Namib Independent Issue 189 - Women's Supplement

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See full exclusive interview on page 7

Nacoma project to call it a day

After my visits to the Army, Air Force and Navy, I can truly say that Namibia is in safe hands.

Nathalia /Goagoses of Telné Properties CC on the allegations that the sale of old Swakopmund Municipal heritage building is corrupt.

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Issue 189 - Thurs, 17 Mar 2016 to Wed, 23 Mar 2016Like a newspaper, only better!

A highly impressed President Hage Geingob on his recent visit to Namibia’s Naval Base in Walvis Bay.

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“There are people in our community who don't want to see a black woman being successful and owning property in the centre of town.”

Continued on Page 3

See Page 3 See Page 4

Walvis Bay sPCa in grave danger of Closing its doors See Page 5

International Women's Day celebrated with our

First Lady, Madame GeingosWorldwide, March is celebrated as Women’s History Month, coinciding with International Women’s Day on March the 8th. March is the annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. In Namibia, the need to shine the spotlight on gender based issues is critical and is indeed a light that should continue to illuminate the plight of women in our society all year round.

As a developing nation with our particular history we, more than most nations, are faced with an incredibly daunting task of creating a societal, cultural and economic norm which sees women actively participating in every aspect of our society.

Our nation is one in which the majority of our people suffer from the effects of extreme poverty, which affects every Namibian regardless of gender. However, studies and history show us that there is no greater force in eradicating poverty than the

empowerment of women. Empower women and the entire village floor is raised.

The importance of recognising the value and contribution women make to a healthy and growing society can best be summed up on the words of Jimmy Carter, former president of the USA when he declared, “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first indigenous families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built this country was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well”.

This year the Namib Independent has elected to highlight the importance of the “movement” by dedicating this edition to Women’s History Month and we are extremely grateful and honoured to bring you an exclusive interview with our beloved First Lady, Madame Geingos.

Absalom Shigwedha

A senior official in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism says the Namibian Coast Conservation Management (Nacoma) project will come to a close at the end of next month.

Environmental Commissioner, Teofilus Nghitila said funding for Nacoma, which was coming from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the World Bank, ends in April this year. Last week, one Nacoma staff

member told the Namib Independent that they do not know what the future holds for them, as there is no more funding for the project. The employee also mentioned that they are currently being salaried by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Acting Nacoma project coordinator, Cameron Kandjii, confirmed last week that the World Bank funding has come to an end and they do not know whether there are plans to extend the project.

Originally, the Nacoma project was funded

First Lady of Namibia, Madame Geingos

Thursday, 17 March 20162 news

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DiSClAiMER:Namib independent is published by Halfround Communications CC. All rights are reserved. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within, no liability can be accepted by the publishers or contributors for any errors, misstatements or omissions which may have occurred. The opinions expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Also, the publishers accept no legal liability regarding copyright ownership for material which was supplied directly to the publishers by any of the advertisers or contributors.

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Brave Long Walk for Crohn’s and Cancer

Hangana Seafood donates fish to Namibian embassiesStaff reporter

In celebration of Namibia’s 26th year of Independence, and as a proudly Namibian company, Hangana Seafood - a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group - on 15 March 2016 donated 430 kg of Namibian Fish products to the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation.

The donation comprising of 215 kg of Crumbed Hake Fish and another 215 kg of Hake Fish Fillets will be distributed to all Namibian embassies around the world, to enjoy a taste of home and share some quality Namibian fish with their guests, wherever they currently serve.

“As a proudly Namibian company, Hangana Seafood shares the joy and

happiness surrounding Namibia’s 26th Independence Celebrations. We hope and trust that this donation will contribute to a joyful Independence celebration for all Namibians abroad. And that when they have a taste of the fish, that it will remind them of home,” Hangana Seafood Managing Director, Martin Theron remarked.

Ambassador Gerhard Kandanga, Head of department for Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry, accepted the donation on behalf of government. He expressed government’s appreciation and thanked Hangana for yet another donation.

Sales Manager at Hangana Seafood, Bianca Eichas (second from left) officially hands over the donated fish to Ambassador Gerhard Kandanga – Head of department for Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, while Managing Director Herman Theron (left) and Sales & Marketing

Director, Francois Olivier (right) looks on.

Hangana Seafood employees wish all Namibians a happy 26th Independence while they excitedly hand over a donation to the Ministry of

International relations and Cooperation.

Maria Davel-Wallis

Chris Smith, who celebrated his 80th birthday on 20 January, has inspired the nation for the past two weeks with his marathon walk of more than 360 kilometres, from Windhoek to Swakopmund. He walked his walk to raise awareness and funds for Crohn’s Disease and cancer research.

Chris Smith has first-hand experience of the impact of Crohn’s Disease – his wife, Jacky, who passed away, was bedridden and needed 24-hour care before her death as a result of this disease. It was before her death, after his close contact with CAN, “the primary organisation who houses trained stoma therapists who assist people wearing ileostomy and colostomy bags”, that he decided “to do something to raise awareness of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis, and to raise funds to assist those

less fortunate who are sufferers of the diseases.”Smith has always been an avid sportsman,

and when running and cycling became too strenuous, he started walking long distances for exercise for body, mind and spirit.

He began his epic walk on 1 March in Windhoek, and had a time frame of three weeks in mind, but it eventually took him only two weeks to reach his goal. He walked around 30 kilometres per day.

When the Namib Independent met him in the main street of Swakopmund, he was accompanied by many Swakopmunders – a whole contingent of Bank Windhoek (his main sponsor) personnel, sportsmen and women, journalists, family members, his support team and others – all in high spirits, and in awe of this passionate man, who did not even seem tired. When he answered several questions posed as we were walking towards the finish line, he wasn’t even short-breathed. He was chatting away energetically with those around

him, all much younger - and more breathless - than him!

It was a proud moment when we reached the main beach at the Mole. Many were awaiting him, cheering him on over the last stretch. It was clearly an inspirational moment for everyone present.

He was elated, and deeply thankful for his life, his health and strength – and for the opportunity to raise awareness for his causes. Oom Chris Smith walked 364 kilometres. On a question if he was contemplating doing it yearly, he said, “I am 80 – I do not think so.”

The funds raised will go to CAN, to be specifically used for the stoma therapy division, which also looks after patients who have been affected by colon cancer. His walk was endorsed by the Cancer Association of Namibia.

Anyone who wants to read more about Oom Chris and his long walk, can visit the Facebook page Quest for Crohn’s, hosted by his daughter-in-law, Danica Smith.

Swakop Striders road runners Ulla Burd, Epson !Naruseb, Danie Kotze, and Anja Kreiner, Oom Chris Smith, and two more Striders: Kirsty Brits, Johan Bronkhorst

3 Thursday, 17 March 2016

through a USD 4.9 million grant from GEF to the Namibian Government and was launched in March 2006 and was to run until December 2012. However, in January 2013 the Government received an additional grant from GEF (through the World Bank) for an amount of US$1.92 million for the Nacoma project to provide for a three-year extension of the revised project, starting from 31 December 2012 until 31 December 2015.

The main objectives of the project were to conserve sustainable use and mainstreaming biodiversity of the Namibian coast. Amongst others, the project was tasked with paving the way for an integrated coastal zone management systems for the Namibian coast and to

enable Namibians to agree on a common vision for the management of the coastal zone.

It was also tasked with developing and supporting the implementation of the Government coastal policy, to provide required training and practical skills to key stakeholders responsible for managing the coast and to harmonise institutional mandates and roles for the management of the coastal zone. Global coastal areas are under pressure due to multiple uses and Namibia is not an exception. Therefore, measures aimed at the sustainable use of coastal areas of the world, need to be put in place as a matter of urgency. Namibia's National Coastal Management Policy was launched in 2013.

Continued from Page 1

news

Sparks fly over saleof Heritage building

Uis - convicted rapist, robber at large

Shaun Ross – record case postponed

Donna Collins

Sparks are flying over the long winded sale of the old Swakopmund Municipal heritage building, which is currently the centre of controversy due to the proposed buyer Telné Properties CC not reaching their payment deadline.

A spokesperson for the Municipality, who prefers to remain anonymous, said this is in fact a breach of contract, and that many people view this as a corrupt practice.

"Conditions of sale are not adhered to by either the proposed buyer or the Municipality - yet council continues to offer postponements for payment outside of the original transaction agreement," it was said.

The emotionally charged buyer Nathalia /Goagoses of Telné Properties CC, who is currently the Chief Regional Officer of the Erongo Region and self-proclaimed businesswoman, is meanwhile emphatically justifying the deed of sale agreement delay.

Recently she has been criticised by, amongst others, the Swakopmund Residents Association, who have slammed her for making no progress with the transaction. They claim that the historic building, which is in a horrible condition and deteriorating by the day, has other serious offers waiting in line to snap up this prime piece of real estate.

Telné Properties CC, which made the highest bid of N$17 million, signed the offer to purchase from the Municipality in September 2015, and instead of the transaction taking its course to the deeds office, the buyer has been dragging their feet with payment since then.

The Municipality, who extended their deadline for /Goagoses again last month, is being taken to task by a local legal firm who have interested investors eagerly waiting to sign a new agreement to purchase the property.

A letter from the Swakopmund Residents Association states that Telné Properties CC is in breach of contract and that the payment delay is nothing but "favouritism" by Council.

"I was given time to raise the money and it is now ready - and surely as the owner of the building, the Municipality can make the final call," /Goagoses fumed." After March 31st it will all be on the table.

"I am well within the time frame, and the transfer is going to go through as planned, and people must understand that a black woman is taking this property - and I am sick of this black, white, tribal thing."

She further claimed that, if she wanted to, she could tear the whole building down once it belongs to her, because she has no need to preserve the old German colonial history.

"There are people in our community who don't want to see a black woman being successful and owning property in the centre of town, but this will not happen because I am definitely buying it, and the deal will close shortly," said an irate /Goagoses.

