MIB Bulletin October 2007 - Namibian Government

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public of Namibia

Government Information

BulletinOctober 2007

IN ThIs Iss

ue Ovatjimba

and Ovatue an

“emergency

operation”

What is Namibia

offering the

investors

News from Cabinet

Chambers

“Tell your people to come down [from the

mountains]. We want you to participate in thedevelopment of this country [Namibia],” he told

the leader of the Ovatue communities, Kojo

Koviua, when he visited these communities at

Okau in Otjitanga area, on 2 November 2007.

Otjitanga is one of the four areas earmarked for

the resettlement of the marginalised Ovatue and

Ovatjimba communities.

The people in this part of the country live

high up in isolated mountains and landscapes.

Though they are considered as subgroups of

the Ovaherero, they speak a mixture of many

different languages, including Otjiherero,

Oludhimba and some other dialects spoken insouthern Angola, across the Kunene River.

It was time of wonder and joy, accompanied

by curiosity when the people came down from

the mountains to meet,

for the rst time, President

Hikepunye Pohamaba

and other delegations that

have began to visit the area

since the rst report of their

plight had appeared in the

media months ago. Those

who came down to meet

the President at the foot

of the mountain, especially

the Ovatjimba and Ovatue,

told stories of discrimination

and repudiation from

other groups that consider

themselves superior. For

instance, when they comedown to look for the fresh

leaves of palm trees for

shelter, they encounter

negative attitudes meted

out against them by those

living at the foot of the

mountains.

Palm tree leaves are used by

these communities to make

shelters to provide them

shade against the scotching

sun in the bare mountains

where most of them lead

a nomadic life. The visits of the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr

Libertina Amathila, Deputy

Minister of Gender Equality

and Child Welfare, Angelika

Muharukua, as well as the

Opuwo Town Councillor,

Kahimbina Musaso, are seen

as saviour missions that have

rescued the people from a life

of starvation.

Responding to peoples’ accounts of their

plight, the Head of State expressed his

discontentment over their living conditions,

especially discrimination, stating that it is

against the Namibian constitution for anybody

to discriminate against another. “Such practices

must be reported [to the law enforcement

agencies],” he added.

The President told the people that the

government recognises them as the country’s

citizens who are protected by the same

constitution, hence they must be enjoying equal

rights. He expressed his happiness for having

met the Ovatue and Ovatjimba, some of whom

are ex-PLAN combatants who contributed to

the national liberation struggle and especially

for having listened to their plight.

President Hikepunye Pohamba called on all the Ovatue and Ovatjimba to come out from the mountains, saying that the government

will nd it difcult to offer its assistance to them if they are hiding in the secluded mountains.

“Come out of the mountains” pleads PohambaBy Rhingo Mutambo

1

One part of the Kunene mountains

It is time for siblings to be together at home

Page 4 3 Page 19



Government Information Bulletin: Publicising GovernmentThe Government Information Bulletin was

established through Cabinet Decision Number

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From the Desk of the MinisterThere is a saying that says,“one person only lives becauseother people also live”. Thismeans that it is difcult for oneperson to exist in a vacuum andin an empty world. This brings

to mind that human relationsare important for our ownexistence.

The issue of the marginalisedOvatue and Ovatjimba who

reside in the Kunene mountains,far away from the mainstream of development and progress, need tobe dealt with holistically. We watchthese people on television and readabout their plight in the print mediathat they still depend on wild berriesfor survival. Although they have

managed to survive in their traditional environment for time immemorial, it is hightime that they too be let to participate in the development of their communities

in particular and the country in general. They should be given an opportunity toimprove their standard of living, according to the dictates of the present day life.

The government has taken steps to make sure that programmes and publicservices reach the marginalised and poor people, including the Ovatue andOvatjimba women and children living in the remote Kunene mountains. Therecent visits by President Hikepunye Pohamba, the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr.Libertina Amathila and the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfareto the Kunene region have revealed that there is a need for the governmentinvolvement in the improvement of the Ovatue and Ovatjimba standard of living.Programmes are already under way to assist those people living in the droughtstricken areas of Kunene. It is an urgent situation that needs relief, especially theprovision of basic needs such as food, water and shelter, health and educationuntil such a time when people will be self-reliant. In doing so, the Ovatue andOvatjimba communities will have to move to areas where there are roads and

communication links so that they can benet from the government programmesand services.

Climate change is a challenge, even in a developing country such as Namibia.The whole world is currently focused on climate change issues as our planet isbecoming negatively affected by the effects of pollution, lack of rain, overgrazingand over-harvesting of the natural resources. Rural communities, including thepeople living in the Kunene mountains, are paying the brand of climate change interms of depleting wild food and lack of energy sources even though Namibia is asunny country which can provide energy abundantly. In Namibia, people dependheavily on cutting trees and they use grass as resources to make shelters, leadingto bush encroachment. Experiences with climate change are forcing the world’spopulation to adjust to new environmental settings, including changing all aspectsof our lifestyles.

Due to the popular demand from the public, the Government Information Bulletin

has introduced a column News from Cabinet Chambers. From now on, readerswill be reading about Cabinet decisions so that the whole nation is informed aboutnot only the work of the government but also what we, as a nation, is expected todo to participate and play a role in nation building programmes and projects.

Contents“Come out of the mountains pleads Pohamba”……………….... 1

From the Desk of the Minister……………………………….....…… 2

Kunene mountains – the place where the people live……...…. 3

Water supply and medical aid scheme – an urgent need for

traditional leaders…………………………………………………….... 3Ovatue, their origin and the liberation struggle…………….…... 4

Ovatjimba and Ovatue an “emergency operation……..……..… 4

Government responds to the plight of the marginalised Ovatue

and Ovatjimba…………………………………………………….....….. 5

OVC National Plan of Action outdoored………………………….… 5

“Reject evils of tribalism, racism, regionalism and corruption,”

Pohamba told traditional leaders…………………………...………. 6

Captain Hendrik Witbooi’s memory lives on………………....….. 6

“Rural development should be priority of all priorities,”

Says Nguvauva II……………………………………………………..... 7

Power generation plants – a challenge for Africa…………….... 8

First step to save electricity in the Namibian household…...... 8

Namibia ranks second least riskiest country in the world….... 8

Solar energy panels installed at Chief Nguvauva’s

headquarters at Epukiro………………………………………….....… 9

Stakeholders to determine contributions of ICT to the

Welfare of Namibians………………………………………………….. 9

Corridors of SDI to promote high standards of living for all

Namibians…………………………………………………………....…… 10

Role of the SMEs in Namibian perspective………………….....…. 10

Final lap to Namibia 2010 Positioning Strategy……………....… 11

“Diplomatic service should be the best that it can be,”

says President Pohamba……………………………………….......… 12

What is Namibia offering the investors?.................................. 13

African countries to solve border issues by 2012…………...….. 13

UNDP Reps in Africa trained on African climate change…...…. 14

Road safety tips for drivers and pedestrians………………...….. 15

Help to stop the carnage on Namibia’s roads………………....… 15

Regional Council Association shares information on its

website……..........................................................................….. 16

Signs of driver fatigue………………………………………...........… 16

Uganda hosts Commonwealth Summit………………………..….. 17

Namibia assumes membership of CMAG……………………...….. 17

News from Cabinet Chambers………………...............……. 19 - 20

Hon. N. Nandi-Ndaitwah

2

Government Information Bulletin October 2007



3


President Hikepunye Pohamba recently traveled to the Kunene region to familiarise himself with the living conditions under

which the Ovatue, Ovatjimba and Ovazemba live. The visit followed media reports about the deplorable living conditions of somecommunities in the Kunene region. As a result, the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Angelika Muharukua, and

her team undertook a fact-nding mission to some villages in the region in August 2007. Some of the villages and places that were

visited are Okau, Otjitanga, Oroutumba, Otjimuhaka, Ohamaremba, Okanguati, Epupa, Otjijandjasemo, Otjikojo, Sesfontein, Etoto,

Otjitanda and Otjinungua. The Deputy Minister, who found that the places were draught-stricken, drafted a report on her ndings

and presented it to the government for careful study.

Most of these villages are remote,inaccessible and isolated areas in the

mountains in the Kunene region. The Ovatue,Ovatjimba and Ovazemba lead a nomadictraditional lifestyle, detached from the modernway of life that is observed by the rest of theNamibian population.

Some members of these communities, whohave national identity documents and havebeen participating in national elections can onlybe reached through the use of a helicopter.They have been living outside the mainstreamof life due to the fact that the areas areout of reach of the country’s mainstreamprogrammes. As a result, the people hardlyknow the benets of independence, including

their rights to the basic needs of life that areenjoyed by the rest of the country’s population.Shielded by the mountains, the only life theyengage in is collecting wild berries and roots forsurvival. At least the Ovantjimba own livestock.

When the draught strikes, the people in thesecommunities only survive on inhospitableconditions, unable to capture the most statedprinciples of freedom from not only hunger,disease and ignorance, but also from enjoyingthe right to live in descent shelters and clothing

to be able to preserve their dignity and integrityin a free country.

Although these communities of Ovatue,Ovatjimba and Ovazemba have inhabited theareas of the Kunene mountains for ages, theyare yet to be aware that they are part of thepopulation that has the right to benet from

all the natural and material resources in thecountry. That is why President Hikepunye

Pohamba has advised these communitiesthat they should not be discriminated againstin anyway due to their socio-economic andcultural status. The President made it clearthat they have the right to report or makeknown any negative or demeaning attitudesand manners aimed at robbing them from theirright to hold their dignity in the country of theirbirth. He wants accountability, transparencyand openness to be the order of the day forequity to prevail among all Namibians, includingthe Ovatue, Ovatjimba and Ovazemba.

Kunene mountains -

the place where the people liveBy Kaleni Hiyalwa

Life in the Kunene mountains

Water supply and Medical Aid Scheme - an urgent

need for traditional leadersThe dedication and commitment to service society made traditional authorities to address problems and solving disputes in theirtraditional authorities in a peaceful manner. They have contributed enormously to the socio-economic upliftment of their communitieswithin the framework and realisation of the Government’s Vision 2030. These were the words of his Royal Highness Omukwaniilwa,Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, chairman of the Council of the Traditional Authority (CTA) at the opening of the 10th annual meeting of theCouncil of Traditional Leaders in Windhoek in October 2007.

T

he Omukwannilwa brought to the attention

of the government what he described at a‘disturbing factor’ of water supply in rural areasthat needs to be re-looked at as a matter of urgency.

“Water supply to rural communities has becomecostly and unaffordable for the majority of people who in many instances are orphans

and vulnerable families in our society,” he noted. He added that there is a need

to change the current water supplysystem because it is causing miseryand frustration to community members.The chairperson of CTA proposed thatthe government could take up theresponsibility of rural water supply fromNamWater to make water affordable tothe majority of the people. He observedthat if the current trend continueswithout the government’s intervention,the rural population will not be able tohave access to clean and portable wateras people have no money to pay for thewater.

King Kauluma Elifas explained that traditional

authorities are faced with many challenges,especially when it comes to the executionand administration of the customary laws. “Inmany cases, the suspected offenders or culpritsrefuse to appear before traditional courts whensummoned by relevant traditional authorities,” he added. The King, who is also the Traditional

Leader of the Ondonga Traditional Council, seesan urgent need to implement the Community

Courts Act to allow the police to work togetherwith traditional authorities in bringing theculprits to traditional courts. The CTA appealedto the government to train traditional judgesand traditional secretaries to enable them tobe able to perform their duties and functionseffectively once the Community Courts Act isimplemented. The body reminded the Ministerof Regional, Local Government, Housing andRural Development of the promises to look into the possibility of providing a medical aidscheme to traditional leaders in view of theproposal made in 2006 by the Council to nd amedical scheme provider cater for them.

The majority of the traditional leaders do

not have decent work to afford medical aidschemes, which are expensive. “Many of themlive on family support and care, which does notcommensurate with their status in society ascustodian of cultural values and beliefs,” theRoyal Highness Omukwaniilwa of OndongaTraditional Authority explained.

Chiefs attending the 10th Anniversary of the Council of Traditional Leaders



4


Ovatue, their origin and the

liberation struggleBy Rhingo Mutambo

One may wonder as to who the Ovatue, Ovatjimba and Ovahimba are and where they come from originally?

The Ovatue, Ovatjimba and Ovahimbaare small sub-groups of the Ovaherero

communities. They roam the mountainousplaces in the Kunene region in the northwestern part of the country.

