OSHAKATIPLACIDO HILUKILWA

Ongongahangano oyo I lilile po ovanangeshefa moNamibia, NCCI, oya shiivifa noluhodi nonehaluko linene efyo lomunangeshefa Ali Suleiman, omutotipo nomunashipundi wongeshefa yedina International Commercial Pty Ltd mOshikango.
Suleiman okwa mana oweenda waye momafiku 16 August 2013, moLebanon mepupi lomido 74.
"Otwa kanifa omunangeshefa omunandjungu notu udite oluhodi linene," osho omunashipundi woNCCI mOnooli, Tomas Koneka Iindji a popya momushangwanghundana.
Iindji mOsoondaha okwa ile koshuumbo kOshikango a twala omahekeleko medina laye mwene nomedina loNCCI.
Suleiman okwe uyile moNamibia nokwa tota ongeshefa yaye mo-1996 nokwa kala a konekwa nawa onga omuyambidi omunene nomuyandji weeshali moshiwana shomomudingonoko waShikango, mwa kwatelwa elyenge lovakainhu novalumenhu tali yambidid opolifi mokukondjifa oimbuluma.
Okwa yambidida yo eeprojeka dihapu neengeleka.
Otaku popiwa nokutya efyo laye ola etifwa kouvela wokankela yokomapunga.
Okwa fiya ko ounona 9 nomukulukadi waye. Efudiko ola ningwa nale komukunda wavo koLebanon.

WINDHOEKELVIS MURARANGANDA

A father who recently lost two children in a fire at Tsumkwe claims a shortage of police drivers is partly to blame for the deaths.
Judah Nganjone, who lost a four-month-old baby and a three-year-old toddler when his hut burned down last Wednesday evening, says if the police had acted promptly their lives could have been saved.
"When the fire broke out I ran to the police station for assistance but I was told the driver was not there and the keys were locked in another office," said Nganjone.
"One of the officers had to call someone else to come and drive the vehicle but by that time I had already returned to my house.
"Only my wife and small children were at home and I had to struggle to try and put out the fire alone. This is until other community members came to assist me. The police only arrived when the roof had collapsed."
According to Nganjone the two children were sleeping on the floor and his wife had lit a candle which is suspected to have caused the fire.
"We have lost all our belongings in the fire and we are only left with the clothes we are wearing now," he said.
The regional police commander, Commissioner Joseph Anguwo, said he cannot deny nor confirm that prompt police action could have saved the children.
"We have a shortage of drivers, and not only at Tsumkwe but all over the police force. It might be that the driver who is stationed at that station could have been occupied with something else or on another assignment," Anguwo said.
He added that there are many police officers who do not have driver's licences.
"Another problem we face is the lack of necessary equipment to extinguish fires. We only have one truck that is at the regional headquarters [Otjiwarongo] and is used for main road incidents."
When contacted for comment, Nampol Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga blasted both Nganjone and Anguwo for speaking to Namibian Sun about the matter.
"Why did they not come to my office to complain about the shortage of drivers instead of coming to you?" asked Ndeitunga.
"I give him [Anguwo] a region to manage and he runs to you with a complaint about a shortage of drivers but he doesn't speak to me. Then he is the problem."
Ndeitunga dismissed the claims that the force faces a shortage of drivers, saying all police stations are classified and are assigned drivers according to those classifications.
"Drivers are assigned to stations based on the different classes with some having three or two or one driver. In this instance the driver could have been busy with other work like taking prisoners to the court."
He admitted to a shortage of vehicles but was adamant that his office was never informed about any shortage of drivers.
Ndeitunga further lambasted Nganjone for trying to shift the blame while he should have "taken better care of his children".
"We did not cause the fire. The parents should have taken care of their children instead of blaming someone else for their irresponsibility," fumed the chief of police.
Nganjone, who is currently staying in a tent at his father's home, is calling on good Samaritans to come to his assistance.

WINDHOEK NAMENE HELMICH

A 'Beware of the dog' sign written in German, which is also obscured, nearly cost a toddler his arm in Omaruru earlier this week.
The two-year-old child's parents became involved in a tug of war with a large dog who had grabbed him through the fence on Monday, after they had stopped for a bite to eat at Haus Wronsky restaurant.
They were en route to Walvis Bay.
However, the restaurant owner said the dog was not vicious, but is uncomfortable with people entering its space.
The distraught and traumatised mother of the little boy, who prefers to remain anonymous, said she and her husband and their two small children were passing through Omaruru when they decided to rest and have lunch at the restaurant, something they have done before.
She said upon arriving they sat down and ordered their food and were relaxing when the little boy went to play not too far away.
Suddenly, they heard him scream.
“I just saw my child's little hand being pulled by the dog and I was in such shock I didn't know what to do. I was also afraid to pull his hand from the other side of the fence, as I feared his arm would be ripped off,”' said the mother.
She said when they eventually got the dog to let go of the boy's hand, they noticed he suffered a gaping wound and rushed him to hospital.
The owner of the establishment, Grudrun Muller then told them that She the boy should not have been playing near the fence in the first place and added that the warning sign shows that there is a dog on the premises.
But the mother insists it is a family restaurant where people go to eat with their children and the least she could have done is shown some remorse
She only started to care when I said we are going to the police to open a case, saying there is no need for it,” narrated the very emotional mother.
She said when she and her husband decided to go and report the matter to the municipality, Muller showed them the animal's licence and told them that the dog was immunised and they should not worry about the child getting rabies.
The mother claims this was very insensitive, as the issue was about the safety of people visiting the establishment and not whether the dog had rabies or not.
Meanwhile, Muller said her dog is “not a vicious animal”, but is uncomfortable with people entering its space.
“I was not there when it happened but my dog does not have rabies,” she said, while confirming the attack and the sign in German.
A municipal employee at Omaruru confirmed the incident and that the restaurant owner had been cautioned to put up a sign in English, as well as in indigenous languages, which she allegedly agreed to do.

