Consumer News Namibia Magazine April 2013

7/27/2019 Consumer News Namibia Magazine April 2013

1/24

NewsFr

eeAPrIL 2013

ISSN 2026-710X

your voIce

Consumer

When does my debtstop getting bigger?

The Land Matters inArt project exhibition

Polytechnic of Namibiaenters into an MOUwith the Parliament ofNamibia

Rent Control is Needed

in Namibia

Namibias 2012National Population &Housing Censusresults released

Namibian Youthrally behind climate

change adaption andMitigation

Namibian CompetitionCommission defnes undertakings


2/24

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The Team

PublisherConsumer News

Printed byPrintech cc

General Manager/EditorWillem Gariseb

081 249 8161

081 551 [email protected]

EditorialFreelance Journalists

PhotosFreelance Photographers

Contents

When does my debt stopgetting bigger? - P4

The Land Matters in Art

project exhibition - P5

Polytechnic of Namibia enters into an

MOU with the Parliament of Namibia - P6

Namibian Competition Commission

denes undertakings - P8-9

SAA improves on-board experience - P9

Capacity Advancement Program

(CPA) in Africa kick starts - P10-11

A consumers guide to

buying furniture - P11

Q & A with Jacqueline Prince - P12

Namibias 2012 National Population &

Housing Census results released - P14

Namibian Youth rally behind climate

change adaption and Mitigation - P15

My Point of View - P16-17

In support of a Basic Income

Grant (BIG) - P18

Rent Control is Needed in Namibia - P20

Naindjala to meet Sekotswe

in a rematch - P22

Toyota Yaris setting the

record straight - P22

Ohorongo Otavi Community Trust

Donates new ambulance - P23

Editors Note

Let me begin by thanking all our readers and advertisers for all yoursupport in the publication of our Magazine. We are simply therebecause of your support and interest in our publication and we

continue to be committed in educating and informing consumers on somedynamic principles and ethics that will protect and guide them in theirbusiness with retailers.

Inside this edition we give you an update on the Namibia 2011 Populationand Housing Census Basic Report published by the Namibia Statistics

Agency which noted that the countrys population has grown steadily since

1921 rising from one quarter in 1921 through to 1.8 in 2001 and 2.1 in 2011. Wehave also provided consumers with a guide to buying furniture in shops andshade more exciting stories in our regular columns.

It is our commitment and responsibility as the Consumer News to be awatchdog for consumers as we will be the public sphere for discussion of allconsumer related news where consumers raise their issues and the state alsoresponds and update consumers on proceedings which concerns them.

Once again we thank you all for taking your time going through the pagesof our May edition. May you be inspired to inspire others to make a positiveimpact in our society, as you read through the pages of this book until we meetagain.

ContaCt details

Namibia Consumer Protection Group: Milton Louw. E-mail: [email protected]

Namibia Customer Service Institute: Jon Allen. E-mail:[email protected]

Website: www.namibiacsi.com

Namibian Consumer Lobby: Bob Ziekenoppasser. Te: 064 - 46 1461 or 081 284 8000

Namibian Standards Institution: Tel: 061 38 6400 / Queries: [email protected]

Website: www.nsi.com.na

If there is a book you really want to read but it

hasnt been written yet, then you must write it.

Our mission is to create a platform for you the Namibianconsumer, who strives to see improvement in the value

of goods and services and are savvy enough to spotmisleading advertising and poor quality products andservices. You deserve more, and together we have powerin numbers, so we welcome your contributions, feedback,acknowledgements and your voice on products and servicesthat need our investigation.

You deserve more ...

Toni Morrison (US novelist)

Willem Gariseb

For all your advertising needs contact: Willem Gariseb at:

Cell: +264 (0) 81 249 8161/+264 (0) 85 551 9337 Fax2mail: +264 (0) 886 44443

Email: [email protected]/[email protected]


4/244 Consumer News

When I was growing up therewere times when our house wasvery quiet with a large number

of family and friends visiting and talk-ing in hushed whispers. The rst time Iremember it was my paternal grandfatherthat was in bed and everyone was treatinghim as if he was already dead. Back then

we did not discuss cancer and I could notunderstand this feeling in the house whereeveryone was just waiting for the person todie. Fortunately, our family religion tells usthat we will one day be heaven together - sothere was some consolation during the Cdays. These days, I get the same impres-sion of evasion when we talk about debt. Ifwe have debt, most of us act as if nothingis wrong and there is no sick person in thehouse.

This month I wish to share with you myexperience with debt and the threatened

sword hanging over my head that the Sher-i of the Court or some other ocial cancome take my possessions and sell them torepay debts that have been registered withthe court. I have two registered debts that Iam aware of. Both are debts incurred whilerunning my company and applied by thecreditors to my personal responsibility. Oneis with the Magistrate Court and the other(which is over the threshold of N$ 25,000)is with the High Court.

Now you must keep in mind that though

you might not wish to discuss your debt,the creditor is doing everything possible tomake sure as many people as possible knowabout it. The use of the threat to inform thewidest possible audience is the greatest toolof the creditor to force you to pay what thecourt has agreed you owe them. (This isimportant: The amount you are supposedto owe is the amount they have convincedthe court you must pay and I will comeback to that later.)

Allow me to share with you the informa-tion about my court registered with theHigh Court (all public information).

The Deputy Sheri of the High Courtwas ordered to serve on me a subpoena (anorder to appear before the High Court) for

the 11th Day of April 2013 at 10h00. On thisday, the Judgement Creditor, namely In-stitute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)wishes the court to give and ORDER topay the outstanding Default Judgementamount of N$ 28,630.00 When I appear incourt, the creditor expects me to provide aproof of my monthly salary or income, my

monthly income and expenses, proof or alldebts and payments thereof, a list of myassets and liabilities, proof of expenses inrespect of housing and all other documentsthat may assist the court to investigate mynancial position and determine the instal-ments to be paid by me for this debt.

The debt was for a contract to carry out asurvey by my company, NamBizDotCom,on the small-and medium-sized enterprises(SME) at the premises of NEPRU inBahnhof St in Windhoek. In the spirit ofthe agreement, NamBiz supplied data

on companies previously interviewed ina SME survey but with the understand-ing such information should be treatedcondentially and without sharing with anythird-party. After the contract was signed,no oce space was available as indicatedand the IIPR shared the SME ownersinformation without any regard for to thecondentiality agreement between Nam-Biz and the SME owner.

By now, most of us have learned thatmy explanation of the behaviour of the

foreigner, white male dominated organisa-tion has led to me to withhold my labouror the belief by the IPPR that you havebeen duplicitous and give Black EconomicEmpowerment a bad name is of no interestto the court. In the eyes of the law, I havebeen found guilty after due process hasbeen followed by the creditor.

And now we come to the root of myproblem. I accept the judgement, butwould like some further information or as-sistance. For example:

What was the original debt andwhat other costs have been addedto get to the amount in front of thecourt;

Why did the lawyers make use of a

sister company to do the tracing andchange my Erf numbers as if I hada new address during the processof getting the default judgement(and neatly changed it back to getthe summons served at the correctaddress)?

Which amounts are actually allowed

to have interest added? The maindebt is stated in my papers, but canthe lawyers charge interest on theircharges? Or charge interest on theservices provided by the Sheri ofthe Court? I could really use a clearindication of which costs attractinterest and which do not.

When does my debt reach induplum?

