Namib Independent Issue 106

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Issue 106 - Thursday, 03 July 2014 to Wednesday, 09 July 2014

COUNCIL Budget

05

Profit for Point Lodge?

06

NEW WALVIS COLLEGE

SEX ADDICT

15

08

Buying Brides

Foreigners Pay Peanuts In Exchange For Citizenship Tanya Calitz In a shocking revelation the Namib Independent has uncovered an appalling vibrant trade of money for marriage, right here on the coast.

In some instances young, unsuspecting ladies are paid as little as N$200 per month for marrying a foreigner who is seeking to live and work in Namibia.

Initially approached by a local woman who worked in a Pakistani resident’s shop and who married the owner in exchange for financial assistance, our investigation uncovered numerous such instances

right here on the coast.

This specific woman said that after working for the man for a while, he approached her explaining his challenges in terms of work permits, citizenship and such and proposed that if she married him his legal status issues would disappear.

In exchange he offered to help her out financially as long as they were married. After accepting the offer the woman had helped to arrange another two such weddings between local girls and friends of her “husband”.

Today (a number of years later) the woman’s life is on hold as she attempts in vain to

get a divorce that she desperately seeks.

Naturally, many other women who have entered into such an arrangements find themselves in a similar predicament.

Scratching beneath the surface, the paper uncovered a number of women who, after the initial “marital bliss” (read financial reward) has worn off, find themselves legally bound to the absent husbands without any benefits and most importantly, without being able to wed again.

Three of the women the paper spoke to have tried or are trying to divorce these men, but so far to no avail.

“I went to *Abdul, and told him that I wanted a divorce, but he says that we cannot get a divorce, because that was not the initial arrangement. But he also told me that he will pay me money, but stopped doing that, so now I want a divorce,” the local lady told the paper in distress over her predicament.

Another woman’s account of her arranged marriage is even more frustrating.

“I married *Rameen four years ago, but two years ago he disappeared. I have heard from some of his friends that he left the country and went back to India, but I do not know. I want to divorce him, because I have met another man and we might want to get married,” the

The Fate of Arandis – A Little Stellenbosch

Or A Ghost Town?

A mining town’s run against time as Rossing set to cease operations in seven years

Continued on Page 3 Lavrenty Repin Namibia’s demanding mining industry has often left havoc in its wake, the effect mostly felt locally by the formation of so-called “Ghost Towns” or the rapid downgrading of formerly prosperous towns. Many Namibian

towns are destined, sooner or later, to go down the same path that Uis, Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay and Kombat have indivertibly followed; as a result the question of the future of Arandis is expectably a principal one among the coastal community.

This especially since Arandis has been riding the economic wave of Rossing’s last breath (expected to close in 2021); securing investors to construct a new N$20 million shopping complex, a service station and a 120 megawatts thermal power plant, set to be completed in 2018.

The question is, who will stick around after Rossing to use all this infrastructure, and what would they be doing in the little town off-the-beaten track?

Large infrastructure is by no means an indicator of the life-expectancy of a town. Kolmanskop in the South may now be a couple Continued on Page 3

2 | News

Thursday, 03 July 2014

‘Three Lose’ Lives in Motor Accident!

Opinion by Gareth Amos worst of these, in which two people tragically It seems that with nine lost their lives on Friday accidents (including night. fender benders) over the Gruesome details last weekend, the coast is adorned the pages of the experiencing more than press, with some even its fair share of accidents having the gall to place recently, some more pictures of the deceased serious than others. By (body-bagged) on the front now, we have all read page. Certainly worth its the reports about the weight in gold for selling

papers; though I would think, shockingly upsetting for the family and friends of the victim(s).

What, however, seems to be missing from the scurried scribblings is the fact that a third person has also, for all intents and purposes, lost their life, so to speak. I do not wish for a moment to

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detract from the awful loss of the families of the two victims who literally lost their lives on that fateful night, but collectively our community must seize the moment to ponder upon the catastrophic cause of this misfortune. The point in matter is that because of alcohol (according to early police reports) a third man, at 20 years a man-child only, also “lost” his life on that fateful night.

Not two weeks ago, we ran an article questioning the validity of the ethics of Namib Breweries running a highly visible advertising campaign that aimed to glamourise beer consumption by linking their product to Namibians who have achieved great success in their chosen fields, ranging from teaching and education (of all things) to sports stars, business leaders and even (can you believe it) community workers.

As Namibia wrestles with the effects that this industry has upon our nation, two people have lost their lives and another life has been utterly decimated.

Gene Cilliers (20) received what is essentially a life sentence in an instant of senselessness brought about by a drug that not only is freely available, but is celebrated in all of our community corners.

“Nog net een loopdop,” soos hulle sê, met ‘n trek om die bakkies.

We know all too well that nog een, leads to twee,

drie, vier en vyf and indeed loss of life and limb.

Because of a perfectly legal and immeasurably inebriating drug (which at twenty, one has too few tools with which to combat the poison) this young man must forever relive the nightmarish reality that because of his deeds, two people are deceased and families lay in tatters, forever altered. Four cold grey walls may very well accompany him as he faces a long jail sentence if found guilty of culpable homicide, with which he has been charged; as if the misery of mental torment were not enough.

“There for the grace of God go I”, the well-worn maxim, echoes in my mind and I am sure in the thoughts of many as we look back upon our days of youthful folly. No stranger to mind altering substances of varied potencies, I remain to this very day astonished that the most intoxicating of all that I have imbibed (and the numbers are numerous), that this “drug” is so readily available to our children (yes, twenty is still a child) and the most vulnerable in society. We find ourselves readily the victim of circumstance in which, collectively, we participate in the self-delusional dimension of “drugs are bad and alcohol is good”.

Misunderstand me not; under no circumstances do I elect to condone drug use. I choose instead to

society.

Unfortunately, I offer little remedy or reprieve other than to suggest that perhaps we should cease to seek solace from external foundations and instead take charge of our own destiny in the hopes that our attitude alterations today, affect positively the wilfully ignorant consumption of this vicious venom by tomorrow’s generation.

scream from the side-lines, the truth that the most vicious drug of all flows too easily through our communal veins into our collective consciousness, perpetuating the myth that all is good, all is well.

All is not well! Wake the f*ck up from your slumber and stare instead into the abyss that is defiling families, lives, minds and bodies and that is shredding apart the very fabric of our

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News | 3

Thursday, 03 July 2014

The Fate of Arandis – A Little

Buying Brides

Stellenbosch Or A Ghost Town? Foreigners Pay Peanuts In

Exchange For Citizenship

Continued from Page 1 of ramshackle buildings overrun by sand dunes and eager international photographers, who along with a handful of tourists make up the temporary population of the ghost town, but in 1910, at the peak of the town’s boom, Kolmanskop had a swimming pool, imported champagne from France and its own mini-factory for making ice. A team of sweepers cleared the sand off the streets each day and there was a school, a casino, a gymnasium, a ballroom, and a bowling alley. The town's hospital had the first ever x-ray machine to be used in Africa (although it was used to see if workers had swallowed diamonds during the day, rather than for medical purposes). But when the diamonds dried up, the miners moved elsewhere, abandoning what could have, in theory, evolved into one of the most prosperous towns in Southern Africa today.

Arandis, too has a first; the first hybrid power station, incorporating solar power and traditional thermal heavy fuel, on the African continent is to be completed in Arandis by 2018. Costing N$3 billion, the 100% privately funded project is yet another rabbit that the Arandis town council has pulled out of their ever-reaching hat.

