Namib Independent Issue 97 by The Namib Independent

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Issue 97 - Thursday, 01 May 2014 to Wednesday, 07 May 2014

DANGEROUS UV LEVELS

FIRST SOLAR HYBRID PLANT

VIRGINITY AUCTION

dad marries daughter

Chinese

Convicts at

Namport? We set record straight. Siglinde de Villiers Following complaints made to the Namib Independent by staffers at Namport, it appeared that on the very first day of the project, on-going fears that numerous and much needed employment opportunities for manual labourers had been awarded to Chinese nationals, to the detriment of local residents, had become a reality. Irate industrial insiders contacted

the Namib Independent to highlight that a group of Chinese workers seemingly appeared out of the blue last Wednesday (23 April) morning and swiftly proceeded to engage in numerous manual labour tasks at the far end of the docks. “They simply pitched this morning out of nowhere. I do not know where they came from or where they stay, but we are Continued on Page 2

Swakop to Pay More for Water Lavrenty Repin

9m³-30 m³ - 5% increase 30m³-60m³ - 7.5% increase As of 1st July 2014, the 60 m³ and above – 7.5% following tariff increases will increase apply to all Swakopmund Sewerage – 20% increase residents using the services. Refuse removal – 10% increase

further see a 10% hike as well as a projected 10 – 12% increase for the Municipal Bungalows. The increase, which was presented during last week’s budget speech states its reasoning as follows: “It is anticipated Water (only the staggered The Sport facilities & Town that Namwater will implement tariffs): Halls and Assessment rates will tariff increases on the bulk

purchase for water applicable to us. The effect hereof is not yet known and Council will be informed once this information is available.” It is followed by a recommendation for tariff increases. Namwater long-time PR Officer, John Shiikwa, explained

“

the increase has not been made public

“

Despite No Plan to Increase Rates By Namwater

that “the increase has not been made public” because it hasn’t yet been deliberated on. “We review every financial year and the committee decides if an increase is applicable”.

Presently, Shiikwa confirmed, the review has not yet taken place and a proposed date for the review could not be verified. Shiikwa said that there is “no tangible plan” to increase the water prices. He said that the Municipalities work independently and can decide to increase at their Continued on Page 3

2 | News

Thursday, 01 May 2014

Woermann House

Renovations

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Woermann House, behind Woermann Brock, is the historical centre of Swakopmund, appreciated by local and international tourists alike for its rich turbulent history, old German architecture and vantage tower, which gives a remarkable view point of the quirky coastal town. Sadly though, the conditions that Swakopmund’s oldest building has found itself in is an eyesore for many proud residents, which is why the news that the Swakopmund municipality is planning to begin with overdue renovations are on one hand genuinely welcomed by the community but on the other, received with reserved scepticism. The Woermann House most popular attractions is the Art gallery, the public library and the tower, receiving between 40 and 50 visitors daily. However that number goes to as high as 200 during peak season. Despite popularity, one of the librarians told Namib Independent that there hasn’t been any renovations done in the past ten years, besides repainting of courtyard for the 100 year anniversary of the building in 2005. Since then, the paint in the courtyard has peeled in many places, the canopy collapsed, as well as parts of the fence and walls have been damaged, while many maintenance issues persist. The history of the Woermann House, as told by Adolf Brock, during an interview, is as turbulent and unpredictable as the history of Namibia. The Woermann House was official open on the 17th of November, 1905, as housing quarters for the General Manager of the already operating Woermann Brock store, and its staff. The large stylish house

To Volker and Family We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of your daughter

Daniella Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time From everyone at the Namib Independent

weather

was designed with high profile German visitors in mind, the dining room alone could accommodate 60 people. The popular tower was originally excluded from the design, but came into existence as a beacon for ships entering the Swakopmund harbour. When First World War came to Namibia, the tower was used as a lookout for ships, and although (or because) it had strategic value, the Woermann house was spared when a British ship shelled Swakopmund, in the process destroying the jetty and what is now the museum. When the British occupied Swakopmund, the commanding officer and other officers used the Woermann house as residents, including Louis Botha. “Naturally the best residents in town was selected for him” Adolf Brock remarked. A Somewhat anticlimactic turn for the building came after the war, when Woermann Brock could no longer afford to keep it and it was sold to the British administration and turned into a hostel for school children. In 1967 the already historic structure was scheduled for demolishing, but the monument commission successfully turned it into a national monument and in 1973 it was transferred to the Swakopmund municipality, which began restorations in 1975, for an amount of N$230 thousand. Presently, the municipality earmarked 19,5 million for four separate projects, including the construction of an SME park and multipurpose centre and renovation of museum and Woermann House. They couldn’t provide any additional information, budget specifics or completion date for the project. However at a time when German history is treated with animosity by many Namibian politicians, a breath of fresh air comes from the municipality as it considers the future of the monument, an architectural giant that managed to survive two world wars and three reoccupations, in its 109 year history, and hopefully, with adequate care will stand for a 100 more. Disclaimer: Namib Independent is published by Halfround Communications CC. All rights are reserved. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within, no liability can be accepted by the publishers or contributors for any errors, misstatements or omissions which may have occurred. The opinions expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Also, the publishers accept no legal liability regarding copyright ownership for material which was supplied directly to the publishers by any of the advertisers or contributors.

Tel (+264 64) 200 497 Email info@namibindependent.com.na

Sales Chanté Nell 081 667 4694 chante@namibindependent.com.na Gareth Amos 081 128 2197 gareth@namibindependent.com.na Design Maggie's Attic Graphic Design Address 127 Theo Ben Gurirab Street (MVA Office Complex) PO Box 5085, Walvis Bay, Namibia

Swakopmund

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Cape Town Johannesburg Port Elizabeth Durban Luanda Harare Gaborone

1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 23/13 23/13 23/17 27/16 21/14 18/12 19/14 23/10 24/10 23/10 23/10 22/10 13/10 19/13 29/20 29/20 28/19 34/20 26/19 21/18 23/18 25/17 29/16 32/16 31/18 31/18 31/19 30/17 29/22 31/22 31/21 31/20 31/20 31/21 29/21 27/12 26/11 25/12 26/12 26/11 26/13 25/12 26/13 29/13 27/13 27/12 26/12 26/14 23/12

News | 3

Thursday, 01 May 2014

Chinese Convicts Swakop to at Namport? Pay More for Water Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1 not happy about them,” the industry insider said. He led the way to where a group of about 20 Chinese workers, dressed identically in brand new bright orange uniforms and red hard hats, were casually carrying around big pipes and connecting them. Laughing and chatting amongst themselves as they carried out their tasks, they greeted in a friendly manner, but were short of words for lack of English vocabulary. “The pipes are meant to assist in the port expansion,” the industry insider explained. “Does it look like the work requires a lot of skill and expertise?” he asked. “They are doing manual labour that could have been done by Namibians,” he exclaimed. “There are so many people in Kuisebmund that cannot afford to eat three meals a day because they do not have any work. Why could they not be called in for carrying around and connecting the pipes?” another Namport employee asked. “We constantly hear that the Namport expansion is all about job creation for Namibians, but when it comes to action, we see a totally different side of the story,” yet another Namport employee lamented. Additional charges were made with respect to the suitability of the actual workers to be employed in Namibia at all. “We have heard that these manual labourers from China are actually prisoners that they send to Namibia to carry out these low level jobs,” said one of the Namport staff. This allegation is a persistent one in Namibia across all sectors including manufacturing and construction, and is an ever present perception.

