Namib Indepedent Issue 119

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Issue 119 - Thursday, 02 October 2014 to Wednesday, 08 October 2014

SHACK DWELLERS PROTEST

03

MANIFESTO MADNESS

04

woerman brock cycle race

07

WILDLIFE CRISIS

14

Shark Attacks

Windsurfer

in Walvis Bay Lagoon Siglinde de Villiers A perfect windsurfing day turned into a harrowing brush with the dangers of the ocean for a surfer, when a shark chomped down on his foot. Despite being the first incident of its kind, should local residents be more wary of the ocean, considering that more and more sharks are being sighted in shallow water?

Jan Siebers, born in Germany, has travelled all over the world, windsurfing the ‘hot spots’. Last weekend, he came to visit Walvis Bay for the sole purpose of windsurfing.

Siebers said “In all the places that I have surfed

before, this is the first time that I got bitten by a shark.

“I went out to the speed strip, and was trying to make a water start. When I looked down, I saw that my foot was a bloody mess. I went back to the shore and a kite surfer called the ambulance for me.”

St Gabriels Ambulance was soon on the scene and took Siebers to the Welwitschia Hospital where they treated and stitched his foot for two hours.

According to Siebers, he hardly noticed when the shark bite happened.

“There was no pain, the water was so cold it took all feeling away. The pain only came afterwards and strong

painkillers are part of the medical arsenal that I was equipped with when I left the hospital,” Siebers explains. He added that the main concern at the moment is that of an infection in his foot.

“I may not walk yet, but luckily the shark bite did not damage any bones, only muscle tissue,” Siebers added.

Since no shark was ever sighted in this incident, many people on social media speculate as to whether it was really a shark that bit Siebers, doubting the very existence of sharks Continued on Page 3

Enough is Enough Say Shack Dwellers Tanya Calitz

The Kuisebmond Community held a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, marching to the Walvis Bay

municipality to hand over a petition underlining their unhappiness about their living conditions, unaffordable electricity rates and the continuous shack fire issue causing

great loss to the people.

Leading the march and petition is the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) and the Namibian Seamen and Allied Workers Union (NASAWU), representing about 10 000 Continued on Page 3

A Bronzie shark photographed in the Walvis Lagoon earlier this year. The Namibian Dolphin Project managed to help him back to the deeper waters.

2 | News

Thursday, 02 October 2014

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News | 3

Thursday, 02 October 2014

Continued from Page 1

people living in precarious conditions. Speaking at the demonstration, NASAWU representative, Klaudia Mathias said that the people from Kuisebmond are fed up with their perilous living conditions and the lack of proper housing and sanitation facilities.

“Our people cannot live like this anymore. We are tired of the Council’s empty promises. We need action to be taken and solutions to the shack fires and the lack of land and housing,” she said representing the residents. The posters held up by the demonstrators told of their lack of trust in the municipality, the favouritism experienced by the middle class and the rich and the mayor’s lack of caring about the low income groups in the townships.

Many of the people also voiced their concern over the mass housing projects only catering for the middle income group.

“We do not mind paying for our houses and services, but we cannot afford the mass housing NHE houses. Many of us only earn between N$1000 and N$3000 a month,” said one of the demonstrators.

The mayor was not there to receive the petition due to other commitments, but

Kevin Adams accepted the petition on behalf of the Mayor and said that the documents will be handed over to her, and discussed in council as soon as possible.

The petition demanded that the municipality provide them with a piece of land that can accommodate 8000 plots, fully serviced, and/or land for employers who agree to build houses for their staff (like EBH Namibia recently did), and for the council to come up with a solution to all the shack fires and over populated plots which can house up to 12 shacks.

Also speaking at the demonstration was Paulus Hango, the president of TUCNA, saying that government will not achieve its 2030 Vision, unless all the people of Namibia are included in the plan.

“Government and local authority need to create opportunities for the low income group to also participate in the country’s economic growth,” he said.

Hango also stated that this was just the beginning of their fight, and that there will be another meeting on Tuesday to try and find solutions for their pressing conditions.

Shark Attacks Windsurfer in Walvis Bay Lagoon

in the Lagoon itself. However, Henry Loubser from Henry’s Fishing Safaris in Swakopmund closed all doubts.

“I grew up in Walvis Bay and the sharks have been there all these years.

The lagoon was and still is a natural feeding habitat for a lot of sharks.

Siebers' injuries, however, point to a seven gilled cowshark, which mainly preys on seals. They have a huge mouth, where the top teeth are like spikes and the bottom teeth resemble razors, exactly how the foot was bitten,” Loubser explained.

“Small boats report that they are catching quite a lot of sharks around the lagoon area these days,” commented Neels Dreyer from Sandwich Harbour Tours said. Thus it seems as if the shark population at our coastline is on the increase.

Dreyer added “The seal population is increasing in size, which naturally draws more predators such as sharks.

This is the time of the year when there are more sharks around. Also there is more life in the lagoon like pelicans and flamingoes. The incident with

Continued from Page 1 the windsurfer last weekend was not an attack, rather an inquisitive bite from a shark who could have mistaken the foot for a seal.”

Beau Tjizoo from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources explained “Sharks enter the lagoon for feeding. Different species of sharks feed on different fish species and if their prey is present in the lagoon sharks will follow the shoals such as harder’s into the lagoon,” Is Namibia’s coastline still safe for those who love spending time in the ocean?

Research into the history of shark attacks in Namibia has revealed only one recorded incident in the 1940s where a fishing boat capsised south of Sandwich Harbour and four men were “torn to pieces”.

Details around the event remain vague.

“I used to be a surfer, my son still is a big surfer, and we bump into sharks from time to time out there in the ocean, but Sieber’s incident is the first attack that I have heard of in my 54 years,” Loubser

commented.

“It is wise for those who use the ocean to educate themselves and become more aware of what is happening in the environment they operate in, including the dangers that a shark can pose,” Tjizoo said.

