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namib times SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6586 TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2016 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
inside NASA “spy planes” touch down at Fire at Walvis Bay Airport on science mission luxury Two planes of the The United States of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) touched down at the Walvis Bay International Airport last week to utilize the airport as a base until the end of September for very unique flight missions over the South East Atlantic. Off the coast of Namibia for several months of the year a layer of smoke, originating from fires deep in Africa, drifts over a persistent layer of clouds. NASA wants to study the interaction between this smoke layer and the clouds to determine how this interaction effects global warming. The planes are the ER-2 (pictured here touching down at Walvis Bay), a variant of the Continues on page 2
South Africa’s economic sneeze likely to give Namibia the same flu Erwin Leuschner The South African economy is bordering on a recession which will in all likelihood impact Namibia negatively as well. This was said yesterday by Minister of Finance, Calle Schlettwein in Swakopmund during his keynote address while opening the annual conference of the Organisation Of Eastern & Southern African Insurers (OESAI). While Schlettwein addressed more than 200 Schlettwein made these remarks in light of the delegates from all over the world during the 39th release of Fitch Ratings on 2 September of their OESAI conference taking place at the Dome in latest rating opinion. The ratings agency recogSwakopmund this week, he deviated from the nised that the outlook for Namibia's rating was topic of the conference and briefly touched on revised from “stable” to “negative” – something the financial situation in Southern Africa, espe- that was dubbed a “downgrade” since. The sovereign credit rating at the investment grade notch cially Namibia. was affirmed at BBB-. “In this sense, the word “Many are estimating that the South African economy is bordering on a recession, and it is an 'downgrade' has been misused: this was not a raunavoidable reality that a weaker South Africa tings downgrade, as some have implied,” Schlettmeans weaker government revenue in Namibia,” wein commented. he said. In this regard he highlighted the revenue He explained the change in rating was based on a Namibia is receiving from the South African number of factors and that “it is important to Customs Union (SACU), consisting of Bot- remember that Namibia does not exist in a swana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and South vacuum – the current challenging global growth Africa. “SACU revenues have long constituted a outlook, depressed commodity prices, and in large part of government revenue – around 30% particular the weak economic performance of our in recent years. The reality is, what happens in neighbours in the region have most certainly led the one (country) has an impact on the other,” he to a lower growth in Namibia than was previously envisaged.” said. Continued on page 2
Chinese businessman wants to capture Namibian dolphins, killer whales and penguins for Asian aquarium trade Erwin Leuschner Marine environmentalists are up in arms after it emerged that a Chinese businessman has high hopes to capture live marine mammals off the Namibian coast, destined for the Asian aquarium trade. According to confidential sources the animals in question include penguins, bottlenose dolphins, seals and even killer whales.
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Fuel price drop Page 3
Coast walks for cancer Pages 9,10,11
Various sources confirmed to namib times yesterday that an application in this regard was already lodged by this businessman with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. When confronted the public relations officer in the Ministry, De Wet Mulauli Siluka, yesterday denied any knowledge of this and requested more detail to be able to answer media
ERA wins rugby day
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