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Independent Namib
Tel: 064 200497
Like a newspaper, only better!
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Issue 145 - Thurs, 23 April 2015 to Wed, 29 Apr 2015
Diamond Arrow Winner Best Community Newspaper 2014
There was just no time to put the life jackets on ... "
Gang of thieves patrolling Walvis Bay town centre
Buks Fourie on the tragedy at Vierkantklip on Tuesday morning.
Dramatic increase in vehicle break-ins. See Page 5
Public turns back on Walvis Bay SPCA
See Page 5
Emergency Services and volunteers salvage the boat's wreckage on Tuesday morning.
Black Dawn at Vierkantklip Sharon Brooks One man is missing and presumed dead after a ski-boat named “Hot Stuff” carrying four passengers capsized offshore from Vierkantklip just south of Swakopmund on Tuesday Morning. The owner of the boat, Buks Fourie was accompanied by Pieter van den Heever, Petrus Shifeni and another unknown man who went out on the boat at 07h00 on Tuesday morning to catch Kabeljou. Although the identity of the fourth passenger has not yet been confirmed, witnesses at the scene said that the man is known as Petrus and that he had decided to join the fishing trip that morning. Rough Seas At roughly 08h30, the drama began
to unfold as the crew dropped anchor off shore from Vierkantklip. The anchor rope got tangled in the engine and snapped; soon after, the force of the waves turned the boat and due to the rough seas at the time it was not long before the boat began to capsize. Mr Fourie was reportedly initially trapped under the vessel but managed to escape. The passengers clung to the overturned boat but the waves soon separated them from the vessel. It was at this time that the fourth passenger “Petrus” began to panic. He clung desperately to Mr Fourie, pulling him under the water and making it impossible for either of them to swim to shore. The waves separated Petrus from the rest of the passengers and he was lost soon after. Mr Fourie and Mr van den Heever managed to swim onto the rocks, but
Petrus Shifeni struggled desperately to keep afloat about 100 m off shore, periodically disappearing under the water.
In Trouble Rudi Horn was on a boat with a group of tourists in the area when Hot Stuff ran into trouble. When he realised that the boat was going to capsize he immediately contacted Seef and Louis Odendaal for assistance. They reported the accident to Sea Rescue and rushed to the scene. Hans Kaas was already on the beach as he planned to go out diving that day and once he noticed that Petrus Shifeni was in trouble, he swam out and managed to begin bringing him back to shore, however, about halfway back, Kaas was absolutely exhausted. Louis and Seef Odendaal swam out to bring Petrus the rest of the way to shore. Once on the rocks, Petrus was Continued on Page 3
Mineworkers still fighting for pension pay-outs Jade McClune The long-running – and as yet unresolved – dispute between the trustees of the Rössing Pension Fund and former mine employees is set to take a new turn as the matter heads to the High Court. The former mineworkers are challenging the way in which the Rössing Pension Fund (RPF) surplus was to be distributed. Some are sorely aggrieved that the process of paying out the surplus has dragged on for so many years, given that many of the beneficiaries have already died. One of the former members said this week that they are fighting to ensure that the next-of-kin and the dependents of those members who have since died receive the pension
payout, as the “payment was supposed to be made a long time ago”. In September 2012 the former members lodged an application to the High Court to review and set aside the distribution formula implemented by the trustees. According to the plan put forward by the trustees of the RPF in 2012, the former members would only get 15% of the total surplus, while 33% would go to the employer’s surplus account. Current and active members would receive 29.1%, plus 2% holiday reserve, while pensioners would get the remaining 20%. The former members are in Continued on Page 3