Upon contacting Namport for clarification on the allegations, a statement was released by the company. The statement however, is actually a statement made directly by t he Chinese Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), who have not only addressed the issue at hand, but have seemingly used the incident to allay unwarranted fears with regards to employment practices for the ongoing project. The Official statement by the Chinese Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) emphasised that CHEC submitted a very competitive price to win this Project, which was accompanied with stringent guidelines across the board including those which apply to recruitment procedures of the company. The restrictions on recruitment practices are unambiguous with regards to the percentage split between international and local employees. Addressing the more immediate issue about the group of workers in question, the statement highlights that CHEC is in the process of constructing a cofferdam, which will be used to contain the material dredged from the seabed and to create the new land for the terminal. The cofferdam is formed by the geotextile bags that are filled with sand. “To do this work, the Specialist pumping vessel with pipes for filling the sand into the geotextile bags was deployed from China last month. Some of the

Chinese crew who work on the vessel checked the equipment including the pipes to ensure that they are in good condition after such a long period at sea. According to CHEC such a check is systematic work and only the expert crew who work on the vessel can handle it, thereby refuting claims made by Namport workers that they were indeed carrying out manual labour tasks. With regards to the allegations that many of the Chinese Labourers are prisoners from mainland China who have been sent to Namibia for their cheap labour, the company categorically states that such claims are entirely unfounded. “All Chinese personnel employed for the duration of the new Walvis Bay Container Terminal Project were required to submit work permit applications as well as other documentation including but not limited to a notarised document confirming that they have no criminal record,” the company concluded. CHEC further added that they have employed a local human resources agency to manage their recruitment and employment procedures. “We met with the Labour Commissioner last month and will continue to work closely with them to ensure compliance with Namibian law. We are doing everything we can to create job opportunities for local people to benefit local society,” they said.

own transgression. He also pointed out that municipalities often increase their tariffs, sometimes in expectation of Namwater rises. “For instance, between 2010 and 2013 we didn’t increase our prices, but Municipalities across the country did, often attributing their decision to Namwater”.

Last year Namwater increased the City of Windhoek water tariffs by 15% as a result of backlog in payment, an unbalanced budget and a substantial deficit of over N$300 million. According to the Budget speech, the operational budget for Swakopmund reflects a deficit of N$ 2,5 million, which the Municipality hopes to transform into surplus by 30th June, 2015. It can then be assumed that perhaps the municipality has prepared in anticipation of the projected Namwater increase due to this deficit. The municipality didn’t comment on the matter in time for publication. The special Senior Citizens water basic tariff will remain unaffected at N$ 25-00 per month, which is inclusive of the 8 m³ water.

The Swakopmund Town Council’s Capital and Operational budget for 2014/2015 financial year tabled below: Swakopmund Municipality’s Capital Budget: The anticipated property sale transactions the Council will generate revenue in excess of N$ 90 million and this, together with current available funds, will place our Council in a more favourable position to finance the projects anticipated for 2014 / 2015 financial year. The projects included in the capital budget are as follows: 1.1 Formalisation of DRC informal area – N$ 24.2 million 1.2 Re-location of Sewerage block system – Mondesa/Tamariakia – N$8.5 million • The current situation in Mondesa of regular sewerage blockages is not reflecting the living standard our Council is wishing for its inhabitants to live in. 1.3 Provision of serviced land – Installation of services for Block 2 Tamariskia – N$ 19.4 million 1.4 Streets An amount of N$35.8 million is included in this budget for the resurfacing of streets and roads in Swakopmund. Council has taken up the initiative to provide the required material and Local Contractors are appointed to provide the required

labour. 1.5 Traffic Services – N$ 1.7 million The above provision will be utilised to replace current old fleet of the traffic section which is aimed at improving traffic related services. 1.6 Public Buildings – N$ 19.5 million Provision has been budgeted for completion of the Multi-Purpose centre, renovations of the Museum and Woermann House building and many other buildings of Council. 1.7 Cleansing Section – N$ 11.7 million This provision is made to improve on our current service delivery of refuse removal and also to cater for the newest development of our town. 1.8 Sewerage Works : N$ 39 million Above funding is earmark to complete the new effluent purified reservoir and also expand effluent water supply to the rest of the town, to develop public open spaces and also for development and enhancement of our parks and gardens. 1.9 Business and Market Malls – N$ 11.2 million As per Council's strategic plan, N$ 7million has been budgeted for the construction of the industrial park of which phase 1 will cater for Small and Medium Enterprises. The total capital budget amounts to N$ 175 million, of which N$ 88 million is in respect of continuation projects, and the remaining N$ 86 million is earmarked for the new projects.

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Thursday, 01 May 2014

Walvis Bay Customs Goes Paperless

Siglinde de Villiers Namibia has started with Customs and Excise Automation reforms, upgrading their systems from ASYCUDA++ to ASYCUDA World, and Walvis Bay will commence with their upgrades during

the month of May. For all those at the coast familiar with the old Customs system, the replacement will work like a dream. Not only will it align Namibian procedures with international standards and best practice, but it will also build e-government facilities that will speed up

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the clearing process. The new ASYCUDA World is an international system designed and developed by the United Nations Conference on Training and Development (UNCTAD). It differs to its predecessor in the sense that it is fully internet based. Also, the application is run on a Java platform which allows the user to modify the program at will. Bevan Simataa, Commissioner of Customs and Excise, told the Namib Independent that the new systems were made available to the Ministry of Finance with what is called a source code that enables the rights holder to domesticate the systems modules to their own specific requirements. “The Ministry of Finance thus owns the ASYCUDA World system and can change the business processes therein to meet their needs as and when they arise,” Simataa stated. ASYCUDA World also finds countrywide appeal because it can function on any hardware and operating system, allowing for high transaction volumes and has built in, state of the art security features. ASYCUDA++ proved to be a barrier to the Ministry of Finance’s objective of modernising the Customs and Excise department. “World trade is always changing and creates new challenges to all trade regulatory agencies. ASYCUDA World provides the solutions we need,” Simataa stated. According to the Commissioner, the ASYCUDA World system is planned to be finalised in four years. “The initial stage included a selection of staff for training in 2012 as well as bringing in experts from the United Nations to work with the project team in creating, testing and implementing the

business processes in the system,” Simataa explained. Even though the transition took two years to complete, it is still an ongoing process as the project team develops new ideas and faces new challenges in terms of system behaviour in the live environment. The ASYCUDA World system was piloted at the Eros Airport in November 2013. This allowed the system to run in live mode and helped the developer team address challenges and opportunities as they arose. Since April 2014, ASYCUDA World has been running at Hosea Kutako International Airport. As from the month of May, the new system will be implemented at Walvis Bay, changing how the logistics industry functions. For one, it is envisaged that the new system will provide increased services for the trade community. Internet access, simpler procedures and documentation promise faster processing of documents and less manual document handling. According to the Commissioner, there will also be improved communication between customs and stakeholders, due to the inbuilt e-mail facility as well as Customs declarations being submitted electronically. Due to automatic verification, validation and accounting of Customs declarations, it will take less time to clear goods. Another feature of Asycuda World is that it contains various risk management tools. The introductions of electronic manifest and system interface with Namport will ensure that all goods have been cleared before importation or exportation occurs. “Both parties will know exactly the status of

