WINDHOEK DENVER ISAACS

Five new mines are expected to go into operation in Namibia within the next two to three years, a development the Chamber of Mines in Namibia says augurs well for an industry emerging from three years of stagnant growth.
In a presentation detailing developments in the sector last year, Chamber of Mines in Namibia CEO Veston Malango expressed enthusiasm despite a number of safety challenges, economic market concerns and uncertainties.
Malango was speaking at the recent 2013 Mining Conference and Expo, sponsored by the chamber.
The local mining sector saw a turnover of N$18,52 billion in 2012, Malango said, an improvement over 2011's N$15,8 billion.
Wages and salaries amounted to N$2,93 million, also up from 2011, when ithe figure stood at N$2,5 billion.
Government coffers received N$2,08 billion in taxes, while total royalties paid out by the industry to its shareholders amounted to N$957,7 million.
In terms of employment, the industry provided 7 898 people with permanent positions, 474 with temporary jobs and further employed 5 176 contractors.
Companies expected to join the sector in the next two to three years are B2Gold, Husab Uranium, Tschudi, Zhonghe Resources and Shiyele Iron.
In terms of employment projections, the expanding industry would likely create 4 000 new jobs by 2017, as well as 8 000 construction jobs, and bring the number of permanently employed in the industry to 11 000.
Another prospect Malango said he was excited about is Namibia's potential to jump to world number two behind Kazakhstan in uranium production, should it manage to up production to an expected 13,6 thousand tons a year.
In 2011, the country's uranium production stood at 3 258 tons, behind Niger, Australia and Canada, who in the same year produced 4,4 thousand tons, six thousand tons and 9,1 thousand tons respectively. Kazakhstan produced 19,451 thousand tons of uranium in 2011.

WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA

The three accused murderers of International University Management (IUM) student Eliakim Inane were granted bail on Tuesday by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court in Katutura.
The three - Shadino Bowe, Llewellyn Beukes and Wildrew Visagie - are charged with murder, arson and obstructing or defeating the course of justice, alternatively violating a dead body.
Bowe, Beukes and Visagie paid bail of N$5 000 each to be released from police custody where they have been since their arrest in February this year.
The three must report to the Wanaheda police station every Monday and Friday and may not leave the Windhoek district.
Magistrate Alpha Haihambo further ordered that they may not interfere with police investigations and that they must hand in all their travel documents.
The matter was postponed to July 30.
The three stand accused of attacking and wounding Iinane, 30, and throwing him into the boot of the taxi he was driving before burning it with him still alive inside, on August 2012 in Windhoek's Otjomuise residential area.
The taxi Inane was driving belonged to his cousin.
During one of the bail hearings, Visagie, 22, claimed that he had no knowledge of a written confession bearing his signature.
Visagie claimed that the investigating officer, Inspector Zakaria Amakali, had tricked him into signing a document he was not allowed to read, which has now been submitted as evidence.
Visagie further claimed that Amakali had promised to make him a State witness in exchange for his statement.
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Anthony Wilson, Visagie corroborated his cousin Beukes's statement that on the night of the murder they had been together at a bar when they saw Bowe driving around in a red Corolla.
Visagie said they hitched a ride with Bowe and drove to Otjomuise where the three continued drinking. He said he was dropped off at his home at 02:00.
Visagie is represented by Milton Engelbrecht while Beukes and Bowe are represented by Boris Isaacks and James Diedericks respectively.

EENHANA PLACIDO HILUKILWA

About 140 000 people in the Ohangwena Region urgently need food aid, as the region's harvest is estimated to be only half its normal size this year.
According to an assessment of the office of the prime minister, Ohangwena is the second hardest hit by the drought after Omusati.
According to Ohangwena chief regional officer Daniel Kashikola, the flood-prone constituencies - Endola, Ongenga and Engela - are the hardest hit by the drought because of the nature of the soil there.
There is no food to speak of and no grazing for the livestock. That is a natural disaster, he said.
He said the regional council has received 40 000 bags of maize meal, weighing 12,5 kg each, to distribute to the worst affected people while waiting for the general distribution of drought relief to start.
He said the available food is being distributed to the 40 000 most needy households, but about 97 000 other people are facing hardship and will need assistance very soon.
Kashikola said the general distribution of drought relief will start sooner than later .
He encouraged livestock farmers to reduce their herds by selling off some of the animals. The government will not be in a position to provide fodder, but it can provide a subsidy to those who are selling their animals, he said.
Ondobe Constituency councillor Mandume Pohamba said the situation in his constituency is very bad, with no harvest to speak of. From a distance some mahangu fields appear promising, but closer scrutiny reveals that the mahangu plants have no grain at all. We did not receive enough rain and the little we received stopped before our mahangu fields were ready for harvest, he said.
With regard to livestock Pohamba echoed Kashikola, encouraging farmers to sell their animals before it is too late. Animals cannot, and will not, survive this drought. Selling is the only way to avoid loss, he said.
Omundaungilo Constituency councillor Festus Ikanda said the situation in his area is not much different from the rest of the region. There is no harvest at all, neither is there water and grazing for animals, he said. People need urgent assistance.

