Day: July 3, 2024

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Nedbank Citi Dash set for September


WINDHOEK: The 2024 edition of the Nedbank Citi Dash was officially launched in Windhoek on Wednesday, with organisers saying this year’s event will be capped at 2 500 athletes for the event set for 08 September 2024.

The race will start at Zoo Park, with athletes running southwards up to Dr António Agostinho Neto Square (formerly known as Snyman Circle) along Independence Avenue.

For the 10-kilometre event, the athletes will head north along Independence Avenue to the City of Windhoek Fire Department traffic circle and then to the finishing point at Zoo Park.

Speaking during the launch, Frank Bombosch, the founder of the Nedbank Citi Dash and a member of Cycletech, expressed his gratitude to the City of Windhoek for closing off Independence Avenue to ensure the safety of athletes during the event.

‘The Nedbank Citi Dash was initiated to honour elite and visually impaired athletes alongside those running to keep a healthy lifestyle. This year’s event has expanded to include a half run and a five-kilometre
run, intending to make it one of the premier events in the continent,’ Bombosch said.

Bombosch also said that this year, the event will only accommodate 2 500 participants, with no late entries accepted to avoid logistical issues and to ensure fairness for those who registered early.

Speaking at the same occasion, Martha Murorua, the Managing Director of Nedbank, said running has become popular and it is a lifestyle that can promote physical, mental, and social well-being.

‘It’s important to take time for self-reflection and goal setting. The Nedbank Running Club has expanded and now has branches in neighbouring countries, which has led to Namibian elite athletes taking part in these events. We hope this event will inspire many Namibians to engage in sports for enjoyment or as a profession, as it contributes to their overall well-being,’ Murorua said.

Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero said the Nedbank Citi Dash stands as a testament to the resilience of athletes and sponsors.

‘In recent years Namibians have witnessed a rise in running. Running helps reduce stress, depression, and anxiety and the Citi Dash is not just a race, but a celebration of inclusivity in the different communities,’ she said.

Tjongarero added that this year’s event promises to be one of the best and she is thankful to the sponsor and co-sponsors of the event for answering government’s call to elevate sports in the country.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Swapo studying sodomy law judgement: Nandi-Ndaitwah


WINDHOEK: Swapo Party president and Namibian presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said the party is currently studying the landmark judgement that declared the sodomy crime law unconstitutional and invalid.

On 21 June 2024, the Windhoek High Court in a joint decision by Judge Nate Ndauendapo, Judge Claudia Claasen and Judge Shafimana Ueitele declared the law unconstitutional and invalid.

The judgement follows the case brought by activist Friedel Dausab with the support of British-based non-governmental organisation Human Dignity Trust in 2022, seeking constitutional redress under Article 25 – Enforcement of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, contending that these laws, unfairly and irrationally, discriminate against him and other gay men on the basis of sex and sexual orientation. It thus infringes on his constitutional right to equality, dignity, privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association, he contended.

Answering media questions on her opinion on the court ruling here on Monday d
uring the launch of the third Nalafem summit as its patron, Nandi-Ndaitwah said while Government is studying the court ruling, the Swapo Party has directed its legal department to study the ruling and it will take it from there.

‘That remains the position as our department for legal affairs has not yet come to the leadership,’ she explained.

The case was about the inclusion of the crime of sodomy in the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1977) which defines sodomy as unlawful intentional sexual relations between two human males, while unnatural sexual offences cover mutual masturbation, sexual gratification obtained by friction between the legs of another person, and other unspecified sexual activity between men.

The ruling has seen Namibians in uproar, with some welcoming the ruling and some against it.

On Saturday, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community took to the streets of Windhoek to protest the signing of two-anti gay private members’ Bills b
rought to Parliament in 2023 by former minister Jerry Ekandjo, awaiting the signature of the President.

The ‘Ekandjo Bills’ are the Definition of Spouses Bill and Marriage Amendment Bill passed in Parliament in 2023.

Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Albert Kawana on Wednesday stated that Namibia will not recognise same-sex marriages, as the country’s values, traditions and customs are anchored in Christianity.

Kawana was motivating the Marriage Bill in the National Assembly, following the passing of the two private member Bills by Ekandjo, addressing same-sex marriage. This is after the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement in May 2023, ordered the recognition of same-sex marriages contracted outside Namibia.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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NIDA employees at Naute Dam demand salary increment


About 38 employees of the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA) at the Naute Dam irrigation scheme on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest, demanding salary increments.

In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) Keetmanshoop branch organiser, Rosalia Albert said the protest comes after NAFAU and NIDA failed to reach an agreement on wage negotiations that took place in May 2023.

‘Following the deadlock between the union and NIDA, as the company was offering zero per cent increase the case went to the labour commission and it was not resolved, of which a voting was done and all the workers voted for the strike,’ she added.

Among the workers’ demands are a 12 per cent salary increment, N.dollars 2 500 minimum wage for seasonal workers, N.dollars 300 transport allowance and N.dollars 500 housing allowance.

Godfried Piette, a shop steward said for the past two years the workers have not received any salary increase.