According to an official website for scuba divers, the pattern of shark attacks off southern Africa correlates with sea temperature.

“A greater number of people use the sea for recreation in warmtemperate waters which are also inhabited by a greater diversity and abundance of potentially dangerous sharks,” the website says.

It continues to state that attacks on swimmers, surfers and divers on the west coast of Namibia to the east coast of the Eastern Cape have occurred at a low rate, although great white spotted sevengill sharks have been encountered by divers underwater.

Has his experience dampened Siebers adventurous windsurfer spirit?

“I am sure that I was not a target of the shark. Both of us were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“

Enough is Enough Say Shack Dwellers

“I am sure that I was not a target of the shark.

Both of us were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I must have frightened him or something, because he bit me by mistake. He was barely big enough to taste my foot,” Siebers says.

He added that he cannot wait for his foot to heal so that he can give windsurfing in the Walvis Bay Lagoon another try.

4 | News

Thursday, 02 October 2014

What the parties promise …

Lavrenty Repin Parties make big promises in manifestos when election time comes around, everybody knows that. Just how big, you may wonder… well, just read on.

Now there are certainly a number of commendable goals and some cuttingedge ideas worthy of further inspection, but Namibians have unfortunately become used to broken promises. Emerging from the cracks inbetween motivational cries for better education and free housing, are some strange, unrealistic and sometimes undemocratic promises, ranging from free laptops to Christian Science. Election time is time for manifesto madness!

DTA, one of the main opposition parties, put together an impressive and concise manifesto, although some would argue it to be acutely optimistic. For instance, if elected, DTA will “work to provide every school-going child with a digital sun charged laptop to increase our childrens competitiveness in IT.” Another idea, “enabling people to build toilets in their home as well as in schools and public places,” is probably with good-intention, but could just as easily go down the drain. They also boldly promise that in 12 years’ time “every family will have a house of its own.” Water shortage, of course, needs innovative solutions, one of which is that DTA “will harness rain water to reduce dependence on ground water”

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Manifesto Madness!

– in one of the most arid countries in the world.

RDP also has a similar idea of promoting rain water usage. The party gets right down to the point, promising on the first page “houses, schools and hospitals before new parliaments and airports and new Benzes.” Their official manifesto is comparably a lot shorter and seems to be an incomplete draft version.

One promise says that the party will “enact a law that imposes a minimum of 60 years imprisonment to convicted rapists and murderers and that such convicts must be subjected to hard labour.” Added below is, a clearly unaddressed amendment, in brackets and italic letters a note: “(be careful about fundamental human rights???)”.

Yes, indeed be careful. A minimum of 60 years of hard labour sounds more like a gulag than a democratic country.

But the award for least effort goes to UPM, who rolled out a one page manifesto. Point number eight on the document made no sense at all.

Maybe you can figure it out: “To call to leadership that allows or are involved in corrupt practices.”

SWANU is a socialistic party, so their ideologies are quite drastic or right off the bat, like the unfounded claim that “the education system is deliberately designed by foreigners to keep us underdeveloped and dependent on foreign technical and scientific assistance,” which sounds far-fetched and startlingly like a conspiracy theory.

SWANU also believes in visuals, with bubble graphs and bar graphs indicating how unemployment or drop-out levels will be halved within five years. To get rid of foreign farm owners, the DTA proposed “imposition of rates, duties or levies.” However, SWANU took it a step further and simply decided to “expropriate foreign-owned land”. The idea is to confiscate it, nationalise it and then lease it out. Do we have to mention Zimbabwe?

The Republican Party is a master contradictor.

First it “rejects the concept of Namibia as a secular state,” planning to alter it, but later promises to “uphold the constitution of the Republic of Namibia”. Then, the RP states that any changes to the constitution are opposed, but in the same breath vows to “apply all its efforts to have the entire Education System be changed to ensure that our education system is based on Christian principles with Christian Science as a subject and daily devotion to be instituted at all schools.”

The RP also plans to place an embargo on the influx of Chinese nationals, Namibia’s largest tourism contributors.

CDV or The Christian Democratic Party also believes the state should not be secular. The fundamental right of “secularism” is suddenly taking all the blame.

The key words in the Swapo manifesto are “accelerate”, “promote” and “implement”.

“Review” also makes a number of appearances, like “review the national housing policy”. Promises

are few and far between, however “sound track records” and boasting are widespread. The manifesto continually says a lot, without saying anything at all.

For instance, in bold letters, the party says in regards to land reform that “we will continue to encourage the willing buyer–willing seller principle while at the same time continuously reviewing the same.”

Making their point completely clear.

To curb gender-based violence SWAPO says “Namibia is currently changing 16 days of activism to 365 days of activism against GBV.” A sound solution. Indeed, what stands out in the SWAPO’s manifesto is how little it stands out; it comes across as conservative and reserved.

Sadly, what both opposition and SWAPO manifestos show is the very real and seemingly endless lack of services and infrastructure that we have to live with in Namibia every day, and the disparity in what is being done and what is being promised. We know it is politics, but can just hope not all promises are empty.

News | 5

Thursday, 02 October 2014

CHEC Sets the CHEC Strike Shows Record Straight, How Namibian Say Media Acted Workers Bite the Hand “Irresponsibly”.

That Feeds Them Opinion by Lavrenty Repin Sitting at the CHEC office, decorated by intricate Chinese art, cigarette ash and ornamental tea pots, I caught myself wondering what exactly my question meant.

“How will you accommodate the Namibian workers’ demands?”

I asked. What demands? I had to ask the question, but I had a hard time understanding what has transpired so out of the ordinary that the company now needed to be condemned? Was this strike really justified?

I understand that the economical state of Namibia is harsh. Everything is expensive, minimum wage is truly minimal, jobs are not available and general workers face paramount problems day in, day out. I have reported on underpayment and severe labour law lapses before, in instances where workers have become too demoralised to even talk to unions, never mind strike, but this instance was just not one of them.

The Chinese Harbour Engineering Company, brought in by our Government, who has invested billions into this ambitious project, seems to have been caught in a crossfire. Media warranted unlimited coverage for workers who essentially were demanding “respect”, yet

the illegality of the strike clearly indicates the degree of respect they presented in return, while the public could not jump quick enough on the “blame the Chinese for everything” wagon.

It seems that we find it easy to believe any allegations against a company simply because they are Chinese, and this naïve and prejudice opinion is a fantastic exploitation tool for media houses, who find a company like CHEC a target too easy to miss – why? Because you will read it and believe it. But this approach, condemning a company with no real tangible basis, is not doing our workers any favours.

There are literally thousands of workers itching to take their place, and CHEC had the legal authority to dismiss every single striking employee. What has become evidently clear, at least to me, is that this strike was out of context and overblown. While nobody likes short contracts, construction projects tend to be short. Allegations of mistreatment are inconsistent and are not backed by a single piece of evidence. While nobody seems to like foreign company practices, as long as they remain within the parameters of the law, such practices should be accepted. Simply saying that you are being treated unfairly

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just does not cut it. The project is four months old, yet in no time at all Namibian workers are jeopardising their positions, while the media and the public are spurring them on.

At the same time, I listened to Project Manager Feng Yuanfei explain to me, “Every company in Namibia faces this issue, and local companies complain about it. But we have no place to complain, we just have to deal with it.” That pretty much sums up our attitude to this company in a nutshell.

Last week we directed our general disapproval of China’s economic invasion in Africa towards just one company. Unhindered and relentlessly we were almost waiting for this scandal to explode and reacted to it with little surprise, refusing to question the authenticity of these complaints. 77 workers are back at the project, and the company has vowed to narrow the cultural gap.

We remain sceptical and untrusting, while CHEC has swept this incident under the rug, and promised that the employees will “receive all their benefits and salaries even during the suspension period” as a sign of good faith. How many of them will notice it?

Chec construction halted for a week Lavrenty Repin A media frenzy followed the 22 September strike by 77 employees of the harbour expansion project which the Chinese company CHEC has condemned as irresponsible, also further issuing a final warning to the workers who participated in the week-long illegal strike.

“We as CHEC have done nothing but to follow the rules and regulations of this country and are guided by the Labour Laws and Agreements set forth

by CIF,” a charged CHEC press release reads: “We will not tolerate any disrespect because we take what we do very serious and we have a passion for what we do.”

Project Manager Feng Yuanfei told the Namib Independent that as far as he understood, the allegations of tension between Namibian and Chinese workers are fabricated.

“The procedure and the philosophy (of Namibian business industry) are different but as an international company we can work well,” Mr Yuanfei added, explaining that nonetheless the company will provide “cultural training” to their Chinese supervisors.

Mr Yuanfei said the company was looking at hiring more Namibian supervisors, but qualified engineers “are difficult to find.” He further explained that “the project itself is not permanent” referring to complaints of short worker contracts.

“Some duties are short, some are long, we make contracts according to the work, skill level and schedule, some contracts are three months, some six

months and some a year long.”

The fact that workers were willing to have contracts extended, he said, “shows that they are willing to come back and work, and are happy at the company.”

All general workers working on the harbour expansion are Namibians, the company says. Transport for these workers was planned to be provided, however, Mr Yuanfei admitted that he was not prepared for business in Namibia, and is still surprised to be waiting for a bus that CHEC ordered from a local company for this purpose in April. Limited transport is provided in the meantime.

Allegations of Chinese workers receiving free lunch were also denied, although the company admitted that the assumption was easy to make. Chinese workers apparently receive Chinese food to avoid “culture shock” but this privilege is subtracted from their salaries, the Project Manger stipulated.

He also mentioned that to date, the company only fired one employee for theft, "contradictory to previous reports of unwarranted and widespread dismissals by the company."

All in all, the company found 21 instances of erroneous reporting by the local press.

The Project Manager, who previously worked in Bangladesh and Algeria, says he finds “Namibians very kind and friendly people,” but says industry relations are complicated.

Workers were given a final warning and returned to work on Monday. The workers will receive all their benefits and salaries even during the suspicion period.

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6 | News

Thursday, 02 October 2014

Woermann &

Brock Trading in

Three Centuries Woermann & Brock is one of the longest and oldest trading companies in Namibia, and over a century later still growing and expanding their services to the Namibian people. Last week the company celebrated its 120th birthday by hosting its first Coastal Classic Cycling Competition and a family fun walk. Below is a quick look of the company's build up to the huge milestone celebrated this year.

In 1894 the “Damara & Namaqua Handelsgesellschaft mbH” (trading company) was established in Hamburg to carry on trade in the German colony of South West Africa.

Goods offered ranged from maize to water pumping equipment. Even back then the business was already subdivided for general goods, a technical division, an agricultural division and a mining division.

In Swakopmund the company erected the well-known “Woermann Haus” and the Damara “Turm” as well as the first power station in Southern Africa. The “AfrikaBank”, with headquarters in Swakopmund, also was part of the “Damara & Namaqua Handelsgesellschaft mbH”.

In April 1909 the company was renamed “Woermann, Brock & Co.”. The first partners were Adolph and Eduard Woermann, Max Brock and Arnold Amsinck. Eduard Wardesky, who had been in charge of the company in South West Africa since 1899, stayed on as general manager of the company, which had its headquarters in Swakopmund.

In those days Woermann, Brock & Co. owned a wide strip of erven in Swakopmund as well as numerous properties throughout the country. These were the “golden” years for trade in South West Africa as well as for the company’s Africa Shipping Company, maintained by the mother company C. Woermann in Hamburg.

The outbreak of the First World War put an end to all these activities as shipping of supplies from Germany became impossible.

A new start had to be made by the end of the war. The mother company in Hamburg had lost a large part of its capital. Only the branches in Swakopmund and Windhoek continued to operate at a very modest level.