the consignment prior to and after clearance. This will help our stakeholders to experience quick transit through Namibia to other SADC/SACU destinations, particularly landlocked member states,” the Commissioner said. The new system is water tight. According to the Commissioner, one of the initiatives they want to implement in future is the interface with banks so that clients can make direct duty and taxes payments via electronic funds transfer. Thus customs will no longer deal with directly with money transactions. This will significantly reduce opportunities for bribery and fraud as well as smuggling. Nevertheless, ASYCUDA World will require additional staff and training. For this purpose, a timetable has been prepared as an ongoing training requirement prior to each site implementation. Namibia also has an ASYCUDA world web portal where application forms for user access are available to those working in the logistics industry. However, the user is required to be a customs registered clearing agent and must have gone through the training offered by the Customs and Excise. The new system also called for new laws and regulations. According to the Simataa, the customs procedures have been reviewed and enormously modified in order to facilitate trade efficiently and simplifying the process of clearance. The ASYCUDA World project is anticipated to be completed over a period of 4 years, covering the whole country. “We are confident that we will meet the deadline to roll out the system by the financial year 2015/2016,” the Commissioner concluded.

News | 5

Thursday, 01 May 2014

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11 MAY 2014 Call Chante on: 081 667 4694 or email: chante@namibindependent.com.na

Namib Independent Great news for the coast!

Wherever one elects throw ones gaze, new and frightening information ranging from the chemicals we inhale to the particles that permeate our skin, our glance is cast upon a never ending tirade on scary truths that attest to the sign of our times. The latest such stats staring us squarely between or literally in our eyes are the latest readings on the UV chart, depicting uncomfortably so, that the UV levels in Swakopmund this week are between 7 and 9, measured on an ascending scale with 11 being the highest. For the record 8 and above is classified “extremely high” by the World Health Organisation, which warns people to spend as little time outside as possible employing the dramatic slogan: “Avoid being outside during midday hours! Make sure you seek shade! Shirt, sunscreen and hats are a must!” The glaring and bitter truth is that here in Namibia, credited with some of the most dangerous UV conditions in the world (a 16 on the scale was recorded in 2007), we are stubbornly oblivious and unconcerned by the very real dangers that UV exposure possess. Sure, we’ll spurt some sunscreen now and again, but mainly one presumes because the inconvenience of burned skin surpasses the inconvenience of applying lotion – that is as far as most go, either out of laziness or poverty, but the consequences are in some cases grave. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise really, the sun’s core temperature is nearly 14 million Celsius, and although much of the harmful short UV rays are absorbed by the atmospheric ozone (thankfully), the larger ones (between 280 to 400 nm) do get to reach the earth’s surface. Seeing as the ozone layer has been slowly destroyed, over the past 100 years, by CFC’s, the amount and

intensity of UV expose has been increasing exponentially leading to an increase in skin cancer (which has doubled in the last 20 years in USA), vision complications, most prominently cataracts which affects 94 million people worldwide, 90% of which are from developing countries, and premature ageing. Because the effects take place over a long period of time, people are less inclined to act upon warnings, which has, since the 80s, been aggressively advertised to try to curb this growing health issue. The dangerous of UV radiation have been known for nearly a century when the first sun-glasses, which were meant to “ban rays” (i.e. ray bands) were introduced to aviation pilots in World War two. While one would not thing it, World War two is to thank for many useful inventions, including sunscreen, to protect soldiers in the Pacific. 80 years on, though, there is still no new solutions against UV radiations. UV exposure is directly responsible for at least 20% of skin cancer cases worldwide, in Namibia it is the most widespread cancer, roughly 1 person in a 100 000 dies from the often preventable ailment annually while statistics for affected survivors are not available. Although this fact is often understated, the risk of skin cancer and other skin risks dieses is dramatically (but not entirely) reduced by the melanin in a person’s skin: the darker the complexion, the less the risk. In this way, the linear scale is ambiguous, as it measures the risk in reference to pale complexioned adults. Unfortunately, skin complexity does not compensate for vision disabilities, and so in Namibia there is a high number of people suffering from poor vision, most prominently cataracts. When Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight, is absorbed by the lens of the eye, it can lead

to the formation of chemicals called “free radicals” inside the lens. Over time, “free radicals” may damage the lens, causing cataracts, which reduces vision significantly by making eyesight blurry or milky. Cataracts and other vision problems are enhanced by the Namibian market flooded with fake sunglasses that offer no protection against UV radiation and actually, increase its harm. In bright sunlight, your eyes will try to protect themselves from too much UV light by shrinking the size of the pupils. But when you put on a pair of sunglasses, light reaching your eyes is darker and so, naturally your pupils open up again. If your glasses don’t have UV protection, the harmful UV light is flooding through your wide open pupils into the back of your eyes. Because laws don’t exist yet to enforce UV protection, many brands, even expensive ones, don’t meet minimum standards for eye protection, and the “UV protection” labels found on most sunglasses are often arbitrary. Chronic exposure to the sun over time makes the skin become thick, wrinkled, and leathery. Since it occurs over many years after, the majority of people simply mistake it for premature aging, an unavoidable and normal part of growing older. However, up to 90% of the visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun, allowing masking and make-up companies to rake in millions. In developed countries people often sacrifice fashion for sun protection, yet most countries are geographically in the safe zone. In Namibia the risks are unparalleled. So take care to use sunscreen lotion, remember that Insect repellents containing “Deet” will decrease a product’s SPF by anywhere from 15-30%, cover up and spend a few bucks on some good shades.

6 | News

Thursday, 01 May 2014

FEI World Dressage Challenge in Walvis Bay The Walvis Bay Equestrian Centre has the honour to host the prestigious FEI World Dressage Challenge this year. This is an international competition that will take place from 6-10 May 2014, where all dressage riders world wide are divided into different groups. Namibia is part of Zone 11, together with Swaziland, Mauritius and Botswana. All riders from these countries participate against each other, in their own country on their own horses. This means that the judges responsible for Zone 11 will travel from one country to the next, to make it a fair and objective competition. In the past the judges were from France, Argentine and Russia and this year they will be from Finland and New Zealand. Namibia has always done very well in this and we are hoping to play a big part in it this year. To be able to secure this competition for Walvis Bay, the entire grounds had to be levelled and prepared, in order to conform to the international FEI rules and regulations. The Walvis Bay Equestrian Centre sincerely wants to thank all the companies and friends of WEC, who so generously gave donations and contributed towards the success of this competition. This event puts Walvis Bay on the map internationally. All reports, photos and

videos need to be send to Switzerland and we therefore aim to make it as perfect as possible. We would like to invite the public to come and support this event. Entry is free of charge. Food and refreshments will be for sale. Let the horses and riders enchant you with their skills and watch them dance. Programme: Tuesday: Arrival of Judges Wednesday: Vet Check for Horses Thursday: Competition Friday: Clinic for top 10 riders Saturday: Departure of Judges

2013 FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE NAMIBIAN RESULTS PRIX ST-GEORGES 1st Place Rider: Franziska Leinberger Horse: Adcon Camelot ADVANCED CLASS 2nd Place Rider: Alexandra Rohl Horse:Alpha So Cool 5th Place Rider: Franziska Leinberger Horse: Adcon Camelot MEDIUM CLASS 1st Place Rider: Alexandra Rohl 4th Place Rider: Jessica Bolleurs

ELEMENTARY CLASS JUNIORS 1st Place Rider: Candice Behrens Horse: Duneside Mandat 2nd Place Rider: Nadine Flemming Horse:Ginger 3rd Place Rider: Laura Braune Horse: Fighting Fund ELEMENTARY CLASS SENIORS 1st Place Rider: Gesa Flemming Horse: Seeis Shelton 2nd Place Rider: Silvia Kleyenstueber Horse:Baron V Sphinxblick 5th Place Rider: Kira Rohloff Horse: Dusty 6th Place Rider: Ingrid Kotze Horse:Sherpa 7th Place Rider:Jessica Bolleurs Horse:Beach Boy 9th Place Rider:Sonja Kipping Thirion Horse:Cassius 13th Place Rider:Desiree Kalish Horse:Kay PRELIMINARY CLASS JUNIORS 1st Place Rider: Tara Hein Horse;Gloorwin Max Havelaar 2nd Place Rider: Nadine Flemming Horse:Ginger 3rd Place Rider:Candice Behrens Horse: Duneside Mandat 12th Place Rider:Laura Braune Horse:Fighting Fund PRELIMINARY CLASS SENIORS 2nd Place Rider: Gesa Flemming Seeis Horse: Shelton 4th Place Rider: Silvia Kleyenstueber Horse: Baron V Sphinxblick 6th Place Rider: Kira Rohloff Horse: Okakambe Dusty 7th Place Rider: Gesche Gilchrist Horse: Capital Cheval 9th Place Rider: Desire Kalish Horse: Kay 10th Place Rider:Peter Kay Horse: Mr X 11th Place Rider: Sonja Kipping Thirion Horse:Cassius 12th Place Rider: Holger Kleyenstueber Horse: Sapphire 15th Place Rider: Salom Nghinamito Horse: In Kognito 18th Place Rider: Gesche Gilchrist Horse: Starwalker The Walvis Bay Equestrian Centre would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following sponsors:

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News | 7

Thursday, 01 May 2014

First Solar Hybrid Power Plant in Africa to be Built in Arandis

Tanya Calitz NamPower has confirmed that there will be severe power outages starting December 2015 if power supply contracts are not concluded urgently. Not only is Namibia facing this crisis, but the entire SADC region is finding it difficult to secure the future of its electricity supply. Thus, Arandis Power announced last week that they will start with the construction of the first 120MW HFO & Solar Hybrid Power Plant for Africa in Arandis, hopefully by the end of this year. Arandis Power, a joint venture of Namibian and international companies featuring CEC Africa (a subsidiary of Copperbelt Energy Corporation of Zambia), has developed a unique and unprecedented proposal for the base load generation of electricity using heavy fuel oil (HFO)

and Namibia’s indigenous and most abundant energy source, the sun. A first in Africa on such a large utility scale, the merger of photovoltaic (PV) electrical generation and traditional thermal heavy fuel oil generation offers multiple advantages to the national grid and to the end consumer. Arandis Power is proposing to construct a power plant with and output of 120MW using 8 massive 15MW Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) engines weighing 358tons each, manufactured in Italy by the world leading company in engine driven power generation, Wärtsilä of Finland. The power station will take 22 months to construct. The project will also include the construction of a brand new connection substation and a short power line which will both be donated to NamPower after commissioning.

The total project cost is currently estimated at N$3 billion. The power plant will create 65 new permanent jobs in Arandis but will employ over 600 people during the 22 month construction period. The originality of the Arandis Power project lies in the power station’s “9th engine” which is a solar park with an installed capacity of up to 50MW of photovoltaic panels. According to Arandis Power Managing Director, Ezio Vernetti, never before has a solar park been fully integrated into a thermal power plant as an integral component of the power generation system. “The originality lies in that fact that the solar park is not operated in the traditional manner where electricity is self-dispatched into the national grid and when an electrical current is generated. Here the PV element is used exclusively

The function of the PV component of the Arandis Power 120MW hybrid power plant, is purely to reduce the fuel bill of the power station and therefore to bring down the overall cost of electricity for NamPower and the country.

as a fuel saving mechanism for the power produced by the HFO engines,” Vernetti explained. In the Arandis Power proposal to NamPower, the PV component does not connect directly to the national power grid, but the flow of electrons is managed by the power station’s internal control room to assure a continuous clean flow of energy to the consumer without the erratic and challenging ups and downs of tension that are so characteristic of PV, wind and other renewable energy sources. “The function of the PV component of the Arandis Power 120MW hybrid power plant, is purely to reduce the fuel bill of the power station and therefore to bring down the overall

cost of electricity for NamPower and the country,” Vernetti said. In this project, the 50MW photovoltaic component will produce at least 127 000 megawatts hours of electricity per year at no fuel cost. This electricity would have otherwise have been produced by burning approximately 23.000 tons of fuel, which equates to saving in today’s terms, at least N$ 150 million per year. “Over the life of a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) this represents in today’s money, a saving of N$ 3 billion. 100% privately funded, Arandis Power is ready to commence construction of the project before the end of 2014,” Vernetti concluded.

Join the revolution BOB ATM

The first Namibian letter was sent by post

The first computer in Namibia was installed

The first cash withdrawal from the BOB ATM

The first email was sent in Namibia

1905

1967

1985

1996

The first cellphone was connected in Namibia

1998

eWallet from FNB is Namibia’s first revolutionary electronic wallet that allows thousands of Namibians to have access to financial services and products – without needing a bank account. FNB’s eWallet enables Namibians to share money, have access to cash and buy prepaid airtime and electricity as well as having some savings. So have you joined the eWallet revolution yet? www.fnbnamibia.com.na

The first Namibian joined Facebook

2004

“

The first FNB eWallet was sent in Namibia

2012

8 | News

Thursday, 01 May 2014

Theo Ben Gurirab Str. & Hanna Mupetami Road P.O.Box 499, Walvis Bay

Phone +264 64 205136 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax +264 64 205137