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

Role-players in the tourism sector gathered yesterday for the opening of the 15th Namibia Tourism Expo, which annually attracts thousands of visitors.
At the event the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) was officially launched by Prime Minister Hage Geingob. This report indicated that tourism contributed N$3, 8 billion to the GDP last year and created 22 857 jobs.
The chairperson of Democratic Media Holdings, Monica Kalondo, reconfirmed the company's commitment to hosting the expo. What started off as a DMH show has passed on to the broader tourism community, said Kalondo.
She added that the entire Namibia is proud of the expo and that it has not only grown in visitor numbers, but also in the quality of stands. According to her 19 000 visitors last year passed through the expo gates, while 2 000 exhibitors took part.
The minister of environment and tourism, Uahekua Herunga, said the Tourism Expo serves as a platform for the country's tourism industry to promote and market their products and services.
He said internal and external constraints pose a real and urgent concern for the future of tourism.
Exponential tourism growth driven by rapidly developing Asian and Middle Eastern tourist markets, the country's infrastructure constraints and limited manpower resources are all major pressures bearing down on the industry, according to Herunga.
Travellers are also becoming much more discerning and are coming with greater expectations and demands, he said.
Namibia must start exploring the road less travelled towards quality tourism.
Prime Minister Geingob suggested that tourists should be treated as VIPs. He proposed that VIP tourist centres should be opened at airports where arrivals should be treated like royalty. Another suggestion that he made was that SADC countries should package their tourist destinations together instead of competing against each other. We do not have to compete, our countries are all different.
Geingob further said that Namibia should focus more on eco-tourism and cultural activities to promote the country.
The mayor of Windhoek, Agnes Kafula, highlighted the importance of the expo for the capital.
There are a lot of spin-offs that we can derive from the expo, such as the increase in tourist numbers and the attraction of business events to the capital, she said.

OSHAKATI PLACIDO HILUKILWA

The Ministry of Defence is disturbed by anonymous calls to bring back the former chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), Lieutenant-General (retired) Martin Shalli.
Reacting to an open letter written by NDF members demanding the reinstatement of General Shalli as head of the NDF, defence permanent secretary Petrus Shivute said his ministry cannot comment on the issue, as the president is the appointing authority.
The prerogative to appoint and remove chiefs of the defence force rests entirely with the President of the republic and the ministry will not comment on that issue. The ministry is however seriously disturbed by these anonymous calls, as they seem to question the wisdom in the decisions of the appointing authority, Shivute said.
The letter writers also alleged rampant irregularities and corruption in the country's armed forces.
Tribalism, favouritism and regionalism in the NDF are the cause of death of some hardworking members whose efforts are not given due recognition, they said, calling on President Hifikepunye Pohamba to intervene to root out this disease before it destroys the whole force.
Listing examples of alleged nepotism, corruption and favouritism, the authors alleged that NDF members are promoted based on their relations either with senior NDF officers or high-ranking politicians.
Reacting to the allegations, Shivute advised the authors to make use of internal mechanisms of addressing complaints and grievances. By making use of the internal mechanisms, he or she will equally assist the institution to correct the wrongs for the benefit of all by giving details instead of running to the media with unsubstantiated allegations and forcing our personnel to spend much of their time trying to investigate wild allegations made by a person not prepared to stand for them, he said.
Shivute further said that some of the allegations were of a general nature and it would be very difficult to verify their accuracy.
On the allegation that the relatives of high-ranking officers or senior politicians are recruited for the NDF or sent on promotional courses without following proper procedures, Shivute said nothing improper was done.
Those members who were recruited through 'special projects', such as children of the liberation struggle, were all entitled to be recruited as they all met the condition of being born in exile and that includes children of defence force officers or ex-ministers of defence, he said adding that his ministry sees nothing sinister in the recruitment of such children.
On promotions in the NDF, Shivute said they are not a one-man show but are done through an existing system of checks and balances.
Regarding the controversial Chinese bursaries - already the subject of an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission - Shivute said the Ministry of Defence did not play any role in awarding the bursaries.