After being in charge of the company for 30 years, Eduard Wardesky passed away in 1929 and was succeeded by Wilhelm Brock.

World depression as well as years of extreme draught hampered the development of trade.

During the latter half of the 30s, circumstances took an up-swing. However, upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the administration of the company was taken over by the Custodian of Enemy Property, almost resulting in the total collapse of the company.

Following the war, Wilhelm Brock and Willem Engberts took charge of the company in Swakopmund and in Windhoek, respectively. Thanks to the resourcefulness of Ascan Woermann, Wilhelm Brock, Emil Heinrichsen, Willem Engberts, Erich Woermann and Wilfred Matheis, Woermann, Brock & Co. continued to exist.

After separating their capital from the mother company in Hamburg, they energetically went about reconstructing the business. Later the business moved into rented buildings (in the present day building occupied by A. Kriess & Co.).

In 1950 Kurt Schmerenbeck in cooperation with Ascan and Erich Woermann built the August Schmerenbeck Haus in Independence Avenue, where in 1966 a supermarket with just three tills was opened; Woermann, Brock & Co. became only the second business in Windhoek to offer selfservice shopping. Clients were intrigued by being able to collect their shopping items from the shelves.

Eduard Wardesky

Max Brock

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Woermann Brock Haus In 1960 Konrad Woermann took charge of the management of Woermann, Brock & Co. Under his leadership during the early 1990s the business in Independence Avenue was enlarged and turned into a modern supermarket. Branches were erected in Klein Windhoek, Katutura and Olympia. In 1998 he entrusted the management to his sons Jesko and Ingo Woermann and in 2001 retired due to failing health.

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Please submit your applications via email to lorna@namibindependent.com.na Closing Date: 14 October 2014

Namib Independent Great news for the coast!

News | 7

Thursday, 02 October 2014

Enter Namibia’s First Woermann & Brock Cell Phone Photography Competition and Win a Samsung S5 Worth N$9 000 The Namib Independent has teamed up with the Samsung Store in Walvis Bay to bring Namibia’s first creative cell photography competition to the coast. It is exclusively for photos that were taken with a cell phone.

Over the years the cell phone has been a driver to a phenomenal number of incredible technological advances, as the consumer seeks more and more from what has effectively become a computer in the pocket.

Outside of changing the way we communicate and connect forever, a key social changer has been the continued improvement of the built-in camera facility, which for the first time in history allows us to visually document our lives at every turn and corner.

To celebrate this fact, the Namib Independent and the Samsung Store Walvis Bay will be running a month long creative photographic competition exclusively for cell phone photography.

The emphasis on the competition shall not be focused on technical ability, which

always favours those with expensive equipment, but images shall be judged on the creative idea and execution only.

In other words, we are going to judge the winning entry at the end of the competition on the creative thought that has gone into creating the photo and not necessarily on the image begin the best in terms of lighting, etc. This means we do not want pictures of landscapes and sunsets unless the picture is taken in a very creative manner. Entrants may also use the editing features on the phones to set filters or to crop images, etc.

Entries are open from the 2 October and shall close on the 9 of November.

To enter, simply email your pictures to lorna@namibindependent.com.na.

We also encourage entrants to upload the pictures directly to our Facebook account. Simply search for Namib Independent.

These are the type of images that will win you the fantastic Samsung S5 worth N$9 000.00

Cycling Event a Huge Success 120 Years in Business Celebrated Tanya Calitz

Woermann & Brock celebrated its 120th birthday by hosting a fun day for locals, where they could take part in a cycling competition, fun walk or simply spend the day with the team at the SFC Sportsgrounds.

There were two cycling events, the 25km race and the 60km race. West Coast FM kept the team going with some nice music and encouragement as the racers made their way to the finish line. Big prize money, totalling more than N$35 000, and 300 specially designed medals were handed out to participants. To keep with the sharing theme of the 120th birthday of the Woermann & Brock Coastal Group, 40 spot prizes to the value of N$300 each were drawn and shared 50/50 between the winner and their chosen school. Then last, but not least, Woermann & Brock will be giving away another N$120000 to customers, who, by simply entering via sms, can win N$1000. 120 winners will be drawn on 9 October.

The cycling winners are as follows: 25 Km WB Cycle Race Position Surname Name Time 1 Winterbach Lara 01:09:45 2 Kolb Daniela 01:12:55 3 Erwig Desiree 01:14:08

25 Km WB Cycle Race Position Surname Name Time 1 Bartlomea Chris 01:03:57 2 Kolb Erik 01:04:36 3 Becker Yoshua 01:05:53

60km WB Cycle Race Position Surname Name Time 1 Van Staden Heletje 02:01:43 2 Beulker Christiane 02:02:44 3 Smith Lonel 02:14:40

60km WB Cycle Race Position Surname Name Time 1 Frielingsdorf Klaus 01:52:44 2 Kotze Tyrone 01:52:58 3 Van Staden Koos 01:59:27

8 | News

Thursday, 02 October 2014

Why Facebook Business Pages is a Financial Black Hole

Lavrenty Repin Unfortunately, owning a Facebook page for a start-up/small business has become a bit like buying a brand-name t-shirt. You think that everyone notices you, but actually nobody cares, you are broke and unwillingly you have become a free billboard for “Gucci”.

While most of us use Facebook to connect with friends and watch videos of cats playing piano, to many businesses Facebook is a cesspool of potential customers that have to be reeled in by all means necessary. However, for Facebook, who sits on top of the food chain, these businesses are potential customers and the reeling is becoming more lucrative by the day.

Now, for a new business a website is an essential tool. I personally believe that a business without a website falls short of the mark, so much so that it can be a deciding factor with which company I engage – if your business card does not have a website link, I am not interested.

This may be a limited and flawed point of view, but the digital age has made generation Y picky and cynical.

A website typically includes a Facebook plug-in connected to your Facebook page; since this plug-in does not cost anything, you might as well add it and create a Facebook page.