News | 9

Thursday, 01 May 2014

Benefits of Stem Cell Research Reach Coast

Siglinde de Villiers Last Thursday, members of the public attended a presentation at Optics Exclusive, given by the world’s first adult stem cell nutrition company. Having finally come to Africa, Stemtech provided an insightful glance into leading scientific research being done in the world, as well as how to improve and maintain one’s health. Mariska Smit, owner of Optic Exclusive, runs her practice by the motto that good eye care is all about the look in terms of style and fashion, but also looking after one’s health. “It is important to also be healthy from the inside, and not just from the outside,” she said. For this very reason, she invited Faizal Razack, Sales Manager for Stemtech, to inform the coast about new discoveries in science that can lead to a healthier life. These discoveries all revolved around stem cell research. As Razack explained, for years there existed a great controversy about stem cell research. So much so, that countries and politicians became involved, engaging in political debates in parliament about the ethics involved since research was focused on stem cells harvested from the umbilical cord and embryos. As a result, the United States stopped all research and funding on embryonic stem cell research. Subsequently, scientists concentrated their attention in a new direction and discovered that each and every one of us has adult stem cells in our body. “We do not have to go to the embryo anymore, for stem cells exist in our body from the time that we are born to the time that we die,” Razack said. It stands to reason then, that ‘stem cell’ has become the new buzzword. “The whole scientific world is currently becoming endorsed in stem cell research,” Faizack exclaimed. He continued to explain that in the 70’s, vitamins became the new buzzword. “Scientists said that there is a nutritional gap in our diet, which we have to supplement with vitamins. Then came the 80’s and all off a sudden herbs were in. They did not render vitamins obsolete, no, they complemented them. When the 90’s came, everyone spoke of free radicals, and how the processed and synthetic foods we consume caused damage to our bodies, therefore we need antioxidants, in addition to the vitamins and herbs. Now, at the turn of the 20th century, scientists found that if

you do not take care of your body with stem cells, all the other things you take will not help much,” Faizack reasoned. How do stem cells promote good health in the body? According to Faizack, the whole body can be broken down in 36 trillion cells. Groups of cells form tissues which become organs. The whole body consists of organ systems. “When you go to the doctor, he treats the organ system, but not the problem, which lies in the cell,” Faizack explained. “For this reason, researchers have been focusing on the cell, for if it is healthy the rest of the body is healthy.” Faizack then pointed out that because cells become damaged and die every day, they need to be repaired and renewed on a regular basis. “That’s where stem cells come in, for they have the ability to adapt to any type of cell in the body, wherever it is needed,” he said. Stem cells are produced in the bone marrow, which is also an organ. Over time, the bone marrow slows down its production. “Since the bone marrow is scared that it will not get enough nutrients to produce stem cells, it acts like a warehouse that distributes some but holds a lot of stem cells back as well. This is the point where stem cell research comes to the aid,” Faizack pointed out. Faizack explained that a certain algae contains aphanizomenon flos aquae (AFA) can enhance the bone marrow’s ability to produce stem cells. “Stemtech has utilized this natural substance, and in combination with other nutritional ingredients has created a product that tricks the bone marrow into thinking it has too much stock. Consequently, the bone marrow produces and releases more adult stem cells which improve the body’s ability to heal its damaged tissue and therefore you are healthier.” Faizack added. Faizack concluded his presentation with more information about Stemtech. Stemtech was founded in the United States in 2005 and has established an office in Windhoek. “We are an international company that has patented our product since we are the first organisation in the world that supplies nutrition which supports the release of adult stem cells in the body,” he stated. Faizack also explained that Stemtech’s products will not be available at pharmacies or retail outlets, since the product needs to be explained in detail to prospective patients.

Lake Klamath - produces algae containing AFA

10 |News

Thursday, 01 May 2014

ANNOUNCEMENT Netmetering Connections NamPower is the national power utility of Namibia and specialises in the generation, trading and transmission of electricity. As the engine that drives progress, our main objectives are the availability, affordability and accessibility of electricity to as many Namibians as possible within the shortest possible time. There has recently been much debate about “Netmetering” connections, including an initiative by the Electricity Control Board (ECB) to regulate such connections. Netmetering is defined as “owner produced excess energy, offset against imported energy from the grid”. (Visit http://www.ecb.org.na/pdf/NET_METERING_Draft_RULES_V5.pdf for further information). NamPower eagerly awaits the rules to be issued by the ECB and for them to be seamless and equitable across Namibia. NamPower’s view is towards uniformity in the industry. As an interim measure, NamPower will allow customers to connect a Photovoltaic (Solar PV) roof-top system on a first-come, first-served basis until 15% of the Maximum Demand of the main feeder line serving a specific group of customers is reached. On the Customer side, the connected system must not be greater than 80% of their contracted breaker size. Primarily for the safety of our staff and network, all NamPower customers must notify NamPower in writing of their intention to connect such a system to allow NamPower an opportunity to inspect the existing grid connection prior to the addition of the PV system. NamPower will then advise the customer in writing of the next steps to be followed including any costs and meter changes. Once effected, the ECB’s Net-metering Policy will take precedence over these interim arrangements and customers will have to pay for any modifications required by the ECB. Please note that these measures will only be considered for “roof-top solar PV” systems and until the ECB has established and promulgated a net-metering policy for Namibia. NamPower will therefore not compensate customers for any energy exported (fed-back) to the NamPower network at this point in time. Should you require further information or clarification, please feel free to contact NamPower at: Netmetering@nampower.com.na. Issued by: Office of the Managing Director Corporate Communications & Marketing P. O. Box 2864 Windhoek Tel: +264 61 205 4111 Fax: +264 61 232805

News | 11

Thursday, 01 May 2014

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.

Vacancy: Clearing & Forwarding Clerk Duties & Responsibilities:  

POSITION: QHSSE SYSTEMS COORDINATOR Purpose of this position: The key objective of this position is to coordinate information from various departments and establish a control centre for policies and procedures as well as all QHSSE systems in the Company. Establish manage and maintain the database to ensure up to date and current information is available as/when required in relation to: Operational Safety, Occupational Health and Safety. Key Performance Areas: • Integrated Management System • Develop and maintain Intranet • Procedures and policies Qualifications, Skills, Competencies and Experience Requirements: • National Diploma in Information Technology (IT) or NQF equivalent qualification • Minimum of three (3) years experience in quality assurance systems • Good knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety regulations/requirements • Good communication, planning, organizing and project management skills • Computer literacy

 

   

Liaise with various authorities in order to facilitate our clients’ needs Timely preparation and submission of documentation to various Authorities Issuing Job Cards on daily basis Ensuring tracking and updates are done timeously for all freight shipments Regular updates Booking of equipment Liaising direct with clients Follow up requirements & updates of vessel with Logistics Agent / Ships Agent

Experience:    

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

 

    

3 - 5 years in the shipping industry Knowledge of Asycuda Tariff Classification Basic Knowledge of Cross border will be advantageous

Education:

Remuneration:

Skills:

          

Job Details:

Job Ref: LSS/Ships/2011/05/01 Start Date: 1 April 2014 Hours: Full Time Location: Walvis Bay Working Term: Permanent Salary: Market Related

Grade 12 Code BE Driver’s license

Closing Date: 16th May 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 DOCUMENTATIONS OR CV’S WILL BE RETURNED

Please submit your CV to info@Lssnamibia.com

If you have not had any response in two weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Closing Date: 12.05.14

Cnr of 2nd Str East & John Newman P.O. Box 4407 Walvis Bay Namibia Tel: +264 64 276 600 Fax: +264 64 276 601

www.Lssnamibia.com

12 | Lifestyle

Thursday, 01 May 2014

LIFESTYLE Standing On One Leg May Predict Risk of

Early Death Simple everyday tasks such as getting out of chair and standing on one leg can be used to predict which middle aged people are at risk of an early death, a study has found. Men aged 53 years old who could balance on one leg for more than ten seconds and stand up and sit down in a chair more than 37 times in a minute were found to be least at risk of dying early by the researchers.

