Namibia: marching against constitutional changes

Namibian civil society organisations will hold a peaceful demonstration against the proposed changes to the Namibian Constitution today.
The various non-governmental organisations said they just want the people to get a chance to understand and decide whether the wide-ranging changes to the country’s supreme law are in the nation’s interest.

The Namibia Non-governmental Organisation Forum (Nangof) Trust chairperson, Sandi Tjaronda, said the civil society organisations want to see citizens participate in a genuinely participatory process, adding that the country would have only found out about the changes to the constitution the day it was tabled in parliament had it not been for the media, who relied on leaked information.

Tjaronda said the peaceful demonstration is to ask the National Assembly to halt the process to allow for the citizens to be consulted.

In a show of strength and solidarity, NamRights’ head Phil ya Nangoloh said the proposed changes are “unconstitutional and not in the public interest.” He also added that the proposed changes are going to the heart of separation of powers and checks and balances in the country.

Nangof Trust’s deputy chairperson Vida de Voss emphasised that the demonstration is intended to make Namibians realise that they too have rights and powers equal even to those of the President by virtue of them being citizens.

The peaceful demonstration will be held today during lunch time at parliament, while Prime Minister Hage Geingob, in conjunction with the National Youth Council, will be holding a public discussion on the constitutional changes in Katutura tomorrow night.

This is also a move that has been frowned upon by the civil society, which is of the opinion that the Prime Minister should not be having public consultation, while the Bill is being debated in parliament. The public consultations should come first before the Bill is tabled.

Congress of Democrats (CoD) president Ben Ulenga also joined the fray, and yesterday denounced the proposed Constitutional changes.

Ulenga, at a media briefing, said the changes are brought about to serve Swapo’s interest and not that of the public and that they cannot be smuggled through the back door as it is being done.

“These amendments were made to clean up Swapo’s mess of wanting to have an equal gender quota in parliament without removing any of their male counterparts. It’s an opportunistic approach by the party to use the country’s fundamental law to solve their own mess. They should amend their own party constitution to include more women and not the country’s,” said Ulenga.

He further said that the amendments were made without proper consultations of the parties, “We were not properly consulted. I could not make it since I had to travel and the invitation came late. Initially, people were just informed of the ruling party’s proposals and were not requested for our contribution. “

He said it was unfair that the Constitutional amendments were made by one individual, Law Reform and Development Commission’s Sackey Shangala, while they are of concern to the entire public.

“Who is he to change the Constitution of the country alone?” Ulenga questioned, adding that he considered this an abuse of power.

Ulenga said there is no need for a position of a vice president, “For 24 years we have lived without that position, why now all of a sudden? What contribution will that position bring to the country, apart from the fact that it simply makes the system overly heavy.”

In reference to the parliamentary seats that will be increased from 74 to 104, Ulenga said the whole initiative was unfair and ‘pure fraud.’

Ulenga said politicians must be elected into parliament and not appointed while pointing out that for opposition political parties to get a seat in parliament it must have about 10 000 votes.

“If the president gets to appoint eight people into parliament that means, he will have the power of 80 000 votes in his hands and it is not necessary,” said Ulenga.

According to him, there was a standing committee that proposed a Constitutional Committee which will propose some amendments and they will then be circulated amongst the public for debate.

Trans-Kalahari railway progressing well

Windhoek, Namibia - The tendering for the feasibility study for the construction of the multi-billion dollar railway line connecting Botswana’s Mmamabula coal field to the port of Walvis Bay is expected to start before the end of this year, National Planning Commission (NPC) Permanent Secretary, Leevi Hungamo, informed yesterday.

“The tender process for the feasibility study will start this year and the report will be ready next year,” said Hungamo.

“The two governments are still working on logistics and setting up the project management office that will spearhead the project,” he said.

Asked whether there is any challenges faced by the project, Hungamo said currently  there are no challenges facing the project and all planned activities are on course.

“So far the cost of the project has not yet been established as the feasibility study is yet to be conducted,” said Hungamo.

“Even if the cost will be that much, the parties concerned will be able to secure the funds,” he said.

He further said it is important to note that this project will not be funded by the two governments but rather by a private sector developer.

However, given the distance and complexity of the project, it is anticipated that the construction may take three years.