Arandis, a town of 7000 residents, was established 15km from the Rossing Uranium mine to accommodate the mine’s workers in only 1978. Exactly 20 years earlier, the town of Uis, located under the shade of the Brandberg Mountain, was erected for the same purpose. The small town boomed, but when the tin mine closed down in 1990 (due to abysmally low tin market prices), according to Uis resident and “The Brandberg Restamp” owner Basil Calitz the settlement became a ghost town almost overnight. In 1997 Albert Weitz bought the abandoned town from the mine, hoping to rehabilitate tin production, but having failed to achieve this, he focused on selling cheap property to foreigners with interests in Namibia.

“You could buy a house for 30 000 dollars, so Europeans from Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland bought holiday homes” explains Basil, who himself bought the Brandberg Restcamp in 2007, which used to be a recreational club mine;

Continued from Page 1

it is now an oasis in the middle of the desert, equipped with a 25 metre pool, large hall and ample space difficult to find in larger towns with greater demand. The tiny town repopulated to about 3000 residents and now also has a small supermarket, a few guesthouses, a bakery and a petrol station. Uis survives because it takes advantage of its prime location for tourists travelling to the popular Damaraland, in much the same way that Usakos and Karibib continue to survive due to their proximity to the B2 road even as the Navachab Gold Mine ceased using local contractors, dismaying many residents and plunging businesses – well, out of business.

The village was downgraded to a settlement in 2010, while Karibib and Usakos got the status of “town councils”. Uis is reportedly N$4.3 million in debt to Namwater.

Basil, who hosts festivals, bike races and the famous air balloon show to keep visitors coming back, believes that his town’s future will amount to little if the mine does not reopen. On Arandis, his opinion is that the desert town can focus on the Husab mine for the time being, but would die out once the mines leave.

While Uis benefits from spend-thrift tourists and road access, Arandis has no such advantage. One needs to purposefully turn off the B2 to reach the town. Arandis lacks in scenery and has virtually no attractions for tourists and visitors. Yet despite all these challenges, Arandis CEO Florida Husselmann is confident and optimistic that the future of the mining town will be a bright one.

According to Mrs Florida, presently only 300 Arandis residents are employed at Rossing; however, indirect dependency on the mine is high and contractors for the mine often work inconsistently.

“Husab has opened up opportunities for [them]

and the mine will soften the blow [once Rossing closes],” she explains.

But the goal is to move the town’s dependency entirely away from the mining sector, a goal, Florida says, they are accomplishing.

“We have been working tirelessly to create a favourable environment for Arandis. The mines have given us a window of opportunity; that is why we are looking at industrialisation and manufacturing.”

The railway station runs through the arid town, which also has its own airport. She acknowledged that the distance to the B2 road is a concern, but “we have a plan for that too. The town is developing towards the B2. If the highway won’t come to us, we will go to the highway,” the CEO insists.

The new green energy projects are all part of the industrialisation plans of the town. Land is cheap and living expenses are low, the town is significantly less prone to corrosion than its coastal counterparts, it has ample space for infrastructure and is well situated for transport – these are all admirable advantages for baiting engineers, businessmen and industrialisers.

But, another ambitious project is to make Arandis the educational capital of Namibia. Currently NIMT (Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology) is based in Arandis with 3000 students enrolled.

But Mrs Florida says the dream is to have a polytechnic in Arandis.

“Believe it or not, students have more money than workers – that is, they have the workers’ money.

Right now everyone has to go to Windhoek to study, but Erongo is a powerhouse for the youth”, she says. “We are producing the best math and science results in the country.”

Mrs Florida Husselmann, who has been the CEO of Arandis since 2001, also hopes to bring hospitality and culinary education to the town, which will help create a “Nambosche” for the country. If former mining towns are anything to go by, all odds are against Arandis, but a robust and innovative program, together with an impressive success rate (70% completion of the town’s five year plan) is working towards ensuring that there is opportunity for residents to remain after the mines go. The question is, will they?

lady told the paper from her Kuiseb shack. What makes her situation even more difficult, she said, is the fact that she does not have the marriage certificate, and does not know her husband’s surname and they tied the knot in Windhoek as getting married in different towns was part of the plot to remain under the radar of immigration services.

Apart from a few differences, most of these women and men are in the same quandary. The women have either met a new man and want to move on with their lives, or the men they married have disappeared and now they are stuck in these marriages, with the money promised to them only being a distant dream.

On the other hand, the men’s fates are in these women’s hands.

“I cannot give her a divorce.

What will happen to me? I have created a life for myself, and have a business. If they deport me, I will have nothing,” Abdul told the paper from his shop, clearly upset about the situation he is in.

The fact is that even if they are not paying the women any more, under no circumstances is it in the interest of the men to grant divorces. Although legally, getting married to a citizen does not mean that you automatically receive permanent residency or citizenship, as it can take anywhere from five to ten

years before one can successfully apply for residency or citizenship, there is a very real advantage for the foreign men to trap our local girls into these arrangements.

Following a recent presentation of an affidavit handed to the High Court by former Minster of Home Affairs, Rosalia Nghidinwa, it is clear why these men get married to our local women. The affidavit stated that; “people who are domiciled in Namibia in accordance with the Immigration Control Act - that is, who are married to a Namibian citizen and regard the country as their permanent home do not require permanent residence permits, employment permits, student's permits or visitor's entry permits.”

Additionally, the same applies for their spouses and dependent children.

She also agreed that the Immigration Control Act does not specifically require people to apply for 'domicile certificates', which her ministry has been issuing to nonNamibians who are domiciled in the country.

From a policing standpoint, the matter is a moot one as proving criminality in these instances is literally impossible.

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Inspector Iikuyu said that these types of cases are very difficult, due to the fact that one can hardly obtain evidence that a marriage was arranged on the basis of legal status.

“It is always one person’s word against the other. The only advice I have for women finding themselves in these situations is to file for a divorce in court and let the court take them through the process, and decide their fate regarding the marriages, especially in the case of the men who have disappeared,” he said.

As long as the odds are stacked so heavily in favour of the foreigner and our country remains as poverty stricken as she finds herself currently, our young girls will continue to be blinded by the financial rewards of short term gain in exchange for long term turmoil.

In exchange for highlighting their plight and for being brave enough to speak to the paper despite fears of legal repercussions, we call on any legal consultants who specialise in divorce and family law, to consider offering pro-bono services to help these vulnerable victims.

4 | News

Thursday, 03 July 2014

Communication Technology

Dooms the Coast Siglinde de Villiers

The invasion of the coastal community by new, constantly evolving communication devices causes the lines to become blurred when it comes to ‘phonetiquette’, especially amongst the younger generation.

Regardless, the same

plague has spread to older generations as well, causing cracks to appear in the foundation of a close knit community – a strong family. The Namib Independent decided to find out what the coastal community had to say about this.

Technology is changing the age old tradition of

family life. The advent of portable gadgets was where it all started.

“In the past, gadgets were immobile and all one had to do to get somebody’s attention was to switch off the power,” an aged resident at the coast jested. Yet he has the truth of it. Once portable gadgets flooded the market,

they brought with them the freedom of going wherever their owners went.

Nevertheless, freedom comes at a price.

Gone are the days when a family would spend quality time together once all responsibilities had been cared for. Somebody’s attention is always divided, if not completely

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absent, when they become preoccupied with their communication devices.

“We used to share dinner, but now each one simply grabs their plate and moves off to some corner of our house to continue their social life online,” a mother of two, who stays in Walvis Bay, commented.

She is not the only one who

internet on teenagers’ cell phones, the possibilities of pornography and the fact that phones can become a huge distraction from studying.

“I have found that many parents try to limit their teenagers access to cell phones during this time (before exams), which can lead to immense stress and

a funeral where a phone started ringing during the sermon. That was truly disrespectful.”

A fourth complained, “I find it most irritating if I am shopping or walking through town with somebody and suddenly they become fixated with sending a message or reading it on their phone.

It is like they forget the world around them and everything comes to a standstill while I tripple around on my feet waiting

feels trapped in this net. In a survey done by the Namib Independent, only 20 percent of local residents surveyed admitted to sharing at least one meal with their families. A teenager even stated that her family text each other in the same house.

