Day: March 10, 2024

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Kamati calls for indigenous languages to be taught in schools


TSUMEB: Hai//om Traditional Authority (HTA)’s vice chairperson, Ndapandula Kamati, has urged the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) to teach children in their indigenous languages.

Kamati said this during the celebration of International Mother Language Day at Tsumeb on Saturday in the Oshikoto Region.

‘We want to be taught in our language and be proud in our language and also on how to do poems, design art in our very own language,’ she said.

Kamati further expressed disappointment at the fact that some languages, such as hers, are not recognised formally in Namibia.

‘It is so unfortunate that our language is not written and we are not even recognised in local schools, which makes it difficult for our learners to go forward with their studies,’ said Kamati.

MoEAC Director for the Oshikoto Region, Aletta Eises, said they have 7 000 Khoisan speaking learners in schools, and only Khoekoegowab is taught in schools with only 100 learners being taught the language from grade 1 to 12.

‘It is high
time we stand up for our languages so we preserve them for our future generation,’ said Eises.

She further urged people to value their languages and stop denouncing them as that is their identity and their pride.

‘If the mother tongues are not investing and speaking their languages in their social setting and meetings, then the language will be extinct.

Deputy Mayor of Tsumeb, Anmire Garises, at the same occasion urged Tsumeb’s Hai//om communities to protect and preserve their culture as well as to recognise its significance in shaping a collective future.

‘Let us celebrate the beauty of our mother tongues and recognise the importance of it in our society,’ said Garises.

She further said that they should wear their traditional attire with pride and speak the language with pride, as well as continue celebrating International Mother Language Day

The theme of the event was to set goals for preserving endangered languages, promoting multilingualism and sustaining linguistic heritage.

Source: The Namibia P
ress Agency

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Impressive displays from Civics and Life Fighters


WINDHOEK: Relegation-threatened Civics and Life Fighters put up impressive performances on Saturday to collect maximum points during round 22 of the Debmarine Namibia Premiership at the Independence Stadium in the capital.

Otjiwarongo-based Life Fighters have found the going tough this season, winning only two games from 21 fixtures. In the round of 22, they managed to register their third win of the season after outclassing Tigers 3-0 in front of a few Tigers and Life Fighters followers who gathered at the Independence Stadium.

In the opening half of the match, the two outfits struggled to move forward as most of the action happened on the wings and at the back.

Despite the lack of action in most half of the game, Life Fighters saw themselves awarded a penalty minutes before the halftime break, and Max Kandundu made no mistake from the spot as they took the 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Tigers made changes at the back and front but their decision saw Life Fighters once again finding the back of the net t
hrough Abner Tsuseb who doubled their score. With the game approaching the 90-minute mark, the football gods were once again on Life Fighters’ side as Vasana Muatjundu put the final nail in Tigers ‘coffin with their third goal of the match.

Despite the win, Life Fighters remained bottom of the log but improved their points tally from 12 to 15, moving closer to Orlando Pirates who are 15th on the log with 17 points after their goalless draw with Okakarara Young Warriors.

Meanwhile, in the second match between UNAM FC and Civics at the same venue, the Khomasdal-based outfit managed to break the deadlock in the second half after struggling to beat the UNAM defence throughout the first half.

Civics went into the game 13th on the log standing level on 19 points with Okakarara Young Warriors who occupied 14th position. Civics used this match as a turning point for the relegation battle.

The Khomasdal-based outfit put two goals past UNAM in the second half to register their fifth win of the season.

The win now
moves them from 13th to 12th position on the log with 22 points, while Rundu-based Julinho Sporting, who lost 3-0 to African Stars in Okahandja on Saturday, moved down to 13th position.

In other matches also played on Saturday, Okahandja United managed to collect a point at home in their 1-1 draw against Khomas NamPol, while in Walvis Bay, Blue Waters finally found their scoring boots as they put three goals past Young Brazilian.

In another match played at the Lagare Stadium in Gobabis, Young African were held to a goalless draw at home by Eeshoke Chula Chula.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Sports minister sends message to Ngannou after AJ defeatSpectacular performances witnessed at the opening of the 13th African Games

Cameroon’s sports minister, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, has sent a message of encouragement to Francis Ngannou following his defeat to Anthony Joshua on Saturday, March 9.

The Cameroonian had his second boxing match which quickly ended after he was knocked out in the second round.

‘This second boxing fight was unfortunately not favourable. That’s sports and its uncertainty’ Narcisse Moelle Kombi said.

‘We know you will come back from this defeat stronger and turn it around with determination and vigor in your next fights’ the sports minister added.

The former UFC heavyweight champion fought Tyson Fury in October, in a fascinating debut which he lost by a split decision. His entry into boxing was considered one of the most exciting in the sport yet.

Ngannou making history

Francis quickly became a household name in boxing just after his debut against reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October.