In Namibia, the Consumer Law can do alot to prevent the endless circle of debt andpoverty consumers get trapped in. Take

for example the principle of in duplum. Induplum is a Latin phrase derived from theword in duplo which means in double.The rule has its origin in the Roman Dutchlaw. It basically provides that interest stopsrunning when unpaid interest equals theoutstanding capital amount.

It has always been considered illegal (andimmoral) to charge interest which is morethan the original amount owed, except inspecial circumstances but people such asbanks, lawyers, debt collectors, etc. get

away with it because it is a common lawrule. This means there is uncertainty whenapplying the rule, especially by the courts.

Thus a creditor should not charge morethan twice the original amount due - butlawyers charges, tracing fees, administra-tive costs, etc. can inate the debt to almostany amount?

This common law in duplum rule hasbeen codied by statute in South Africa,which now protects consumers againstpredatory interest rates on loans and furtherprovides better clarity about when the ruleapplies and when not.

Namibia needs legal protection for itsconsumers the Consumer law is a neces-sity not a nicety!

When does mydebt

stop getting bigger? In Namibia, the ConsumerLaw can do a lot to prevent

the endless circle of debt

and poverty consumers get

trapped in.

A Concerned Consumer speaks


5/245Consumer News

Alpheus-G.!Naruseb, the Ministerof Lands and Resettlements open-ing remarks indicated that The

Land Matters in Art project reinforcesthe thinking that art, in the context ofcultures is integral to life.

The Land Matters in Art project was

launched in October 2012, and invitedestablished professional artists, aspiringartists, as well as students to join in therst artistic dialogue about land reform.Namibia is pursuing a uniform landreform strategy which takes into accountthe interests of all stakeholders.

This ensures that the use and manage-ment of land are properly planned, andthat the employees of the responsibleinstitutions, as well as the wider popula-tion, are made duly aware of the impor-

tance of sustainable land use.The Exhibition began on the 28th

March 2013 at four handpicked venuesto exhibit these remarkable artworks,including the Soweto market situatedin Katutura,which after four days of be-ing put up many of the artworks wheredestroyed and vandalized.

The National Art gallery of Na-mibia, the Goethe-Centre andthe Franco Cultural Centre,onewill see prints and media includingpainting,drawing,photography, sculp-ture, mixed media, video, textiles,ceramic, land art and other.

This event is important because it is

opening a new chapter in Land reformprocess in Namibia and the Ministry ofLands and Resettlement recognizes theArts for its contribution to the under-standing of land use and its relevance inNamibia.

Foibe Amdaba, a graduate of the

Katutura Community Art Centre says Iattended the exhibition and I was trulyblown away by the number of artworksand their variety, the artists really wentall out to express themselves on issuesconcerning our Land and that just makesme proud. We as a young nation shouldstand together and function as agentsto promote social transformation, LandMatters in life as in the Arts.

Pieces range in prices from as little asN$17,59 to as much as N$58 300. Any-

body, if not everybody will have a littlesomething within their spending budgetsto take home. Our land, our heritage,our pride was the slogan for this projectand the public seem to be relating andresponding well to this as it aects all ofus.

Filipus Shehaama explains his artworkcalled Savanna. He says Land is createdto reect the idea of nurturing the landand its resources, the striped patternsrepresent the wild animals such as thezebra. These animals are found in gameparks and zoos to attract tourists.

The artwork is created from recycledplastic material which can also contribute

to healthy land reform.According to Tolstoy, art must create

a specic emotional link between Authorand audience, one that aects the view-er. Thus, real art requires the capacity tounite people via communication and sowe hope to learn from this project.

Land reform is an important politicaland economic topic in Namibia. It con-sists of two dierent strategies: resettle-ment, and transfer of commercially viableagricultural land. Resettlement is aimedat improving the lives of displaced ordispossessed previously disadvantagedNamibians.

Farms obtained by government for re-settlement purposes are usually split intoseveral sections, and dozens of familiesare being resettled on what had previ-

ously been one farm.Transfer of commercial agricultural

land is not directly conducted by govern-ment. Land Matters in Art is intendedto encourage people to think and talkopenly about land issues, said H.E OnnoHuckmannthe Ambassador of the federalrepublic of Germany.

Over a hundred artists handed in atotal of 270 works of art, and nally 152artwork informed by a wide range of top-ics were selected by the panel.

The artworks have also been placed ina catalogue which is for sale; the protsof which will be reinvested in future artprojects. -NawaZone

The Land Matters

in Art project

exhibition

Land is created to reect the idea of nurturing

the land and its resources, the striped patterns

represent the wild animals such as the zebra.

These animals are found in game parks and

zoos to attract tourists. The artwork is created

from recycled plastic material which can also

contribute to healthy land reform.

Filipus Shehaama

Alpheus-G.!Naruseb, the Minister

of Lands and Resettlement


6/246 Consumer News

The Polytechnic of Namibiarecently entered into a Memo-randum of Understanding for the

development of a best practice Parlia-mentary website with the Parliament ofNamibia.

Speaking on the occasion, the Speakerof the National Assembly, Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab, said that information andcommunication technology has revolu-

tionised the way people interact withone another and with institutions andlegislatures.

Worldwide ICT has become instru-mental in furthering the state of democ-racy by encouraging and facilitatingthe effective engagement of citizens,thus increasing their participation inthe political debate and supporting thecommitment of parliaments to greateropenness, transparency and accountabil-ity, said Dr Gurirab.

Dr Gurirab noted that Parliamentsare elected by the voting public to repre-sent their interest; hence there is a needfor regular dialogue with their constitu-ents. Parliamentary websites, accordingto Dr Gurirab, have evolved over theyears from merely providing informationabout legislature and its work to linkingparliament to citizens in order to allowthem to freely engage their representa-tives on critical issues affecting them.

He added that, having a website initself is not enough; a website must be

easily understandable and freely acces-sible. Most importantly it must be wellmanaged and supported and updateddaily.

With the assistance of the Polytechnicof Namibia, Dr Gurirab said that Mem-bers of Parliament and the citizenrywill dialogue on critical issues affectingthem, thus bringing Parliament closer tothe people.

The MOU commits us to worktogether more closely towards our com-mon goal of development and main-tenance of the Parliamentary website,

which includes amongst others thedevelopment and maintenance of theParliamentary website, which includesamongst others the development of auser friendly and best practice contentmanagement system, databases and thetraining of MPs and staff on the sustain-able usage of the new web presence, hesaid.

In addition to Dr Gurirabs speech,the Rector for Polytechnic of Namibia,Prof Tjama Tjivikua said, In a democ-

racy, readily access to information is aprecondition for citizens participationand governance, and this MOU speaksdirectly to this point. Therefore accessto Parliament means access to informa-tion, records, archives, galleries, library,sessions. It means also access to meet-ings, debates and activities of Parlia-ment.

He also added that three factors con-verge to create this partnership betweenParliament and the Polytechnic whichare; a democratic constitution accessible

and attractive for participation; afford-able internet access which is becom-ing more readily available on smallerhandheld devices and the intellectual

capacity to deliver as can be seen fromthe templates we have produced.

As a forward-looking university, thePolytechnic strongly supports the desireof our countrys institutions to enhancetheir performance in governance anddomestic accountability, in pursuit ofthe development agenda and increasein access to information by its citizens,said Prof Tjivikua.