WINDHOEKNAMENE HELMICH

Dave Imbili, the chairperson of /Ae//Gams Engineering, the company that is developing the B1 City project in Windhoek, says work on the project will resume shortly after it was halted due to the death of a partner.
According to Imbili, the development was put on hold after the death of his development partner, property developer Vincent Sorensen who died four months ago.
"The project is only on hold temporarily, while we sort out some financial issues since one the partners in the development passed away. The project has not been abandoned or sold as some are thinking and in fact we expect to get back on schedule with completion soon," said the black empowerment magnate.
In the meantime, Imbili met with the bank yesterday to discuss taking over the liabilities of loan, which is financing the project.
Imbili will then decide whether to bring in new partners for the project.
He is also in discussions with Sorensen's estate to take over the late businessman's shares in the project.
Imbili also told Namibian Sun that a deal has already been concluded to sell the medical centre in the development to some doctors after completion.
/Ae//Gams Engineering took out a N$90 million loan for the project, which is planned to include a medical centre, shopping complex, a service station and a taxi rank.
The site is in a prime location between Katutura and the Western Bypass outside Windhoek.
Imbili said they are finalising most of the lease agreements, some of which were already done before Sorensen's death.
The project was halted late in 2006 after a Chinese construction company that was working on the development claimed it was not paid for its work. This led to drawn-out court battles that involved the developer and the Roads Construction Company (RCC), which had initially taken on the role of project manager.
After work was halted, the RCC lodged two cases against /Ae //Gams Engineering in the High Court in 2007 to claim about N$19,6 million from the company.
The parties reached an out-of-court settlement under which /Ae //Gams Engineering paid the RCC N$15 million.
This was money the parastatal had lent /Ae //Gams Engineering for buying Erf 10485 in Katutura for the construction of the project. /Ae //Gams Engineering revived the project again in 2012.

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

The arbitration hearing over a wage dispute at a Gobabis security company linked to the town's mayor, Sila Bezuidenhoudt, will start today.
The case was referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner for arbitration in July after several warnings were issued to the Sila Security Services since last year to comply with the minimum wage for security guards. The company has since provided several reasons to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare why it has not been complying and these reasons must be first be heard by arbitrators to decide on the way forward.
Labour Commissioner Bro-Matthew Shinguadja confirmed to Namibian Sun that the arbitration hearing is set to start today in Gobabis.
The company was served with a compliance order last year after inspections were carried out by the ministry when it was found that the company was not paying the minimum wage and also not complying with other conditions of employment.
At the end of June this year the company was again summoned to the labour inspector's offices in Gobabis where it was warned to comply with the minimum wage within a week.
After follow-up investigations were done, the case was referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner for arbitration.
The Ministry at that stage informed Namibian Sun that 11 security companies at Gobabis were visited during the follow-up investigation, but it was only Sila Security Services that was not complying with the minimum wage for security guards.
The minimum wage for entry-level security guards is N$5 per hour, plus a N$4 shift bonus where 10,5 hours or more is regarded as a full shift.
Companies that don't comply with the minimum wage are issued compliance orders and if they persist, criminal cases are opened to force them to comply. Other measures that can be taken to enforce compliance may include blacklisting non-compliant companies from receiving government tenders.

WINDHOEKFRED GOEIEMAN

The slow progress in terms of the relocation of communal farmers from the area where the Neckartal Dam is to be constructed, as well as the silence of the ministry of agriculture on the matter, has both the community and the /Hai/Khaua Traditional Authority frustrated.
The dam, which will be the biggest in Namibia upon completion, is to be built in the Fish River and will be situated close to Keetmanshoop, near the settlement of Berseba in the //Karas Region.
/Hai/Khaua Traditional Authority councillor, Cedric Thomas, said this week that a decision was taken on September 16, 2011 that affected farmers must be relocated before the construction starts.
He said the local authority had done its part by raising awareness about the project with its followers and that they were ready to participate in the construction.
However, the timeframe within which the relocation process was to have taken place had now passed.
Thomas said people have waited for so long for the Neckartal Dam project and demanded that the work must start now.
“We have no problem with whoever gets the tender, as long as those who get it handle their social responsibility aspect, correct and fairly,” Thomas argued.
Italian dam construction company Salini S.p.A was last week re-awarded the controversial multi-billion-dollar Neckartal Dam project tender.
However, it was reported earlier this week that the saga may return to the courts, with new evidence of alleged bribery and corruption being used to challenge the awarding of the tender.
The High Court ruled in April this year that the tender be sent back to be re-evaluated by the Tender Board.
Salini had initially been awarded the N$2,8 billion tender for the dam project in March, but the decision was challenged in court by CSC Joint Venture and was subsequently declared null and void.
CSC submitted a joint bid between Italian, Kuwaiti and South African dam construction companies.
The court ruling saw the tender being withdrawn despite Salini already being on site.
The company had also advertised vacancies in the local media and was preparing compensation for people that are to be relocated due to the construction of the dam.
This week Kaptein Johannes Isaack of the /Hai/Khaua Traditional Authority said the lack of boreholes and water pumps in the areas, to where most of the communal farmers are to be moved to, is delaying the relocation process.
According to him the relocation process should have continued irrespective of any court proceedings in terms of the awarding of the Neckartal tender.
“It was not necessary to wait or slow down (the relocation of communal farmers) to await a court verdict,” he stressed.
He said the drilling of boreholes and installation of water infrastructure should have been completed, enabling relocation.
“People are prepared to be relocated to places with water infrastructure,” he said.
Isaack further said he does not know whether the steering committee, which includes the traditional authority and which should have ensured the cooperation of the affected communal farmers, is still in existence.
He said the committee is not functional and has not met since the court verdict in April this year which sent the tender back the Tender Board for evaluation.
“I get the feeling the steering committee is being sidelined,” he said.