The only distinction that can be markedbetween them is the intonation or accent of thelanguages they speak, the type of settlementstructures they build and their economic life.While the Ovahimba build permanent structuredhomesteads, the Ovatue only put up makeshiftshelters, made out of fresh palm leavesand mopane tree branches, as they lead a

nomadic life. They roam around the wildernessin search of wild berries, roots, honey andwhatever nature can offer for a meal. Unlikethe Ovatjimba, whose staple diet of berries issupplemented by milk and meat, the Ovatuealso eat meat but do not own livestock andcultivate the land. The Ovahimba depend onmaize meal, meat and milk although they alsocollect berries as a supplementary diet.

Known by the name Ovatua (poor people) bythe Ovatjimba, they call themselves Ovatue(the skilled and experienced hunters who useassegai/spear with precision to kill animals).The Ovatue had survived on animal hunting.History has it that before civilisation introduced

guns, Ovatue used to chase and kill animalswith assegai or spears and other traditionalinstruments. It is because of their skills andexperience that they proudly call themselvesOvatue.

Omutua (singular) or Ovatua (plural)is a derogatory name synonymous to“outcast”, “poor person” or someonewith inferior standard. In the words of the Councillor for Epupa Constituency,Hon. Kasita Mburura, the name is“unconstitutional”.

Omutue man recalled the effectand impact of modern life on theirtraditional lifestyle like this, “Whenall the animals were removed fromthe land to be locked up into zoo andgame parks, we became poor. We were

rich and the Ovatjimba people used tobeg from us. When we became pooras a result of conservation laws, theystarted calling us Ovatua.”

Like the word ovatua (Omutua), ovatjimba(omutjimba) word is also said to have aderogative meaning. Notwithstanding thederogative names, given to the Ovatjimbaand Ovatue and the discrimination metedout against them because of their culturaland socio-economic status, their sons anddaughters also joined others to ght forNamibia’s independence against the apartheidcolonialism of South African, upon whichhuman rights and dignity were founded.

During his assessment visit to Ovatue andOvatjimba communities, President Hikepunye

Pohamba met with three ex-combatants,

namely Tuasaneka Tjisuta, Tjikununa Katjenaand Kanenekomuko Muhenje from Okauvillage, one of the villages visited on 2November 2007.

Tjisuta who was born in 1961, joined PLAN,the military wing of SWAPO, at the age of 18in 1979 and was trained at Tobias HainyekoTraining Centre in Lubango, Angola. At thetime when Katjena and Muhenje, both in their50s, were ready to join SWAPO, they wereconscripted in the Force Armaolo Pupular DeAngola (FAPLA) – the military wing of MPLA andwere trained in 1975 and 1977 respectively inAngola.

Life in the Kunene region

Ovatjimba and Ovatue an “emergency operation”By Rhingo Mutambo

Following the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s (NBC) Open File programme about the poor conditions of the marginalisedcommunities of the Ovatue and Ovatjimba in the Epupa constituency, Cabinet instructed the National Emergency ManagementCommittee (NEMC) to undertake an urgent fact-nding tour to the Kunene region.

The decision, which was preceded by a highlevel mission of the Deputy Prime Minister

and the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality andChild Welfare, was aimed at investigating theliving conditions of the Ovatue and Ovatjimbacommunities to enable the government todevise mechanisms to improve their socio-economic standards.

NEMC visited four prospective settlements,namely Otjitanga, Otjerivanga, Otjijandjasemoand Otjikoyo where some of the Ovatue andOvatjimba live from 29 October to 5 November2007. The four areas have been selected forthe resettlement of the Ovatue and Ovatjimbacommunities who are expected to movefrom the mountains to settle close to othercommunities. The team was comprised of theOfce of the Prime Minister and the Ministries of Agriculture, Water and Forestry; Information andBroadcasting; Gender Equality and Child Welfare;Defence; Home Affairs’ and Immigration and theKunene Regional Council. The investigating

team was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana.

The communities expressed their appreciationfor the government’s prompt response totheir predicament, since they rst spelled outtheir problems two months earlier. They alsoexpressed condence in the government’sefforts to nd solutions to their dilemma.

The Ovatjimba and Ovatue have little accessto schools and health facilities, water points,or any source to provide decent food, apartfrom wild berries, wild bee honey and sweettree tubers. The people travel long distancesto reach the Epupa Constituency health facilityand the Okangwati Health Centre, whose soleambulance, ferrying patients from one facilityto another, has been withdrawn over a yearago. So, the only options the people have areto either travel on donkeys’ backs or remain athome to treat their ailments, using local and

traditional methods that include barks of treesand plants.

Hon. Muharukua witnessed the situation inwhich a pregnant woman, battling for her ownlife and that of her unborn baby, was carried toa health facility due to lack of transport. TheDeputy Minister came to her rescue by offeringher ofcial car, and as a result, the woman hada safe delivery at the clinic at Okanguati village,48 kilometers from her village.

Plans are underway to build schools, healthfacilities and start communal gardens. Thegovernment has promised to provide corrugatediron sheets and other building materials to erectshelters for the people and drill solar-poweredboreholes at each of the selected settlementareas. The NEMC team recommended thatthe effort to address the needs of thesecommunities, be declared an “emergencyoperation” to be fast-tracked for the next threeto four months with the necessary resources.



5


Government responds to the plight of the

marginalised Ovatue and OvatjimbaBy Rhingo Mutambo

There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you have done something for someone else, even if it may appear as delayedassistance.

While the government is working on themodalities to rescue the hungry-hit

Ovatue and Ovatjimba communities, theMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare(MGECW) continues to distribute food to them,after the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s(NBC) Open File programme exposé of povetyand hunger among the Ovatue and Ovatjimba,living in the outskirts of Opuwo in the Kuneneregion.

The people’s twinkling eyes, traditional dancesand loss of words for compliments, depicted

sincere gratitude towards the government’sresponse to their plight.

Food, including maize meal, tinned beef andcooking oil are some of the items that are beingdistributed to the communities at an interval of two weeks. The Ofce of the Prime Minister’sNational Emergency Management Committee(NEMC) also undertook a fact-nding tour to

the region and distributed food to members of the two communities.

NEMC team noted that children were alsoexposed to the rare unprotected boreholesfrom which the communities fetch water. Metby puzzled faces of the children during thetour, the team distributed apples and orangesto the toddlers who had never seen an apple ororange before. Since the people live a nomadic

life and have no food storages,the team was concerned thattheir food may be wasted orgo bad from the exposure to allweather including, sun, rain andwind. They use trees to hoist thebags of maize meal and otheritems distributed to them.

The Ovatue and Ovatjimbacommunities belong to extendedfamilies and they are in needof cooking eating and drinking

utensils. An extended family usesone communal pot, which alsoserves as a plate.

Deputy Prime Minister LibertinaAmathila is expected to visitthe communities soon to handover utensils, such as cups, pots, and watercontainers.

Like the marginalised San communities, theOvatue and Ovatjimba communities will beintegrated into the government programmeaimed at uplifting their living conditions. Plansare underway for the government to assist thecommunities to stand on their own feet.

The communities have requested thegovernment to assist them with food, dig

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (GECW) has launched the National Plan of Action (NPA) for Orphans andVulnerable Children (OVC) 2006 – 2010. This is in line with the Medium Term Plan for HIV/AIDS that was developed as part of theRapid Assessment, Analysis and Action Planning (RAAAP) on OVC in 2004 in conjunction with OVC Permanent Task Force, chairedby the Ministry of GECW.

OVC National Plan of Action outdoored

The plan was developed in consultation with

various stakeholders and also included theviews of Namibian children, in particular thoseof OVC. It is divided into two parts comprisingthe Right, Protection, Care, Support, Education,Health and Nutrition and the Management andNetworking, as well as their objectives. Thesecond part is the Monitoring and EvaluationPlan, which outlines a detailed system for themonitoring and evaluation aimed at making thisNational Plan of Action a reality.

The plan calls for the comprehensive andmulti-sectoral response to address thesituation of OVC in Namibia. This meansthat the collaboration and coordination of all

stakeholders in the OVC programmes are thekey elements to contribute to the success of this OVC National Plan of Action. Launchingthe plan, Prime Minister Nahas Angula notedthat HIV/AIDS remains one of the greatestchallenges of today, saying that the countryis among others that are severely affected by

the pandemic. The situation has evidenced

by the increase in the number of orphans andchildren headed households. “This has resultedin the inability of the extended family systemto provide basic needs such as shelter, food,medical care, education, love and supportto vulnerable children,” he observed. ThePremier said that the Namibian governmentplaces the issue of child development at theforefront of its social and political agenda. Asa result, signicant progress is being made inthe protection of rights of the most vulnerablechildren in the Namibian society. He also saidthat the government is working hard to putstructures and programmes in place for thecare and protection of children. “However,

the government cannot reach this goal alonewithout collaborating with other stakeholdersinvolved in efforts to care and protect thechildren, he remarked.

Prime Minister Angula emphasized that childrenlook innocent and powerless but they arevery precious. “Children have quiet voices,

The nation must care for the lives of its children

boreholes for them, provide them with shelters,schools, clinics and seeds and to be registeredfor the social pension and the Orphans andVulnerable Children grant.

A combined registration team for civic, socialand child welfare will be dispatched to the two

communities, starting in November 2007 toregister those who are eligible for social andpension grants.

yet so expressive. Their importance to us

is the fact that they represent the future of our nation. They need protection rights now.Their childhood is happening today and notsomewhere in the future. Let us start rightnow to invest in their future through theimplementation of the OVC National Plan of Action to ensure their care and protection.

Boys and girls together



6


Captain Hendrik Witbooi’s memory lives onBy Kaleni Hiyalwa

It is 102 years since Captain Hendrik Samuel Witbooi died. Captain Witbooi is a legend of the Namibian nation who has played asignicant role in the anti-colonial struggle when the German settlers arrived in Namibia and started to scramble for land, conscatethe people’s cattle and wildlife. Today he is remembered as one of the heroes of the Namibian soil. His bravery and courage hadinspired the national liberation struggle. He has inspired unity among the Namibian people through his seless leadership in the ghtagainst foreign occupation and domination.

In remembrance of his death, acommemoration ceremony and traditional

festival was held at Gibeon, in the Hardap

region, on 29 October 2007, to pay tributeto a man symbolising all that matters in theNamibian society. Captain Hendrik Witbooi ishonoured with his picture featuring on the legalbanknotes of the Namibian dollar, his statueushers a welcome to the Namibian Parliamentin the Parliament Gardens, a street in Hockland

Park is named after him and his name isfeaturing at many other places of signicant

importance.

Known by his African name as Outa !Nanseb,the man is a symbol of unity in Namibia. Hewas the rst person who called for a unitedforce of the country’s people to ght againstforeign occupation and subjugation. Hisvision was beyond tribal and ethnic lines and

Continues on page 7

“Reject evils of tribalism, racism, regionalism and

corruption,” Pohamba told traditional leadersBy Kaleni Hiyalwa

President Hikepunye Pohamba applauded the work of the Council of the Traditional Leaders, saying that it plays an important role among

the Namibian communities in terms of assisting the government in its efforts to maintain peace, cultural harmony and national unity.

He explained that the council, over a periodof 10 years, contributed signicantly to the

maintenance of peace and stability, as well as tothe pursuance of socio-economic development inthe country by generating a degree of mutualunderstanding and exchange of experiencesamong traditional leaders.

The President also commended the Council,which he said has become a forum wheretraditional leaders can interact and seek solutionsto the many challenges facing the people,especially those who live in the rural areas.

President Pohamba was addressing the closeto 86 traditional leaders from all corners of thecountry who attended the 10th annual meetingand the existence of the Council of TraditionalLeaders held in Windhoek from 22 – 26 October2007. The meeting was organised by the Ministryof Regional and Local Government, Housing andRural Development and held in terms of Section2 of the Council of Traditional Authority Act 13 of 1997. The Council was established with the aim toadvise the President on the control and utilisationof communal land and all other matters relatedto traditional issues such as conict managementand resolutions among various traditionalcommunities in the country. Namibia is a unitarystate founded on the principles of democracy, the

rule of law and social justice. In terms of Article102 (5) of the Namibian Constitution, “Thereshall be a Council of Traditional Leaders to beestablished in terms of an Act of Parliament toadvise the President on the control and utilisationof communal land and on all such other mattersas may be referred to it by the President foradvice.”

