education and empathy, and how good product design can bring dignity to all women.”

THE SCOTSMAN

Rehoboth residents are ready to grab land on Monday after the town council failed to give feedback on their demands.
A town council meeting had been scheduled for today where the land grab was to be discussed, but the topic was apparently removed from the agenda and postponed to next week Tuesday.
This was confirmed to Namibian Sun by a representative of the Affirmative Repositioning movement in Rehoboth, who charged that the town council had failed the residents.
The new date for discussing the matter was set for after the planned land grab on Monday although the town council had promised to give feedback on the demands after discussing the urgent matter yesterday.
Earlier this month, a group calling themselves the ‘Rehoboth Landless Masses’ informed the town council about their intention to grab land on 2 May if the council did not respond to their demands by the end of this month.
Spearheaded by community activist Abraham Kaibib, the concerned group called in the assistance of the Affirmative Repositioning movement.
The group has demanded that 300 erven be made available to them and said that a further 1 500 applications for erven would be submitted to the Rehoboth Town Council.
The AR representative said the council lacked professionalism and integrity.
He said from an AR perspective they were deeply disappointed in the council and they had tried their best to resolve the matter.
The council’s failure to deal with the matter indicated that it was willing to let residents grab land although the line minister had implored people not to do so, he said.
He said AR could not give positive feedback on the matter to the residents and the only way a land grab could be stopped was if the minister intervened.
The acting CEO of Rehoboth, Jennifer Case, previously told Namibian Sun that they had received the group’s letter and the council’s management committee would first discuss it.
Following that a full council meeting was set for yesterday where a resolution would have been made.
After that, feedback would be given to the concerned group, said Case.

ELLANIE SMIT

Problems such as teenage pregnancy and ill-discipline can be resolved through parental involvement in children’s lives, the director of education in the Omaheke Regional Council Peka Semba says.
Speaking to Nampa, he said such challenges need intervention from parents who are shying away from their responsibilities.
“It is an open secret that many of our children are abusing alcohol. When you go to the shebeens you will find a lot of learners there, but the question is, where are the parents?” said Semba.
He said discipline should be strengthened to instil a renewed sense of passion towards education as some children prefer to not attend school despite government’s effort to make education accessible.
“A parent has a part to play. Without the support of the parents we are always going to struggle. Parents should go all the way in their children’s education but unfortunately, some are simply not interested.”
Semba urged parents to come on board in the education of their children, which he said will help them access better opportunities.
“Issues such as teenage pregnancies are due to the absence of parenting, what else is there?” he said.
The Omaheke Region recorded 232 teenage pregnancies in the last four years. In 2012 and 2013, a total of 68 schoolgirls fell pregnant. This figure stood at 67 in 2014 and 97 last year, according to information availed to Nampa by the directorate of education in the region.
“Education starts at home. Respect, obedience and hard work are all taught at home, but when education starts at school level, something will be lacking,” the education director stated.
Semba went on to say parental involvement contributes to children’s psychological development, particularly when they notice the interest of their parents in their lives.
“They must come during sporting events to support their children, and also regularly visit the schools to monitor their academic performances and so forth; that is what is missing,” he said, adding that education is much more than providing toiletries, paying school fees, buying clothes or providing food for children.
“That is not education. You must show an interest in every step of the academic and the general development of your child,” he said.
NAMPA

The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) has come out of hibernation, slamming the ruling Swapo party and government over millions invested in the cancelled Kora All-Africa Music Awards. RDP warned President Geingob over alleged corruption and self-enrichment taking place under his “watchful eyes” and said “people are not fools, and the blind will not remain blind forever”.
Namibian Sun has revealed how the Namibian Tourism Board bought a marketing package from the Kora’s owners which cost taxpayers more than N$20 million. The awards were initially scheduled for 21 April but were postponed amid controversy. Organisers however blamed the postponement on an inability to get clearance to have the dome, in which the ceremony was supposed to be held, across the border from South Africa to Namibia.
Recently, tourism minister, Pohamba Shifeta said government is assessing how much money was used and how much should be returned to Namibia.
In a press statement, RDP secretary for information Nghiningilwandubo Kashume called on Geingob to immediately launch an investigation on the so-called promotional marketing of Namibia by the Kora All-Africa Music Awards. Referring to the awards as a money-laundering scheme, RDP said without proper investigation, the country will not know the magnitude of the money lost.
“It is possible that other ministries, agencies and offices have also fallen victim to such fraudulent schemes and the money lost might be running into thousands of millions of dollars, far more than what is reported,” RDP said.
The former official opposition warned the Swapo-led government that the fact that people are suffering in silence, should not be interpreted as accepting and approving of what it calls misrule and corrupt governance.
“The Swapo-led government is notorious for its lack of accountability, particularly when it comes to the stealing of public resources. Those who stole billions from GIPF, millions from social security, those who stole from the Ministry of Finance and now, from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, are scot-free and are not held accountable. What the hell is going on,” Kashume said.
Kashume added that the nation is stressed and angry. “The nation’s distress, stress, and anger have gone up considerably, such that it is highly risky for the Swapo-led government to continue taking the intelligence of people for granted. For the fact that people are not fools, and the blind will not remain blind forever,” he said.
“We call on the president to launch an investigation, establish the magnitude, find the money and pay it back, and arrest the culprits,” RDP said.

GORDON JOSEPH

The University of Namibia (Unam) achieved another milestone after 559 students from four northern campuses graduated yesterday.
The ceremony, which was held at the Ongwediva trade fair centre in Oshana Region, did not just see hundreds of students graduate from various faculties but, the audience also witnessed the Best Overall Unam Student for 2015 being awarded the Chancellor’s Medal.
Auguste Petrus an Honours degree graduate in Clinical Nursing Science which is offered at the Oshakati Unam campus, received the Chancellor’s Medal after she obtained an average of 81.85% during her academic years. This is the first time in the history of Unam where a graduate from the northern campus receives the award. Vice-chancellor of Unam, Lazarus Hangula during his address said Unam is shifting its focus from having a lot of graduates to rather producing graduates with quality, capacity development and innovation skills. Hangula said the majority of the students who graduated obtained undergraduate degrees.
He also used the opportunity to say that Unam has become the preferred tertiary institution of students within Namibia and across the world to further their education.
“There is a whole army of brilliant and determined young people who are admiring Unam from the outside,” he said. Hangula called on students to graduate on time in the future.“I hope next year when we meet for another graduation we will report a higher throughput. We want more students than we are currently witnessing to graduate on time,” he said.
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the event is not only an achievement to the graduates and their families, but for Unam as well. “We are celebrating the remarkable achievements not only for the graduating students and their families and friends, but also of Unam that successfully shaped the lives of the graduates and many others before them,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila urged the graduates to use what they have learnt at Unam to better their lives.
She said that obtaining a qualification is the beginning of a journey.
“Graduation is the beginning and not the end. It signifies this university’s distinctive mission and ethos, and represents not only your coursework, but also what you have learnt outside the lecture hall,” she said.
She advised the graduates to keep learning, remember how much relationships matter and to work hard to make the world a better place.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also talked on the issue of seeking employment telling graduates that it could be a frustrating exercise for many as employers seek candidates with experience on top of the academic qualifications.
KENYA KAMBOWE

Ompumbwe yomeya ga yogoka nuukalinawa unene momalukanda ogendji mOvenduka otashi yi pondje uuthemba woomuntu, naangoka omaiyuvo gwomunaveta gwehangano lyoLegal Assistance Centre.
Kakele koshilongo ashihe, “mOvenduka omo amuke omu na nale omikalo odhindji dheyopambambo lyuuthemba womuntu,” Corinna Van Wyk a lombwele oNamibian Sun.
Van Wyk okwa yelitha kutya oopoloyeka dhomapekaapeko dhoLAC odha nuninwa okulonga AaNamibia kutya okukala nomeya ga yogoka nuukalinawa oshi li uuthemba womuntu.
“Ito vulu okupopya kutya oto tyapula uuthemba wopauntu omanga ku na omeya ga yogoka,” Van Wyk a yelitha.
Opoloyeka ndjoka oya totwapo opo tu tale kutya oshigwana osha pumbwa shike opo shi kale sha nongela kombinga yuuthemba washo mokukala nomeya ga yogoka opo shi tyapule uuthemba wopauntu.
Okwa yelitha kutya nonando okukala nomeya ga yogoka osha talikako onga uuthembna wopaliko, shoka inashi tothwamo mompango yuuthemba womuntu mekotampango, e yo pondje lyuuthemba wokukala nomeya ga yogoka otali patanekwa mOntopolwa 3 yekotampango.
Okwa pulaapula woo sho sha monika molopota yo-2013 kombinga yokukala nomeya ga yogoka mokati kAaNamibia, olopota ndjoka ya popi kutya konyala oopresenda 87 dhaaNamibia odhi na omeya.Omapekaapeko ngoka ga ningwa uule woomvula mbali mOmalukanda gaVenduka, otaga pataneke uukwashili womuyalu ngoka gwa gandjwa molopota ndjoka.
Van Wyk okwa popi kutya aakwashigwana mboka taya lumbu momalukanda gaVenduka kaye na omeya ga yela oshowo iikwaniipangitho yuukalinawa.
Van Wyk okwa tothamo omuyalu gwiinima mbyoka tayi imbi opo aakwashigwana ya kale nomeya kutya, epato lyopomba dhomeya naashoka osha thiminike aakwashigwana yeende iinano iile mokukakonga omeya.
Okwa popi kutya aantu otaya ende uule woominute 45 okukakonga omeya.
Okwa popi kutya, omidhingoloko dhimwe kadhi na uundjugo nenge uundjugo mboka ihawu longo nenge wa patwa naashoka otashi dhiminike aantu ya longithe iihwa naashoka oshi na uupyakadhi wopaundjolowele unene kaakiintu naanona mboka haya ende iinano iile okuya kwiihwa uuna eshito lya ithana.
Van Wyk okwa gandja uusama omolwa okwaaha tula miilonga nokuninga oshilalakanenwa shotango okugandja iipumbiwa mbyoka koshigwana. Okwa gwedha ko kutya eyo pombanda lyoondando moshilongo olya ningitha opo omahangano ngaashi NamWater li tule pombanda ondando yomeya nokukala itayi vulika kaathigona moshilongo.

JANA-MARI SMITH

Uule woomvula ngashiingeyi okuza nkene oshilongo sha manguluka, opwa kala omapopyo kutya ope na iimaliwa ya gwandjwa kIigwana yaHangana.
Iimaliwa mbyoka aniwa oya pewa Swapo na oya pungulwa moChina.
“Iimaliwa oyindji mbyoka hayi gwandjwa kIigwana yaHangana ohayi zi koAmerika. Omolwashike taya ka pitika iimaliwa yawo yipungulwe koChina. Kape na iimaliwa,” Mbumba ta ti.
Mbumba okwa popi kutya, Iigwana yaHangana oya gandja omakwatho gomatalashe niikumbatha , na oya yambidhidha noonkondo opo oshilongo shi manguluke onkene omolwashike yi na okugandja ishewe iimaliwa.
Sho a pulwa kutya omapopyo ngoka kutya otaga zi peni, Mbumba okwa yamukula kutya ke na ontseyo ya sha kombinga yaampoka pwa zilile omapopyo ngoka.
Okwa pula mboka ye na einekelo lyiimaliwa mbyoka ya longe nuudhiginini mokwiilonga, miilonga yawo nenge ya tameke oongeshefa dhawo nokwiilikolela iiyemo.
“Kape na iimaliwa yoshali.”
Mbumba okwa popi kutya keshi kutya mboka taya taandelitha omitoto dhoka otaye dhi taandelithile shike na otaya monomo shike mokutaandelitha oohapu dhaana uukwashili.
GORDON JOSEPH

Chaos erupted in Rehoboth yesterday morning when a planned land occupation in the town’s Kuvukiland settlement went awry. According to early reports from AR representatives, the Namibian police and its special reserve force branch had come out in full force and were even firing rubber bullets at protestors and bystanders.
The situation escalated rather quickly and a very tense atmosphere was palpable in the community. One activist, Apes Kaibeb was arrested along with four others and several people were also removed from the scene by the police and the special reserve force. According to police officers, Kaibeb was targeted for an outstanding traffic violation, but the fate of the other four remains unknown. They will appear in the Magistrate’s Court today on unknown charges.
Following the arrests, several scuffles broke out and eye witnesses at the scene described how people who were looking on, were grabbed and some were fired at with rubber bullets. The people then re-grouped and took their placards and banners demanding land and marched to the police station demanding the release of their comrades. Some members stayed behind singing Gospel songs and chanting, ‘God, enough is enough’.
Chris /Uirab, the CEO of Rehoboth Town Council yesterday told Namibian Sun that the council will not give in to the demands of the land grabbers, taking into account the directive from Cabinet that the Rukoro Report had to be prioritised. He said that the AR movement is responsible for the land grabbing movement in Rehoboth and has also swept the beneficiaries of the Rukoro Report into this action.

“There is no formal agreement between the AR and the government and we will not follow their demands. We cannot support this group that are instigating [members of] our community.”
He said the council cannot at this stage entertain the demands from other groups while they are busy prioritising the Rukoro Report.
The report, compiled by erstwhile attorney-general Vekuii Rukoro in 1992, recommended that more than 3 000 free erven be allocated to residents who had been forcibly removed from a neighbourhood at that time, called the Old Location. It also recommended that 2 500 free erven be allocated to ‘Burghers’ (Basters) under their Paternal Laws. Around 1 200 beneficiaries are still in the process of being verified.
/Uirab admitted that the report has been delayed for some time, but said that they have started with the process and that people should be patient. If all goes well the provision of land through the report will be completed within the next six months, he said.
“At this stage the Rukoro Report is already putting the council under financial pressure and we cannot entertain other demands for land if the proper channels are not followed. People must understand that it is a financial blow for the council to give free land.”
He blamed the AR movement for instigating land grabbing in Rehoboth and said that the leaders of the movement should have communicated with the council through the appropriate channels.
“All we see is the people on the ground instigating this, is Job even supporting this?”
He said that they are considering proposing to council that unserviced land should be allocated to those that are in need on a temporary basis, but that this must still be discussed and approved by council.
“There is an outcry for land in Rehoboth and by fuelling the situation it is pushing the public to grab land,” he said.
The Hardap Governor Esme Isaaks travelled to Rehoboth and while the community was blocking her entry into the studios of Live FM, the community radio station, she managed to get in with a police escort to address the community.
“I urge them to wait and give government time to complete their things. After they have seen what government has done, they can do such things as grab land and then they can stand up. The council is looking into this matter. In Rehoboth, people are sitting with more than two plots while their neighbours do not have a single plot. This has been instigated by the AR movement, they have threatened Rehoboth Town Council,” Isaaks told the community, live on air.
She also accused another radio station of instigating violence, racism and tribalism. “If a radio station is to promote racism it must be terminated. I will spearhead this process personally.”
She then turned her attention to the AR. “We are aware of their motives. We have no agreements with the AR. They should know they have no support in Hardap. Why are they targeting the south, why not the north?”
Isaaks also gave the public the assurance that the implementation of the Rukoro Report had already begun and again lamented the cost to the town council as there would be no money forthcoming from the free erven.
“So it is not a thing that the ministry did not do anything. Rome was not built in a day.”
Several Rehoboth residents responded to her comments with disdain, saying that some of them have been waiting since 1985 for a piece of land to live on. Another said, “She does not worry. Instead of fearing God, she fears nothing and will leave here and eat Kentucky.”
Another community member asked why she had to address the people through the radio station. “We are right here, why can’t she talk directly to us?” he asked.
By late afternoon yesterday, the AR’s Dimbululukeni Nauyoma had arrived and was in talks with the Hardap police regional commander, Commissioner Andries van der Byl. The crowd had also dispersed, having returned to the tree in Kuvukiland.
“We are waiting for the AR to address us. If we are not satisfied, we will sleep at the offices of the town council tonight,” a resident said.
According to Nauyoma, the AR is “tired of Mafia town councils”.
“If they are not ready to engage, we will have some way of going forward. The colleagues have been writing letters to the council. This must be a last resort. Our people are not violent,” he said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

There is a growing readiness by the German public and its parliament to deal with its historic past.
These were the sentiments of the German Ambassador to Namibia, Christian Schlaga when he briefed the media on the three-day visit that was undertaken by Namibia’s special envoy on genocide which was led by Zed Ngavirue.
“The issue of colonial history is coming to the forefront; therefore the awareness that this is one part of our history that needs to be dealt with is a sentiment which is growing. One can also see a growing readiness,” he said.
He also expressed happiness with the development of a framework that would set the stage for negotiations on the issue between the two countries.
Schlaga also emphasised that the framework for these negotiations takes cognisance of the good and friendly relations between Namibia and Germany and aspires to create a win-win situation.
“These conclusions probably look at two wings: the area of an apology and the other area is the issue of redress, to look at possibilities for special support in this context,” he elaborated.
He also emphasised that since the negotiations are still in infant stage, it is difficult to make clear any details around the special support that may be granted.
According to Schlaga, the Namibian delegation is undertaking some interesting visits to historical places and monuments in Berlin which showcase the colonial past of Germany.
This, he noted will give them a feeling as to “show that the whole topic is for everyone living in Berlin.”
He added that a next meeting between the two envoys is expected to take place in Namibia towards the end of June.
This follows calls early this year by German parliamentarians that Germany must fully assume the political and moral responsibilities and obligations that arise as a result of Germany’s culpability for the genocide.
German opposition leaders early this month also defended tabling a motion calling for an official apology to the OvaHerero and Nama people as well as other groups affected by the 1904 genocide.
According to Nieman Movassat of the Left Party, the affected groups were murdered, placed in concentration camps, made to perform brutal forced labour or driven into the desert and left to die of thirst. He said in Germany there is almost no culture of remembrance of the crimes committed in that era.
“It was here in Berlin that the colonial powers divided up Africa between them in 1885. It was here in Berlin that the decision to commit genocide was taken. Yet there is no memorial commemorating all of this. It is really high time to finally change that,” he said.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Windhoek has been achieving 20% water savings but is still below the 30% savings required to extend the dwindling water supply from the three storage dams.
In addition, a water expert has said that when the dam water runs out, which is expected by the end of November, the city’s water supply will be cut by at least 40%, “if we are lucky.”
“We will need to save 40% when the water runs out. It could be earlier or later, depending on the water savings,” he said.
Furthermore, the fact that the city will then be dependent on the remaining resources, including the Windhoek aquifer, will put severe pressure on that system.
The expert said Namibia should use the current crisis as a stepping stone to create a water-wise culture.
“This needs to become a culture in Namibia. We will always have water problems. We will always want to promote development, but water saving needs to become a culture that is just simply missing right now.”
He said water restrictions should not have to be mandatory.
“Why must water savings be enforced? Why can’t we just all cooperate?”
The source said there are concerns that the 30% savings target cannot be achieved as things stand now, and it would require a much bigger effort from the government, one of the main consumers, and others.
Although it has been widely reported that the municipality requires all businesses and households to implement water-management programmes in order to achieve the required 30% savings, the request seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
Although private residents and some businesses have started implementing serious water-savings measures, a list of big water consumers shows that issues such as fixing leaks, in addition to the absence of water use monitoring, continue to hamper efforts to achieve the 30% target.
Although fines can be issued to households who transgress, no protocol is in place to effectively manage big consumers such as government properties and businesses found wasting water.
“A fine doesn’t make a difference. It just becomes an argument,” a City of Windhoek source claimed. He added that many consumers blame high readings on faulty meters and some refuse to pay, demanding rebates. The City of Windhoek no longer permits rebates.
Lastly, some argue that because they pay for the water, their consumption should not be limited or questioned.
The February water usage list shows that the Windhoek prison again consumed more than 30 000 cubic metres. An investigation last year found that about 70% of the prison’s water consumption was wasted because of leaking pipes.
Besides water-intensive industries such as Namibia Breweries, Namibia Dairies, Meatco and Paradise Beverages, the top 20 water consumers includes four facilities falling under the Ministry of Health and Social Services, including the medical school and nurses’ flats.
Unam features twice in the top 20, along with the Ministry of Defence, Windhoek Country Club and the Office of the President.
Experts say one of the ways the private and public sectors, including government institutions, can meet the City of Windhoek water-saving target is to implement strict water-management programmes and to task at least one person per property to monitor usage.
“The current situation is that people just do not cooperate,” the source said, despite the fact that many residents are working hard to do their bit to achieve the 30% water target and to police those who break the regulations.
Graphs show that in April, Windhoek used 435 704 cubic metres of water sourced from boreholes, 434 031 cubic metres of reclaimed water and 886 056 cubic metres supplied by NamWater.
JANA-MARI SMITH

Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein has taken offence after DTA MP Nico Smit accused him of deliberately delaying the tabling of the Export Levy Bill and requesting that it be passed before the House goes into recess yesterday.
Smit told Schlettwein that it remains their duty as lawmakers to thoroughly read any laws before they are passed because as lawmakers, they must be accountable to the people and to the Namibian constitution.
“It is not the first time, and it has now become common practice for bills to be pushed under our nose at the last minute and this is how mistakes and provisions without the intended consequences slip through the cracks,” Smit lashed out.
According to him, it amounts to negligence on their constitutional duties as legislators and as members of parliament.
“It is disingenuous to not only ourselves as legislators, but also to the Namibian people who have entrusted us to make laws for them, to constantly pass bills merely for purposes of expediency without having done our due diligence and having consulted the relevant stakeholders, business and experts who not only have intimate knowledge pertaining to this field, but more critically, who will be directly affected by the proposed laws,” he said.
Schlettwein however said Smit’s accusations are strong and devoid of any truth.
According to him, a comprehensive report on his issue was put out in the public domain already in 2010 by his predecessor Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
Meanwhile, according to the finance minister, the levy will come into effect on a date to be determined by a notice in the Government Gazette.
He added that the bill will provide for the imposition of an export levy on certain goods, so as to improve Namibia’s value share in its resource base, to encourage further processing or beneficiation of, or value addition to such goods, to support national or regional industrial development; to promote the development of regional value chains and to meet revenue needs; and to provide for incidental matters.
JEMIMA BEUKES

Twenty-five years after the Windhoek declaration, Namibia’s much-praised media freedom continues to be undercut by the reluctance of government to part with information.
For many media experts, this issue has led to a press that is at times forced to rely on “sources that might turn out to be unreliable,” media ombudsman Clement Daniels said recently.
In addition, the critical role the media plays in ensuring public officials are held accountable by their voters through transparent information sharing, is continuously undermined through an atmosphere of reluctance, inefficiency, ignorance, fear and secrecy by office bearers to share the information they hold.
Natasha Tibinyane, director of the Namibia chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), says often it is not a case of straightforward denial for information.
The information highway stalls when requests by journalists, researchers or citizens are “ignored, or they are sent from one government official to the next, or they write endless letters of requests. Sometimes you can wait for months for information that is not even sensitive,” she said.
She said the “rude” reaction by some officials is underlined by “not understanding that the public and the media actually have the right to that information.” Although Namibia’s high ranking on the annual press freedom index is reflected in a working atmosphere marked in general by “freedom and safety” journalist Gwen Lister said the “atmosphere of secrecy that is pervasive among many officials” stops journalists from “doing their jobs to the best of their ability”.
This has an impact on Namibian citizens who are “kept in the dark and denied the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.”
According to Max Weylandt, Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) research associate, “the default stance of official bodies is not to release information, until they are convinced they have to”. Weylandt argues that for a government committed to “openness” it should be the other way around.
“Government bodies should have to show why they should be allowed not to release information, rather than citizens and journalists having to prove why they should get it.”
Fear plays a role in that many people, including government officials, fear “retribution when they speak out”, a relevant factor in a country with a small, close-knit community, Ombudsman Daniels said.
He added that lack of transparency is also linked to the Public Service Act and the 1982 Protection of Information Act, which limits the number of people allowed to talk to the press and creates fear among others for “fear of losing their jobs” if they talk to the press without explicit authorisation.
But, all these elements combine to create a divide between government, the gatekeepers of tremendous amounts of information, and the public they serve.
“Access to information is a fundamental human right and no country can truly call itself democratic, unless citizens have the right to access and request information that is held by public and certain private bodies,” Daniels explained.
Lister, a member of the team that authored the 1991 Windhoek declaration, added that the right to free speech and information is about more than the media.
“They are also key to unlocking the potential of a vibrant and informed civil society able to hold governments to account” adding that citizens should be “active participants rather than submissive recipients” and access to information is key to this.
Talk about an Access to Information law, to entrench a formal information sharing structure between government and it’s citizens, has not yet led to any results.
However, Tibinyane says it appears government has begun working on a draft law again but added there is an inherent reluctance to create such a law. “The challenge is that our government would rather not have an Access to Information law, but are keeping up appearances, because they know it has become a major development indicator.”
Nevertheless, many warn that a law will not automatically solve all the problems and should be tackled carefully.
“For one, even an excellent law is useless if it is not implemented and having a law does not automatically mean that officials will actually provide the information,” Weylandt cautioned.
“Laws can grant access to information, but also restrict it – a law is only useful if it clearly commits the government to openness, not if it creates a long list of areas that are off-limits to requests,” he concluded.
In addition, while 19 African countries have enacted freedom to information laws “some of them are imperfect and laws, of course, don’t necessary guarantee access,” Lister added.
She explained access to information ultimately depends on the conditions set by the actors involved.
“It is more a question of political will to ensure an access to information regime, with or without laws, and many governments on the continent are reluctant to make this an absolute.”
Daniels says that ultimately, keeping information close to the chest is first option for any government that prefers to “operate in secrecy because of perceived fears of losing control if government information is in the public domain”. Tibinyane said knowledge is a powerful asset and the role of information is key to understanding why an information law has not yet been created. “I think government will always try to ‘control’ the media in order to report in their favour.
I think the need to control is inherent in the type of governance structure we have.” Ultimately, without media freedom, guaranteeing free access to information in the public domain, a democracy cannot function properly.
Weylandt explained that the “connection between access to information and democracy is very clear.
Democracy means that the people rule the country by holding politicians accountable, and to do that, we have to know what’s going on. It’s that simple.”

