The Southern Times

The THE NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA 

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Southern Times 

30 NOVEMBER - 06 DECEMBER 2018 | US$0.50, R7, P3, ZMW3, N$3-00 | TEL: +264 61 415 800 | FAX: +264 61 301095 | Schonlein & Jenner Streets | WINDHOEK - NAMIBIA 

INSIDE 

PAGE 4 PAGE 15 

NEWS: 

BUSINESS: 

Will opposition 

fight Kabila 

election? 

EU investment 

facility idle 

in SADC 

PAGE 23 PAGE 32 

ARTS: 

What african 

furniture should 

look like 

SPORTS: 

Banyana 

Banyana rewrite 

history 

NAMIBIA, ANGOLA 

OIL DEAL ABORTED 

Namibia 

spends 

R750 

million on 

fuel monthly 

■ Timo Shihepo 

Windhoek - At a time when 

Namibian motorists are dreading 

fuel price increases every month, 

the Namibian government has 

revealed that the proposed talks 

to import crude oil from Angola 

have broken down with no 

resumption insight. 

In 2013, the then Namibia 

minister of mines and 

energy, Isak Katali led 

a delegation to Angola to hold 

talks with the Angolan delegation 

led by the then minister of petroleum, 

Jose de Vasconcelos with 

the interest of buying crude oil 

from Angola. 

The talks were also 

extended to oil refining, 

the construction of a storage 

terminal and negotiations 

on a memorandum 

of understanding. In an 

effort to speed up the process, 

Vasconcelos, at the 

time, advocated for a close 

cooperation between the 

national oil companies, 

the National Petroleum 

Corporation of Namibia 

and Sonangol of Angola. 

NAMIBIA, ANGOLA 

OIL: turn to P. 2 

‹ Angolan Minister of Petroleum, 

Jose de Vasconcelos 

› Namibia’s Minister of Mines 

and Energy, Tom Alweendo 

Troubled 

Comoros 

turns to 

Geingob 

for help 


Windhoek – Barely three 

months after becoming a 

full member of the Southern African 

Development Community (SADC), 

the Comoro Islands are already in 

turmoil and are pleading for the 

regional body’s intervention. 

Opposition and pressure groups in 

SADC’s newest member state have 

turned to Namibia’s President and 

SADC chairman Hage Geingob for 

his intervention. 

The Southern Times understands 

that Geingob will, however, not 

meet Comoros’ opposition parties, 

as political uncertainty in SADC’s 

new member state persists. 

SADC OBSESSED: turn to P. 3 

TROUBLED COMOROS: turn to P. 2 

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2 Friday 30 November - 06 December 2018 The Southern Times 

■ NEWS 

TROUBLED COMOROS 

> From P. 1 

John Craig outlines 

regional expansion plans 

› Namibia’s President and SADC chairman Hage Geingob 

The SADC chairperson received 

a letter from the opposition parties 

as well as one from the vice -president 

of Comoros, Jaffar Ahmed Said 

Hassani requesting a meeting in a 

bid to get the Namibian President 

to resolve the island nation’s political 

crisis. 

In a letter dated 1 October 2018 

written by Mohammed Ali Soilihi 

on behalf of the Union of the Opposition, 

opposition parties also asked 

the SADC chair to send a special 

envoy to Comoros to meet all the 

Comorian parties. 

Soilihi said this would enable 

Geingob to judge for himself and 

find a better way to assist Comoros 

find lasting peace and stability. 

“I beg you, Sir, to accept the 

expression of my highest consideration,” 

said Soilihi. 

The letter further said that 

Comoros is facing a double political 

and institutional crisis. At the 

forefront of the crisis is President 

Azali Assoumani who plunged the 

nation into crisis in April when he 

suspended the Constitutional Court, 

the highest court in the country, 

sparking opposition protests. 

Comoros is a nation made up of 

three islands and consists of three 

vice presidents. Under the current 

constitution, power rotates every 

five years between the three main 

islands. The President does not 

have the power to dismiss the three 

vice-presidents under that constitution, 

but Assoumani’s new constitution 

would allow him to abolish 

their posts. 

Prior to the current term, Assoumani 

had been President of Comoros 

on two separate terms and with the 

new constitution, Assoumani would 

be able to run again for president 

when his term ends in 2021. 

This sparked nationwide protests 

resulting in the arrest of those opposing 

Assoumani’s new regulations. As 

a result, Assoumani’s vice-president 

Ahmed Said Jaffar dubbed the referendum 

illegal, urging Comorians 

to “reject the dangerous abuse” of 

power. Jaffar has since been stripped 

of several rights and post as a vice 

president. 

As the tension escalated, Comoros’ 

other vice-president Moustoidrane 

Abdou escaped an assassination 

attempt in July when assailants on a 

motorcycle riddled his car with automatic 

gunfire before the controversial 

referendum on a new constitution. 

Comoros former president Ahmed 

Sambi, is under house arrest for 

alleged corruption, misappropriation 

of public funds and complicity 

in forgery dating from his time when 

he was in power from 2006-2011. 

The Office of the President in 

Namibia confirmed receipt of the 

letters to The Southern Times. 

“We have received two letters and 

we have responded,” said Presidential 

spokesperson Alfredo Hengari. 

Hengari could not shed light on 

the contents of President Geingob’s 

response to the correspondence, nor 

could he confirm whether Geingob 

Pretoria - John Craig, 

the South African-based 

retailer of 

men’s clothing, has unveiled 

ambitious plans to increase 

its presence and establish new 

markets in neigbouring countries. 

Company executives outlined 

the plans during an interview 

with CAJ News Africa as 

the retailer meanwhile opened 

two new stores in the local 

Gauteng Province recently. 

Lily Moreira, John Craig 

Managing Director, disclosed 

the company aimed to increase 

the number of outlets in 

Namibia from the current five. 

She revealed they intended to 

open three more stores in the 

next six months in Namibia. 

The reception to its products 

from the capital Windhoek 

to the northern Rundu town 

buoyed the plans. 

“Namibia has been an exciting 

opportunity for the business. 

In the last two to three 

years since we have opened 

› Mohammed Ali Soilihi 

› Lily Moreira, John Craig 

Managing Director 

there, we have seen some amazing 

customer growth in that region,” 

Moreira said. 

She said the company would next 

target expansion to Botswana. 

“Botswana is another massive 

will grant the requests for an audience. 

The Southern Times understands 

that Geingob and Assoumani met 

in New York this year at the sidelines 

of the United Nations General 

Assembly. 

“Yes, it is true that the two presidents 

met in New York and the 

Comoros president informed the 

SADC Chair that they will come for 

a state visit after the elections,” said 

Hengari. 

Assoumani has called for elections, 

which were due in 2021 to be 

held next year. 

Geingob told The Southern Times 

earlier this year that countries should 

not just join SADC without putting 

their house in order. 

“It must be the local people to 

maintain the country’s peace not the 

world. People must maintain good 

governance, democracy, inclusivity. 

opportunity for the business. 

There are smaller opportunities 

in places like Lesotho and 

Swaziland. Sub-Saharan Africa 

is what we are targeting in the 

next two years. 

When opportunities arise, we 

will be moving there,” Moreira 

said. 

John Craig, a subsidiary of 

Pepkor, has grown exponentially 

since establishment in 1947. 

It has defied the prevailing 

harsh economic situation in 

South Africa to open over 100 

stores. 

The most recent shops were 

opened in Centurion and Johannesburg 

South. 

Moreira disclosed the company 

aimed to open between “15 

to 20 stores every year” in the 

next two years. 

“That will depend on finding 

space within the malls. Sometimes 

the malls are so full finding 

space is a challenge. If space 

opens up, we will be there,” she 

concluded. – CAJ News 

If you leave people out, there would 

be attempted coups and trouble. 

As far as that is concerned it would 

be the duty of SADC to help them 

(Comoros) because they are now 

members,” he earlier said. 

The European Union considers 

recent events in Comoros as "worrying". 

"Violent reactions after the 

announcement of the results of the 

constitutional referendum, recent 

arrests, including that of the Secretary-General 

of the Juwa party, and 

the house arrest of former president 

Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, are troubling 

for Comoros, "said the EU 

spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, 

Maja Kocijancic, in a statement. 

Kocijancic added that any constitutional 

amendment requires a calm 

environment that respects the rule 

of law and human rights, including 

freedom of the press. 

NAMIBIA, ANGOLA OIL 

> From P. 1 

› Isak Katali 

However, five years later, not only 

that deal died in its infant stage but 

there are also no indications that 

talks will resume sooner or later. 

“There was never a Namibia-Angola 

deal. There were discussions 

with Angola to buy Angolan crude 

oil and have it refined somewhere. 

It did not materialize. There is 

nothing being discussed currently,” 

Namibia’s Minister of Mines and 

Energy, Tom Alweendo, told The 

Southern Times this week. 

As a result, Namibia continues 

to spend about R750 million 

per month on importing fuel 

into the country. Importation of 

fuel is done by the private sector 

companies, namely Engen, Total, 

Shell and Puma. Namibia’s fuel is 

imported all over the world, but 

mostly from Singapore. 

It is news that is not music to 

the motorists’ ears, who have been 

enduring torrid times with fuel 

price increases almost every month 

since the beginning of the year. In 

February, a litre of unleaded petrol 

used to cost R11.70 but it is now 

costing R14.37 per litre. Diesel used 

to cost R11.73 per litre in February 

but it now costs R14.96 per litre. 

Namibia’s petrol prices are very 

high to the end consumer because 

of the levies and taxes added onto 

the normal price. When a customer 

is fuelling at a service station, 

55% goes to the cost of fuel 

at which it was bought, including 

the prescribed industry margin of 

R1.00; while 45% goes to various 

levies and taxes. 

In February 2018, government 

increased tax on fuel. It said this 

was necessary to generate additional 

revenue for the state. 

“The challenge is that Government 

has no control over the international 

fuel prices. Do we expect 

the petrol prices to normalise by 

next year? This will depend on what 

happens to the international crude 

oil price,” said Alweendo. 

Although fuel prices have been 

increasing for the past several 

months, the energy ministry said 

it has not been passing on the full 

increases to the consumers. Over 

the past months, it says, over R470 

million has been spent from the 

National Energy Fund to fund the 

fuel price increases. 

It said the price increases have 

been caused by the global price 

per barrel of refined oil and the 

exchange rate between the Namibian 

Dollar against the US dollar. 

Another factor affecting the fuel 

prices is also the current shortage 

in the global market after Iran’s 

supply was reduced by the sanctions 

imposed by the US.

The Southern Times Friday 30 November - 06 December 2018 

3 

■ NEWS 

Zambia intensifies Ebola surveillance 

■ Jeff Kapembwa 

Lusaka - Zambia has 

stepped up awareness in 

the country against the 

effects of Ebola, which has once 

again broken out in its northern 

neighbour, the Democratic Republic 

of Congo and claimed over 300 

lives. 

Several public sensitisation programmes 

and preparedness efforts, 

including the installation of disease 

detecting gadgets, have been 

placed at various entry points to 

screen all people entering Zambia 

against the 

deadly disease. 

At regional 

level, weekly 

“ 

“We have stepped up 

various measures to 

ensure that Zambia 

and the rest of the 

region are fully 

prepared to counter 

any effects of Ebola" 

conference calls 

a n d l i a i s o n 

meetings are 

being stepped 

up among the 

Southern African 

Development 

Communit 

y (SADC) 

member states to exchange ideas 

and initiate countermeasures to 

minimise the spread of Ebola that 

has ravaged the DRC, heightened 

by civil strife that has affected the 

more than 40 million people of the 

former Belgian colony. 

“We have stepped up various 

measures to ensure that Zambia 

and the rest of the region are fully 

prepared to counter any effects of 

Ebola. At home (Zambia), we have 

embarked on sanitation meetings 

in various parts of the country 

while manning all border points to 

ensure all entries are disease free,” 

Kennedy Malama, Permanent Secretary 

- Administration in Zambia’s 

ministry of health told The 

Southern Times in an interview. 

“At regional level, we are having 

regular meetings through conference 

calls to compare and share 

ideas on how best we can avoid 

the spreading of the disease from 

one country to another. Ideally, 

we have put in concerted efforts 

to ensure the region is secure while 

seeking to assist our colleagues in 

the DRC,” Malama said. 

Earlier, the Zambian health minister, 

Chitalu Chilufya, disclosed 

that government has been boosting 

its preparedness for any disease 

outbreak with the launching of the 

rapid response programme. 

A practical training programme 

for rapid response teams for diseases 

outbreaks has been set up 

with over 10 people from various 

cadres of medicines being trained 

in border districts in preparedness 

for any possible outbreak of diseases 

such as cholera, Ebola and 

typhoid. 