In an unprecedented switch from the UFC and getting into a professional boxing ring after just over thr
ee months of training, the MMA fighter won the hearts of many, despite the loss against Fury in a fight which almost delivered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Although Francis is still under the PFL which he joined in May 2023, and is expected to have his first fight in the second half of the year, the Cameroonian’s boxing career has so far captured fans who will want to see him back in the ring soon.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

ACCRA: With a display of beautiful traditional dances, performances and more the 13th African Games opened at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium on Friday night.

The launch of the 13th African Games was punctuated by the usual parade of athletes representing 53 countries taking part in the high mass of the continental sporting event that generated a viewership of more than 2.2 billion viewers across the globe.

Renowned Ghanaian dancehall artist Shatta Wale, as well as the legendary highlife artists Pat Thomas, and Ebo Taylor, gave their all to thrill their appreciative audience.

This was complemented by breathtaking performances of South Africa’s Kamo Mphela and Ghana’s King Promise.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the President of Ghana welcomed all the participating countries in his commemorative speech, wishing them the best of luck.

He urged the participants to use the games to exhibit the talents that Africa possessed. 

Mousse Fati Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission commended Ghan
a for the massive investments in sporting facilities and infrastructure to host the games.

‘Sports has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does, it speaks to youth in a language they understand,’ he said. 

The renowned sports personality urged the athletes and officials to be ambassadors of fair play, equity, discipline, inclusion, tolerance and teamwork to achieve a successful event. 

More than 6,000 athletes are competing in 29 disciplines. The disciplines include arm wrestling, basketball, boxing, chess, football, volleyball, handball, athletics, table tennis, and badminton.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Our goal is to finish better than the fourth spot: Hengari


WINDHOEK: Mighty Gunners head coach, Gerhard Hengari, said he is happy with what his team has achieved thus far in the Debmarine Namibia Premiership, but their goal is to finish in a better position than last season.

During the 2022/23 Debmarine Namibia Premiership season, the Otjiwarongo-based Namibia Premiership team finished in fourth position on the log standing but their coach told Nampa that his goal is to improve from that position this season.

With only eight games left in the 2023/24 Debmarine Namibia Premiership, Mighty Gunners are sixth on the log standing with 32 points and are 10 points away from the envisioned third-place finish.

Khomas NamPol occupies the third spot on the log with 42 points, but Hengari says his hope and prayer is for his player to be focused and lose momentum in their remaining games of the season.

‘Last season we finished fourth on the log standing. Our aim for this season was to finish better than number four. We are not aiming at winning the league this season but if t
hat happens it will be a bonus,’ said Hengari, who stated that any position better than number four will be good for them.

Hengari added that he was happy to collect maximum points against league title contenders FC Ongos on Friday, but their celebration will be short-lived if they don’t focus on their remaining games of the season.

‘Winning against the team that is leading the log standing is a good motivation to continue working hard but I hope and pray that our players don’t lose focus and will be mentally strong for our upcoming fixtures so that we can do better than we did last season,’ he said.

Out of 22 games played this season Mighty Gunners’ have won eight times, drawn eight times and lost six games. They have scored 24 goals and conceded 18 goals. Their next fixture of the weekend will be against Young African at the Legare Stadium in Gobabis.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Mushelenga to attend SADC meeting in Angola


WINDHOEK: Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Peya Mushelenga, is set to travel to Angola to attend the Meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers from Sunday to Monday in Luanda.

In his capacity as the Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, Angolan Minister of External Relations Téte António, will chair the meeting.

Executive Director in the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, Penda Naanda, In a media statement issued on Friday, said the Council of the Ministers meeting was preceded by the meeting of SADC Senior Officials, which took place between 04 and 08 March 2024.

‘The Senior Officials were led by Naanda, and Titus Ndove, the Executive Director in the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, as well as other senior government officials from the Ministries of International Relations and Cooperation; Finance and Public Enterprises, as well as Industrialisation and Trade,’ the statement said.

The Council will review a
nd discuss the status of implementation of the SADC Council and summit decisions, as well as the progress on the implementation of the theme of the 43rd SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, which is ‘Human and Financial Capital: The Key Drivers for Sustainable Industrialisation in the SADC Region’.

‘The theme seeks to address two of the most critical enablers in supporting regional industrialisation, namely adequate human resources within the context of climate change and the 4th Industrial Revolution, and addressing adequate financial resources to ensure more sustainable funding mechanisms,’ Naanda added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Swapo Central Committee confirms Nandi-Ndaitwah as presidential candidate


WINDHOEK: Swapo Party Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, will remain the ruling party’s presidential candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections later this year.

This is among the resolutions adopted at the party’s central committee (CC) meeting on Saturday, which also resolved that the ruling party will only hold an extraordinary congress next year.

The CC met at Parliament as the ruling party attempted to navigate the turbulent waters and complicated circumstances brought on by the death of party president, Dr Hage Geingob on 04 February 2024.

