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Swapo nearly paid heavy price over Bwabwata, Hambukushu says

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UNFAIR: President Hage Geingob says Namibians should not make apartheid comparisons. PHOTO: NAMIBIAN PRESIDENCY

• PRESIDENT LETS OFF STEAM AT CABINET CONFERENCE

Geingob sings like a canary

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• • • •

Says Namibia is not corrupt Country better off after apartheid Showing off riches breeds unhappiness ‘So-called’ reporters don’t unearth corruption

OGONE TLHAGE WINDHOEK

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EDITORIAL

resident Hage Geingob says those who say Namibia was better governed during apart-

Toivo Ndjebela

heid are not being reasonable in their comparisons, adding that the country is far better off today. He made the comments on Friday at the just concluded opening of the first Cabinet biannual performance

review. Those comparing pre- and post-independent Namibia had no tangible evidence to suggest the country was better governed, he told the gathering. “You cannot tell me Namibia under apartheid was better than Namibia of today. “ Somebody [was] saying the Boers were building houses, which houses? Where is that person coming from?

Continued on page 2

Toddler dies as 23 Kuisebmond shacks burn

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LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi said.

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ANOTHER BLAZE: A three-year-old boy died in the latest shack fire incident in Walvis Bay. PHOTO NIKANOR NANGOLO

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The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has withdrawn local authorities it governs from the Association of Local Authorities of Namibia (ALAN), saying it is not of benefit to any of its members that had voted for it. LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi said the association was a time-wasting organ of no use to his party. “We found that it is of no relevance to the interests of the people who voted for the LPM. We will not have our local authorities participate in any function of ALAN, because this organ is a time-wasting, resource-wasting vessel,” he said. According to him, the ruling Swapo Party was using ALAN to corruptly spread its influence. “We will be speaking to other local authorities where we have representation to highlight our views about the perverse, weak, inefficient; in fact, incapable ALAN that is basically an organ of Swapo, which uses it to stretch its tentacles of evil destruction and incompetence around the country,” Swartbooi said.

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The latest shack fire claimed the life of three-year-old Immanuel Iyaloo Abisalom on Friday in Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay. Deputy police commissioner Erastus Iikuyu released the identity of the victim and said the next of kin have been informed. “It’s alleged that the fire started after a minor boy residing in one of the destroyed ghettos [shacks] left a cooking pot unattended on a stove.

For anyone to miss aspects of the inhumane apartheid regime means there is a chronic failure on the part of the post-independence government. Full column on page 2

OGONE TLHAGE WINDHOEK

Continued on page 2

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March 2022 Edition 2

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LPM pulls southern municipalities out of ALAN

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EDITORIAL

poll from many years ago showed that about 60% of South Africans felt the country was better run under apartheid, with both blacks and whites rating the ANC government less trustworthy, more corrupt, less able to enforce the law and less able to deliver government services than its white predecessor. There are similar sentiments in Namibia, as alluded to by President Hage Geingob on Friday during a Cabinet retreat, although we do not know exactly how many citizens hold that view. One thing is for sure; for anyone to miss aspects of the inhumane apartheid regime means there is a chronic failure on the part of the post-independence government. Instead of the president investing his energy into rebuffing such comparisons, he must perhaps spend his time reflecting on what is the successive Swapo governments have done so terribly that some people now miss the repugnant apartheid regime. Part of the problem is the entrenched political culture that confuses the party with the state. The lines are too blurred and there is little effort to ensure the demarcations are very clear. Another sad thing is that the past is still present. Apartheid subordinated and exploited blacks. Similarly, in post-independence Namibia, the new black elite has subordinated the masses economically – and built a firewall around the tables where empowerment deals are discussed. As such, inequality remains among the highest in the world.

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advance the interests of political ideological outlook and development needs of the constituents that it represents, he said.

LPM Continued from page 1 “There is nothing to be gained by being a member of ALAN; they have nothing to show for why they received tax payer money,” he added. The LPM resolved to create - with other regions - an appropriate structure that will represent and

Write off our debt

Meanwhile, Swartbooi also asked bulk utility suppliers NamWater and NamPower to consider writing off the debts owed to them by local authorities, saying it is hampering them from providing services.