He says Zambia has received 

financial support from DFID and 

technical support from the Center 

for Disease Control 

and Prevention and 

World Health Organization. 

He did not 

disclose how much 

Zambia has received 

from donors apart 

from stating that 

the strengthening of 

health security is of 

paramount importance 

in improving 

the health system. 

“We are neighbours with Congo 

where Ebola is regular, we are 

neighbours with Zimbabwe which 

has recorded more than 8,000 

cases of cholera with high fatality, 

so we cannot leave anything 

to chance apart from intensifying 

surveillance and ensure we 

secure all border and other 

entry points and where 

we suspect high fever, 

we quarantine until we 

are sure of no Ebola at 

all.” 

The heightened 

civil strife among 

political players 

ahead of the December 

23 poll has frustrated 

efforts to fight 

the disease, which 

has claimed over 

300 lives as medical 

experts work 

round the clock to find a lasting 

solution and save more lives. 

A report by Doctors without 

Borders, MSF, shows 

that DRC declared 

their 10th outbreak 

of Ebola in 40 years. 

As at 18 November, 

366 cases have been 

recorded with 

319 deaths confirmed. 

As at 1 

August this year, 

there has been 

an increased 

threat in most 

p a r t s o f 

the country 

where 

there is a 

lack of clinical 

attention frustrated 

by fighting 

among warring 

parties. 

“ 

Zimbabwe is on 

a path of great 

reforms”


■ NEWS 

■ Mel Frykberg 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: 

PROJECT LOCATION: 

LOCATION GPS: 

PROJECT PROPONENT: 

EAP: 

Agricultural Portions 

Arbeidskroon Plot 

-21.868355°S; 16.891980°E 

Mr. F. Tromp 

Trinity Environmental Solutions 

This notice serves to inform all Interested and Affected Parties that an application for an 

Environmental Clearance Certificate will be made to the Environmental Commissioner 

as per the Environmental Management Act (No. 7 of 2007) and Government Notice No. 

30 of 2012 (EIA Regulations). Comments to the proposed development are invited. All 

comments should reach us by 21 December 2018. 

To register or to submit your contributions, please contact: 

Mr. N. D. Muroua 

Trinity Environmental Solutions Cell: 0811707737 

Fax to email: 088 650 9520 Email: trinityenvir@iway.na 

PO Box 3559, Windhoek 

Public Meeting Details: 

Venue: Okahandja, Brew Coffee Shop 

Date: 11 December 2108, Tuesday 09:00 AM 

Time: 09:00 AM 

Format: Presentation followed by questions and answers 

Will divided 

DRC opposition 

be able to fight 

Kabila candidate 

in upcoming 

election? 

Johannesburg - The US 

Embassy in the Democratic 

Republic of Congo (DRC) 

closed its doors on Monday for the 

day saying it had received “credible 

and specific information of a 

possible terrorist threat against US 

government facilities” in the capital, 

Kinshasa. 

This was the latest development 

in a country where political tensions 

were running high as campaigning, 

which began last Thursday, 

continued in the run up to the 

23 December presidential election 

to replace incumbent President 

Joseph Kabila. 

Repeated delays to the election 

over the past two years sparked 

street protests in which security 

forces killed dozens of demonstrators 

and worsened militia violence 

across the country. 

The country faces numerous 

problems ahead of the elections 

but one of the biggest questions 

is whether a divided opposition 

will be able to put up a successful 

fight against Kabila’s ruling People’s 

Party for Reconstruction and 

Democracy (PPRD). 

The opposition is in a shambles 

after a recent disagreement over 

who will be their joint candidate 

for the December poll. 

A decision by Felix Tshisekedi, 

the head of the largest opposition 

party in the DRC, Union for 

Democracy and Social Progress 

(UDSP), to pull out of an agreement 

to field a joint candidate in 

next month’s crucial presidential 

elections, could diminish the 

opposition’s chances of challenging 

Kabila. 

Tshisekedi’s sudden decision 

flew in the face of a pact he recently 

signed with other opposition figures 

who chose Martin Fayulu as 

their single contender after three 

days of negotiations in the Swiss 

capital, Geneva. 

“With opposition parties in the 

DRC failing to back a candidate to 

face off against President Joseph 

Kabila’s designated successor, the 

political trajectory will probably be 

one of continuity and not change,” 

wrote political analyst, and Independent 

Media’s foreign editor, 

Shannon Ebrahim in her Friday 

article ‘Realpolitik of the Democratic 

Republic of Congo’. 

Kabila is backing hardline Interior 

Minister and loyalist Emmanuel 

Ramazani Shadary and the 

decks are stacked in his favour, 

Ebrahim said. 

The opposition’s woes have been 

exacerbated by other issues. It has 

not had the same access to the 

media as the government, opposition 

rallies have been blocked 

while Shadary’s rallies are proceeding 

unencumbered. Additionally, 

popular opposition leaders have 


Lusaka - Zambia, like other 

Sub-Saharan African countries 

indebted to China, risks asset 

seizure amid a growing debt portfolio, 

Moody’s Investor Services 

claims in its report. 

Recently, finance minister Margaret 

Mwanakatwe refuted claims 

that Zambia was at risk of losing or 

giving away any of its assets to any 

creditor, China included, because 

there was no commitment to guaranteeing 

property in the event of 

default on the debt. 

Reports claim that over 28% of 

the more than US$15 billion Zambia 

owes belonged to China. This 

implies that Zambia owes the Far- 

East Asian state in excess of US$5 

billion in various loans secured for 

infrastructure development and 

other commitments. 

Some of the assets said to have 

been at risk of forfeiture include 

state-owned Zambia National 

Broadcasting Corporation in 

which a Chinese’s Top Star owed 

60% and Zambia’s power utility 

ZESCO which accumulated huge 

debts including US$2 billion for 

the construction of Kafue Gorge 

Lower. 

Moody’s Investment Services, 

the Beijing-based credit rating 

firm, contends in its recent report 

that Zambia was one of the countries 

in the Sub-Saharan Africa 

region at risk of forfeiting some of 

the assets following an increasing 

debt burden it owes China. 

It argues that the risk arises 

because of China’s response to 

Sub-Saharan African countries 

facing liquidity pressure which has 

not been uniform or transparent – 

implying predictability of credit 

implications being less clear. 

It cites among other countries 

endowed with various mineral 

and natural resources ‐ Zambia, 

Angola, Republic of Congo and 

Kenya ‐ all with various strategic 

important infrastructure including 

ports, railways, among others, 

that risk losing control over 

their strategic assets which could 

be “debt swapped” with the Chinese 

creditors. 

Moody’s further warns that such 

been prevented from running in 

the election. 

“Jean-Pierre Bemba, who came 

second in the 2006 elections, was 

blocked by the government from 

returning to the DRC in August, 

and the popular Moise Katumbi 

was barred from entering the 

DRC at the border when he tried 

to return home in August,” Ebrahim 

said. 

Complaints have also been raised 

about possible fraud, the ability of 

unregistered voters to cast their 

ballot and the validity of 10 million 

people registered to vote. 

“But despite the complaints of 

opposition parties about the dwindling 

political space, it was believed 

that if the opposition was able to 

unite, it would stand a chance of 

unseating Kabila’s ruling party. 

But, once again, egos have got in 

the way of uniting the DRC’s fractured 

opposition,” Ebrahim said. 

With 36 political parties and little 

political will to form a united 

front against the ruling party, 

it becomes difficult to effect real 

change. 

In addition to the divided opposition 

and possible voting irregularities 

looming ahead, the country’s 

security forces are battling 

violent militias and insurgencies. 

This includes the Islamist United 

Democratic Front (UDF), originally 

from Uganda but now based 

in the DRC, which is further destabilising 

the country. 

Attacks on aid workers by these 

groups are also exacerbating the 

fight against Ebola which is continuing 

to spread, thereby further 

complicating the situation ahead of 

the election. - Nampa/ANA 

Zambia risks losing national assets 

over Chinese debt – Moody’s warns 

countries are at further risk of 

being offered liquidity relief or 

higher resource concessions that 

merely reduce the value of their 

future exporting earnings. 

“Even if debt restructuring 

alleviates immediate liquidity 

pressure, the loss of natural 

resources revenue or other assets 

is credit negative,” 

Outside of Sub-Saharan Africa, 

China got land in exchange for 

some debt relief in Tajikistan and 

took control of the Hambantota 

Port in Sri Lanka. In general, concentrated 

exposure to a single 

creditor, with little transparency 

about decisions to restructure the 

terms of the debt, increases rollover 

risks, weakening the fiscal 

profile, it adds. 

For countries with narrow 

export bases, an increase in external 

debt associated with China’s 

lending may not be met with sufficient 

and stable foreign currency 

earnings in the future. 

Besides, Moody’s says, Chinese 

loans also come with relaxed conditions 

such as no call for structural 

reforms to enhance governance 

and competitiveness 

thus jeopardising the longer-term 

growth benefits from such loans. 

Chinese lending to African 

countries increased to more than 

US$10 billion annually between 

2012 and 2017, from less than US$1 

billion in 2002. 

Angola (30%), Ethiopia (10%) 

and Kenya (7%) received almost 

half of all Chinese investment on 

the continent between 2000 and 

2017, according to Moody’s. 

Chinese Ambassador to Zambia 

Li Jie, dispelled reports or fears 

that China’s incline to providing 

financing to African countries in 

excess of US$60 billion through 

its 2015-2018 Forum on China 

Africa Corporation (FOCAC) was 

a ploy to colonise the continent 

with debts but that the idea was 

to empower “friends of China” 

with affordable finances for various 

undertakings. 

China is merely working 

closely with Zambia, like many 

other countries on the continent 

in a win-win arrangement, merely 

to help it achieve greater development 

and does not have intentions 

of colonising it. 

China has never colonised any 

African country and has no plans 

of doing so in future adding. 

“Africa belongs to Africans and 

we only want to help it achieve 

sustainable development. This is 

the case even for Zambia. 

“Now, there are some concerns 

and voices domestically and 

abroad suggesting that strengthening 

co-operation with China 

will increase the debt burden of 

Zambia. This worry is redundant.” 

However, Mwanakatwe 

described as a “bluff “assertions 

that Zambia has succumbed to the 

demands of China over the debt 

owed to the emerging superpower 

arguing that no state-owned 

enterprise, including the Kenneth 

Kaunda International Airport, 

had been offered to China 

in exchange for the alleged high 

indebtedness. 

In a statement, Mwanakatwe 

argued that no company or indeed 

asset has been extended as collateral 

for any borrowing, arguing 

that reports titled “Bonds 

Bills and ever bigger debt” by 

the Africa Confidential over the 

alleged sale of assets was unsubstantiated 

and lacked merit. 

“There has been no debt default 

by the Republic of Zambia on our 

debt obligations to the Chinese 

Government and other Chinese 

lenders. 

“For all other loans that have 

been contracted from the Chinese 

Government, the security on the 

loans is in the form of insurance 

taken from Sinosure and for the 

state-owned enterprises an insurance 

from Sinosure and guarantee 

from the government in place, 

therefore, no collateral in the form 

of assets has been provided for 

borrowing and none of the guarantees 

has been called upon.” 

Mwanakatwe argued that to 

insinuate takeover of any assets by 

the Chinese government, therefore, 

is not practical and feasible. 

Further, I wish to state that the 

there has never at any time discussions 

of a debt swap between 

Zambia and any of its creditors, 

China included.


5 

■ NEWS 

SADC’s hungry millions: what is in 

store at climate change meeting? 

■ Mpho Tebele 

Gaborone - At least 27 million 

people in Southern 

Africa, who were hoping to benefit 

from the multi-billion-dollar 

appeal launched by SADC in 2016 

to assist them in coping with the El 

Niño-induced drought, have been 

left in the lurch as they are still vulnerable. 

This was revealed at a high-level 

meeting held in Botswana in preparation 

for the 24th Conference of 

the Parties (COP24) to the UN 

Framework Convention on Climate 

Change, scheduled for Katowice, 

Poland, early December, to finalise 

the rules of the implementation 

of the Paris Agreement on climate 

change. 

In 2016, the Southern African 

Development Community declared 

a regional disaster and launched an 

appeal amounting to US$2.4 billion 

to the international community to 

support the humanitarian needs of 

and disaster response recovery of 

millions of people affected by the 

El Niño-induced drought in the 

region. 

It is not clear if the international 

community responded positively to 

the appeal by former President of 

Botswana and former SADC chairperson, 

Ian Khama, who launched 

the appeal at the time, but this week 

it was revealed that 27 million people 

in the region are still facing 

hunger due climate change. 

Botswana’s Permanent Secretary 

in Botswana’s Environment, Natural 

Resources Conservation and 

Tourism Ministry, Thato Raphaka, 

said the number of food insecure 

population is at 27 million in the 

SADC region alone because the 

regional bloc suffered the worst 

drought in 35 years caused by the 

El Niño phenomenon. 