Geingob’s demise threw the ruling party into constitutional turmoil ahead of the crucial presidential and national assembly elections.

According to the party’s constitution, if the party president ‘cannot permanently’ carry out his or her duties, Article 15 (9) of the Swapo Party the party must elect a new president within three months of the vacancy.

The constitution dictates the party to call for an extraordinary congress to elect a new president
to complete the term of the former unless such a vacancy occurs six months before the ordinary congress.

However, President Geingob’s death came more than three years before his term was set to expire in 2027.

On Saturday, the CC adopted the recommendations of the Politburo, which has met three times since Geingob’s death.

One such adoption is to delay the extraordinary congress and confirm Nandi-Ndaitwah as the presidential candidate for the national elections scheduled for 27 November 2024.

Swapo spokesperson, Hilma Nicanor, told the media on Saturday that the CC called for an extraordinary congress as per the constitution to take place on 19 April 2025.

She said that the congress would ‘elect a person to complete the term left unexpired due to Geingob’s death.’

She further emphasised that the agenda of the extraordinary congress next year ‘is limited to electing a person to complete the term left unexpired by the former president.’

In addition, Nicanor said the CC took note that the party has, after
elections at the seventh ordinary congress, already identified and nominated its presidential candidate for the November 2024 presidential elections, namely comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, its vice president.

Nicanor, who is Swapo’s secretary for information and publicity, said Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected and declared the winner in the position of vice president.

‘In addition to regional engagements, the party, at the highest level of authority, also publicly confirmed and announced at numerous public forums, including at the party’s 63rd birthday celebrations that comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as its presidential candidate,’ Nicanor said.

She added that Nandi-Ndaitwah has also confirmed and recorded her consent to be the party presidential candidate.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Latest reports allege Martinez Zogo was surveilled for seven yearsWoman allegedly stabs boyfriend to death at Okahandja

By Charity Nginyu

Recent revelations have surfaced regarding the extensive surveillance of Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo, with court documents indicating that he had been under scrutiny since at least 2015.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) revealed that a 20-page referral to trial document which they reviewed shed light on a sophisticated surveillance operation orchestrated by Maxime Eko Eko, the former head of the DGRE counterintelligence agency.

He and Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, a prominent businessman and media figure were featured among 17 suspects in the murder case of the deceased journalist Martinez Zogo.

Despite Eko Eko’s denial of direct involvement, testimonies suggest his complicity in the surveillance initiative, known as the ‘Presse’ dossier.

‘The court document said Eko Eko denied involvement, saying Zogo was never a threat to him and the operation against the journalist was Danwe’s personal initiative; however, Nzié said Eko Eko could not claim this, as he had ordered th
e DGRE to surveil the journalist since 2015 as part of the ‘Presse’ dossier,’ stated CPJ.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Zogo’s outspoken criticism of corruption, particularly his allegations against Belinga, likely motivated the surveillance efforts.

The journalist’s radio show, Embouteillage, served as a platform for exposing widespread corruption involving funds from the Cameroonian treasury.

He was found dead on January 22, 2023, after being reported missing five days earlier. Just a week prior to his abduction, Zogo publicly accused Belinga of corruption during his radio program.

The revelation of extensive surveillance dating back seven years paints a troubling picture of the dangers faced by journalists in Cameroon.

In reaction to the said information, the CPJ asked that Cameroonian authorities disclose which journalists, in addition to murdered journalist Martinez Zogo, have been targeted for surveillance by the country’s counterintelligence service.

Source: Cameroon News Ag
ency

OTJIWARONGO: A 34-year-old man died instantly in the early hours of Sunday after he was allegedly stabbed in the chest by his girlfriend at their house in Okahandja.

Namibian Police Force (NamPol)’s Otjozondjupa Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner, Edna Nawa, in an interview with Nampa on Sunday said the deceased was identified as Sebedeus Davis.

His close relatives were also informed on Sunday about his death, said Nawa.

The incident occurred at about 01h05 on Sunday morning at Nau-Aib township at the town, Nawa said.

‘It is alleged that Davis and his 40-year-old girlfriend had an argument over food shortly after their arrival home from a drinking place,’ Nawa stated.

She added that the police’s preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased allegedly took a wooden plank and hit the girlfriend while demanding for food.

In return, the suspect (girlfriend) who was preparing a meal for him, allegedly pick up a kitchen knife and stabbed Davis once on the left upper chest area.

Dav
is sustained a deep cut wound, and as he tried to walk a few steps towards the door to exit, he fell down, said Nawa.

The suspect walked to the Okahandja Police Station herself and reported the matter.

She was apprehended there on a murder charge.

However, she was taken to the hospital by the police for the medical treatment on the alleged bruises she sustained in the altercation.

A knife suspected to have been used in the stabbing was also found and confiscated by the police.

The woman is expected to appear in the Okahandja Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency