Namibia: Trekkopje 28 km road opened

A gravel link road from Trekkopje Mine to Arandis railway was inaugurated recently.
Arandis Mayor Daniel Muhuura applauded Areva Namibia during the opening, saying “this event underpins the development commitment from Areva Namibia with the Arandis Town Council and the communities that are beneficiaries of this road. Areva Namibia has been a serious development partner and has contributed immensely to the socio-economic transformation of our town through the partnership that we have shared over the years.”

“Our most valuable asset - employees - will benefit now by a safer and shorter travelling time,” said Hilifa Mbako, managing director of Areva Namibia at the launch. “In comparison, this road was cost-effective and done in record time; the first road running through the central business area of Arandis, benefitting the local community,” he said.

Muhuura underlined the importance of this link as “a major investment that will not only benefit the mine, but also the overall road users in terms of less traffic on the B2 road. Industrial development must cater for sustainable development and we need to make sure that we put safety measures in place to enable us to strike a fair balance in maintaining our production, our workforce and our nation in a much safer environment.”

Areva's engineering team formed a joint venture with the onsite road maintenance contractor HH Schultz to construct the road.

Namibia: three whale carcasses found in the Skeleton Coast Park

In an extra-ordinary coincidence of nature’s way, in the most hostile environment of Namibia, three whale carcasses washed out along the Skeleton coast in less than a month.
Photographer and environment enthusiast, Johan van Rooyen recorded carcasses of two humpback whales and a pilot whale on the remote beach of the north-western coastline in August. The sighting of whales is normally rare on Namibian beaches and in this case, the discovery of three dead whales of two different species in the same vicinity raises the possibility that whales that were once abundant in Namibian waters, from which Walvis Bay derived its name, are returning to their old feeding grounds, or that the water serves as their migratory route. The cause of their death still remains a mystery.
According to the Namibian Dolphin Project (NDP), humpback whales migrate past the Namibian coast seasonally between their feeding grounds in the Antarctic on their way to their equatorial breeding grounds, but the exact migration periods are unknown. NDP observed that the noise from engines and propellers of vessels also tend to interfere with the migratory routes of whales, making observation to analyses their behavior problematic.
The long-finned pilot whale is actually a dolphin which forms part of two subspecies, of which the other is a short-finned pilot whale. Pilot whales live in family groups and often tend to socialize with both
Bottlenose and Risso dolphins.
They tend to get stranded in bunches on land as groups of family instinctively follow each other to protect one another.

Namibia: Lüderitz Waterfront Development news

Refurbishment of the demolished old power station at a cost of N$230 million, which is part of the second phase of the Lüderitz Waterfront Development is on track.

The second phase of the waterfront has attracted participation of three government ministries, namely, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

About 120 people have been employed to perform various jobs – this figure is going to rise slightly next year, as more bricklayers would be required to complete the task.

“In 2009 cabinet directed these ministries to support the Lüderitz waterfront project, to set up the institute of higher learning satellite under the auspices of the Polytechnic of Namibia (PoN). About 60 percent of this project is earmarked for the promotion of education and training under the auspices of the Polytechnic of Namibia, where about 30 percent of the space provided is for indoor and outdoor sport facilities, while the remaining 10 percent will cover the Maritime Museum,” said the CEO of the Lüderitz Waterfront, Fluksman Samuehl.

The construction of the project commenced in June 2013, and the estimated period is about 27 months at a cost of N$230 million.

Completion date for the project is expected to be the end of 2015 in line with the soon-to-be-unveiled Namibia University of Science and Technology that should start with its operations in 2016.

On 19 August stakeholders involved in the project were shown around the construction site by architect Bob Mould and the CEO of the Lüderitz waterfront with the aim to assess progress on the old power station by the multi-disciplinary team. This was done with the purpose of allowing the media to acquaint themselves with the progress of the project and seek clarity on matters of interest and also to allow TransNamib to assess the waterfront development initiative so as to render support in favour of local economic development (LED).