It was also mentioned that the building is listed as a heritage site, and

the condition of sale would be that it is preserved and cannot be torn down.

The superb 1907 building, which must rank as the most coveted piece of real estate in the Erongo Region, was put out of commission in 2011 when the entire Municipality staff moved lock, stock and barrel into their modern new premises.

Since then, the grand old dame has been standing empty with exception to occasional lease arrangements. It also served as the head quarters for the film crew and production officers during the filming of the award winning Mad Max.

The building was erected in 1907 as a Post Office, telephone exchange and living quarters for personnel, and then later used by the Magistrate and administration until 1961, when it was given to the Municipality which used it as their headquarters for nearly five decades.

/Goagoses, who was a former maths teacher, and a director of education in the Omaheke region, also owns a hotel in Gobabis, and says she has plans to make money of the building which will be transferred by early next month.

Nathalia /Goagoses is fighting for the Swakopmund Municipality heritage building for N$17-million (Photo Donna Collins)

Nacoma project to call it a day

Marshallino Beukes

Charles Namiseb (34), who was found guilty on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, rape, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and theft on 29 February in the High Court, managed to escape from the Windhoek police’s holding cells, after he apparently falsely notified the police officer on duty that he made bail.

Namiseb and co-accused Edwin Tourob was convicted after the vicious attack and robbery of a 72-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife at their home at Uis on 3 October 2010. The two convicts savagely attacked the elderly couple, took turns raping the wife and stole two firearms, jewellery, money and a car from them.

Both were found guilty on the 29th and the pre-sentencing proceedings were due to start on Wednesday, this week. Chief Inspector John

Mwatongwe of the Serious Crime Unit at Walvis Bay this week told Namib Independent that the escaped convict hails from Uis and is known to have family ties in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay as well. It is strongly suspected that he might have made his way to one of these coastal towns and anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can contact chief inspector Mwatongwe at 064-219044 or 0812461121 or the nearest police station. The public is however warned that the convict is regarded as dangerous and might be armed, and people should thus not try to arrest him themselves, but rather immediately contact the police.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the police officer, whom Namiseb allegedly fooled, Constable Festus Shihepo, was arrested on a charge of assistance to help escape a convicted accused from lawful custody. Bail of N$3000 was granted to Shihepo and the matter was postponed until 16 May 2016.

Marshallino Beukes

A total of 63 cases, including stock theft and possession of suspected stolen livestock, are what Shaun Ross, a farmer from the Spitzkoppe area is facing. Ross appeared in the Regional court at Karibib this week and the matter was postponed until 25 April 2016 for plea.

Ross was initially arrested on 6 February 2011(CR37/02/2011) after suspected stolen livestock was discovered on his farm. This, according to a police spokesperson

triggered further investigations which lead to more cases against the accused. Only after animals were identified by their respective owners on Ross’s farm, other cases against the appellant were opened, reads a High Court record (2011). As per the spokesperson, a total of 73 cattle, 333 sheep and 124 goats are linked with the charges. Bail was initially denied, but eventually granted.

Community members and farmers from the Spitzkoppe area and surroundings expressed their discontent, regarding the fact that

someone who was standing accused of this many serious charges was granted bail in the first place. According to them, the accused continued to find himself on the wrong side of the law subsequently, in spite of the fact that he was on bail for similar cases. The alleged stock theft occurred in the areas of Omaruru, Karibib, Khorixas and Usakos. His co-accused, Bernardus Gariseb was granted bail of N$3 000 this week and the duo will both have to plea on 25 April 2016. The trial is expected to start on 19 September 2016.


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Geingob impressed by the country's defense, air force and navy

Kapwanga's letter angers Swakopmund Matters

Absalom Shigwedha

President Hage Geingob says he is highly impressed with the professionalism, commitment, passion and technical proficiency displayed by members of Namibia Armed Forces.

“You truly deserve to get recognition for what you are doing in defense of our sovereignty. After my visits to the Army, Air Force and Navy, I can truly say that Namibia is in safe hands,”he said.

Geingob made these remarks when he visited the base of Namibia's Navy at Walvis Bay on Thursday. He had also visited the headquarters of the Defense Force at Grootfontein and that of the Air Force at Karibib. He said his visit

to the Navy at Walvis Bay was to help him meet its leadership and to familiarise himself with its core activities.

“After what I have seen, I can say there is no doubt our about navy's capacity and capability of conducting successful maritime operations. Of course, we understand we are a small nation militarily, but there is an advantage that comes with that as it allows us to be highly mobile, agile and adaptable, said Geingob.

He said the Namibia Navy was commissioned in 2004 and countries such as South Africa, Brazil and others have played a significant role in the areas of training, skills transfer, supply of equipment and naval vessels as well as in planning and developing

of key infrastructure. “We thank these nations for their continued solidarity,” he said. Geingob said he was aware that the navy has a heavy task of securing 1572 kilometers of coastline this task is further complicated by the fact that Namibia's waters and coastal area is blessed with abundance of natural resources such as fish and minerals, which if left unprotected, could be highly exploited by various criminal syndicates.

As such, he said, the Government will explore all means to support the efforts of the armed forces, including supporting the Navy in carrying out its mission of conducting naval operations in defense of the sovereignty of the Republic of Namibia, its citizens and national interests.

Absalom Shigwedha

A letter published in the Windhoek-based weekly newspaper by a senior official in the diamond polishing company, Lev Leviev, has angered the Swakompund Matters group – for allegedly brushing-off concerns of phosphate mining in Namibia.

The group said a letter by Kombandayedu Kapwanga of Lev Leviev which appeared in 4-11 March 2016 edition of The Economist, said “with regard to the statement of Namibia's ocean being made the experimental ground for phosphate mining, it was explained that there is nothing special about phosphate mining as a mineral.

Mining in the ocean is just another mining whether for sand aggregates or dredging a harbour. Namibia is treading on virgin ground as it has been mining diamonds from the ocean for many years.” In reaction to this, the Swakopmund Matters group said to compare large-scale phosphate mining on pristine seabed to harbour dredging where the ground is already disturbed beyond recognition and which is a very localised activity, “is a simplification beyond belief.”

In a media release, the group said international marine experts and world renowned scientists find these utterances baseless and they all will agree that there is very much that is special about mining phosphate. “It lies much, much deeper than mining for diamond.The disturbance of the seafloor here remains high from

excessive turbidity and destruction of benthic waters and their habitats, but the risk of release of toxic compounds and anaerobic waters from the deeper lying anoxic phosphates adds very significantly to potential levels of environmental harm on top of other hazards anticipated,” argue the group.

It says lack of intimate knowledge and information about deep sediment layers are largely what makes scientists so nervous about exposing those layers and the compounds they contain, to the overlying and adjacent water and life. “Presently, those dangerous substance are safely buried, quite deep. Nobody knows what will happen when extracted. Hence the need for intense scientific studies – not thumb sucking comments or views based on desktop studies done in comfort,” said Swakopmund Matters.

“The Ministry's concern that the removal of the soft sediment along with all the living animals and the suspension of fine sediment into the water may negatively impact the functioning of the marine ecosystem, still remains,” said Esau. He said he will only be at comfort on the way forward when more peer reviewed and verifiable knowledge is gained, through appropriate studies and not just conclusions derived from one single study by a sole source.

“For now, the matter enjoys full attention of the Government and we stand to be guided by the outcome of that specific process,” said Esau. At the same occasion, the Namibian Confederation of Fisheries Association (NCFA), the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) and the Namibian Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau), also expressed their opposition against the idea phosphate mining in Namibia.


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Walvis Bay SPCA in grave danger of closing its doors

Phony estate agents in crossfire

Criminals be aware - Operation Omake set to intensify

Donna Collins

Unless the business community and people stand behind the Walvis Bay SPCA, it is in grave danger of closing its doors, as keeping up with the monthly running costs of nearly N$60 000 is financially strangling this struggling animal charity organisation.

This disturbing message comes hot on the heels on the closure of the Okahandja SPCA last week, together with rumours surfacing that the harbour town's only animal shelter was in severe trouble.

Staff walk out's, committee infighting, no fund raising and an over population of strays dogs and cats to kennel, high running costs are just some of the problems the SPCA is faced with.

Speaking to Chairperson Hendrieka Jansen van Vuuren,

who jumped in on Sunday to resume her leadership position again, she expressed her dismay at the current status quo of the SPCA.

"If the Walvis Bay community don't stand behind us we will lose the battle, because we can't do this alone," she informed the newspaper, stating that their funds have dried up and they are in dire straits.

"Whilst rumours are going around that we are closing, I would like to nip that in the bud because that is not the case, but we are facing an extreme uphill battle," she continued.

"On a positive note I have put together a small operational committee of dedicated people this week, to strengthen our foothold, and to work on building up the SPCA.

"I want to schedule an AGM meeting shortly, and draw in more

public support and sponsorships from our business community to keep us running, as we are in urgent need of funds.

"I will do everything in my power to turn the SPCA around again, because we are there for the animals, and ultimately if people can't help them then we are failing

their cries for help."She further added the new committee

has an acting chairperson, a treasurer, a secretary, a fund raiser co-ordinator, as well as the hard working Kennel Manager Jessica Van Tonder and Cattery Manager Deone Van Wyk.

Marshallino Beukes

According to recent media reports there are currently about 40 unregistered estate agents selling properties illegally at the coast. As per the Namibia Estate Agents Board (NEAB), about 58 estate agents and/or agencies are alleged to have conducted business without holding fidelity fund certificates.

The chairperson of NEAB, Anne Thandeka Gebhardt noted that they have appointed ISG Risk Services

to conduct investigations into the 58 alleged unregistered agents. In nine of these cases ISG recommended no further action, however, NEAB is in the process of requesting further criminal investigations and possible prosecution in respect of 33 persons who gave themselves out as agents, while not properly registered with the NEAB, says Gebhardt. Investigations are ongoing in 16 of the complaints. The public is requested to always ensure that they are dealing with licensed agents. “Always

request from any person who wishes to provide estate agency services to provide a fidelity fund certificate and ensure such certificate is valid for the current year. When in doubt whether a person is a registered agent, please contact the NEAB,” is Gebhardt’s advice to the public.

