N$4
namib times
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6804 FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2018 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
LED vehicle lamps legal Confusion after magistrate overturns acquittal of two vehicle owners who had “LED bars” fitted to their vehicles Floris Steenkamp The already complicated and confusing saga around LED vehicle lamps (led = light emitting diodes) has become more confusing. That is after a successful appeal by the Walvis Bay municipal traffic department against the acquittal earlier this year of two motorists on charges their vehicles were fitted with additional lamps that does not conform to specifications as per traffic legislation. The charges read as follows: “vehicles were However, sadly magistrate Nikolaidis' appeal fitted with a lamp other than a lamp prescribed judgement was gravely misinterpreted and misor authorised in terms of the Road Traffic and understood, it now turns out. Nikolaidis did not Transportation Act's regulations of 2001”. Both find the two motorists guilty because their vehimotorists had a single LED-bar fitted to their cles were fitted with LED-lamps, but were in fact vehicles and were fined by traffic officials. found guilty of fitting these lights in an arrangeThe motorist waived their option to pay a fine ment other than prescribed by legislation. and instead fought their cases in court. Both The law only makes provision for a vehicle to were acquitted and the Walvis Bay municipal have two additional lamps. These two lamps must traffic department appealed. be fitted at an even distance both sides of the Magistrate Vicky Nikolaidis overturned the ac- vehicle’s center line (See page 2). A LED bar quittals earlier this week and instead fined both lamp is one unit and is therefore illegal. motorists N$800, alternatively three months “New vehicles are mostly fitted with LED-lights. imprisonment. The two individuals were not found guilty beThe Walvis Bay municipal traffic department cause the light in question were LED, but they soon lit the fires of victory. As the news spread transgressed the allowable number of additional of the successful appeal, traffic officials as far lights and at what dimensions it can be fitted on as Windhoek started to clamp down on moto- the vehicle’s front-end”, it was explained to rists who had any form of LED-lights fitted to namib times. See full details on page 2 their vehicles as additional lamps.
Flies, Flies! Walvis Bay has become Namibia's fly capital. Residents in recent weeks reported no less than fifty complaints at the municipality's health department, citing the fly outbreak poses a hygiene risk to restaurant- and hotel kitchens, at schools, the hospitals and is also a subject of great frustration to residents in general. It was understood this week that areas close to the sewerage water treatment plant are worst hit and includes Hermes. Reports to namib times by residents confirmed this, but suburbs in near the central business district and near the civic centre also reported to namib times their growing frustration with flies. An official of the municipality of Walvis Bay was willing to put the fly-matter into perspective on condition of anonymity as he is not permitted to speak to the media. He pointed out that upgrading work at the sewerage treatment plant slowed down the process to treat sewage waste into semi-purified effluent. The build-up of raw sewerage at the plant caused the fly outbreak.
Two 5-year-olds drown Isaac Chikosi Tragedy struck a small farm community near Karibib on Wednesday, when two five-year-old boys drowned in a dam on the farm Leventina-Ombujomenge. The drownings followed only days after a 14-year-old girl drowned in a swimming pool near Otjimbingwe during a church weekend outing. According to a Na- children did not have In the process the mibian Police spo- adult supervision at the mother almost drowned too. A farm worker kesperson in Erongo, time. DWO Daniel Guri- According to police realised the drama unrab, the two five- reports, the mother folding. He dived into year-olds, Niklaas noticed the boys in the the water, saved the Nanda and Josef water and although mother and also took Ngoshi were playing also unable to swim, the two boys from the outside and some- she jumped into the water. how ended up in the water to try and save They were found to have already died. farm dam. The two the two boys.
Wi t h t h e h o l i d a y season fast approaching a warning has been extended by the Namibian Police for parents to be vigilant when it comes to child supervision during holiday outings. Whether at the beach or visiting holiday homes and visiting friends where there are a swimming pool on the premises, parents should always ensure kids are supervised and
that they are always seen. Never assume, always ensure you have your eyes on your children, as a drowning incident can ensue without notice. It can happen in the event of an unexpected wave, a rip current or where people are relaxing at home not noticing a young child falling into the swimming pool.
New CEO
Mr Archie Benjamin, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Swakopmund municipality will take office on 3 December this year. Mr Benjamin follows up Mr Eckhardt Demasius who served Swakopmund Municipality from 1992 to 2016. Mr Marco Swarts was the Acting CEO since 2016.
inside CRAN enforces consumer rights Page 3
Train derails
Page 4
Locker vom Hocker
Pages 12 & 13
Sven Ahrens Memorial Cup
Page 22