Women of the same age who could stand up and sit down more than 35 times in a minute and stand on one leg for more than ten seconds were also at the lowest risk compared to those who performed less well. Everyday tasks such as getting out of a chair without help have previously been used as an early warning sign of ill health in elderly people but the new study shows they can be used to predict health problems in people aged as young as 53. It is hoped that eventually nurses and doctors will be able to develop a screening test to identify people who need to make lifestyle changes or medication to stave off ill health as they age. The new study found that men who could stand up from a chair and sit down again less than 23 times in a minute were twice as likely to die in the following 13 years than those who could 37 or more. Among women those who could stand up and sit down again less than 22 times in a minute were twice as likely to die in that time than those who could do the test 35 times or more. Those unable to do the test at all were almost seven times more likely to die. In the standing on one leg with eyes closed test, men and women able to hold the position for less than two seconds were three times more likely to die than those who could hold it for ten seconds or more. Those people unable to do the test at all were around 12 times more likely to die in the following 13 years. A third test involved squeezing a special device to measure grip strength

in kilos. The researchers combined all three tests into one score where each test had equal weight. It was found that those who performed worse overall were five times more likely to die than those who performed the best. The study tracked 5,000 people born in 1946 throughout their lives and who had completed the tests during home visits from specially trained nurses at age 53. Lead author Dr Rachel Cooper at the Medical Research Council said the tests were a way off from being used as a screening tool to identify people in the general population at risk of an early death but greater research on different age groups may make this possible. She said: "The majority of these studies are done in older people but we have shown that even in this younger age group, where you would not expect pre-existing disease, we are still seeing these measures are picking up some underlying ageing and disease process." In a second research paper in the British Medical Journal, a team of American researchers found that increasing even light physical activity led to a reduction in disability among people with, or at high risk of developing, arthritis of the knee. It was found that an average person who did four and a quarter hours of light physical activity, such as walking, were 43 per cent less likely to develop disabilities compared with those who did three and a quarter hours. Disability was defined as having

3D Printed Cast Could Heal Bones 40% Faster Turkish designer creates medical cast using 3D printing which could heal broken bones faster. The black cast, known as the Osteoid, uses an ultrasound system which makes bones heal more quickly. With a lattice pattern, it is filled with ventilation holes which the designer says means it does not smell or itch- unlike traditional casts. The cast is combined with a low intensity pulsed ultrasound system, known as LIPUS, for 20 minutes a day, which the designer claims will reduce the healing process of fractures by up to 38 per cent. The system could also increase the healing rate of 'non-union' fractures, in which the bones have shown no improvement in three to six months, by up to 80 per cent. Designed by Turkish industrial designer Deniz Karasahin says that the Osteoid will "improve the overall healing experience for broken or fractured limbs by focusing on the patient’s comfort and the amount of time needed

problems with everyday activities such as walking across a room, dressing, bathing, eating, using the lavatory, and getting into bed, cooking hot meals, grocery shopping, making telephone calls, taking medications, and managing money. The researchers said this showed that even modest increases in light activity could make the difference between living independently or not and may mean they can avoid the need for knee replacement surgery. The study involved 1,680 men and women aged between 49 and 83 who had arthritis of the knee or were at risk of developing it but currently had no difficulties with everyday tasks. Physical activity was measured using a device worn on the belt for

for the body to heal itself." Mr Karasahin also says that the Osteoid is environmentally friendly and water resistant as well as being slimmer and lighter than traditional casts. The 3d casts would be customised for each patient. In order to fit the limb perfectly the injured area is scanned using a 3d body scanner. The subsequent data is transferred to a modelling software, where the overall size and geometry of the cast is decided. The Osteoid is in the concept stage, but hand surgeon Dr. Michael Hausman told Co. Design website that it could be medically viable. "We know that ultrasound works. There is good evidence, presented most recently in two papers published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the leading journal in orthopaedics." The papers showed that ultrasound could be used for healing tibia fractures, and the other showed that it accelerated the healing of wrist fractures. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health

seven days and then the numbers who developed problems with everyday tasks were recorded two years later. In an editorial accompanying both papers, Dr Elizabeth Badley from the University of Toronto said that “little attention has been given to the question of how much activity is needed to make a difference”. Dr Badley said that the lowest activity group should be a “priority group for intervention” and there is “good news that increasing activity just a little could pay dividends”. She concluded that the underlying message is that “even a little helps – at least as far as physical activity is concerned”. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Treating your precious cargo as we would

our own

Forwarding Clearing Logistics Ships’ Agency

Tel: +264 64 27 5480

www.tradeocean.co.za

It Happened to Me! | 13

Thursday, 01 May 2014

It Happened to ME!

My Husband Married Our

Adoptive Daughter

Series Introduction Welcome to our brand new lifestyle column, “It Happened To Me”. After reporting on our coast for two years we have come to realise that there is not much under the sun that has not happened to people living here. You all know them, people who’s parachutes have failed to open and they have lived to tell the tale, others have been through horrific relationships that end up with one party going to extremes to stalk the other, some have even survived horrific animal attacks or even more interestingly have been victims of kidnappings, stabbing and attempted murder. These little towns of ours never seize to amaze and while we should no longer be surprised at the calamities that have befallen everyday folk, we are pleased to announce that we are delighted that we are indeed continually astonished by the tales told almost daily. Our first story is a startling one on par with the Woody Allen love saga itself.

Tanya Calitz

Why drive if you could fly? For Learners, Students & Senior Citizens only

Ondangwa N$800 One Way / N$1600 Return (All Taxes Included)

Special available only on

EROS-ONDANGWA (Departure 13:40 Arrival 14:45) ONDANGWA-EROS (Departure 15:15 Arrival 16:20) 17 and 22 April 2014 Terms and Conditions apply: Proof of Student (max 25 Yrs) / Pensioner (65 Yrs +) Status & Age required Book and pay same day / Tickets are non-refundable/ Date changes not permitted Bookable at Air Namibia Town Office and Ongwediva Office

Visit: www.airnamibia.com.na

Limited seats available - Book early! For bookings, please contact Tel. 061 299 6111 or 065 238 014 Easter_Special@airnamibia.aero Ongwediva@airnamibia.aero or visit our Windhoek Town Office or Ongwediva Office to book.

Not in a million years did Walvis Bay resident, Amanda Niemand* think that the woman her husband was cheating with was their own adopted daughter. On the surface, Amanda looks like any ordinary divorced mother of five living on the coast, but she has quietly survived an almost unfathomable heartache a few years back when she learned that the daughter she and her husband adopted and raised together, went from daddy’s little girl to daddy’s bride. Amanda* and her Husband, Phillip* adopted Ally* when she was ten years old. Before Ally moved in with the Niemands' she lived with Amanda’s grandmother, who adopted Ally’s mother (Mel) many years before, after losing both her parents in a fire. Mel was a troubled soul and had a drug and alcohol problem. To sustain her bad habits she took to the streets and prostituted herself. Soon she fell pregnant with Ally. Being an addict, Mel could not cope with the pressures of being a young mother and disappeared from the scene shortly after Ally’s birth, never to be seen or heard of again. Thus Ally was raised by her adoptive grandmother until her grandmother became too old to look after her. Word got out that Ally was a troubled child and that Amanda’s grandmother could no longer look after her. “My husband and I decided to take control of the situation and adopted Ally. We raised her as our own. By the time we adopted Ally, Phillip and I already had two little boys, and I had another two children from a previous marriage,” Amanda told the Namib Independent in an interview this week. For many years the Niemand’s were like any other family, and Ally the only sister to the four boys brought some balance to the household. To support the family, Amanda worked two jobs, and eventually three. “As she got older, we realised that Ally was not the most academically inclined child, so I paid for her to do a few Beauty Therapy courses, which is why I took on the third job in the first place. By this time Ally was 16 going on 17,” Amanda explained. In that same year Amanda went down to Cape Town to visit family, and after spending a week there, phoned her husband to ask if it would be alright with him if she stayed a few more days, because she felt she needed some more time with the family in South Africa. “Phillip was more than happy for me to stay longer, and even said that I should stay as long as I want. This immediately sparked some suspicion, but I let it go. A week later I returned. The first night back in our bed, I could feel that something was not right. I felt a presence in our bed, and confronted my husband about it. He said that