Polytechnic o Namibia

enters into an MOU with

the Parliament o Namibia

Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab

Speaker of the National Assembly

Information and communication technology

has revolutionised the way people interact

with one another and with institutions and

legislatures.

Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab

As a forward-looking

university, the Polytechnic

strongly supports the

desire of our countrys

institutions to enhance

their performance in

governance and domestic

accountability, in pursuit of

the development agenda

and increase in access toinformation by its citizens.

Prof Tjama Tjivikua


7/247Consumer News

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8/248 Consumer News

In terms of Section 1 of the Act, theterm undertaking means any busi-ness carried on for gain or reward

by an individual, a body corporate, anunincorporated body of persons or a trustin the production, supply or distributionof goods or the provision of any service. Itmust be observed in the context of compe-tition law, that the concept of an undertak-ing encompasses every entity engaged ineconomic activity, regardless of the legalstatus of the entity and the way in which itis nanced, managed or controlled.

This includes private individuals whoeither run their own businesses (soleproprietors) or control (either individu-ally or jointly) other undertakings. Forthe purpose of the Competition Act, anundertaking includes private individu-als who either run their own businessesor hold any interest in or control over any

other undertaking and all registered com-panies, close corporations and businesstrusts, even if they are not trading (produc-ing, supplying or distributing goods or

providing services) at the time that theyenter into a transaction which constitutesa merger or acquisition.

This was conrmed by the EuropeanCourt of Justice (ECJ) which held inHfner and Elser v Macrotron GmbH(Case C-41/90 (1991) ECR I-1979, (1993) 4CMLR 306) that: the concept of an under-taking encompasses every entity engaged inan economic activity regardless of the legalstatus of the entity and the way in which itis nanced. In Pavlov case (Case C-180/98etc (2000) ECR I-6451, (2001) 4 CMLR30) the ECJ added that, it has also beenconsistently held that any activity consist-ing in the oering of goods or services on agiven market is an economic activity.

An entity can be found to be an under-taking only as a result of the activity it isengaged in; its legal form is irrelevant.Natural persons has been held to qualify as

undertakings, although an individual actingas an employee would not be, nor would anindividual purchasing goods or services asan end user/ consumer, since that behav-

Namibian Competition Commission defnes undertakings

Who is an undertaking? Vitalis Ndalikokule

The purpose of this article

is to clarify the Namibian

Competition Commissions

stance on the interpretation

of the term undertaking

as contemplated in Section

1 of the Competition Act2 of 2003 (the Act),

especially in relation to

Chapter 4 of the Act. The

principles set out in this

article will be followed and

be further developed by

the Commissions practice

in individual cases. The

interpretations provided

herein, are not binding on

the Commission.

Mr Vitalis Ndalikokule, Director: Mergers & Acquisitions

The denition of an

undertaking as

dened applies to

entities including

individuals, as long

as those entities

are carrying on any

business for gain

or reward in the

production, supply or

distribution of goods

or the provisions of

services.


9/249Consumer News

iour is not economic.The Commissions interpretation of Sec-

tion 1 of the Act with regards to the conceptof undertaking is without prejudice to theinterpretation which may be given by theHigh Court of Namibia. Undertakings aredirect participants in a merger or acquisi-tion of control. In this regard Article 42(1)of the Act provides that: A merger occurswhen one or more undertakings directly

or indirectly acquire or establish direct ordirect control over the whole or part of thebusiness of another undertaking.

With regard to the relevance of controlby undertakings, it is the concept of acquir-ing control that will determine which arethe undertakings involved.

On the acquiring side, there can be oneor more undertakings acquiring sole orjoint control. On the acquired side, therecan be one or more undertakings as a wholeor parts thereof. As a general rule, each of

these undertakings will be an undertakingwithin the meaning of Sections 1 and 42 ofthe Act.

Acquisition of sole control of the wholeundertaking will be the most straight for-ward case of acquisition of control. The un-

dertakings concerned will be the acquiringundertaking and the target undertaking.Where the target undertaking is acquiredby a group through one of its subsidiaries,the undertakings concerned are the targetundertaking and the acquiring subsidiaryif this is not a mere acquisition vehicle.The subsidiary is normally the undertak-ing concerned. However, for the purposeof calculating the turnover and assets, the

turnover and assets of all undertakings withwhich the acquiring undertaking has a linkmust be specied for the purpose of Rule7(4) and shall be taken into account. Inthis regard the group is considered to be asingle economic unit.

There is abundance of EU case lawshowing that both the EU Commissionand the European Court of Justice haveshown an inclination to adopt a wide deni-tion of undertaking. Companies, clubs,co-operatives, trusts, partnerships and

certain individuals are regarded as under-takings subject to competition law in termsof the Act.

In terms of competition law, the termundertaking must be understood as desig-nating an economic unit.

The notion of undertaking is relativeand has to be established in concrete termswith regard to the specic activity underscrutiny.

The denition of an undertaking as de-ned applies to entities including individu-als, as long as those entities are carryingon any business for gain or reward in theproduction, supply or distribution of goodsor the provisions of services.

When determining what ling fee themerging parties have to pay:

Regarding the acquiring undertak-ing: The Commission follows the groupapproach i.e. looks at the total turnoverand value of the assets of the entire groupof undertakings to which the acquiringundertaking belongs.

Regarding the target undertaking: TheCommission looks at the total turnoverand value of the assets of the primary targetundertaking and all its subsidiaries also

being transferred.If any doubt exists as to who qualies as

an undertaking in relation to a proposedmerger, parties are free to contact theMergers and Acquisitions Division of theCommission for advise.

From 1 April 2013, SAA customers will be able toip through the pages of a newly designed onboardmagazine, Sawubona, and enjoy sipping on one ofthe worlds nest champagnes, Taittinger, as wellas select cuisine from a menu designed by ChefBenny Masekwameng, Executive Chef of TsogoSun.

SAA appointed Ndalo Media as the publisherof its onboard magazine, Sawubona, and taskedthe publisher to produce a bold publication thatwill unearth positive South African stories and

share them with the world. SAA is condent thatthe fresh, warm design and editorial approach setsSawubona apart from other inight magazine.

Through the introduction of one of the worlds

nest champagnes, Taittinger, it is evident thatSAA only oers the best of the best to custom-ers travelling business class on international andlong-haul regional ights. The excellent cham-pagne from Reims, France, will also be enjoyedby customers visiting SAAs Premium and Cycadlounges.

SAA also has the pleasure of collaborat-ing with Tsogo Suns Executive Chef,Benny Masekwameng to create a delec-table new menu set to delight travellers

taste buds. SAA is proud to showcaseand expose quintessentially South Africancuisine by partnering with established hotelgroup Tsogo Sun in this regard.

SAA improves

on-board experience

Johannesburg, Wednesday, 27 March 2012. SouthAfrican Airways (SAA) has announced three productenhancements that are set to delight customers ying on

the award-winning South African national ag carrier.SAA is a premium brand proud to associate with other

quality and established premium brands to oer customers aworld-class service when travelling.


10/2410 Consumer News

Merck Serono a division of Merck,Darmstadt, Germany recentlylaunched its Capacity Advance-

ment Programme (CAP) in Africa at theUNAM School of Medicine Campus.

The program which established a part-

nership of Merck Serono with the Univer-sity Of Namibia School Of Medicine andthe Ministry of Health and Social Serviceswill ensure that the CAP initiatives arerolled out and implemented throughoutNamibia.