Next, you realise that no one likes your page, so you look for ways to rectify this; the easiest way is to pay Facebook to advertise your page. This feels justified as it seems to be comparable to building up a database of email addresses, or phone numbers of people that want to learn about your site and products. This is a mistake.

As a Forbes article explains; “instead of building a database of users that you can contact at will, you are essentially paying Facebook to build a list of people that you can then advertise to.”

While many people still think that all their posts get seen when they update, in

reality only a select group of between 5% - 20% actually see your updates. What is worse is that the more likes your page has, the less people will see your posts. A page with one thousand likes has a reach of about 27% higher than a page with one million likes.

In the past, when Facebook was not as popular, a business or brand would pay the social network for advertisement that would increase likes for their page. Once customers liked the page, updates, content sharing and interactions were in the hands of the page owners/programmers.

The more they engaged, the more likes and comments a post would receive, the bigger the scope of interaction.

Of course Facebook quickly realised that they were missing out on a whole huge market. So now, ever the extortionist, Facebook tweaked their settings and basically told page owners that they will limit general content views to 5% of the likes; if you want the rest of the 95% of customers that already like you to read your post, you have to pay for it – an action they cleverly call “boosting”.

So you first pay for the likes, then you pay for the views and then you hope that some will like, comment and visit your website/product – money you could have spent on promoting your website directly.

To drive the point home, I had a scan through my liked pages on Facebook and found that there were some I never realised I liked. I have never seen a single post in my news-feed – yet some have been active every day of the week. Had I not written this article, I might have never seen those pages again. You will have the same results if you examine the likes in your profile.

Facebook pages work excellent for celebrities and famous brands because there is genuine and consistent interest in the “product”, but for businesses starting up, trying to earn popularity or for less prestigious industries, Facebook pages are basically money leaches.

Thursday, 02 October 2014

|9

10 | News

Thursday, 02 October 2014

Local Residents Fed Up with Metropolitan Namibia

Elgin Brown & Hamer Namibia (Pty) Ltd An equal opportunity Employer Elgin Brown & Hamer Namibia (Pty) Ltd. is a Marine repair company operating three floating docks. This company consist of various divisions geared to perform large ship repair works and other related projects.

POSITION: FOREMAN: DOCK MANAGER Purpose of this position: To plan and supervise the dock operations and to liaise between agent/owner and company to ensure that resources are utilized to the optimum and achieve planned results in the most effective manner.

Siglinde de Villiers This week, unhappy clients of Metropolitan Namibia have decided that enough is enough. They are raising their voices about paying for a medical emergency benefit, but not receiving any financial assistance when in need.

Instead, it seems that they are being milked of every dollar in their pockets.

“Earlier this year I had to go for an operation, which is supposed to be covered by my medical emergency fund at Metropolitan Namibia. It has been more than six months later, I have paid all the medical expenses out of my own pocket and am still waiting for Metropolitan Namibia to refund me,” Martha (*pseudonym) told the Namib Independent.

“When I ask about my refund, the person on the other end of the line keeps telling me about these clauses in the fine print of the contract that they have to sift through,” she answered. “There seem to be not one, but many different clauses that are used as excuses not to pay out our money.”

Martha is not the only client that feels this way. The Namib Independent was given a petition that had been drawn up and signed by at least another 19 Metropolitan Namibia clients who feel the same way.

“What is the point in us contributing about N$300 every month and then still having to pay for all our medical expenses as if we have no benefit? We might just as well save up the money ourselves,” another local resident said at a meeting that was held this week.

In a Metropolitan Namibia contract that was given to the Namib Independent, unhappy clients pointed out how the first page mentions different percentages

payable by Metropolitan Namibia’s Major Surgery Benefit. However, the theatre benefit states that it only provides a lump sum, “which becomes payable when a life insured undergoes general anaesthetic for the purposes of surgery.” This ‘lump sum’ is then subjected to further conditions, limitations and exclusions, some of them appearing in the fine print under Policy Terms and Conditions.

“They are not straightforward with us.

We are quite a few that needed to undergo surgery this year, and none of us received any of the promised financial assistance.

Even the medical aid is more reliable in covering our costs than Metropolitan Namibia,” another lady said. The clients sentiments are summarised in the petition: “Although we as clients do our part… it is not fair, because we took out this insurance policy for emergencies and not for pleasure. It is not for free and we are paying each and every month for it, but nothing happens to our claims.”

Adding fuel to the fire, a letter was send out to all members informing them that their premium amounts will increase by a 100%, effective from November.

“Metropolitan wants to increase the premiums due to the annual increase of medical and hospitalisation costs. Now we have to pay even more for a benefit that remains the same,” a client lamented.

“What exactly is Metropolitan paying for if they cannot cover our surgery costs? Most of us have medical aid that already covers quite a lot in medical expenses, so do they cover the medical or hospitalisation costs involved if we undergo surgery?

If the premiums can change, why not together with the benefits, limitations and exclusions? To us this does not seem like a fair use of money and we want Namfisa to intervene in this matter as soon as possible,” the petition stated.

Key Performance Areas: • Plan and manage the docking and undocking of vessels in line with Docking Plan; • Manages the docking team in regards to work activities connected to the docking of vessels and other floating objects; • Ensure maintenance of the Docks and documentation comply with Company standards and legal requirements; • Interprets ship drawings and determines activities based on this; • Carries out trim calculations and looks after the correct set up of keel- and side blocks and determines the height; • Responsible for the continued operation and maintenance of the floating docks and its related equipment and machinery; • Consults with Operations Department and other support services functions; • Department Cost Control; • Adherence and enforcement of Policies & Procedures with strong emphasis on Health & Safety; • The docking of vessels often occurs outside of the normal office hours.