I was mad. The feeling however did not go away,” Amanda related her story. For months, Amanda had this unsettling feeling that her husband was not being true to her. They would fight about it, but then he would convince her that she is losing her mind and was imagining things. Despite his accusations, Amanda was convinced that her husband cheated on her with some strange woman he probably met on a business trip. Not once did she think that the betrayal was so close to home. One night around six o’ clock, Amanda was sitting in the lounge watching Egoli. She could see into her daughter’s room. Phillip was outside watering the garden. In the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a very strange interaction between Ally and her ‘father’. A kiss. Through Ally’s open window. “I stared at them. Phillip looked up and saw that I had just seen them. I did not think a white man could go any whiter! The second Ally saw his expression, she looked back and saw me looking at them. About five minutes later Phillip walked in with that pathetic look on his face. I told him that I now know that I am not crazy, and finally know who the woman is – the daughter that we raised together. I asked him to pack his bags and take her with. Ally was 18,” Amanda shared her crazy story. Both Ally and Phillip left the house. Ally stayed with a friend and Phillip with his sister. ‘I was numb inside, dead. I lost my way for a few months. Drinking, partying, stopped paying the bills and stopped buying and cooking meals. A few weeks later Ally phoned me and asked if she could come back home. What could I say? She is my daughter after all. I agreed. We spoke and I asked her how long it has been going on. She told me since she was sixteen. Still a bit unstable and numb inside I asked her ruthless questions, like how she felt every time Phillip went from being with her straight back into our bed? And how she felt every night he bathed with me, or when she heard us making love? She did not answer. Eventually she and Phillip started seeing each other again. It was extremely hard on the boys, especially the two young ones, because they did not understand why their dad and sister were now living as lovers. Kids in town made fun of them, and made nasty remarks of incest towards them. I tried explaining to them that she did not come from my womb and technically she is not their blood, but it made no difference to the boys. She is their sister. “It was devastating.” Ally and Phillip are married now, and recently had a baby. "If Ally had to phone me tomorrow, saying that she made a mistake and wants a divorce and move back in with me, I would agree. My door will always be open to her. She is my daughter after all.”

Please email Tanya at tanya@namibindependent.com.na with your own astonishing story of courageous survival, utter shock, incredible luck, misfortune or simply your unbelievable true life tale . . . ‘It Happened to Me’.

14 | Worldwide News

Thursday, 01 May 2014

W orldwide Fattest Woman' 'Vengeance Has World's Wants to Lose Weight Left My Heart' to Get Married Iranian Mother Who Spared Her Son's Killer

Samereh Alinejad tells the Guardian she had no intention of sparing her son's killer, Balal, until the moment she asked for the noose to be removed from his neck. The idea she might pardon her son's killer first came to Samereh Alinejad in a dream. It was a message she didn't want to hear. Abdollah Hosseinzadeh was stabbed and killed in a street brawl in the autumn of 2007 when he was only 18. He had known his killer, Balal. The two, barely out of their teens at the time, had played football together. Abdollah was the second son Alinejad had lost, her youngest died as a boy in a motorbike accident when he was 11. Furious in her grief, she was determined Balal would hang. But as Balal's execution date drew nearer, Abdollah appeared to his mother in a series of vivid dreams. "Ten days before the execution was due, I saw my son in a dream asking me not to take revenge, but I couldn't convince myself to forgive," she told the Guardian. "Two nights before that day, I saw him in the dream once again, but this time he refused to speak to me." Speaking by phone from Iran's northern Mazandaran province, on the Caspian Sea, Alinejad said she had no intention of sparing Balal's life until the moment she asked for the noose to be removed from his neck. Her last-minute pardon was a remarkable act of humanity that moved hearts across Iran – and the world – but it took Alinejad by surprise as much as it did Balal, his relatives and her own family. "We couldn't sleep that night, we were all awake until morning. Until the last minute, I didn't want to forgive. I had told my husband just two days before that I can't forgive this man, but maybe there would be a possibility, but I couldn't persuade myself to forgive." Alinejad had been assured: "My husband said, look to God and let's see what happens." In the early hours of last Tuesday, Alinejad was outside the gates of Nour prison, among the crowd gathered for Balal's execution. "You have the final say, my husband had said," she recalled. "He said you've suffered too much, we'll do as you say." After recitation from the Qur'an was

read, prison guards had hooked a rope around Balal's neck as he stood on a chair blindfolded, his hands tied behind his back. Iran's Islamic penal code allows the victim's heir – "walli-ye-dam" – to personally execute the condemned man as Qisas (retribution) – in this case by pushing away the chair he was standing on. Seconds away from what could have been his final breath, Balal pleaded for his life and called out for mercy. "Please forgive," he shouted, "if only for my mum and dad," Alinejad recalled. "I was angry, I shouted back how can I forgive, did you show mercy to my son's mum and dad?" Others in the crowd watching the scene in anguish also called out for the family to spare Balal's life. "Amoo Ghani (uncle Ghani), forgive," they shouted, calling the victim's father by his first name. Balal's fate then took an unexpected turn. Alinejad clambered up on a stool and rather than pushing away his chair, slapped him across the face. "After that, I felt as if rage vanished within my heart. I felt as if the blood in my veins began to flow again," she said. "I burst into tears and I called my husband and asked him to come up and remove the noose." Within seconds, as Abdolghani unhooked the rope from Balal's neck, he was declared pardoned. Balal's mother Kobra, sobbing, reached across the fence separating the crowd from the execution site, and embraced Alinejad before reaching to kiss her feet – a gesture of respect and gratitude. "I didn't allow her to do that, I took her arm and made her stand up … she was just a mother like me, after all." Arash Khamoushi, a photographer for Iranian news agency Isna, captured the extraordinary scene in a series of pictures that flooded internet sites, newspapers and television sets across the world. Among the most poignant images is of the mothers, facing each other for the first time, holding one another in their arms. Balal remains in jail. A victim's family can only save a killer's life, they can't lift a jail sentence, which is at the discretion of the judiciary in Iran, which has the worst record for executions worldwide after China.