WINDHOEK ELIVS MURARANGANDA

Farmers in the Otjinene Constituency of the Omaheke Region are accusing their traditional leader of trying to con them out of cattle given to them by the German government.
Chief Stefanus Gariseb is accused of putting his personal brand on cattle given to the farmers by the National Planning Commission (NPC), as part of the Namibia-German Special Initiative programme.
Sources told Namibian Sun that close to 102 cattle, which were divided among 34 farmers in that area, are now all sporting the chief's brand.
The cattle arrived here at Otjinene in November 2012 and were divided on the third of that month. About a month after this, the chief went from home to home, branding the cattle with his brand mark, the sources alleged.
According to information received, when Gariseb was asked about this move, he allegedly replied that the farmers had asked him to do so.
According to the police, the branding was above board.
Gariseb is also accused of threatening farmers with taking away their cattle and giving them to other farmers, should they refuse to have them branded.
We set up a committee to handle the distribution of these cattle but he [Gariseb] dismantled this committee and replaced it with his own committee, the sources added.
We reported the matter to the National Planning Commission and we had a meeting with them, the police and the advisor to the Omaheke governor, as well as the Otjinene Constituency councillor, they said.
When asked for comment, Gariseb said: The matter is with my lawyers and after I finish with the lawyers I will come to Windhoek and we can discuss the matter, but not now.
The Omaheke police commander, Deputy Commissioner Josephat Abel, confirmed that he had met with the farmers.
It is true that he branded the cattle with his personal mark. We did the investigations and we discovered he did not do it with the intention to steal, said Abel.
He said the investigations found that the community had asked Gariseb to brand the cattle.
These cattle did not have branding, so to identify them, they needed to be branded. They do not belong to any individual, but to the community, he said.
Abel said since the traditional authority does not have its own cattle brand, it was decided to use the chief's.
Abel denied allegations that some of the cattle were stolen and re-branded with another mark.
The Namibian-German Special Initiative was established in 2006 by the then deputy prime minister, Dr Libertina Amadhila, with N$200 million granted by the German government for improving the living conditions of communities that had suffered during the German colonial period.
The NPC could not be reached for comment.

WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA

The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) has claimed that the real reason behind University of Namibia (Unam) vice-chancellor, Professor Lazarus Hangula, attacking Health Minister Dr Richard Kamwi is that the academic is trying to gain the favour of Prime Minister Dr Hage Geingob.
In a thinly veiled statement released yesterday, SPYL spokesperson Job Amupanda clearly referred to last year's Swapo congress vice-president battle, won by Geingob, when he said Professor Hangula is captured by a bandwagon of attacking those who were on the other side of the river, in order to gain favours from the political triumphalist .
The SPYL statement follows a public roasting of Kamwi by Hangula who claims the minister is out to discredit Unam's medical school to cover up his own failure to address the country's ailing health system.
Another bone of contention is that Kamwi is involved in establishment of the envisioned, Welwitchia University, which is allegedly run by former Unam and Health Ministry staff poached by the minister.
Amupanda said it has became a practice of leading State institutions to demonstrate their loyalty, by launching scathing attacks on those who dared to exercise their democratic postures and different views in the 2012 political crusades .
Doing this apparently demonstrates their loyalty to 'The Prince' and makes them fashionable. He (Hangula) pusillanimously waited for the minister to leave for Geneva to accuse him of discrediting the institution. He, however, did not indicate the steps and efforts he took to resolve the purported contradictions between Unam and the minister.
Amupanda claimed that Hangula could have sought the intervention of Minister of Education, Dr David Namwandi, to mediate between himself and Kamwi.
He said Kamwi has not failed the health system, saying that Hangula should look at his faults, such as hiring expatriates, meritless close relatives and friends, at the expense of Namibians at Unam .
Amupanda said Unam administration had failed to build a hostel to accommodate more students, despite a tender being awarded five years ago to do so.
If the professor is indeed interested in genuinely resolving problems that Namibia faces, he must use platforms and processes made available by government, instead of behaving as if he were a newspaper columnist.
We remind the professor that while he is taking his turn in the bandwagon assembly line, Kamwi is attending the World Health Assembly (WHA), where Namibia is serving in its general committee for the first time since independence. We call on Namibians to dismiss the statement of Hangula.