Traditional authorities are expected to promotepeaceful co-existence of communities. ThePresident urged them “to continuously educatetheir communities, especially the youth torespect the Namibian Constitution and otherlaws of the country”. “They should teach them

about the importance of traditional norms

and values of communities in which they live.[They] should work in partnership with thegovernment to promote economic developmentand national unity,” the President advised. ThePresident was pleased that traditional leadershave demonstrated their wisdom in dealingwith matters that have been brought beforethe Council for discussion, saying that manydisputes over leadership and land issues amongvarious communities throughout the countrywere resolved peacefully and amicably. He alsosaid that the Council had discussed, investigatedand made recommendations that were receivedfrom various traditional communities in line withthe Traditional Authorities Act of 2000. Forty-twotraditional authorities have been recognised inthe past ten years while three more applicationshave been recommended for recognition andconsideration is pending for ve of them.

The President is, however, concerned about anew trend, marked by an increased number of applications for recognition of traditional leadersfrom various communities. “In some instances,these applications are lodged by people fromwithin a traditional authority that has alreadybeen recognised or from small sub-clans. This

may lead to the fragmentation of communitiesand disunity among our people. In my view, itis not advisable to walk along a path that wouldresult in clans and sub-clans seeking recognitionas independent entities,” he remarked.

“I urge traditional leaders to amicably resolveany disputes that may arise within theircommunities, as well as those involving membersof neighbouring traditional authorities. Theyshould deal with any misunderstanding as soonas it arises before referring it to the Council of Traditional Leaders,” President Pohamba who

is a member of a traditional family legend,advised. He urged traditional leaders to work together and remain united in facing nationalchallenges such as the scourge of HIV/AIDS,hunger, illiteracy, crime and other social evils thatcontinue to haunt Namibians. He offered a wordof wisdom, “We must respect our cultural normsand traditions because these are the foundationof our nation. In the same vein, where we ndsuch norms and traditions hampering our effortsto overcome modern challenges, we should beready to modify such practices, especially inthe ght against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Weshould include our women as equal partnersin development. We should accord Namibianwomen the respect that they deserve as

mothers of our nation and in accordance withthe laws of the land. We should also include thechurches and other members of civil society asimportant stakeholders in the process of ndingsolutions to the challenges of nation building.” The President advised the traditional leadersto strive to establish workable systems andimplement policies that will improve the lives of the people and benet the future generations,observing that this requires them to look beyondindividual interests, in favour of the interest of allcommunities. “We must maintain national unity,peace and security in our communities and thecountry as a whole. We must reject the evils of tribalism, racism, regionalism and corruption,” the

Head of State concluded.

President Hikepunye Pohamba consults on ruraldevelopment

conicts which existed then. He had appealedto his equals to join hands to ght against

colonialism.

Captain Witbooi knew then what the peopleof Namibia came to realise that people cannotdefeat the enemy while they are divided butsince they had a common purpose, they neededto forge a united force for victory to be attained.It is from this unity that Namibians, during the



7


“Rural development should be priority of all

priorities,” says Nguvauva IIHis Royal Highness, Chief Munjuku Nguvauva ll, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) made a resoundingstatement during the 10th Session of the Council of Traditional Leaders at Safari Hotel and Conference Centre on 22 October 2007.

He urged his counterparts to helpcommunities to identify their needs and

problems and to adopt plans to tackle theirproblems, adding that traditional leaders havean obligation to assist their communities toinitiate solutions to problems by harnessinginternal resources.

“It is high time that we help communitiestake ownership of development programmesand thereby hold government accountableto support our initiatives. We must stopblaming government for problems in ourcommunities. Now is the time for us to takeon the developmental agenda seriously. I am

proposing that each community convene acommunity assembly, dedicated solely to thedevelopment agenda of that area, once a year.I am condent that government will be readyto assist in this regard,” thundered His RoyalHighness.

Chief Nguvauva II warned traditional leadersnot to wait for government to identify theneeds of their communities. Traditional leadersneed to seriously address problems thataffect communities such as food insecurity,drought, cattle theft, HIV & AIDS, orphansand vulnerable children, water and education,among others.

“We must look at the social safety nets thatused to exist in our communities and rebuildthem and start to address these problems. Thenumber of orphans and vulnerable children

in our country is an indicationthat the extended family systemhas collapsed or cannot cope. Wemust address this phenomenon.We must start to address someof the negative cultural practicesthat impede on development. Therecognition that government hasaccorded to traditional authorities isfor the latter to provide leadershipand promote development,” saidthe Chief of the Ovambaderucommunity.

The Chief also called on fellow

traditional leaders to focus ontraditional matters and let politiciansdeal with politics, otherwise thereexist risk to divide our communities.“I also, caution those that are politicisingtraditional matters for their own selsh politicalaspirations that they must rst and foremostthink about the unity of their communities,or otherwise must relinquish their traditionalleadership positions. Traditional leaders areseen more and more at political rallies and areseldom seen organising community meetings,” Chief Nguvauva II noted.

He had this to say to the government,

“government must partner traditionalleadership, resource them adequately toembark upon mass impact developmentalprojects. Government must rededicate itsefforts in solving critical problems such as food

security, land reform and resettlement andwater provision”.

According to him, it is high time thatdevelopment is felt at village level, citingdevelopment projects with mass impact suchas rural dairy industry, rural butcheries toadd value to small stock on rural communitiesand rural poultry industries as some of theexamples that the rural communities can beassisted with.

The Chief observed that Namibia is a drycountry and, therefore, must seriously beginto tap the Kunene and Zambezi rivers formass irrigation projects to produce food for

Continues on page 18

Looking after the livestock

Captain Hendrik Witbooi’s memory lives onContinues from page 6

struggle for independence, came up with aslogan that, “United we stand! Divided wefall!”. This was an acknowledgement thatthere was a need for a “One Namibia, OneNation” instead of ghting against each other

and for individual interests. It was this visionof unity that had inspired the generation of Reverend Hendrik Witbooi, Hosea Kutakoand Reverend Teophelus Hamutumbangelato petition the United Nations for self-determination.

Following the commemoration of Heroes’ Day2007 at Eenhana, various other communities,such as Ovaherero paid their respect to theirheroes and leaders at Okahandja and theOvaherero/Ovambanderu/Ovahimba gatheredto celebrate the 81st observation of the WhiteFlag Day at Omaruru in early October 2007 toalso pay homage to their heroes.

At the Commemoration of the /Khowesenheroes, Rev. Hendik Witbooi, the grandsonof Captain Witbooi described the anniversaryas a commemoration of the toil, sufferingand sacrices of the gallant forefathers andmothers, as a manifestation of the unrelenting

will and determination to be a free people.It was a celebration of a cultural identityand worth, a tribute to the fallen heroesand heroines of the Namibian independencestruggle, a tribute to the visionary wisdom and

couratge of Hendrick Witbooi, Jacob Morenga,Abraham Morris, Samuel Maharero and manyothers, and an opportunity to revisit thepeople’s roots, and to retool for the challengesof 2008 and beyond.

Touching on the challenges facing the Namapeople and culture today, Rev. Witbooi hadthis to say, “We managed to set a pace forthe self-determination drive of our people andour country. We participated in the race for theliberation of our country. But we seem to havelost sight of the fact that the race is not yetover. The race cannot be over as long as thereis still poverty, decease, ignorance, inequitabledistribution of resources and regional bias. We

need to make our presence felt in the social,economic, cultural and political destiny of ourcountry. We are losing our cohesiveness as aclan and as a people. Things are falling apart.” In view of the modern life characterised by“petty squabbles” about positions, status,

names and other minor issues among theNama clans, Rev. Witbooi did not hesitate toquestion the status quo. “What happened tothe unity of purpose we had? What happenedto our self-respect and human dignity? And

what happened to the culture of openness,dialogue and transparency?”

The former Vice President of SWAPO advisedthe Nama people to retrace the roots thatbind them together, with emphasis on theirstrengths rather than weaknesses. “Ourdifferences should enhance and enrichthe diverse cultural setting that we havein Namibia. To address these and otherchallenges we need to be bold, courageous,and honest and have a strong sense of integrity,” he added.

He is worried that there is a growing gapbetween the people and their elected leaders

observing, “our people are like sheep withouta shepherd”. He also noted that there is aserious tendency towards compromisingthe collective responsibility and interest of the people at the expense of the leaders’ interests.



8


Power Generation Plants - a challenge for AfricaBy Rosa Hamukuaja-Thobias

Namibia hosted close to 100 delegates from across the world who deliberated on the World Energy Council (WEC) for the AfricanRegional Meeting and the Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA) workshop on powergenerating plants.

The three day event, which was ofciallyopened by acting Minister of Mines and

Energy, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, saw a powerfuldelegation, which caucused on some of thechallenges facing the African Region, such aslow level access to modern energy and hugedependence on biomass energy, weak percapita commercial energy consumption, weak development of energy infrastructure, weak energy quality service and inefcient

technologies. The UPDEA conference was also heldsimultaneously with the WEC workshop.UPDEA Secretary General, Herman SakriniMutima, highlighted the main challenges andopportunities impacting on the performanceof electric generating plants. According toMutima, the challenges are taking place in

a crucial period where many African powercompanies are facing difcult times due to a

lack of generation capacity. Mutima noted that to tackle this situation,Africa needs to speed up the construction of new power plants, strengthen power systemsand adopt an energy mix approach in theprocess of formulating energy policy. The WEC African Regional meeting alsosigned a declaration, agreeing that dams andhydropower projects need to embrace theconcept of sustainable development. According to the participants, during the pastcentury, hydropower has made an importantcontribution to development, as shown in theexperience of developed countries, where the

majority of technically and economically feasiblehydropower potential has been exploited. Insome developing countries, hydropower hascontributed to poverty reduction and economicgrowth through regional development andexpansion of the industry. The forum noted thattwo thirds of economically viable hydropowerpotential is yet to be tapped and 90% of thispotential is found in developing countries.

Only less than 7% hydropower has beendeveloped and exploited in Africa. Theconference observed that there is greathydropower potential in developing countries,as well as in countries with economies intransition, which can be harnessed to bringbenets to these countries.

First step to save electricity in the Namibian

householdsBy Rosa Hamukuaja-Thobias

As a reaction to the looming power shortage crisis in the country, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Electricity Control

Board (ECB) and NamPower initiated a Demand Side Management (DSM) project to counteract the threats of power disruptionsaimed at reducing the consumption of electricity.

The DSM initiative kicked off with the freedistribution of compact uorescent light

bulbs throughout the country on 29 October2007.

The compact uorescent light bulbs,

which consume low electricity, are aimedat reducing the electricity demandfor Namibia to between 12 to 20MW.About 900 000 uorescent light bulbs

were imported from China, and willbe distributed to consumers, free of charge, who have settled their water andelectricity accounts with local a u t h o r i t i e s .

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Minesand Energy Minister, Hon, Erkki Nghimtina,cautioned that the era of electricity surplussupply capacity is unlikely to return to thesouthern African region. According to Hon.

Nghimtina, the regional stability has attractedforeign direct investment initiatives to theregion, putting stress in the demand forsupply of electricity for use in economic andindustrial activities.

“The time has come when we are expectedto stop talking and act to ensure continuouselectricity supply in Namibia,” Nghimtinasaid.

Namibia ranks second least riskiest

country in the worldBy Rosa Hamukuaja-Thobias

Namibia was rated as the second least riskiest country in the world’s mining sector. The country trails closely behind the Nordiccountry, Sweden, which comes in the rst place. This information was contained in a recent media release on the world risk surveyconducted by leading resources publication, Resources Stocks.

In the report of the ndings of the survey,Sweden’s total risk scored 9.2, only a fraction

above Namibia with 9.3 with Finland placedthird at 9.6 as the world’s “least risk” miningcountry. According to the Director of Mining in theMinistry of Mining and Energy, Erastus Shivolo,Namibia has received this honour because of its

transparent and competitive security of tenureand mining legislation.

Shivolo explained that the country’s nationalenvironmental policy and management hascontributed to the positive outcome.

Australia has become a considerably risky placefor mining companies to operate in the past

twelve months. According to the publication,countries were also scored based on the

questions of sovereign and social risks, as wellas civil unrest. Australia’s risk rating is 11.3, slightly worsethan Botswana at 11.1 and slightly better thanGhana’s 11.6.



9


Solar Energy panels installed at Chief Nguvauva’s

headquarters at EpukiroModern way of living dictates that electricity supply is a basic need without which only limited activities would take shape in theworld today. To illustrate this, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Joseph Iita, observed that electricity

shortage is a big problem experienced not only in the Omaheke region, but also in the country, and the SADC region as a whole.

“Electricity supply infrastructure is one of the essential components needed to keep amodern society running. Essential servicessuch as education, communication and watersupply need electricity to function effectively,Iita explained.

Iita was speaking at an inaugural ceremonyof the Ezorongondo Village Solar EnergisationSystems at the Ovambanderu Head Quarters inEpukilo in the Omaheke region on 18 November.2007. The project is jointly supported by theMinistry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the

Namibia Renewable Energy Project (NAMREP)to ensure development of a sustainable andefcient renewable energy sector.

This was his message to the Epukilocommunity, “It is the aspiration and intentionof the Government of the Republic of Namibiato ensure that all Namibians have access tosustainable and affordable energy supplies andenjoy the benets associated with renewable

energy technologies in particular.” The MMEis contributing to efforts of establishing solarhome systems from which the headquarters of

His Royal Highness Chief Munyku Nguvauva II,three households and the kindergarten in theOmaheke region have beneted.

Iita noted that although progress has beenmade with regard to rural electrication in most

regions of Namibia, rural people in the remoteareas still have no access to grid electricity. Hebelieves that solar energy is recommended as

an alternative, since it is affordable and can bedesigned and set up anywhere. He thinks thatthe use of solar energy will accelerate accessto better energy services in communities,including those who live in the remotest areas.After the installation of the solar system at Chief Nguvauva’s headquarters, ve households had

purchased solar systems for themselves, whichdemonstrates that people are using a holisticstrategy to combine efforts and commitmentwith the government in the country’sdevelopment programme. Solar energy can bea viable option source of energy for Namibia,whose sunshine is abundant. Solar energyis environmently friendly and a non-polutantsource. “I therefore urge the entire communityand region at large to follow this good exampleby using renewable energy technologies,” Iitaremarked.

He said the effort is an indication of the stronggovernment commitment to enhancing nationalplans for increasing the use of renewableenergy technologies and the promotion of energy efcient alternatives in communities.

Stakeholders to determine contribution of ICT to

the welfare of NamibiansPrime Minister, Nahas Angula, said that Namibia, as a developing country, along with the rest of Africa, needs stakeholders to work with government and to act as agents of positive change in the society. As a result they can trigger shifts in the information andcommunications technology market dynamics to favour the supply of local ICT content, support, skills and service providers. Hewants Namibia to reduce the longstanding dependence on imports and the negative effects created by this dependence.

The Premier was addressing the NationalConference on ICTs for Poverty Reduction

and Sustainable Development that took placein Windhoek in August 2007. The Conferencewas aimed at examining progress and goodpractices, the implementation of the existingICT policies and the identication of gaps inthe existing policy framework. Other objectivesof the conference were to identify concretepriorities in national ICT implementation, thedemocratisation of information and buildingbetter understanding about the potential andchallenges in implementing ICT policies.

The Rt. Hon. Angula is adamant that theyouth have to be the driving force behindthe expansion and convergence of ICTsthroughout the country to become part of the Information Society. To do this, there is a

need to rst create an enabling environmentby implementing an effective policy to help thecountry attain the millennium goals. The policyframework is required for the benet of allNamibians. “I expect Cabinet to adopt a policywhich is committed to the strategic use of information and communications technologies

to further socio-economic development,” thePrime Minister said.

An ICT policy has to include technological andenvironmental elements that are characterisedby accessibility, collaboration, interoperability,open standards, transparency, customisability,local contribution, and open licensing.

Prime Minister Angula encouraged peopleto use, modify, enhance, create and sharesuch technologies and content for theimportant purpose of localising the resourcecapacity and cutting back on the externaldependencies. Namibia’s national strategicobjectives for socio-economic developmentare to improve competitiveness, support localinnovation and investment, broaden Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) participation

in the economy, build a better world, improvethe reach and efciency of government servicedelivery, and to reduce poverty and redressimbalances of the past. The Premier said thattechnology and equipment require humancapacity to operate, maintain and expandit, observing that Namibia has a shortage of

trained and skilled IT engineers and the varietyof technicians and other human resources needto be brought on par with that of developed

countries.

“Our focus should not only be on technology,but also on how we are going to address andredress the shortage of IT skills in the country,” he said. He emphasized that the availability of human capacity to drive the information

His Royal Highness, Chief Munjuku Nguvauva IIand President Hikepunye Pohamba

They too are amazed by technology




0


Corridors of SDI to promote high standards of living

for all NamibiansBy: Kaleni Hiyalwa

Namibia cannot afford lagging behind in the competitive global economy. As a result, the country is responding positively to the

challenging dynamics facing developing countries in their quest to promote and sustain economic growth.

To be part of the increasing competition

and integration of the global economy,

Namibia has, in its agenda, the commitment

to the development of technology to harness

the potential of the natural resources

and the promotion,

improvement and

provision of efcient

services to its people.

The global economy

requires the movement

of goods and products

from one market to

another with speed

and efciency. To be

competitive, Namibia

has to devise strategiesto foster economic

growth, to create

new employment

opportunities and

to ensure that the

country’s economy is

vibrant.

These strategies include bilateral and

regional co-operation with countries both on

the African continent and among those in the

developing world. This is one way of sharing

experiences and adopting best practices

in the introduction and implementation

of effective policy frameworks that can

stimulate economic growth. To be effective,

as an actor, in the global economy, countries

have to take deliberate actions to put in place

effective regulatory measures and remove

bureaucratic practices to facilitate smooth

business operations.

Namibia cannot to be isolated from the world

economy hence necessitating the need toattract international capital on a competitive

base. Economic growth is the only major way

to poverty reduction. Namibia has encouraged

positive micro and macro economic policies,

peace, political and economic stability,

which are the key determinants of condusive

environments for investments.

Namibia saw it t to initiate an international

investment conference that it had just co-

hosted with South Africa from 31 October

Role of the SMEs in Namibian PerspectiveIn Namibia, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector is known to provide income and employment to approximately onethird of the disadvantaged section of the population. It also has the potential to contribute to achieving important social objectivessuch as job creation, poverty alleviation and promotion of equitable distribution of wealth.

The Namibian government, through theMinistry of Trade and Industry (MTI),

has recognised that this sector is faced withconstraints hindering development. Theseconstraints include: lack of nance, market

access, appropriate technology, management

and entrepreneurial skills, and insufcientinstitutional support and advisory services.

In demonstrating the importance of the sector,the MTI, has been, for many years, assistingSMEs companies to participate in local andinternational organised trade fair events. Thistime, the MTI in collaboration with the Ministryof Gender Equality and Child Welfare decidedto share costs to facilitate the participation of 22 women business entrepreneurs who arecurrently engaged in food catering serviceson a small scale basis. The women haveparticipated in the 8th Malaysia InternationalFood and Beverage Trade Fair that took placefrom 12 – 14 July 2007 in Kuala Lumpur. Due to

limited resources, the two Ministries could onlymanage to pay for one or two participants fromeach region of the thirteen regions.

The objectives for the participation of thesewomen entrepreneurs in this trade fair were mainly:

- to expose the Namibian womenentrepreneurs to the new methods,techniques and technology in foodprocessing, preservation and preparation;

- to facilitate the Namibian womenentrepreneurs to attend the Malaysian

International Food and Beverages TradeFair as a learning process inducing themto diversify their business activities.

In fullling their dream and plough back their

experience, the women proposed the formationof a Women Business Forum/Association. It isenvisage that the Steering Committee will beestablished comprising of two members fromeach region. To realize this vision the womenentrepreneurs requested the MTI and theMGECW to assist them in terms of proceduresand guidelines policies as well as to formalisethe proposed association.

If everything goes according to the plan, upon

completion of the Women Business Forum/Association, it is expected that women engagedin food business will vigorously mobilize themembership base of the Association; thereafterseveral seminars/workshops will be held toinform each others the core business of the

Association and the services to be deliveredto its members. As such, women businessentrepreneurs recommended that there is aneed for:

• the Government to conduct a feasibility

study on agro based products forvalue addition and processing businessactivities to be undertaken by womenentrepreneurs.

• the Government to consider establishing

the Entrepreneurship DevelopmentTraining Centers to train SMEs in agro-based production, management andentrepreneurial skills development,as well as establishing peer educationprogramme.

• the Government to assist womenentrepreneurs in developing the packagingmaterials, branding, trademarks andpatent and loaning of the machinery andequipments.

• the Government to accelerate theestablishment of the SME Bank foreasy access to nance to needy womenbusiness entrepreneurs and SMEs ingeneral.

President Hikepunye Pohamba of Namibia andPresident Thabo Mbeki of South Africa





11


Final lap to Namibia 2010 Positioning StrategyBefore the end of 2007, Namibia will nalise its draft of the Namibia 2010 Positioning Strategy document as directed by the Cabinet

Committee chaired by the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture. The Cabinet has already approved the appointment

of a National Coordinating Committee (NCO) for the 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations.

T

he NOC will consist of the Ministerial Level

Committee to be chaired by the Ministry of Youth National Service, Sport and Culture andwill be composed of members from relevantministries such as Environment and Tourism,Finance, Works, Transport and Communication,Health and Social Services, Trade and Industry,Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and Immigration,Safety and Security, Defence and the NationalPlanning Commission (NPC).

The Technical Level Committee, which will alsobe chaired by the Permanent Secretary of theMinistry of Youth, National Service, Sport andCulture is composed of representatives fromthe same government institutions, parastatals

and other government agencies, includingthe Namiban Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (NCCI), City of Windhoek, RegionalCouncils, the Sport Commission, the NamibiaFootball Association (NFA), the NationalOlympic Committee, the Development Bank of Namibia, MTC, Cell One and the ManufacturersAssociation.

Cabinet has approved that the Technical

Committee may establish sub-committees tofocus on key outputs, such as infrastructure,security and protocol, marketing and tradepromotion and resource mobilisation. TheMinistry of Finance is authorised by Cabinetto source and release N$3.3 million for theinterim implementation arrangements and theconducting of an in-depth feasibility study andcosting assessment according to the termsof reference of the National CoordinatingCommittee.

It is envisaged that Namibians, especiallycompanies and businesses, will benet from

the activities leading to, during and after the

World Cup and African Cup of Nations to takeplace in South Africa and Angola in 2010.Local companies and businesses may benet

from tenders to supply goods and servicesduring the upcoming events. Since additionaland improvement on infrastructure, includingroads, railways, airports, boarder poststelecommunication facilities will be a must,

local participation will be required to make

Namibia an attractive destination for tourists,visiting Southern Africa during and after thecontinental and world events in 2010.

Plans are underway to establish and developattractive sport facilities in Namibia to enablethe country to make competitive offers toparticipating teams to use Namibia for theirtraining camps for the matches.

Border posts will not only be computerised toincrease speed on the movement of tourists,but the number of points of entry will alsobe increased to accommodate and facilitatepeople coming into the country from various

destinations.

Construction, extension, upgrading andimprovement work to airports and airelds are

underway to ensure smooth running transportprocesses.

Corridors of SDI to promote high standards of living for all Namibians

Continues from page 10

– 1 November 2007, in Windhoek. Known

as the Walvis Bay Spacial DevelopmentInitiative, Namibia International Investment

Conference, the forum was a bilateral

initiative that sought to attract Foreign

Direct Investment (FDI), technologies and

skills essential for economic growth.

The conference was a forum to expose

Namibian projects and products and discuss

policy and regulatory issues and related

project nance issues on the projects.

As a backbone of the Namibian economy,

agricultural development features as one of the priority activities that need investment

attraction. Projects, including agri-business,

aquaculture, energy, infrastructure

development, mining, services and tourism

were highlighted at the conference

The WBSDI – NIIC is a replicate of the

Maputo Corridor, which covers the area

stretching from Gauteng in South Africa

to the port of Maputo in Mozambique.

The Spacial development framework is a

strategic methodology for the development

of outward oriented and competitive

economies in the SADC region and in theAfrican continent. The initiative seeks to

promote development of the space along

the economic corridors through which

commodities pass to centres of trade and

exchange of goods and services.

The promotion of special development

initiatives will go a long way to provide

employment opportunities and improve the

living standards of people located along and

within the stretches of space to and from the

economic capitals.