“The old power station is a large historical building located at the edge of the sea, established in 1911 and listed as one of the largest buildings in Namibia. And the Lüderitz waterfront second phase is also at an advanced stage of implementing Namibia’s first ever shopping centre, waterfront apartments and a new 70-room four-star waterfront hotel,” said Samuehl.

The CEO of the waterfront said they were excited with the development as it aims at growing the Lüderitz waterfront and Lüderitz as a town and not forgetting the diversity income streams which will strengthen the company’s profit margin. The Lüderitz waterfront development concept seeks to link the central business district of the town to the water’s edge, striving to bring people to the water by connecting a series of public urban spaces through attractive pedestrian routes.

This development intervention is geared towards making Lüderitz a student town by 2016, enhancing the town’s tourism appeal and to locate Luderitz as a significant commercial centre in southern Namibia.

The first phase of the Lüderitz waterfront started with construction work towards the end of 2000 and was completed in 2002.

This phase consists of general shops, offices, flats, coffee shops and a restaurant.

Government initially injected about N$35 million, and of this amount about N$7 million was utilised to build non-commercial properties such as a public square where the popular annual crayfish festival is held yearly and other events of public significance, a pedestrian jetty, walkways, paving of Hafen Street, parking facilities as well as street lighting, amenities crucial for the town. Old-Power-Station

The first phase hosts some SOEs as tenants, such as the New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) office, Air Namibia and the Social Security Commission (SSC), as well as private institutions. Several SMEs are also housed in the modern business complex in town which tourists can access easily, while boat trips for leisure take place from the waterfront premises and passenger cruisers dock at the waterfront, among others.

As a result of the first phase, more corporations opened offices, including some ministries, at the waterfront and occupancy rate of rental space rose to 98 percent during the last few years.

About 75 people are currently permanently employed as a result of this phase.  Of these people, about 70 percent are made up of women who are either appointed as managers representing their respective organisations or SME business owners. The Lüderitz waterfront is clearly a catalyst for economic development for the town as well as for the greater //Karas Region.

Namibia: Miners Shot Down film goes to Erongo

AfricAvenir, Independence Avenue Films, and Uhuru Productions take the South African award winning film about the real events of Marikana, Miners Shot Down to the Erongo Region of Namibia.

Co-funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), this South African documentary by Rehad Desai is a unique event. The film is a blistering criticism of the government’s deadly response to striking miners in Marikana in 2012. The story made headlines worldwide, and the commission of inquiry is ongoing. Using the POV of the Marikana miners, Miners Shot Down, follows the strike at one of South Africa’s platinum mines from day one, showing the courageous but isolated fight waged by a group of low paid workers. The screening will be attended by the film director Rehad Desai and Jobu Mzozo, Marikana Support Campaign, and Mzoxolo Magidiwana, a Marikana miner.

Surfing in Namibia: Luderitz Speed Challenge kicks off today

The Luderitz Speed Challenge, which has become a highlight on the international speed surfing calendar takes place for the eighth successive year from Monday, 6 October till 2 November 2014.

The event has gathered the best windsurfers and kite surfers from all over the world since 2007 and seen a remarkable 11 world and 64 national records smashed in the ensuing years.

The event is unique in the world and is the place where the famous 50 knot and 100kph barriers have been overtaken on the water.

In 2008, the French kitesurfer Sebastian Cattelan broke the 50 knot barrier for the first time with a speed of 50,26 knots, which translated to 92,6km per hour.

Two years later, another French kitesurfer Alexandre Caizergues broke the 100kph barrier for the first time with a speed of 54,10 knots, but his record did not last long as Cattelan reached 55,49 knots and American kitesurfer Rob Douglas 55,65 knots in the same year.

This year, 33 competitors from 17 nations such as France, Switzerland, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, United Kingdom, South Africa and Namibia will be in action as they once again aim to set new national and world records.

At last year's event, during the six weeks of competition, 58 riders took part and 2005 completed runs were recorded at a total of 70 hours 15 minutes of racing.

This year's event will see two windsurfing legends - Thierry Bielak and Erik Beale, who held the speed world records in the Nineties - in action, while a disabled sailor, Chris Ballois from France, will also participate for the first time.