Qualifications, Skills, Competencies and Experience Requirements: • Grade 12 plus tertiary qualifications in Mechanical Engineering; • Operational knowledge of docking installations is critical • 5 years technical knowledge and experience from the shipyard & dry-docking industry, preferably as a superintendent; • Strong commercial acumen and ability to build relationships with ship owners, managers and decision makers; • Comprehensive understanding cost drivers and key challenges of the ship owners and managers; • Analytical, structured and great technical understanding; • IT-savvy and completely literate in the common MS Office applications; • Excellent written and spoken English skills – fluency in additional languages an advantage; • Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines • Prepared to work irregular hours • Good supervisory, leadership and communication skills • Ability to work independently and cope well under pressure • Self-disciplined, motivated and dedicated person • Computer literacy • Code B driver’s license

POSITION: TECHNICAL SUPERINTENDENT: METAL WORK Purpose of this position: This job category includes personnel involved at management level responsible for the planning, coordinating and facilitating within budgetary provisions Fabrication projects related to ship and oil rig repair, industrial work, coordinating the supply of resources and provide expert advice on all areas related to the job including the utilization of specialized equipment.

Key Performance Areas: • Coordinating, planning and organizing of technical work schedules and methodologies • Managing of complicated technical tasks responsible for all metal work HSSE aspects • Prepare metal work quotations and estimations • Manage Staff Development Program • Human Resource Functions • Manage Departmental Budget • Evaluate Equipment, machinery need to enhance the productivity • Assist in preparation of technical Work instruction related to various activities in the department.

• Provide training where needed.

• Manage a workshop Qualifications, Skills, Competencies and Experience Requirements: • Bachelor degree in Mechanical/Industrial engineering or equivalent ( Ideally a degree with welding/ fabrication background) • Minimum of five (05) years welding and fabrication experience in construction of oil & gas, refinery, petroleum, power plan or ship building at managerial level.

• Good knowledge of welding and international codes standards and materials properties • Excellent leadership, supervisory, decision making, problem solving, project management and communication skills • Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure

Remuneration:

EBH will provide remuneration and benefits relevant and appropriate to the positions.

Closing Date: 17th October 2014 Should you meet the requirements and willing to contribute to the success of the organisation, kindly submit your CV and supporting documents for the attention of Mr. Petrus Pandeni Salomo via e-mail to: petrus.s@ebhnamibia.com ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE NOTIFIED. NO DOCUMENTATION OR CV’S WILL BE RETURNED

| 11

Thursday, 02 October 2014

From only

For bookings: Tel +264 61 2996111 | www.airnamibia.com or contact your travel agent.

12 | Lifestyle

Thursday, 02 October 2014

LIFESTYLE 10 Of The Worst Food Ingredients To Never Eat Again 90% of the products we see on grocery store shelves today are loaded with processed and nutrition-less ingredients. The hard truth is that these ingredients are killing us one bite at a time.

They are addictive and cunningly sleuth, usually masked by an array of creative but misleading advertising schemes.

However, there is one amazing fact about our health that many of us forget from time to time. The fact is this - we all have 100% control over what we choose to put into our bodies! It is a simple and empowering fact that we all need reminding of, and today is that day.

To help you take back your power and regain autonomy over your health, here is a list of the 10 worst food ingredients to never eat again to ensure your body is as toxin free as it should be.

1) Sodium Benzoate A common food preservative that prevents the growth of mould and yeasts. When combined with vitamins C or E, it produces the carcinogen (cancer causing) benzene. Sodium benzoate deprives our mitochondria (cellular energymakers) of oxygen. It has also been linked to hyperactivity in children.

Products: Juices, pickles, sodas, pre-made salad dressings, condiments.

2) BHA & BHT (Butylated hydroxyanisole & butylated hydroxytoluene) A preservative that prevents the breakdown of fats. The National Institute of Health states that BHT/ BHA are “reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.” A natural replacement that does the same job in preserving food would be vitamin E, which you may see more of in the natural food section of your grocery store.

Products: Potato chips, lard, butter, cereal, instant mashed potatoes, preserved meat, beer, baked goods, dry beverage and dessert mixes, chewing gum and other foods.

3) MSG (Monosodium glutamate) A flavour enhancer which is known to damage the appetite regulation centre in the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus, causing leptin resistance and thereby eliminating the feeling of being “full.” It is

known as an excitotoxin, a chemical which overstimulates dopamine production, creating a drug-like ‘rush.’ MSG also promotes liver inflammation and dysplasia.

Products: Canned and boxed soups, dried soup mixes, frozen prepared meals, canned prepared meals, fast food, junk food, Chinese food, stew, chili, canned beans, salad dressing.

dogs, biltong, bacon, lunch meat and even meats in canned soup products.

8) High Fructose Corn Syrup A processed and refined sugar extracted from corn, known to contribute to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, mercury build-up and more. Americans consume more calories from HFCS than any other source.

4) Artificial Sweeteners Products: Sodas, candy, snack Used as a replacement for sugar, bars, concentrated juices, processed artificial sweeteners have recently cereals, coffee syrups, icing, been found to change the huge condiments. colony of bacteria in our intestines to favour the harmful bacteria 9) Brominated Vegetable Oil that increase risk for diabetes and (BVO) obesity. A study also found that BVO is a food additive that keeps women drinking two diet sodas per citrus flavouring from separating day are 50 percent more likely to die in sodas and sports drinks. The from heart-related disease. additive is still legal in the US, even Products: low-calorie yogurts, though it is banned in the European flavoured water, juices, gum, diet Union, Japan and Australia because sodas, snack foods. (Common it contains bromine, the element artificial sweeteners: acesulfame found in flame retardants that has potassium, aspartame, glycerol, been linked to nerve issues. Earlier hsh, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, this year, Fanta, Mountain Dew polydextrose, saccharin, sorbitol, and Gatorade all announced that sucralose) they would remove BVO from their products, but some generic soda 5) Potassium Bromate brands still use it, so look closely A food additive used in breadat the ingredient list. (Or better yet, making to soften and bleach skip the soft drink and enjoy some the dough. Potassium bromate is banned in countries such as refreshing water instead.)