“When my sister is done with dinner, she summons us via a text,” the girl said.

“There is no doubt that these inventions truly represent a technological revolution,” Shaun Whittaker, a leading psychologist in Namibia, said.

“The strong family bond is removed and replaced with a strong bond between peers,” he added. He continued to explain that even though cell phones have advantages, such as making the arranging of social gatherings easier, the drawback is that it leads to less family time. Whittaker also highlighted the dangers of unlimited access to the

conflicts,” he stated.

For many coastal residents, the constant disruptions and beckoning of devices are a great cause of irritation.

“If I go to dinner with somebody, and the person is busier with his cell phone than anything else, I will get up and leave,” a Walvis Bay resident commented.

The common census at the coast is that if somebody is busy with their phone when they should be giving you their attention, they are not really interested.

“I really feel let down and find it extremely rude when I invite people over and they are constantly texting or even playing games on their cellphones. It makes me wonder why they came in the first place,” another resident stated.

Another resident fumed, “I hate it when I go to a meeting or the cinema and somebody’s phone disturbs the audience. Even worse, I recently attended

for them to come back to reality.”

As the last comment showed, portable communication devices have taken coastal residents attention away to such an extent that some have been seriously injured in accidents as a result.

Even though mobile gadgets make the world a smaller place globally, they also make it wider personally. The survey showed that many people think that it seriously undermines family interaction, promoting isolation.

“Text messages and phone calls always seem urgent, and if one does not attend to them immediately, the curiosity to know what it is about is too great to resist. Thus most of us are connected twenty-four-seven, if not even addicted,” a resident summarised the root of the problem.

News | 5

Thursday, 03 July 2014

The Walvis Municipal Budget Revealed Tanya Calitz

cemeteries in both Narraville and Kuisebmond, resealing of streets and sidewalks in all the suburbs of Walvis, surfacing of sidewalks, tarring of street and the establishment of a Tourist Walkway from the Esplanade promenade to the Southern-side of the Namport Harbour Gate.

The Chairperson of the Management Committee at Walvis Municipality, Councillor Immanuel Wilfred, presented the new financial year budget 2014/2015 during a public and media address last week, announcing that the total capital amount for this financial year iv) Service Delivery-related stands at N$248 million.

Projects: N$20 million This category mainly involves The Capital Budget is broken the implementation, upgrading, down as follows; and replacement of water sewer i) Land Development Projects: infrastructure, including the N$134 Million capacity increase of Long Beach The Land Development Projects Reservoir and the construction of a will cater for the creation and New Reservoir at Mile 7. servicing of about 2335 erven across all the suburbs of Walvis Bay. v) Vehicle Replacements and Additions: N$13 million ii) Community and Social The main components under this Projects: N$27 Million category are; Traffic Patrol, Roads The individual projects under this and Sewer System maintenance and category include the construction of Refuse Removal Vehicles. a Community Centre and Old Age Home in Narraville, New Taxi Rank, vi) Projects below N$500 000: Satellite Fire Station and Municipal N$17 Million Payments Office in Tutaleni area, General maintenance and upgrading Industrial Stalls in Kuisebmond, and of communal areas.

(A fully the Development of New Campsite detailed 30-page Report can be Facilities at Dolphin Park. obtained from the municipal offices in Walvis, on all the budgets and iii) Infrastructure-related projects.)

Projects: N$37 Million These projects are mainly made The Operating Budget up of the establishments of new Expected revenue for the financial

year is estimated at about N$314.6 million while expected expenditure has been recorded at N$317.5 million. Therefore, the expected deficit for the new financial year has been recorded at about N$2.9 million. About 80% of the total estimated revenue is obtained through water and related services, property rates and taxes, refuse removal and sanitation services.

The average proposed tariff adjustments on above mentioned services are as follow; Water Supply Services 10% increase, Property Rates and Taxes 5% increase, Refuse Removal Services 10% increase, and Sanitation Services also increased by 10%. Tariff adjustments for other services will be made available to the public at the Municipal Offices and the media, once gazetted.

In addition the Mayor, Councillor Uillika Nambahu, announced that the Mayoral Fundraising Dinner will be held on 26 July 2014. The Annual Fundraising Gala Dinner is a Mayoral project aimed at raising funds from business persons and individuals alike country-wide in order to replenish the coffers from which the municipality provides donations to needy members of the community.

“I am informed that invitations are already being sent and further that the actual preparation of the Gala

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Dinner is at an advanced stage. As such, I want to place a special request for all those receiving invitations to honour us with your presence at this event. Furthermore, if by any chance you may have

been omitted as a guest and you are willing to participate, I encourage you to liaise with the Office of the Mayor to avoid being excluded,” Mayor Nambahu stated.

Funds received from the

Gala Dinner are held by the Mayoral Relief Fund, an internal Vote within our financial system and are administered under strict rules within the Municipality of Walvis Bay.

Raising The Alcohol

Age Limit to 20?

Lavrenty Repin Member of Parliament Heiko Lucks (RDP), last week recommended increasing Namibia’s drinking age from the current 18 to 20 years. He backed the recommendation, explaining that most 18-year-olds are still in their final years of school and that early consumption increases chances of children becoming alcoholics later.

Coastal residents and business owners were reluctant to speak about the proposed law, partly because of topic’s sensitivity, but also because of how complicated the issue actually is. Although most countries in the world restrict the drinking age to 18, sixteen prohibit drinking altogether, including Libya, Qatar and even parts of India.

20 countries have absolutely no drinking age restriction (although there is purchase restriction in some), like Norway.

Also, only ten countries have a restriction of 20 or 21, most noteworthy the USA. The diversification of the law globally clearly shows the extreme nature of this issue. Many young people in Walvis Bay said they welcomed the law, but also admitted that they started drinking much younger. A 20-yearold barman at a popular nightclub said that most customers are young. He started going to clubs at 14.

A Ministry of Health

study on substance use amongst Namibians found that 53.5% of youths aged 13-30 use alcohol. Among 13-16 year olds, 28.4% of youths consume alcohol at least once a week and 6.8% of youths use alcohol daily. A 2006 UNICEF study into Namibia found that, in a focus group of 10-14 year olds, one in ten had already used alcohol. This then, is an indication that even the current law is failing to curb underage drinking, a point that is echoed by Swakopmund Secondary School Principle, Mr S. Sibanga.

“I fully agree with the proposed law,” he said “[but] I don’t think it will help. From my own experience, it’s not 18 and above that drink, you see a high number of younger people, whether they’re in school or not, abusing, not just misusing alcohol.”

He believes that the authorities should start fining Shebeen owners.

“If they make one or two examples, others will follow suit,” he explained.

School children suffer from “high absenteeism and lack of concentration, which will lead to drop-outs,” he stated, concluding that “the age limit is there, but is it being enforced?”

The law is vague to say the least in Namibia. As it now stands, it does not generally prohibit under 18’s from being present in a bar/shebeen (unless specified in a liquor license). Indeed, a comical loophole in the law makes it illegal for an underage person to buy or “obtain”

liquor, but not to drink it or possess it. Presumably, then, an under-18-yearold would be able to lawfully manufacture and drink his own homebrew (homemade alcohol) – because homebrew is only illegal when “manufactured for the purpose of selling or supplying it to another.”

A bottle store owner in Walvis Bay called the issue “complicated”.

“It will be bad for business but very good for the country.”

He explained that the problem lies with the lack of enforcement by police officers.

“They haven’t checked my bottle store once.

Police check if I’m selling illegal alcohol but never, not once, have they checked if I sell to minors.

It’s a noble idea,” he said.