Extreme surfer Chris Bertish from South Africa, who won the extreme Mavericks big wave competition in 2010, riding 50 foot waves, will also be in action, as well as numerous national and world record holders.

According to Sophie Routaboulle, co-organiser of the Luderitz Speed Challenge, research and development of the canal continues to improve each year due to relevant feedback from competitors, with the aim of maximising the canal's conditions to gain faster speeds in less wind.

"The spirit of this unique event is to share, learn and compete in a community. This country is exactly the area where this atmosphere is largely felt everywhere. Performance and collectivity is our aim," she said.

"Lüderitz, and Namibia, has become a place which has revolutionised our sport. It has inspired the speed industry all over the world and has pushed other events and grown the interest in our sport in general," she added.

According to Routaboulle, their community of speed riders promote the sport and share their passion and skills with local children in Luderitz.

"In this wonderful and unique union, event after annual event, a special relationship has formed joining two very different worlds. We are convinced that the 2014 event will be equally if not more exciting and exhilarating than previous Lüderitz Speed Challenge events," she said.

More than a third of Namibians will live in Khomas Region by 2040

More than a third of Namibia's population is projected to live in Khomas and Erongo regions by 2040, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency's (NSA) latest report.

Statistician-general Dr. John Steytler said recent immigration patterns will continue into the future which will see the number of people living in rural areas shrink gradually, Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) reported.

The number of people living in urban areas is predicted to increase from 43 percent in 2011 to 67 percent in 2041.

In Khomas Region where the bulk of the population lives in the capital, the number of people will increase from 340,000 in 2011 to 645,000 in 2030, an incease of 305,000, according to the report.

Over the past decade, Erongo Region recorded a population of 107,663 in 2001 and 150,809 in 2011.

NSA predicts the country's population could grow from 2.1 million in 2011 to between 3.3 million and 3.6 million by 2041.

Population projections show that from 2015 to 2030 Namibian population is expected to increase from 2.3 million to 3 million.

Projections are made on the basis of assumptions regarding behaviour of levels of fertility, mortality and migration.

Namibian Government buys another jet

Another N$130 million has been splashed on a new executive jet by Namibian Government - bringing the number of State-owned aircrafts for use by top politicians to three.

The Ministry of Works and Transport permanent secretary Peter Mwatile, who was involved in the procurement of the eight-seater Learjet 75, confirmed yesterday that the aircraft had landed in the country about three weeks ago.

The government already owns a Learjet 31A and a Falcon 900B. The Learjet 31A carries seven passengers while the Falcon 900B carries 14.

According to Mwatile, the Learjet 31A is being phased out because of high maintenance costs. Although Mwatile declined to provide the amount involved, several aviation sites estimate the price of such a jet to be around US$13 million (N$130 million).

The news about the purchase of the new plane comes a few days after it was reported that government bought three new Mercedes ML SUVs for Prime Minister Hage Geingob, the man expected to be Namibia's next president.

“The plane is going to be used by political office-bearers, including the President who decides between using his Falcon or this one,” he said.

Mwatile said the plane is not only meant for top politicians but members of the public who have the financial means can also hire it as was the case with other government planes.

The works ministry website also says: “This management tool is available for Cabinet ministers, government officials, parastatals and business individuals, who prefer to conduct official meetings or to do business in distant towns and return to their offices on the same day to work or conduct other businesses.”

Aircraft website businessaircraft.bombardier.com described the Learjet 75 as a plane with powerful engines and evolutionary aerodynamics featuring a new winglet design that allows travel with eight passengers.

“Elegantly appointed, the cabin's double-club configuration offers more legroom and greater comfort. Individual touch-screen monitors and advanced connectivity options, create new levels of convenience for maximising productivity while flying,” said the review. Mwatile said a decision is still to be made on whether to sell or keep the plane that is being phased out. “the idea is not to sit with the plane while it is not being used,” he said.

The PS further said government is yet to decide on the next fleet of ministerial vehicles that will be needed when the new ministers are sworn in next year.