The initiatives are the deliberate efforts

to put all people into focus of economic

development and growth by involving their

experiences, capacity, abilities and skills to

exchange what they have in terms of buyingand selling their goods and services within

the parameters of the country’s economic

policies. Their contributions to economic

projects within their space of development

will make it possible for all citizens to improve

incomes and living standards.

With regard to regional and global integration

initiatives, people and their projects need to

be exposed to markets on which they will

sell and exchange their goods and services

and from which they will acquire experiences

and skills to enable them sustain and further

develop successful businesses.

The WBSDI, which includes South Africa and

other neighbouring countries, and the Maputo

corridor is expected to yield benets not

only for the countries involved but forthe whole of the SADC region as this will

promote the export and import of goods

and services and get investments from

other parts of the world on a regular base.

And since the aim is to make development

initiatives people oriented, countries will be

able to mobilise citizens to participate in

projects that have comparative advantages

within their economies.

People will be able to trade among

one another as transport routes will

be diversied to promote options andpreferences to businesses within reach.

The WBSDI was realised as a result of a

bilateral initiative between the governments

of Namibia and South Africa that started in

2000/2001. The two Heads of State of

Namibia and South Africa, through their

annual bilateral meetings, decided on the

joint investment conference in Namibia.

The plan was transformed into a bigger

picture to not only cover the geographic

space of the Spacial Development Initiative

but to capture the Walvis Bay Corridor and

the link to other corridors with in the SADCregion, the African continent and the rest

of the world.



2


“Diplomatic service should be the best that it can

be” says President Pohamba

President Hikepunye Pohamaba has urged Namibian heads of missions abroad to continue being effective representatives of the

Government abroad.

“You must sharpen your skills toeffectively mobilise and market Namibiain the countries of your accreditation,especially with regard to investmentopportunities that Namibia has to offerin various sectors of the economy. It isalso your duty to identify opportunitiesin other areas of co-operation such aseducation, sports and culture, people-to-

people exchanges and capacity building,” said the Head of State.

President Pohamba was speaking at theopening of the Heads of Missions Conferenceon 5 October 2007 in Windhoek. Themed“Optimising Namibia’s Foreign Policy forSustainable Development, Peace and Security”,the conference was aimed at deliberating onissues and challenges facing the Namibiandiplomats abroad. The conference alsodiscussed the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Third National DevelopmentPlan (NDP3), as well as current developmentsin the international arena.

After independence, Namibia establisheddiplomatic representations in several countriesacross the world in order to promote nationalinterests and bilateral relations with the restof the world. The country is also representedat international, continental and regionalmultilateral organisations such as, amongothers, the United Nations (UN), AfricanUnion (AU), Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC), International LabourOrganisation (ILO), the Commonwealth andthe Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Notwithstanding resource constraints, thecountry has established diplomatic and

economic ties with many countries around theworld as part of securing national interests. Incountries where Namibia does not have residentdiplomatic representation, other mechanismsof non-resident representation have been put

in place to forge tieswith new developmentpartners.

Namibia sees itcrucial, the Headof State reiterated,to build closer andmutually benecial

relations with the restof the world hencethe need to optimisethe country’s foreignpolicy for sustainabledevelopment, peaceand security.

The Conference took place shortly after theNational ConsultativeConference on the

NDP3, as well as the Namibia InternationalInvestment Conference, which were held inWindhoek recently. These platforms wereused to highlight developmental challengesfacing the country and to identify opportunitiesfor investment and economic growth and therealisation of national development plans asoutlined in Vision 2030. It is of essence that

the heads of missions familiarise themselveswith the issues discussed, as well as theoutcomes of these important conferences.

The realisation of the objectives and directivesof these conferences will contribute greatlyto the growth of the economy and theimprovement of the living standards Namibians,especially those who live in rural areas.

To be able to live up to the business of the 21 st century, President Pohamba said the headsof missions must be well versed with globalissues and trends. “They must understandthe important role that diplomacy plays in ourdealings with different political and economicactors on the world stage,” he added. TheHead of State sees it important that the headsof missions are equipped with the necessaryskills to be able to deal more effectively withgovernments, international organisations andthe business communities in countries of representation.

President Pohamba emphasised that thediplomats must be committed, competent,disciplined, honest and should embrace theconcept of transparent leadership. “Ourdiplomats should, at all material times, servethe interest of our nation. This must includesound nancial management and accountability

in all our missions. Our government hasalready put in place procedures and regulationsaimed at promoting nancial accountability,” he emphasised. President Pohamba urgedthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be rm and

resolute in enforcing nancial discipline atall the missions, in line with the establishednancial regulations and procedures. He also

urged the heads of missions to ensure thatall activities carried out at the missions arebenecial to the country and fall within the

scope of the strategic plan of each mission.

The conference is also a forum for the headsof missions to share experiences and reviewtheir work plans. “You must use it as anopportunity to learn from one another andto take the lessons learned back to yourworking environment. We are aware thatdiplomatic service is a very demanding task,which demands hard-work, dedication andpatriotism,” observed the President.

President Pohamba said that the nation iscondent that the heads of missions willcontinue to work hard in advancing thecountry’s interests and strengthening diplomaticand bilateral relations between Namibia andtheir countries of accreditation.

“Through hard work you can indeed make yourrespective postings successful. The globaleconomic and diplomatic environment withinwhich you operate is constantly changing. This

requires you to hone your capacities to adapt tochanging circumstances so that our country cancontinue to benet from our ties of solidaritywith our friends around the world,” advisedPresident Pohamba.

On regional relations, the President observedthat the creation of regional trading andeconomic blocs has become an importantfeature in international diplomacy. He urgedthe heads of missions to make it their dutyto promote regional economic integrationwithin the context of SADC and other Africanregional economic groupings at all appropriateplatforms.

He explained that it is through regionaleconomic groupings that Africa can achievegenuine and sustainable socio-economicintegration. “That is why our Government is notin favour of a rushed formation of an AfricanUnion Government, which is not well rootedin socio-economic arrangements,” revealedPresident Pohamba.

Namibia will continue to stand-by and supportthe African Common Position with regardto the reform of the United Nations system,particularly the expansion and democratisationof the Security Council.

The President concluded by urging the headsof missions to join hands so that they can makeNamibia’s diplomatic service the best that itcan be.

President Hikepunye Pohamba



13


What is Namibia offering the investors?By: Kaleni Hiyalwa

Namibia is encouraging Foreign Direct Investment FDI) through the adoption of investor-friendly policies such as the ForeignInvestment Act, highly competitive incentives and scal regimes. Export processing zones regimes offer a tax and duty-freeenvironment to export oriented enterprises, while manufacturers in Namibia pay only as little as 8% on their corporate tax bills.

Namibia has rst class infrastructure,comparable to the world standard

applied to drive the world business whichPresident Hikepunye Pohamba believescan facilitate investments to successfulbusiness in the country. He observed that thetelecommunications infrastructures are well-developed and backed up by a well-positionednancial services sector. The governmenthas invested in the development andimplementation of secure and safe transportand telecommunication infrastructures,including the Kalahari, Caprivi and Walvis Baycorridors, railway and air-services.

Because of the infrastructural development,Namibia has access to the SADC market of over250 million consumers. Companies based inNamibia enjoy duty and duty-quota free accessto the US and EU markets through the AfricaGrowth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and theCotonou Agreement. Namibia is part of theprocess to create free trade areas and customsunion within in the near future. The port of Walvis Bay is an added value to the investors’ benets. The port is a potential location and

point of entry into Southern African markets,especially the land locked countries such asBotswana, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Namibia provides a conducive environment for

investments in terms of the prevailing peace,

socio- economic and political stability.

Domestic and foreign investment initiatives, ascritical factors in economic growth and wealthcreation, are vigorously encouraged to fuel highlevels of employment, industrial development

and economic diversication within thecountry’s economic contour.

To ensure that the government’s decisions andregulatory and administrative responsibilitiesare carried out speedily, fairly and objectively,the Head of State called on civil servantsto work hard to ensure that the goals andobjectives of Vision 2030 are achieved.

Stating the government’s position on landreform, the stability of which is one of thedetermining factors of both domestic andforeign investments, President Pohamba saidthat the process will be carried out accordingto the laws and policies, including the willing-buyer, willing-seller approach.

The Head of State said that on the bases of investment-friendly initiatives, the governmentexpects the investors to play an active role inthe transfer of management, knowledge, skillsand technology through training of employeesand joint ventures with Namibians.

“We are committed to ensure that the playingeld is leveled, safe, secure, fair and transparentfor all players. Our mandate is very clear in thisregard. We are not the players but the policymakers and regulators,” he assured investorsduring the WBSPI – NIIC that he co-chaired

with President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa.

African Countries to solve border issues by 2012With the creation of the United States of Africa on the AU agenda, the implementation of regional integration plans, the worldco-operation programme and the creation of one global village with integrated economies that encourages free movement andcross-border activities, African countries are pre-occupied with nding strategies on how they will respect and nurture peacefulco-existence.

The Conference of African Ministers inCharge of Border Issues that took place

in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June 2007,disclosed that there is a need to articulateand implement appropriate measures toprevent conicts in the process of promoting

integration in Africa. Themed, PreventingConicts, Promoting Integration, theconference brought together African Ministersresponsible for border issues to discuss theircountries’ efforts and measures to be put inplace to address border disputes amicablybetween neighbours.

At the meeting the Ministers expressed theneed to use African legal experts and lawsto solve border disputes instead of resortingto the International Court of Justice (ICJ)to avoid high legal costs and potentialpolarisation of relationships among parties to

the dispute.

Having learned from previous experiencesin solving border disputes on the continent,including the contested cases of the Kasikili/Sidudu Island between Namibia and Botswana

of 1999, the Lybia/Chad of 1994 and theBurkina Faso/Mali border disputes of 1986, theAfrican governments have realised that cases of such magnitude and scope could be costly andpresent challenges to the African countries.

The disputes often result from the ill-denedcolonial borders and also emanate fromdissatised affected communities. The meeting

saw it appropriate to solve disputes throughcooperation and promotion of peaceful co-existence among neighbouring countries interms of bilateral, regional and continentalrelationships.

The conference cited factors contributingto border conicts and disputes between

neighbouring counties as oil, minerals andother resources discovered in cross-border landand maritime areas.

The conference also looked at the declarationof the Conference on Security, Stability,Development and Cooperation in Africa underwhich the Heads of State and government

had agreed to implement the process of re-delineation and re-demarcation of theAfrican borders to be completed by 2012. Theprocess is yet to take root.

Since the issue is crucial to the currentdevelopment of integration, stability and peacein the African continent, the Namibian Cabinethas approved the establishment of a TechnicalCommittee, comprising of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Safety and Security,Defence (Navy Wing) Home Affairs andImmigration, Lands and Resettlement, Works,Transport and Communication (MaritimeDepartment), Fisheries and Marine Resourcesand Mines and Energy to discuss and shareinformation pertaining to the delimitation anddemarcation of borders with the help of alocal consultant.

Namibia is planning to hold a two-dayconference with technical staff and relevantgovernment institutions to discuss and shareinformation pertaining to the delimitation anddemarcation of borders.

President Hikepunye Pohamba of Namibiaand President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa



4


Namibia has taken deliberate steps to make environment one of the key and mandatory issues to be mainstreamed within the Third NationalDevelopment Plan (NDP3) that is currently under preparation and the associated programmes and activities. This was revealed by Prime

Minister Nahas Angula, at a training course for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representatives posted in Africa on

climate change mitigation, risk management and sustainable human development in the Regional Bureau for Africa. The course was titled,

Strategic Training Course for UNDP Senior Managers: on Climate Change Mitigation, Risk Management and Sustainable Human Developmentin Africa.

UNDP Reps in Africa trained on African

climate change

The aim of the course was to take stock, learn

and collectively enhance the capacities of UNDP senior managers”, and to identify strategies

and actions for protecting the global environment,

particularly from climate change, leading to

sustainable development..

Hon. Angula noted that Namibia is vulnerable to

the impacts of climate change. “Our economic

productive activities, from agriculture, sheries,mining and tourism depend on our natural resource

base: water, land, soil, rainfall, and vegetation,”

he explained. The Premier warned that if Namibia does not address climate change risks,

vulnerabilities and general impacts, productivity

in agriculture will to decline further. Namibia is

also experiencing a decline in water resources,especially the underground aquifers, affecting both

crop and livestock production.

The country has started to address these issuesthrough his ofce. The Emergency Management

Unit (EMU), which is now to be called the

Directorate for Disaster Risk Reduction (DDRR),

is tasked, among other things, with assistingcommunities to prepare for and adopt strategies

to mitigate against natural disasters. These

strategies have already been applied during theCaprivi rain oods, drought episodes in the north

central region and recurrent veld res. There is a

need to strengthen the DDRRR to provide effective

and efcient response to emergency situations andto equip communities with coping strategies and

capabilities.

The Prime Minister related his observations basedon his experience in relation to the Namibian

climate change to the audience. “I can conrm

from my own observations and experiences that

the impacts of climate change are already beingfelt in Namibia; even in the region where I was

born and raised, in the northern part, bordering

Angola. In that part of the country, the Oishana

or ood plains are no longer supporting the sametype of vegetation that used to grow there a

few decades ago, especially the thatching grass,

which is a vital natural resource for shelter for

our rural communities. The Oishana are now

harbouring unproductive alien invasive species.They are called “alien” because they are also

‘green’ - our shared perception of creatures from

outer space! In addition to this, there are now

shifts in rainfall patterns. For example, instead of the rains falling in September/October, they now

fall in January/February, ending in April. Logically,

rural communities have to adjust and also shifttheir planting patterns to t the results of such

changes,” he pictured. Notwithstanding, Prime

Minister Angula advised experts to take advantage

of the opportunities offered by the challengesof climate change, especially in identifying the

energy sources. He gave an example of Namibia

by explaining that Namibia has almost 300 days

of sunshine, favourable wind regimes, enormouspotential for hydro-power and reserves of natural

gas in the Kudu gas elds. These elements can be

converted to usable energy, using green energy

technologies with limited carbon foot prints.

He advised the UN resident representatives that

African countries, including Namibia, as signatoriesto and as provided for in the Kyoto

Protocol, need to pursue green energy

technologies. He explained that

pursuing such a green agenda will begreatly enhanced by an international

community that appreciates the need

for adaptation to climate change.

He also saw the need for measuresthat exploit green energy sources

by providing the needed nancial

and technical capacities and avail

opportunities to developing economies

in their difcult battle to cope with theeffects of climate change. Namibia, with

its small population of about two millionpeople, can do with any pilot activities

that can go a long way to complement

poverty reduction efforts, strengthen

existing capacities and simultaneously

contribute to economic advancement. He believes

that this support will contribute substantially tothe attainment of their long-term strategy, Vision

2030, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),

as well as the attainment of the goals that have

been set out in the Third National DevelopmentPlan (NDP3).

Namibia is an arid country. It is extremely vulnerable

to changes and variations in rainfall patternsand precipitation. Namibia, like other African

countries, is suffering from the compounding

effects of increased environmental stress fromhuman activities, including over-grazing and over-

harvesting of various natural resources, resulting

in bush encroachment. Climatic disturbances

generally exacerbate ecosystem dynamics, withserious implications for habitats and vegetation

for humans, ora and fauna. The Namib Desert

ecology and ecosystem is also threatened by these

same pressures. Over the past years, Namibiahas come to recognise the need to mitigate these

pressures, based on the great appreciation of the

need to preserve the unique systems and heritage,

most of which are legendary for their globallysignicant reservoir of biodiversity.

For example,• the Succulent Karroo;

• the Namib Desert, with its unique ecological

features, including the sand dunes, which are

repositories of species well-adapted, to thisunique, yet magnicent environment, like

beetles and lizards.

• the Welwitschia ---the national plant and

desert icon;• the Benguela Current, its important sheries

and mineral deposits along the shores and our

continental shelf; and

• the Etosha National Park, our national iconwhich recently celebrated 100 years of formal

proclamation as a protected area.

The Premier said that addressing environmentalconcerns in Namibia is not only one of the top

priorities but it is also enshrined in the country’s

constitution and at the centre of the developmentvision, plans, strategies and aspirations. Advising

organizations that provide nancial support and

those that are designed to cater for the anomalies

of climate change, the Prime Minister saw the needfor conclusive proof that the climate is the cause

of changes in the eco-systems before providing

the required assistance. He concluded: “In themeantime, our vulnerable communities are barely

surviving, trying to address the adverse impact

these changes have on the meagre livelihoods

through the use of their accumulated traditional

knowledge. The information and early warningsystems for our farmers to make informed

decisions are not there. Where information exists,

it is not in the language that they understand. Itwould be best if we could improve and strengthen

the information and early warming systems, so that

they can at least be prepared for the changes”

African climate change

Our home



15


Considerable progress has been made with the construction of the houses for the former Robben Island prisoners, PLAN warveterans and those who have been brutalized in the country during the war for national liberation struggle.

Road safety tips for drivers and pedestrians

Seven houses were constructed in the

Ohangwena region and one of them wasalready handed to the owner by H.E. PresidentHikepunye Pohamba. Six of them will be

handed over to recipients by the RegionalGovernor. Three houses were constructed andhanded over to beneciaries in the Oshana

region while nine have been constructedin the Omusati region and will be handedover to beneciaries soon. In the Oshikoto

region, eleven houses were constructed andbeneciaries are being traced for occupation of their new homes. Five houses were constructedin the Kavango region and will be handed overwhenever water and electricity are connected.Other houses have been constructed in the

Karas, Kunene and Khomas regions. Purchasingof new houses and renovations to existinghouses are also in progress in the Otjozundjupa,Oshikoto and Oshana regions but extension to

houses purchased in the Oshana region are put

on hold by the Ministry of Regional and LocalGovernment, Housing and Rural Developmentuntil further notice.

Due to increases in the price of materialand labour, an additional N$3 million fromthe Social Housing Sub-Programme forthe implementation of the 2007/08 phaseof this project is required. Cabinet hasauthorised the Ministry of Regional and LocalGovernment, Housing and Rural Developmentto immediately start with the implementationof phase 2 of the project that will again beexecuted by the National Housing Enterprise(NHE). Cabinet also instructed the Ministry to

verify the housing needs of beneciaries in situ before the actual construction starts. In the2006/07 Financial Year, Cabinet instructed theMinistry of Regional and Local Government,

Housing and Rural Development to construct

45 houses and extend two other houses for therecommended 48 beneciaries identied by a

previous Cabinet decision.

Cabinet also directed that the Trust Fund forRegional Development and Equity Provisionshould avail N$1.5 million for the supply of solarsystems and plastic water catchment tanks tothe houses of the beneciaries.

Cabinet earlier authorised the NHE toimplement the project during the 2006/07Financial Year. Cabinet also announced thatN$2 million will be made available annuallythrough the Social Housing Programme of the

Ministry of Regional and Local Government,Housing and Rural Development for the gradualconstruction of houses for beneciaries overthe next ve years.

Help to stop the carnage on Namibia’s roadsRoad accidents claim the lives of about 400 people in Namibia annually, while 4 000 people get injured. Fatal road accidents willsoon become the number one killer of Namibians aged between 1 to 44 years, if road users don’t obey laws that are in place tosafeguard the lives of drivers and pedestrians alike.

According to the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund(MVAF), speeding, drinking and driving,

talking on cellular phones while driving, notusing safety belts, overloading, over-takingat blind spots and driver fatigue are themain contributing factors to road accidents inNamibia.

With a population of only 1.8 million people,Namibia recorded 10 262 vehicle accidents in2004, while the gure sky-rocketed to 11 146

in 2005, according to the National Road SafetyCouncil. The alarming gures have resulted inroad safety campaigns becoming one of the toppriorities for the authorities, especially aroundthe festive season and Easter.

In an attempt to improve road safety and

decrease the number of fatal and serious roadaccidents, the Xupifa Eemwenyo campaign,which is spearheaded by the MVAF since 2005,is aimed at giving meaning to the safety of lives.

The main objectives of the Xupifa Eemwenyocampaign are to reduce the occurrence of fatal road accidents, to respond promptly toemergency cases, to educate and inform roadusers on how to improve road safety and toincrease the visibility of law enforcementagencies on Namibia’s national roads.

The annual road safety campaigns wereintensied after President Hikepunye Pohambacalled on those charged with road safety to dosomething to stop the carnage on Namibia’sroads. The call followed the horric head-

on collision between a mini-bus and a truck between Rundu and Grootfontein on 31 May2005 in which 27 people were killed. Less than

15 months later, 12 people were killed in a roadaccident between Kalkrand and Rehoboth.

After the Kalkrand road accident, PresidentPohamba called on all road-users to adhereto trafc rules and regulations at all times. In

a media statement after the accident, he saidthat regulations are there to protect road users.“Let us obey them, let us exercise patience, letus use our roads responsibly for the safety of our citizens. Let us drive with the purpose of arriving alive at our intended destinations at alltimes,” the Head of State had reiterated.

Following the call of President Pohamba,the Ministries of Works, Transport andCommunication and that of Safety and Security,together with the Motor Vehicle Accident Fundinitiated interventions to ensure that lawenforcement, the adjudicate of trafc offences,

road safety education, public passengertransport, accident data management andtraining of trafc ofcers are in place. Thisresulted in the re-launch of the XupifaEemwenyo campaign on 7 April 2007 at theRehoboth road block.


Safe driving can help to stop the carnage on Namibia’s roads.



6


Regional Council Association shares

information on its websiteIn line with its 2005/2006 work plan, the Association of Regional Councils in Namibia has upgraded its website to address thecommunication challenges faced by the Association.

Speaking at the launch of the upgradedwebsite of the Association of Regional

Councils, the President of the Association,Laura McLeod, said the website provides avery important platform to allow communities,constituencies and elected representativesto share experiences. “The website is animportant source of information for local andforeign shareholders,” she said.

According to McLeod, the website providesimportant socio-economic information onNamibia’s 13 regions and will also report onevents and provide a platform for discussion.It will articulate issues about structures andactivities of the different regional councils,as well as explain the national developmentgoals. The website was upgraded withassistance from the French government.Ambassador Philippe Bossiere said thewebsite is part of his government’s supportto decentralisation in Namibia. He pledgedfurther support to the development of theAssociation of Regional Councils, as partof his country’s continued support to the

decentralisation exercise in Namibia.

Launching the upgraded website, Regionaland Local Government, Housing and RuralDevelopment Minister, Hon. John Pandeni,appealed to regional councils to allow peopleat regional and constituency levels to haveaccess to the wealth of information on theAssociation’s website. Availing communicationinfrastructures in rural areas, for use by

community members, people will be able to useand exchange information on the webpage toimprove their living conditions. The Ministernoted that giving children the opportunity tohave access to communication infrastructureswill promote their skills and capacity to useinternet technology. Hon. Pandeni praised theAssociation of Regional Councils for upgradingtheir website and said it will contribute towardsthe attainment of Vision 2030, while alsomaking a difference to the lives of especiallypoor people in rural or semi-urban areas.

The website, which can be accessed at http://www.arc.org.na consists of the home page

with links to information about the ARCN, itspublications and newsletter. It also providesinformation on tenders and vacancies, as wellas information on Namibia’s 13 regions.

With regards to regional information, thewebsite provides information on the differentregions, their constituencies, councillors,governors, Members of Parliament, chief regional ofcers and their contact details.

Ovatjimba women and children in the shade

Signs of driver fatigueAccording to the Motor Vehicle AccidentFund (MVAF) the following are signs of driver fatigue:

• Feeling drowsy and yawning• Impatience, lack of concentration or slow

reaction times• Sore, heavy eyes and blurred, dim vision• Sweaty hands, hunger, thirst, stiffness or

cramps• Droning or humming in the ears

• Wandering over the centre-line or road

edge• Changes in driving speeds• Lapses in attention

The MVAF recommended the followingactions to counter driver fatigue:

• Share the driving with one of thepassengers

• Take a break from driving every two hours.

Stop for at least 10 minutes and get outof the car if possible

• Overnight halfway to your destination if you are undertaking long trips

• Eat proper meals at your usual meal

times and• Avoid alcohol or medication, which

contribute to drowsiness and fatigue.• Take extra care when driving between

midnight and 06:00, since your body isprone to fatigue during these hours.

The Xupifa Eemwenyo campaign is nowa national campaign under the auspicesof the Ministry of Works, Transport andCommunication, with stakeholders suchas the National Road Safety Council, theRoads Authority (RA), the Roads ContractorCompany (RCC), the MVAF, the Road FundAdministration (RFA), Namibian Police(Nampol) and the Ministry of Safety andSecurity (MSS), among others.

The festive season with its increase ontravelling from place to place, socialising,including alcohol intake poses a serious risk

to road users. This year, the Xupifa Eemwenyointerventions will focus on drivers’ behaviour.This year’s measures include a Call Centre,where road users can randomly report trafcviolations to make it possible for the policeto track down drivers who display unethicaldriving behaviour. Other interventions willinclude road user education, communityengagement programmes, creating road safetyawareness at work places, alcohol testing atroad blocks, a road safety choir, rst aid trainingfor ambulance drivers, Nampol and MVAF staff,and the procurement of law enforcementequipment.

According to the MVAF, road blocks willbe operational in the Caprivi, Oshikoto,Ohangwena, Hardap, Erongo and Khomasregions during the 2007/2008 festiveseason.

The Government Information Bulletinwishes all road users a safe journey andwants to remind drivers and pedestriansof the wise words of President HikepunyePohamba, namely “to drive with the purposeat all times to arrive alive at your intendeddestination”.

Help to stop the carnage on Namibia’s roadsContinues from page 15



17


Uganda hosts Commonwealth SummitBy Admire Ndhlovu

Uganda hosts the summit of Commonwealth leaders from 23-25 November, the fth to be held in Africa.

The Commonwealth Head of Government

Meeting (CHOGM) is one of the majorinternational summits, bringing together headsof state and government from 53 countries,whose deliberations are in one commonlanguage, English.

CHOGM also brings together businessmenand women, the youth, civil societyrepresentatives, and other groupings within theCommonwealth.

The theme for CHOGM 2007 is “TransformingCommonwealth Societies to Achieve Political,Economic and Human Development”.

“The commitment to transforming society and

uplifting the standard of living of our people hasbeen the hallmark of our political and economicprogrammes for a long time now since we cameinto government,” noted the host president,Yoweri Museveni.

The biannual meeting is an opportunity forCommonwealth leaders to orchestrate commonpolicies on contentious issues and currentevents, with a special focus on developmentissues affecting member nations.

In the past, CHOGMs have discussed theapartheid rule in South Africa and militarycoups in Pakistan and Fiji, among other issues.

International programmes and initiatives

promoting democracy, racial equality, conict

resolution, cultural diversity, education,economic development and access to moderntechnology are key areas of focus in the30-year history of Commonwealth nationsmeetings.Member states agree on a common ideaor solution, and release a joint statementdeclaring their opinion.

Ten of the 14 member states of the SouthernAfrican Development Community (SADC) arealso members of the Commonwealth, with theexception of Angola, DRC, Madagascar andZimbabwe.

Previous Summits in Africa have been hosted byZambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Nigeria.Zimbabwe quit the Commonwealth four yearsago. “I am condent and very optimistic thatthe Kampala CHOGM will produce a set of clearand measurable strategic principles on howto transform our societies to achieve political,economic and human development,” saidMuseveni.

The main activities will be the opening ceremonyfor the Heads of Government and other invitedguests, the executive session for the Heads of Government and the retreat of the Heads of Government. In addition, there are four majorpre-CHOGM meetings of the Commonwealth

Youth Forum, the Commonwealth Business

Forum, the Commonwealth Peoples Forum,

and the meeting of Commonwealth ForeignMinisters.

Climate change is set to be on the agendafollowing the High Level Event on ClimateChange convened by the UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon in September.

”Failure to address climate change has far-reaching ramications, including for the global

Millennium Development Goals … and theimpact on gender, health, and environmentalissues,” conrmed the statement from the

meeting between the Committee of theWhole and Civil Society held early October todiscuss the text of a Communiqué on mattersof Commonwealth interest to be presented toleaders at the Uganda meeting.

Uganda and the East African region at largeis set to benet from the event through

infrastructural improvement, tourism, tradeand enhanced bilateral relations. The publichas been encouraged to participate in makingCHOGM 2007 a success and also to maximizeindividual benets of hosting the meeting. Tothis end, Uganda’s Ministry of State for Tourism,Trade and Industry, is engaging the populaceto intensify tourism activities, especially in artsand crafts, so that benets trickle down to allUgandans.

Southern African Research andDocumentation Centre

Namibia assumes membership of CMAGNamibia has been appointed as one of the eight members of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration(CMAG) at the November 2007 Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting held in Kampala, Uganda.

CMAG is the Commonwealth body dealingwith serious or persistent violations of the

Commonwealth’s political values. The Group,convened by the Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral, is composed of foreign ministersof eight Commonwealth countries and itscomposition, terms of reference and operationsrotate every two years.

For the next two year, the foreign ministersof Ghana, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua NewGuinea, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdomand Uganda will serve on the CommonwealthMinisterial Action Group on the HarareDeclaration together with Namibia. Ugandawas appointed as the Group’s Chairperson-in-Ofce.

The Group’s task is to asses the nature of

infringements and to recommend measuresfor collective Commonwealth action aimedat the speedy restoration of democracy andconstitutional rule.

The previous CMAG members, namely foreignministers of Canada, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta,

Papua New Guinea, St. Lucia, Sri Lanka, theUnited Kingdom and the United Republic of Tanzania recommended the suspension of Fijifrom the Councils of the Commonwealth inDecember 2006, following the military take-over of Fiji’s democratically elected government.The same Group suspended Pakistan from theCouncils of the Commonwealth in November2007, following the failure of Pakistan’sgovernment to implement a series of measuresrequested by CMAG in response to theimposition of a state of emergency and theabrogation of the constitution by PresidentMushaffaf on 3 November 2007.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group onthe Harare Declaration (CMAG) was establishedby Commonwealth Heads of Governmentin November 1995 to deal with serious or

persistent violations of the Harare Declaration.

The Harare Declaration sets out theCommonwealth’s core principles and values,detailing membership criteria, and redening

and reinforcing its purpose. The Declarationwas issued in Harare, Zimbabwe on 20 October

1991 during the 12th Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. It reafrmed the political

principles laid out in the Singapore Declaration

of 20 years before and is considered as animportant document to the Commonwealth’suncodied constitution.

The Declaration reafrms those principlesto which it was committed in 1971: worldpeace and support for the United Nations;individual liberty and egalitarianism; oppositionto racism; opposition to colonialism; theeradication of poverty, ignorance, disease, andeconomic inequality; free trade; institutionalcooperation; multilateralism; and the rejectionof international coercion.

At Harare, the Heads of Government dedicatedthemselves to applying these principles to then-

current issues, such as the end of the Cold War,the near-completion of decolonisation, and theimpending end of the Apartheid government inSouth Africa. In this sense, it is considered tohave set the Commonwealth on a new course,distinct from that followed before.



8


“Rural development should be priority of all priorities,” says Nguvauva II


the country. He questioned why Namibiawas allowing all precious resources to owinto the sea to become salty. “It is high timethat rural communities start to benet from

these natural resources,” His Royal Highness

suggested. Chief Nguvauva II believes thatrural development should be the government’spriority on top of other priorities so that incomegap disparities between urban and rural areaswill be addressed. He lamented that poverty

and underdevelopment in rural communities isnot getting the attention that it deserves. “Weas traditional leaders are ready to advise andto partner government in this regard.

Stakeholders to determine contribution of ICT to the welfare of NamibiansContinues from page 9

society is a critical success factor toaccelerate Namibia’s attempts to bridgethe digital divide and ensure equitable andaffordable access to all. The Premier sees theneed for schools, institution of high learningand other training institutions to preparethe youth for careers in the informationand communication sector. He suggestedthat training should be intensive andresult-oriented and learners and graduatesshould be able to enter the workforce withknowledge, skills, experience, the drive andthe will to carry Namibia forward on her wayto becoming a full and respected member of the information society.

“It is in the interest of all spheres of government to adopt, support developand promote the use of ICT. Governmentdemands presently represent the majority

of the market. We are faced with practicalchallenges relating to market forces.These challenges include the basic actof obtaining affordable ICT, such asinternational bandwidth, mobile phones andeven software. Our issues range from theprocurement of hardware, to decentralisedaccess, support and services,” the Premiersaid. Namibia will only succeed in creating theinformation society when she addresses suchchallenge, including the implementation of e-government and improved service deliveryto guarantee universal access to affordableITCs. “It is thus the interest of the nationthat we tackle these outstanding issues and

produce an all-inclusive policy framework andimplementation plan that will take ICTs to allcorners of the country,” Rt. Hon. Angula said.Prime Minister Angula called on stakeholders tolook at leveling the playing eld to determine

what contribution that they would maketowards the welfare of Namibian children andcommunities. He cited open source softwareand open content as an area of concern. Heis concerned that the voices of large multi-national businesses would remain louder thanlocal SMEs. This position presents conicts with

the principles of broad-based black economicempowerment, and it perpetuates the nationaldecit from software imports. He said: “I do notbelieve this is the right way forward and I hopethis conference will tackle this issue by puttingthe national interest above the commercialinterest.”

Namibia has to move with the world trendin creating the information society. That iswhy Prime Minister Angula said: “We cannotoperate in isolation in the global informationsociety and much work together with regionaland continental African organizations, includingNEPAD’s e-Africa Commission, the InformationSociety Partnership for Africa’s Development(ISPAD), and SADC, among others, to align ourpolicies and strategies with other ICT-relatedAfrican development strategies.”

The Prime Minister proposed that theconference should look at possible nancingmechanisms for the implementation of the ICTs

in Namibia since the roll-out of infrastructure,affordability, inclusiveness, and otherissues concerning the information societyoften require huge nancial investments.

The Geneva Declaration and the TunisCommitment deliberated on nancialmechanisms for bridging the digital divideand called on the international communityto put the necessary measures in place toensure that all countries of the world haveequitable and affordable access to ICTs sothat their benets in the elds of socio-

economic development and bridging thedigital divide are truly inclusive.

The Tunis Commitment of 2003 called forattention to the needs of people in developingcountries, as well as certain communities,namely marginalized and vulnerable groupsof society, unemployed and underprivileged

people, older people and persons withdisabilities. It also acknowledged the genderdivide and women’s empowerment toensure the full participation of women in theinformation society.

The Premier acknowledged that Namibiamade positive strides in the developmentof its information and communicationtechnology (ICT) sector over the past years,with modern infrastructure that include widerange of xed and mobile telephone services,as well as internet access throughout thecountry. He noted that there are still costlylimitations to rural community services.

Role of the SMEs in Namibian PerspectiveContinues from page 10

• the private sector to play a role ingiving special attention to womenentrepreneurs in capacity buildingthrough training and mentorship as wellas job attachments to their businesses.

• the Namibia Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (NCCI) should encourage andfacilitate the establishment of WomenEntrepreneurs Association and Forum inthe regions.

• the Government to facilitate the

establishment of Food Courts/FoodMalls as a measure to diversify thebusiness activities in value addition andmanufacturing as opposed to relying onshebeen as the only business option of generating income.

• the Government to intensify the use

of the training opportunities offered by

the Malaysian Government through theexisting cooperation.

• the Enterprise Recognition Awards of entrepreneurs to be decentralised i.e.the business women of the year to berecognised in each region.

• the Government to continue as a pre-requisite to support women entrepreneursto participate in the local, internationaltrade fairs and exhibitions for them tolearn the new trend of markets and

technology offered in the market place.• the women entrepreneurs to organise

themselves in forming an association foreach member to contribute an annualmembership fee.

• the Ministry of Trade and Industry together

with the NCCI to intervene in reviewing thetrade fair charges for stands in Namibia

and incorporation of business matchingcomponent during the trade fair eventsand exhibition to be considered aspriority components.

• the Government Tender Procurement

to take SMEs into consideration as apriority sector for development, jobcreation and poverty alleviation.

• the Government to make land available

to women entrepreneurs to produceagricultural produces to serve them

as backward linkages to back up theirsupply side to the Processing Plant Unitsto be established in the regions.

• the women entrepreneurs throughthe MTI thanked the efforts of theGovernment for having sponsoredtheir participation in the Malaysian 8th International Food and Beverage TradeFair.



19


News from Cabinet ChambersFollowing a popular demand by members of the public to publish decisions taken by Cabinet, the Government Information Bulletinis now including this column in the best interest of readers. ED.

Cabinet took the following decisions at its19th ordinary meeting held on 6 November

2007.

1. Appointment of the DeputyCommissioner general of sectionsfor the Shanghai world expo 2010 inChina

Cabinet rescinded its September 2007decision on the appointment of AmbassadorMonika Nashandi, Deputy Executive Directorin the Ofce of the President as the DeputyCommissioner General of Sections for theShanghai World Expo 2010 in China, due toAmb. Nashandi’s heavy work load in the Ofceof the President.