Merck Serono aims to expand theprofessional capacity in Africa in theareas of research and development, clini-cal research, supply-chain integrity andeciency, Pharmacovigilance, Medicaleducation, and community awareness

with a special focus on the management ofpeople with diabetes and prevention of thedisease.

With Merck Seronos long experience indiabetes management, beginning in 1957with the development of metformin (Glu-cophage), it seeks to raise awareness ofdiabetes in Africa by educating the publicand supporting the health care system onways to prevent, diagnose and manage thecondition eectively.

This initiative supports the develop-ment of educational programs such as

accredited Clinical Diabetes Managementtraining, mainly targeted to medical un-dergraduates at local universities in Africaso that, ultimately, they act as diabetes

ambassadors thus addressing the medicaleducation for health care providers in ruralareas in the future.

This three year scientic educationalprogram which will be oered by theSerono Symposia International Founda-

tion (SSIF), an independent organizationproviding medical education programsaccredited by the European AccreditationCouncil for Continuing Medical Educa-tion (EACCME) at the University ofNamibia, University of Nairobi and theMakerere University in Uganda, is madepossible through an educational grantfrom Merck Serono.

Speaking at the launch of the CPAthe Chief Executive Ocer for MerckSerono, Dr Stefan Oschmann said, The

rising number of diabetics all over theworld is a call to prioritize diabetes careand awareness to prevent the disease fromturning into a national epidemic, addingthat through the leadership, faculty leadersand students, this program will seek toimprove the healthcare sector not only inNamibia but also throughout Africa.

Oschmann noted that the CAP will pro-vide critical education and empowermentto those aected and dealing with diabetesto show the way to manage and prevent it.

This demonstrates our Commitment

to long-term partnership for providing ac-cessible and equitable health care as wellas contributing to social and economicdevelopment of the continent, he said.

The School of Medicine is

a pioneer in Health Care

delivery for Namibia with

intent to turn out highly

skilled Health professionalsfor the country and

Africa as a whole.

Considering that recent

WHO statistics reveals

that Non Communicable

disease (NCD) account for

38% of all mortality, while

cardiovascular disease

including diabetes account

for 19% of the Namibianpopulation, the importance

of this program cannot be

overemphasized

Capacity Advancement Program

Proffessor Nyarango

Professor Peter Nyarango, the Found-

ing Dean of the University Of NamibiaSchool Of Medicine emphasized that,The University of Namibia School Of

Medicine in particular is delighted andhonored to be part of this initiative.

The School of Medicine is a pioneerin Health Care delivery for Namibia with


11/2411Consumer News

intent to turn out highly skilled Healthprofessionals for the country and Africa asa whole. Considering that recent WHOstatistics reveals that Non Communicabledisease (NCD) account for 38% of allmortality, while cardiovascular diseaseincluding diabetes account for 19% of theNamibian population, the importance ofthis program cannot be overemphasized.

Proessor Nyarango also noted that thisprogram will serve as an excellent platformfor further development of a specic policythat is operational for NCD, particularlyDiabetes and Obesity.

The initiative will improve the qual-ity of future Diabetes medical care. Thiswill denitely go a long way in improving

diabetes health care not only in Namibiabut the rest of Africa, he explained.

In support of the CAP program, Profes-sor Isaac O. Kibwage, the Principal of theCollege of Health Sciences at the Univer-sity of Nairobi also said that Nairobi Uni-

versity is ready to support initiatives suchas Merck Seronos Capacity AdvancementProgram and associate with other institu-tions whose overall objectives and goalsare directed towards alleviating challengesin the provision of healthcare especiallyemerging diseases such as Diabetes.

He said, In order to achieve sustain-able economic development and a middleincome state in Kenya by 2030, we needto transform our health sector to providequality; accessible and equitable healthcare and this will start within universities.

Professor C Opio, Senior Lecturer atMakerere University also expressed hisgratitude for the Public Private Partner-ships between Uganda and Merck Serono

to implement their capacity advance-ment program in Uganda and MakerereUniversity to support diabetes healthprogramme in Uganda. This program willcontribute to provide accredited scienticeducation for diabetes health care provid-

(CPA) in Arica kick starts

In order to achieve

sustainable economic

development and a middle

income state in Kenya by2030, we need to transform

our health sector to provide

quality; accessible and

equitable health care

and this will start within

universities.

Professor Kibwage

ers in rural areas and Clinical Diabetesmanagement for medical undergraduatesof local African universities so that, ulti-mately, they act as Diabetes ambassadors.T

his month Consumer News hasprovided consumers with a guideto buying furniture in shops. The

following is a list of some tips consumersneed to ponder when making a choice tobuy furniture:

1) Salespeople often dont get paid unlessyou buy something

Most sta in furniture stores makes theirincome via commission, and some storesrequire salespeople to sell a minimumamount of furniture before they qualify for

any commission.The result of this structure is aggressive

and sometimes misleading sales pitches--like claiming a living room set is almostsold out or that a certain sale will never takeplace again. Often, this is untrue; furniturestores often repeat sales and incentives,especially during national holidays.

2) Be careful of quality.Not all furniture is created equal. When

comparing wooden furniture, pieces madewith solid wood typically tends to weatherthe elements better.

Consumers must also conduct somequick tests of their own at the store beforemaking a purchase- including checking bedand chair frames to conrm that the jointsare solid. If it wobbles and shakes, that is a

sign of problems in the future. And checkthat seams, on sofas (for example) that arein a straight line, consistent and not fraying.

3) You should never pay the full stickerprice.

Getting a good price at a furniture storedoes not just mean shopping during a saleor close to holidays. Most furniture retailersmark up their prices by about 80 percent(and in some cases more) to maximize theirmargins.

When stores run a promotion or sale,

they mark the price back down to give theillusion that there is a big sale.

That is why consumers should try tonegotiate even beyond the discounted pricebut do not expect a salesperson to agree toa lower price right away. Often, consumerswho pay with cash have more bargainingroom.

Thus negotiating with a manager orstore owner is best as they do not have toask permission to make a deal.

4) Our nancing plans may do damage toyour credit score.

No cash on hand to buy that dining roomset? No problem at least not for the retail-ers. Most major furniture stores now pitchnancing programs to consumers especiallyto those who do not pay with cash. Many

of these nancing plans are downrightusurious resulting in the consumer spend-ing much more than the value of the itemspurchased.

5) The best deals are in the back.Most large furniture companies use a

racetrack or maze layout in their show-rooms rather than traditional rows. Thisis because of the fact that in order to see aspecic piece of furniture that they cameinto the store for, consumers will have towalk through most of the inventory, includ-

ing accessories like pillows rst to nd it.This strategy is meant to boost sales by

increasing the chances of impulse buyingand is the same strategy that sees supermar-kets placing the milk and bread at the backof the store.

The layout also works to a stores advan-tage when it advertises sales.

Most discounted furniture is typicallyplaced in the back of the store so that theshopper walks through the entire storerst seeing the newer and more expensivefurniture that is up front.

The store is betting that some shopperswill end up buying a non-sale piece ratherthan the advertised product that broughtthem into the store in the rst place or bet-ter yet, theyll end up buying both.

A consumers guide to buying furniture



C.N: Tell us a little background about your-self. Who is Jacqui Prince?J.Prince: I see myself as an individual with

a denite mission in this lifetime. My missionis to try and achieve positive benets for thecitizens of Namibia. While I was born inSouth Africa, I came to Namibia during theindependence struggle and went to work in theLegal Assistance Centre. Though I was inex-perienced in the law, through hard work andthe support of the individuals at the Centre, Iwas able to make a positive contribution.

C.N: Where do you place yourself in theacademic world?

J.Prince: I have always felt that the moreyou know, the more you know that you dontknow. There are no straight forward answersto this question because there are people whowere less fortunate than some of us and didnot study are probably just as good as me andmy learned colleagues. I loved studying, eventhough my studies took place at night aftera hard days work and before dawn the nextday. I tend to be very hard on myself and holdmyself to a high standard. My academic quali-cations include studies in Human Resources,Marketing and a MBA I hope that when timepermits, I will be able to complete my doctor-

ate degree in business.C.N: Can you share with us your thoughts

about the investment industry in Namibia?J.Prince: Since independence, the Namib-

ian Government has pursued free-marketeconomic principles designed to promotecommercial development and job creationto bring disadvantaged Namibians into theeconomic mainstream. To facilitate this goal,the government actively encouraged donorassistance and foreign investment. I cantherefore condently say that Namibia remaincommitted to stimulating economic growthand employment through attracting foreigninvestment, hence the Foreign Investment Actof 1990 which serves as the primary legisla-tion governing foreign direct investment inNamibia. It is interesting to note that the Actdoes not impose performance requirementson foreign investors which is an great incen-tive. For certain industries, however, thereare local content requirements to exempt nalproducts from duties under the SouthernAfrican Customs Union (SACU). Foreignrms enjoy the same investment opportunitiesas local companies. In addition, there is a freeow of nancial resources within Namibia and

throughout Common Monetary Area (CMA)countries of the South African Customs Union(SACU) which include Namibia, Swaziland,South Africa and Lesotho. Capital ows withthe rest of the world are relatively free, subject

to South African exchange control. This is anindication that generally speaking, Namibiasinvestment industry is attractive.

I believe Namibias investment industry iscomplex because it is merely 20 odd years old,and as much as people are saying we shouldhave been doing better after so many years,what they forget is that we started o with somany drawbacks. Our laws were messed up,we were traumatised, and the imbalances wereimmense. Our FDI legislation aims to addressthese issues and to balance the scale betweenNamibias self-sustainability and the foreignersgain through local investments, In other words

we should create a win-win business invest-ment environment.

C.N: In Namibia, we do not have a con-sumer protection Act. Do you think this issomething that should be adopted here?

J.Prince: Most denitely! Namibiasconsumers are open to all kinds of ill-treatmentbecause of the lack of a consumer protectionact. Many businesses get away with abusingconsumers, who have very little to go on, withno real form of recourse or retaliation for badservice provision, sub-standard and often over-priced products . Our neighbouring countrySouth Africa sets a very good example with

such laws and regulations and companies areexceptionally mindful of the parameters set outby these laws.

C.N: What challenges do Namibian con-sumers face?

J.Prince: One issue which comes to mindalmost immediately in the face of the situationNamibian consumers nd themselves in is thepublics unawareness of consumers rights.Consumers should make a point of educatingthemselves on what such an Act would termunacceptable and/or unethical practices ofbusinesses. This in turn, I believe would com-pel the inevitable, i.e., laws to enforce Namib-ian businesses to adhere to ethical and goodgovernance practices. I speak with a goodmeasure of certainty when I say that Namibia isa co-signatory to quite a few conventions in thisregard, as I have attended many internationalconferences where this issue was discussed andagreed upon on a global and regional level.

A lot of companies from South Africa useNamibia as a dumping ground for products.We see goods in our stores that have advertis-ing on them for South African contests whichhave expired, so they sell the leftovers here.Few companies have Namibian websites or

customer care lines for consumers to call.C.N:What advice do you have for theNamibian Consumers?

J.Prince: Stand up for yourselfand make it known nation-

ally that we need legislation to protect ourconsumers. In the absence of real action fromthe consumers, very little will be done. AllNamibians have full access to Parliament andParliamentarians. Raise this serious issue withvigour and dont accept no for an answer. TheAct may serve consumers in varied and numer-ous ways, such as price control hence savingmoney; reminding people that they now livein a free Namibia where peoples rights anddignity is protected and respected at all costsand applies to all citizens whether economicallyimpoverished or not.

We need to start observing the practices of

businesses and even encourage marketing stu-dents to undertake some research on this issue.One will be amazed at how really bad it is forNamibian consumers.

Q & Awith LIH C.E.O

Jacqueline Prince



TheN

amibianCompetition,

Act

2of2003wasenactedwith

thepurposeofenhancing

thepromotionandsafegu

ardingofcompetition

inNamibiainorderto;

Promotetheefficiency,a

daptabilityanddevelopmentoftheNamibianeconom

y

Provideconsumerswith

competitivepricesandpro

ductchoices

PromoteemploymentandadvancethesocialandeconomicwelfareofNamibi

ans

Expandopportunitiesfor

NamibianparticipationinworldmarketswhilerecognizingtheroleofforeigncompetitioninNamibia

Ensurethatsmallundertakingshaveanequitableo

pportunitytoparticipatein

theNamibianeconomy

Promoteagreaterspread

ofownership,

inparticula

rtoincreaseownershipstakesofhistoricallydisadva

ntagedpersons

Formore

informa

tioncon

tac

t:

TheN

amibianCompetitionCom

mission

P.O.B

ox2104,

Windhoek,

Namib

ia

Tel:+

26461224622/Fax:+264

61401900

Email:

(EconomicDevelopment)

(ConsumerP

rotection)

(EmploymentCreation

andPoverty

Reduction)

(ForeignDirectInvestment)

(S

MEDevelopment)(

Black

EconomicEmpowerment)

[email protected]

www.nacc.com.na

Alterna

tive

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at:

269IndependenceAvenue

BPIHouse

MezzanineFloor

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atisthepu

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ompetitionSnippets



Namibias 2012 National Population

& Housing Census results released

The Namibia 2011Population andHousing Census

Basic Report recently re-leased by the Namibia Sta-tistics Agency noted that thecountrys population has grownsteadily since 1921 rising from onequarter in 1921 through to 1.8 in 2001and 2.1 in 2011.

According to the Namibia 2011Population and Housing Census BasicReport, the total population enumeratedin Namibian during the 2011 Census was2 113 077 of which 903 434 people werein urban and another 1 209 643 people inrural areas. The total population in privatehouseholds was 2 064 489, while therewere 27 402 people in institutions and 21186 people in a special population category(homeless, travellers, prisoners, shermen,etc).

The census results also revealed that thepopulation of Namibia has been growingsteadily since the rst post-independenceCensus of 1991. The intercensal popula-tion growth rate between 2001 and 2011was 1.4 percent compared to 2.6 percentbetween 1991- 2001. The annual growthrate for urban areas was 4.0 percent,which is much higher than the nationalrate. There was however, a negativegrowth rate of 0.1 percent in rural areasdue to high migration to urban areas.

The highest growth rates were recordedfor Erongo (3.4 %) and Khomas (3.1 %compared to 1.9% in the period 1991-2001). Conversely, Omaheke had a lowestgrowth rate of only 0.5 percent comparedto 2.5 percent in the period 1991 -2001.

On Households main source ofincome, the Census results revealedthat wages and salaries were the mostfrequent main source of income inNamibia with almost half (48 %) of allhouseholds having this type of mainincome.