She further noted that the NEAB has learnt that some police investigation officers refuse to investigate criminal cases instituted in terms with the Estate Agents Act on the grounds that it is the

duty of the board to deal with these matters. According to Gebhardt the Act criminalises certain conduct and it is the duty of the police to prosecute such matters. The Namibia Estate Agents Board will from now on liaise with the Office of the Police Commissioner to assign dedicated investigators to deal with investigations against estate agents. Gebhardt concluded by advising complainants who experience difficulty with their criminal complaints to contact the Board for assistance.

Marshallino Beukes

Following the recent escalation of violent crimes in the Erongo Region, Nampol (Erongo) is going to intensify “Operation Omake” in order to root out crime in the region.

Operation Omake was launched in Windhoek during November last year by President Hage Geingob, following the brutal murder of two sisters in the capital city. Nampol is the custodian of this Operation, which is carried out countrywide. The Operation consists of two main targets, namely the de-bushing of riverbeds and other danger-areas, as well as the placing of streetlights in dark areas. Intensified crime prevention operations are the second main objective. Nampol’s Community Affairs Officer (Erongo), Sergeant Ileni Shapumba noted to Namib Independent that the Erongo Region is actually fortunate not to have as much need for de-bushing

as the other regions. He further remarked that the intensifying of operations will include body search of individuals at liquor outlets and shebeens, as alcohol abuse is tangled in one way or other to the majority of violent crimes committed. Shapumba expressed his and Nampol’s concern regarding the senseless killings occurring countrywide. “This is a worrying situation and Nampol is determined to bring an end to this scenario,” says Shapumba. He concluded by urging all stakeholders, including community forums and the public at large to take hands with the police in order to root out crime in the country and get the situation under control. Sergeant Shapumba


IUM to undertake cleaning campaign

Sewerage water kicks up a stink in Kuisebmond!

Duneside Visits Mpact

Marshallino Beukes

The Walvis Bay campus of the International University of Management (IUM) is planning to have a cleaning campaign on Friday, 18 March in Kuisebmond’s Nataniel Maxwilili Street.

According to the branch coordinator, Mrs Magdalena Kalola,, the university as a corporate entity, has a social responsibility hence the initiative to start a clean-up campaign. This will be the first time the university tackles this public concern and according to Mrs Kalola they are planning to make this an annual venture. She noted that the idea kick-started when the filthy state of this particular Walvis Bay suburb was witnessed and also because most of the university’s students and lecturers reside in Kuisebmond, thus encouraging residents to keep their suburb clean. The clean-up campaign will be conducted in cooperation with the town’s municipality, which according to Mrs Kalola, is very impressed with the initiative and welcomes it. IUM students, lecturers and all staff members will participate in the campaign, which will commence at around 09:00 from the fuel station all the way to Desert Store. Mrs Kalola noted that they have received garbage bags and protective gloves, but still need some refreshments for the clean-up participants, as this will be a tiring undertaking for the individuals who want to try and make a positive change in their neighbourhood. Businesses or individuals who would like to come to their aid or need further information can contact Mrs Kalola at 0811295646.

The International University of Management is the first private University in Namibia, founded in 1993 as the Institute of Higher Education. This University currently has campuses in Windhoek, Ongwediva, Nkurenkuru, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

Written by grade 12 learners: HILENI OSKAR and CHARLIZE AMUTATI

The grade 12 class of Duneside Private High School accompanied by our Head of Department, Mr E Feris, recently visited the Walvis Bay based paper packaging business, Mpact Limited.

Everyone at Mpact was very welcoming, which eased the anxiety as this is uncharted territory we have never visited before. We were directed towards a room where Mr Naruseb gave us a brief analysis on how boxes are made, including each and every machine they used, which was very didactic. We were then divided into 2 groups of approximately 15 learners (one group was accompanied by the quality supervisor) and moved on to the production floor where all the machines are kept. Who knew that so much work was put into making a box? The attention to detail is mesmerizing. All employees really are industrious and meticulous as they show great care in the work they do. Mpact is fully equipped with the latest machinery which will enable them to thoroughly carry out jobs as requested by their customers and have a high efficiency percentage. With a staff of merely 50 employees, they manage to increase their profit by 5% at the end of each financial year.

As part of their corporate social responsibility, they sponsor free boxes to school children to use for their science fair projects or any other projects at hand. Mpact also makes sure to recycle water and paper and replant all the trees they chop down making them a green company which sustains its natural

environment.The excursion was very enlightening

and informative and left many learners in awe. We, as the grade 12 class of 2016, are really privileged to have experienced such an exciting excursion that will definitely linger with us for a long time. Our sincere gratitude goes to the staff and management of Mpact.

A burst sewerage pipe in the heart of Kuisebmond has kicked up a stink amongst residents who have had to endure this foul smelling waste spilling out on to the streets - just in front of a row of vendors selling fresh vegetables and other foods to passers-by. Motorists were slowed down to a standstill as they gingerly negotiated their vehicles through ankle deep sewerage water, further spraying the filthy stench onto the flanking pavements. "This is disgusting," said one resident, adding, "I hope that the Municipality sorts this out soon, because our children and people who walk the streets are at risk of catching some kind of disease if the flow of this putrid water is not stopped immediately." (Photo Donna Collins)


Women's Day EditionInternational

International Women’s Day celebrated with our First Lady, Madame GeingosWe would like to take this opportunity to thank Madame Geingos for graciously contributing to this publication, and to sharing her views on the empowerment of women in Namibia.

You have always been an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and gender equality, and this has been further enhanced by your public activities and the causes which you have undertaken in your capacity as First Lady of Namibia. Will this be a flagship cause that you will elevate to a key agenda item for the Office of the First Lady?

Gender Equality is the core mandate of the Minister of Gender Equality and what all women need to do is to support and complement that Ministry’s initiatives to ensure the successful execution of the gender equality mandate.

What projects and initiatives you have been involved in over the last year as First Lady in terms of gender parity and upliftment?

The Office of the First Lady has five key focus areas, namely entrepreneurship and enterprise development, early childhood development, Gender-Based Violence Prevention, Health and Institutional Strategic Support. Many of these programs are not gender specific but affect women disproportionately so women become a natural focus area. The institutional support program is focused on the Ministry of Gender, with particular reference to gender

based violence and early childhood development.

The late renowned journalist Christopher Hitchens is known for championing gender parity as a means to cure poverty. His thoughts on the matter can best be summed up by the following quotation by him:

"The cure for poverty has a name, in fact: it's called the empowerment of women. If you give women some control over the rate at which they reproduce, if you give them some say, take them off the animal cycle of reproduction to which nature, culture and some doctrine condemns them, and then if you'll throw in a handful of seeds perhaps and some credit, the floor of everything in that village, not just poverty, but education, health, and optimism will increase. It doesn't matter; try it in Bangladesh, try it in Bolivia,

it works—works all the time."

Do you agree with this statement and if so, can you please provide some personal views and insight into the same in the Namibian context?

That statement is true in any context, including the Namibian context. The face of poverty in Namibia is black, female and rurally based. It thus flows naturally that the highest anti-poverty impact will occur through

Wilhemina waited patiently for the opportunity to slip a letter to Madame Geingos. Wilhemina made Madame Geingos laugh when she insisted that Madame Geingos not throw the letter away and advised Madame Geingos to personally read it and revert with an answer. Wilhemina was the next to laugh when security wanted to take the letter for safekeeping and Madame Geingos was quick to decline the request and kept the letter to read later as sternly

advised by Wilhemina.

a focus on the most affected. The empowerment of women and the girl child should never be about the disempowerment of men or the boy child. It is about levelling the playing field and providing fair opportunities to all. Not providing fair opportunities to women, who constitute half of the population, then expecting our society to progress is like tying up one wing of a bird and expecting it to fly.

The Grameen Bank in India –

the bank of the poor, for which its founder Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize has been offering micro-loans to the poor (of which 95% women) for 35 years with remarkable success. It is owned by the poor borrowers of the bank who are mostly women. It works exclusively for them. Grameen Bank does not require any collateral against its micro-loans and its loan recovery rate is a massive 98.28 percent. Grameen Bank has 2,422 branches and is operational in 78,101 villages. As someone who has extensive experience in the financial sector in Namibia, do you believe that implementing a bank for the poor that operates on the same principles as the Grameen bank is feasible in our country and if so how would you see such a model working?

Grameen Bank was started in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is 125 000 square kilometres with 156 million people and Namibia is 825 000 square kilometres with 2.3 million people. This huge disparity in population density and market size fundamentally changes context and comparative analysis. In addition, the regulatory environment is significantly different so it is perhaps possible to talk the principles of accessible and affordable financial services model as opposed to a Grameen Bank specific focus. The accessible and affordable banking model is enabled by affordable technology, particularly mobile telecommunications. Then it requires funding which allows collateral free lending without high return expectations.

Another critical enabler is the balance of localised understanding of risk relative to unnecessary risk aversion. The challenges are real and they are many but I strongly believe it can be done. I just have doubts whether it is commercially viable as a standalone offering or whether it is best placed as a product in government funded institutions like SME Bank and Development Bank, or a non-profit, whose return expectations are geared towards social returns rather then purely capital returns.

Poverty eradication requires numerous efforts focused on quality health and education, decent

shelter and sanitation, employability and scalable enterprise development. Access to collateral free lending is thus one of many important interventions required in the arsenal for the war against poverty.

Personally, when it comes to credit, I would place a little more emphasis on collateral free lending for start-ups with high growth potential as they become natural employers. I would look at enhancing the employability of Namibians and complement this with entrepreneurship training and development to manage market risk and then ensure micro lending for productive purposes which doesn’t have high interest rates which further condemn poor households into debt traps. It is true that “poverty is not created by poor people”. We thus have a responsibility to holistically evaluate our laws, policies and customs which inadvertently keep our people stuck in the poverty trap. The second responsibility is to consult with the most affected and establish their needs, then tailor-make the appropriate and effective interventions.

Worldwide, and in many African

Cultures, including the many different cultures in Namibia, there is a slow pace of gender reform across the board. Can you please share your views and opinions on this issue and perhaps provide some solutions to speeding up the process?

It is ironic that African culture continues to be singled out as the culprit of slow pace of gender reform when the statistics of female representation in many parts of the Western World are worse then ours. As strong as our traditional beliefs are, Namibia has the fourth highest level of female parliamentarians in the world. Patriarchy is such a widespread societal problem that it needs to be examined in the broader context of how we are socialised as human beings.

Although Namibia has the second highest female representation at the senior levels of government (at 47% we are second only to Iceland), this level of participation throughout other societal facets in Namibia is a fraction of the percentage. What, in your view, are the underlying causes of such disparity?

Please allow me to take a moment to commend our public sector for consistently outperforming the private sector when it comes to women in top positions. The private sector is not immune to social realities and its inability to integrate women into top positions is a manifestation of the patriarchy women deal with every day. The fact of the matter is that if we do not take specific actions to redress the status quo, the private sector will continue to perpetuate gender disparities as these type of deep rooted inequalities don’t just disappear on their own.

You have frequently stressed the importance of “Choice” (from the female perspective) as a means of empowerment. Can you please share your thoughts on individual choice and its ability to empower women?

Patriarchy removes choice. Parochialism is the conservative and narrow-minded bedfellow of patriarchy. We need to dismantle both as patriarchal behaviour from men is often supported by the parochial attitudes of women. I am often flabbergasted by women who regurgitate and enforce negative stereotypes against their female in-laws, colleagues and adversaries. The moment a woman chooses to exercise her choices and preferences which don’t conform to society’s views, she is called all kinds of unprintable names which stem from a patriarchal or parochial understanding of society. The same choices made by men are accepted and don’t elicit the same response. I am in no way advocating for women to run wild and act in criminal or morally bankrupt ways, I simply advocate for the responsible choices of women to be respected, as we respect those of men.

From a societal and historical

perspective, folk lore and many religions have promoted the concept of male privilege for millennia, and many doctrines and religions practiced today still advocate the idea of male privilege as a societal norm. Can you provide some insights as to how this attitude may be changed?

Male privilege and white privilege

Madame Geingos participates in activities during the handing over of houses to members of the Shack Dwellers Federation in Omuthiya.

international Women's day supplement

Thursday, 17 March 20168

are distant cousins. They are very difficult to address as the recipients are often the quickest to deny it exists. As we empower women, the automatic assumption of male privilege will dissipate. It is difficult to change the mind-set of people who were raised in a specific context which normalises and re-inforces the belief of superiority. The real work is with our children. Our responsibility is not to encumber our children with our negative assumptions of the inferiority of others. Our second responsibility is to take deliberate actions to create a society which provides fair access to opportunity.

Unlike many First Ladies, you have created a success of your life in a gender biased society and primarily within the hostile Namibian business sector. Can you share with our readers some personal reflections on some of the challenges that you have faced at the various stages and tell us how you overcame the same?

I have occupied leadership positions from primary to secondary school whether it be a School Prefect or Head Girl or sporting team captain. As a young professional clerk, it didn’t take me long to move from clerk to Middle-Management to Executive Management to leadership positions. I was appointed to the Board of a large parastatal by the age of twenty-five, a CEO by the age of twenty-six and on the President’s Economic

Advisory Council by the age of twenty-seven. I set financial and professional targets to meet by the age of thirty and exceeded all of them. I managed this without a single tender from Government simply by staying focused on my own path and not worrying about those ahead of me or laugh at those behind me. There are many obstacles on any path and I overcame them by not being afraid to ask for help when I needed to, demand co-operation when I needed it and negotiate when I had to. I made some great decisions which translated into success and made some bad decisions which resulted in avoidable mistakes. I allowed success and failure to teach me valuable lessons about my strong and weak points. I changed a lot along my journey, people and circumstances around me also changed and that is why I don’t dwell on specific challenges as opposed to the mind-set required to overcome them. History judges us by our achievements, not by our challenges.

What advice would you give to aspiring young ladies who are keen to follow in your footsteps?

I trust that question is in relation to my professional development. Becoming a First Lady should never be aspirational as it is a by-product of love and marriage. In that context, if young ladies, or young men for that matter, want to commit to the institution of marriage or long term relationships, they should aspire to be with

partners who are supportive, loving and accept them with all their positive and negative attributes. For those who want to follow in my professional footsteps, there is no particular recipe. My path is different to that of other successful Namibians. I started at the bottom in a niche environment and worked my way up through lots of hard work, sacrifice and luck. I can give lots of advice but for the sake of brevity, I would advise young ladies to be focused, thick-skinned and to work hard but also to work smart. I would give the same advice to young men as what I have managed to do has lessons for young women and men.

Obviously, the position of First Lady of Namibia offers numerous opportunities to change some aspects in society, and your desire to make serious changes is evident from your high levels of energy and commitment to numerous causes in the first year of your tenure. In terms of gender parity and gender based issues, are there any specific measurable actions you would like to see come to fruition by the end of your tenure?

I have programs under my office for which I want to see measurable results as I am able to influence the outcomes. The measurable actions in relation to gender based violence, healthy living, entrepreneurship development and early childhood development are set on a national level and my focus is to play a constructive and supportive role within my focus areas.

Madame Geingos supports Grassroots intervention against Gender Based Violence. Iipinge Shaanika Nashilongo is a soft spoken 23 year old Namibian male who believes his calling is to fight Gender Based Violence. Iipinge a victim of growing up in a home where GBV was prevelent has set up a grass roots organisation to help eradicate the issue. Upon hearing his story, the First Lady took it upon herself to visit Iipinge which led to a commitment of support for

the project. See the Madame Geingos facebook page for the full story.

Madame Geingos with the team from the Shack Dwellers Federation in Omuthiya


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We must not forget the revolutionary roots of International Women’s Day Now marked with Google doodles and special shopping displays, in the early 20th century, International Women's Day was a fierce, worldwide campaign for worker's rights.

International Women’s Day: a day, according to the UN, to “reflect on progress made”, to “celebrate acts by ordinary women”. Few would say that it fails to do this. This year Google marked it with a doodle, and there were events from street marches to a window display of a leading international women’s retail outlet, who marked it with a short film

showing famous female designers and presenters.

Yet all this fails to reflect exactly what the day means. Amid pastel Gifs and shop windows full of well-off women, barely a whisper could be heard about those who brought the day into being. Perhaps it is not surprising: next to them, modern feminists look a little wet. They forged International Women’s Day (IWD) in the midst of fire, bloody strikes, starving workers and revolutions.

Luise Zietz and Clara Zetkin were the first to come up with the

idea. Inspired by growing numbers of female activists, in 1910 they proposed to the second Socialist International the organisation of a day worldwide dedicated to promoting women’s rights.

Against a backdrop of ambivalence from male unions, women had been organising for decades. Cap-makers, match girls and laundresses had all picketed at the turn of the 20th century, and as Zetkin and Zietz made their proposal, the “Uprising of the 20,000” was drawing worldwide attention. A bloody strike by New

York’s garment workers, it was led by Clara Lemlich, a 23-year-old Ukrainian-Jewish immigrant who rallied tens of thousands of women to the picket lines even after thugs hired by her employers broke her ribs.

The first IWD took place on 19 March 1911. Over a million women across Europe took to the streets calling for equal rights. Jubilation at the day’s success was short-lived: less than a week later fire ripped through the sweatshop where Clara Lemlich worked, killing 146 workers who had been

locked inside by their employers. Lemlich lost a cousin to the flames, collapsing in hysterics when she was unable to find her body. The tragedy – still one of the worst industrial disasters in US history – brought universal condemnation, focusing future IWD campaigning fiercely on worker’s rights.

IWD was just solidifying into a proudly left-wing tradition when the First World War broke out in 1914, and socialist organisation collapsed in chaos. In 1917, however, IWD took on significance again, when a group of Russian women triggered one of the most monumental events of the 20th century. Marching in St Petersburg, they were unexpectedly joined by workers from surrounding factories, supporting their calls for “Bread and Peace”. Within hours a full scale revolution had broken out. Tsar Nicholas abdicated, a new government was set up, and six months later, the Bolsheviks took control.

We all know what happened next, and it may well be distaste at the system of government that the event kick-started which is responsible for its revolutionary roots being swept under the carpet. Some historians claim its origins were deliberately hushed up in the McCarthy era, some see it as changing politics – but whatever was responsible, the disparity between what the day was then and what it is now should not pass without comment.

From being a day devoted to campaigning for the poorest women, to becoming one on which Walmart can claim to promote equality: IWD is a perfect example of feminism’s failure to connect with the poor. Get up in arms about that accusation all you want (and please do, it would be great to see some mass mobs in feminism), but the fact remains that, for all the grasps at intersectionality and the spat-ridden Twittering of recent years, there are still women who find themselves in the same position that Clara Lemlich did in 1910: scrabbling through rubble for the body of a loved one. We consistently fail to connect with the whole embarrassing mess of it.

Sweatshops still exist across the world, as do trafficking, slavery, horrendous working conditions and unsanitary living conditions. On our own doorstep, women are bearing the brunt of the cuts. Single mothers, poor teenagers in inner-cities, ordinary working women who struggle to put food on the table. What do we debate on Twitter, on our much-fought-over platforms in the press? Pink toys, boobs in newspapers and women on banknotes: none of which is unimportant, but which have all risen to the top of the debate because of our reluctance to deal with anything filthier.

International Women’s Day – and perhaps feminism in general – now veers dangerously close to paint-by-numbers protest. Femen have called for an international women’s strike on IWD 2017, which might have been heartening had they not chosen to wait three years in order to coincide with the headline-grabbing centenary of the February Revolution.

When Clara Lemlich died, aged 96, she was organising her care workers into a union. International Women’s Day should not just be about the poor in order to respect women like her, but because of what she knew to the last: that to make society better for everyone, you have to start with the ones who have it worst. During March this year, that is what we should be reflecting upon.

Opinion first published in The New Statesman.



“We need brave women, true to themselves”– Linda de Jager

“Rid Namibia of decapacitating poverty and greed”

Maria Davel-Wallis

Successful filmmaker-producer, director and writer, Linda de Jager, who has recently released a great animation movie that will benefit many local communities, and through a character, /Gasa, will assist in the fight against poaching, is a Namibian woman who soars in her field. According to her, one of the great challenges

The mascot Gasa_Hisa at the first screening in Windhoek in February

Filmmaker and producer, Linda de Jager

women face at the moment, is the fear to show vulnerability as human beings in an effort to perform well in a man’s world. She believes it is only in authenticity and truthfulness that individuals can truly shine and share their particular gifts.

De Jager, who grew up in Walvis Bay, still visits the harbour town regularly, to be with her mother who lives here. Her late father, respected community leader, Christo de Jager, was the initiating force behind the well-known haven for senior citizens, Huis Palms.

To her, the greatest challenge women face in general is that, while someone may ridicule you for speaking from the heart (traditionally a quality attributed to females and being enthusiastic and truthful) you make yourself vulnerable as a human being. “Many male-dominated environments see this as a weakness. Some women buy into that and start copying behaviour to be more like “men". Yet, I believe that

in the long run the only source of true individual power is to stay true to yourself and be who you are. In this way you find your strength – and one day you will communicate from a place of true power, regardless of your gender.”

To her, one of the greatest challenges within communities is to get fathers involved in their children’s lives, in a way that goes beyond the traditional perception of being a financial provider. “To cultivate a culture where men have the courage to embody nurturing qualities and start an honest conversation with their children and partners about the challenges of life, to start a conversation in families that are open and inclusive, that is the challenge.”

She says, regarding gender parity in general, in Namibia and at the coast, she generally finds, if one focuses on a project or venture that you are interested in and you bring your passion and courage to the table, people respond to your intent and gender issues naturally fall away.

“Focus on something outside yourself and your own fears. The individual sets the tone of

any conversation in the way they participate and what they buy into.“

De Jager believes tradition and customs holding back women can be overcome.

“I think a good education and reading widely is paramount for women who want to grow. I think women are often their own worst enemy in that they also buy into certain customs and traditions that are not suitable for growth as an individual. Their own fear of becoming an outcast in their communities holds them back. I am not one to judge when it comes to this. It is hard to leave your “tribe” and it comes at a price. I do believe that it sometimes demands that you physically move away from a certain territory and community that has an energetic hold on you to find yourself - and then gather your strength before you go back and challenge the norm. Seeking out likeminded people is always helpful - finding moral support for your own vision of your life goes a long way to overcome your own fears.”

She also believes it is paramount that women earn

their own money to level the playing fields.

“If you don’t earn your own money – even if it is little - it is hard to negotiate on equal terms. Paradoxically, the story of social change always begins with the individual – a woman must be brave enough to sit down and do serious introspection. She must first ask herself how she herself enables patriarchal systems and traditional beliefs about woman by behaving in a certain way. She must ask

herself whether some of the situations she finds herself in are somehow subconsciously convenient to her. When she has faced herself in the mirror in this regard – that is the point where she can go out and demand social change from those around her. This demand must be embodied through the example that she sets to those around her in everyday actions and must come from a position or place of true introspection.”

Women society through the eyes of Photo - Journalist Margaret Courtney-ClarkeMaria Davel-Wallis

Her message “to all those who really want to hear, and those who not only want to look at life around them, but who really want to see”, rings loud and clear: Poverty is the cause of all the ills our people, and more specifically, women, have to endure.

Since 2007, when renowned photo-journalist and activist, Margaret Courtney-Clarke, made Swakopmund her permanent retirement address, she has been busier than ever. Besides working on her memoirs, she has been a witness to the lives and daily struggles of many Namibians, especially Namibian women. She has always tried to make a difference – through her photography, focussing on women, art, Africa, architecture, building, and the homes women create around them, and by getting involved – “by trying to be a mother-sister-friend to my fellow Namibians.” In 2007 she soon engaged in a building project of note – and taught a group of people in the informal settlement, DRC, to build a sandbag house. Since then she has been closely involved

with the people of many poverty-stricken communities – at the coast and elsewhere in Namibia.

“The poverty and the plight I see, has lately made me lose hope. Poverty is greatly caused by the greed within our society – and because of poverty and greed, so many live in hopelessness, so much is taken for granted and so little time is left to try and truly make a difference. We are all living on borrowed time, because of this. Our resources are under pressure, running out, while thousands of women are trying to reach tomorrow, to put food on the table, by scavenging through the rubble of others’ lives on garbage dumps, for up to eight hours a day – homeless, hopeless, forgotten by those who promised hope, a better life, a future – and by fellow Namibians. Every single Namibian deserves to have their basic needs looked after, and provided for.”

Courtney-Clarke says she has been witnessing people streaming to Swakopmund and other towns in search of a better life, of a future – only to become part of the masses who have nowhere to call home, and nothing to call theirs. She says there is a lack of Namibian counterparts of people

like Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey – strong women who look, and see, and do something to make a difference – to change people’s worlds of hopelessness into futures with hope. She says one person that has given her a rise of hope in this country, as a woman, is the First Lady, Monica Geingos. “I perceive her as a strong, inspirational woman, and I would like to have a clearer picture of her engagement with and future plans to uplift women in Namibia.” Courtney-Clarke notes that there are also other brilliant Namibian women who have already made their mark, and who can help build a future which includes every poor, forgotten Namibian – she believes that women could be the positive force needed to bring sustainable change in the fibre of our society and rid it of all poverty-related ills, like gender inequality, gender-based and domestic violence, unemployment, alcoholism, as well as HIV-Aids.

“If I could, I would give a piece of land – a little plot or stand - to every woman in Namibia – a piece of land in her name, as a first step towards ending this vicious cycle – this poverty that is killing my people.”

Courtney-Clarke says the poorest of poor women will then have something to call their own – they will be inspired to build on it, to farm it, to cultivate, or to rear chickens on it.

“She’ll provide to her family, to her neighbourhood, and to society – not only for the table, but also in the long run, provide education, and grow with the community. She’ll own a place she can truly call home. She will then hopefully, finally, be an active, engaged, proud, hopeful citizen within a caring community, able to help set us free from the chains of poverty, and to invest positively in the future of our country.”

Acclaimed photo-journalist Margaret Courtney-Clarke

FUTURE

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Hoopverloor – by Margaret Courtney-ClarkePhoto credits: copyright M. Courtney-Clarke



Namport – challenging the status quoStaff reporter

Upon setting out to conduct the interviews with Namport personnel specifically for this supplement I expected to be met by a few token women in a predominantly male driven environment. What I discovered though, was an organisation, who over the years has been steadily

working towards dispelling the notion that men alone have a home in the industry. This was immediately evident not only in the women that I had the pleasure of interviewing but in gaining an understanding of the cultural changes that have taken place under the leadership of Bisey /Uirab. What was clear from each interviewee was the fact that Mr. Uirab, walks the walk, in

terms of providing and enabling environment that allows individuals, regardless of gender, to fulfil their potential no matter the field in which they elect to enter. A steady focus on growing the individual and not the gender has seen Namport shift steadily towards an organisation that has closed the gap in terms of gender parity. Today, company has a staff complement of 954

permanent employees of which 83% (795) are men and the remainder 17% (159) are women. Women in management positions constituted 26% (9) of management position of 40. These figures, clearly demonstrate the organisations commitment to elevate women to positions of decision making within Namport.

Anca Burger: Deputy Port Engineer

Ipupa Kasheeta: Manager Bulk and Break Bulk Terminal

Please provide a very brief description of yourself in three words?Complex, kind and creative.What is your motivation to become successful and who is your Namibian Role Model and why?I am and have always been intrinsically motivated. If one is aware of ones position in terms of self-actualisation (being all that you can be) then one will remain motivated to become a success in all aspects of life.

In terms of a Namibian role model for women, I would have to put the previous MD of Namdeb, Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi at the top of the list. I had the pleasure of working under her and have always admired the graceful manner in which she conducted herself in a very male dominated environment and industry. Lots of women think they have to change in order to compete in such an environment, but Inge always remained true to her core beliefs and did not change her values

despite the challenges. This is admirable.Do you think we can encourage women to become more dynamic in the work place?The fact is that women are already dynamic in the work place. Women are just as capable as men of bringing a unique energy and passion to any task or position in any environment and when all is said and done, we should be looking past gender and recognising that each individual, man or women, has something unique to offer. What we need to do is to change perceptions that there are barriers which are not really there. What advice would you give to a young lady wanting to follow the same career path as yourself?As an engineer first, I would have to say, study and understand maths and science. This opens up doors that are generally perceived to be open only to men. Also, remain curious and be committed to lifelong learning. Never stop learning. I think that society and the media have not been that

kind to science of late and our approach to the scientific world we live in needs to be altered. Also, one must believe in oneself. Recognise that we all operate and are raised within certain belief and cultural structures that create natural biases and when you understand the shortcomings of these structures you can develop your own sense of self-reliance and confidence, which will always prove to be a priceless commodity.If you could change one single issue / challenge to help minimise gender inequality, what would it be and how do you think you would go about it?This is a big question as there are so many complex issues relating to the question of gender and gender inequality. As indicated earlier, our cultures, beliefs and society are what creates the so called inequality. To change things one must start in the family and grow out from there. Recognise that we should not be looking at the differences between men and women and where

each would fit within our society, but should be looking at our similarities and how together as humans we can use our unique attributes to change the societal challenges around us.