The 1 500 km railway line will traverse the vast semi-arid, sandy savannah of the Kalahari Desert from Botswana to Namibia, with the sole benefit of connecting the landlocked Botswana to Namibia’s port of Walvis Bay, thus unlocking the value of coal mining in Botswana and power generation in the region. The railway line mirrors the existing Trans-Kalahari Highway or corridor, which links Botswana to  Walvis Bay, but stretches 1 900km from Walvis Bay through Windhoek, Gaborone in Botswana and Johannesburg to Pretoria in South Africa.

Construction of the project is expected to cost approximately N$100 billion (about US$9.2 billion). Financing will be sourced through private stakeholders. The Trans-Kalahari Highway was constructed at a cost of N$850 million and opened in 1998.

But Hungamo said that there has not been any study conducted to determine actual costing.

“The process to obtain financing from the private sector in order to secure the development has already commenced,” said Hungamo.

Duwisib Castle in southern Namibia reopens for tourism

Mariental, Namibia - The newly appointed Managing Director of Namibia Wildlife Resort (NWR), Zelna Hengari, last week on Friday unveiled the reintroduced tourism landmark Duwisib Castle some 90 kilometres outside Maltahöhe.

"You need to love someone and be loved by somebody when you visit one of Namibia's landmark tourist attractions, the reintroduced Duwisib Castle in the Hardap Region," said Hengari at the ceremony.

The name Duwisib was derived from a Nama word which refers to the many Karakul sheep in the area.

In the beginning of the 1900's farmers on the 55 000-hectare Duwisib farm mostly farmed with Karakul sheep.

Hengari's remarks about love at the castle was in reference to the history and establishment of the Duwisib Castle as it originated from love between two people. German Baron Von Wolf built the castle for his American wife, Jayta Humphreys, to express his love for her.

They met in Germany and he decided to build the castle in the middle of nowhere as a token of his love.

The castle is today a historic site and a national monument, which is a convenient stopover for people travelling from Sesriem and Sossusvlei in southern Namibia.

Apart from being a gift of love Duwisib Castle was a dream turned into a reality for Baron Von Wolf, who planned to breed racing horses in the semi-desert environment.

Unfortunately, his dream could not be realised as he was killed in the First World War in Germany, depriving him of living in the castle with his beloved wife.

His wife decided not to continue living at the castle without him and left most contents in the building and returned to her country. The contents, mostly antique furniture, now form a major part of the articles exhibited at the castle, which also doubles as a museum.

The reintroduced Duwiseb Castle houses five bedrooms and 10 camping sites. There are ample picnic sites, a kiosk, an underground wine bar, a curio shop and a sundowner roof tower.

The castle was re-certificated by the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Tourism Board, Digu //Naobeb.

In a speech read on her behalf by her special adviser, Hansina Christiaans, Hardap Regional Governor, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, welcomed the reintroduction of the castle as one of the popular tourist destinations in the region.

She said the castle is a historical site where visitors can enjoy the history of Namibia and the NWR should be commended for its commitment to developing, modernising and expanding tourism facilities and infrastructure.

"Tourism has been identified by government as one of the national priorities in addressing poverty alleviation and unemployment," she stated.

The relaunched Duwisib Castle is run by a fulltime manager and personnel and is equipped with a kitchen where meals are prepared for tourists and other visitors. It also emerged at the re-launch that the castle will now also cater for weddings, birthday celebrations and parties.

Namibia: Wlotzkasbaken a 'Bottleneck' for Development

Erongo governor Cleophas Mutjavikua said Wlozkasbaken and the court case around it remain a serious bottleneck in the process of development.

"The settlement is in and out of courts, which hampers any development programme of the regional council. While the regional council sees a prestige suburb development, others see that there must be a bottleneck," said Mutjavikua at his 'state of the region' address on Friday.

Since the year 2000, the regional council and regional government ministry want to expand and develop the holiday settlement about 35 kilometres north of Swakopmund by allocating additional plots of land for new houses to be built there.

The Wlotzkasbaken Home Owners' Association agreed to accept a proposed layout but on conditions to which the regional council did not agree. This led to a series of legal actions which saw the parties in and out of courts for several years. To date, the association has had rulings in its favour which led to appeals by the regional council.

Former chief regional officer (CRO) of Erongo, Linus Garoëb, who is now representing the Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing and Rural Development at the Omaruru Municipality, told Mutjavikua on Friday during a questions and answers opportunity, that he was very concerned about the long time it was taking to resolve the Wlotzkasbaken issue. "The 'bosberaad' over Wlotzkas has been through three governors, and three CROs and yet when you do some research, it is apparent that there are no formerly disadvantaged people living in Wlotzkas. Hakahana is one of the black spots in Omaruru; DRC is the black spot in Swakopmund; but Wlotzkas is a white spot while the others are black spots. How is the governor going to address the issue that we can send or station the previously disadvantaged black or previously disadvantaged white people there to also get erven at Wlotzkas as soon as possible?" said Garoëb.
Mutjavikua called Garoëb's question "tough" because he is talking of "black and white spots".
"We would like to come to the table with the stakeholders and also hear from them what they want. The obvious fact that we all know, in Namibia, since Independence, there will never be a suburb that will be there for some people and not for others. Even in the DRC you will find white residents. There is no place where one will say this is only for white and this is only for black.

But since the matter is sub judice, we will like to meet the stakeholders who are mature Namibian people. They are Namibian, they were born here and they have no interest anywhere else," answered Mutjavikua.

He maintained that the council has plans to develop the service erven "for all the Namibian people to benefit".

"However, the problem we are having is that the matter remains in court and no investor wants to put their money in a matter which is still involved in legal action," he said.

Namibia: Wildlife auction is a success

Windhoek - A total of 79 buffaloes were sold for an average price of N$114 430 and the highest price of N$300 000 was paid for a bull at the recent game auction in the capital. The auction raised N$10.6 million that was paid into the Game Products Trust Fund, which invests in conservation and community development programs.

All the buffalo, eland, sable antelope and giraffe that were on sale at the wildlife auction of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, on Thursday, 31 July were sold in a catalogue auction hosted by Agra at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre.

The buffaloes, which due to Namibian law were not for sale to Namibian farmers, were bought by three South African buyers - Oryx Management Services, André Els Safaris and MW de Jager.

The highest price paid for sable was N$90 000. Four giraffe-breeding groups of five each, a total of twenty giraffes, were sold for an average price of N$12 500 per animal.

Eland breeding groups were sold in groups of 10 and achieved a price per animal of N$5 500 for two groups and N$6 000 for three groups. The sable, giraffe and eland were not available for South African buyers and were bought by local farmers. The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Uahekua Herunga, said the auction was held for good conservation practices. "Sale of live animals is not only one of the direct sources of income from the wildlife industry but also contributes to conservation by increasing the distribution range and creation of meta-populations across the range," he said. In attendance was Josue Rodrique Ngouonimba, the Minister of Tourism and Environment of the Republic of the Congo and his delegation, as part of an agreement of cooperation between the two governments to share information and expertise.

Namibia: MCA is closing down

The Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia is in the process of shutting its doors in Namibia, having spent N$2,76 billion (US$257,9 million) over the past five years up to the end of June.
Since inception in 2008, when the Namibian government signed an MCA Namibia Compact with the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation, 81,6% of total funds made available for development in Namibia, were spent.
MCA-Namibia officials, this week preparing to depart for final hand-over of projects scattered all over the country, are confident that by the end of the contract on 16 September, 98% of the available US$304,5 million will be spent. Highlights of the program have been the upgrading, renovation and equipping of 28 schools in 10 Namibian regions, including construction of 212 new classrooms, 27 new toilet blocks, 158 bachelor teacher flats and 29 new three-bedroom teacher houses. Regional study resouce centres were built in Oshakati, Helao Nafidi and Gobabis.  The MCA-Namibia initiative also delivered 1,7 million English, science and mathematics textbooks.
In tourism MCA-N invested N$357 million to build staff villages and infrastructure at the Etosha National Park. A modern website was developed for the Namibia Tourism Board. Also, 31 community conservancies enjoyed training and technical assistance, while 2 135 common game and 651 rare game species were trans located to 31 conservancies. A total of 13 joint-venture grants amounting to N$61,5 million, were awarded for new lodges, expansions and renovations.
In terms of agriculture the MCA-Namibia fund procured 1 848 million radio frequency device ear-tags, 48 computers, 28 printers, 90 barcode readers, applicators for national veterinary staff to tag and trace cattle anywhere in the country. The project registered 1 290 households in 56 Northern Communal Area communities owning 28 100 cattle and 22 700 head of small stock. State-of-the-art state veterinary offices where built in Outapi, Okakarara, Epukiro, Omuthiya and Eenhana at a cost of N$98 million.
Perhaps the work on indigenous natural products was most widespread training 9 155 producers, setting up 67 producer organisations, and providing N$65 million in equipment, grants, technical support and capacity building.
Apart from the regional study centres to be built, the MCA compact will close before work revamping the Etosha National Park is completed, and before the Art and Craft Centre in Swakopmund is completed. A further N$24 million will be needed for government to complete these projects on its own.

Construction of Swakopmund's Strand Hotel is progressing well

Ohlthaver & List Leisure gave Namibia a peek-preview this week of progress with its Strand Hotel construction project on the Swakopmund Mole, an N$350 million project which is to become the crown in the holiday town’s accommodation crown.
When the Strand Hotel opens its doors on 1 August next year, this will be the central coast’s third four-star hotel, according to the Hospitality Association’s chief executive officer Gitta Paetzold, and it would add 125 rooms to Swakopmund’s accommodation sector with its existing capacity of well over 3 000 beds, according to O&L Group spokesperson Roux-ché Locke.
In a statement, the managing director of O&L Leisure (a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List Group), Brian Hutchinson explained construction to the hotel complex’s third floor is soon to commence. It required 1 700 employees, 670 tonnes of reinforced steel and 4 224 cubic metres of concrete to complete the first two floors, according to the official building statistics.
“We are delighted to inform the Swakopmund community and the Namibian public at large that the Strand Hotel development is progressing well,” said Hutchinson.
Once in operation, Strand Hotel will inject 250 job opportunities into the Swakopmund economy and become an international destination for tourists and locals alike.

Conservancy chairpersons' forum discusses progress in Namibia

Once a year, the people who run 20% of the country get together. When you look at it that way, the annual Conservancy Chairpersons' Forum is an important event, organised by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Namibia's 79 communal conservancies are spread right across the country, and the burning issues stem from their success: human-wildlife conflict and poaching are on the increase because wildlife populations are growing.

The forum took place at the Safari Court Hotel on 17 and 18 July. Environment deputy minister Pohamba Shifeta gave the keynote address, noting progress and challenges. Two more Zambezi conservancies will be gazetted in August, bringing the total to 81 self-governing conservation entities, where local people have rights over the utilisation of wildlife and the distribution of benefits derived from it. The ministry's biggest challenge, stated Shifeta, is the recent upsurge in elephant and rhino poaching. He noted that the protection of wildlife is not only about reacting once an animal has been killed, but involves the prevention of poaching.

For many conservancies with an income from trophy hunting or joint ventures with tourism operators, the first and main expense is the salaries of game guards who are in the front line of poaching prevention. But not all conservancies are in areas with abundant wildlife or stunning scenery. For them, earning sufficient income to pay game guards is a pressing problem.

Kapenauarve Katjiveri is serving his second term as chairman of Otjituuo Conservancy, in Otjozondjupa. Well off the beaten track, the area is flat, thornveld savannah, and home to important species like the African Wild Dog. Like other Otjituuo residents, Katjiveri is a farmer who has lost stock to wild dogs, cheetahs and jackals. The conservancy has no income to compensate for the losses and the eight game guards are unpaid.

The hope for Otjituuo, says Katjiveri, is that the environment ministry will create a core wildlife area that may attract a trophy hunter, and where a campsite could be started.

If that works out, a joint venture with a lodge operator may follow. The income would pay for the game guards, and some benefits would flow to residents, providing potential compensation for livestock losses to predators.

Wildlife numbers have rebounded in many areas, especially Kunene, following drought and widespread poaching before the first conservancies were formed in the late 1990s. Conservancies have managed the increase, minimised poaching, and have been able to reap the rewards from photographic tourism, trophy hunting, and the harvesting of meat.

That's the dream for Jonathan Goliath, the chairman of !Gawachab in the deep south of Namibia, close to the Naute Dam and National Park. Goliath is an old man now, but he remembers herds of springbok teeming in the south, before poaching wiped them out. !Gawachab has no game guards and no income. Goliath wants a hunting concession that will provide meat to the elderly and to vulnerable children. He sees no hope for an income from the conservancy in the future, unless it can set up a campsite. But meat would be some incentive for game guards.

The financial sustainability of conservancies was a key theme of the Chairpersons' Forum. Clearly, some are doing very well, some less so, and some see little hope. Otjituuo's Katjiveri says the ministry must do more to support less well off conservancies. "If I have five children," he says, and two go to the Polytechnic and do well, but the others not; I can't say the other three are not my children. I have to support them."

The challenges discussed by the Forum: human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and the increasingly vocal lobby against hunting, all stem from the fact that wildlife is increasing. "If you are seeing lions on the road, what does that tell you?" asked John Kasaona, Kunene director of IRDNC, Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation.