“The devastating negative 

impacts of climate change continue 

to weigh heavily on the vulnerable 

communities,” said Raphaka, 

adding that strategic interventions 

targeted towards sustainable production 

and consumption to keep 

the planet at a safer level and help 

realise the Paris Agreement should 

be a matter of priority to all. 

He said like other countries 

in the region, Botswana has not 

been spared by the effects of climate 

change. “With an estimated 

500,000 livestock deaths, and over 

30,000 people (4% of the population) 

left vulnerable to the impacts 

of the drought,” he said. 

Raphaka said strategic interventions 

targeted towards sustainable 

production and consumption to 

keep the planet at a safer level and 

help realise the Sustainable Development 

Goals by 2030 and the Paris 

Agreement, “should be a matter of 

priority to all of us”. 

The meeting of world leaders is 

expected to come up with solutions 

to the factors that are responsible 

for climate change which exacerbates 

El Niño induced drought. 

But, according to Reuters, divisions 

within Europe and tension 

between the United States and 

China pose major challenges to the 

next round of United Nations talks 

on climate change. 

Other political leaders are also 

sceptical about the positive outcome 

of the meeting. The president 

of the talks, Poland’s former deputy 

energy minister Micha Kurtyka, has 

expressed hope of a compromise 

while at the same time acknowledging 

the scope of the task ahead. 

Scientists and the world leaders are 

battling it out, balancing national 

interests with a goal to reach a deal 

that will limit global temperature 

rise to two degrees Celsius. Most 

countries in southern Africa have 

been experiencing severe climate 

change effects, including successive 

droughts and floods. 

Reports indicate that the longterm 

goal of the Paris Agreement 

makes provisions for limiting 

global temperature increase 

to well below two degrees Celsius 

above pre-industrial levels this century 

while pursuing efforts to limit 

the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius 

through transparent and ambitious 

emission reductions. 

Raphaka said the fundamental 

point to note is that this is not a 

matter for governments alone. 

“It is imperative that we all play 

a role in ensuring that we fulfill 

our commitments under and 

beyond the Paris Agreement, and 

most importantly raise Nationally 

Determined Contributions ambition 

to achieve the long-term temperature 

goal and collective quantified 

finance for adaptation,” said 

Raphaka. 

Reports further indicate that in 

the last ten decades, climate change 

has led to about 2.5 trillion dollars 

in disaster losses in developing 

countries. 

This had resulted in the number 

of people affected by natural disasters 

doubling from 102 million in 

2015 to 204 million in 2017 across 

the world. 

According to the “State of Food 

and Nutrition Insecurity and Vulnerability 

in Southern Africa” 

report, the SADC region is off-track 

in reducing childhood stunting by 

40% which is the World Health 

Assembly target by 2025. 

It states that the proportion of 

stunted children is increasing in 

Angola, Botswana, DRC, Madagascar, 

Mozambique, Seychelles and 

South Africa. 

The DRC, Madagascar, Mozambique, 

and Zambia have a high 

prevalence of stunting above 40%. 

Stunted children are more likely 

to fall ill and develop poor cognitive 

skills and learning. Their 

labour productivity, employment 

potential, and socialisation are also 

affected later in life. 

The first half of the 2017/18 agricultural 

season was affected by 

an extended dry spell from late 

December 2017 to late January 2018 

in central parts of the region, causing 

a significant negative impact on 

early-planted crops. 

Although the improved rainfall 

experienced between February and 

March 2018 aided crop recovery 

in some areas, permanent wilting 

occurred in others. 

Reports also show that Southern 

Africa is expected to receive erratic 

rainfall in the 2018/19 agricultural 

season, according to the latest outlook 

produced by regional climate 

experts, who have predicted that 

seasonal rainfall will be "normal 

to below-normal" across most of 

the region. 

Most of the 16 Southern African 

Development Community countries 

are likely to receive “normal 

to below-normal” rainfall in 

the period from October 2018 to 

March 2019. 

Southern Africa is prone to climate 

change and variability, which 

adversely affects the food security 

and livelihood of the population. 

Between 2014 and 2016, the 

region suffered the worst drought 

in 35 years, caused by the El Niño 

phenomenon. Climate change continues 

to manifest as prolonged 

drought, floods, and cyclones. 

SAISProgramme2 

@SAISProgramme 

SAIS 2 INNOVATION FUND: 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 

2018/2/CONCEPT NOTE 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2018/2 

The second phase of the Southern Africa Innovation Support 

Programme (SAIS 2) is a regional initiative set up by the 

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in partnership with the 

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat 

and the governments of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, 

Tanzania and Zambia. The objective of SAIS 2 is to support 

regional innovation cooperation contributing to enhanced 

entrepreneurship, stronger innovation ecosystems and more 

inclusive businesses. 

About the SAIS 2 Innovation Fund 

SAIS 2 Innovation Fund supports projects which strengthen 

regional innovation cooperation between public and private 

sector, research/academia and civil society in SADC. The 

SAIS 2 second Call for Proposals 2018/2, invites organisations 

which support innovation and entrepreneurship to submit 

Concept Note applications for grant funding across these 

three thematic grant funding windows: 

Window 1: STRONGER 

ECOSYSTEMS 

Developing institutional 

capacity for regional 

innovation cooperation 

Window 2: SCALING 

ENTERPRISES 

Scaling enterprises through 

stronger innovation support 

organisations 

Window 3: INCLUSIVE 

INNOVATION 

Improved enabling 

environment for inclusive 

innovation activities in the 

region. 

Innovation support organisations hosting and providing 

services for entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply. 

• Submission of Concept Notes (Opening of the Call) 

starts on 29 November 2018 

• Deadline of Submission of Concept Notes (Close of 

Call) is 24 January 2019 

Learn more about eligibility, the scope of funding, the 

application stages, and process of submission by visiting 

www.saisprogramme.org 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF 

PROPOSALS: 

24 JANUARY 2019 @ 23:59 (CAT)


■ NEWS 

■ Magreth Nunuhe 

Windhoek – Trade in 

Southern Africa is 

dominated by raw 

materials of ores and metals making 

up the highest percentage in 

the export of goods basket, while 

the lowest percentage of exports is 

in finished (manufactured) goods. 

For the majority of SADC member 

states, the main export destinations 

are China, India, the United 

States, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium 

and the Netherlands, with 

South Africa being the only exception 

as a dominant trading partner 

for other SADC countries. 

This information, provided by 

the United Nations Conference on 

Trade and Development’s Maritime 

Profile (2017), indicates that 

the majority of SADC countries do 

not trade with each other and do 

not add value to their raw materials 

for export, with only three member 

states that export the majority of 

their products in finished form. 

The three SADC countries are 

Lesotho, which leads with 67% of 

exports in manufactured goods, 

followed by Mauritius (53%) and 

South Africa (42%) in the export 

of finished goods. 

REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA 

REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA 

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WATER AND FORESTRY 

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WATER AND FORESTRY 

PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT UNIT 

PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT UNIT 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry hereby invites 

consultants to submit bids for the following: 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry hereby invites consultants to submit bids 

for the following: 

Bid No. Description Closing Date Closing Time 

SC/RP/ 

DGS20-99/2018/20 

19 

SC/RP/ 

DGS20-100/2018/2 

019 

CONSULTANCY TO 

INVESTIGATE THE 

IMPACT OF THE 

CATTLE 

MARKETING 

SCHEME IN 

NAMIBIA 

CONSULTANCY TO 

INVESTIGATE THE 

IMPACT OF THE 

SHEEP AND 

GOATS 

MARKETING 

SCHEME IN 

NAMIBIA 

Raw 

materials 

dominate 

SADC trade 

EXTENDED TO: 

12 December 2018 

10H00 AM 

Eswatini, the Democratic Republic 

Congo and Zambia export over 

70% of their products in raw form 

– mainly in ores and metals. 

When it comes to the export of 

food, Malawi leads the SADC pack 

with 75%, followed by Comoros 

(66%), Seychelles (64%) and Zimbabwe 

(46%). 

This reveals that significant challenges 

in trade lie ahead not only 

in Southern African countries but 

also in intra-African trade, which is 

also congruent with Trade Finance 

in Africa Survey Report by the 

African Development Bank Group 

published in September 2017, which 

revealed that compared to other 

regions of the world, Africa’s trade 

is still dominated by international 

Opening and 

Reading Time 

11H00 AM 

EXTENDED TO: 

12 December 2018 10H00 AM 11H00 AM 

Bid documents to to be be collected collected from: from: 

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Procurement Management Unit, Northern 

Ministry Industrial of Area, Agriculture, corner of Water Etienne and Rousseau Forestry, Procurement and Tienie Louw Management Street, Windhoek, Unit, Northern Namibia. 

Industrial The bid document Area, corner will of be Etienne available Rousseau as from and 12 November Tienie Louw 2018. Street, Windhoek, 

Namibia. A non-refundable The bid document levy of N$300 will be (including available as VAT) from per 12 Bid November is payable 2018. in advance at the 

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Government Office Park, 1st Floor, Room No. 

A 123. non-refundable Attention: Ms. levy Renchia of N$300 Feris (including at 061 264 VAT) 008/9. per Bid Method is payable of payment in advance will at be the cash. 

Ministry BID DOCUMENTS of Agriculture, TO Water BE HAND and Forestry, DELIVERED Government IN THE Office CORRECT Park, BID 1 st Floor, BOX AT Room THE 

No. 123. Attention: Ms. Renchia ABOVE Feris COLLECTION at 061 264 008/9. ADDRESS. Method of payment will be 

cash. 

Late bids will not be considered. Electronic bids will not be accepted. Bids will be 

BID opened DOCUMENTS in the presence TO BE of the HAND bidders’ DELIVERED representatives IN THE on CORRECT the bids closing BID BOX date AT and THE time. 

ABOVE The Procurement COLLECTION Committee’s ADDRESS. decision is final and irrevocable. 

Late Enquiries: bids will Ms. not Katrina be considered. Davids Electronic Cell: 081 bids 272 will 0887 not be accepted. Bids will be 

opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives on the bids closing date and 

time. 

trade. 

The European Union accounted 

for 63% of total trade, 50% for 

North America and 52% for Asia 

in 2014, while Intra-African trade 

only accounted for 15% of overall 

trade in the same year. 

This week, the first African 

Forum for National Trade Facilitation 

Committees was held in 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27 

to 29 November, under the theme 

“Empowering Public-Private partnership 

for trade facilitation”, for 

African countries seeking to seek 

ways of easing trade. 

More than 300 participants from 

the public sector, the business community, 

donors, and regional and 

international organisations met 

to discuss the implementation of 

trade facilitation reforms, including 

the World Trade Organisation 

(WTO) and the Trade Facilitation 

Agreement (TFA). 

They addressed, inter alia, the 

role of African regional organisations 

and role of National Trade 

Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) 

in the implementation of trade 

facilitation provisions in the African 

Continental Free Trade Area 

(AfCFTA). 

The AfCFTA seeks to create a 

single market for intra-regional 

trade in goods and services, representing 

more than 1.26 billion people, 

and a gross domestic product 

(GDP) of US$2.14 trillion. 

The agreement contains trade 

facilitation measures tailormade 

to the African context and aimed 

to make import, export and transit 

procedures more efficient. 

The AfCFTA implementation 

will require a great deal of coordination 

among different public 

and private stakeholders at the 

national and regional level, ensuring 

the coherence with other relevant 

instruments. 

The African Forum for National 

Trade Facilitation Committees in 

Addis Ababa intend to provide proposals 

on how the NTFCs could 

ensure a coherent approach in the 

implementation of the trade facilitation 

reforms in the framework 

of the AfCFTA, the WTO and TFA 

and other regional agreements. 

David Luke, Coordinator of the 

African Trade Policy Centre at the 

United Nation Economic Commission 

for Africa (UNECA), said the 

meeting was a very important initiative 

for Africa and could add up to 

2.5% to GDP, translating into US$65 

billion for the continent. 

› Albert Muchanga 

“This is an opportunity. This 

year we are very clear at CFTA – 

the way we do business – to ensure 

there is a level playing field and to 

give us a framework to address 

the challenges on trade facilitation, 

logistics, infrastructure and 

energy,” he said. 

Shamika Sirimanne, Director 

of United Nations Conference on 

Trade and Development, said that 

trade facilitation brings prosperity 

to all and helps reduce trade costs, 

saves traders time and frustration 

and contributes to the modernisation 

of public services. 

The United Nations Conference 

on Trade and Development has 

been assisting trade and transport 

facilitation reforms in developing 

countries for 40 years and the 

forum aims to build strong public-private 

partnerships for trade 

facilitation, policymakers, customs 

officers and business representatives 

from over 40 African countries. 