Please provide a very brief description of yourself in three words?Tenacious, driven and open-minded. What is your motivation to become

successful?There is no universal meaning or definition for success. Success is different from person to person. I am generally intrinsically motivated. Success for me is not enough, I want to go beyond that and live a life of significance impacting people’s lives. I am encouraged to do more by the person I become as a result of the succession of the positive outcome of my vision. That is what motivates me.Who is your Namibian role model and why?Let’s rather talk about the two women who had the greatest impact on my life, that’s my late grandmother, Gwaanukongo and my mother. They played a great role in my upbringing and I can

proudly say that the woman I am today is a result of the foundation they laid down for me. They taught me to be humble, courageous and focussed. Do you think we can encourage women to become more dynamic in the work place?Absolutely, it is time for women to shift from thinking that “I am not ready to do that” to “I want to do that – and I will grow along the way”. Studies show that women will apply for a position when they believe they meet 100% of the job requirements, while men will apply if they think they meet just 60% of the requirements. Let’s take the leap in the dark and take on positions which we never imagined we could do, because we can! What advice would you give to a

young lady wanting to follow the same career path as yourself?Have confidence in yourself. Working in a dominantly male environment can be quite challenging because some stereotypical barriers have not fallen yet, for example a woman in this kind of industry you are under a microscope, much closer upon you than most men. Men are still promoted or appointed based on potential and women on track record. Therefore to the young ladies out there, be encouraged that through passion, perseverance and determination you can achieve anything. Continue to do whatever you do for however long it takes, and refuse to quit, and you will see that success is just a matter of time!If you could change one single

issue / challenge to help minimise gender inequality, what would it be and how do you think you would go about it?We as woman should start talking about gender inequality openly in the boardroom and community. Gender equality is about equity and fairness. Women advancement should be a deliberate effort and not a nice-to-have. I continue to believe that women advancement and true economic opening for women has the potential to reduce the poverty rate in our country significantly. Therefore gender equality is not just a woman thing. It is good for everyone and for sustainable peace globally.

Nangula Shailemo: Manager: Management AccountantPlease provide a very brief description of yourself in three words?Happy, loyal, and a go-getter. What is your motivation to become successful and who is your Namibian Role Model and why?My motivation comes from my family. Everything that I do helps lead to a better life for my children, husband and my extended family. It is from them that I draw my inspiration and when all is said and done, my duty is to be a person that my children can be proud of, whether that is in my career or my role of being a mother and wife.

In terms of my Namibian Role Model, I would like to present two women to whom I look up to and draw inspiration from, namely, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila Namibia’s fourth and current Prime Minister of Namibia and our current first Lady Madame

Geingos. What I draw from both of these phenomenal women is their ability to express their womanhood through hard work, resilience and passion, though at the same time both remain truly humble and connected to their roots. Do you think we can encourage women to become more dynamic in the work place?Absolutely, we should. I believe a lot more can and should be done to prepare women for the dynamism of the work place. This being said, it should not have to start in the work place. Self-confidence is key to success in any endeavour and as such, what we need to do collectively is to instil self confidence in our women from a young age onwards. It starts at home and needs to be carried through institutions such as education. We need to break the cycle that dictates that women need someone to take care of them. If we can instil the values that women

can and should be able to provide for themselves from the outset, then naturally we will see an increase in not only women in all aspects of the work place but we will also unleash the dynamism that employers look for. What advice would you give to a young lady wanting to follow the same career path as yourself?This can be summed up in three words: Knowledge, knowledge and knowledge. Learn all there is to know about your chosen field and industry, and not only the job that you perform. Learn every aspect. Just because we live in a relatively isolated country and region, this does not mean that we should not be constantly educating ourselves on what is happening in the world both around us and across the globe. We should grow out of our village mentality and absorb as much information about the world as we can. Be a lifelong learner. Combine

this hunger for knowledge with the right attitude, without which all the knowledge in the world will not do you any good, and you will have the key to a successful life and career.If you could change one single issue / challenge to help minimise gender inequality, what would it be and how do you think you would go about it?To me the issue of Gender Based Violence is a critical issue, which can only be overcome by educating the next generation about adopting new attitudes about a woman’s place in the world. We need to teach our young girls about being self-sufficient and this is particularly true when it comes to being financially independent. If one marries for money and financial stability, one immediately becomes vulnerable and can be caught in a trap which one cannot get out of. We need to teach our young girls that they must understand that entering into

a partnership or marriage is not about being “owned”, but is about being in a relationship where both parties are co-pilots with the same vision and goals.



Ndahambelela Haikali: Company Secretary

Please provide a very brief description of yourself in three words? Ambitious, Resilient and Perfectionist.What is your motivation to become successful and who is your Namibian role model and why?

I am a very self-motivated person and that stems mainly from the desire to fulfil a purpose on earth. I am very passionate about governance and I want to leave a mark in that field for the Namibian corporate world. My Namibian role model Elise Hangula, I simply love her personality. She exudes confidence and as a woman who has achieved so much, she remains humble and easy to relate to. Do you think we can encourage women to become more dynamic in the work place? Oh yes, many people believe that women need to work three times harder to prove themselves in the workplace. Personally, I don’t think it is necessary. I strongly believe that a person needs to remain true to yourself and be confident in what you do. We are told that it is not okay to show emotions in the workplace or we

are made to believe that being too strong as women is a turn off. Women possesses certain feminine skills which are necessary in the workplace, we bring soft values to the table and we simply need to embrace the special power we hold.

In order to be fully energetic/spirited, one needs to constantly tap into your inner self, because that’s where our dynamism comes from. We don’t need to let our families suffer for the fear of the perception by our male counterparts, if we take time off.

We need to embrace our womanhood with confidence and challenge the status quo. If you need to leave a meeting to go breastfeed, ask for a 10 minutes break and do it. We lose our power and dynamism, when we try to compete with men and when we try to prove that we are worthy.

What advice would you give to a young lady wanting to follow the same career path as yourself?Believe in yourself. Being a Company Secretary means engaging with high level individuals, so maturity is key. Speak up and be confident. Be willing to learn, be flexible and open to criticism but never let the opinions of others define you. If you could change one single issue / challenge to help minimise gender inequality, what would it be and how do you think you would go about it?I’ll first start by asking the one question, which I believe is the right question… why is there gender inequality and why are educated women opting to become stay-at-home mothers. Once we get to the root causes then we can talk. It doesn’t help we come up with policies and strategies, to close

the gap without understanding the issues women are facing in their daily work life. Women are leaving workplaces due to various reasons, e.g. archaic workplace policies for mothers, constant bullying by male counterparts; being appointed in positions as tokens and not given the necessary resources and authority to take decisions, in order to succeed. Women with children, are stereotyped as being flaky, less available to work, and more easily distracted. These subtle yet hostile biases, are forcing women to leave behind their careers for the sole realm of domesticity.On the other hand, I will urge my ladies not to leave, but to rather address the issues without being confrontational and also be willing to change our behaviours and strategies.



Erongo RED, empowering women in a previously male dominated industry.

Hertha NdaamalaElectrician - Metering

Augustine Nakwafila Control Center Officer

Anisia Tshetunyenga Electrician - Maintenance

Christine Shinyama Meter Reader

Mirjam ElagoElectrician - Maintenance

Venessa TjizumaueITC Technician

Helena KasheetaAssistant Engineer - Network Engineering

Salmi ImeneElectrician - Construction

Charmaine KuhnControl Center Officer

Salome MatsuisMeter Reader

“Since inception, our affirmative action strategy has included a vision that sees more women entering into a traditionally male dominant business sector” – Robert Kahimise, Erongo RED CEO

International Women’s Day was celebrated on 8 March 2016, with the theme “Pledge for Parity”. In 2015 the World Economic Forum predicted that only in the year 2133 will the gender gap between men and women be closed.

Careers in Engineering and related energy industries are still considered as historically male dominant. Erongo RED, in line with our motto “power to the people” is making concerted efforts to break that archaic mould. Erongo RED strives to employ female employees in key roles as it is laid out in the nation’s vision 2030.

In line with the provisions espoused in the Affirmative Action Act 29 of 2008, Erongo RED strives to attract, recruit and retain suitably qualified persons falling within the designated groups. To that end, our numerical goals are focused on the representation of females especially in technical and leadership roles.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day we are pleased to announce that our staff complement consists of 103 female employees. Three (3) women are represented in its management team, namely Senior Manager Human Capital & Corporate Services, Internal Auditor and Company Secretary/Legal Advisor. A number of other supervisory roles are also occupied by female employees.

We are further proud to announce that ten (10) women are occupying the following previously male dominated positions, namely Assistant Engineer (1), Electricians (4), ICT Technician (1), Control Centre Officers (2) and Meter Readers (2). Last but not least a female graduate Engineer was selected to benefit from our graduate scheme.

Robert KahimiseCEO Erongo Red



Standard Bank hands over close to N$1 million to FAWENA

Staff reporter

Standard Bank Namibia handed over a record amount of N$988,400.00 to the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Namibia (FAWENA) on 25 February 2016.

FAWENA is one of the key corporate social investment beneficiaries of the Standard Bank Namibia Foundation. Through this partnership Standard Bank Namibia is supporting the secondary education of over a thousand orphans and vulnerable children in all 14 regions of Namibia.

“Our relationship with FAWENA started in 2009 with an initial

commitment of over N$8-million. Since the implementation of this project, we have witnessed and see the fruits of the learners who have graduated from school and doing exceptionally well at tertiary institutions,” says Vetumbuavi Mungunda, Chief Executive of Standard Bank Namibia.

“Every year, almost half of Standard Bank’s CSI budget goes towards education through close links with the Ministry of Education. This is especially evident through our contributions to FAWENA and the Academic Excellence programmes,” Mungunda says.

As a good corporate citizen, Standard Bank Namibia (SBN)

pledges 1% of profit after tax of its business operations to the Standard Bank Foundation. The funds are ploughed back to the communities in which the bank carries out its business activities. The strategic focus of Standard Bank’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme is on education, entrepreneurship development, poverty alleviation as well as health and wellness.