Debts owed to local authorities currently stand at N$250 million, he noted. “Only once this debt is written off can many services in local authorities, in particular village councils, be implemented,” he said during a meeting with President Hage Geingob at State House. “If we are serious about the service delivery of local authorities, the write-off of those debts must become a priority,” he said.

• COMMITTED TO DEVELOPMENT

Education: A selfless sacrifice “There was no other place I wanted to be, and there I learnt that if you want to have a career, do what you love. It will soon become a way of life and not just a profession,” teacher Mutsa Ella Pazvakavambwa said. YOCHANAAN COETZEE WINDHOEK

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ery few professions call for the personal and profession buy-in teaching takes. The input, empathy, sacrifices and safe nurturing spaces teachers, tutors and many others offer up in the name of educating the next generation cannot be quantified. The hours of preparation, assessment, assistance, even accommodating learners in their homes, should not be ignored. Despite the challenges, the African Child Development Trust’s (ACDT) education project principal online

Geingob Continued from page 1 “So please, what is happening is people are demanding because they have hopes,” he said. “Don’t be against your own country, be patriotic,” he fumed. The head of state, however, admitted that Namibia is plagued with problems, but said it is not fair for it to be compared to apartheid South West Africa. “Let’s complain, but we must stop somewhere in complaining and tell the truth. Yes, we have problems, as I said, but you cannot compare Namibia under apartheid with Namibia of today. They are worlds apart,” he said.

Don’t show off

He further discouraged those with assets from showing off, warning that this was sowing seeds of unhappiness.

credibly satisfying career path.

Part of the process

teacher Mutsa Ella Pazvakavambwa said she can’t see herself doing anything else. “I always enjoyed school and especially my extramurals like going to the sports games, and taking part in tennis, hockey, debate and public speaking. I remember having this incredible pride in having school pride,” she said warmly. “So, I always saw immense value in learning and loving the school environment. Even from my earliest memories from grade one. “I actually wanted to become a lawyer, but in order for my family to prepare the funds, I took a gap year and started working as a grade one teacher,” she said. Soon she realised that moulding young minds was more rewarding than she could imagine, took on this selfless but in“When you have no hope, you sit and suffer peacefully, but when you see the light at the end of the tunnel, you want to reach there quickly. You see your colleagues are now doing well; those who were born under the trees with you, they are driving big cars, big houses. Don’t show off also you with cars, then the people want to have the same,” Geingob said. “Thus, the unhappiness or complaints that we are having every day,” he said.

‘I just stopped it’

The president also dispelled notions of Namibia being corrupt, saying steps are being taken to fight corruption. “I will still say Namibia is not a corrupt country,” he said. “You can see that airport thing was being tendered for N$3 billion or so on. After a while it was N$7 billion, how does that happen? Those are the

“Being an assistant teacher to a new grade one class, I got to witness the process of learning from a teacher’s point of view. It made me so happy to be there and be part of that process,” Pazvakavambwa said. “There was no other place I wanted to be, and there I learnt that if want to have a career, do what you love. It will soon become a way of life and not just a profession,” she added. “Even before Covid, many of us always asked ourselves how we could reach everyone in a society with so many social inequalities. “We say ‘education for all’, but is that really the reality outside urban centres?” she asked. “We want to build a nation of excellence, so when the ACDT project came about, I was excited that we could now put children on an equal platform and give those who previously had less access to printed and audio-visual material an equal opportunity to learn,” she said. To access these educational resources, visit zoshy.com and watch the media for more information. things people are doing and that is under your care and that you can stop, as I did. “I was a newcomer, but I just came in and I stopped it,” Geingob said. According to him, he stopped the project from going ahead because he did not know government’s procurement rules. “I just came and I stopped it. It’s good to be new sometimes, I just said ‘cancel’.”

Dig at ‘so-called reporters’

Corruption was also being dealt with by the justice system, Geingob said, adding that cases of perceived corruption are not found by journalists. “Our reporters, our so-called reporters, are looking for corruption. They never see that most cases being talked about are cases in the courts and there is separation. “If we are going to interfere, we will be accused also,” he said.

Shacks Continued from page 1

He locked the ghetto and left,” Iikuyu said. He also confirmed that 111 residents were left homeless after 23 shacks on four properties were destroyed in the blaze. The flames, that were fuelled by the presence of a breeze, spread rapidly.