He went on to point out that other southern African countries are jealous of Namibia's conservation record and that the government should stand up to pressure from overseas about hunting. "People do not understand what we are doing," he said, "and are just tweeting."

The issue of the sustainable use of wildlife, which provides meat and trophy income for conservancies, is seen in more simplistic terms overseas said delegates to the Forum. "They should come here and see," says Raymond Kwenani from Salambala Conservancy in Zambezi, pointing to an aeroplane flying overhead. "If we stop hunting it will spell disaster for the conservancy. We pay compensation to farmers when crops and livestock are destroyed.

How will they be compensated if we have no income? Who will pay the funeral benefit of a person killed by an elephant? We have benefits now: jobs in the safari camp: skinners, trackers; meat from the trophy hunt and income from the hunter." IRDNC's Transboundary coordinator John Kamwi points out that wildlife is harvested in accordance with strict quotas on a sustainable basis, and he puts the choice more starkly: "Without hunting, all the conservancies will stop and all of the game guards will be unemployed."

Tour scammer shocks Walvis Bay

Johan Botha, a well-known train tourism operator who shot and killed a police detective in Johannesburg in a shootout last week, and then turned the gun on himself, sent shockwaves through sections of the Walvis Bay business community who only weeks ago dealt with him as he campaigned for a luxury tourist train of Zambezi Safaris to regularly call at Walvis Bay.
What aggravated people’s disbelief is the fact that Botha’s true name is Hendrik Wright and he used the name Johan Botha seemingly as part of a tourism scam he allegedly ran with his wife, Renette Wright and a secretary, Salome Klopper.
In the past several months, several South Africans, among others South African politician Japie Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus complained to among others TransNamib that they booked tours on the luxury train of Zambezi Safaris, but the tours were cancelled. Despite promises, they have not been refunded and angry clients had to make alternative arrangements to come for holidays in Namibia in attempts to at least not lose further expenses like air tickets on Air Namibia already booked and paid for.
The luxury train was used by the former Rovo’s Rail in Namibia, but after the company disappeared from the Namibian tourism scene, the train stood for years at a shunting yard at the Windhoek main station. In the close of 2013, a South African businessman signed an agreement with TransNamib in which the national rail carrier makes the train available at a fee to Zambezi Safaris and that Zambezi Safaris will then renovate the train for tourism operations in Namibia.
In April this year, the tourist train made a maiden call at Walvis Bay and in an interview with Informanté, Wright [Botha] released detailed information of his contacts with local businesses and institutions who could offer activities to the visiting passengers.
He also explained he had more than two decades of experience in the rail tourism business in Southern Africa.
However, as his, his wife and wife’s secretary’s alleged fraudulent activities took shape through statements by disgruntled prospective tourists, a South African Police Service detective, Warrant-Officer Ben Strydom, arrived at the Wrights’ home in Pretoria’s Montana Park suburb on 24 July this year. He had orders to arrest the couple for fraud.
When Wright saw the approaching police he fled on foot and was followed by Strydom who caught up with him. Wright allegedly drew a handgun and shot and killed and Strydom before getting in his car and sped off. A police chase ensued, but Wright managed to pull over and shot himself with his own handgun. Wright survived the shooting and is currently recovering under strong police guard in the high-care unit of the Steve Biko hospital.
Wright’s wife and Klopper were arrested and made a first appearance on charges of fraud in the Pretoria Noord magistrate’s court. They remain in custody and will lodge a bail application next week. It remains unknown whether Hendrik Wright would have made a sufficient recovery to also make a first appearance in the Pretoria Noord magistrate’s court on charges of fraud and also murder.

Замок в пустыне Намиб открылся для туристов

Замок Duwusib, расположенный в 90 километрах от намибийского городка Maltahöhe, открылся для посетителей. После многих лет забвения он приведен в порядок и должен стать важной достопримечательностью страны.

История замка очень романтична, сообщает All Africa. Он был построен в 1900-х годах немецким бароном фон Вольфом в знак любви к жене, американке Джайты Хамфрейс. Влюбленные хотели жить в уединенном месте вдали от мира. Увы, этой мечте не суждено было сбыться: барон был убит на Первой мировой войне, а его жена покинула замок, оставив там все ценности.

Теперь туристы смогут их увидеть – антикварную мебель, произведения искусства и предметы роскоши. Замок насчитывает пять спален и внешние помещения, которые теперь превращены в винные бары, места для пикника и кафе.