Many argue that turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, smoke cigarettes, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted and join the military - which includes risking one's life, so why should alcohol be any different? Yet the problems caused by alcohol are unmeasurable and scientific data backs that drinking in your teens has long-term health effects. The issue here is inept regulation against alcohol offenders. Before you blame the Namibian police, consider that in the USA only two out of a thousand underage drinkers are prosecuted.

Is alcohol-craving a desire that is just too strong to control?

6 | News

Thursday, 03 July 2014

Pelican Point Lodge –

Too Remote for Profit?

Siglinde de Villiers

Far-flung on a remote stretch of the coastline, surrounded by ocean on three sides, lies the Pelican Point Lodge. The only way to get there is with seasoned drivers who can manoeuvre 4x4’s through the thick sand with skill. Thus, one cannot help to wonder whether the secluded Pelican Point Lodge makes a profit, given its unusual location and difficult accessibility.

Its remoteness gives the lodge an air

of mystery and peacefulness. Cut off from the coastal society’s fast paced city pulse, the Pelican Point Lodge is the ideal place to simmer down, chill out and allow one’s dreams to fly with the wind to the rumbling, crashing waves in the background. Yet, the question remains as to whether only the wealthy are allowed to dream there.

Being cut off from society has its perks, but also its downsides. For one, the lodge has no access to water pipes nor electricity from the mainland.

VACANCIES United Fishing Enterprises (Pty) Ltd is a prominent operator in the pelagic fishing industry and an equal opportunity employer. The Company is part of the Bidvest Namibia Group of Companies and is based in Walvis Bay. UFE requires a suitably qualified Namibian to occupy the vacancy of Workshop and Equipment Foreman and Marine Workshop Foreman as soon as possible.

Workshop and Equipment Foreman United Fishing Enterprises (Pty) Ltd

Location : Walvis Bay

Job Specification... Ÿ To control all internal /external rental of equipment - forklifts, vehicles and truck; Ÿ Allocating equipment to different departments and liaising with finance to invoice internal and external clients; Ÿ Manage external renting of equipment; Minimum Requirements... Ÿ Grade 12; Ÿ N3 Technical diploma; Ÿ Experience in working with Diesel Engines and forklifts; Read more on the Website...

Marine Workshop Foreman United Fishing Enterprises (Pty) Ltd

Location : Walvis Bay

Job Specification... Ÿ The incumbent will be in charge of all engineering and technical work on UFE ' s Purse seine Fleet; Ÿ Will liaise with Subcontractors and control the issuing and allocation of work to be done; Ÿ Will liaise directly with Namport to book and control annual syncrolift activities for fleet; Minimum Requirements... Ÿ Must be a Namibian citizen; Ÿ Must be in possession of an Engineering class 4 / equivalent or higher Certificate of Competence; Ÿ Must at least have 5 years' experience as a Chief Engineer; Read more on the Website...

The closing date for above positions is: 9 July 2014 Bidvest Namibia supports all efforts to conserve the environment and uses an online recruitment service to reduce its carbon footprint. This service enables you to view the latest vacancies within the Bidvest Namiba Group and to register your CV for any other future positions. All applications must be done online at:

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Bidvest Namibia Limited is a proudly Namibian company, listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange and is engaged in fisheries, food distribution, commercial trade, freight management and service industries. Bidvest Namibia believes in empowering people, building relationships and improving lives. We turn ordinary companies into extraordinary performers, delivering strong and consistent shareholder returns in the process. But most importantly, we understand that people create wealth, and that companies only report it.

“Our electricity is produced by a diesel generator,” tells JP Conradie, lodge manager, as he guides the way to a wooden deck overlooking Pelican Point. Seal colonies line the shore while a group of people are busy readying themselves for a kayak tour in the far distance. The view to the point is breathtaking.

“We run the generator for a few hours every morning and evening as the need arises,” Conradie says, jerking all thoughts back to the issue at hand.

Does the generator’s noise not disturb the peacefulness of the place?

“Well, it was built inside a bunker, so one hardly ever hears it,” Conradie answers. Once the generator has been switched off, “it is lights out,” the manager jokes.

“We have provided lamps in each room that are bright enough for guests to read by when they wish,” he adds. He continues to explain that the lodge caters for the preference of its guests, and if a guest should need electricity during the day such as to charge a camera, they will gladly start the generator for such purpose. Huge 4x4 trucks that come from Walvis Bay two to three times a week supply the lodge with water, which

gets stored in big tanks.

The huge springtide that recently struck the coastal towns had isolated the lodge into an island for a while.

“The water came up to the base of the lighthouse.

From the lagoon side, it welled up all the way to the border rope. We were surrounded by water and cut off from all access to society, imprisoned on our own mini island. It was scary and adventurous at the same time, because we did not know what would happen,” Conradie relates.

Even now, the evidence of the water surge gives a silent witness to the Atlantic Ocean’s stormy moods.

Originally, the Pelican Point Lodge used to be the old Namport control tower.

After being abandoned for a few years, some sections were redone and other sections built on.

The building project itself proved to be a challenge, since all materials had to be brought from town with huge 4x4 trucks.

Nevertheless, locals grew excited to own such a jewel not far from town.

Were they set up for disappointment? In October last year, the Pelican Point Lodge was taken over by the Big Sky Lodges group, who advertise the dream destination mainly to

European markets.

Despite its remote location, the lodge’s peak season runs from May to September. Each room is decorated with earthy tones, thick soft carpets, leather furniture and lots of natural light. Gas heaters ensure warmth on cold days and lush beds promise comfort and a good night’s rest.

“We mostly cater for guests from overseas because the price bracket is quite high,” Conradie lays out. “Since the lodge is still quite new under the Big Sky group, reservations are quiet but on the increase.”

So far, the lodge has made no loss, even with its high price bracket.

Definitely not one that most coastal residents can afford. Since the lodge does not really encourage day visitors, what part of the lodge can coastal residents enjoy?

“We will never show somebody away. Many

people have come to take a look around. It is not possible though to provide them with a menu to order food and drinks from.

Nevertheless, locals are most welcome to hold their functions at the Pelican Point Lodge,” Conradie explains. “We can cater easily for up to 15 people with top quality food. It is necessary though to book beforehand, since we need to obtain the supplies from town.

“Usually we work out a menu that suits the needs and preferences of those using this facility,” he adds.

Currently, the Pelican Point Lodge does transfers in and out of town for their guests.

“In the future, we want to start transferring our guests to the lodge via a boat from Walvis Bay,” Conradie says. The lodge is also looking into more activities that their guests can partake in.

News | 7

Thursday, 03 July 2014

ErongoRed Etosha Fishing Corporation (Pty) Ltd is a Namibian owned company operating in the small pelagic sector. We specialize in quality value added fish products and take great pride in our use of world class operating practices. Through our employees, fleet of fishing vessels and land based processing facilities; we consistently aim to provide value to our clients, business partners and shareholders by being recognized for “excellence in food processing”. We are an equal opportunity employer and seek to employ an experienced and dynamic individual who can add value to our operations in the role of:

Projects Light

Up the Coast

HUMAN RESOURCES PRACTITIONER Duty Station: Walvis Bay, Namibia Reporting to: Senior Human Resources Manager The primary purpose of the position is to implement and support Human Resources systems and solutions aligned to the overall business strategy.

Key Performance Areas Policy implementation:

Maintain and implement policies and procedures

Legislative Compliance:

Employment Equity monitoring and reporting. Vocational Education Training Levy administration.

Training and development:

Administer and monitor training and development initiatives.

Recruitment and Selection:

Coordinate and implement recruitment and selection processes and procedures.

Disciplinary and Grievances: Coordinate and facilitate disciplinary matters and grievances in a unionised environment.

Employment Contracts:

Facilitate the contracting process.

Performance Management:

Coordinate and monitor the performance management process .

Employee Wellness:

Coordinate and facilitate employee wellness initiatives.