‘The cost of living is high. Before we used
to get salary increment every year, however for the past two years, we have not received any, that is the reason we decided to strike even if it means we will not get paid while we are striking. We are making money for this company and they do not want to increase our salary, that is not fair at all,’ he said.

The workers vowed to protest until their demands are met.

Approached for comment, NIDA Naute Dam irrigation scheme farm manager, Simon Akwenye said: ‘All salary negotiations are taking place in Windhoek between NIDA and the union, we are in negotiation with the union on the way forward, I am not at liberty to say what is going on right now, however we are engaging the union.’

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Mbunza to celebrate Kaundu’s 23-year reign


The Mbunza Traditional Authority will be celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Hompa Kaundu’s chieftainship on Saturday.

Mbunza Traditional Authority Chief Councillor, Dagbert Mukoya, told Nampa on Wednesday that the aim of the event is to ensure unity, peace and the well-being of the Mbunza community, among others.

‘The event is also aimed at upholding, promoting, protecting and preserving the culture, language, traditions and traditional values of the community,’ Mukoya said.

He said during the traditional authority’s 23-year reign, they have been successful in keeping the Mbunza community peaceful by ensuring that disputes and conflicts are resolved in a fair manner.

‘No uprising or demonstrations against the traditional authority has ever happened in 23 years,’ he said.

He added that the proper management and allocation of communal land has enabled community members to acquire land for subsistence farming and subsequently small-scale commercial farming.

‘With over 100 gazetted small-scale farming unit
s, our farmers have enjoyed a significant increase in their livestock population and crop farming despite persistent challenges such as drought and the lack of rainfall.’

Government programmes, he said, have also been effectively carried out in their area of jurisdiction such as drilling of boreholes and many community members now have access to potable water.

This is the second time the traditional authority celebrates Kaundu’s chieftainship.

The first event was held in 2011, when Kaundu had been ruling the Mbunza Traditional Authority for 10 years.

Mukoya said they are expecting government officials, politicians, religious and traditional authority leaders, local authority leaders and members of the community at the celebrations.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Sufficient resources should be allocated to trade expos: Masisi


SWAKOPMUND: Botswana President, Mokgweetsi Masisi expressed the need for more resources to be allocated to events like the Swakopmund International Trade Exposition (SWAiTEX) that convene businesses and visionaries in order to enhance intra-African trade.

Masisi who was the guest speaker at the official opening of SWAiTEX on Wednesday here, noted that this is in an effort to dispel misconceptions such as the fallacy that African nations engage in insufficient trade among themselves under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

‘With only a 15 per cent level of intra-African trade, there is ample room for improvement, hence, as leaders, we have pledged at the continental level to facilitate the seamless movement of people, goods, and capital to intensify trade within the African continent,’ he lamented.

Masisi emphasised that the wealth of information to be exchanged during expos such as SWAiTEX will help bridge information disparities and thereby motivate and empower participating companies to ac
hieve unprecedented levels of business expansion.

The president expressed that Namibia and Botswana have yet to fully tap into their bilateral economic prospects, with diamond exchange being the primary bilateral trade between the two.

‘In the year 2023, Botswana imported goods valued at US.dollars 473 million (N.dollars 8 743 523 250), with diamonds comprising 93 per cent of this total. Besides diamonds, Botswana also exports commodities such as cement, electrical energy, cement clinker and pasta to Namibia,’ Masisi said.

President Nangolo Mbumba described the relationship between Namibia and Botswana as a breath of fresh air, amidst a world currently witnessing rising geo-political tensions.

Mbumba lauded the peace, unity and respect shared between the two countries.

‘The relations between Namibia and Botswana, characterised by kinship, good-neighbourliness and mutual respect, must be treasured. Historically, whenever Namibians have found themselves in tight corners, they have looked east, we deeply ap
preciate Botswana’s historic support and assistance to our people,’ Mbumba described.

SWAiTEX, which is on its 10th edition, is an annual event led by the private sector, organised by the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This major business expo offers integrated seminars and workshops, in addition to exhibitions.

The event which ends on Saturday, is taking place under theme: Efficient connectivity and resource beneficiation for sustainable growth in Africa.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Nandi-Ndaitwah engages public enterprise heads


WINDHOEK: Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged heads of government parastatals to leave their offices and be on the ground to see what type of work is being done.

Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks during an engagement with public enterprise chief executive officers in Windhoek on Wednesday.

According to Nandi-Ndaitwah, public enterprises should ensure that they deliver services to the people of Namibia as required.

She further indicated that collaboration and coordination between the private and public sectors is very important in order to develop the country.

‘Service delivery should be the key for everybody, and accountability should really be something that we must all respect. We must know that when you are making people accountable, you are not punishing a person but making them do what is required,’ she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah then encouraged CEOs of state-owned enterprises to establish trust within their establishments to ensure service delivery to the Namibian people is achieved.

The forum
‘s chairperson, Fluksman Samuehl, addressed the members and emphasised several challenges impacting public enterprises, potentially influencing the sector’s position and performance.

Samuehl noted a prevailing negative perception of public enterprises, citing inefficiency, service delivery issues, and their financial burden on the state.

He also pointed out internal conflicts among board members as a factor hindering service delivery and mandate fulfilment.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency