Day: July 28, 2024

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United on the brink of missing out on play-offs


WINDHOEK: Namibia Rugby Premier League defending champions Trustco United are on the brink of missing out on the Premier League play-offs after going down 18-15 against arch-rivals FNB Wanderers on Saturday.

Round 13 of the Premier League saw United making a short journey from their base in Olympia to Pioneers Park at the Wanderers Sports Field to face their opponents in one of the most nail-biting derbies in Namibian rugby.

As expected, the two gave it their all in front of their spectators who cheered them on as Wanderers managed to run in two tries, one conversion and two penalties on the day to narrowly win the match but not good enough points to take them top of the table.

Wanderers’ tries on the day were scored by left-wing Jurgen Meyer and eight-man Driaan Vorster while flyhalf Geraldo Beukes scored a penalty a conversion and a drop ball.

United also ran in two tries through right-wing Edgar Beuthin and centre JD Nel while scrumhalf Jahno du Plessis scored a conversion and flyhalf Hanreco van Zyl s
cored a penalty.

The defeat against FNB Wanderers means the league-defending champions will have to give it their all to score a bonus point or win all their matches with the hope that FNB Grootfontein drops points.

Grootfontein is in fourth place with 33 points from 13 matches, while United holds fifth place with 32 points.

UNAM leads the standings with 61 points, followed by Wanderers with 57 points. FNB Kudus from Walvis Bay secured a 25-21 victory over Grootfontein on Saturday, solidifying their third-place standing with 53 points.

Reho Falcons, after defeating Dolphins 47-15 at home, are in sixth place but tied with United on 32 points. Western Suburbs, who were beaten by Rehoboth 43-28, dropped to eighth position with 24 points while FNB Rehoboth moved up to seventh position with 25 points.

The Simonis Storm Dolphins remain at the bottom of the standings with five points. Only the top four teams after 16 rounds of rugby will qualify for the playoffs, which will determine the winner of this year’s P
remier League title.

Source: The Namibia News Agency

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Annual KAITE raises over N.dollars 200 000 in pledges


A fundraising gala dinner held for the annual Keetmanshoop Agricultural, Industrial and Tourism Expo (KAITE) on Friday, raised close to N.dollars 238 000 in pledges.

The 68th KAITE is set to take place from 29 October to 01 November 2024 under the theme ‘Tourism and Green Investment for inclusive economic development’. It aims to bring together partners to trade and build economic friendships for the prosperity of the town of Keetmanshoop and the nation at large.

Addressing the different stakeholders, including businesses and individuals who made the pledges, KAITE patron, Benedictus Diergaardt said the expo is a beacon of hope and progress as it creates a platform for communities to showcase the best of what they offer and sets the stage for continued growth and development.

‘The expo exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and innovation needed to drive our nation forward, bringing together experts, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders from various sectors to share ideas, forge partnerships,and explore opport
unities,’ he said.

Diergaardt said tourism plays a pivotal role in Namibia’s economy, showcasing the country’s unparalleled natural beauty and rich cultural heritage while serving as a gateway to economic prosperity, offering numerous opportunities for job creation, community development, and cultural exchange.

‘To fully harness its potential, we must embed sustainability into every facet of our tourism industry, ensuring that the benefits of growth reach all corners of our society while preserving our environment for future generations,’ he noted.

Further, the patron said green investment is the driving force behind a sustainable and resilient economy and by channelling resources into environmentally sustainable projects, the country can safeguard its natural resources, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and open new avenues for economic growth.

‘These investments can transform our agricultural practices, introduce cutting-edge industrial innovations, and enhance our tourism offerings, making them m
ore sustainable and appealing to an increasingly eco-conscious global audience. Further inclusive economic development is the cornerstone of our vision for Namibia, it involves creating opportunities for our youth, empowering our women, and ensuring that both rural and urban communities benefit from economic progress,’ Diergaardt stressed.

Source: The Namibia News Agency

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Man dies instantly after reportedly falling from a water tank


A 59-year-old man died instantly on Saturday when he allegedly fell from a 15-metre high water tank at Otjiwarongo.

Namibian Police Force (NamPol) head of community affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region, Senior Inspector Maureen Mbeha in a media statement on Sunday said the incident happened while the deceased was busy with regular maintenance work on the tank, belonging to the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater).

‘The incident occurred at 13h00 on Saturday afternoon in Orwetoveni residential area near the Karundu Primary School,’ said Mbeha.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that the protection belt the deceased was wearing allegedly became loose, and that might have caused him to fall from the tower.

His 37-year-old colleague was safely rescued from the water tank and taken to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital for treatment, Mbeha added.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibia News Agency

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Southern Regional Science Fair concludes at Keetmanshoop


Oranjemund Private School and Suiderlig Secondary School received the award for top primary and secondary schools respectively, at the ||Kharas Region Science Fair.

The science fair started at Keetmanshoop on Wednesday and ended on Friday. The two schools each walked away with a data projector donated by the Anglo Foundation and the Debmarine-Namdeb Foundation.

From the 77 projects presented at the fair, Vilho Ashipala from Suiderlig Secondary School was the overall winner of the science fair and walked away with a laptop, after showcasing an electronic passport to be used by health facilities for effective and efficient service delivery.

Ashipala in an interview with Nampa said: ‘I did this because the health passports currently in use are prone to getting lost and when a patient does present a passport doctors cannot render effective services because of the lack of background of the patient. With this device, all the patient information is kept electronically and when visiting a health facility, the pati
ent’s information will be available at a press of a button.’

The device has features to protect each individual’s information and can only be accessed by a secret password that is kept safe by the patient.

Ashipala was also the overall winner for the senior secondary category.

Joseph Markowitz from Oranjemund Private School took the Junior Primary overall winner award. At the same time, Albertina Shaanika from Ambrorius Hamutenya Primary School and Joy Linane from Oranjemund Private School shared the senior primary overall winner award, and Aiyana Abed from P. K. De Villiers scooped best overall winner for junior secondary.

Speaking to Nampa, the science fair chief judge, Connie Willemse said that science has improved over the years adding that there were fewer but quality projects entered this year.

‘This year our learners came much more prepared; we had fantastic topic choices and the investigations were on another level. There was an improvement in innovation and models that can be used in the industr
y when refined that’s how good they were. Artificial intelligence is on the horizon and we want to encourage that, we are very serious with stem education in our region and reinforcing the 21st-century skills with our learners and this is the best platform,’ she said.

Meanwhile, 12 learners were chosen to represent the region at the national science fair taking place in September in Windhoek.

Source: The Namibia News Agency