Storing flammable items

Walvis Bay fire chief Dennis Basson advised parents to ensure the safety of children in emergency situations. “The mother of the child who died apparently lost sight of her child during the commotion.” He also called on residents to be extra careful when storing highly flammable items. “We found diesel tanks, gas bottles and piles of wood stored on some premises. These items are endangering the lives of residents and can cause considerable destruction when a fire erupts.” He also pleaded with community members to respect and protect fire hydrants. “It is everyone’s duty. This is our first source of a constant flow of water when fighting fires. People are vandalising and selling the taps for scrap and this makes it tough for us to fight fires.”

Immediate relief

According to Basson, the municipality could provide immediate relief for the victims of the fire. “After the blaze, a front-end loader was brought in and the area was cleared of rubble. Twenty-two tents were also pitched for the displaced people. Mattresses, blankets, food parcels and tins of fish were handed over. Emergency water lines with taps were installed and skip bins were deployed for the disposal of rubble,” he said. He added that the swift response of the fire brigade prevented more damage. “Our response time was excellent. A municipal official who was at the scene when the fire started reported the fire through the proper channels. There was a strong wind that fuelled the flames. We managed to contain and extinguish the blaze.” He, however, condemned the presence of a large group of bystanders at the scene and called on the police to avail more manpower to protect firefighters during incidents. “They are hampering us to do our work and something must be done about this. Many of these persons do not do anything constructive but merely observe what’s happening. They converge, stand around and prevent us to get to the fire. People are also aggressive against us.”

MONDAY 14 MARCH 2022

NEWS

• CATTLE GRAZING A BONE OF CONTENTION

Swapo nearly paid heavy price over Bwabwata, Hambukushu says

3

Gyrocopter pilot ‘did not drink day of accident’ RONELLE RADEMEYER WINDHOEK

NO GRAZING: The environment and tourism ministry’s ban on cattle grazing in the Bwabwata National Park has caused tension. PHOTO: KENYA KAMBOWE

In a petition dated 6 November 2021, the traditional authority expressed grievances towards the environment and tourism ministry as far as the management of the Bwabwata National Park is concerned. KENYA KAMBOWE WINDHOEK

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he Hambukushu Traditional Authority says the integrity of Swapo in its jurisdiction was nearly compromised in the 2020 local and regional government elections following a threat by the environment and tourism ministry to evict all livestock from the Bwabwata National Park weeks ahead of the elections. In the 2015 regional elections, Swapo garnered 5 541 votes, but this was reduced to 2 995 in 2020. The traditional authority made the observa-

tion in a petition dated 6 November 2021 to speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi, in which it expressed grievances towards the environment and tourism ministry as far as the management of the Bwabwata National Park is concerned. The bone of contention is that communal farmers from Hambukushu currently graze and keep their livestock in the national park, while the line ministry is carrying out a 1999 Cabinet decision that no cattle will be allowed in the national park or any other game park in the north-east of the country. This has since created tension between the two parties.

INMATE RELEASED AFTER TRICKING WALVIS POLICE ADAM HARTMAN SWAKOPMUND

A convicted car thief, Isaskar Asser (25), allegedly used a forged High Court appeal judgment to convince officers at the Walvis Bay Correctional Facility that he had won his appeal, and could therefore be released. Seemingly deceived, the officers released Asser after he served only about two and a half years of a 12-year sentence passed down to him in the Swakopmund Regional Court in September 2019. He was found guilty of stealing a Toyota Hilux worth N$530 000 in Walvis Bay in 2016. He was only 19 at the time. He apparently drove the car to Botswana, where he delivered it, and upon his return, he was arrested. He appealed on grounds that his imprisonment was “shockingly inappropriate”; that the regional magistrate unjustifiably overemphasised the seriousness of his offences at the expense of mitigating circumstances; that the regional court erred by paying lip service to the three years he spent in custody awaiting trial, and that the court erred in law by disregarding his youthfulness when the offences were committed.

ON THE RUN: The search is on for Isaskar Asser. PHOTO: NAMIBIAN POLICE

High Court judge Dinna Usiku ruled that the sentence from the regional court was appropriate. “I find no misdirection by the court and as a result... the appeal against sentence is dismissed,” her ruling read in the original judgment document dated 6 October 2021 – the same document that also stated that Trevor Brockerhoff was Asser’s legal representative.