Mwatile said they also have several Mercedes Benz cars in stock while the current fleet being used by ministers and their deputies is still fairly new. Current ministers have the option to buy the Mercedes Benz cars when they leave office, and with several ministers set to leave, the government might be forced to buy new luxurious cars for incoming ministers.

Mwatile declined to provide details about the three new vehicles that have been acquired for Geingob, reportedly to beef up his security ahead of the elections.

Namibian tourism figures improving in 2014

The latest FNB/Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations (FENATA) Travel Index states that Namibia’s tourism activities increased by 1.5 percent from the previous quarter on the back of higher seasonal demand as the industry moved towards its peak season in August.

FNB Namibia’s Namene Kalili issued the FNB/FENATA Travel Index, which measures tourism activity in the country.

“The annualized growth was 13.2 percent higher than last year’s figure and although the industry continues to grow through 2014, the growth rate has begun decelerating. This coincided with a drop-off in tourists from Europe and America.

“But fortunately for the industry, the increase in tourist numbers from Asia and Africa more than made up for the drop-off in American and European tourist numbers,” said Kalili.

The FNB/FENATA Tourism Index also indicated that the local currency recovered some lost ground through the second quarter and thus travels from America and Europe were 3 percent more expensive due to foreign currency translation and a further 1 percent on account of tourism inflation.

The local tourism sector continued to adjust to an increasing competitive environment and thus elevated capital expenditure to remain competitive and ward off new entrants from international operators looking to enter the Namibian tourism market.

On the topic of business performance it was said that this moved sideways during the quarter and although there were more tourists, they did not spend as much as the previous quarter.

“However it was a whole lot better than the same time last year,” noted Kalili.

Looking forward, Kalili advised that business performance was expected to strengthen by 10 percent as the industry moved into its peak season with tour, activity and bed and breakfast operators very optimistic about third quarter business performance, which is underpinned by strong increase in tourist numbers during the third quarter.

He added that tourist numbers continued to increase through the second quarter, after a rather disappointing first quarter and also an improvement from the same period last year.

Revenues are expected to improve slightly in the third quarter on account of higher tourists numbers dampened by lower tourists spend. “Hotel, lodge and activity operators pencilled in improved revenue expectations during the third quarter, while revenue expectations in the air charter and vehicle rental space was neutral on account of rising operational costs that compressed margins during the second quarter.

Capital expenditure peaked during the first quarter and has subsequently tapered off in the second quarter and is expected to move sideways in the third,” continued Kalili, who pointed out that demand side issues dominated the second quarter, with fluctuating economic conditions and fewer group tours dampening demand for local tourism.

“Rising input costs were also prominent on the agenda with almost a quarter of the respondents highlighting this as an impediment to the industry’s growth. Of particular concern is the rising electricity, fuel and food costs.

“The industry did express concern about the negative effects that the Ebola outbreak could have on tourism as the international market tends to generalize when contemplating “dangers” in Africa”, concluded Kalili.

Walvis Bay airport terminal is set to open in 2015

The Chinese construction company, New Era, is working against a tight schedule for the completion of the Walvis Bay airport terminal by mid-2015.
The terminal building is a hybrid structure consisting of the skeleton structures of the old terminal building and a new wing added to that.
Simultaneous construction work is being carried out on a new apron for aircraft parking on the western side of the new terminal building, whilst construction work is also soon to commence to rehabilitate the existing parking apron and to re-do a section of the super jumbo-sized runway which was found to be of sub-standard quality.
A Spanish consortium constructed the runway, and the section found to be of sub-standard quality culminated into a month-long dispute between the Namibian Government and the Spanish consortium INEPADE. An arbitration outcome ruled Namibia has to foot the bill to repair the sub-standard work and that the Spanish construction consortium has no guilt.
Once completed the Walvis Bay airport is geared to become a regional aviation hub, with direct flights to Europe, air exports to major markets in Europe and also a last refuelling point for cross-Atlantic flights to the Americas and also the mid-Atlantic island of Saint Helena where and international airport is also currently under construction.

Summer showers in Karas Region, southern Namibia - photo