Induction/On-boarding:

Coordinate and facilitate induction processes.

Competencies Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources or Human Sciences, in specific Industrial Psychology or Organisational Development.

Work experience:

Minimum 5 years experience in a Human Resources Generalist capacity in a medium to large company in a unionised environment.

Proven experience with relevant labour legislation will be an advantage.

Supervisory experience will be an advantage.

Communication:

Listening, reading comprehension, speaking and writing.

Cognition:

Analysis/Reasoning, creative and innovative thinking, decision making and judgment, problem solving

Personal Effectiveness: Accountability and dependability, adaptability and flexibility, ethics and integrity, results focus, self management Interaction with Others: Influencing others, relationship building, teamwork, valuing diversity Occupational:

Enforcing laws as well as rules and regulations, facilitating groups, interviewing others

Management Qualities: Coaching and mentoring, leadership, planning and organizing, strategic vision.

Closing Date: : 11 July 2014 Suitably qualified candidates who wish to apply must submit an application letter, detailed curriculum vitae including contact details of three business references as well as copies of qualifications on or before the closing date via email to sandima@etoshafish.com.na or hand-deliver to 1 Rikumbi Kandanga Road, Walvis Bay or by post to: Senior Human Resources Manager P.O. Box 3 Walvis Bay Namibia Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Suitably qualified candidates from designated groups as defined in the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act, No. 29 of 1998 are encouraged to apply.

Siglinde de Villiers In order to further develop and improve the coastal community, ErongoRed has created several projects. Some of these assist remote communities and villages, while others focus on the logistics hub of Walvis Bay and the surrounding area.

The social tariff project is aimed at subsidising electricity to those with a low income level. This group includes pensioners, and all who use a circuit breaker size of 30 Amps or less. The installations of pre-payment meters of 30 Amps or less for pensioners as well as customers continue to be free. When this arrangement was started, ErongoRed anticipated to have approximately 1000 pensioners on the scheme.

In the meantime however, this number has rapidly increased to over 3700 connections. The total for all these connections cost ErongoRed some N$10 million.

ErongoRed is also focused on providing power to all people at the coast through its

electrification projects by connecting unconnected houses to the grid. At the end of last year, this ongoing project had provided 165 houses in Uis with electricity.

Similar projects are under way in Karibib, Usakos and Omaruru, scheduled to be completed soon.

As part of ErongoRed’s drive to bring ‘power to the people’, this project has also taken a look at providing electricity to remote and isolated villages in the Erongo Region. Four villages that have been earmarked for this project are Okombahe, Otjimbingwe, Otjohorongo and Okamapuku.

Another project of ErongoRed is the bulk upgrade for Henties Bay, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Benjamin Nangombe, Public Relations Manager of ErongoRed, elaborated, “Each town gets a certain amount of electricity.

However, as the town grows the network needs to be upgraded in order to supply the greater electricity demand.”

The bulk upgrades for Henties Bay have

been completed, whilst Swakopmund has been scheduled to be upgraded in the near future. The Walvis Bay upgrade has already commenced and is scheduled to be completed in 2016. The total cost of the latter upgrade amounts to N$500 million, to which ErongoRed will contribute N$130 million. The rest will be covered by NamPower. In addition, ErongoRed has set aside N$70 million for strengthening the internal network. Once completed, the bulk upgrade will place ErongoRed in a better position to meet the growing electricity demand in Walvis Bay. In 2012 ErongoRed implemented a Debt Management Project to assist those whose electricity has been disconnected due to nonpayment, so that they can have their electricity reconnected through special arrangement.

All customers whose electricity has been disconnected are welcome to visit ErongoRed offices to solve their electricity payment problems by applying for this arrangement.

8 | News

Thursday, Thursday, 0303 JulyJuly 20142014

New College for Walvis Bay Tanya Calitz

Thanks to the International School, Walvis Bay folk now has the opportunity to get an internationally accredited qualification in bookkeeping, occupational safety and computer literacy.

The first classes at the new International Vocational College of Walvis Bay will commence in August, which means students should apply now, if they are interested in starting their course in August. According to Curriculum Development

Director, Janine de Klerk, the aim of the college is to actively address the skills gap and shortages in Namibia as per the Namibian Skills Deficit Report of 2010.

“Our target market is the coastal region where maritime, port mining, logistics and tourism related companies operate. These companies are constantly seeking qualified and skilled employees and the college will present practical and relevant training that will equip its students with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise to become

ARE NOT MEANT TO FLY

At Air Namibia, we have a modern fleet that allows us to fly almost everything to destinations locally, regionally and internationally. And when we fly, we never compromise on safety. That is why, there are some things we will never allow to fly with us.

Tanya Calitz

To be certain what you intend to bring along on your journey is not classified as a hazardous and dangerous good. Please speak to our airline booking staff, visit our website or call our call centre on 061 299 6333.

WE ADVISE ALL OUR PASSENGERS NEVER TO CARRY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ON TO A FLIGHT: NOT TO BE CARRIED IN AIRCRAFT CABIN (These may be carried in the cargo but not in the cabin of the aircraft) • • • •

Tools Open razors or blades Liquids over 100ml Scissors (Where pointed blades exceed 3cm)

• Hypodermic needles (Unless required for medical purposes) • Sporting bats and equipment • Billard, snooker and pool cues • Darts

NOT TO BE CARRIED IN THE AIRCRAFT AT ALL (These items must never be carried in the aircraft at any point)

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We have it

college is in the final stages of registration and accreditation with the Namibian Training Authority (NTA) and the Namibian Qualifications Authority (NQA). According to de Klerk, all students will be required to write an English Proficiency Test upon application. Proficient students will be able to advance to the course of their choice and an English Proficiency Programme will be offered to students who were found not competent in English, before they can advance to the course of their choice.

It is Official – Erongo Red tariffs up by 10.2%

SOME THINGS

• Toy/replica guns (metal or plastic) • Catapults/Crossbows • Household cutlery • Knives with blades of any kind

productive contributors to the working environment,” de Klerk explained.

The college will offer internationally accredited courses from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) and the National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA) as well as the very popular International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL).

As a second phase the College will launch tourism, maritime, and transport and logistics courses towards the beginning of 2015.

In light of the recently implemented VET Levy, the

The International Vocational College is a wholly owned subsidiary of the International School of Walvis Bay, a Cambridge School of Excellence.

Classes will be offered in the afternoons and evenings at the International School building in town, corner of Hage Geingob and Eleventh Road. Afternoon classes will start at 14:00 and end at 17:00, and the Evening classes will be from 17:30 to 20:30. The college is seeking the service of independent qualified trainers and assessors to teach during the afternoons and evenings. A formal advertisement will be placed in local newspapers, de Klerk said.

Last week ErongoRed officially announced the approved tariff increase of 10.2%, which is lower than Nampowers’ tariff increase of 13.22%; however, the true impact on ErongoRed will be about 15%, CEO Robert Kahimise stated.

The electricity increase has come into effect on Tuesday, sparing only registered pensioners and low income segment customers on the 30Amps breaker size.

“The reason for the increase is to ensure cost reflectivity and also to recoup N$28 million for the ongoing Walvis Bay Bulk upgrade,” Kahimise said during his address to the media. According to Kahimise, Erongo Red looked at various factors, such as the impact of the increase by Nampower on Erongo Red, the impact on the end-user, as well as the envisaged capital projects, before submitting their proposed tariff increase.

On the bright side, which might come as a surprise to many, Erongo Red actually has the lowest electricity tariffs in the whole of Namibia. Kahimise also gave a nice N$1 breakdown of how the money is spent.

“If you take a one dollar, between 60 & 65 cents go to Nampower, 14 cents go to our local authority (WB Municipality) and 14 cents goes towards remuneration

for ErongoRed,” he explained.

According to Erongo Red, the power supply situation in Namibia will remain critical until the commissioning of a base load power station.

Currently Namibia imports approximately 60% of its electricity from South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and in the dry months of September, October and November up to 80%.

Over the past five years, the electricity cost at a national level has

increased on an average of 16%, and Erongo RED anticipates that this trend will continue for the next few years until some of the envisaged electricity projects at the national level such as Kudu Gas become operational.

“The sad reality is that we are using electricity that we do not have. Our peak demand continues to increase annually by 4.7%. Therefore I would like to appeal to all electricity consumers to use electricity sparingly,” Kahimise said.

tied up

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Tel: +264 64 27 5480

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OUT

03 July 2014

Free This Week With Your F r e e T h i s We e k W i t h Yo u r

info@namibindependent.com.na

Celebrity homes This month we look at the homes of our most loved celebritries.

Tel +264 64 200497

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081 922

See Special Our Special Offer Alarm on Page 15!!! on Page 12

The Dempsey Family Home Grey's Anatomy fans - you're going to love this look inside Patrick Dempsey's incredible LA Home. Designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, Dempsey shows off his abode with his jewellery-designing wife Jillian, cute seven year-old twin boys Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen, daughter Tallulah Fyfe, and his French bulldog Horton.

Key features include a herb and vegetable garden built from reclaimed

scaffolding, outdoor dining area with a pizza oven and an Airstream trailer in the backyard.

Dempsey told the magazine: "We were looking for a little land and space, and a house with some architectural significance...The exterior's simplicity appealed to me, and the inside felt very expansive and calming. Everywhere you looked there was something visually pleasing."

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Thursday, 03 July 2014

DeGeneres and De Rossi Beverly Hills Pad Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres at their Beverly Hills house, which was designed by architects Buff & Hensman and later expanded by decorator Melinda Ritz.

In a sitting area adjacent to the kitchen, an 18th-century French worktable is paired with a suite of vintage bentplywood chairs by Gerald Summers; the large painting is an Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat collaboration, and the drawing to its left is by Bill Traylor.

The cocktail table is 19th-century Belgian, the torchère is by Waldo’s Designs, and the Kirman rug is antique.

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The Red House, No 114, 6th Street, Walvis Bay

Chanté - 081 667 4694 chante@namibindependent.com.na Hilda - 081 617 5889 hilda@namibindependent.com.na

Those who imagine a sprawling palace staffed with a battalion of liveried footmen proffering protein shakes on silver trays have missed the mark. The reality of Bündchen and Brady’s life in Los Angeles’s Brentwood neighborhood is far more-dare we say it?—normal.

“I like simplicity and coziness,” says the renowned Brazilian beauty.

“I want to live in a place that feels like a real home, where you can put your feet up on the couch and just relax.” Brady seconds the notion: “Gisele and I have eight sisters between us, and there are lots of kids. We built this house as a sanctuary for our family—a place where we can enjoy being together."

Hilary Swank’s Swanky Apartment Hilary's Living Area (Right) In the living area of her Manhattan apartment, which was designed by Mark Zeff, the sofas, tables, and rug are by Calvin Klein Home.

Hilary's Master Bathroom (Bottom Right) Mark Zeff designed the master bath's walls and floors; they are sheathed in travertine, and the shower is tiled with Cipollino tumbled marble.

Hilary's Master Bedroom (Below) A wall of the master bedroom is covered in a silk by MDC Wallcoverings, and the bed, bedding, bedside tables, and rug are by Calvin Klein Home; the side table and lamps are vintage, and the painting is by Carlos Vega.

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The Smith Family Home Exterior The Smiths’ adobe-style house, designed by Stephen Samuelson with architect Harry Perez-Daple; the interiors are by Judith Lance.

Kitchen In the kitchen, Samuelson fashioned cabinetry from 19th-Century Nuristani oak panels.

Dining Room The dining room features a custom-made table sheathed in lacquered linen; the walnut dining chairs with bronze-staple detailing are upholstered in a Beacon Hill fabric, and the silk-and-wool area rug is from Woven Accents.

Master Suite The master suite includes a custom-made bed with a draped canopy of brass ball chains, as well as lounge chairs upholstered in an Old World Weavers cotton with matching chain fringe. The repoussé drum stool is by Robert Kuo; the hand-knotted-silk area rug, designed by Lance, was made by Tai Ping.

Pool The free-form pool, designed by the estate’s landscape architect, Daniel Busbin.

Bette Midler Divine Home Living Area Ebonised vintage furnishings by the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann sharpen the neutral-tone living area, which also includes a pendant light of his design. The curtains are made of a Scalamandré silk, the cocktail table is by Fernando Santangelo, and the button-tufted armchairs are from Olivier Watelet; Midler found the Art Deco carpet on a trip to Paris.

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Sunroom Lanterns made from vintage kimonos jazz up the main-floor alcove Midler calls the sunroom. The armchairs (one is Napoléon III, the others are custom-made reproductions) are clad in a handstenciled fabric by Off-White Castle Studio; the lamps were acquired at a Paris flea market, the Jacques Grange tables are from Galerie du Passage, and the carpet is vintage Vanessa Bell.

woRking aCCoRding to inteRnational monitoRing and Response standaRds

Terrace Shade-loving plants such as foxgloves, hostas, spirea, and English and Boston ivies grow on a terrace. ‘Alchemist’ climbing roses flourish on the adjacent terrace; the cushions on the McKinnon and Harris chairs are clad in a Perennials fabric, and the steel-and-glass railing is a Sawyer|Berson design.

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Worldwide News | 13

Thursday, 03 July 2014

W orldwid e Oldest Human Poop Tells ‘Alcoholic’ Two-YearUs What Neanderthals Ate Old Boy Prefers Bottles A new study of ancient faeces yields the first direct evidence that they had varied diet: meat heavy yes, but with plant tissue from tubers, berries, and nuts on the side.

Previous work with isotopes of bone fragments, dentition analyses, and plant microfossils discovered in Neanderthal teeth have suggested that our prehistoric cousins ate an assortment of foods.

But maybe the plants came from the stomach contents of their prey, or perhaps the plants got stuck when they used their teeth as tools for biting. For instance, just last week, we learned that Neanderthals may have used their teeth as a “third hand” for gripping objects, leaving their two hands free. So, a team led

by Ainara Sistiaga from the University of La Laguna in

Spain looked for a more direct approach.

Working in El Salt in Alicante, Spain -- a Middle Palaeolithic Neanderthal site dating back 50,000 years -- the researchers identified human faecal remains among varying layers of soil and ash. They used a technique usually reserved for detecting gut bacteria (and hence faeces) in drinking water.

Poo is “the perfect evidence,” Sistiaga explains to BBC. “If you find it in the faeces, you are sure that it was ingested.”

They scooped up about 10 grams of the sediment, ground it into a powder, and used multiple solvents to extract all the organic matter. Then they analysed each sample of excrement for metabolised versions of animal-derived cholesterol, as well as a cholesterol-like compound found in plants, called phytosterol. All five of the samples showed signs of meat consumption, although two of them showed traces of plant matter – the first direct evidence that Neanderthals may have enjoyed an omnivorous diet.

The work was reported in PLoS ONE this week. Here are some photos of slightly burned fossilised faeces (or coprolites) that were found near fire pits (which were not active when the faeces

were deposited, naturally).

Even though the plant biomarker was found in just two samples, that still indicates that substantial helpings of plant matter were ingested. Gram for gram, there is more cholesterol in meat than there is phytosterol in plants, so it would take a significant plant intake to produce even a small amount of metabolised phytosterol, Sistiaga explains. Neanderthals probably ate what was available to them during different situations, seasons, and climates. The traditional view of our extinct cousins is that they depended too much on meat, Science reports, whereas modern humans are more versatile, surviving on a broad spectrum of edibles.