Farming was recorded as thesecond source of income covering 16

percent of the households followed by

the old age pensions which recorded 14percent and other non-farming businessactivities which also recorded 12 percent.Lastly, orphan and disability grants werethe main source of income for only 0.7percent of the households.

The Census Results also revealedthat there were some major dierencesbetween urban and rural areas as theurban areas recorded 68 percent of thehouseholds getting their main source ofincome from wages and salaries, followedby business activities (non-farming) in 15percent of all households.

At the regional level, wages and salariespredominated in Erongo, Khomas andKaras, where more than 70 percent ofhouseholds had these main sources ofincome.

By contrast, farming activities were themain source of income in many northernregions, particularly in Kavango where 43percent of households reported farming astheir main source of income.

Bank Windhoek has sponsored N$40 000 to the Namibia Amateur GolfUnion (NAGU) to host the annual ZoneVI Golf Championship which will takeplace from 22 - 25 April 2013 at theWindhoek Golf and Country Club. Pic-tured at the handover of the sponsor-ship are F.l.t.r., George Vink, Captainof WGCC, Riaan van Rooyen, Head:Corporate Communication and SocialInvestment at Bank Windhoek and

Hugh Mortimer, Tournament Convenerat NAGU.



The Secondary Sector grew by 5.9 percentwith construction sector being the maingrowth driver as it recorded 12.1 percentage

growths on the backdrop of increased real estatedevelopment, road, water supply, airport and portdevelopment. This growth was supported by theincreased government spending on public worksprojects, through the Targeted Intervention Pro-gramme for Economic and Empowerment Growth(TIPEEG). The NSA report reviewed thatalthough TIPEEG has not met its targets, it hasnever the less had a positive impact on the construc-tion sector over the past two years.

Fish processing contracted by 4.9 percent as aresult of lower output from the shing sector alongwith declining appetite for processed sh productsin the export markets.

The tertiary sector on the other hand grew by 6.9percent. Due to increased Gross national dispos-able income, low interest and ination rates whichincreased consumer appetite to consume and bor-row, pushed up wholesale and retail trade activityby 12.1 percent. This, according to the NSA report,has also had a positive eect on nancial intermedia-

tion as consumer appetite for credit also increased.Hotels and restaurants, a proxy for the tourism

sector, contracted by 0.6 percent due to the factthat there were a few foreign tourists and also thefew tourists who came did not spend a lot in thecountry.

The transport and communication sector wasreported to have increased by 5.7 percent on thebackdrop of increased economic activities in themining and manufacturing sectors and hence thestorage and transport subsector enjoyed strongergrowth. But the biggest driver for the growth in

the tertiary sector was in health, which grew by 11.8percent.Talking of consumption expenditure, the report

recorded that consumption expenditure increasedby 6.8 percent where most of the consumptiongrowth came from the government sector. At thesame time, investment grew by 11.6 percent whilenet savings had a substantial turnaround, increasinga whopping 81.7 percent at nominal prices, whichwas mainly private sector driven, total nationalsavings amounts to N$19.3 billion in nominal terms.This according to the NSA report implies that notonly are the consumers consuming more, but they

are saving almost 30 percent of their incomes in anenvironment where businesses are investing andgovernment is spending.

The National Youth Council recently launched the 6th Na-tional Youth Week which will run under the theme Youth forClimate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, at Supporters

Sports Bar in Windhoek.The 6th National Youth Week, which will be held from the 25-27

April 2013 in Eenhana, is an annual opportunity to recognize the coun-tries young people to communicate, educate, participate and raiseawareness of dierent topics related to youth development as well asto create a platform that can enable them to push for their participa-tion in all areas of society.

Speaking at the launch of the Youth Week, the EnvironmentalCommissioner, Mr Teolus Nghitila, who is also the event Patron,said Namibia is one of the driest countries in Southern Africa with amean annual rainfall that ranges from 25 mm in the south west and thewest to 700 mm north and north east, and noted that Namibia ratiedthe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) in 1995.

Mr Nghitila noted that Namibia prioritized placed climate changeon the development agenda in order to safeguard the livelihood ofNamibians, particularly, the youth.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, being the governmentinstitution tasked by the government to coordinate climate changeissues in Namibia, has embarked on various projects and initiatives toensure that young peoples voices on this matter is heard.

One such initiative amongst others was the establishment of theNamibian Youth Coalition on Climate Change and the formulationof the climate change Youth Action programme (YAP).

This years commemoration will not only focus on youth participa-

tion and striving towards action towards climate change mitigationand adaptation but more towards Youth Participation for Sustainabledevelopment and the role young men and women can play towardsnation building.

Namibian Youth rallybehind climate change

adaption and Mitigation

Mr Teoflus Nghitila

Namibia is one of the

driest countries in

Southern Africa with a

mean annual rainfall that

ranges from 25 mm in

the south west and the

west to 700 mm north

and north east, and notedthat Namibia ratied

the United Nations

Framework Convention

on Climate Change

(UNFCCC) in 1995.

SecondarySector records aslight increase



My Point of View

People often frown upon those whodo things dierently which is thesame situation when you do your

motherhood dierently.I see my husband as my sons primary

care giver especially when I am on the roadand luckily for me he does an excellent jobevery time. We have made some decisionsas to how we will raise our son with regardsto sleep and food.

In our society is often customary for ababy to co-sleep with parents until they

reach a certain age. Or sometimes evenuntil the next baby arrives. I know parents

whose children have completely taken overtheir beds. I mean they have 2 kids and theyall sleep in one bed. They have gone as faras purchasing a new bed to make way forthem all.

I have another friend whose husbandsleeps in the room next door so mommyand baby can have a good nights rest. Thishas been happening for the past 2 yearsbut for us there is a line. From birth, ourson slept in his cot even though there weretimes he used to sleep in our bed, but it was

never a norm.When he was 3 months old, we started

putting him in his own room. His nannysleeps with him and we keep his monitoron, I get up whenever he is awake to go sayhallo. He smiles at me and either continuesplaying or nishes up his bottle of milk. Heself-soothes, and falls rigAht back to sleep.We never have to cuddle at night to get himback to bed.

I believe the ease we have been experienc-ing with our son is because of the rules wehad right from the beginning. He is notafraid of his cot and sleeps peacefully night

after night. In my opinion, parents are toblame for their childrens bad habits.

Mthhd Sleep

If you bought oce furniture for N$500you would expect excellent service,right? Well, that is not what we got

from a very exclusive and expensive furni-ture supplier recently.

We recently relocated to new oce at

my workplace, and I had the privilegeto work with lets call them companyC. Their furniture is truly good quality,heavy, and good looking and strong.

This whole relationship started goingwrong when we asked for quotations andupon receipt of our furniture we discov-ered that a portion of the goods quoted on

originally is what was delivered. We hadsingle chairs, which we wanted to knowprices of back then, make their way to ouroces. The business chairs and visitorschairs varies in terms of ranges, somethingthe sales person overlooked and I think

she should have advised us on or doublechecked.

They put pressure on us to have ourgoods delivered and once we agreed on adate and told them in no uncertain termsthat we need our oce set up by such andsuch a date, they still ignored our requestand our furniture took 4 days to arrive.

The rst day they rst delivered tables andfour chairs and only chairs on the secondday and nothing on the third day then therest of the furniture on the fourth day. Noapologies, no responses to emails statinghow unhappy we are, nothing.