Products: Sodas and sports drinks.

Canada, Brazil, and China because of its carcinogenic properties. It is particularly known to induce renal and thyroid cancer. Although most potassium bromate breaks down during the baking process, tests have confirmed that trace amounts can remain in finished baked goods.

Products: Fast-food sandwich buns, pre-made frozen pizzas, popular name brand dough’s, processed baked goods.

6) Acrylamide Acrylamide is a carcinogenic chemical that is a by-product of high temperature processing.

Products: Foods heated above 120 degrees Celsius. Fried foods such as potatoes chips and french fries. Cigarette smoke also contains acrylamide.

7) Sodium Nitrite or Nitrate Salt preservative used primarily in processed meat preservation.

Nitrates and Nitrites have been linked to pancreatic cancer in rats.

Products: Breakfast sausage, hot

10) Blue, Green, Red & Yellow The artificial colours blue 1 and 2, green 3, red 3, and yellow 6 have been linked to thyroid, adrenal, bladder, kidney, and brain cancers.

Products: Colourful candy, cereal, chocolate bars, Kraft dinner, juices, sports drinks.

A Helpful Tip One of the best ways to avoid all of these ingredients is to buy 100% organic. Organic food production abides by strict guidelines which ensure our food does not contain harmful chemical additives.

Although organic food prices may be higher than non-organic, by purchasing 100% organic you are ensuring a higher quality of life without unnecessary toxins building up in your body, and really, what better investment is there than your own health?

Source: http://www.collectiveevolution.com/

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| 13

Thursday, 02 October 2014

It Happened to ME!

A Child’s Despair – Part Two

Tanya Calitz Last week we brought you the true life story part one of coastal girl *Lisa Smit who suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father for ten years on a daily basis. This week we bring you part two of her childhood nightmare.

In the years to follow teenager Lisa did not speak about her ordeal of being abused by her father, nor did her mother or the psychiatrist push the issue.

“From early on I had issues with my sexuality. I was attracted to boys, but still doubtful and distrusting of them. At the age of sixteen I had my first boyfriend.

He was a bit older than me, so I would sometimes go to his flat.

I was very hesitant in exploring my sexuality with him. One night while brushing my teeth, he stood behind me pressing his penis against me. Immediately his erection scared me and brought back bad memories from my early childhood,” Lisa shares

her traumatic memories.

“After that incident I started questioning my sexuality. I started developing feelings for a girl at school, but never acted on it, because I was still afraid of any physical contact that could lead to intimacy of any sort. After school I went to study in South Africa, still confused about my sexuality. During my studies I never engaged in any relationship or flings. I only focussed on my studies. After my studies in South Africa I came back to Walvis Bay. This was when things became a bit crazy again.

“The minute I arrived back in town I experienced a panic attack. At the time I thought I was having a heart attack and not sure what was happening.

I decided after years to finally confess all to my mother. I wrote her a letter. She was very sad and contacted my old psychologist.

I went for regular sessions with her and also discussed the fact that I would like to pursue this matter legally. My psychologist

at the time discouraged it and said that I was not strong enough to go through such a traumatic case.

“Instead she suggested I write my father a letter and tell him exactly how I felt. I did so and before I knew it he became one of her patients too. More years passed by and the story faded again. My mom had moved on again, as well as everyone else. I tried my hardest to also just move on. I moved away from Walvis, but circumstance brought me back again about a year ago. One day last year I went to my dad’s house to go pick something up.

“I went there thinking that he was not home, upon arriving there I realised that he was in fact home.

I saw that his bedroom door was closed. At once I was overwhelmed by suspicion. I walked to his room and opened the door. There he was, on the bed with an unfamiliar eight-yearold. When he saw me he immediately dismissed her and said that she should go home. I was devastated. In that moment I was eight again. I was filled with fear, anger, sadness and helplessness.

“I phoned my psychologist and told her what I had just witnessed. She told me to find out who the girl was and leave the rest to her and the social workers. I found out that my dad was helping her mom out financially and often offered to look after this girl. I was sick to my stomach and realised that he has not changed and was still doing the same sick stuff. I could not sleep. I fell into depression.

I knew that I had to do something and make this stop. I have to break the cycle. After reporting it and nothing happening, I felt helpless and hopeless. I tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of several different pills, but I was rushed to hospital in time and survived.

“It has been several months since. I have decided to now take action. I am currently building a case and getting all the victims together. I am ready to face this demon and have him put to bed forever. I have made the choice to take legal action myself, with or without support, and make sure he gets convicted and punished for what he has done and is doing.”

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14 | Worldwide

Thursday, 02 October 2014

W o r l dwid e Earth Has Lost Half of Its Wildlife in the Past 40 Years, Says WWF The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40 years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land, rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the Zoological Society of London found.

Professor Ken Norris, ZSL’s director of science said, “If half the animals died in London zoo next week it would be front page news. But that is happening in the great outdoors. This damage is not inevitable but a consequence of the way we choose to live.” He said nature, which provides food and clean water and air, was essential for human wellbeing.

“We have lost one half of the animal population and knowing this is driven by human consumption, this is clearly a call to arms and we must act now,” said Mike Barratt, director of science and policy at the World Wildlife Fund. He said more of the Earth must be protected from development and deforestation, while food and energy had to be

produced sustainably.

The steep decline of animal, fish and bird numbers was calculated by analysing 10,000 different populations, covering 3,000 species in total. This data was then, for the first time, used to create a representative “Living Planet Index” (LPI), reflecting the state of all 45,000 known vertebrates.

Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s director of conservation said “We have all heard of the FTSE 100 index, but we have missed the ultimate indicator, the falling trend of species and ecosystems in the world. If we get [our response] right, we will have a safe and sustainable way of life for the future”.

If not, he added, the overuse of resources would ultimately lead to conflicts. He said the LPI was an extremely robust indicator and had been adopted by the UN’s internationally-agreed Convention on Biological Diversity as a key insight into biodiversity.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/

Christian Swingers: "God Uses Us to Spread His Word" A devout Christian couple from Florida are championing an unusual evangelism technique – swinging.