Upon receiving the handsome contribution, Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Katrina Hanse-Himarwa applauded Standard Bank for stepping up and actively investing in Namibia’s future by investing in future leaders.

“Since the inception of Standard

Since the inception of Standard Bank’s sponsorship a total of 885 beneficiaries have graduated from secondary schools.

From left to right are Standard Bank’s Head of Marketing Jacquiline Pack, Standard Bank Chief Executive Vetumbuavi Mungunda and Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Katrina Hanse-Himarwa and Standard Bank’s Company Secretary/Head CSI Sigrid Tjijorokisa.

Bank’s sponsorship a total of 885 beneficiaries have graduated from secondary schools. I want to express my profound gratitude to Standard

Bank. Many of these leaners have become productive citizens, such as engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, business people and some are still busy with their studies at universities,” said Hanse-Himarwa.

Standard Bank started supporting orphans and vulnerable boys and girls through FAWENA from 2009 until 2013 with a total of N$8-million, In 2014, the bank also re-committed itself to sponsor the organisation with a total of N$5.7 million for the period of 2014-2022 (9-year contract) of which N$988.400 is earmarked for 2016 alone for 607 learners ranging from Grade 8 to 12 from all the 14 regions of the country.

10 Fun Facts...International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political, social and cultural achievements of women. This year, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity with the Pledge for Parity theme. To mark this day, here are ten reasons we need to continue working towards advancing the rights of women and girls worldwide.

about Women on International Women’s Day

1. In January 2015, only 17% of government ministers globally were women.

2. Around the world, women are paid less than men, in most countries earning on average 60%-75% of men's wages.

3. Over a third of women have experienced physical/sexual violence by a partner and/or sexual violence by a non-partner in their lifetime.

4. An EU survey showed that 34% of women with a health problem or disability had experienced violence by a partner in their lifetime, compared to 19% of women without

a health problem or disability.5. According to UN Women, in conflict and post-

conflict countries, maternal mortality is on average 2.5 times higher.

6. Women are more likely than men to work in informal employment. In South Asia, over 80% of women in non-agricultural jobs are in informal employment. In sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is 74%, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is 54%.

7. Of 585 peace agreements from 1990 to 2010, only 92 contained any reference to women.

8. Women bear disproportionate caring

responsibility for children, the elderly and the sick, spending as much as ten times more time a day on unpaid care work than men, according to the World Bank.

9. Women's participation increases the probability of peace agreements lasting at least two years by 20%. It also increases the probability of a peace agreement lasting 15 years by 35%, according to UN Women.

10. Girls who complete primary and secondary education are likely to earn income, have fewer unwanted pregnancies and break the cycle of poverty.

Source: www.ibtimes.co.uk



Go-getting Emma keeps Langer Heinrich clean!

“We need a mindset change on Women’s Rights”- Monique Strydom

Donna Collins

Social responsibility at the Langer Heinrich Mine goes deeper than donating to a few causes.

In fact when it comes to women, they say that not only do they support the female gender by providing excellent job opportunities, but also the doors they open for business are substantial.

One particular case is Victoria Emma Naoxes (Owner/Manager Uibasen Services) which specialises in interior and exterior cleaning of industrial and residential premises, and is responsible for keeping every aspect of the mining operations clean.

Emma, as she is known by her business associates, is a stylish, well spoken professional woman, who has had her fingers in the Langer Heinrich pie for the past seven years, after she was awarded the cleaning tender out at the mine.

She heads up her dynamic cleaning service company which she started in 2007 - to both further her ambitious plans as a go-getting business woman, whilst at the same time to create jobs for other people - of which 80% are woman.

Langer Heinrich awarded her the tender for this position out of 96 hopefuls, many of which were big established companies. Emma back then started from humble beginnings, with just a handful of seven workers and today she employs a workforce of 123 cleaning people.

"When I started I didn't have years of experience in the business, but I believed in myself and learnt with hard work how to become a real entrepreneur and get the job done," she said.

Already Emma has notched up a UNAM diploma in Business Management, passed with Cum Laude specialising in Labour Relations, and in 2011 wrote an advanced diploma course in business admin, which she is following up with her masters next year.

This Usakos born and bred mother and wife, used to work as a librarian assistant for Rossing Foundation. Back then she dreamt of starting up her own cleaning service, mentioning that in her culture it is tradition for young girls to start house cleaning from an early age.

"I am a perfectionist, and today I run a 24/7 operation with my headquarters in Arandis, and team leaders based in

Swakopmund who work in shifts at the mine," she explained.

"We are responsible for ensuring that everything from the plant, offices, and ablution blocks are kept clean day and night, as well as providing a laundry service for the uniforms and personal protective equipment plus a car wash valet.

"My team works on a roster basis, and Langer Heinrich is one of my biggest clients," added Emma, who on the side implements charity drives for the elderly in Usakos and surrounding farms, as well as a clean-up campaigns in Arandis, plus her regular staff training.

Meanwhile Frances Anderson (Sustainability Manager Langer Heinrich) said that Emma is a woman who looks way beyond her needs, and through her leadership qualities empowers other woman and raises the bar of those around her.

"Not only is she a shining example of how business should be conducted, but her hard work ethics and rendered her to be one of the most valuable service providers that Langer Heinrich has had the pleasure of dealing with."

Victoria Emma Naoxes (Owner/Manager Uibasen Services) is responsible for keeping the mining operation clean.

(Photo Donna Collins)

Maria Davel-Wallis

Old Walvis Bayer, Monique Strydom and her husband, Callie, survived a four- month long hostage drama in the hands of Al Qaeda terrorists on the island Jolo, in 2000. On the morning of her release, she vowed to dedicate her life to help fellow South Africans in need. Monique founded Matla A Bana - A voice against child abuse – The award-winning organisation nowadays helps more than 20-thousand South African abused children.

Strydom has clear thoughts on the upliftment of women and children and on the rights of women, and says it is of great importance that women are protected and their rights are respected and recognized.

“I think one of the greatest challenges women face is that many men still think that women are inferior to them and this is possibly more true in rural areas where brutal strength rather than intellect is often needed to survive. Society needs to

start working on changing the perception that women are inferior to a perception that women can bring about big change. Women are hampered by traditional old common laws stopping them from obtaining and possessing for instance property. In addition to this, gender-based violence is very prevalent in many of these societies and very seldom addressed, as women do not report this kind of abuse. This under-reporting often leads to severe disempowerment of women and a traumatized community in general.”

Strydom believes that women in rural and disadvantaged areas should be strengthened and empowered.

“Women need to be educated about their rights. This means that NGOs and schools need to implement programs focusing on the rights of women and children. Women need to be equipped in various skills – especially in rural areas. This means companies need to look at skills development programs as part of

business strategies. One can specifically look at the construction industry in the coastal region. It offers a great opportunity to train women as skilled labourers who, after construction is completed, can take that skill back to their rural areas and use it there for own development. Employment projects need to be put in place to receive these women, once they have been trained. Coastal towns with high tourist attraction values offer a great opportunity for women to be employed.”

With regards to social issues and problems, she says the government need to seriously address the issue of the abuse of women and the silence surrounding it.

“The reality is that this abuse is happening everywhere in the world. Programs are needed to assist women and children to report this kind of abuse. Counselling must be available and options for safe environments for families in order to achieve restoration. In addition, programs need to be rolled out to educate

Monique Strydom

men on the gender-based violence, on equality with regards to gender, on teaching them respect and the understanding of the importance of the role of the female in society. Mindsets will need to be changed in order to bring about change.”

Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. The grave will supply plenty of time for silence

Christopher Hitchens Journalist (1949-2011)


17 Thursday, 17 March 2016 international Women's day supplement

In the same boat – EBH Namibia’s female employees riding the crest of the maritime career waveFrom carpentry to procurement, welding to training – the women at Elgin Brown & Hamer (EBH) Namibia are working hard and having fun. Having found themselves in a tough industry, one that has been traditionally dominated by men, these women all have one thing in common: they like to stand up and be counted.

‘Be yourself’ and ‘stand up for what you believe in’; ‘hold your head up high’ – these are common phrases uttered by EBH women, who all pay tribute to a company that, far from being discriminative, actively encourages career development among all its employees, men and women.

“As women at EBH we are given the chance to study and grow in our careers. We feel honoured, and empowered to make decisions,” says Klaudia Shitthigona, Acting Technical Training Officer in the HR Department at EBH Namibia.

A culture of teamwork – the key to successSince its inception in 2006, the company has enjoyed a growing reputation as the shipyard of choice along the west coast of Africa. A culture of teamwork and an emphasis on training and skills development has been the cornerstone of the company’s success, according to Hannes Uys, Chief Executive Officer at EBH Namibia.

Actively promoting non-discriminatory recruitment practices, EBH Namibia now boasts a growing number of female employees, especially in historically male-dominated jobs such as welding, carpentry and electrical.

Bridging the gender gap across the board“In a globally competitive industry such as shipping, where world-class standards have to consistently be achieved, the skills of each and

every individual, regardless of gender, have to be nurtured and maximised,” says Uys. “We believe that EBH Namibia has made significant headway when it comes to setting the trend in empowering women in the maritime sector, thereby bridging the gender gap on many levels,” says Uys.

Elizabeth Mandume, Carpentry Foreman at EBH Namibia, enjoys the culture of inclusivity in the company and the support she receives from management in problem-solving. Mandume has moved up the ranks from artisan to supervisor level, something she puts down not only to hard work and self-belief; but to the benefits of ongoing training and support.

“The company has empowered me in my role as supervisor. I appreciate the opportunities I have had for further training at this level. This includes attending an international conference where I learnt a lot through networking with other women leaders in the maritime industry in Africa.”

While Klaudia Shitthingona appreciates a culture of equal rights in the workplace, she concedes that the maritime environment can be “hard and tough”, and that women need to be well prepared when it comes to negotiating prices and contracts with their male counterparts. “You need to stand your ground and be prepared to win an argument!” she advises.

“I believe many employers prefer to give jobs to women because we work in a clearer, more organised and structured way,” she adds.