Forged document

After he was sentenced at Swakopmund, he apparently spent time in the Windhoek Correctional Facility during the appeal. Last week, he was brought to Walvis Bay to stand trial on another matter involving alleged

Cost Swapo votes

In the petition, the traditional authority stated its case and indicated that the ministry’s attempt to evict all livestock ahead of the 2020 local authority and regional council elections could have cost Swapo votes. “Last year (2020), while political parties were busy with their election campaign to elect regional and local authority councillors, the same ministry under the leadership of minister Pohamba Shifeta threatened to evict all livestock in Bwabwata without proper consultation with the Hambukushu Traditional Authority. Such [a] move almost compromised the integrity of the Swapo-led government, considering it was election time,” the petition read. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs will undertake a fact-finding visit to Bwabwata National Park this week following the petition. [email protected]

fraud and money laundering. While being held there, the correctional facility’s management allegedly received a Yahoo email in which the appeal judgment was attached, containing a supposed ruling in Asser’s favour. It is unclear whether someone else was in cahoots with him. Namibia Media Holdings has a copy of the alleged forged document that Asser used to hoodwink the prison officers, and there are several edited discrepancies featured, such as changed dates, and also that Namibian top lawyer Sisa Namandje was edited in next to Brockerhoff to be included as Asser’s legal team. The most prevalent discrepancy, however, is the ruling, which suggested that Usiku agreed to all the grounds of his appeal. “For the foregoing reasons, it is our opinion we are justified to interfere with the sentence to a certain extent,” the forged document read, adding that the sentence be suspended for “docket reconstruction”; and that “Issaskar Asser is released on warning”.

The pilot of a gyrocopter that crashed and burst into flames on the Hosea Kutako International Airport road about 15 km east of Windhoek on 17 December 2020 had been drinking the night before, not the day of the accident, a report states. The accident happened when the pilot crashed into power lines. According to a final report by the directorate for aircraft accident investigations in the works and transport ministry, Pierre Blaauw (40) and his passenger, Donbaldt Noah, tested positive for alcohol. Blaauw’s blood alcohol level was 0.011 mg / dL. “A witness testified that the pilot drank a bottle of whiskey with the other occupants the night before,” the report reads. It appears that although they had whisky and beer with them when they visited a private airplane at Eros Airport shortly before the flight, Blaauw did not drink on the day. He was therefore not intoxicated at the time of the accident, as previously reported. Parallel investigation Meanwhile, tests to determine whether there were other psychoactive drugs in Blaauw’s system have not yet been finalised. The Namibian Police Institute for Forensic Science (NPSFI) is conducting the tests as part of a parallel investigation into the plane crash together with that of the directorate for plane crash investigations. Noah died in the accident, while Blaauw died later in a Windhoek hospital from multiple injuries he sustained. It was also found that he did not have a valid licence at the time of the flight.

Looking for him

Asser – or someone else - apparently still went to the Walvis Bay Police Station to pay N$4 000 bail on the fraud and money laundering matter, allegedly telling the police he was released and therefore was able to pay. That may have been the last time he was seen. When contacted for comment on Saturday, deputy commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, Erongo crime investigations coordinator, said: “We are looking for him.”

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NEWS

Matutungu Fund seeks housing projects OGONE TLHAGE WINDHOEK

The Matutungu Property Fund is looking for housing projects to fund all over the country, its executive director Jerry Muadinohamba said at its launch last week. The fund was launched with a focus on property development finance, with the primary purpose of enhancing access to finance in the property investment market, he explained. “It is known that both new and existing players in the real estate space have difficulties in preparing project and business plans and accessing finance. It is against this background that the fund

would like to start off by inviting those that are faced with such constraints to explore our services and possible partnerships,” Muadinohamba said.

Housing crisis a concern

The fund noted that the prevailing housing crisis is a major concern and a lingering developmental problem, and sought collaboration with other development partners, Muadinohamba said. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the fund’s manager for projects and innovation, Ethel Mendai. “We are inviting property developers, entrepreneurs and investors to submit property investment projects for possible collaboration

and capital raising. We have developed a review framework that can be accessed via email,” he said.