This to me is a clear example of excellentproduct quality but no idea of customerservice. We have been in our oces fortwo days now; they have not called to ndout if we are happy with the furniture,nothing.

I would rate their furniture 12 out of 10.And their service 4 out of 10.



I have experiencedthis on many occasions.I was once involved in

renovations to an oce,then there was my ownhouse and recently, mywork relocated to anewly built premises. Iwas involved with thisproject from the signingof the contract and withassurance; I can notethat architectural plansare denitely misleadingto a layman.

Sometimes thesurprise you get is goodand sometimes it is bad.I remember when ourhouse foundation wasdone, we thought whata small house this is go-ing to be, but when thehouse reached ceilingheight, we could notbelieve our eyes.

The same goes for mywork oces, when we

saw the 3d images, theplace looked so dier-ent; 14m on paper is notthe same in reality.

At the end of the day,there are so many thingsone has to be sure of,and the bad part is thatwe do not always knowthis until the project iswell under way.

Hence it is very im-

portant to be as involvedas possible from thebeginning to the end.

When you are build-ing a house the proce-dures and fees etc. aredierent as to whenyou are constructingoces where you havean engineer, projectmanagers and so forth.Next month I will giveyou more information onthe interesting things Ifound regarding all theprofessionals involved inconstruction.

House - Plans ersus Actual

My Point of View

CN 16

The saying, things are not always as they seem, seem truewhen you are building a house for yourself. In this case I amreferring to your architectural plans which normally portray a

very dierent picture from what comes out at the end of the day



By Milton Louw

Since my student days I have beenvery interested in politics and morespecically in nding a balanced

political philosophy that would be able toaddress the very specic problems of Na-mibia. Most of my friends (and most critics)would say that I am Marxist in leaning andthat I should move on because Marxismis dead. In fact I am not a Marxist but aGeorgist named after the philosophicalwritings of Henry George.

The central principles of Georgism are

free exchange of goods in markets,with limited regulation of com-merce;

no taxes on labour; high taxes oncertain kinds of property;

private ownership of property, butfully oset by taxes that virtuallyeliminate unearned wealth.

Georgists believe it is possible to unitefairness and eciency by taxing away therewards of privilege so that people can earnmoney only by being productive. Since

much of the power of modern corpora-tions derives from those privileges, propertaxes could reduce that power. The wayI understand it the central dogma is thatthings regarded as nature ( i.e. land andother natural resources) belong to all of thecitizens.

How is it now possible to use such aphilosophy that we can meet the desirestated in the Namibian Constitution of..securing to all our citizens justice, liberty,equality and fraternity? After 23 years ofIndependence, many people are still living

in absolute poverty and are deprived ofbasic human needs, such as food, water,sanitation, clothing, shelter, health careand quality education. Besides those livingin absolute poverty, we also have relativepoverty which is dened contextually aseconomic inequality in the Namibian soci-ety in which we are living.

The solution lies in rst making sure theincome from taxes and levies as well as theallocation of these funds to ensure nationalobjectives should be done through Parlia-

ment. The Parliament should establisha mechanism to ensure the usage of theeconomic resources shall be used to secureeconomic growth, prosperity and a life of

human dignity for all Namibians.Once the nances are in place, we should

be able to provide a monthly income to allcitizens regardless of their economic status.This citizens dividend is being proposed inNamibia as a Basic Income Grant (BIG).

The arguments against a Citizens Divi-dend / Basic Income Grant

Argument 1

Were already paying too much in taxes,but you are calling for an expensive newprogram.

Certainly, paying part of your own, legiti-

mate earnings to support a new programis no way to make our country better. TheCitizens Dividend plan avoids that prob-lem in two ways. First of all, it does nottake anyones earned income at all; the planwill be funded only by revenue that is notearned, not part of the free-market system.Secondly, since the Citizens Dividend willprovide a denite income oor for thosewho have little or no other income, it canrender other programs, such as welfare,needless. We can nally get rid of degrad-

ing, ill-managed welfare-style programs, foronce and for all, and cut taxes as a result.

Argument 2

We have no business deciding who getsmore and who gets less.

Thats correct. In the Citizens Dividendplan, everyone receives a dividend, the sameamount. That means that no ones RELA-TIVE economic position is changed. Noone gets a bigger benet than their neigh-bour, so no one is given an unfair privilege.Our current system gives out huge valuable

privileges to some, and tax bills to others-- thats what we need to stop.

Argument 3

Some recipients might work less or quittheir jobs.

That probably would never happen-- people always want more money to im-prove their lives and provide for their futureand their loved ones. But, one hundredthousand people in Namibia decide thattheir Citizens Dividends enable them to

quit their jobs. There are over ve hundredthousand Namibian who are unemployed,looking for work. So now one hundredthousand of them can nd jobs. The result

is that two hundred thousand people arehappier than they were before, theres lessunemployment, employers can get moreenthusiastic workers, and you and I canprobably get better-produced goods andservices now. Marvellous! The very bestthing that can happen to make our societymore competitive internationally, is for un-happy workers to get out and make way forpeople who really want to work for a living.

Argument 4

Todays system is good enough.

Todays system funnels millions of dol-lars a year into the hands of people whodid not earn it, and takes millions in taxesfrom people who DID earn it. Meanwhile,our nation is becoming less competitivein the world economy. Instead of a soundeconomy, weve got a leaky bucket -- and wedeserve better.

Some people are making loads of moneywithout earning it -- and thats what weneed to stop. Unearned revenue, from out-side the free-market system, belongs to all

of us. No one has any better claim to it thanyou! You never signed away your claim!So get your equal share, rather than lettingsome fat cats (or corrupt ocials) take it all.

In support of a Basic

Income Grant (BIG)Georgists believe it is

possible to unite fairness

and efciency by taxing

away the rewards ofprivilege so that people can

earn money only by being

productive. Since much

of the power of modern

corporations derives

from those privileges,

proper taxes could reduce

that power. The way I

understand it the central

dogma is that things

regarded as nature ( i.e. land

and other natural resources)

belong to all of the citizens.



Namibian rent prices have increaseddrastically over the past few yearsand people cannot aord these

prices as their salaries have not increasedin the same ratio. One possibility beingproposed is a rent control mechanism thatis governed by a law.

What is meant by Rent Control?

Rent control refers to laws or regula-tions that set price controls on the rentingof residential housing. It functions asa price ceiling. Rent control exists inapproximately 40 countries around theworld. Generally the laws dictate thefrequency and degree of rent increases andare limited to less than the rate of ination.The issue is quite divisive and we shouldlook at both sides of the argument beforewe make a decision on whether this is asolution for Namibia.

Arguments for rent control

First, on the economic front, such a lawgives the tenant the ability to insist on cer-tain improvements being done a minimumstandard, without allowing the landlord toretaliate with higher rental fees.

Secondly, the social dynamics of rentcontrol, or to use the correct term, rentstabilisation, is an important one for con-sumer protection. Without rent stabilisa-tion, landlords can demand any increaseand tenants must either pay or move.

These regulations provide some assurancethat the consumer can maintain stability intheir housing situation.

Third, the moral argument is that

housing is a human right that is moreimportant than the property rights of thelandlord. With this argument, the land-lords income is restricted to a formula, forexample no more than 20% higher than themonthly instalment on a bond for a houseof this value.

Arguments against rent control

The main argument against is the put-ting a cap (highest price) on rent reducesthe quantity and quality of housing avail-able. Introducing rent control reduces thenumber of investors willing to purchasehousing for the purpose of renting toreceive an income. Thus rent control canlead to creation of less housing, raisesprices and increases urban decay in certainareas of a town.