Source: http://www.iflscience.com

A sea creature that looked like a stack of tiny ice cream cones is providing quite a treat for scientists studying the dawn of animal life on Earth. Researchers said on Thursday they found fossils of the oldestknown animal-made reef in Namibia, built by a small, filter-feeding seabed creature called Cloudina 548 million years ago.

The discovery indicates that important evolutionary developments were unfolding millions of years before the so-called Cambrian explosion when many of the major animal groups first appeared.

It also showed that reef building by marine invertebrates, akin to today's coral reefs, began 18 million years earlier

than previously known.

Cloudina, one of Earth's earliest-known animals, was the first one with a hard skeleton, in this case an outer shell. Its fossils have been found in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa but it had not been known that it built reefs - a collective activity that helps gain protection from predators and improves food gathering.

The reefs - now on dry land in southern Namibia - were small, about three to six feet across (1 to 2 meters), and stood alongside larger ones made by microbes.

Cloudina, perhaps related to jellyfish, corals and sea anemones, was up to six inches long (15 cm) with a diameter of about threetenths of an inch (8 mm).

"Cloudina's key innovation was the skeleton

– it is the first animal known to have produced any kind of bio-mineralised skeleton.

Skeletons have been especially important in the history of animal evolution, providing support, protection and mineral storage," University of Edinburgh geoscientist Amelia Penny said.

The skeleton is made up of a series of long, nested conical structures which fit one inside another, a bit

like a stack of ice cream cones. Scientists think the animal itself occupied only the top cone of the stack so that - like some modern corals - a small living animal was supported by a larger, unoccupied skeleton that grew over time. It lived during the Ediacaran Period, a remote time in Earth's history that preceded the torrent of animal evolution seen in the Cambrian Period that followed. The oldest animal fossils date from the Ediacaran.

"Traditionally, the Ediacaran period has been

viewed as a time when animal ecologies were quite simple," University of Edinburgh geoscientist Rachel Wood said.

"It's becoming clear that some of the evolutionary innovations of the Cambrian had precursors in the Precambrian. The discovery of reef-building animals in the Ediacaran adds to that picture of early animals dealing with a wider, more complex range of ecological pressures than we expect for the Ediacaran."

Reefs gave the creatures’ access to nutrient-rich water currents amid growing competition for food and living space.

They attached to fixed surfaces and to one another with a natural cement of calcium carbonate to make rigid structures and aligned with a current to filter out passing food particles.

Life on Earth emerged in the primordial oceans.

These Cloudina reefs were the earliest known animalbuilt structures.

The earliest reefs of any kind were built by microbes more than 3 billion years ago.

Source: The Journal Science and http://www. reuters.com

Just weeks after a shocking video emerged of a toddler smoking cigarettes in China, comes another disturbing story of a two-year-old boy reportedly addicted to alcohol.

Cheng Cheng prefers wine and bottles of beer to milk, according to the Shanghaiist, and is known as ‘Little Winebibber’ by local media. His parents are being investigated by local authorities after he was pictured drinking from a bottle of alcohol and they could now place the toddler into permanent care. He allegedly first tried alcohol at ten months when his father dipped his chopsticks in some wine for him to try. Cheng can drink a bottle of beer without

any noticeable effects, according to his parents, and throws tantrums if they do not give him beer.

“His eyes are always on the alcohol bottles. We can only try our best to store the bottles in a place, which is not seen by him,” explained his aunt Cai Teng. “As sometimes he

is really noisy, we have no option but to let him try a little bit of wine.”

Cheng’s aunt insists the family will no longer give the toddler any more alcohol, with a meeting set to determine the child’s future this week.

Source: http://metro. co.uk

red

power to the people

POWER OUTAGE KARIBIB TOWN, WALLASTONE MINE & GOSSOW TOWN

Notice is hereby given that the electricity supply will be interrupted on the following date: DATE: DAY: TIME:

10 July 2014 Thursday 07:00 – 17:00

The power outage will affect the power supply to all customers in: • Karibib Town • Wallastone Mine • Gossow Town • NamWater • Telecom / TN Mobile • MTC The reason for the power outage is for NamPower to do transformer and switchgear maintenance. Erongo RED will also utilise the time to perform maintenance on the network.

Erongo RED regrets any inconvenience which may result from this outage.

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of Beer to Milk

14 | Lifestyle

Thursday, 03 July 2014

LIFESTYLE To Witness Your

Child’s Death

is the Worst Thing For the first time since the loss of their son Kadian in a cycling accident, author Thomas Harding and his wife Debora speak about how they coped with their grief.

Thomas Harding and his wife Debora have been through something no parent should ever have to face. Two years ago next month, Thomas went cycling in the Wiltshire countryside on a sunny summer’s day with his son Kadian, 14. Cycling was a favourite family activity, but on this occasion Kadian’s sister Sam, then 13, was at summer camp, and Debora was working in Washington. Kadian turned to his dad and said: “It’s so beautiful here,” and took off down a hill. These were the last words he spoke. His brakes failed, he was hit by a van at the foot of the hill, suffered catastrophic head injuries (despite wearing a helmet), and died instantly.

Paramedics at the scene tried to resuscitate him – but to no avail.

Kadian had been worried about his brakes and had taken the bike to be repaired that morning.

The Hardings are suing the bike repair shop.

Thomas, 45, author of the best-seller Hanns and Rudolf: the German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz, was cycling behind his son that day.

He felt a growing horror as Kadian’s bike gathered speed, and he saw the accident happen.

“It was the worst thing that anyone can experience,” he says. “I had witnessed the violent death of my child.”

In the months that followed, he sank into a miasma of grief, shock, trauma and disbelief, and turned to writing a private diary to chronicle his thoughts and feelings. Two years on, with Debora’s encouragement, he has allowed it to be published.

One can understand Thomas’s initial hesitation.

It is a raw and compelling read, weaving between the accident, its aftermath, precious moments in Kadian’s life and the unique relationship between a father and son.

“I wanted to introduce Kadian to people so they would know how special he was,” he says. The book is also a forensic analysis of bereavement, in which Thomas bares his soul.

“I am naked in my grief,” he writes. “The pain is unbearable.”

I ask Thomas if writing had been cathartic. “Don’t say 'cathartic’,” he replies.

“It hasn’t been at all. I don’t feel better for it. It was just something I had to do.”

Kadian was a remarkable child. At 10 he made a list of “25 random observations about myself” on Facebook, including: “I have always wondered why we bathe instead of vacuum ourselves off.” He loved his German shepherd dog, Duke, was a computer whizz and by 14 had made more than 25 podcasts and films.

It is not easy to find the right thing to say to anyone who is bereaved – and in his book Thomas criticises those who “want to say the right thing but get it wrong.

People come up to us and say: 'There are no words.’

But there are so many words, including, 'How the ---- can this happen to us?’ ” Now, he says: “The best way to handle it is to say: 'I am really sorry,’ and let the person who has suffered the loss drive the conversation.”

We talk in the family home in Hampshire.

Debora, 50, who has US and UK citizenship, has just had an operation on her knee and sits with her leg up on a stool. Crutches are close by.

It is their first interview together since Kadian’s death, and they are vulnerable and selfprotective.

Everyone grieves in a different way, and I wonder if Debora agreed with everything in

Kadian Journal, A Father’s Story.

“I had no idea what was in the book until it was finished,” she says, looking tearfully at Thomas, “and I was stunned by it. It was as if he had tapped a vein and allowed himself to bleed and bleed.”

“I was incredibly anxious about her reaction,” Thomas adds.

“I waited downstairs for eight hours while she read it upstairs.”

Born in London, Thomas is a Cambridge graduate and worked in television and journalism before becoming an author.

He and Debora – who ran a chain of cycle shops in Washington – met on a charity bike ride across the US in 1987. They were married for five years before they decided to have a child.