The confidence to stand up and be heardFor Candice Damens, Organisational Development and Training Superintendent at EBH Namibia, it is essential for a woman in a male-dominated industry to be confident. "We have come a

long way, but I believe women still have a lot to prove within the vocational sphere.”

“What I appreciate about EBH Namibia,” she continues, “is that I can raise my opinions and concerns and make decisions in a manner which is respected and given fair consideration by management.”

Mona-Lisa Katjivari, who has worked as buyer in EBH’s Procurement and Logistics Department for seven years, says she has grown in confidence and character since joining the company.

“The greatest thing is that I received my Grade 12 certificate, as well as my Higher Certificate in Logistics Management through the company’s development programme. I knew nothing about this industry when I joined the company, but through the training and courses I have attended, I am proud that I am able to work independently and with confidence in the shipping industry.”

Being tough but fairMandume, working in carpentry, emphasises the value of people skills and team work. “As a woman you have to be hard when it comes to solving a problem, but soft when it comes to people. You need to trust your team, ensure that everyone plays a role, and do not be a dictator – this is the way to build a team.”

Communication skills have also paid off for Delila Dausas, an Office Assistant in the Finance Department. “A customer focus is so important in this industry. It can be a challenging environment, but it is important to just be yourself. Real talent will rise to the top, male or female.”

With the right ‘can-do’ attitude and an eye for opportunity, women will continue to enjoy fulfilling careers in the shipping and marine industry.

EBH ladies wore white to represent a successful beginning and show their kinship to each other during their celebration of International Women’s Day

Inspiring the next generation of women leaders “Women in responsible positions in both the maritime and other sectors must remember that they are the voice for all women in this country,” says Katjivari. “We can work in any industry, and I would like to see more women in top positions. We need to understand the power of women and how important it is to grab every opportunity with both hands.”

As long as the employee is physically and mentally capable of performing a job, gender should have nothing to do with opportunity, says Hannes Uys.

“We believe that our drive for equal opportunities and the value we place on training and skills development makes EBH Namibia an employer of choice. It is gratifying that more and more women are joining the maritime industry in a variety of roles. I believe the scope for a rewarding career path for women is growing all the time,” he comments.

“There are no specific barriers for women entering the maritime industry, says Damens. “It’s all about confidence. My advice to other women is: be yourself, do what you do best and stand firm in your beliefs,” she concludes.

FLTR: Elizabeth Mandume (Carpentry Foreman), Klaudia Shitthigona (HR Department - Acting Technical Training Officer), Delila Dausas (Finance Department - Receptionist / Office Assistant), Elizabeth Amagola (Piping Department – Chargehand), Mona-Lisa

Katjivari (Procurement Department - Junior Buyer)


Women of Namibia, find their own space with Old Mutual’s helpFirst Lady Monica Geingos recently said that women in Namibia needed to create their own space, their own future and determine their own destiny. She did this during a speech when receiving the ‘Dream Up, Speak up, Stand Up (DUSUSU) Award’ at the State House. The DUSUSU project recognises where a strong, measurable or successful support of education has been recorded in Africa. People dream, people aspire and want to be in positions that look interesting, give power and status as well as money. However, these positions are already filled. Women of Namibia need to take matters into their own hands and become their own bosses, own entrepreneurs and business owners and not wait for positions to open up. Positions that let us be honest that rarely, if ever open up.

To assist the women of Namibia

to achieve their goals of being their own boss, or an entrepreneur requires financial investment, education, training and a belief in these women. This is something that has been lacking for too long. Old Mutual, in conjunction with Namibia University of Science and Technology’s Centre for Enterprise Development formed a partnership to stimulate untapped resources for countrywide economic growth, through assisting aspiring Namibian women to grow their businesses and their skills.

The partnership, now in its 6th year, provides for fully paid skills and capacity development through tailor- made business skilled programmes as well as extending interest free loans to the value of N$ 20 000.00 ( Twenty Thousand Namibia Dollar) for each selected candidate. Each candidate is exposed to a two week intensive training programme that covers:

1. Personal Development 2. Practical financials (book/

record keeping, planning and budgeting)

3. Leadership and Ethics; and 4. General Management

Each year there is a vast pool of aspiring, talented and industrious women who work towards achieving their dreams both personally and professionally. By introducing the women that are chosen to a six month mentorship programme through the Centre of Enterprise Development, a real trajectory of success for the women is mapped out, as long as they grasp the opportunity with both hands themselves. Old Mutual is part of this process every step of the way. This emphasizing the unwavering support from the organisation for these women to ensure that they succeed.

In March, International Women’s

day is celebrated all around the world and Namibia is no exception. Namibian women through this programme have stepped up to the challenge put before them. With them starting businesses in fields as far ranging as a Mini Launderette, a Baker, Joinery and Woodwork business, Ointment Manufacturer, Pre- primary School and Day Care Centers as well as a Hair Salon.

Through the bursaries awarded on an annual basis Old Mutual has also enabled 45 young students to pioneer their dreams and equip them to fulfill their destinies. This creates a huge impact and ripple effect in communities as well as making these success stories role models for others. Old Mutual believes it is one of the best and most concrete ways in which communities can and must be uplifted and empowered in the long term.

The annual Old Mutual Women’s

Summit that will be hosted in October of this year speaks volumes in terms of creating a platform for aspiring women to engage with trending matters and network with like-minded peers. This year being the 6th Old Mutual Women’s Summit hosted in Windhoek, it made sense to take the event national. Therefore, Old Mutual will host 2 Women’s Summit in 2016, one in Windhoek and one at the Coast.

There are many challenges that face the Land of the Brave and tapping into the resource of Namibian women will raise the economic, social and cultural bar in Namibia. Old Mutual will continue to assist the women through financial support and investment as well as mentoring and training to help the women achieve their goals and ultimately the country’s goals.

From left to right: Madelaine Plaatjie - Baker - Ondangwa; Martha Markus - Day Care Centre – Oranjemund; Elsabe Willmore - Ointment Manufacturer - Windhoek;

Ndakulilwa Mwahafa - Hair Salon – Karibib; Prieska Ngurunjoka - Mini Laundry - Gobabis

Women's Summit: from left to right: Yolandi Thero, Lisa-Marie Garises and Hilma Manungo The Old Mutual Women’s Summit hosted annualy in October.

From left to right: Willemina Hawersak and Fredreika Vries – Owner of Frefrans Fashions - Keetmanshoop

The global trends for Female Entrepreneurs Source: www.thegedi.org


19 Thursday, 17 March 2016 news

McClune`s Shuttle Started in 2009 and we have grown to be one of the most reputable, safe, reliable and economical means of passenger transport offering a shuttle service between Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvisbay

McClune`s offer a Reliable Shuttle service between Whk, Swakop and Wbay that guarantees satisfaction on a local and international scale. This is a true alternative that offers a high level of practical experience and knowledge with regards to passenger transportation services. Clients must know that by making use of McClune`s, is a professional and hassle-free way to reach their destinations safely. Our vehicles are branded and easy to identify, which expresses ownership, legality as well as professionalism. For the convenience of the constant growing population at the coastal towns, Windhoek itself and also with the positive economic development at the coast and the town’s along this route, McClunes have decided to amend its current travel time schedules to accommodate the demand for Save Public Transportation on this route. Our schedules are now ideally created in the sense that it connects well with other departing or arriving connecting transfers in Windhoek. These schedules also provide customers with opportunity to plan their trips, flights and personal appointments for whatever reasons and still return to their respective destinations on the same day. All clients are treated equally with dignity and respect, also no smoking and alcoholic drinks are allowed on the shuttles whilst travelling.

McClunes’s Shuttle Services

We operate 7 days a week: Departure Schedules:

Windhoek / Swakopmund / Walvis Bay Shuttle

Visit our new office in Walvis Bay

Tel: +264 64 22 1713 | Fax: +264 64 22 1712Cell: +264 81 128 7916 (Walvis Bookings)

Cell: +264 81 628 5010 (Swakop Bookings)Email: [email protected]

Website: www.mcclunes.com

Bookings are Essential!

Windhoek

Departure 1: at 07h30 - door pickups start at 06h00

Departure 2 *Express: at 10h00 from Bus stop/boarding starts 09h30* Bus stop to Bus stop Express

Departure 3: at 14h00 from Wika/boarding starts at 13h30

Departure 4 *Express: at 17h00 from Wika Service Station/boarding starts 16h30*Bus stop to Bus stop Express

Windhoek-Swakopmund: N$220.00(one way for door drop offs) * Express: N$200.00(one way) bus stops only

Windhoek-Walvis Bay: N$230.00(one way for door drop offs) * Express: N$210.00(one way) bus stops only

Swakopmund

Departure 1: at 08h00 - door pickups starts at 07h00

Departure 2 *Express: at 11h00 from bus stop/boarding starts 10h30*Bus stop to Bus stop Express


Departure 4 *Express: at 18h00 from Bus stop/boarding starts 17h30Bustop to Bus stop Express

Walvis Bay

Departure 1: at 07h00 - door pickups start at 06h00

Departure 2 *Express: at 10h00 - Bus stop/boarding starts 09h30*Bus stop to Bus stop Express


Departure 4 *Express: at 17h00 - Bus stop/boarding starts 16h30* Bus stop to Bus stop Express

Bus stops at spur Restaurant in Walvis Bay

In 1990, Oscar Haihamba’s journeystarted at O&L as a Cashier.

Today she celebrates Namibia’s 26th Independence as a Manager.

Alexander Forbes House, 22-33 Fidel Castro Street PO Box 16, Windhoek, Namibia Telephone: +264 61 207 5111 www.ohlthaverlist.com

Her story is our story and that of many Namibians.‘Creating a Future, Enhancing Life’ is our purpose.

It inspires our actions and how we form part of the Namibian journey.

Happy Birthday Namibia!

Celebrating the success stories of Namibia and its people, and many more to come.

WEA

THER

MEN

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Documents

Namib Independent Issue 189 - Women's Supplement