OSHAKATI MERJA IILEKA

The governor of the Oshikoto Region, Penda Ya Ndakolo, is expected to report to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) that his region is experiencing a shortage of food for drought relief.
Speaking to Namibian Sun just minutes before he was scheduled to have a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Marco Hausiku on the issue yesterday, Ya Ndakolo said a number of food aid recipients were left out due to a shortage of food.
According to him, although 37 000 people in the Oshikoto Region were listed as urgent needing drought relief, only 26 000 have received maize meal from the OPM - the office tasked with the distribution of drought relief.
"We are going to report to the Office of the Prime Minister that the food is not enough," Ya Ndakolo said.
His statement follow a front-page article in Namibian Sun yesterday on families in the Onyaanya Constituency of the Oshikoto Region who only received one tin of beef as drought relief.
The governor said although no report from Onyaanya Constituency on the shortage of drought relief was filed with his office; it comes as no surprise that some households walked away empty handed.
"Hunger is always a problem. We can never completely satisfy everyone when we distribute," said Ya Ndakolo.
The governor explained that once drought relief is received by the regional council, council officials on weekdays travel to the 10 constituencies in his region to distribute the aid, and on weekends they file reports.
"The officials in the constituencies don't normally report straight to my office, but to the chairperson of the regional council who then reports to my office. I have not received any report from Onyaanya though," said Ya Ndakolo.
He added the despite the obvious food shortage, his office last week received a donation of N$100 000 from GPT TransNamib Concrete Free pass to assist severely drought-affected families.
"We plan to buy fish and beans with the donation we received instead of giving the needy people just maize meal," said Ya Ndakolo.

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

Residents staying in the informal settlement known as Area 7 of !Nami#Nüs (Lüderitz) were up in arms yesterday because they were unable to recharge their electricity meters, which have been blocked by the municipality for the past few weeks.
These residents say they are not sure why their electricity has been blocked, although they have been informed that they owe the municipality money.
The residents yesterday marched through the streets and handed over a petition to the town council demanding that their electricity meters should be unblocked.
Their problems seem to date back several years, when the council first relocated them to Area 7 with promises of better living conditions. The residents claim that they were moved to Area 7 from another informal settlement in 2006 following an agreement with the council that was only supposed to last for six months.
One of the residents, Vicky Ipinge, told Namibian Sun that they were moved from the Amilema informal settlement to Area 7 in January 2006.
According to her the agreement was that the group would move there for only six months while the municipality would service the land at the Amilema informal settlement, after which they could return.
"It is now seven years later and we are still living at Area 7. Nobody has informed us anything again." These residents also demanded to know when they are going to be allocated permanent land in the town. "Since independence we are still suffering while others have got permanent structures."
According to Ipinge when the residents started to enquire at the municipality why their electricity has been blocked they were informed that they owe the council money for the land they are living on.
Several attempts to get comment from the municipality failed while questions sent to the CEO remained unanswered.

OSHAKATIPLACIDO HILUKILWA

A two-year-old boy, Wise Mbwale, died while on the way to a private hospital at Ongwediva, after he was knocked over by a vehicle allegedly being parked by a teenager.
The tragic incident happened at Phillip Mbangula's house in the Prestige location of Ongwediva at 11:30 Monday morning.
It is alleged that the incident occurred after Mbangula's son washed a family car and was driving it into its parking area, but did not notice a toddler from a neighbouring house who was standing right behind the car.
The car was reversing when it hit the toddler, who was immediately rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
It is alleged that the incident has traumatised the teenager to such an extent that he had to undergo trauma counselling.
Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday afternoon, Mbangula described the incident as a real tragedy.
Oshana Police spokesman Sergeant Thomas Aiyambo confirmed the incident, but did not have further details.