The United Nation’s Commissioner 

for Trade and Industry, 

Albert Muchanga said that every 

African country used to think of its 

country as their market, but now 

“their market is the African Continental 

Free Trade Area”. 

“When we have goods moving 

without any duty, the price of 

those goods go down. The average 

consumer is going to benefit from 

this process,” he added, saying that 

when duties are removed, it means 

that traders can add value to their 

commodities, which will encourage 

a rise in manufacturing across 

the continent. 

“The 55 countries are saying ‘we 

want to remove non-tariff barriers 

after the agreement comes into 

force. We are going to establish a 

Pan-African non-tariff barrier 

monitoring mechanism so that 

we are able to monitor real-time 

that will also assist us to implement 

the World Trade Organisation 

trade facilitation agreement,” 

said Muchanga.


7 

■ NEWS 

Lavishness dents Lourenço’s 

drive to rid Angola of luxury 

■ Pedro Agosto 

Luanda - Ahead of his just-concluded 

trip to former colonial 

master, Portugal, Angolan President 

Joao Lourenço vehemently shot 

down assertions that he was wealthy. 

Since assuming leadership of the 

oil-rich Southern African country in 

2017, he has portrayed himself as an 

opponent of opulence, backed by a 

campaign to rid government of nepotistic 

appointments by his predecessor, 

Jose Eduardo dos Santos. 

The president declared corruption, 

nepotism and self-aggrandisement 

in Angola as “the number one public 

enemies”. 

However, an insatiable appetite for 

chartering planes since he assumed 

power, and revelations he owns an 

upmarket property in one of the most 

lavish areas in the United States capital, 

Washington DC, pokes holes in 

his campaign against affluence and 

casts doubts on his commitment to 

rid Angola of lavish spend. 

Lourenço has charted at least three 

aeroplanes since assuming power 

from the long-serving Dos Santos, 

whose tenure was also fraught with 

controversy. 

Lourenço received a backlash in 

June after spending several millions 

of dollars during an 11-day European 

trip, which included an eye check-up 

in Spain. 

The trip that also took the president 

to Belgium and France, was 

aboard the US$350 million Boeing 

Dreamliner 787, said to be the only 

private aeroplane of its kind and the 

largest luxury business charter. 

It is dubbed “The Flying Palace” 

because of its unrivalled luxury. 

The president also created more 

news for the wrong reasons in his 

economically struggling country 

after French media disclosed the 

presidential delegation used a fleet of 

three aeroplanes, including an executive 

Boeing 737 and a Gulfstream on 

a state visit in the European country. 

Maka Angola, the pro-democracy 

and anti-corruption watchdog, 

lamented that while Lourenço was on 

tour, in Angola, the judicial system 

ground to a halt due to a nationwide 

strike while nurses were contemplating 

protest action demanding better 

working conditions. 

This exacerbated matters in a sector 

already on a decline. 

Up to 20 children were reported to 

be dying daily at the major hospital 

in the capital Luanda owing to lack 

of basic healthcare. 

“Does this mean that the president 

cares more about his image and 

luxury extravaganza than the children 

of Angola?” Rafael Marques 

de Morais, head of Maka Angola, 

quipped. 

Critics are not surprised at the first 

family’s avid appetite for luxury. 

In March this year, her daughter 

Jessica Dias Lourenço chartered a 

US$200,000 private plane to deliver a 

baby in Washington, where her sister, 

Cristina Giovanna Dias Lourenço, 

also resides. Last year, a private 

jet charted Cristina back to the US 

capital after her father assumed the 

Procurement Management Unit 

The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service hereby invites Consultants to submit bids for the following: 

Terms of reference for proposal to be collected from. 

The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service 

Procurement Management Unit 

Government Office Park, Ministry of Education Building, West Wing 

2nd Floor, Office Number No 251 

Windhoek 

Enquiries: Mr. T. Mukura at +264 61 270 6162 

Mrs. Emma Kantema –Gaomas 

PERMANENT SECRETARY 

est landowner, among other properties 

a 2,000-hectare farm valued 

at US$70 million and a residential 

property with an area of over three 

square kilometres. 

The president and his wife, who 

have six children all active in the ruling 

People's Movement for the Liberation 

of Angola, first ventured into 

private business in 1992 when they 

established an advertising and production 

agency. 

It has dabbled in politics, amid revelations 

it received US$15 million, in 

presidency. 

The president and his wife, Ana 

Dias Lourenço, own a five-bedroom 

home in the affluent Maryland 

suburb of Bethesda northwest 

of Washington. The property was 

purchased in 2013 for some £1.73 million 

(slightly over US$2 million). The 

first lady, an economist, politician 

and former government minister, 

has previously served in Washington 

as her country’s representative 

in the World Bank. Back in Angola, 

the first family is arguably the largso-called 

campaign contributions, 

from a Brazilian-based multinational 

firm, during the last elections. 

The media firm owns a commercial 

radio station in the southwestern 

Huila Province, where the president 

has some undisclosed interests 

in the business. Ahead of his trip to 

Portugal, Lourenço, who has since 

returned from Portugal, dismissed 

assertions he was rich. 

“I am not a millionaire or a billionaire,” 

he retorted at a press event. 

– CAJ News 

› Angolan President 

Joao Lourenço


■ LEADER 

Making new 

friends via spam 

■ Mark Thomas 

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

SADC is not a safe haven 

for unpatriotic presidents 

The Southern African 

Development Community 

(SADC) 

should revoke the Island of 

Comoros’ membership with 

it, until such a time that its 

leaders respect the country’s 

constitution and restore civil 

liberties once enjoyed by its 

citizens. 

The regional body has for 

years been grappling with 

finding a lasting peaceful 

solution to members like 

Lesotho, the DRC as well as 

Madagascar. SADC has been 

clear that political strongmen 

are not welcome in the 

region and that democratic 

elections and the rule of law 

are the order. So one wonders 

how someone who is trying 

to rule by force was allowed 

to become a member in the 

first place. 

When SADC invited 

Comoros on an observatory 

role at the SADC heads of 

state and government summit 

in South Africa last year, it did 

not forecast that the country 

would slide into a political 

abyss by the time it was legally 

admitted into SADC. 

At last year’s summit, 

everything was going well for 

both parties (Comoros and 

SADC), everyone was on the 

same page, and officials from 

the island nation attended the 

summit. The officials were 

told that once they achieved 

legal instruments required 

to be a SADC member they 

would officially be one of the 

region’s members. 

It was an offer that Comoros 

could not refuse. After all, it 

was on the verge of joining one 

of the lucrative regional blocs 

the world can offer. SADC, 

regarded as one of the most 

peaceful regions in the world 

– any country in Africa would 

drool to be part of it – so was 

Comoros. 

Their anticipation of being 

able to dance with the SADC 

big boys came with an aura of 

gasconade. SADC membership 

would give them a route 

to the European market and 

beyond. 

What they did not boast 

about was the fact that the 

island nation was encircled by 

a political storm, which has 

been brewing long before the 

country was set to be legally 

admitted into SADC at the 

heads of state and government 

summit held in Namibia 

in August this year. 

It all started quietly when 

Comoros President Azali 

Assoumani suspended the 

Constitutional Court, the 

highest court in the country, 

moving all the powers and 

functions to the Supreme 

Court. Assoumani appointed 

all the decision makers of the 

Supreme Court. 

Opposition parties protested 

but all the protests fell 

on deaf ears, a sign SADC 

should never have ignored. 

Especially those tasked to 

evaluate Comoros’ application 

for SADC’s membership. 

On July 30 – a week before 

Comoros was admitted into 

SADC ‐ the country passed 

a referendum to revise the 

nation’s constitution. Still, 

SADC ignored the signs. 

Among other changes, the 

referendum extended presidential 

term limits and abolished 

a power-sharing system 

that had rotated the presidency 

every five years between 

Comoros’ main islands of 

Grand Comore, Anjouan and 

Moheli. Since the referendum, 

which was boycotted by the 

opposition, Assoumani has 

moved to consolidate power 

by arresting and issuing warrants 

of arrests for prominent 

opponents. 

People such as former vice 

president Jaffar Ahmed Said 

Hassani, deputy chief of staff 

of the Army Colonel Ibrahim 

Salim, the general secretary of 

Juwa Party, Ahmed Hassane 

El Barwane, spokesman for 

the party Dr Ahmed Abdou 

Chakour , treasurer of the 

party Milano Henri Alphonse, 

and of course former President 

Ahmed Abdallah Sambi 

were all targeted. 

State prosecutor Mohamed 

Abdoua further announced 

the arrest of five people, 

including Hassani's brother 

and writer Said Ahmed Tourqui. 

Many people now fear to 

speak out for the fright of 

being arrested. 

Surprisingly, this also 

slipped under the SADC 

radar, despite this happening 

in the month of August 2018, 

before and after the admittance 

of Comoros into SADC. 

President Assoumani also 

had to miss his country’s 

maiden appearance at the first 

SADC heads of state and government 

summit because he 

feared a possible coup d'état 

should he leave the country 

to attend the summit. Still, 

despite these worrying signs, 

SADC went on and admitted 

Comoros as its 16th member. 

The incoming chair of 

SADC at the time, Dr Hage 

Geingob was not even aware 

that the country they had 

just admitted the previous 

day was in crisis, when The 

Southern Times asked him 

when the regional bloc was 

going to intervene. 

SADC leaders should bring 

normalcy to Comoros or 

revoke its membership until 

that nation puts its house in 

order. 

For the fourth time in 20 minutes my mobile rang 

with some unknown number from Mozambique. 

The only reason I know this is that my mobile is 

smarter than me (not that hard really) and when someone 

calls it actually reads out their name before starting to ring. 

This normally has me in fits of laughter on a daily basis as Siri 

tries her best to read Croatia names, especially surnames. So 

when Siri for the fourth time said “Unknown Caller Mozambique 

I was intrigued. With all of my heart and soul I knew 

it was a bogus call. Just like those spam emails that arrive 

telling you that your great-uncle in India has died and left 

you US$2 million in his will and where should the money 

be sent. I knew this call was spam but curiosity got the better 

of me, so I answered. Before I could say anything a voice 

started speaking, and the voice was speaking in Croatian. 

Wow a Mozambican who knows Croatian can’t be many of 

them, I laughed to myself. The measures that this con-artists 

will go to is unreal. “Are you there? Can you hear me? 

Please help me my grandmother is sick and she needs money 

for treatment….” That is as far as I got before hanging up. 

Now when I say Croatian it was more like a robot speaking 

and the language was like you’d taught a parrot to speak. Yes, 

I realise it was stupid to answer the phone and yes I’ll probably 

end up with a huge bill after the Mozambique mafia use a 

virus to connect my mobile to a porn website and bleed me 

dry but I am like a cat, and curiosity just got the better of me. 

That then got my thinking. Presumably someone, somewhere 

in the world actually falls for these spam emails and 

spam phone calls. I mean if nobody ever paid these con-artists 

then they wouldn’t do it. It turns out millions of people pay 

to get the money from their great-uncle in India. Spam, or to 

give it the full title Self Propelled Automatic Mail, generates 

huge volumes of cash. The New York Times ran an article 

in 2015 entitled “Spammers are profiting by at least US$65 

million per year.” Seems that yes there are quite a few gullible 

people out there. 

My favourite Spam email of all time was “My name is 

Winnie Mandela. The wife of South African President, Nelson 

Mandela, and I need to transfer US$20 million out of the 

country because of my husband’s poor health condition.” I 

laughed so much I even kept the email. I received this in my 

inbox around six months ago and Nelson Mandela died in 

2013. I felt like answering “Now that is a pretty bad health 

condition…death.” But held myself back. This was probably 

the laziest spammer of all time. 

A few days passed and my mobile rang with Siri again 

bleating “Unknown caller.” This time it wasn’t my friend 

in Mozambique but the number did look a little strange. 

“Another spam caller” I muttered to myself, I ignored it. 

Three minutes later the same number rang back. Again curiosity 

got the better of me. I answered abruptly “hallo!” to be 

greeted by an unknown lady’s voice. “Good afternoon is this 

Mark Thomas?” I was in two minds whether to reply or just 

hang up. The number was hidden and this could well be a 

cousin of my Mozambique buddy. I kept it short “Yes.” She 

came back “I am calling you from the Split Police Force the 

technical crimes division.” Now I was listening. She continued 

“Have you received any calls from unknown numbers 

outside of Croatia recently?” Quite clearly this police officer 

knew about the Mozambique mafia. And I thought she was 

another con-artist. “Can you tell me if you sent the man any 

money?” she added. I didn’t even listen to the end of the robot 

voice but reading between the lines it seems that somebody 

had sent him money for his sick grandmother. Maybe his 

grandmother was related to Nelson Mandela. 

“Like almost everyone who uses e-mail, I receive a ton of 

spam every day. Much of it offers to help me get out of debt 

or get rich quick. It would be funny if it weren't so exciting.” 

Guess who famously once wrote this. Bill Gates. - The 

Dubrovnik Times 

The 


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Insight 


■ Features 

■ Opinions 

■ Analysis 

■ Comment 

■ Interviews 

9 

> ■ NEWS 

African women stuck in the 

previous industrial revolutions 

■ Lahja Nashuuta 

Women in Africa 

believe they are 

still stuck in 

the previous industrial revolutions 

and are now demanding 

that their respective governments 

address the myriad 

challenges that prevent them 

from fully embracing the 

fourth industrial revolution. 

The previous industrial 

revolutions that started 

in 18th century have ushered 

in mass production, 

communication technologies 

and the digitalisation. 

The world is now on the 

cusp of the Fourth Industrial 

Revolution that is characterised 

by advanced innovations 

of new technologies that are 

fusing the physical, digital 

and biological worlds, and 

impacting all disciplines, 

economies and industries, 

according to World Economic 

Forum. 

But despite the new ideas 

to advance humanity, statistics 

show that around 

600 million people still lack 

access to electricity in Africa, 

while 319 million people in 

Sub-Saharan Africa are without 

access to improved reliable 

drinking water sources. 

And majority of those 

affected are women. 

About 1,033 women from 

across Africa gathered in 

Johannesburg last week to 

deliberate on issues affecting 

them. 

The Africa Women in Dialogue 

that ran from 19 to 23 

November was held under the 

theme “strengthen the continental 

African women movement 

in the Fourth Industrial 

Revolution towards a 

new value –based ecosystem”. 

It was hosted by the 

Zanele Mbeki Foundation, 

with the objective to look 

at how women can embrace 

the Fourth Industrial Revolution 

(4IR) to unchain themselves 

from poverty and other 

developmental issues facing 

them. 

Most of the delegates The 

Southern Times spoke to 

during the summit acknowledged 

that most women in 

the continent still do not have 

access to potable water, electricity 

and digital education. 

“Women, especially here in 

South Africa, are not ready 

(for the 4IR). Our women are 

not skilled enough to grab 

opportunities available in the 

digital economy. There are 

young women in rural areas 

that were never taught how to 

use a computer and these are 

the people that continue to be 

left out,” says Baanetse Mokhotla. 

Mokhotla, a student at the 

University of Free States, said 

with information and communication 

technology (ICT) 

continues to be dominated 

by men, there is a need to 

motivate and educate young 

girls from primary education 

about digital technology for 

them to be able to survive the 


She further said there is 

also a need for a political will, 

especially in ensuring that 

resources such as computers 

are available in schools and 

other education centres for 

young people to learn. 

“At the moment, I don’t 

think there is political will. 

Most government schools do 

not have computers. Schools 

with computers and internet 

and other digital technologies 

are those that are 

privately owned and only a 

few can afford them. The government 

is not really doing 

enough to ensure women are 

digitally educated,” Mokhotla 

said. 

“I think women in my 

country need to be encouraged 

and educated to take 

digital education seriously, 

especially now that we are 

moving into digital economy 

and that most of the works 

will be done by the machine,” 

Maria Brioche from Seychelles 

said. Zimbabwe is also 

facing the same challenge, 

where women are being 

left out in terms of digital 

training. However, Charity 

Mondisona said the country 

is investing in a programme 

targeted at grassroots women 

and training them on the use 

of digital technology. 

Mondisona said there 

seems to be political will as 

the government continues to 

invest more resources into 

buying computers for schools 

and teacher resource centres 

and targeted campaigns 

to encourage girls to pursue 

science and ICT. 

Thabile Matsebula from 

the eSwatini’s Ministry of 

Youth said although the 4IR 

presents many opportunities 

for women and youth, 

the budget allocated to 

gender and youth programmes 

is not sufficient 

to cater for digital 

education and 

programmes. 

“Our governments 

need to 

invest in the 

youth otherwise 

we will 

m i s s t h e 

opportunities 

as presented 

by 

t he 4IR . 

We have 

young 

girls that 

really 

want to 

do to 

ICT 

especially 

in 

rural 

areas but they don’t have 

resources,” Matsebula said. 

“Eswatini needs to 

re-think its education policies 

in order to align to the 


We still have young people 

going to school to get white 

collar jobs and not to tap into 

this fourth industrial revolution 

and be able to create 

their own jobs. Our education 

system needs to align 

with the industry and not 

the other way round,” Matsebula 

said. 

Tanzania is one 

of the few countries 

that have 

advanced technology. 

But this 

progress is 

being 

ham- 

strung by the high cost of 

internet and digital education 

is a major challenge facing 

women, especially in the 

agricultural sector. 

Salome Anyati said about 

90% of the Tanzanian population 

has access to mobile 

phones. “But there are still 

parts of the country that do 

not have access to electricity, 

water and they cannot 

afford data bundles. Most of 

the women do not use smartphones, 

which makes it difficult 

for them to sell their 

goods and services online,” 

Anyati said. 

Based on the experiences 

shared during the conference, 

Anyati plans to start 

an application where women 

can sell their goods and services 

by simply sending an 

SMS. 

Meanwhile, Professor 

Sshilidzi Marwala, the 

Vice-Chancellor and Principal 

at the University of 

Johannesburg, explained 

that the fourth industrial 

revolution offers the world 

countless opportunities to 

innovate and do things differently. 

Speaking during a 

panel discussion on empowering 

women to participate 

in the 4IR, Marwala said it is 

important for women to support 

each other, and encourage 

young women to explore 

things outside the box and 

to teach them relevant skills 

AFRICAN WOMEN: turn to P.10


■ FEATURE 

> From Page 9 

AFRICAN WOMEN 

"You can either choose to be fearful 

of these changes and allow men 

to take the lead, or you can stand 

up and choose to embrace them,” 

he said. 

He said the region (Africa) must 

expand its high-skilled talent pool 

by developing future-ready curricula, 

with a large portion of that 

focusing on science and digital education. 

In her opening statement on 

Monday, 19 November, former 

South Africa First Lady Zanele 

Mbeki reminded the delegates that: 

“We are told that Africa missed out 

on the first, second and third industrial 

revolutions and the fourth revolution 

is already upon us. Through 

this dialogue, we want to understand 

what this fourth industrial 

revolution look like, how it affects 

us and how we can participate to 

ensure that this time Africa is not 

left behind.” 

Mbeki said the dialogue created 

a platform for Africa women, 

especially from the grassroots level, 

to meet in their own continent to 

deliberate on the women issues of 

continental importance and to set 

an agenda based on their experiences 

and to find fitting solutions 

that match their needs. 

“Right now we have very few 

platforms which address continental 

issues that are convened by 

us Africans. In the main, as African 

women we meet as invitees at 

global forums such as The United 

Nations Commission on the Status 

of Women funded by our government 

the World Economic Forum 

and Women Forum Global meeting 

and our voices do not really count, 

although those forums are funded 

by our government,” she said. 

Dr Gertrude Mongella, Special 

Advisor to the UNESCO Director-General 

and Former President 

of Pan-African Parliament said 

most jobs created between now and 

2020 will have a technology component, 

and it is important that 

women understand the skills they 

will need to excel. 

“If we educate girls in science, 

technology, engineering and math 

at a younger age and adequately prepare 

women to enter the workforce, 

we increase the potential for overall 

economic growth and development,” 

Mongella she said. 

Mongella said the new digital 

landscape will also provide female 

entrepreneurs with the flexibility 

to start businesses with a relatively 

small amount of investment, and 

to sell their products and services 

across the globe. 

However, women will need skills 

that enable them to work within 

technological systems and to fill 

gaps created by advancing technology, 

she said. 

“We need to invest in initiatives 

and develop programmes that 

empower and advance women and 

girls in architecting and leading 

the fourth industrial revolution,” 

she said. 

Sharing the same sentiment was 

the Director of Gender Links Collen 

Lowe Morna who said women often 

face more difficulties and barriers in 

the workplace than men due to their 

responsibilities for their family and 

other social preconceptions. 

Global competitiveness: 

Sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind 

■ Liezl Rees* 

The latest World Economic 

Forum Global Competitive 

Index (GCI) finds Sub-Saharan 

Africa to be the poorest performing 

region globally. The only 

apparent bright spot is Mauritius, 

among the top 50 countries in the 

world. 

Despite Sub-Saharan Africa’s poor 

performance relative to regional 

peers, the continent is home to several 

countries that have achieved 

results above the global average on 

key indicators. Numbers and rankings 

can be misleading, and these 

better-than-expected scores suggest 

that straight-line projections and 

simplistic rise-and-fall economics 

undermine important details relevant 

to the basic understanding of 

such a vast and diversified continent. 

The GCI has ranked countries 

since 2005. The 2018 index is adjusted 

to account for the impact of technological 

advances and disruption 

in the fourth industrial revolution 

(4IR). To reflect the true drivers of 

productivity and competitiveness in 

the 4IR era, the GCI introduces several 

new indicators. Of 98 indicators 

used, 64 are new. 

The GCI uses a combination of 

secondary data and sample surveys 

to establish a country’s competitiveness. 

Surveys of this nature present 

a challenge. The evidence is not of a 

hard, empirical nature. Negative perceptions 

creep into the results, which 

is especially true for the African tally. 

To address some of these discrepancies, 

a new progress score, ranging 

from 0 (worst) to 100 has been introduced. 

This score is an indication of a 

country’s progress against the frontier, 

and the remaining distance to 

achieving it. 

According to the 2018 GCI, the 

most competitive economy in 

Sub-Saharan Africa is Mauritius, 

49th of the 140 countries measured. 

SA follows at 67, with the Seychelles 

at 74. On the downside, 17 of the 34 

Sub-Saharan African economies 

were in the bottom 20. 

But it is in the GCI’s detail that the 

results of Sub-Saharan Africa’s performance 

reveals diverging performances, 

with some progressing well 

beyond the global average. 

Institutions 

Strong institutions are the backbone 

of an economy. These are critical 

for driving a country’s productivity 

and long-term growth. For 117 of 

the 140 economies studied, the quality 

of institutions was a hindrance to 

their overall competitiveness. 

The average institutions score for 

Sub-Saharan Africa is 47.5, below the 

global average of 55.3. This indicates 

that weak institutions continue to 

impede the region’s competitiveness. 

Only five countries scored higher 

than the global average: Rwanda 

(64.4), Mauritius (62.8), Namibia 

(57.2), the Seychelles (57.1) and Ghana 

(55.7). The weakest were Burundi 

(36.3), the Democratic Republic of 

Congo (DRC), with 36, and Chad 

(34.6) 

Infrastructure 

The global average score for infrastructure 

is 65.2, nearly 20 points 

better than Sub-Saharan Africa’s 

average of 46.3. Infrastructure is a 

prerequisite to creating productive 

economies and liveable cities. Only 

three Sub-Saharan African countries 

exceeded the global average: SA 

(68.6), Mauritius (68) and the Seychelles 

(67). The poorest performers 

were Mozambique (44.5), the DRC 

(39.1) and Angola (31.1). 

Information and communications 

technologies (ICT) 

The report finds that ICT adoption, 

which represents a country’s 

general level of technological adoption, 

is the weakest or second-weakest 

of the 12 pillars for nearly half the 

countries measured. Sub-Saharan 

Africa’s average of 29.6 is well below 

the global average of 51.9. Only two 

Sub-Saharan African countries score 

above 50. The top performers were 

Mauritius (62.1) and the Seychelles 

(56.6), and the weakest Ethiopia (16), 

Liberia (14.9) and Chad (12.8). 

Macroeconomic stability 

This is Sub-Saharan Africa’s 

best-performing pillar. But at an 

average of 66.9, it still lags behind the 

global average of 79.4. The strongest 

performers were Botswana and Mauritius, 

with 90 each, and SA (86.7). 

The poorest were Mozambique (44.5), 

the DRC (39.1) and Angola (31.1). 

Health 

Sub-Saharan Africa still has the 

world’s weakest health conditions, 

averaging 48 against a global 75.3. 

Africa’s “demographic dividend”, 

where nearly 60% of the current 

population is under 18 and a population 

of 2.4-billion is projected by 

2050, will be realised only through 

a healthy, productive and educated 

workforce. 

The strongest health performers 

were Mauritius (77.7) and Cape Verde 

(75.6), while Zambia (35.8), Swaziland 

(30.1) and Lesotho (11.9) propped up 

the table. 

Skills 

Against a global average of 60.6, 

the region lags behind with 43.4 in 

globally competitive skills. This is a 

pressing need that is often described 

as the biggest constraint to business 

in Africa. 

The strongest performers were the 

Seychelles (69.3) and Mauritius (61). 

The weakest were Angola (31.1), Chad 

(29.9) and Mozambique (28.2). 