WINDHOEK FRED GOEIEMAN

The Regional Court in Katutura, hearing the alleged fraudulent registration of a voter during the Omuthiya local authority election, will today decide whether a copy of a registration form can be handed in as an exhibit.
The defence has argued that it should not be allowed as an exhibit. State attorney Ed Marondedze alleged the signature on the registration form with which Magnus Nangombe, one of the accused in the matter, was registered as a voter, was forged.
The original registration form, which was in the possession of the prosecution, has gone missing. They now want to hand in a copy of the registration form.
Nangombe, together with former ECN director Philemon Kanime and Nico Mingelius, systems administrator of the ECN, are charged with fraud. It is alleged that they fraudulently registered Nangombe as a voter in the Omuthiya local authority election in February 2008 while he was not entitled to be registered. Nangombe was an RDP candidate in that election before his name was removed from the voters' roll.
The case continues in the Regional Court in Katutura before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs. Hennie Barnard and Albert Strydom are appearing on behalf of the accused persons.

WINDHOEK SELMA IKELA

The family of Titus Mweshininga Iita, one of the so-called struggle kids who died last week, claim that the police mortuary is refusing to conduct a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.
They say the police have refused to give them the information needed to get a death certificate issued, and this is delaying the funeral arrangements. They planned to bury him on Saturday.
Namibian Sun talked to the family when they visited the NamRights office yesterday.
Iita, 31, died in the Katutura State Hospital on Saturday. Fellow protesters claimed that he was assaulted by the police in March when they were evicted from municipal and private land along Hans-Dietrich Genscher Street in Katutura. The group claimed that Iita sustained internal injuries and was only admitted to hospital in early May.
The family told Namibian Sun that Iita was an orphan and lived with relatives in the north.
His uncle, Junias Amukwa Shivute, said when they went to the hospital on Monday to get his medical records in order to be issued with a death certificate, they were told that a post-mortem had to be conducted at the police mortuary and they would be informed when that was done.
Shivute said they were called to the police mortuary on Tuesday, where Chief Inspector Jooste Mbandeka told them that Iita had died from drug-resistant tuberculosis and a post-mortem would not be done.
Shivute said they were aware that Iita had been a TB patient from around 2007.
Shivute went back to the mortuary yesterday to speak to the pathologist, who was not there.
Shivute said when Iita, who was deaf, was admitted to hospital the nurses could not communicate with him but put him in a TB ward because his health passport indicated that he had the disease.
When his sister visited him he told her that he was assaulted by the police and complained of abdominal pain and only from there he was taken for X-rays. After the X-rays he passed away, said the uncle.
Shivute alleged that Chief Inspector Mbandeka said that the family could not see Iita's X-rays.
Another uncle, Gabriel Iita, questioned why the doctors could not do an autopsy as requested by the family.
Chief Inspector Mbandeka said he could not comment because Iita's body is not at the police mortuary - it is at the State Mortuary falling under the Ministry of Health.
Mbandeka said he referred the family to the medical superintendent at the Katutura State Hospital.
A certain Mr Dausab at the State Mortuary told Namibian Sun that they are waiting for a doctor's certificate from the hospital stating whether Iita's death was natural or unnatural. Only then can a decision be made whether to do an autopsy or not.
The medical superintendent at the Katutura hospital could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press.

OSHAKATI MERJA IILEKA

In what can only be seen as a huge slap in the face of the national airline, government bigwigs are instead using foreign airlines when travelling overseas.
This is despite a Cabinet decision that all State officials on government business - locally and abroad - should use Air Namibia.
The Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) Northern Branch said it was shocked to find out that some government and parastatal officials make use of foreign airlines, instead of Air Namibia, when flying.
NCCI northern chairperson Tomas Iindji urged the airline to change its price strategy to attract customers, as it may in fact be pricing itself out of the market.
Why are we on the one hand bailing out Air Namibia every second year with billions of Namibian dollars and on the other hand favour the services and/or prices of its competitors? That makes just no sense at all, Iindji said.
Works and Transport Permanent Secretary, Peter Mwatile, said there is a Cabinet decision in place states that all officials on State missions -locally or abroad - should travel with Air Namibia.
Mwatile, however, admitted that his ministry is fully aware that there are officials who are not adhering to this decision.
When we followed up, people complained that Air Namibia's prices are just too high compared to foreign airline companies and their services are not justified by the prices, said Mwatile.
Mwatile said his ministry has advised Air Namibia to improve their services and prices.
People are justified in what they are saying, but we have to continue adhering to the Cabinet decision. That decision is still valid and should be complied with at all times, he said.
Iindji said serious questions needed to be asked to understand why junior and senior government officials alike seemingly prefer using foreign airlines.
Is it weak service provision or a lack of comfort? Is it unreliability in services? Is it uncompetitive pricing? Is there anything else that disqualifies the Namibian airline?
Iindji claims he has first-hand information that people flying from Hosea Kutako International Airport via Johannesburg to Dubai - many of them government officials - use foreign airlines.
Air Namibia does not offer flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Making use of more than one airline when flying to Dubai and back has a serious cost implication.
For example, if a person uses only SAA flights on this route, the airfare amounts to N$10 315. Using a mix of Air Namibia, SAA and Emirates flights from Windhoek to Johannesburg and Dubai and back pushes up the cost to N$22 849.
However, Air Namibia is cheaper than other airlines when travelling from Windhoek to Johannesburg. A return ticket, if booked a month in advance, costs N$3 753 with Air Namibia, while the same ticket costs N$4 443 with SAA.
Iindji encouraged officials to support the national airline by using its services rather than bailing it out.
The Namibian government should favour Air Namibia when on duty travel. The Namibia private sector should support a Namibian enterprise if viable services and rates are provided, he said.
When contacted for comment, Air Namibia spokesperson Paul Nakawa also admitted they are aware that some officials are using foreign airlines on official trips.
Nakawa added that in the past, they had delays and cancellations and this may have scared off some customers, but since the old planes were phased out, it was no longer an excuse.
Delays and cancellations are now a thing of the past. Service is the only differentiator in this industry and Air Namibia is currently in a league of its own in terms of our product, reliability and services, he said.
Nakawa said while they don't want to be emotional about business, it is disheartening to hear that the very people who are supposed to be supporting the national airline are making use of foreign competitors.

WINDHOEK STAFF REPORTER
With an energetic new action plan slated for introduction at its annual general meeting (AGM) in July, lobby group Team Namibia this week received a N$300 000 boost from its member companies to see the new strategy implemented.
The financial support was granted to the non-profit organisation by eight of its corporate members through a public-private grant made via the Namibia Employers Federation (NEF) and the Global Compact Network Namibia (GCNN), and financed through the German government affiliated Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The companies who contributed to the final amount are FNB Namibia, Telecom Namibia, MTC, Namdeb, Bank Windhoek, the Olthaver & List Group, Namib Mills and the Namibia Trade Forum (NTF).
We are delighted to get additional financial support from this group of industry stakeholders, which is vital to drive Team Namibia's mandate and cultivate a preference for local products and services, Team Namibia Chairman, Tarah Shaanika, said.
In doing so, Namibians are not only supporting local jobs and our economy, but getting access to remarkable products and exceptional services, available right here on our doorstep , he said.
The new Team Namibia action plan, general manager Lizette Foot noted, would focus on three main initiatives, namely inspiring competitive standards, stimulating consumer confidence and impacting positively on economic sustainability.
The organisation also boasts the joining of seven new organisations to the Team Namibia fold. They are in ATA-International Training Namibia, Magnet Bureau De Change, Oshikoto Fresh Fruit & Vegetables, Page Ten Productions, Provantage Namibia, Westernised Investments and WML Global Construction.
Team Namibia's role in relation to Vision 2030, and particularly the National Development Plan 4 goal of high and sustainable economic growth, has recently been under review. As a result, we have developed a strategy informed by the results of an intensive study conducted at the end of last year, across the full value chain of members, producers, retailers, manufacturers and consumers across the country, Foot said.
Despite numerous challenges, we are motivated by the potential to take the next step in elevating our organisation to the next level, she added.

WINDHOEK STAFF REPORTER

Visitors to this year's Bank Windhoek/ Republikein Motor Show are guaranteed a number of special offers, should they wish to buy a new vehicle.
Among the featured automobiles at the Windhoek Show Grounds is Audi's popular premium compact model, the Audi A3.
First released locally in 2005, the 2006 South Africa Car of the Year has to date recorded more than 15 458 sales, and is considered a market leader internationally.
Audi Centre Windhoek is introducing the Namibian market to the Audi A3's new Sportback 1,2 T FSI version, expected to be available in Namibia and South Africa at the starting price of N$283 000, which includes the company's standard five-year or 100 000km maintenance plan.
Bank Windhoek confirmed that staff from its Vehicle and Asset Finance Division will be on hand for the duration of the motorshow, offering financing to would-be car owners.
One option available for loan amounts exceeding N$100 000, is a 72 month extended repayment agreement.
Another is a possible three month grace period, available either at the start, end or some any time in middle of the payment period.

WINDHOEK NAMPA

Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Tuhafeni Hangula, who is charged with fraud over the authenticity of his school certificate, is still awaiting a decision from the office of the prosecutor-general.
Hangula made another appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court yesterday, only to be informed that the prosecutor-general's decision on the matter was not yet before court.
The decision taken by the office of Prosecutor-General Martha Ekandjo-Imalwa has not yet been made available to the prosecution team. I, therefore, ask the court for a postponement of this case to 14 June 2013 in order to allow the office of the prosecutor-general to pronounce itself on the matter, said public prosecutor Arrie Husselman when he asked Magistrate Hileni Kavara for a further postponement.
Hangula,44, is free on bail of N$2 000.
The deputy commissioner faces charges of fraud, forgery and uttering.
The charges against Hangula stem from allegations that the Standard 10 school certificate he has been using is not genuine.
According to earlier media reports, Hangula testified about this issue in the High Court in Windhoek in October last year during a trial on a defamation claim that he had instituted against a weekly newspaper about an article which did not deal with his school qualifications.
Documents placed before the court in that trial indicated that the correctness of Hangula's Standard 10 certificate was confirmed in a letter which was signed by an official of the Ministry of Education and Culture in April 1995.
However, in a letter which the Ministry of Education's director of national examinations and assessment, Charles Nyambe had written to the office of the ombudsman in March 2011, it was stated that it was established with a subsequent investigation of records in the Education Ministry that Hangula's school certificate was not genuine.
Hangula also testified during the hearing of his defamation claim that he was employed in the public service before Namibia attained independence on the basis of the Standard 8 qualification, which he had at that time.
However, Hangula has continued to improve his academic qualifications, in spite of questions about the validity of his school certificate over the past few years.
He graduated at the Polytechnic of Namibia with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice (Correctional Management) degree in 2012.

WINDHOEK ELLANIE SMIT

An official of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) was killed in an accident upon his return from Grootfontein to Windhoek yesterday morning.
Floris Farmer, 57, was in Grootfontein to make preparations and handle the logistics for the by-election held at the town yesterday.
Travelling with Farmer was the head of human resources at the ECN, Elizabeth Visagie, 43, who was injured in the accident.
The accident occurred between 05:00 and 06:00 yesterday, about 12 km from Grootfontein on the Otavi-Grootfontein main road.
According to Police Deputy Commissioner Moses Khairabeb, a truck belonging to Den-Mar Transport collided with the government car Farmer was travelling in.
Khairabeb said Farmer was killed on the spot. He sustained very serious head injuries in the accident, said Khairabeb.
Visagie was admitted to the Grootfontein hospital with a broken arm. The truck driver and his passenger sustained only slight injuries.
According to the police, there was a hartebeest carcass in the truck and the driver claimed to have found the animal dead on the road. The police plan to charge the driver, as it is an offence to pick up animal carcasses.

WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA

About 30 000 war veterans registered with the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs are still living in poor conditions while others remain homeless.
The provision of housing to war veterans started under the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development in 2010.
The Khomas Region is the highest recipient, despite plans to build three houses in each of the 13 regions. A total of 46 houses have been built so far, which has cost the Veterans' Affairs Ministry N$23 million.
Veterans Affairs permanent secretary William Amagulu says plans are now underway to build five houses per region.
Amagulu said preference is given to veterans who are very old and frail, the disabled and those who are seriously ill.
The Veterans' Affairs Ministry has four house plans which the veterans can choose from. The houses cost an average of N$485 000 each.
There about 138 disabled veterans using wheelchairs, crutches or prosthetic devices.
According to the ministry's annual report of 2010/2011, a housing needs assessment was carried out in all 13 regions. A total of 77 houses will be built, with the highest concentration being in the Ohangwena Region with 19, followed by Omusati with 16 and one in the Kunene Region.
The assessment also verified the construction sites for veterans' houses to ensure that they are not built at sites prone to floods.
When we started the housing provision, we planned to build three per region. We have not gone by that decision due to problems that came about more in some regions, where a veteran was either literally kicked out by relatives and living as a pauper.
This is the reason we had to divert money from the budget of different regions to concentrate on another region where the veterans were experiencing problems.
This year we are planning on building 100 houses, five or more in each region under the 2012/2013 financial budget, Amagulu said.
Amagulu said houses for disabled veterans are equipped to suit their disability.
We are now advising house recipients, especially in the rural countryside, to opt for solar panels for lighting as it is cheaper. The houses have access to running water; veterans have to pay the municipal bills from the monthly pay they receive from the ministry.

WINDHOEK FRED GOEIEMAN

A ruling in the State's application for stringent bail conditions to be imposed on Cameroonian businessman Antoine Mbok, in a bid to curb his overseas business trips, has been postponed until June 10 in the Windhoek High Court.
It is feared that the fraud accused may abscond.
The businessman was released on bail in November 2009 by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court without any conditions.
Mbok, 37, and Namibian national Daniel David Nghiwilepo, 40, face charges of fraud and corruption involving N$3,9 million.
It is alleged that the two men, together with a registry clerk at the Ministry of Finance, Veronika Kituna Thomas, 39, allegedly defrauded several Namibian businesses and government agencies of millions in valued-added tax (VAT) and import taxes.
Thomas pleaded guilty to five counts of corruptly using her office at the Ministry of Finance for self-gratification at the start of the trial before High Court Judge Alfred Siboleka on February 10 last and was sentenced to an effective eight years' imprisonment.
In its application to have strict bail conditions imposed on Mbok, State attorney Skakwa Nyambe argued the law stipulates that the High Court is not bound by a magistrate's court ruling.
He said further that when the magistrate granted Mbok bail, it was ruled that there was no need for the accused to report daily to the investigating officer, because he had no passport.
Mbok obtained a Cameroonian passport in December 2011, with which he was able to travel to Botswana, Cameroon and South Africa.
Nyambe said Mbok had already travelled abroad seven times while awaiting trial, but this did not mean that he would not abscond.
Mbok allegedly failed to show up for a meeting with his previous lawyer because he was travelling abroad. He has an import business.
The State said his business interests will not be negatively affected, should he be ordered to report to the investigating officer in his case on certain days.

WINDHOEK ELVIS MURARANGANDA

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has echoed the views of some opposition politicians, by pointing out how quickly the Anti-Terrorism Act sailed through parliament.
In its publication titled Democracy Report, the IPPR stresses the importance of the Act and that thorough deliberation on the subject was needed.
The subject of terrorism and how to prevent it is a very serious matter and one that deserves to be the subject of a national discourse and especially a serious debate in parliament.
It says the 'debate' was so rushed that it did not even allow parliamentarians to read the bill.
Parliament could surely have sat for a few more days to give the bill proper consideration, even given the fact that the executive's delays in tabling the bill were unacceptable, it says.
It would be unfortunate if members of parliament's desire to go on their Christmas break was a factor in curtailing this debate, the report reads.
A total of eight MPs - seven in the National Assembly and one in the National Council - contributed to the short discussion on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorist Activities Act.
One would want to know why the bill was delayed to the extent that we now have to rush such an important bill through the House, said Swanu president Usutuaije Maamberua during the debate.
All People's Party president Ignatius Shixwameni also condemned the pace at which the bill was being rushed.
This bill was brought here. It was tabled today, motivated today and I do not know how people would have been expected to read the 39 pages during the time spent by the minister of safety and security standing and reading the statement motivating this particular bill, he said.
In reply, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, Peya Mushelenga, said the Act could be improved at a later stage by amending it.
For now we need a legal framework which we can work on. (…) for now I think it is important that we allow the bill to go through up to the committee stage so that we do not waste time, Mushelenga said.

OUTAPI PLACIDO HILUKILWA

Maurus Valombola, an Omusati businessman whose court appearances on a murder charge are characterised by public protests, was once again remanded in custody when he appeared before Outapi Magistrate Phineas Mpofu yesterday.
Yesterday's proceedings, in a packed courtroom, lasted less than ten minutes after public prosecutor Liwena Walter Mikiti demanded a postponement to allow Valombola to consult his Windhoek-based lawyers and because the police investigation is still ongoing.
Sisa Namandje is Valombola's new legal representative after his former lawyer, Silas-Kishi Shakumu, withdrew from the case because of other commitments.
Valombola has been in police custody ever since he was arrested on February 8.
He is charged with the murder of Bernhard Kalimbo, 32, a resident of Epuku Noyana village who died of his injuries in the Oshakati State Hospital on February 7, a day after he was attacked at Okaku kaNyaluwili in the Anamulenge Constituency.
Valombola presented himself at the police station at Ogongo on February 8 after learning that the police were looking for him.
The case has attracted palpable public interest, with even some of the local politicians attending the court proceedings.
Local residents have held several demonstrations in front of the Outapi Magistrate's Court, demanding that Valombola be denied bail.
Addressing demonstrators outside the court yesterday, community activist Manuel Nangombe said they were satisfied with the postponement and with the fact that Valombola was remanded in custody.
Kambombe thanked the demonstrators for the orderly manner in which they conducted themselves inside and outside the court. He [Valombola] was remanded in custody and we will wait and see what will happen on June 26, he said.

WINDHOEK FRED GOEIEMAN

In a radical step, the City of Windhoek has dismissed a study by traders at the controversial 'Herero Mall' informal trading area in Katutura, citing the omission of key burning issues and non-consultation with the city council.
The City is furious with Herero Mall traders, who presented a study they themselves commissioned to Khomas Regional Governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua - in the process side-stepping the municipality.
The feasibility study, titled A Socio-Economic Needs Analysis (SENA) for the Herero Mall in Katutura, was commissioned by the Namibia Informal Sector Organisation (NISO), which is the representative body of the mall's traders.
It was conducted by consultant, George Kozonguizi, with funds received from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung-FES. The report does not touch on the burning issue of operating hours, which in the past had led to a fierce confrontation between the traders and the police.
Speaking at a council meeting on Wednesday, City of Windhoek Deputy Mayor Muese Kazapua said the Herero Mall traders had snubbed the municipality by first running to McLeod-Katjirua with their feasibility study. He did not indicate when the meeting between NISO and the governor had taken place.
The NISO report suggests a range of upgrading initiatives, including the formalisation of the market, the generation of solar power as an energy source and stricter control and safety measures.
But this week, City councillor Elaine Treppers proposed that the feasibility study, which was finally tabled before council, be rejected.
She explained the City is looking for a suitable consultant to conduct its own feasibility study and advised the council meeting not to accept the NISO report.
Another councillor, Gerson Kamatuka, initially suggested that the NISO report be used as the basis of a council study. However, it later emerged that the council cannot approve work done by someone who it had not commissioned.
City of Windhoek Mayor Agnes Kafula said she has a problem with using the NISO report as a basis for the City's study, as she wanted an independent assessment.
The report of the NISO's feasibility study for us is null and void, she said. The NISO states that the traders believe there is no need for a further feasibility study, as such a move will delay the implementation of the development plan for Herero Mall.
Kazapua suggested the NISO feasibility study must be removed from the council agenda, until such time that the traders come to the chamber to make a presentation on the document.
Let them follow the right channel, he said.
He said the idea is good but they did not go through the proper channel and had in fact by-passed the council.
He claimed that Herero Mall was previously known as Sodom and Gomorrah, because the sale of alcohol was not regulated.
The council feasibility study will eventually inform the planning and development process around Herero Mall.
The City said further that its aim was to avoid further delays in the implementation of the Herero Mall project.
Project proposals with quotations have already been received from Global Legal Services at estimated costs of N$3,1 million, Urban Trust Namibia at N$223 410 and Labour Resource and Research Institute at estimated cost of N$160 000.
However, NISO is apparently not happy with the City conducting its own study, as it claims the council will be biased.
However, the City said: Due to dynamics involved, it is vital to pursue the formal development of the Herero Mall in a transparent manner, which will involve all the stakeholders, hence it is necessary to appoint a consultant who will be perceived to be unbiased.
The bone of contention between the City and other stakeholders at Herero Mall is that the traders are occupying the land illegally, as well as concerns raised by neighbours regarding noise, indecent behaviour, pollution and other social issues.