Christy and Dean Parave met online eight years ago, and began swinging after being approached in a Do It Yourself store.

They now regularly swap partners with other couples. While most would regard sexual promiscuity as conflicting with their religious beliefs, the Paraves, who both compete as bodybuilders, believe that they can use their newfound connections to share the Gospel.

Dean told Barcroft Media that "God has put me here to spread his word and our lifestyle community is a great place to do it.” You can’t get closer to someone than having sex with them."

He believes that he has been given a unique opportunity to share his faith

with those who might otherwise never hear about Jesus.

"I am getting to people that will probably never even visit a church," he said.

"God's not gonna put a lion with a bunch of elephants, so what’s he gonna do? He is gonna put a swinger with a bunch of swingers to spread his word.

Simple as that. If all the swingers are sinners what's the best way to talk to the sinners? To join them, right?"

It's an unconventional pastime for a Christian couple, but the pair insist they have a mutual understanding.

Christy explained, "I don't think God would be mad at what we're doing. At first I was conflicted but the more we looked at it the more it makes sense to us. Dean and I are both in agreement with this lifestyle, so we're not committing adultery. God

put people on the earth to breed and enjoy each other – I feel God is always with me and he has put us here for a reason."

The Paraves have even set up a website, www.fitnessswingers.com, to help other like-minded couples – those who have an interest in faith and healthy living – to find one another.

Their Twitter account reveals a rather bizarre mix of swinging resources, Bible verses and links to worship songs. They insist that they remain committed to a single goal, however.

"If I can go to the next swinger's event and get ten people to believe in Christ...my job is done," Dean said.

Source: http://www.christiantoday. com/

Motoring | 15

Thursday, 02 October 2014

MOTOR ING New Vehicle Sales Face Steep Uphill New vehicle sales in South Africa are slowly grinding up an increasingly steep hill as sales continue to drop. In May sales were down by nearly 10% over the same period last year and the outlook for the rest of the year is bleak.

Industry observers point out that the local economy had lost momentum and was at risk of moving into a recession because of the sharp rise in producer inflation and worsening trade deficit which signals more headwinds for the automotive market. However, expanding vehicle sales in China, the United States and a nascent recovery in Europe could benefit South African new vehicle

exports during the second half of 2014.

In May local new vehicle sales contracted by 5,025 units with all segments and categories recording year on year declines. Export sales of 15,613 units reflect an even more pronounced decline of 10,640 vehicles or a fall of 40.5 % compared to the 26,252 vehicles exported in May last year.

Overall, out of the reported industry sales of 49,465 vehicles, 86.8% represented dealer sales, 5.6% represented sales to the vehicle rental Industry, 4.9% to Industry corporate fleets and 2.7% to government. The new car market has remained under

pressure and at 32,984 units reflect a decline of 4,207 units or a fall of 11.3% compared to the 37,191 new cars sold in May last year.

Industry new vehicle exports of 15,613 vehicles registered a sharp decline of 10,639 units or a fall of 40.5% compared to the 26,252 vehicles exported in May last year.

Industry sources say the outlook for the automotive sector for the balance of the year looks increasingly less promising and they expect a decline, in aggregate terms, of between 3.5% and 5.0% for 2014 compared to 2013.

Source: http://www.bizcommunity. com/

Ranger Desert Odyssey Starts in Namibia The 2014 Ranger Odyssey has officially started here with 20 contestants taking on some of the toughest conditions the African continent has to offer. The expedition will last for 12 days and cover about 2500km, most of it on gravel along with a series of extreme 4x4 trails in Kaokoland in the far north-west corner of Namibia.

The 20 contestants arrived in Windhoek on Sunday September 7 and immediately set off for Kamanjab, start and end point of the odyssey. It is also the first time the South African contestants met their compatriots from the other African countries, one each from Angola and Mozambique. A contestant had also been selected from Nigeria but was unable to compete due to current travel restrictions in place into Namibia.

This year the contestants are paired off in two’s, with the selection having taken place at the venue for the first night, Oppi Koppi camp site in Kamanjab. The top 10 contestants, based on their results from boot camp and the SSA selections, drew random numbers that linked them up with their team-mates for the rest of the Odyssey.

Together they will be competing for the ultimate prize - the opportunity to each drive an Odyssey Ranger for a year, along with R5 000 fuel per month. Gavin Golightly, Ford Marketing Manager said: "We have a superb group of individuals on this year's Ranger Odyssey.� Each one of them earned their place on this event, but now it's time

for them to prove they are tough enough to embrace this unique 'Built Ford Tough' challenge while traversing some of Africa's most amazing scenery and trails."

Over the course of the event, the contestants will be tackling several arduous 4x4 trails in a fleet of 10 identical Ranger 3.2 XLT Double Cab 4x4 automatics, along with four Rangers for the support and media crews.

The route encompasses the notorious Van Zyl's Pass between Otjihende and Orupembe, as well as the treacherous path along the Kunene River that forms the border between Namibia and Angola. The Epupa Falls and the Puros Loop are some of the other significant highlights that await the teams, with the latter renowned for its desert lions and elephants.

Throughout the almost twoweek adventure, the teams will

be constantly evaluated on their technical and precision driving, camp craft, communication and daily vehicle maintenance. There will also be a series of special tasks including river rafting, vehicle recovery and tracking, while physical and mental stamina will undoubtedly be pushed to the limit.

They will also be facing extreme changes in temperature, from scorching hot during the day to freezing cold at night. Aside from the lions and elephants, this arid region is also known for its snakes and scorpions. The Ranger Odyssey will end on September 18 when the teams return home from Namibia. The winners of the 2014 event will be announced in October.

Source: http://www.wheels24. co.za/

PHOTO CREDIT: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ w1cRLbk0xV8/maxresdefault.jpg