Product market 

This is one of only two pillars 

where Sub-Saharan Africa is not 

the worst regional performer. At 

50.4, it beats South Asia’s 47.3, but it 

is still behind the global average of 

56.4. Leading the way were Mauritius 

(65.5), Seychelles (60.1), Ghana 

(56.8) and Rwanda (56.6), while Chad 

(38.4), Zimbabwe (38.2) and Angola 

(37.5) were the weakest. 

Labour market 

Sub-Saharan Africa’s score of 53.8 

is higher than that of the Middle East 

& North Africa and South Asia, but 

behind the global average of 59.3. 

This bodes well for the demographic 

future of the region. The strongest 

performers were Seychelles (67.8), 

Namibia (63.7), Rwanda (62.1) and 

SA (61), and the weakest Mauritania 

(42.8), Mozambique (42.5) and 

Chad (42) 

Financial system 

Sub-Saharan Africa’s 50.4 is below 

the global average of 61.4. There is 

a need for African governments to 

focus on improving the availability 

of credit, equity, debt, insurance 

and other financial products — and 

ensure a stable financial system by 

reducing excessive risk-taking and 

opportunistic behaviour. 

Strongest performers: SA (82.1), 

Mauritius (77.7) and Namibia (65.7). 

Weakest: Angola (40.1), Mauritania 

(38.9) and Chad (38.7). 

Market size 

With a relatively low per capita 

income, Sub-Saharan Africa 

performs poorly, with an average 

score of 38.8. The global average is 

54. Larger markets lift productivity 

through economies of scale, while 

incentivising innovation through 

the generation of new ideas. This is 

crucial for sustained development 

in Africa. The strongest performers 

were Nigeria (70.8), SA (68.4) and 

Ethiopia (54.6). Bottom were Cape 

Verde (17.1), Seychelles (16.4) and 

Gambia (16). 

Business dynamism 

An agile and dynamic private sector 

increases productivity by taking 

business risks, testing new ideas and 

creating innovative products and services. 

Sub-Saharan Africa achieves 

an average score of 51.1 compared 

to the global average of 59.3. This is 

not a huge gap, but it does suggest a 

need to improve Africa’s competitive 

performance through more dynamic 

processes and systems. 

The strongest performers were 

Mauritius (66.5), SA (61.4), Rwanda 

and Kenya (both 60.2), while Mauritania 

(38.7), Angola (34.5) and Chad 

(28.6) occupied the bottom places. 

Innovation capability 

This category measures factors 

that generate knowledge, leading 

to innovative ideas and new business 

models. This has the lowest 

global average (42.4) of any category. 

Sub-Saharan Africa scores a 

dismal 28.4. The best performer was 

SA (44.3). Cape Verde (21.4), the DRC 

(18.8) and Angola (16.8) bring up the 

rear. 

Countries around the world have 

yet to implement the prerequisites 

for long-term growth, sustainability 

and resilience in the era of the 4IR. 

In Africa, despite the lowest overall 

ranking on the index, certain 

countries have made impressive progress, 

and are displaying characteristics 

that could make them globally 

competitive in niche areas. – Financial 

Mail 

* Liezl Rees is senior manager of 

the Centre for African Business at 

Johannesburg Business School, University 

of Johannesburg


11 

■ FEATURE 

When a land grab goes wrong 

Djibouti – A COURT 

case in Hong Kong 

could have implications 

for South Africa's 

land-reform program as Dubai 

seeks redress for the loss of a port 

in Djibouti. 

DP World runs harbours on all 

six continents, including Maputo 

in Mozambique and a host of other 

docks around Africa. 

In February, Djibouti president 

Ismaïl Guelleh signed a decree 

stripping the firm of its 30-year 

lease over the country's main container 

port at Doraleh on a narrow 

strait of water linking the Indian 

Ocean to Europe via Suez. 

A London court of arbitration 

ruled the contract as still in place, 

but Guelleh ignored the judgment. 

DP World will not relent and 

is now suing Hong Kong firm 

China Merchants which, it says, 

has obtained a stake in the docks 

at Doraleh. The judgement could 

set a precedent for cases elsewhere, 

including South Africa. 

This is not the first time a state 

expropriation has gone wrong. In 

2009, the Southern African Development 

Community (SADC) Tribunal 

in Windhoek ruled against 

the Zimbabwe government's seizure 

of white owned farms. 

The court ordered compensation 

for the farmers and, when this was 

not paid, the Zimbabwe consulate 

in Cape Town was attached for sale. 

Harare lost an appeal against the 

ruling. 

The SADC member governments, 

instead of backing their 

court in Windhoek, decided to 

shut it down. 

As the South African parliament 

prepares to pass a law that would 

allow expropriation of land without 

compensation, there are endless 

examples of plans run amok. 

After the French Revolution in 

1789, wine farms were nationalised 

by the new government, only to be 

re-sold or handed back to owners 

who had not lost their heads at the 

guillotine. 

At the end of World War ll, Josef 

Stalin occupied Lithuania, dissolving 

the government and incorpo- 

rating the country by force into the 

Soviet Union. 

Private estates were broken 

into small or collective farms, but 

returned when Lithuania regained 

independence in 1990. 

Almost 30 years after the Berlin 

Wall came down, there are still 

land claims across the former Russian 

empire. 

In South Africa, much of the 

farmland is under bond to banks. 

Once taken by the state, farmers 

would be unlikely to pay back 

loans, putting the financial system 

in jeopardy. 

And it is finance, according to 

DP World, that is at risk when the 

state moves on private property. 

Hurt Africa as a whole 

Speaking about Djibouti's seizure 

of Doraleh, DP chairman Sultan 

Ahmed bin Sualyem said the 

ramifications had spread across the 

continent. 

"The action actually has hurt 

Africa as a whole," he told a London 

newspaper. 

"Anyone who builds a port or an 

infrastructure project and goes to 

borrow money," he said, would 

find that "banks will ask for 

more interest if they fear 

the possibility of takeover 

by government." 

DP World is investing 

more than US$400m 

next to Djibouti, in 

Somaliland, rebuilding 

the once-famous port 

at Berbera that fell into 

neglect during wars 

along the Horn of Africa. 

This has drawn criticism 

from Guelleh, with 

claims the firm was not 

servicing Doraleh because 

it had interests elsewhere. 

DP World insists it not only 

fulfilled the terms of its lease 

but acted in the best interest of 

Djibouti. 

In Mozambique there has been 

alarm at Chinese efforts to lease 

thousands of hectares for soya and 

other crops. Fears also spread to 

South Africa earlier this year with 

claims of a Chinese plan to farm 

rice near Bushbuckridge. 

Djibouti is even more at risk, 

with the highest debt level of any 

African country, much of it to Beijing. 

This has led to questions in the 

US Senate over whether the port 

at Doraleh could fall into Chinese 

hands. 

Such a move would alter the 

balance of power along one of the 

world's busiest shipping lanes. 

Most of Europe's trade with Asia 

passes Djibouti en-route the Suez 

Canal. 

In Zimbabwe, President Emerson 

Mnangagwa has talked of 

returning land to white farmers. 

Critics claim millions of hectares 

taken by his predecessor, Robert 

Mugabe, were largely parceled out 

to ministers and members of the 

ruling party. 

And where the country once 

exported food to neighbours, it 

now relies on imports. 

South Africa has held nationwide 

discussions on land reform, though 

finance minister Tito Mboweni has 

warned it could lead to disaster. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa 

insists nothing will be done to 

damage the country's food supply. 

Greatest demand for land has 

emerged around cities, mostly for 

housing. 

Polling has shown that unemployment 

along with the cost of 

transport and urban accommodation 

remain the key concern of 

voters. 

In Dubai, the DP World chairman 

has ruled out any surrender 

of Doraleh. 

"We will take every action to 

protect the rights of the shareholders," 

he said. 

The government of Djibouti 

appears just as determined as the 

new case opens in Hong Kong. 

A ruling in favour of DP World 

would make it difficult for another 

operator to take the harbour. 

Guelleh insists his country is 

a sovereign state, but as the law 

of contracts becomes ever-more 

globalised, and countries rely on 

funding from beyond their borders, 

he may have to accept the 

reality that his decree on Doraleh 

is just another of history's failed 

attempts at seizure. - CA News 

› Djibouti President 

Ismaïl Guelle


■ FEATURE 

Mozambique’s apparent Islamist insurgency pos 

■ Peter Fabricius* 

The apparent Islamist 

insurgency in Mozambique’s 

northernmost 

province, Cabo Delgado, had 

gone quiet – until last Wednesday 

night’s attack in the village 

of Nagulué in the Macomia district. 

The village chief was decapitated 

and mutilated, several villagers 

were injured and 18 homes 

destroyed, according to various 

sources. It was a brutal reminder 

that Maputo is far from getting this 

crisis under control. 

Independent security analyst 

Johann Smith warns that 

‘al-Shabaab’ or ‘Ansar al-Sunnah’ 

or ‘Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamo’ (no one 

is sure what to call the attackers) is 

regrouping and that more assaults 

could occur soon. He suspects that 

foreigners could for the first time 

become targets of what has so far 

been an assault only on local security 

forces and citizens. 

He also warns that, having failed 

to respond in a coherent way, 

including tackling root causes, 

Mozambique’s government is 

about to hand over responsibility 

to a private security company. This 

could aggravate the problem. 

One security source said the 

L6G security company, owned by 

Erik Prince, founder of the notorious 

Blackwater US private security 

company, is promising to flatten 

al-Shabaab in three months. This 

is in exchange for a hefty slice of oil 

and gas revenues when those large 

reserves come on stream sometime 

after 2023. The equally controversial 

Russian private security company 

Wagner is bidding against 

L6G for the contract, the source 

said. 

This is all happening against 

the background of a threat whose 

nature is not yet fully understood. 

It manifested itself dramatically 

on 5 October 2017 when 40 gunmen 

attacked the town of Mocímboa 

da Praia in Cabo Delgado, 

storming three police posts, killing 

two policemen and stealing guns. 

Fourteen of the attackers also died. 

There have been 49 attacks to 

date involving Ahlu Sunnah Wal 

Jamo, according to the Armed 

Conflict Location & Event 

Data Project (ACLED). Other 

sources estimate the toll as 

over 200 deaths, more than 

half being civilians, and 

considerable destruction 

of houses and 

crops. After initially 

targeting 

security 

forces, the 

extremists 

turned 

on civilians. 

Several were beheaded. 

Jasmine Opperman of the Terrorism 

Research & Analysis Consortium 

more conservatively 

counts 47 attacks and 173 deaths 

but believes the phenomenon is 

underreported so the number of 

attacks could be over 50. Opperman 

is also cautious in describing 

the Cabo Delgado attacks as an 

‘Islamist insurgency’ noting the 

lack of propaganda or claims 

of responsibility for attacks. 

“Extremist religious interpretations 

… remain one of several 

scenarios at play within an environment 

where organised crime 

syndicates have a deep-seated footprint 

as well as socio-economic 

frustrations,” she says. 

There does seem to be a growing 

consensus that this 

is an Islamist 

› Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi 

insurgency. Smith, Mozambican 

researchers Sheik Saide 

Habibe, Salvador Forquilha and 

João Pereira, and Simone Haysom 

writing for the Global Initiative 

Against Transnational Organized 

Crime among others, characterise 

it as such. 

Even Mozambique’s government 

may be starting to acknowledge 

the problem. President Filipe Nyusi 

told the United Nations General 

Assembly in September that 

Mozambique was counting on the 

collaboration of the international 

community to fight the menace 

as these ‘criminals’ were committing 

‘crimes of a global character’, 

and because non-nationals were 

involved. This seemed to some like 

an oblique way of saying ‘this is not 

ordinary crime’. 

Last week South Africa’s international 

relations minister Lindiwe 

Sisulu indirectly confirmed that 

Nyusi was worried. “We 

were very concerned 

when we heard from 

the president of Mozambique 

about the possibility 

that there might be 

some extremist activity,” 

she replied, when asked 

at a press conference for 

Pretoria’s take on the 

Cabo Delgado violence. 

She said that at the 

recent Indian Ocean 

Rim Association ministerial 

meeting in 

Durban, ‘one of the 

problems we identified 

■ Olayinka Ajala* 

Almost all of Nigeria’s 68 

political parties have 

wrapped up their primaries and 

chosen candidates to stand in the 

country’s February 2019 general 

election. The poll is likely to be yet 

another two-horse race: a contest 

between the All Progressives Congress 

(APC) and People’s Democratic 

Party (PDP). These are the 

only two parties to win the presidency 

since the end of military rule 

in 1999. The Conversation Africa’s 

Julius Maina spoke to Olayinka 

Ajala about the emerging campaign 

issues and the surprises so 

far. 