WINDHOEKELVIS MURARANGANDA

State House was yesterday tight-lipped about the report it received into the investigation of alleged tribalism in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and the Namibian Police, commissioned last year by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
Former justice minister Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, who led the inquiry that also covered allegations of favouritism and nepotism in the two security apparatuses, confirmed that he submitted the report to the President “a long time ago”.
Tjiriange, now the special advisor to the minister of home affairs, was to be assisted by retired Police Lieutenant-General Raonga Andima, but the latter yesterday said he did not take part in the investigation.
Yesterday, presidential affairs minister Albert Kawana could not say anything about the status of the report and what Pohamba plans to do about the findings.
But while the presidency is yet to pronounce itself on the findings of the probe, a new wave of similar allegations has hit one of the NDF's key wings, the Namibian Air Force.
Some members of that wing are accusing senior management of maladministration, favouritism and tribalism in recruitment and promotions.
The allegations were vehemently denied by the wing, which threatened to charge whistleblowers if exposed.
One of the latest allegations is that the air force commander, Air Vice-Marshal Martin Pinehas, favours those from his tribe and village and has allegedly warned others not to go the media with any complaint.
A letter in possession of Namibian Sun details how Pinehas allegedly favoured a certain squadron leader, S.T Ntinda, to go on a United Nations mission.
“Ntinda joined the Namibian Air Force in 2010. Within just four months of him being here as a legal officer he went on a United Nations mission in Darfur, Sudan, as an air operations officer,” it read.
According to the author/s of the letter, this slot should have been given to a pilot, technician or air traffic controller.
“In the Namibian Air Force there are a lot of pilots/technicians/air traffic controllers that have been here since the establishment of the then Air Wing. This member [Ntinda] has no experience whatsoever in the aviation industry.”
Deputy Air Commander Colonel Paavo Kamanya said Ntinda was qualified to be part of the mission and was not sent because he is of the same tribe as Pinehas.
“When we send people on missions we do not look at whether they are black or white or green, we look at whether they meet the requirements to go on the mission,” said Kamanya.
“He [Ntinda] was not new to the army. He had been part of the army before he joined the Air Force. The decision was not made at the Air Force; it came from the NDF headquarters.”
On why no pilot, technician or air traffic controller was sent on the mission, Kamanya responded: “We do not send them on missions because there is no place for them and also we only have a limited number of them.”
He slammed the complaining air force members for wanting to go on these missions “simply for the money” and added that the allegations that they are sidelined on tribal grounds are “devoid of any truth”.
Another allegation is that the portfolio of the head of the legal office is currently vacant but neither of the two qualified prosecutors in that department has been appointed to that post, allegedly because they are not Pinehas's favourites.
Kamanya retorted: “The NDF has a legal office at the headquarters and that department has to appoint the right person into that portfolio and not the Air Force.”
It is further alleged that the air force commander has headman status at his village and is “campaigning at work with taxpayers' money to improve his village members' lifestyles and his status at the village”.
“This is not a civilian organisation. It is the military. There are channels for anyone to give their problems and they know they are not supposed to go to the media. That in itself is chargeable,” Kamanya responded.
He denied allegations that those members who report corruption through the military system would be intimidated, blacklisted and have no future in the NDF.

OSHAKATI MERJA IILEKA

Aaniilonga ya li ya kutwa miilonga okulonga ondjila yomamanya yaShikuku-Ekango Linene yoshinano shookilometa 23 otaya nyenyeta kutya Ehangano lya Nexus group olye ya futu oondjambi dhananga noonkondo na odhili pevi lyondjambi yopetameko yuuthwa komusindalandu gwaaniilonga moshilongo.

Pahapu dhaaniilonga yahamano mboka yaka konga ekwatho okuza kEhangano lilile po aaniilonga yomatungo lyoNamibia Building Workers Union (Nabwu), oya ti Nexus group okwe ya futu ooN$41 mesiku nonando omusindalandu gwaaniilonga ogwuutha ondjambi yopetameko yi kale ooN$11.11 mowili.
Aaniilonga mboka ya longa ondjila ndjoka okutameka omwedhi Januali omvula ya piti sigo oMaalitsa gwonuumvo oya holola kutya oya dhidhilike owala kutya oya futwa oondjambi dhili pevi noonkondo konima shoo ya mana iilonga na oyali ya pewa oonzapo dhekwashilipaleko kutya oya longa opoloyeka ndjoka noonzapo dhawo odha holola kutya oyali haya futwa ooN$11.11 mowili.

Sho ya pula omugandji gwawo gwiilonga Nexus okweya ya yamukula kutya oyali haya futwa kwiikolelelwa kiilonga ya longo mesiku.
"Otwali hatu longo okutameka oheyali yongula sigo ontano komatango. Ethimbo limwe otwali ha tulongo mehuliloshiwike ihe inatu lombwelwa kutya otatu futwa shiikwatelela kiilonga yesiku nuuna twa mana iilonga tu na okulonga esiku ndyoka otatu vulu okuya komagumbo. Uuyelele mboka owe ya owala polweela konima shoo twa ningi omapulaapulo moshikumungu shoka," aaniilonga mboka ya ti.
Primus Josef ngoka e li Omukwatakanithi gwoNabwu moshitopolwa okwa lombwele oshifokundaneki shoNamibian Sun kutya aaniilonga mboka oya ka konga ekwatho kehangano ndyoka molwaashoka oya kengelelwa. Ka pwali etsokumwe tali ulike kutya aaniilonga mboka otaya futwa pailonga yesiku.

"Ehangano ndyoka otali kongo owala omaipopilo opo kali fute aaniilonga oondjambi dhuuthwa komusindalandu gwaaniilonga. Oye na iimaliwa yaaniilonga oyindji," Joseph ta ti.
Sho a ningwa na ye ekwatahano Omunambelewa gwOonzo dhoPauntu moNexus group Elias Erastus okwa ti ehangano lyawo inali dhimbulula nenge ihali longithwa oNabwu noshifokundaneki shoNamibian Sun nashi ka konge omauyelele kEhangano lyo Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu).
Erastus okuukitha omapulo a pulwa komupokati moshikumungu shika, Martha Shipushu.
Shipushu ina vula okutya sha moshikumungu shika molwaashoka okwa tegelelwa ku ka tamekithwe oonkundathana pokati koombinga dhoka mbali shoo oNexus group ya dopa okuya ohela koombelewa dhUuministeli wAaniilonga mOshakati.
Pahapu dhaShipushu momasiku gahetatu gAguste ehangano lyaaniilonga olya li lya tsakanene nEhangano lyaNexus group opo oombinga ndhoka dhi adhe etsokumwe ihe sho dhadopa okwaadha etsokumwe oshikumungu osha li shina okutsikila ohela.
"Tse ka twali po na ka tu shi shoka sha holoka po. Otwa kambadhala okupwaakena omahokololo okuza koombinga adhihe mbali ihe odha nyengwa okwaadha etsokumwe, nena Nexus ina holoka opo a yelithe ombinga ye," Shipushu ta ti.
Kombinga yomapopyo kutya aaniilonga mboka otaya longitha oNabwu pehala lyoManwu, Josef okwa ti oya li ya gandja omayele kaaniilonga mboka opo ya ka konge ekwatho koManwu ihe sho inaya pewa ekwatho oye ya galukile.
"Omuniilonga kehe oku na uuthemba okuhogolola ehangano kehe ndyoka tali vulu okumukalela po, otse twa holola uupyakadhi mboka onkene Nexus ne tu yamukule ina tu pumbwa okuyamukulwa koManwu.

TSUMKWE NAMPA

A forest ranger at Tsumkwe this week expressed worry about veld fires that have continued to destroy huge tracts of communal land in Tsumkwe West since mid-July.
Patrick Sankwasa told Nampa that a day does not pass without his office receiving reports of veld fires in the area.
He said although his office conducted some fire awareness campaigns this year in the Tsumkwe Constituency, Tsumkwe West continues to experience frequent fires.
"The veld fire cut-lines had been cleared in the area already in an attempt to stop the flames from crossing over to other land and burning the whole area, but huge portions of communal land here still continue to be destroyed by fire," he said.
"We also don't have fire-fighting trucks. Therefore, I think it is now time for our traditional leaders to talk to community members not to start fires. Some vegetation has been destroyed completely, and I suspect that it will not recover from this fire," he said.
Sankwasa warned that according to the Forest Fire Management Control Act, no person may light a grass fire in a communal or commercial area unless it is done in accordance with a fire management plan.
Section 55 (Forestry) of the Criminal Procedure Act authorises forestry officers to open a criminal case against any arsonist.
Since 2001, there has been no arrest of any arsonist in the Tsumkwe area as the culprits are unknown.
"However, it is always alleged here that poachers, cattle herders and smokers normally lit fires in this constituency," Sankwasa said.

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

The battle over the new name that has been bestowed on Namibia's southern harbour town seems to be far from over.
While blame is being shifted from the local and regional authorities in !Nami?Nüs (Lüderitz) over the lack of public consultation at the town prior to the name change, pressure is also mounting on the government, with legal experts saying the renaming was illegal because the proper processes were not followed.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia yesterday refused to speculate on whether any court challenge to the name change of !Nami?Nüs will have any effect on the voters' roll for next year's general elections.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Buchters yesterday met in !Nami?Nüs to discuss the way forward after they gained a legal opinion.
The Lüderitz Our Heritage Committee that has been established is demanding that the name change be rescinded and that the entire process should be done over with consultations that include all stakeholders.
Some of the members that Namibian Sun spoke to yesterday claimed that President Hifikepunye Pohamba was misled, because recommendations apparently did not include changing the name of the town Lüderitz but only the name of the constituency.
Residents have also questioned the fact that the Government Gazette only mentions the changing of the name of Lüderitz Constituency and not that of the town.
Residents have sought preliminary legal advice from human rights lawyer Clement Daniels, who said that there is a strong case for reviewing this decision because there were no consultations and the decision-makers acted beyond their powers.
One of the major issues that Daniels has highlighted is the fact that although Section 5 of the Regional Councils Act empowers the President to appoint the Delimitation Committee, their powers are limited to the establishment or changing of the regional and constituency boundaries and recommending name changes of regions and constituencies.
Daniels also pointed out that towns are defined in the Local Authorities Act and there is a definite difference between a town and a constituency.
"Any such changes should have been done subject to consultations with the people whose rights and interests stand to be affected. No such consultations took place," he said.
According to Daniels, the fact that the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Albert Kawana, has now stated that the renaming has not been completed, has created even more confusion among residents. The President must complete the renaming by amending it in the Local Authority Act and the Townships and Division of Land Ordinance Act.
Under Section 23 of the latter Act, the name of an approved township may be changed upon application by the local authority within whose area of jurisdiction it is situated. Such a change is subject to the approval of the minister and to such conditions as the minister may impose.
"Are they saying that the name has not changed?" Daniels asked.
When asked whether a legal challenge could have any impact on the voters' roll, Daniels said that it could have because people would have to know what the town's name is. "People have to know the name of the town they are registered for and the local authority. We hope it will not come to that. We hope that they realise that they have not complied with the law and will go back to the public and hear what they have to say."
Lawyer Norman Tjombe supported the views of Daniels and said that the Delimitation Commission did not have the right to change the name of the town. "The town council had to make an application to the minister if there was to be any changes made." But even then the residents had to be consulted.
Tjombe stressed that changing the name of a town is not a small matter and that there are expenses to be considered.