Submit your projects

By submitting information to the fund, it will assist with finalising housing projects. “This process will enable the fund to obtain first-hand information from property developers, entrepreneurs and investors on current, uncompleted housing and residential projects as well as future housing projects; be it for rental stock or sales,” Muadinohamba said.

Pipeline to be developed

According to him, the fund will develop an extensive pipeline of

DELIVERING HOUSING: The Matutungu Property Fund is looking for housing projects to help solve Namibia’s housing crisis. PHOTO: FILE

projects and present those to its development advisory board with the consent of the interested parties. “Thereafter, the fund will determine the collaboration framework, the regulatory framework

and the regulatory requirements that would guide property development finance,” he said. Further details on the fund’s structure, business model and strategy will be announced in due course, he said.

• PENSIONER LIVES IN FEAR

Man threatens to kill ‘witch’ mother in-law over daughter’s death The six persons accused of setting fire to Nepembe’s cuca shop appeared in the Kahenge Periodic Court in January, but are now all out on bail. KENYA KAMBOWE KASIVI

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witchcraft-accused pensioner from Kasivi village in the Kavango West Region is unable to leave her homestead after her son-in-law recently threatened to kill her. He blames her for his daughter’s death. Earlier this year, Namibian Sun reported that six people, including a teacher, were arrested after they burnt down a cuca shop belonging to Sindimba Laurencia Nepembe (61), whom they accused of bewitching her own granddaughter, who died on New Year’s Eve. They appeared in the Kahenge Periodic Court in January facing various charges, however, Namibian Sun has been informed that they are all out on bail. The allegations of Nepembe be-

LIVING IN FEAR: Sindimba

Laurencia Nepembe (61).

PHOTO: KENYA KAMBOWE

and another man approached me. He started accusing me of being a witch and said that I deserve to die. He even said ‘why I can’t just kill her now, just like she killed my daughter’,” Nepembe narrated. She said she immediately packed her belongings and rushed home. Ever since that day, she no longer goes to the river on her own, she said. “I will only go to the river when I am in the company of four or more people. I am scared that he might kill me, like he said he will,” she said.

Ruined reputation

ing a witch emanated after the father of her late granddaughter approached a self-proclaimed prophet from Rundu, who prophesised that the child died because she was being bewitched by her grandmother. At the time, the community took matters into their own hands and set fire to Nepembe’s cuca shop. Namibian Sun understands the six accused are close to the father

of the late child.

Fears for her life

In that article, Namibian Sun reported that the pensioner feared for her life after threats that the accused would kill her. Last week, she echoed those sentiments, saying she has been confined to her homestead out of fear. “I do not walk around in the com-

munity because my life is in danger. To them, I am a witch who needs to be killed,” she said. Nepembe said two weeks ago, while sitting in the flood plain of the Kavango River with her 19-year-old daughter crafting traditional baskets, the father of her late granddaughter appeared out of nowhere and allegedly threatened to kill her. “It was around 17:00 when he

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When asked whether she reported the matter to the police, Nepembe said did not, as she does not have their contact details. She called on the police to warn her son-in-law to stop threatening her. Meanwhile, regarding her torched cuca shop, she said she has no plans to reconstruct it because her reputation in the community is ruined. Although she lost her cuca shop which brought in an income, Nepembe said she will try by all means to take care of her family with the monthly pension grant she receives. [email protected]

MONDAY 14 MARCH 2022

NEWS

5

• ‘INVESTING IN EDUCATION NEVER STOPS’

300 bags of cement for Omungwelume SS Principal George Nanghanda said the school has come a long way since 2018, with the aim of ensuring that learners have proper accommodation facilities. TUYEIMO HAIDULA RUNDU

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ormer governor of the Ohangwena Region, Usko Nghaamwa, recently said investing in education does not stop, handing over 300 bags of cement to Omungwelume Secondary School. A staunch believer that education is the key to development, Nghaamwa said he will continue to invest in the future of young Namibians for as long as possible. The donation was made possible by Rani group of companies. Nghaamwa said such donations uplift and encourage learners, and are a good way to invest in the education of a Namibian child. This, he said, will give them hope to work hard as they will know that their lives matter and there are those who care about them. “Investing in education has no end; every day is a new project to be delivered in education,” he said. He urged parents and caregivers not to neglect their children’s education.

SOLID FOUNDATION: Former Ohangwena governor Usko Nghaamwa recently handed over 300 bags of cement to Omungwelume Secondary School.

Strong foundation

Rani owner Ali Daharani said if one intends to build something concrete, it takes time, hence one does not stop learning. He said life is education as human beings on a daily basis learn something new, adding that children need a strong foundation to compete in this very competi-

Jhpiego defends retrenchments

Rubbished claims

“In early February this year, Jhpiego started the process of restructuring ACHIEVE in order to better meet the objectives and goals of this important programme,” he said. “As part of this restructuring, a number of positions in the project organogram and activities were transitioned to CAA, our

completed in 2020 and the parents in September last year took a decision for learners to use the hostel despite it not being registered,” he said. The construction of the hostel was initiated after learners who live far away suffered hardship of finding proper accommodation at Omungwelume village settlement,

where the school is located. The lack of accommodation at that time resulted in learners renting expensive private rooms and some allegedly using old car wreckages for shelter. The hostel caters for 256 learners, of which 128 are boys and 128 are girls. [email protected]

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A global non-governmental organisation operating in Namibia that retrenched over 20 workers last month says its action was done in accordance with the law. Jhpiego faces a case of unfair labour practices after it hired over 20 workers on a 12-month contract last November, only to retrench them in February. A case has since been lodged with the Office of the Labour Commissioner by disgruntled former employees from the Kavango East and Oshana regions. However, according to Jhpiego country director Abubakari Mwinyi, all legal procedures were followed as far as the retrenchments are concerned. “All legal procedures in line with Namibian labour laws were followed in the retrenchment of staff,” he said. He added that the reasons for retrenchment was because the Adolescents and Children, HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE) project was restructured, while some staff members were absorbed by the Catholic AIDS Action (CAA).

tive world which evolves on a daily basis. Omungwelume principal George Nanghanda said the school has come a long way since 2018, with the aim of ensuring that learners have proper accommodation facilities. He said construction has not come easy for them to be where they are today. “The school dormitories were

DEFEND: Jhpiego country director,

Abubakari Mwinyi. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

local partner who has been supporting the community work. “That important work has now been fully transitioned to CAA, along with funding, to ensure sustainability of activities. As such, we did not need the same staffing component as previously engaged.” Mwinyi also rubbished claims that funds were misappropriated. “We confirm that this was not due to misappropriation of funds,” he said.

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In bad faith

The disgruntled workers are represented by labour consultant Diaz Kavu, who has been mandated by at least 21 of the retrenched employees to find an amicable solution to the issue. He argued that Jhpiego did not follow Section 34 of the Labour Act, and therefore the retrenched workers have a strong case against the organisation. He added that the organisation bargained in bad faith as alternative options to dismissal were not exhausted. When contacted for comment last week, Kavu said the case has been set for 30 March. [email protected]

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AFRICAN NEWS

• AFRICAN ECONOMIES FEEL PINCH OF UKRAINE CONFLICT

Mnangagwa blocks another fuel price increase DON’T PANIC: Geopolitical factors caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict have

seen fuel prices increased twice by about US$0.30 within a week in Zimbabwe. PHOTO: FILE

In an engagement with players in the insurance sector last Wednesday, Zimbabwe’s finance and economic development minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the government was already in the process of reducing fuel taxes.

Z

imbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed his government to enforce domestic remedies, including a reduction of duty on petroleum products, to control the price of fuel which went up last week on account of geopolitical factors caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. These fresh interventions have seen the government forestalling another price hike. There has been a sharp increase in local fuel prices in the last fortnight after the international price for a barrel of oil increased to an average of US$130 from about US$95 since the conflict began. Locally, fuel prices increased twice by a about US$0.30 within a week, leaving diesel and petrol selling at US$1.68 and US$1.67 per litre respectively. As such, players in the energy sector have raised alarm over the surge, saying the knock-on effect could be harmful to the recovering economy. Mnangagwa called for calm, saying government has taken measures to shield the economy from the global disruptions. “We are looking at the whole duty framework to cushion our economy from shocks and pressures from galloping fuel prices,” he said. “There is no need for panic. I have already directed the ministry of energy and power development to review and reduce duty and surcharges on fuel so the pump prices of petrol and diesel remain manageable.” The president said cabinet will soon deliberate on sustained implementation of the measures. “We need stability in the fuel mar-

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ket so we minimise imported inflation for price stability in the economy. Cabinet will be seized with this issue in days and weeks ahead.”