Who are the main candidates 

for the February election? 

Thirty one aspirants have 

emerged to contest the presidential 

election. That number will 

probably be reduced before the 

elections, as several smaller parties 

are in talks to form coalitions. 

But there are only two leading 

contenders – the incumbent, 

President Muhammadu Buhari, 

and Atiku Abubakar, who was 

vice-president under President 

Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 

2007. 

Both are contesting on the platforms 

of the two largest parties in 

Nigeria. 

Apart from the two main contenders, 

other popular names on 

the list are former governors Donald 

Duke and Olusegun Mimiko, 

alongside Obi Ezekwesili. She’s the 

Nigeria’s 2019 election: 

a two-horse race with 

uninspiring candidates 

› Atiku Abubakar and incumbent Muhammadu Buhari (right) are the two frontrunners in Nigeria’s presidential race. 

former minister of education and 

co-founder of Transparency International. 

What are the emerging 

campaign issues? 

The campaign issues are similar 

to those that featured in the 

2015 presidential elections. These 

included political violence, particularly 

an end to the Boko Haram 

insurgency and the recent conflict 

between herdsmen and farmers 

which has claimed thousands of 

lives. 

Corruption will also loom large. 

Buhari claims to have curtailed 

corruption, particularly since the 

introduction of the single treasury 

account that has reduced “leakages” 

in the country’s finances. But 

the state of the economy and the 

increase in youth unemployment 

has negatively affected the current 

government’s image. The Atiku 

campaign has capitalised on this. 

Other issues that have emerged 

include a lack of infrastructure, 

lopsided political appointments - 

as the president is often accused of 

neglecting federal character when 

making political appointments 

as well as the president’s health. 

These are likely to dominate the 

campaign when it officially kicks 

off in December. 

Buhari’s health is likely to feature 

extensively given that he 

spent about 15% of his first term in 

office receiving medical treatment 

abroad. 

Have there been any surprises 

ahead of the 2019 ballot? 

The first major surprise was the 

emergence of Atiku as the People’s 

Democratic Party candidate. 

Atiku, one of the founding members 

of the PDP, emerged as the flag 

bearer for the party despite being 

relatively quiet politically in the last 

few years following his movement 

from PDP to APC and then back 

to PDP. 

The second surprise was former 

president Olusegun Obasanjo’s 

endorsement of Atiku. Earlier 

in the year Obasanjo wrote 

an open letter to Buhari advising 

the president not to seek a second 

term. He argued that Buhari had 

under-performed and was incapable 

of understanding the problems 

the country faces. Subsequently, 

Obasanjo formed a movement to 

unseat the incumbent president. 

Obasanjo’s endorsement of Atiku 

came as a shock to most Nigerians 

because of his frosty relation-


es multiple threats 

13 

■ FEATURE 

was that the Indian Ocean has a 

great deal of potential for investment 

and wealth and development 

and all of those things, but it carries 

also with it the potential of 

easy transfer of some of the activities 

which are going on in other 

countries which might not be quite 

in line with our traditions down 

south’. 

This looked like an indirect reference 

to what other analysts, like 

David Bax of ALPS Resilience, contend 

– that the apparent Islamist 

insurgency in northern Mozambique 

is linked across the border 

into Tanzania and thence to Kenya 

and Somalia. 

Few analysts believe that it is part 

of Somalia’s al-Shabaab, saying 

locals just call it that for convenience. 

But some, such as Habibe, 

Forquilha and Pereira, believe that 

links exist, not least through the 

training of the Mozambicans elsewhere 

up the coast. 

The absence so far of attacks on 

foreigners – including the growing 

number of expatriates gathering 

in Cabo Delgado to exploit the 

huge oil and gas reserves – causes 

some analysts to doubt that this is 

an Islamist insurgency. 

Given the anti-Western ideological 

disposition of Islamist extremists 

elsewhere, that might have been 

expected here too. 

Smith, an on-the-ground analyst 

familiar with the territory, warns 

though that that could be the next 

phase of the insurgency. 

And the blurred lines between 

ship with the former vice-president. 

Obasanjo famously stated in 

August 2018: “If I support Atiku 

for anything, God will not forgive 

me. If I do not know, yes. But once 

I know, Atiku can never enjoy my 

support”. 

The sudden turn around by the 

former president just two months 

later to “forgive and endorse” Atiku 

came as a surprise to most Nigerians. 

What do the primaries tell us 

about women’s participation? 

Despite the large number of 

aspirants for the 2019 elections, 

women and young people remain 

underrepresented. Although six 

women emerged before the presidential 

primaries, the number 

dropped to three immediately after 

the primaries. Also, several young 

“ 

Who are the main 

candidates for the 

February election?" 

people were unable to contest in 

the primaries because of the cost 

of nomination forms. 

Elections are costly affairs in 

Nigeria. The ruling party charges 

candidates US$125,000 (£97,000) to 

be able to stand for nominations. 

The People’s Democratic Party also 

ideological and criminal violence 

don’t bother all analysts. Rather the 

opposite. In her new report for the 

Global Initiative Against Transnational 

Organized Crime, Haysom 

argues that the extensive heroin, 

timber, wildlife and ruby trafficking 

through Cabo Delgado helps 

fuel what she characterises as 

the Islamist insurgency. She and 

her colleagues mapped trafficking 

routes along Africa’s eastern 

‘Heroin Coast’, in a report for the 

ENACT organised crime project 

run by the Institute for Security 

Studies. 

She found that the insurgents 

derived some of their funding from 

these illicit activities. 

More fundamentally, she contends 

that the Frelimo government 

is complicit in the trafficking, 

which makes it less likely to 

counter it. State corruption also 

means that nothing is being done 

to develop this most backward of 

the country’s provinces, increasing 

the resentment that fuels the 

insurgency. 

Haysom concludes that “the 

militants are still militarily weak 

and the violence could still be contained. 

But if it is handled clumsily, the 

situation could develop in a direction 

that sees northern Mozambique 

become a zone for launching 

assaults and furthering the aims 

of criminal networks across the 

region”. - ISS 

*Peter Fabricius, ISS Consultant 

charged US$33,000 (£26,000) for 

its nomination forms. This is in a 

country where the minimum wage 

is less than US$100 a month. 

The government’s insincerity 

in supporting women and young 

people was laid bare in June 2018 

when the president passed a bill 

titled “Not too young to Rule”. 

The bill was designed to support 

the political aspiration of young 

people interested in pursuing a 

political career. 

Minutes after signing the legislation, 

the president commended 

the national assembly for passing 

the bill – but warned that young 

people would still have to wait till 

2023 before they would actually be 

given the opportunity. 

With just a few months to the 

polls, most Nigerians remain frustrated 

and concerned because neither 

of the two leading presidential 

aspirants offer any real hope. 

The president has been accused 

of being too slow and too ill to handle 

the rigours of the position. The 

multiple allegations of corruption 

and fraud levelled against Atiku, 

meanwhile, continue to taint his 

image and hopes of gaining power 

from the Buhari administration. 

Unless a credible consensus candidate 

emerges, the 2019 presidential 

elections remains a two-horse 

race with none of the contenders 

really appealing to the populace. 

– The Conversation 

*Olayinka Ajala is Associate 

Lecturer and Conflict Analyst, 

University of York 

UN cops a blast ahead of climate talks 

Katowice - A Shrinking 

lake, a growing coal programme, 

snowstorms in 

the US and dithering in Canberra 

are just a few of the headaches for a 

United Nations summit on climate 

change, set to start on 3 December in 

the Polish town of Katowice. 

On Saturday, the official UN website 

posted a photograph of Lake 

Chad in West Africa, once among 

the world’s largest bodies of water 

but now covering just 5% of its original 

area. 

The loss of water was put down 

to global warming, even though the 

UN’s own report blames rising population 

and poor farming methods. 

Levels have been falling since 1960 

when it covered 26,000 square kilometres, 

spilling over the border from 

Chad into Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon. 

Dr Felix Nduka, a retired biologist 

who spent years studying the region, 

said it was “nonsense” to blame the 

lake’s demise on climate. 

“Since 1980, the population of 

Chad has trebled,” he said. “It used 

to be just local communities living 

off the lake, but water is now pumped 

for irrigation and to supply towns 

and cities. And rivers feeding it have 

been dammed or silted.” 

For decades, he said, trees had 

been cut down and not replanted. 

“Desert has taken over where once 

we had jungle, and wind from the 

Sahara that used to be stopped by 

the forest blows sand into the waterways.” 

He said there was a danger that climate 

change could be used by African 

governments “to explain disasters 

that are really about to their own 

incompetence”. 

More than 20 million people rely 

on Lake Chad, up from just one million 

at independence from France 

in 1960. 

But there is good news. Satellite 

photographs show that since the four 

countries bordering the lake set up 

a commission to manage the crisis, 

the waters have been rising. 

“Climate change is real,” Nduka 

said, “but combating it will be difficult 

if we keep blaming every manmade 

disaster on the weather.” 

This 24th Conference of Parties to 

the Paris Accord on climate change 

(dubbed COP 24) was never going 

to be easy. 

The Accord calls for an end to fossil 

fuel, but host-country Poland gets 

90% of its energy from coal and is 

building more generators to wean 

itself off Russian gas. 

Last week, as temperatures in 

the eastern United States plunged 

to –17°C for the Thanksgiving holiday, 

Donald Trump tweeted, “Brutal 

and extended cold blast could shatter 

all records. Whatever happened to 

global warming?” 

A barrage on Twitter condemned 

the president’s message as irresponsible. 

And at Katowice that view will be 

chanted by thousands of protestors 

who say climate change is about to 

destroy the world as we know it. 

Trump has begun to withdraw 

his country from the Accord, but 

is sending a delegation to Katowice 

where they plan a side-event on fossil 

fuel. 

Last month, US energy secretary 

Rick Perry was in Warsaw and signed 

a cooperation deal on “clean coal”, 

something many of the NGOs and 

activists claim doesn’t exist. But 

Poland Bangladesh, South Africa, 

Kenya and Japan all have clean-coal 

programs. 

India, Poland, Australia and the 

United States have touted an alliance 

of countries that will continue to use 

coal while working together on a 

cleaner burn and the capture of waste 

and smoke, extracting elements for 

sale as a byproduct. Egypt recently 

announced it will use this method 

on a new plant that dwarfs existing 

generators in China and the US. 

The World Bank and IMF refuse 

to fund such projects and the official 

line from many groups at COP24 

will be that oil, coal and gas should 

be phased out. Academics will spar, 

diplomats will defend their governments’ 

position and activists will 

clash. Each side will be armed with 

graphs and tables, and photographs 

like the one of Lake Chad. 

But a lot has changed since COP23 

in Bonn, Germany, in December 

2016. Six weeks ago, ministers 

from the Association of South East 

Asian Nations or ASEAN issued a 

statement backing fossil fuel for the 

region and endorsing the use of clean 

coal. 

At the same time, Indian minister 

Piyush Goyal defended the “harsh 

reality,” that his country would continue 

with coal for at least the next 

30 years, dismissing the idea of converting 

to solar. “We need power 24 

hours a day,” he said, “and my people 

are not destined to live without 

power in the non-sunlight hours.” 

A raft of countries including Tanzania, 

Botswana, Colombia, the Philippines 

and Indonesia have made 

clear they are keeping coal way into 

the future, expanding its use and 

researching cleaner ways to burn it. 

But Australia, a supporter of the 

Paris Accord — and the world’s largest 

coal exporter — has gone through 

a change of prime minister and a 

by-election that left a hung parliament. 

With less than a week until the 

opening session at Katowice, Prime 

Minister Scott Morrison could still 

not say who will lead his country’s 

delegation. 

On Monday, environment minister 

Melissa Price said her government 

“takes the issue of climate change 

very seriously”. 

“Australia,” she said, “will be 

well-represented at COP24,” but the 

minister was unable to name a single 

person on the team, or say whether 

she would travel to Poland. 

Resources minister Matt Canavan 

said he would not be attending, but 

has voiced support for a clean-coal 

alliance. 

The world’s best-known biologist, 

Sir David Attenborough, has 

invited his TV audience to email 

him on what they’d like included 

in his speech to the conference. He 

has promised to “send a message our 

world leaders can’t ignore,” and a plea 

for steps to cool the planet. 

This will be the public face of 

Katowice: a feel-good forum of green 

ideas. 

Beyond the official programme, 

there will be side events where governments, 

NGOs and corporations 

throw ever-more sumptuous banquets 

for politicians, diplomats and a 

select group of journalists in hope of 

getting lines in the press or a soundbite 

on one of the networks. 

The agenda and even location of 

these meetings are usually secret 

until the last moment, sometimes 

to dodge protestors but also to limit 

the guest list. And it is where the real 

action takes place at a UN summit. 