If rent control should be introduced inNamibia, this will reduce the resale valueof aected properties. Thus, banks andother mortgage holders would nd thevalues they estimated to be higher than thetrue resale value if they need to foreclose.In addition, municipal valuations wouldhave to be reduced in line with the valuereductions.

What is causing the problem?

Rather than just accept Rent Control asthe only solution, we need to look closer atthe problem and nd the causes of rentalincreases.

In essence, a free market economy suchas ours allows all interested would-betenants equal opportunity to oer a rentalamount for the space. In conditions of

monetary ination and housing shortagesrents rise as landlords have tenants willingto meet their asking price. In other words,the landlords would reduce rents if no-onewas willing to pay the rental fee.

Conclusion

Rent Control can be used as an interimmeasure to attempt to keep rental aord-

able, but this is not a solution that willsolve the problem of the housing shortagein urban areas. Municipalities have toincrease the number of erven available forbuilding of lower income housing and theprices should stabilise once the supply anddemand equation is more balanced.

The increase of rent in Namibia hasled to high-cost to income ratio. Thus thefamilies aected by high or unaordablerentals means they are now unable to af-ford non-housing necessities such as foodand medicines.

The answer to the problem of highcost to income ratio is to directly increasethe income of low-income households.The Government should look at a policyprogramme that provides food stamps,health insurance, national pension plans,etc. that make non-housing expenses moreaordable. In addition, the proposal for aBasic Income Grant should we discussedand possibly implemented.

Namibia needs to nd sustainablesolutions which improve health, safety

and comfort for all its citizens, and morespecically reduce the costs incurred bylow-income families for the use of water,energy and housing.

Rent Control is Needed in Nam



Namibian boxer, Immanuel Prince Naidjala will meet BotswanasLeslie Sekotswe in a boxing rematch for the IBF International Ban-tamweight title at the Windhoek Country Club on July 5.

This rematch came as a result of their ght on 20 March 2013 which wasa dening moment for the two boxers but ended in a draw after one judge

scored it 116-112 in favour of Sekotswe, another scoring 119-107 in favour ofNaidjala and a third a 115-115 draw.

Sekotswe was reported by the Botswana media as to be having a lot of sup-port at the rematch, following Ngowis visit to Botswana to market the ght.

The tournament is being promoted by the Sunshine Boxing PromotionAcademy, which is run by Nestor Tobias. The ghts promoter was recentlyquoted in the media saying that the winners future will be bright and that heis going to help both boxers reach their goals after the ght.

There will be several ghts on the undercard while the tournament will bepromoted by Nestor Tobias of the Sunshine Boxing Academy.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and OptionsThe 2013 Toyota Yaris is a subcompact economy car available

as either a two- or four-door hatchback. Standard features on theL include 15-inch steel wheels, a rear windshield wiper, powerdoor locks, air-conditioning, four-way-adjustable front seats, a tiltsteering wheel, a trip computer, a fold-down rear bench seat, acargo cover, Bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streamingand a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, HD radio, anauxiliary audio jack and a USB/iPod interface.

Safety

Standard safety features include antilock brakes (rear drums for

all models except the SE, which gets four-wheel discs), tractionand stability control, active front head restraints, front seat sideairbags, front and rear side curtain airbags and a driver kneeairbag

Interior Design and Special Features

The Yaris interior couldnt be simpler or easier to use; thereare just a couple of gauges to read and most will appreciate thatthe large speedometer is placed directly in front of the driver,rather than in the center of the dash as in the previous Yaris.

Those worried about a subcompact car aording a low viewof the road will nd the high-mounted front seats help providefairly high sight lines, though the lack of a telescoping steeringwheel can be a problem for taller drivers.

The new-generation Yaris extra length means theres a refresh-ing amount of rear-seat legroom, while even those of above-aver-age height will nd acceptable headroom in back.

The 2013 Toyota Yaris is a FWD subcompactcar available in three-door hatch and fve door

hatch trim levels which is powered by a 1.5 liter

4 cylinder engine that produces 106 hp and 103 lb-t

o torque. Fuel mileage alls within an EPA estimated

range o 30 mpg city to 38 mpg highway, depending on

transmission selection.

Naindjala to meet Sekotswe in a rematch

Toyota Yaris

setting the

record straight



EvENTS CALENdER

The ollowing is a calendar to remind consumers and show our recognition to the countrys holidays

within the month o May:

DATE EVENT COMMEMORATED

Workers Day 01 May 2013

Cassinga Day 04 May 2013

Ascension Day 09 May 2013

12 May Movement 12 May 2013

Arica Day 25 May 2013

ConsumerNewsGeneral Manager/EditorWillem Gariseb

081 249 8161081 551 9337

[email protected]

Ohorongo Otavi CommunityTrust (OOCT) in collabora-tion with Support e.V. in Ulm,

Germany, made a pledge by donating anambulance during the recent Otavi In-vestment Expo & Festival Gala Dinner.

The Gala Dinner took place on Sat-urday, 13 April in Otjiwarongo and wasattended by His Excellency, Dr Sam Nu-joma (founding President),the Mayor of Otavi, the May-or of Otjiwarongo, variouscouncilors and dignitaries.

As part of Ohorongo Ce-ment (PTY) Ltd.s commit-ment to develop the Otavicommunity, the company,in co-operation with theOOCT, focuses on theneeds of the local communitywithin the Otjozondjuparegion, mainly focusing onInfrastructure, Educationand Health Care.

Because Ohorongo caresabout people, the company

decided to assist in an identied need ofthe Otavi community in the handling ofcasualties, hence the donation of a brand-

new ambulance to the value of N$ 348000-00 to the Otavi Town Council, in aidfor the Otavi Health Clinic.

The ambulance was handed over to MrMarkus Damaseb, the Mayor of Otavi,who happily received the vehicle from Mr

Hans-Wilhelm Schtte, Managing Direc-tor of Ohorongo Cement.

I trust that this ambulance will be put

to good use and that it will assist in savinglives by transporting injured Namibians tothe nearest hospital to get proper medi-cal care. After all, a healthy communityequals a healthy economy, said Schtte

OOCT & E.v. Support supportedvarious projects in theOtjozondjupa region in thepast, like the donation ofsun creams & setting up ofan Albino corner, donationsof hospital & specializedmedical equipment, and

more recently, the donationof wheelchairs & walkingframes to the Tsumeb Pri-vate Hospital.

More than N$ 2.4 millionhas already been donated tothe Otjozondjupa region,the Otavi town, Oshikotoand Tsumeb district via theOOCT.

Ohorongo Otavi Community Trust Donates new ambulance

From left to right: Mr HansWilhelm Schtte - ManagingDirector OC / Ms NdapewaNambili : Hon Councillor :Otavi Constituency / Ms HildeJesaya - Mayor of Otjiwarongo/ His Excellency Dr Sam Nu-joma - Founding President / MrMarkus Damaseb - Mayor ofOtavi / Mr Samuel Nuuyoma -

Governor Otjozondjupa Region.

A side view of the ambulance that was pledged by Ohoron-go Cement as part of the Gala Dinner, held for the OtaviInvestment Expo & Festival on Saturday, 13 April 2013.


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Consumer News Namibia Magazine April 2013

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Transcript of Consumer News Namibia Magazine April 2013