Global spillovers

As of March last year, Zimbabwe’s total taxes and levies on diesel and petrol amounted to about US$0.30 per litre. In an engagement with players in the insurance sector last Wednesday, finance and economic development minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said the government was already in the process of reducing fuel taxes. “The geopolitical developments pose a risk to our economic recovery. These are what we typically call global spillovers,” he said. “The channels of transmission of such global spillovers is through the oil price and we have seen the price of local fuel move to US$1.68 per litre because of that movement of the Fuel on Board price, which is a direct translation of the global oil price. “It’s not easy to come up with risk mitigation measures, but one thing we have done is to lower the taxes on fuel from about 12.7 cents (US) to 8.7 cents (US), and that’s where we are now.” Ncube said the government is looking to reduce the taxes further. “We could lower it further, but it’s difficult to get to zero because we have pressures as government, such as civil servants’ salaries and so forth,” he said. “By the way, we have been doing that without you noticing since September (2021).” – The Zimbabwe Mail

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MONDAY 14 MARCH 2022

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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• THE WEST ‘PLAYING WITH MATCHES AROUND A TINDERBOX’

Nato, the firefighter-arsonist There’s currently a concerted effort underway within the transatlantic alliance to portray the conflict in Ukraine as a Russia-Ukraine standoff unrelated to Nato. RACHEL MARSDEN

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he French have a wonderful term: The firefighter-arsonist. It’s used to describe a person or entity that lights a match and creates a firestorm, only to subsequently rush and put out the flames to heroic applause and accolades. At this stage of the conflict in Ukraine, it’s hard to imagine a better term for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). There’s currently a concerted effort underway within the transatlantic alliance to portray the conflict in Ukraine as a Russia-Ukraine standoff unrelated to Nato. Except that the US-led West, of which Nato is key pillar, was largely responsible for not only the ignition of the conflict, but also for amassing the tinder in the form of ‘foreign aid’ to civil society groups known for mobilising public opinion against Russia, for delivering weapons, for ear-bending public officials with promises of Nato or European Union (EU) integration, and for its clandestine training of anti-Russian neo-Nazi proxy fighters. The Canadian military is currently investigating how on earth its personnel allegedly became involved in the last of those endeavours, despite being warned as early as 2015 before the training operation began. The whole idea of clandestine operations is that Nato’s footprint is reduced along with its visibility. It’s mission accomplished in that sense, apparently, since there’s no denying that many people honestly believe the thrust of Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg’s statement in a 8

March press conference that “we do not seek conflict with Russia”. You’re joking, right? My, but how things seem to have changed for the better over the past two weeks – at least rhetorically – since this conflict popped off militarily. Because, prior to that, the entire raison d’être of Nato since the Cold War had been to relentlessly promote anti-Russian sentiment in the West while continuing to arm country after country with weapons that inched ever closer to the Russian border in spite of promises the alliance wouldn’t expand eastward. But Nato’s aggressive posture now, thankfully, appears to be starting to shift towards de-escalation. This may be the wisest thing it has done in its entire existence – not that there’s much competition in that regard. But here’s hoping that it continues.

Return to reality

It’s always good news when a party involved in a conflict backs down from requests to set off World War III, as was the case when Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asked Nato to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine – which is not a member of the bloc, despite it being treated by the US state department as its guesthouse – and Nato had at least enough survival sense to refuse. The measure would have mandated that Nato shoot down any Russian fighter jet over Ukraine, which would have been considered an act of war against Russia itself. Zelensky’s seeming realisation that Nato membership is far-fetched is also a sign of a return to reality for

his Nato cheerleaders. “I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... Nato is not prepared to accept Ukraine,” Zelensky said in an ABC News interview that aired last Monday. That realisation should be the beginning of a codified sovereign and neutral positioning of Ukraine between Eastern and Western interests – something Zelensky’s deputy chief of staff, Ihor Zhovkva, reportedly confirmed to now be on the negotiating table, according to Bloomberg. It’s also a favourable sign that when Poland offered to send its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via an American airbase in Germany, Washington rejected the offer. With Nato member Hungary having refused weapons transit to Ukraine, that leaves just Poland for transit into Ukraine. Let that be another test of Nato’s newfound spirit of de-escalation.