OSHAKATI MERJA IILEKA

The Chinese owners of an Oshakati-based store yesterday found themselves on the wrong side of the law, when police officers raided their store and allegedly found counterfeit goods and a bucket of human poo.
During the raid at shop no. 5, situated at a Chinese-owned complex next to Toyota Pupkewitz, police found the bucket of human excrement, which belongs to one of the shop owners, Lirong Xu.
The Oshakati police was called to the store to maintain order, after an argument erupted between the shop owners and a representative of the Namibia Building Workers Union (Nabwu), Primus Josef.
Josef had gone to the store to resolve a labour matter involving one of the workers of the Chinese shop, who was allegedly dismissed without warning by her boss, Jianyuu Xie, after she allegedly failed to charge his cellphone battery as he had instructed her.
After the employers allegedly refused to cooperate, the employee, Anna Junias, decided to open a can of worms and revealed to police officers present where the Chinese owners were hiding their counterfeit goods.
“They mistreat us and constantly insult us. Even if there are no customers in the shop, we are not allowed to sit, even for a little bit,” she said.
Junias, who has been working at the store for 20 months, receives a basic salary of N$400, N$120 for lunch and N$120 for working on both Saturday and Sunday.
“We don't get holidays. Even if you are sick, the owners of the shop require you to come to work,” added Junias.
Josef claims they went to the store to merely talk to the owners about paying Junias for allegedly unfairly dismissing her.
“The Labour Act was not followed when the employee was dismissed. There was no written warning or a disciplinary hearing, so what we want is that they pay her three months of her salary,” said Josef.
During the raid, police confiscated counterfeit Diesel and Timberland jeans, as well as Ben 10 and Superman clothing for children.
A visibly upset Xu told Namibian Sun that she throws her own excrement away and has never made any of her employees throw it out for her.
“The issue of the toilet, I'm sorry. I asked for a toilet, but they are taking too long to build it. I throw away myself. I never told the worker to throw away or clean the bucket because it is my own dirt,” said Xu.
Junias claims that Xu disposes of her excrement by throwing it in a water drain in front of the store, which she insists is unhygienic.
“We make use of the bushes far away, but she prefers to go in a bucket, which stinks up the entire store and these are the conditions we work under,” said Junias.

WINDHOEKFAITH SANKWASA

Zambezi Regions' acting regional education director, Austin Samupwa, has dismissed a report which claimed that the high dropout rate in the region last year among female learners was because of them getting married.
Samupwa, however, acknowledged that a high pregnancy rate among school-going learners is common.
He also said the directorate has gone back to the drawing board to access on how to retain learners at the region's schools.
According to Education Management Information System (EMIS) statistics for 2012, a total of 485 learners dropped out of school, citing illness, distance, pregnancy and early marriage as the main reasons.
The EMIS statistics also indicated that out of a total of 282 female learners, 28 dropped out of school to focus on their marriages, while 50 learners fell pregnant.
Out of a total 203 male learners who dropped out, only three said this was because of so-called 'early marriage'.
The report said that a total of 22 learners dropped out because of unspecified illnesses, 25 because of parents demanding that they do so and another 22 because of their age.
Two male learners also left because of hunger.
According to the report, 16 learners dropped out due to disability - six females and 10 males.
Samupwa said it is of serious concern when learners leave school, “as they are more likely to be unemployed, have poor health, live in poverty, be on a government grant and become single parents”.
“I am not aware of such a report being conducted in the region; hence I cannot dwell in detail on it. I, however, know that I have no reports in my office indicating such a rate of learners leaving formal education. In fact, since the free education policy was introduced, there has been an increase in school-going learners,” he said.
An official from the National Institute for Special Education, which falls under the Ministry of Education, said learners with disabilities are more to likely to drop out of school because of the lack disability-friendly premises.
The source, who did not want to be named, said a socio-economic study conducted in 2010 indicated that as many as 20% of disabled learners from poor backgrounds drop out of formal education.
“It is, however, encouraged that parents of disabled children enrol them in schools that are equipped to care and handle their disabilities. However, this proves difficult in rural areas in Namibia, where parents tend to send them to 'normal schools', only to have them drop out,” said the source.

WINDHOEKNAMENE HELMICH

Women are far too often portrayed simply as victims or objects of beauty in the country's media, rather than professionals and other meaningful contributors to society.
This is view of Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Rosalia Nghidinwa, who yesterday called on female journalists to play a more critical role in addressing such stereotypes.
Speaking at an International Women's Day event organised by the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund, Nghidinwa also said while the country's population comprises many women who live in rural areas, the local media displays a strong urban bias in their coverage.
“More than 40% of news stories in the media covers events or are related to events in the Khomas Region, Windhoek in particular. This figure rises to nearly 60% when the national stories are circulated. The Gender and Media Baseline Study (GMBS) of 2003 found that only 19% of stories are about women and that women are typically portrayed as victims, objects of beauty or in unusual stories, rather than as spokespersons or in professional capacities,” she said.
She further noted that media coverage of women gives little insight into their contributions to the development of the country.
She added that although there are a high number of women in the media industry, females are still underrepresented in decision-making positions and the issues that affect more women than men are not given equal prominence.
The minister also highlighted several challenges facing young girls in Namibia, including rape, baby dumping, discrimination at the workplace, teenage pregnancies, early marriages and school dropouts, as well as unemployment and poverty.
“I would like to urge women in leadership to be the role models of Namibian girls who are the leaders and wives of tomorrow. The time has come Namibian women and men to create platforms where issues of gender equality and women empowerment are discussed collectively.”
Meanwhile, the minister congratulated the MVA Fund's newly-appointed chief executive officer, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, on her appointment, saying it adds value to women empowerment in Namibia.
“I hope and believe that more women will rally behind you to overcome all challenges faced by female managers, both in the public and private sector. Madam Hausiku, your invitation for all of us to come and celebrate and share information and knowledge about pertinent issues facing us such as gender-based violence, financial literacy and self-development for career success is a move in the right direction and this initiative also serves as preparation for Namibian women to implement 50/50 representation in decision-making by 2015 as per Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol,” said Nghidinwa.
Martins-Hausiku, who takes over the fund's reins on October 1, said opportunities are opening up for women to succeed in all spheres of business and it is therefore time for them to redefine themselves and their role, especially in the workplace.
“We must be ambitious and fearless in voicing our opinions in the boardroom and courageous enough to occupy our rightful place. I believe there is nothing impossible if you have a vision and are willing to learn and work hard to bring it to life. We must join hands to speak out and champion the holistic liberation of women in Namibia. We must work hard to uproot the cultural patriarchy that fuels the belief by some men that they have the right of ownership to a woman's body,” said she.
She also said she is proud to say that over 56% of the MVA Fund's workforce is female and they occupy 49% of leadership positions at the institution.
She said this is a clear indication that at the fund, the empowerment of women is not merely a dream enshrined in policy documents but a reality that is lived every day.

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

Outgoing director of elections Moses Ndjarakana's controversy-ridden stint at the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) was the reason behind the non-renewal of his contract, political observers said.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba has appointed a new director of elections who will head the ECN for the next five years and oversee next year's general elections.
Dr Paul Isaak will take over at the helm of the ECN from September 1, the ECN announced yesterday.
He replaced Ndjarakana who had a turbulent five years at the ECN - including criticism by the High Court of the manner he ran the contentious 2009 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP)'s Libolly Haufiku, who led a bid by nine opposition parties to have the 2009 election results nullified, charged that Ndjarakana was not fit to run elections.
"He did not possess the credibility needed to run elections. I think government took note of Judge Petrus Damaseb's verdict regarding Ndjarakana's conduct," he said.
The Congress of Democrats' Natji Tjirera, who was also actively involved in the 2009 election court challenge, said Ndjarakana did not perform according to expectations.
"He was in a position of trust but we were not impressed with his performance. In fact he should have been charged with perjury for claiming that a voters' roll which had inflated numbers of people did not originate from the ECN."
Tjirera was quick to point out that blaming the entire mess on Ndjarakana and leaving out the ECN commissioners would be unfair.
"Commissioners too played hide-and-seek games with us (the opposition)," he said.
Announcing Isaak's appointment, ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja expressed confidence in the new election chief.
"The necessary wisdom was exercised in the appointment and it is not for us to question it. The appointment has been made in confidence and trust and the ECN will continue to give the necessary services in the upcoming elections," said Tjipueja.
Isaak expressed his gratitude to Pohamba for entrusting him with the "enormous task".
"One feels very small when you receive such a letter of appointment from the President."
He further said that all stakeholders of the ECN should remember that they are equal and emphasised that he will continue on the road that the ECN and his predecessor have paved, focusing on directing, controlling and supervising elections.
"This coordination and supervision of activities carried out should be done in a fair and impartial way and it should be done ... according to the Electoral Act," he said.
Ndjarakana's term ended in July and he applied for a fresh term.
Five candidates were shortlisted for the position, and two names were then recommended to the President. The ECN did not want to reveal the name of the second candidate recommended along with Isaak.
Those shortlisted were Ndjarakana, current Deputy Director of Elections Ananias Elago, Director of Finance, Administration and Human Resources at the Ministry of Safety and Security Welma Enssle, the Executive Director of the Joint Consultative Council (JCC), Alberts Munyanya Kulobone, and Isaak, who is a lecturer at the University of Namibia.

OSHAKATI MERJA IILEKA

Road construction workers who were temporarily employed by the Nexus Group to construct the 23 km Oshikuku-Ekango Linene road are accusing the giant construction company of paying them way below the minimum wage.
According to six temporary construction workers who have sought the assistance of the Namibia Building Workers Union (Nabwu), the Nexus group only paid them N$41 per day while the gazetted minimum wage is N$11.11 per hour.
The employees, who worked on the road from January last year to this year March, claim they only realised that they were being underpaid after they completed the project and were given certificates of service which stated that the company paid them N$11.11 per hour during their employment.
When they approached their employer, the workers further claim, the Nexus Group allegedly informed that them that the amount they received per day was "task based".
"Our clocks show that we worked every day from seven in the morning until five in the afternoon. Sometimes we even worked on weekends. We were never told we were working per task and that we were free to leave the workplace upon completion of our so-called tasks. That information only came to light after we made inquiries," said one worker.
Primus Josef, Nabwu regional coordinator, told Namibian Sun that the temporary workers approached the union because they were being "robbed", since they had no agreement on being paid per task.
"The Nexus Group was merely trying to find a cop-out so as to not pay the workers the minimum wage. They owe these workers a lot of money in back pay," said Josef.
When contacted for comment, the Nexus Group human resource manager Elias Erastus said his company does not recognise Nabwu and that Namibian Sun should rather get comment from the exclusive bargaining agent, which is the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu).
Erastus also forwarded queries to the conciliator in the matter, Martha Shipushu, insisting that no comment from Nexus was necessary once such comments were obtained.
"If you want to give your story some oomph, go speak to the conciliator in the matter and the exclusive bargaining agent," said Erastus.
Shipushu could not comment much on the issue as the matter will now go for arbitration after the Nexus group yesterday failed to show up at the Ministry of Labour offices in Oshakati to clarify the issue of payment.
According to Shipushu, on August 8, the union met with the Nexus Group for conciliation, but after the parties failed to reach agreement, the matter was set to continue yesterday.
"We were not there, so we don't know what happened. We tried to get the story from both parties but they failed to reach an agreement. Today, Nexus did not show up to clarify a few issues," said Shipushu yesterday.
On the issue of the former workers using their union instead of Manwu, Josef said that they had initially advised the temporary construction workers to go to Manwu, but after they didn't get assistance, instead approached them.
"A worker is allowed to go to whichever union they deem fit to represent them. This is their democratic right. We are the ones who declared a dispute so Nexus should answer to us, not Manwu," said Josef.

WINDHOEKFRED GOEIEMAN

An Ondangwa-based lawyer, who along with five others is charged with defrauding the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund of N$3.5 million, has denied any wrongdoing in his testimony before the High Court yesterday.
Arumugam Thambapilai, 68, gave evidence on the procedures followed in relation to the accident claims that were submitted between February 2001 and September 2005 by his law firm, Thambapilai Associates.
He is charged together with Timoteus Amutenya Sakeus, Linda Shipalanga, Martin Eriki, Festus Shidume and George Hatutale.
The charges flow from seven claims that were submitted to the fund.
Four claims amounting to N$3,5 million were allegedly paid out.
Thambapilai is charged with 16 counts, made up of six charges of fraud, seven counts of forgery and uttering, two counts of theft and a charge of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.
Earlier in his plea explanation he denied having been aware of any misrepresentations that may have been made to the MVA Fund in claims which his law firm prepared on the instruction of its clients.
He also denied that he at any stage had any intention to defraud the MVA Fund or anyone else.
Thambapilai further testified that the money paid out to the claimants was deposited into his law firm's trust fund.
The bank informed the firm about the deposits and they in turn notified their clients.
A cheque was then made out in the client's name at the bank where their bank account was held.
"We always advise our clients on how to invest the money. We notified the bank that accounts have to be opened in the name of our clients," Thambapilai said.
He said power of attorney, given to him by his clients, enabled him to act on their behalf to complete road accident claims.
This enabled him to investigate whether the accident had happened and who may have been at fault.
He also used the power of attorney to obtain medical and police reports required in terms of client claims.
Thambapilai said he had served in Zambia in the 1970s as a legal aid lawyer, prosecutor and later as a magistrate.
During the 1980s he headed the Magistrate and Prosecutors Training Centre at the United Nations Institute for Namibia, which was based in Lusaka. After independence he had worked at various law firms, before opening his own practice.
The trial continues before Judge AK Simpson.
Attorney Ed Marondedze prosecutes, while advocate Louis Botes appears for Thambapilai.
Attorneys Bradley Basson and Jorge Neves appear on behalf of the other accused.

WINDHOEKELVIS MURARANGANDA

A lecturer at the University of Namibia (Unam) has been cited in a damning secret report that alleges that he is in the country to partly run a secret office of a Rwandan organisation that plans to overthrow two governments in Southern Africa.
Francois Bangamwabo, a Unam law lecturer of Rwandan nationality is cited in an intelligence report that claims he “heads the Namibia office” and “handles and distributes finances”.
Bangamwabo, according to the report, works for Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an organisation linked to exiled former Rwandan army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa.
The Rwandan national has denied any knowledge of the report and of how his name ended up in it.
The report came as a result of an investigation into the activities of suspended South African trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi, allegedly related to effecting regime change in his country.
Vavi was suspended as the general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) after a junior member of the union had laid a rape charge against him.
He has himself called the spy report “bogus”.
However, Vavi maintains that he and others "perceived as opponents and who dare to speak truth to power" are being accused of conspiring with NED to effect regime change in South Africa.
The report in possession of Namibian Sun reveals investigations into a string of covert military activities in South Africa, allegedly under the leadership of Nyamwasa.
Nyamwasa reportedly fled to South Africa in February 2010 after being accused of involvement in terrorist activities in Rwanda.
The report charges that the American-funded organisation NED has allegedly been funding Nyamwasa to set up bases to secretly train Rwandans in South Africa to be infiltrated back into their home country.
The report further states that South Africa President Jacob Zuma and his administration are not aware of these bases. “The NED has incited insurgency way back when there was xenophobic violence,” it reads.
The report also contains detailed communication transcripts between the investigator and the people who commissioned the investigations.
One of the messages reads: “NED, which is involved in all of this, is not a small company or organisation. It can fund political parties, individuals and is now planning two coups in neighbouring countries. They are patient; they have resources and capacity so we need to tread carefully.”
According to the report, the Unam lecturer is part of the structure of the secret Rwandan organisation, which has people strategically placed in SA's neighbouring countries.
When contacted for comment, Bangamwabo said he has no idea how his name was dragged into the report.
“I am a law lecturer at Unam and I have never been involved in any of those activities and have not even seen that report,” said Bangamwabo.
“No one approached me to be part of that and I would not want to associate myself with such activities.
“I know the general [Nyamwasa]. He used to work with the current Rwandan president [Paul Kagame] until they had a fallout and he fled to SA.”
“Those people are now killing people in Rwanda. How can I be part of that? I am shocked to say the least.
“I cannot discuss the content of the report because I have not seen it. I am sure this country [Namibia] has its own intelligence [service] who would have intercepted such activities by now.”
According to the report, other Rwandan intelligence operatives who are loyal to Nyamwasa are said to be in Mozambique - where the logistics are coordinated; Zambia - where legal work and protocol is run and Zimbabwe - where the recruitment takes place.
In Rwanda, an operative facilitates the entry and exit of other operatives into that country, the report claims.