The Commissioner General and DeputyCommissioner General of Sections are expectedto be the driving forces of Namibia’s preparations,attending meetings of Commissioners Generalof Sections in China, engage in bilateraldiscussions with the Chinese Government onpossible nancial and technical assistance for

Namibia and other technical arrangements forparticipation in the Expo.

Cabinet, therefore, appointed Ms. UilkkaKamboua, Director of Housing, Habitat,Planning and Technical Services Coordination inthe Ministry of Regional and Local Government,Housing and Rural Development as the DeputyCommissioner General of Sections for the

Shanghai World Expo 2010 in China.

Further information can be obtained from theMinistry of Regional and Local Government,Housing and Rural Development at telephonenumber 2975212.

2. Total allowable catches for horsemackerel and deep-sea red crab forthe January 1, to December 31, 2008shing season and rock lobster forthe November 1, 2007 to April 30,2008 shing season

Research surveys on horse mackerel stocks

conducted in 2006 and 2007 have indicated adecline in the horse mackerel biomass to 546000 and 535 000 tonnes respectively. Therehas also been an overall reduction in the size of captured sh and this indicates that this sheryis under pressure. In 2006, the industry wasallocated 300 000 metric tonnes and under

caught. According to the shing industry,they could not land the full 2006 TAC due tothe movement of adult horse mackerel into the

200 m isobaths where there is a ban on shingand the fact that the sh had been smaller thanusual and it took longer to nd schools of sh.

As a precautionary approach to sheriesmanagement, the Minister of Fisheries andMarine Resources considered the scientic

recommendations and the recommendationsof the Marine Resources Advisory Councilrecommendations and set a TAC of 230 000tonnes for horse mackerel for the January toDecember 2008 shing season.

Deep-sea red crab stock is shared betweenAngola and Namibia, but the stock is currently

managed as distinct population units by the twocountries. Available data indicates a relativelystable catch per unit of effort and shable

biomass over the pass decade.

The TAC for deep-sea red crab is, therefore setat 2 500 tonnes for the January to December2008 season in line with the recommendationsby scientists and the Marine Resource AdvisoryCouncil.

For rock lobster, results of the assessmentscarried out in 2007 show that there is noimprovement in the overall biomass of thelobster stock, while stock recruitment for thepast few years has been poor. A decline in the

overall catch per unit of effort of the stock wasalso observed, despite swell conditions havingbecome more moderate during recent seasons.By the end of the 2006/07 season, less than50% of the TAC was lled compared to 70%of the TAC lled by the end of the previous

season.

In line with Section 38 of the Marine ResourcesAct (Act no 27 of 2000), the Minister of Fisheriesand Marine Resources, therefore, set the TACfor rock lobster for the November 2007 to April2008 season at 350 tonnes in line with therecommendations by scientists and the MarineResource Advisory Council.

If the full TAC is caught in each of the sheries

indicated above, the total revenue that will begenerated from the payment of quota fees willbe around N$48.350 million. With the above inmind, Cabinet approved the following TACs:

- Horse mackerel - 230 000 tonnes from theJanuary 1 to December 31, 2008 season;

- Red Crab - 2 500 tonnes for the January 1 to

December 31, 2008 season; and- Rock lobster - 350 tonnes for the 2007/2008

shing season as follows:- Southern grounds (Diaz Point to Orange

River border) from 1 November 2007 to 30April 2008;- Central grounds (between the Luderitz and

Ichaboe sanctuaries), Northern and Far-Northern grounds (including Gallovidea,Hottentot Point, Black Rock, Saddle Hill,

Mercury and Easter Cliffs) from 1 Januaryto 30 April 2008.

Cabinet, furthermore, instructed the Ministryof Fisheries and Marine Resources to allocate

quotas and determine management measuresfor the above species in line with Section 39 of the Marine Resources Act.

Further information can be obtained from theMinistry of Fisheries and Marine Resources attelephone number 2053911.

3. Casino and gambling houses act, 1994(act no 32 of 1994): Appointment of casino board members

Cabinet approved the appointment of thefollowing people to the Casino Board:- Mr. H. Angula, a lawyer, as Chairperson of

the Board;

- Mrs. M. C. Greeff, a lawyer, as Vice-Chairperson;

- Mr. A. Mieze, Director of Tourism in theMinistry of Environment and Tourism asBoard Member and Mr. S. Muinjo, DeputyDirector, General Support Services in theMinistry as his alternate;

- Mr. U.J. Kavari, Director of Inland Revenuein the Minister of Finance as Board Memberand Mr. J. J. Kotze, Deputy Director of Inland Revenue as his alternate;

- Ms. B Katjiuongua, Director of SocialServices in the Ministry of Health and SocialServices as Board Member and Mr. R. M.C. Platt, Acting Director of Finance and

Logistics in the Ministry as her alternate.

Further information can be obtained fromthe Ministry of Environment and Tourism attelephone number 2842335.

Cabinet took the following decisions at its 20th ordinary meeting held on 20 November 2007.

1. Recommendations from the NationalInformation CommunicationTechnology Conference held inWindhoek on 2-3 August 2007

Due to the importance of ICT in thedevelopment of Namibia and its economy withina global environment, ICT stakeholders met inWindhoek in August 2007 to discuss the roleof ICTs in Poverty Reduction and SustainableDevelopment at a national ICT Conference

co-organised and hosted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the ICTAlliance of Namibia.

The objectives of the Conference were:- To assess the current reality of Information

Communication Technology inNamibia;

- To identify challenges and opportunities forICT in the country;

- To propose ways in which ICT can

contribute to poverty alleviation andsustainable development in Namibia; and

- To identify how ICTs can assist Namibia inachieving Vision 2030.

During the conference, break-away groupsdeliberated on issues related to Governmentand ICT, the Legislative environment,Telecommunications and Broadcasting, InternetServices in Namibia and ICT Policies andConvergence.




0



The conference concluded that despite progress,Namibia’s ICT competitiveness has decreasedin respect of internet usage and penetration;coverage; the prohibitive cost on internationalconnectivity; access to personal computers andICT expenditure as a proportion of the GrossDomestic Product.

Cabinet, therefore, noted the recommendationsfrom the National ICT Conference for Poverty

Reduction and Sustainable Development andestablished a Task Force, with the PermanentSecretary of the Ministry of Information andBroadcasting as chairperson. The membersof the Task Force are Mr. Samuel Goagoseb,Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of HomeAffairs and Immigration, Mr. Hartmut Ruppel,Director of LorentzAngula, Mr. Johan Van Wyk,Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education, Mr.Jochem Traut, a consultant, Mr. Gideon Nhundu,Treasurer of the ICT Alliance and Mr. TheoSchoeman, Vice Chairperson of the ICT Allianceof Namibia. The Task Force must assist the theMinistry of Information and Broadcasting withthe implementation of the recommendations.

2. Renovation of Government Flats andRelated Infrastructure

The Department of Works in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication is currentlynalising renovations to the SwakopmundState House complex, while renovations on theRobert Mugabe Clinic in Windhoek and 24 semi-detached houses in the area of Lazarette Streetin Windhoek are well underway.

Work on the Presidential Guest House in Oshakati

will start as soon as the tender procedures havebeen completed, while renovations to StateHouse at Oshakati will be the next priority.

The stage has been reached where thedeteriorating condition of government at

complexes in Windhoek can no longer betolerated. Due to limited funds, these buildingshave not received the required attention formany years. A total of 20 such buildings are indire need of renovations, but work is hamperedby the lack of funds.

The Ministry of Works, Transport andCommunication, therefore, approach Cabinetto make funds available from the governmenthousing alienation scheme to enable it tocommence with renovations on governmentats.

Cabinet noted the progress made with currentrenovation projects undertaken by theDepartment of Works from the operationalbudget and approved the use of N$11 millionfrom the sale of non-assigned governmenthouses to rehabilitate government at complexesin Windhoek.

3. The 2007 SADC Summit Meetings,6-17 August 2007, Lusaka, Zambia

The SADC Summit of Heads of State andGovernment was hosted by Zambia whowas serving as Deputy Chair of SADC, andsubsequently became the SADC Chair during theSummit.

The Summit was preceded by the meetings of the Finance Sub-Committee and Prioritisationand Planning Workshop; the Meeting of SeniorOfcials for the Ministerial Task Force on Trade,Industry, Finance and Investment, Planning

and Economic Development; the Meeting of

the Standing Committee of Senior Ofcials; theMinisterial Task Force on Regional EconomicIntegration; the Council of Ministers Meeting;the Ofcial Opening of the Summit; and the

launching of the SADC Standby Force.

The Namibian delegation to the SADC Summitmeetings consisted of representatives fromthe Ministries of Trade and Industry, ForeignAffairs, Health and Social Services, Fisheriesand Marine Resources, Safety and Security,Defence and Justice and the AttorneyGeneral.

Summit elected H.E. Levy Patrick Mwanawasaof Zambia as Chairperson and President ThaboMbeki of South Africa as Deputy Chairperson of SADC. The next SADC Summit will take placein South Africa in 2008.

The new Chairperson of the Organ on Politics,Defence and Security Cooperation is H.E.President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola,with His Majesty King Mswati III of Swazilandas the Deputy Chairperson.

At the Summit, Namibia and other countriesmade additional pledges towards the HashimMbita Project Fund, which is aimed at recording

the history of the liberation struggle in Africa.Namibia already pledged US$100 000 towards

this project, but more funds are needed to fullyimplement the project.

Namibia also pledged US$100 000 towards theSADC HIV/AIDS Fund, which will be honouredduring the 2008/09 nancial year.

The Summit also approved and signed theAgreement to amend Article 22 of the SADCTreaty to provide for the amendment of protocols.

Summit also approved and signed theAgreement to amend the Protocol on the

SADC Tribunal, which is intended to facilitatethe resolution of trade disputes in the SADCRegion.

The Memorandum of Understanding on theEstablishment of the SADC Standby Brigade,which is aimed at establishing the StandbyBrigade for the maintenance of peace, securityand stability in the SADC Region and beyondwas also approved and signed by Summit.

Preparations are also underway for the SADCInternational Conference on Poverty andDevelopment to be held in Mauritius on 18and 19 April 2008. The conference will look at poverty and the underlying policies andstrategies needed for its eradication.

In the light of the above, Cabinet directed theMinistry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction withthe Ministry of Finance to nalise Namibia’spayment of US$100 000 towards the Hashim

Mbita Project. Cabinet also took note of thenancial implications for the SADC unitarycharges on the SADC Headquarters during thebudget of 2010/2011, while it also authorisedthe Ministries of Trade and Industry, Financeand the National Planning Commission to

prepare and effectively participate in the

forthcoming SADC meetings.

Cabinet, furthermore, requested the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to undertakenational consultations with all stakeholders onthe Draft Protocol on Gender and Developmentbefore it is considered at the 2008 Summit.Cabinet also approved that Namibia signs theProtocol on Forestry during the Ordinary SADCCouncil meeting in February 2008, while it alsosupported the SADC standby force and advisedthe Ministry of Defence to make the necessarypreparations for Namibia’s participation in theregional standby force.

Further information can be obtained from theMinistry of Trade and Industry at telephonenumber 2837111.

4. The Recently concluded 2nd

Session of the Inter-governmentalCommission between Russia andNamibia

The 2nd session of the Inter-GovernmentalCommission between Russia and Namibia took place from 12 to 14 September 2007 in Moscowand Foreign Affairs Minister, Marco Hausiku ledthe Namibian delegation to Moscow.

The Commission considered cooperation in

two broad areas, namely in economic andinfrastructural matters, as well as that of legaland social matters.

Issues dealt with under Economic andInfrastructural Matters included:

- Trade and Industry;- Transport and

Communications;- Energy;- Mining;- Environment and Tourism;- Agriculture; and- Fisheries Development.

Under Legal and Social Matters, issues dealtwith included:

- Cooperation in Legal Matters;- Health; and- Education.

Cabinet noted the agreed minutes of the 2 nd session of the Inter-Governmental Commissionbetween Russia and Namibia and directed therelevant ministries take action on the issuesto be pursued with the Russian Government.Cabinet also directed the responsibleministries to pursue active cooperation withthe Government of the Russian Federation.

Further information can be obtained fromthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs at telephonenumber 2829111.

MIB Bulletin October 2007 - Namibian Government

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Transcript of MIB Bulletin October 2007 - Namibian Government