Change of heart

So, what else could be contribut-

ing to Western officials’ change of heart? While Nato member countries – especially those in the EU – have recently been keen to sanction and restrict anything that moves and remotely resembles something Russian, the economic hangover is starting to settle in already. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz now admits that Europe has “deliberately exempted” energy supplies from Russia from sanctions. “At the moment, Europe’s supply of energy for heat generation, mobility, power supply, and industry cannot be secured in any other way,” he added. “It is therefore of essential importance for the provision of public services and the daily lives of our citizens.” The EU is now saying it will find other suppliers – eventually. But, in the meantime, energy prices have skyrocketed, with no end to their increase in sight. Many in Washington were, of course, rubbing their hands at the dream of replacing Russia as the

EU’s energy provider – which constituted the entire interest in sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia into oblivion – but the infrastructure required would take years to put in place, according to experts. So, it’s not like Washington is going to be able to capitalise on any of this before blowback from the conflict irreparably harms Europe. The West’s insistence on playing with matches around a tinderbox has already led to an unwelcome backdraft for citizens everywhere, including their own. Here’s hoping they can pass quickly to the firehose sequence by toning down their belligerence and genuinely attempting to secure peace. – RT

* Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist and host of an independently produced Frenchlanguage programme that airs on Sputnik France.

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MONDAY 14 MARCH 2022

SPORT

PSG want to ‘get rid of’ Neymar

Sundowns midfielder resurfaces

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly ready to “get rid of” Neymar, with the club’s chiefs said to have grown fed up with the Brazilian.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Lucky Mohomi has reportedly resurfaced at Baroka, with the aim of securing a permanent deal.

• AL AHLY WHITEWASHED

Shalulile: 20 and counting Namibia’s Peter Shalulile scored a sensational goal in the 23rd minute of Mamelodi Sundowns’ match against Al Ahly on Saturday at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg to bring his total to 20 goals in all competitions. LIMBA MUPETAMI WINDHOEK

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rave Warriors striker Peter Shalulile ensured that his team Mamelodi Sundowns became the first South African side to whitewash Al Ahly in any African competition when they beat them 1-0 over the weekend to advance to the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League. The 28-year old attacked a floating delivery from a corner kick from Lyle Lakay to score, bringing his goals in the Champions League to five, with 15 from the DStv Premiership. However, Shalulile didn’t achieve the feat alone. He, along with teammates Themba Zwane, Rushine de Reuck and Andile Jali as well as goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, highlighted Sundowns’ performance throughout the match as they rep-

licated their 1-0 victory over Pitso Mosimane’s side two weekends ago, away at the Cairo International Stadium. Al Ahly’s intentions were visible in the second half, but time ticked away as Sundowns held onto the lead, completing a double over the Egyptian Premier League giants in the group stages. So far, the Namibian has scored 15 goals in the DStv Premiership, making him the current top goal scorer followed in second and third by Sepana Victor of Royal AM and Bienvenu Eva Nga, and five goals in the CAF championship. The win confirmed Sundowns’ passage to the next stage, while the defending champions are now playing for their survival in the competition. PUNISHER: Namibia’s Peter Shalulile. PHOTO: SUNDOWNSFC.CO.ZA

HARAMBEE WINS TOP SCORE TOURNAMENT

WINNERS: Harambee Football Club won the 22nd edition of the Top Score seven-a-side tournament over the weekend. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

LIMBA MUPETAMI WINDHOEK

Harambee Football Club won the 22nd edition of the Top Score seven-a-side tournament on Saturday at the Ramblers Stadium in Windhoek, after defeating STG Logistics 3-2 on penalties. The match saw both teams evenly squared in the field of play, however, the forwards couldn’t find the back of the net after 14 minutes of play and the fixture ended in penalties. Harambee bagged N$13 000, while STG Logistics walked away with N$8 000. The third spot and N$6 500 went to NamPower Eagles A, with Colobane Trading taking the fourth spot with N$2 500. A total of 52 teams competed in the tournament, which was sponsored to the tune of N$151 900 by Namib Mills.