“I was originally reluctant to be a father,” Thomas admits, “but was evangelical about it once Kadian was born. It became clear to me that I wanted to be at least half involved in the child care.”

In 2001, they moved to the US, where Thomas published a newspaper in West Virginia, before returning to Britain in 2011, setting up a TV station in Oxford. Both parents talk about Kadian in the present and the past, often in the same sentence; a small indication of how hard it is to assimilate the brutal reality.

“We were so shattered,” Debora says. “It was so atrocious and such a horror I kept thinking it can’t be. I had to learn how to speak, eat and walk again.”

“Grief wipes out your judgment and energy levels,” Thomas adds. “I am incapable of working as I used to. We both gave up our businesses in America.”

How is their daughter coping? “Sam is so close in age to Kadian that it is very hard, and she has a huge range of emotions to grapple with.”

In the autumn of 2012,

Thomas found he could concentrate on editing Hanns and Rudolf. The book, published last year, is dedicated to Kadian.

“It was sold to a publisher just before Kadian was killed, and working on words, spelling and grammar gave me something practical to do,” he says. Reading helped a little, too.

“I needed a roadmap out of our new-found hell,” Thomas explains. “I felt surely there was someone who could help us.”

They found a connection with CS Lewis’s A Grief Observed and Nicholas Wolterstorff’s Lament for a Son. Today, they are both undergoing therapy.

“I was truly broken and didn’t want to live,” Thomas reveals. “It has been good for me to find someone who has wisdom and perspective and says you have the right to have gone mad.” The Child Bereavement Trust has also been helpful.

“For the first three months, friends sorted out our food and it took another three before we sat down to eat a proper cooked meal,” Debora recalls. “Neither of us had the energy or brain power to think ahead and get food in the house or work out what to cook.”

Debora has been helped by a personal trainer. “It has changed me from not wanting to get out of bed to giving me a change of energy.”

She has set up a website dedicated to Kadian.

Thomas, understandably, no longer enjoys cycling.

“I feel unstable and unsafe on a bike,” he says. “Walking in the countryside helps with my trauma and shock, but I can’t cope when there are cars around. People tell me I am doing better, but it depends on the day.

“Nor can I deal with even mild conflict. Luckily we have created a bubble for ourselves where we feel safe, which sometimes is as small as our bedroom.

Other times I try to test the edges, and if it hurts too much, I back out.”

They say they are “closer than ever” as a family. “I couldn’t have got through this without Deb,” says Thomas.

Shortly before Kadian was killed, Thomas told his son off for fighting with his sister. Later Thomas felt he had been too tough; at midnight, seeing the light in Kadian’s bedroom still on, he knocked at the door. They apologised to each other, hugged, and then Kadian said: “Best father in the world.”

Thomas replied: “Best son in the world.”

It’s a moment Thomas will always remember.

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| 15

Thursday, 03 July 2014

It Happened to ME! Being Married

to a Sex Addict –

Coastal Woman

Shares her Nightmare Tanya Calitz

MUNICIPALITY OF WALVIS BAY (An equal opportunity Employer) The Municipal Council of Walvis Bay offers the following opportunities to Namibian Citizens in the:

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OFFICER: CUSTOMER SERVICE (PATTERSON GRADE LEVEL B3)

Purpose of the Job To effectively and efficiently resolve customer queries and complaints in accordance with the Customer Service Policy and to serve as an accessible source of information for the public.

Key Performance Areas • • • •

Applications for supply or discontinuation of services Customer queries and complaints on services and billing Information schedules and internal memoranda Administrative duties

Qualifications and Experience • •

Grade 12 (minimum of 23 points) with Accounting 3 years experience in a customer service /helpdesk position of which at least 1 year shoul have been in a local authority of similar size and complexity

Remuneration The remuneration package will be market related, inclusive of competitive service benefits.

Applicants are advised to apply by forwarding a cover letter, a comprehensive CV and certified copies of qualifications and any other relevant documents to: The Manager: Human Resources Private Bag 5017 Walvis Bay Hand delivered applications can be submitted at the entrance of the main building (front desk of the Security Officer).

Further information is obtainable from the Assistant HR Practitioner, Ms. Ewaltine !Noarises at telephone number 064-2013306.

E-mail and fax applications are not acceptable.

Closing date: Thursday, 24 July 2014 Notice no 54/2014

“Having to watch my husband have sex with a much younger woman in our bedroom in front of me was bad enough, but then he wanted me to have sex with other men in front of him so that he could be entertained. That is where I had to draw the line.

“The first year of our marriage was quite difficult, seeing that *Ben drank a lot, but after giving his heart to the Lord, he stopped his drinking completely and our marriage became a whole lot better.

We still had challenges to work through, but at least he was not drinking. Only after ten years of marriage his dark sexual side came out,” says *Karin.

“We decided to relocate to another town, so he went ahead and I followed six months after, once I finalised things in the old town. I first noticed something was off when I arrived at our new house, and Ben insisted we sleep on separate beds.

He said that I kept him awake by moving around too much. We had two single beds pushed next to each other. I was not happy about this at all. Then I started noticing how he would talk to young girls and the way he would touch them inappropriately.

“Not long after that I started hearing rumours of my husband in town.

Rumours had it that he was touching girls inappropriately and made them feel uncomfortable. He also made them uncomfortable with the things he said.

I spoke to one of the girls he apparently touched inappropriately and she let the cat out of the bag. She said that she was lying down one afternoon for a rest and when she woke he was stroking her breasts and fingering her. I was sick to the stomach.

I could not believe what I just heard. I always looked up to him, because he was such a good Christian man, but now I was not so sure anymore.

“I confronted him and said that I will forgive him for it this time, but that we had to sleep in a double bed together again.

About three months after that he started drinking again. He would come home drunk, reeking of alcohol. More strange things would occur. All of a sudden he was very secretive and obsessive over his cell phone. He would take it everywhere with him. The strangest thing that started happening was the fact that he would wash his own underwear. I was too shocked and scared to ask questions and did not want to upset him.

One night he disappeared. His car

was at home, but he was nowhere to be seen. I took a walk around the house and caught him peeping through a window at two girls having a bath, while relieving himself. I was disgusted. Again I was too afraid to confront him. That night I had terrible dreams. I dreamt that there was a pregnant woman on my bed and that a snake tried to come into our bedroom, but instead it went into the kids’ room where many toys were lying on the floor.

“He became more possessive over his phone and I would catch him constantly masturbating in the bathroom or other random places. Then finally one night I got hold of his phone. What I discovered to my shock and disgust was loads of porn and messages from women saying that they are back in town and what to f* him again, etc. I started to uncover this whole sickening secret sexual world of porn and infidelity he was living in. I was sick to the stomach. There was my Christian husband, addicted to porn and sex with strangers, spending loads of money on his sexual desires and alcohol.

“I finally had the courage to confront him about it all. To my shock and surprise he started confessing. He told me that he had sex with strangers every week and that he would pick up whores and dirty women from the shebeens. He admitted that he did not know how to stop. I told him that I want us to work and try again.

He agreed, but it only lasted a week.

I’m not sure how it happened but before I knew it he was bringing home strange women and would have sex with them in front of me. He wanted me to do the same, but I would never stoop that low. One of the girls stayed in our bedroom for two weeks and I had to be exposed to them having sex constantly.

“Eventually I could not take it any longer and chased her out. A short while after he told me that he fathered another baby with one of his whores. He suggested that we raise the child, but I could not. Finally I found the courage to divorce him, find a job and move out. I decided the only way for me to heal was by forgiving him and realising that I am so much better off without him. It has been several years, but I am healed and know that I deserve much much more. I hope other women will read this and have the courage to walk out of a sexual abusive relationship.”

All names have been changed to protect their identities.

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