JANA-MARI SMITH

The board of TransNamib last Thursday (28 April) in a statement said the relationship between the parastatal and former chief executive officer Sara Naanda was “amicably terminated.”
It stated that both parties have decided “not to pursue and continue with the suspension and disciplinary hearing” against Naanda.
“Ms Naanda is, therefore, in view of the settlement agreement reached between the parties, cleared of the disciplinary process and all charges levelled against her are unconditionally withdrawn. The irreparable pain and damage caused to her good name and reputation is deeply regrettable. Ms Naanda’s employment record with TransNamib is left untarnished as a result of the withdrawal of all charges,” part the statement read.
Shortly before the statement was issued, in a matter of minutes, an email sent anonymously claimed that it was an “outright lie” that the new board wanted to settle with Naanda and that TransNamib’s assertion that the matter with Naanda is now concluded is “being used to mislead the public and cover up the fact that Naanda was found guilty on all charges brought against her.”
“Surprisingly, although Naanda was informed in early 2016 that she was found guilty and that the recommendation was dismissal, she never appealed the ruling,” the anonymous source stated.
This source further claimed that Naanda was paid out “almost N$10 million because all the charges are allegedly going to be withdrawn.”
“This is an outrage because paying out millions to Naanda is nothing but theft of the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. But rumour also has it that the millions to be paid were forced through because large chunks are going to land in other pockets,” the source
alleges.
Vice-board chairperson of TransNamib, Elize Angula, denied that Naanda was paid out N$10 million or any amount close to that. Angula also denied claims that she is a close friend of Naanda, as is alleged.
Attached to the anonymous email were the legal documents of the disciplinary proceedings against Naanda and a judgement reached already on 25 September last year.
According to one document, a recommendation on sanction was reached and Naanda on 18 January was found guilty on two charges, which encompassed seven sub-charges.
A former and current board member of TransNamib, Dantagos Jimmy-Melanie, had testified that the charges against Naanda were “extremely serious” because Naanda was in a position of trust at a parastatal that is of strategic importance to the Namibian economy.
This document charged that Naanda’s actions have “financially and reputational damaged the company”.
Jimmy-Melanie had also recommended that Naanda be dismissed.
Naanda was suspended on 30 October 2014, barely three months after a new board of directors under the chairpersonship of Dr Pieter Oosthuizen was appointed. Jimmy-Melanie was also on this board before she was reappointed to serve on the new board.
The allegations against Naanda were breach of confidentiality obligations, conflict of interest and breach of trust.
She was accused of having shared the content of a letter meant for then Minister of Works and Transport, Erkki Nghimtina, with her partner Augustinus Katiti.
The letter related to lease or joint ventures with private companies. In the judgement it was stated that Katiti was a client of TransNamib through his interests in Beauhomes, which had a long-term lease with the parastatal.
According to evidence given by Struggle Ihuhua, as the executive manager of properties, Naanda was actively involved in the termination of the lease agreement between TransNamib and Beauhomes “resulting in a termination letter which potentially favours” Katiti “to the detriment” of TransNamib.
Naanda’s legal representative, Richard Metcalfe, had argued that the disciplinary process started against her “stemmed from a conflict engineered on specious grounds by the previous board of directors”.

Catherine Sasman

AaNamibia ya thika po-300 oya pakele oondjato dhawo niiyenditho yawo oya pyakudhukwa sho ya tamekitha olweendo lwawo okupitila poongamba dhaShikango, okuya meni lyaAngola.
Mboka otaya yi molweendo sigo okoCassinga mUumbugantu wOshitopolwa shaHuila moAngola konyala oshinano shookilometa 200 mOnooli yoongamba dhaNamibia.

Olweendo ndoka otalu ningwa lwotango muule woomvula 26 moka AaNamibia ya kala nokudhimbuluka esiku ndyoka lyaCassinga nonuumvo edhimbuluko ndyoka otali ningilwa pehala lyoshiponokela ano koCassinga.
Pahapu dhomunashipundi gokomitiye ndjoka tayi longekidha olwendo ndoka, Ignatius Mwanyekange, olweendo ndoka lwokuya koCassinga noVietnam, olwa yambidhidha omakwatho gopashimaliwa kaakuthimbinga molweendo yoyene.

ompangela odhili kutya, olweendo ndoka otalu lala mOndjiva nokutalela po okamba yaVietnam mesiku lyotango (mOsoondaha ya piti) nokushuna kOndjiva hoka taya zi momasiku gaali ( mOmaandaha) nokuthika moCassinga momasiku gatatu ano nena. Edhimbuluko lyesiku ndyoka otali ningwa ngula moCassinga.

AaNamibia omathele oya dhipagwa komutondi momasiku ga4 gaMei mo-1978 sho omatanga gomutondi ga ponokele ookamba dhoka mbali yaCassinga naVietnam.

Swapo okwa popi kutya mokamba dhoka omwa kala oontauki na ka mwali iikwaniipangitho ya gwana yokwiigamena omanga omatanga gaSouth Afrika ga patanene omapopyo kutya ookamba dhoka odha li oombonge oonene dhoSwapo.
Mokati kaamboka ya dhipagelwa moshiponokela shoka omwa kwatelwa omupevi komanda gwoPLAN, Jonas Haiduwa naTashiya Nakada ngoka ali komanda gwomatanga gokomeho.

Ehokololo lyanakuhupa gumwe

Gumwe gwomwaamboka ya hupu moshiponokela shoka, Martin Heita, ngoka a yi muupongekwa mepupi lyoomvula 17 okwa popi kutya ota dhimbuluka nawa nkene oshiponokela shoka sha ningwa esiku ndyoka.

"Ookomanda odhe tulombwele opo tu matukile momulonga nomiihwa. Otwa tondoka na otandi dhimbuluka nkene omukiintu ngoka ali komeho gandje ta ndondoka omutse gwe dhwa yahwa ko oshowo omukiintu ngoka a teka omagulu a kambadhala okwiikoka omanga a kwiinina okanona kombunda. Otwa kambadhala okuhupitha ookomrade yakwetu ihe omutondi okwe ya na otwa fadhukapo molwaashoka katu na shoka twali tatu vulu okuninga," Heita a hokolola.

Sho ta dhimbuluka andola esiku lya landulwa kwaandyoka lyoshiponokela, Heita okwa popi kutya kape na shoka a ndola she ya londodhele oshiponokela shoka.

Okwa hokolola kutya ota dhimbuluka kutya oya li taya ningi odhelela yawo yesiku ndyoka lya li Etine koshiwike, na okwa mono iinima yuuka kuyo nookomanda odha igidha opo ya holame.

Okwa popi kutya oya umbilwa oohasa opo ya kale kaaye na oonkondo.
"Konima ngaaka opo nduno twa mono kutya otwa ponokelwa. Opwa li omalilagano ogendji aantu taya dhipagwa, omagulu ogali ga napakana kehe pamwe na onda uvu ewi tali ti 'thikama wu tondoke' na onda thikama e tandi tondoka."

Aakwaita oya thiki yeli momadhagadhaga taya umbu aantu mboka taya tondoka, onda mono aantu taya yahwa okusa. "Aantu oyali owala taya gupo sho taya yahwa omanga taya tondoka."

Okwa popi kutya oya li okangundu okashona sho ya thiki pomulonga guli popepi nokamba na oyali yaana oonkondo na itaya vulu we okutondoka. Okwa popi kutya okwa mono okanona kokakadhona keli miihwa na okwe ka kutha po.
"Pethimbo ndyoka oshiponokela osha li metifa, oshinima osha li sha piyagana noonkondo."
Okwa popi kutya ye nongundu ndjoka yali nayo oyeshi pondola okuholama miihwa moka omo ya lala uusiku mboka na oya shuna owala kokamba esiku lya landula.

"Aantu yamwe oya fadhuka po na inaya galuka, yamwe oya ka galuka konima yiiwike itatu niiwike iyali. Ongula ya landula otwa kutha po omidhimba dha yakwetu mboka ya dhipagwa."

Heita okwa popi kutya kali e wete kuume ke mokamba naashoka osho shemupe oonkondo opo ya kuthepo omidhimba. "Onda mono omudhimba gwe na itandi dhimbuluka we edhina lya kuume kandje ngoka. Konima yomimvo adhihe dhoka itandi dhimbuluka edhina lye."

Sho a pulwa kombinga yonkalo ndjoka ya kala muyo konima yoshiponokela, okwa popi kutya oya li yuuvite nayi na oya kala taya imbi nokulila nonando oya tsuwa omukumo ya tsikile nekondjo.

Komanda nale Elisha Haulyondjaba, okwa popi kutya sho oCassinga ka ponokelwa okwa gandja elombwelo kookomanda ngaashi, Matias Mbulunganga naZulu Nandenga opo ya ye naye koCassinga ya katale shoka sha ningwa.
Okwa popi kutya oya yi momasiku ga5 Mei ihe oya katekwa kUNITA ngoka a li e ya holamene miihwa na oya lundululwa olweendo lwawo.
"Otwa adha okamba yi li monkalo ombwiinayi. Aantu oyendji oya sa. Otwa mono iitopolwa yomalutu guunona ya topokauka, aakuluntu naantu yoomvula adhihe," Haulyondjaba ta ti.
Okwa popi kutya sho ya thiki pendiki lyomadheulo lyaTobias Hainyeko, oya adha nale aantu yiipyakidhila nokugongela omidhimba okuza miihwa yopopepi.

Haulyondjaba ina nyanyukwa sho mboka ya ningi oshiponokela shoka inaya pangulwa.

Darius Shikongo Mbolondondo, ngoka a li omukomeho gwokamba ndjoka pethimbo ya ponokelwa okwa li a popi omathimbo ga piti sho a ningilwa naye oonkundathana koNamibian Sun kutya, eyonagulo ndyoka lya ningilwa okamba ndjoka otali ulike kutya oshiponokela shoka osha longekidha.

Okwa popi kutya oontauki odha kala nokulombwela olundji kutya odhi na okuninga ngiini uuna dha ponokela, ihe mboka opo yaadhika ya thiki kaye shi kutya otaya holama ngiini , na osha eta engwangwano mu yo sho omboma yotango yuumbwa.

PLACIDO HILUKILWA/GORDON JOSEPH

President Hage Geingob has paid tribute to the Cassinga Massacre victims, saying the commemoration of their sacrifice is a day to reflect on the country painful liberation journey.
The Cassinga Massacre on 4 May 1978 saw hundreds of Namibians killed, and many others wounded, when the South African apartheid forces attacked a Swapo base at Cassinga in Southern Angola.
“As we commemorate Cassinga Day, let us remember our mothers, fathers, daughters and sons who continue to water our freedom with the blood of their sacrifice. It is a day for us to reflect on the painful journey we have walked in order to arrive at this point in our history,” Geingob said in a statement. The president further called on Namibians to continue honouring their fallen heroes and heroines, by uniting as one people and building a Namibian House worthy of their struggle.
Geingob also paid tribute to the Cubans and Angolans, who stood with the Namibian people during the liberation struggle.
“We salute our Cuban comrades for their unwavering support, which was exemplified when they took in many of the children, who had survived the Cassinga Massacre, to study in Cuba, and allowed them an opportunity to escape from the horror of war, to pursue the promise of education,” he said. “We salute our Angolan comrades who allowed Namibians an avenue through which to escape the bleakness of the apartheid policies. You stood by us and supported us through all possible means, while providing us with safe refuge.”

STAFF REPORTER

!Oë#Gân Traditional Authority community members have been barred from entering a recent cultural festival in Okombahe, where they had hoped to express their dissatisfaction with Chief Immanuel /Gáseb inside the premises.
The group say they will submit a petition to the relevant authorities soon, after being barred from entering the festival, which took place on 30 April.
The community members had intended to demonstrate their disgruntlement with /Gáseb inside the cultural festival, which takes place annually.
Okombahe is a settlement in the Erongo Region, situated on the Omaruru River, 70km north of Karibib.
This year’s festival was to have coincided with the inauguration of a cultural village, handed over by the central government to the traditional authority.
Community members said this week that the gate to the venue where the cultural festival took place was blocked by security officers, assisted by the police, resulting in 300 protesters being locked out.
They remained outside the gates with placards complaining about /Gáseb’s “non-inclusive despotic rule from Windhoek”.
According to a statement issued by the protestors, they wanted the prevailing drought in the traditional area to be addressed before the festival took place.
They said most of the senior councillors were locked out of the festival, while only three chiefs out of eight members of the Damara Chiefs’ Council were invited to the event. Only Chief Stefanus Gariseb of the /Gowanin Traditional Authority, Chief Max Haraseb of the /Gaiodaman and Chief Juliane Gawanas of the /Khomanin were in attendance, the statement said.
“The chiefs’ council that was formed by the recognised Damara traditional authorities was once a vibrant structure with an anthem and a unity flag, but the structure has died a natural death under the chairpersonship of Chief /Gáseb,” the protestors said. “No Damara unity flag was hoisted nor was the anthem sung at the proceedings.
“We had no intention to attend or disrupt the festival. Our aim was to take the opportunity to demonstrate our resentment with Chief /Gáseb and his invited guests,” a community spokesperson said.
The spokesperson, who preferred anonymity, said the protestors have achieved what they had set out to do, adding that they will submit a formal petition to the relevant authorities “very soon”.
The protestors are accusing
/Gáseb of having resettled himself, close friends and family on a resettlement farm called Farm Daantjie, which was meant to provide more grazing to the traditional community.

CATHERINE SASMAN