N$3
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958
NO 6437
FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2015
Tel +264 64 205 854/+264 64 461 866/Fax +264 64 204 813/+264 64 461 824/Website www.namibtimes.net
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Independence Supplement inside!
New Walvis Bay Councillor
Hage Geingob Announces New Cabinet President-elect Hage Geingob announced the names of persons appointed in his new cabinet at a media briefing here on Thursday. The list of positions to be filled included ministers and their deputies. The ministers and their deputies will be sworn in today, together with the rest of the Members of Parliament. Continues on page 2
ACC zooms in on Walvis Bay Municipality Senior official/s also under investigation…
Almost there for Mellissa
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Focus on HIV/AIDS training Page 11
Independence Weekend Tournament
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Marshallino Beukes An Anti-Corruption investigation, regarding the lease of Farm 38 by the Walvis Bay Municipality to Erongo Quarry & Civil Works is ongoing, after alleged irregularities surfaced. The lease contract for the 300 hectares of land was signed during September 2012 for approximately N$66 000 plus N$9 900 (VAT) per month. Information indicates that Erongo Quarry sub-leased half of this land (150ha) to a Chinese company, Best
Cheer Investments Namibia cc, only a month later. The 150 hectares were allegedly leased to the Chinese company for the amount payable for the whole 300 hectares. After the Chinese became suspicious regarding the huge
amount of money they had to pay monthly, they reported it to the Walvis Bay Municipality and the Anti-Corruption Commission was informed. According to the lease agreement between the Municipality and Erongo Quarry, the 300
hectares were under no circumstances supposed to be sub-leased to a third party, and this will be the centre of the investigation. It is alleged that highplaced officials in the Walvis Bay Municipality must have been involved, as many
procedures were sidestepped. Furthermore it was specified that the company leasing the land, should have paid its first instalment after signing the lease agreement, but it seems this condition was not met. The namib times
learned this week from a trustworthy source that the ACC investigation has reached an advanced stage and after all relevant documents and evidence have been collected, the matter will be forwarded to the Prosecutor General.
The Whistler of the World celebrates 90 Years Maria Davel-Wallis
The world-renowned Italian musician-composer, Alessandro Alessandroni, master of many instruments, and prolific creator of music, celebrated his 90th birthday among friends in Swakopmund on Wednesday. The namib times had the privilege to be invited to the delightful gathering, which turned out to be a vibrant get-together, graced by music of many local artists, and by the passionate Maestro himself. The Maestro did not know
of all the groups who were lined up to make his birthday a music fest and he was deeply touched. Alessandro Alessandroni is the man behind the haunting whistling tunes in many beloved Western Spaghetti films, like A Fistful of Dollars and The
Good, The Bad and The Ugly. He has been playing the mandolin since his 13th year, and still spends 6-8 hours per day playing, composing music, or painting, as he is also an avid visual artist. The Maestro, who has already written music for Continues on page 2
Photo by Maria Davel-Wallis
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Alessandro Alessandroni and his wife Margaret Courtney-Clarke