The 'world's fattest woman' has revealed she wants to shed 20 stone to make the wedding of her dreams a reality. Charity Pierce, 38, weighs twice as much as her fiancé Tony Saur at an alarming 54.6 stone and needs to lose almost half her bulk so she can have a life-saving gastric bypass operation. She has insisted she will do all she can to make sure their big day doesn't have to take place in their living room. Charity is "determined" to marry her 22-year-old toy boy, "walk up the aisle" and enjoy her first dance. Charity said: "I’m determined not to have to

get married at home – I want to be able to walk up the aisle. “We both love country music so I plan to wear a wedding dress, cowboy boots and cowgirl hat and Tony will be in jeans and cowboy boots. "I want a big area, lots of people there and I want to dance all night and have the best honeymoon ever.” However, doctors have warned Charity, who has been housebound since 2001, that without drastic measures to reduce weight, her life hangs in the balance. She said: "I’m worried about having a heart attack or a stroke and dying in my sleep. “My dream goal is to

be 14 stone and get married to my fiancé. "I don’t want much - I just want to have a life.” Doctors recently brought a set of heavy-duty scales to Charity’s home to get an idea of the challenge ahead. And at 54.6 stone Charity beats the heaviest living woman on record - Pauline Potter - who topped the scales at 45.9 stone (643lbs) in 2011 and last year shed seven stone. Charity said: “Seeing that figure appear on the scales was such a shock. I didn’t expect that. It was devastating." Source: http://www.mirror. co.uk/

N$6 million Auction for Virginity The 27-year-old medical school student who is auctioning off her virginity online is now showing her face five weeks after making her project public. The student, using the name "Elizabeth Raine" to protect her identity, has been running an online virginity auction since March 31. Bidding ends May 7. Previously, Raine hid her face in photos and declined to answer questions that might reveal her true identity. She has decided to reveal her face to help attract bids from otherwise skeptical customers. "I actually didn't like the anonymity. People mistake it for shame," she told The Huffington Post. "Plus, there has been some speculation that I'd be outed and I wanted to do it on my own terms." The current top bid listed on her website is $300,000, but she said she's received bids near $550,000 that she's in the process of confirming. She was born in the southwest but spent much of her youth in Saudi Arabia where her father was employed in the oil industry. Raine cites financial gain as the No. 1 reason for selling her alleged purity, but adventure, eroticism, scandal and the chance to challenge norms about virginity also play into her decision. In the past, Raine said, sex and relationships took a back seat to school and other interests. Raine cannot help but attract sceptics, given the problems experienced by previous Internet

virgins like Natalie Dylan and Catarina Migliorini, who were associated with similar auctions. However, she said she has been planning this auction for a year and believes everything is in place. The winning bidder will have to provide Raine with proof that he has no sexually transmitted diseases and is willing to wear a condom. He also may not be under the influence of booze or drugs during the encounter, nor may

he attempt anal sex or treat her violently. And she is not interested in losing her virginity to another woman, no matter how financially lucrative the bid might be. "I'm straight. That would be out of my comfort zone," she said. For more information visit her website at: http://www. elizabeth-raine.com/my_ virginity.html Source: http://www. huffingtonpost.com

We've Got Mail | 15

Thursday, 01 May 2014

we've got

MAIL

Tragic Accident

Yellow Pages Scam

Dear Editor, I am Alexander, the brother of Christian Lerch who died in the tragic accident at Walvis Bay on Monday the 21st about which your newspaper reported (article by Lavrenty Repin). Because my family and I have done some investigation the past few days I would like to give you the latest information on what happened. This is also because the first assumptions concerning the cause of his death went into a direction which in the end was not true. Christian worked as a deputy director at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. He was responsible for the unit that cares for the roads, fences and facilities in the national parks. Last week he came to Walvis Bay to take a class in kite-surfing. According to the trainers he was a good student and a fast learner. At the end of the class which consisted of one-to-one lessons only he was good enough to go on his own under the conditions he trained the days before. The course ended on Sunday but Christian decided to stay a bit longer to get more practice. Therefore he rented a board on Monday and wanted to go out on the water for two more hours before going back to Windhoek. The weather conditions were very good, with moderate wind. Christian practiced for one hour without any problems. The teacher from the kite school was

near to where he was, because she was waiting for another student (Christian didn´t have a lesson). It is assumed that he probably fell as well as the kite, which allegedly caused the kite loop. One of the strings were most likely “wrapped” around the kite which lead to a loss of balance and the start of the looping. The teacher screamed “pull, pull” and Christian pulled the first safety rope which makes the kite fall into the water. Unfortunately Christian must have fallen (perhaps) on the board because due to an impact a blood vessel in his chest cavity was harmed and lead to massive blood loss and a quick death. Due to this accident he could not pull the second safety rope and the kite went on looping. In the meantime somebody watched what happened from the beach and informed the first aid team. At the same time another kite-surfer who also saw that my brother was in trouble followed him to the sandbank where he got stranded. This kite-surfer tried to do first aid as good as he could but he couldn´t bring him back to life. Also the emergency team from LifeLink arrived and tried to resuscitate Christian. According to the postmortem

report Christian did not drown. Also no string of the kite was wrapped e.g. around his leg or what other things could be read in the media. Obviously it was a very unfortunate accident. If the blood vessel did not burst he most probably would have had the chance to pull the second safety device. According to the postmortem he died very fast had already possibly died as he was swept to the sandbank. I hope this sheds some light on the incident. Our family is very grateful for the support we received from the kite school, the police, the priest, the medical doctor and the first aid team (Lifelink and Catamaran charters). Unfortunately we could not find the kite-surfer who tried to help my brother. He seems to be from Walvis Bay and about 30 years of age but we could not find out his name. We would have loved to talk to him to know how my brother looked when he found him and to thank him for trying. My brother was 40 years old. The memorial service was held in Windhoek at the Governmental Park Auditorium this past weekend. The funeral will be in Berlin, Germany. Best Regards Alexander

To the Editor, We are a well-known business here on the coast, and recently almost fell victims to a scam. We would just like to warn other companies about the ‘Yellow pages’ scam going around DP Directories from Pinetown South Africa contacted us, claiming to be representing the Telecom Yellow Pages, regarding the annual fees for our yellow pages advert They then faxed us a form with all our details to approve, plus an invoice we were to pay. They even sent me a fax with the “advert” they claimed we placed last year, but this was just a lot of our company details that they could’ve gotten anywhere and DID NOT look like a professional advert or anything we

would approve. Something looked fishy to me so I held off on paying it and contacted my representative from TDS (the actual Telecom Yellow Pages Company) who pays us a yearly visit regarding our advert. She confirmed that DP Directories were contacting all the clients in the yellow pages, but that the guys who called us was in fact scammers. And if they were to call again that I should tell them to contact our lawyers as we would not pay them. I tried calling them, but the number just rang. Next morning I received a call from them asking when we would make the payment. So I told them I would like to cancel as they gave the false impression of being from the Telecom Yellow Pages directory services, which they were not. She

maintained that they were, even after I told them the price doesn’t correspond with the size advert I place yearly or that our contact from TDS said they had no affiliation with them. The DP Directories lady then said she would consult her management and get back to me, I told her to do so. Anyone who wishes to confirm this scam can contact Andrea Kargl, the advertising consultant from TDS Namibia. Here is DP Directories details: Tel: 0027-31-701-0309 Fax: 0027-31-701-8182 PO Box 1543, Pinetown, 3600 Email: dpdirectories@ telkomsa.net Co Reg: K2012/074122/07 Thank you!

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