Most will not be directly about climate 

or the environment, but energy 

in all its forms, from cars to electricity, 

air travel to heating, and how to 

reduce the emissions that lead to 

global warming. 

The world arms trade is valued at 

US$100 billion per year, but oil alone 

is worth nearly 20 times that. Add 

gas, coal and renewables, and it is 

not hard to see where the money lies. 

These socials and side-events are 

rarely quoted in communiques, but if 

deals or treaties emerge from COP24, 

this is where they are likely to happen. 

And it is where the US, Poland and 

others may hope to build their cleancoal 

alliance. 

At the same time, the 30,000 delegates 

will expect the lights to stay on. 

And the buildings, marquis, thousands 

of hotel rooms and the trains 

and buses running back and forth 

will be all be heated, using more 

energy in two weeks than Chad consumes 

in a year. 

“Less than 10% of Chadians are 

linked to the national grid,” says 

Nduka. “That’s why they cut down 

trees for cooking, even to light their 

shacks. 

“It lies at the heart of environmental 

problems across the region, 

and especially for Lake Chad.” -CAJ 

News


■ HEALTH 

SADC Pooled Procurement Services 

to reduce medicine prices by 40% 

■ Lahja Nashuuta 

Windhoek - The 

Southern Africa 

Development 

Community 

(SADC) will soon start buying 

pharmaceuticals and medical commodities 

on 40% discount, once all 

member states have endorsed the 

SADC Pooled Procurement Services. 

The SADC Pooled Procurement 

Services (SPPS) is an outcome of 

SADC Ministers of Health and 

Ministers Responsible for HIV and 

AIDS meeting held in November 

2017 in Polokwane, South Africa. 

The SADC Secretariat spokesperson, 

Barbara Lopi, has 

described the signing of the memorandum 

of understanding (MoU) 

as a significant step in the implementation 

of the SPPS, which is 

anticipated to reduce the price 

of pharmaceuticals and medical 

supplies by as much as 40%. SPPS 

would allow SADC member states 

to share pricing and supplier information 

to enable them to negotiate 

better prices for high-quality medicines 

from suppliers. 

Lopi further said the implementation 

of the SPPS would enhance 

the capacities of member states to 

effectively prevent and treat diseases 

that are of major concern 

to public health in the region and 

will improve “sustainable availability 

and access to affordable, 

quality, safe efficacious essential 

medicines”. 

With a regional population of 

over 340 million and an anticipated 

pharmaceutical market 

worth US$4.1 billion, annual price 

› Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Bernard Haufiku 

reduction savings amounting to 

hundreds of millions of US dollars 

can be achieved with successful 

pooled procurement, Lopi said. 

Lopi said once implemented, 

the SPPS for Pharmaceuticals and 

Medical Supplies would then enable 

countries to coordinate and promote 

collaboration among national 

medicines procurement agencies 

through regional cooperation as 

well as to facilitate the exchange of 

information and expertise among 

the member states in the area of 

pharmaceuticals, health commodities 

and medicines. 

SPPS would also allow countries 

to coordinate the development and 

harmonisation of policies, guidelines 

and legislation for procurement 

and supply management of 

essential medicines and health 

commodities, including policies, 

guidelines and legislation related 

to the protection of IPR and implementation 

of the Doha Declaration 

on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual 

Property Rights Agreement 

and Public Health and WTO 30 

August 2003, Lopi revealed. 

Other benefits include the facilitation 

of standardisation for the 

supply of quality medicines and 

health commodities as well as 

promotion of local and regional 

production of essential medicines. 

Lopi said SPPS would contribute 

to regional integration as SADC 

member states will be putting 

efforts together to increase access 

to health and HIV and AIDS commodities. 

She revealed that in the process 

of sharing information, member 

states would further strengthen 

regional co-operation and integration 

in the provision of health 

services and commodities. 

In addition, the SPPS would contribute 

to one of the outcomes of 

the Regional Indicative Strategic 

Development Plan that seeks to 

increase availability and access to 

quality health and HIV and AIDS 

services and commodities in the 

SADC region. 

SADC member states with 

small populations would benefit 

from the economies of scale generated 

through joint procurement. 

She said the implementation of 

the SPPS is expected to increase 

access to essential, high-quality, 

safe, effective and affordable medical 

products and, therefore, it will 

contribute positively to universal 

health coverage 

“We anticipate having increased 

availability of orphan drugs, which 

are otherwise hard to obtain due to 

the small quantities that individual 

member states require,” she said. 

So far, only Tanzania has 

endorsed and signed the MoU on 

the Provision of the SPPS for Pharmaceuticals 

and Medical Supplies. 

The Namibian Minister of 

Health and Social Services, Dr 

Bernard Haufiku, has confirmed 

that since the SPPS proposal during 

the SADC Joint Meeting for 

the Health Ministers and those 

that responsible for HIV/AIDS in 

2012, no MoU or any other agreement 

has been signed yet, and, in 

the case of Namibia, work is still at 

the technical level. 

Haufiku, however, revealed that 

medical regulatory authorities in 

Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and 

Botswana have entered into an 

agreement to harmonise medicines 

registration regimens. 

“Pooling resources together has 

several advantages such as cost 

reduction due to the economies of 

scale, access and less likelihood of 

medicine stick outs,” he said. 

According to the World Health 

Organisation approximately 1.6 

million Africans died of diseases 

that can be prevented or treated 

with timely access to appropriate 

and affordable medicines, vaccines 

and other health services due to 

medical shortages in the region. 

Southern African NGOs in drive to 

empower the Namibian girl child 

■ Letwin Nyambayo* 

Star for Life Southern Africa 

and Hand in Hand Zimbabwe 

have launched a 

Daughters of Africa programme 

that will see the equality, entrepreneurship 

and sexual reproductive 

health gap in teenagers being 

addressed by 2030 in Namibia and 

South Africa, respectively. 

The programme is set to benefit 

hundreds of high school students 

in 88 schools in South Africa and 

Namibia with the aim of reducing 

young women’s risk of violence and 

sexual exploitation, strengthening 

their control over their sexual and 

reproductive health and creating 

opportunities to secure economic 

independence for them. 

In an interview, Star for life 

Southern Africa Program Development 

Manager, Christine Joao, said 

› Felix Tete 

the programme, which focuses on 

sexual reproductive health, reducing 

gender-based violence through 

empowering girls and boys and 

promoting entrepreneurial skills, 

is aligned with national efforts to 

reaching Sustainable Development 

Goals by 2030. 

She indicated that Namibia’s 

Vision 2030 is a framework for a 

curriculum that will foster individual 

excellence as well as promote 

values and skills for community 

development. 

“Star for Life’s training manuals 

will be developed and clarified 

and 12 coaches will be employed 

to allow more time per school, 

thereby increasing attendance and 

training opportunities. 

“Other natural actors will also 

be involved – such as custodians, 

school leaders, school staff, local 

health clinics and authorities. 

Hand in Hand Zimbabwe will help 

train Star for Life’s entrepreneurship 

staff,” she said. 

Hand in Hand Zimbabwe Chief 

Executive Officer, Felix Tete, said 

the project seeks to rescue young 

people from structural poverty and 

inequality in Namibia and South 

Africa. 

“Our project seeks to counter a 

culture of disempowerment that is 

several generations deep.” 

Through the project, they will 

assist schools in formulating a 

Code of Conduct that explicitly 

addresses the lack of equality and 

respect in all forms. 

“We also want to produce 

increased awareness of gender 

issues in learners and teachers and 

create a school environment that 

promotes gender equality,” he said. 

He added that the project, 

Daughters of Africa, is an example 

of how funders and non-governmental 

organisations (NGOs) 

come together to help realise the 

goals that governments have set for 

the advancement of their populations 

within the framework of the 

Sustainable Development Goals. 

The project is being funded by 

Stars for Life Sweden and Hand in 

Hand Sweden. 

The Star for Life project was 

formed in 2005 based on the conviction 

that when you support 

young people to develop a healthy 

level of self-esteem and belief in 

their future, they will be inspired to 

perform well in several areas of life. 

By early 2007, the Star for Life 

programme was launched in 

Namibia. Today, it is being implemented 

with success in 120 schools 

in South Africa and Namibia. 

Hand in Hand Zimbabwe is an 

NGO whose main aim is to help 

poor and marginalised people create 

better livelihoods for themselves 

and their families in rural 

Zimbabwe. 

This is done through a help to 

self-help approach, mainly aimed 

at women and the youth. 

*Letwin Nyambayo is the media 

and communication officer for 

Hand in Hand Zimbabwe

Business 

The Southern Times 

■ 

Economy 

■ Finance 

■ Commodities 

■ Agribusiness 

■ Tourism 

15 

EU investment 

facility idle 

…as Southern Africa struggles to come up with bankable projects 

■ Magreth Nunuhe 

Windhoek – Southern 

African countries 

are yet to 

come up with 

bankable projects to benefit from 

the European Commission’s generous 

3.35 billion Euro investment 

plan in its partner countries in 

Africa and the European neighbourhood 

- two years after the Commission 

announced its intentions 

to do so. 

The European Commission 

announced the ambitious External 

Investment Plan (EIP) in 

2016 envisaged to boost investment 

and particularly contribute 

to sustainable development, poverty 

eradication and address specific 

socio-economic root causes 

of migration in host, transit and 

destination countries. 

The EIP is the EU’s new 

plan to boost development, 

growth and jobs in Africa and 

encourages private companies 

to invest in the continent 

while mobilising private funding 

to fill the gap that public resources 

such as grants cannot fill. 

So far, the EU has launched the 

plan at the 7th EU-Nigeria Business 

Forum in Lagos in October, 

to strengthen existing partnerships 

by promoting inclusive 

growth, job creation and sustainable 

development. It will also tackle 

some of the root causes of irregular 

migration. 

The EIP has been necessitated by 

instability and conflicts in Africa 

and the EU neighbourhood, 

aggravated by the global economic 

crisis, which led to decline in foreign 

direct investment (FDI) and 

other private financial flows to 

developing countries since the 

2008 financial crisis. 

According to the EU, only 6% of 

overall FDI went to fragile countries 

as per the statistics of 2012. 

Reduced access to finance for 

much-needed investment has also 

been exacerbated by on-going 

migration crisis as more people 

are on the move in Africa and in 

the EU neighbourhood. 

With the 3.35 billion Euro from 

the EU budget and the European 

Development Fund, the EIP is to, 

inter alia, support social and economic 

infrastructure and SMEs 

by addressing obstacles to private 

investment, improve the way in 

which public funds are used and 

the way public authorities and pri- 

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■ BUSINESS 

EU INVESTMENT 

> From Page 15 

vate investors work together on investment projects. 

It encourages investment in promoting inclusive 

growth, job creation and sustainable development and 

tackling some of the root causes of irregular migration. 

Susan Lewis, Information and Communication 

Officer of the Delegation of European Union in 

Namibia, said Namibia, just like many other SADC 

countries, has not yet benefitted from the EIP facility as 

previous submissions have not been successful because 

they were not considered extensive enough. She added 

that further discussions between the EU and Namibia, 

together with the European Investment Bank and 

financial institutions were required to move forward. 

The EIP further supports innovative guarantees 

and similar instruments in support of private investment, 

enabling the EIP to mobilise up to 44 billion 

Euro of investments to strengthen its partnership and 

promote a new model of participation of the private 

sector and contribute to achieving the Sustainable 

Development Goals (SDGs). 

The EIP also offers a guarantee to the private sector 

to invest in contexts that are politically more risky 

than others and it addresses key factors that enable 

crowding-in private investment where investors 

would not otherwise go. 

The public and private sectors are eligible to receive 

support through the EIP and can submit investment 

proposals under the investment windows and sign 

guarantee agreements with the Commission, subject 

to the relevant financial assessments being carried 

out by external, independent experts, for the Commission. 

To qualify, applicants must be able to contribute 

to economic and social development, with a focus on 

sustainability and job creation, particularly for youth 

and women and address the root causes of irregular 

migration. They should also target socio-economic 

sectors, such as infrastructure including energy, 

water, transport, ICT, environment, social infrastructure, 

human capital and finance in favour of micro, 

small and medium-sized enterprises, while particular 

focus will be on private sector development. 

Furthermore, applicants must maximise private 

sector leverage by addressing bottlenecks to investment, 

among others. 

In addition, the Commission is to expand the EU 

budget guarantee under the European Investment 

Bank’s (EIB) External Lending Mandate by a total of 

5.3 billion Euro and can thus lend up to 32.3 billion 

Euro under the EU guarantee between 2014 and 2020. 

Some of the main challenges for developing countries 

remain to achieve inclusive and sustainable 

growth and creating jobs and the EIP will draw 

on these lessons and enable the EU, international 

financial institutions, donors, public authorities 

and the private sector to cooperate fully in a coordinated 

way. 

The EIP also builds on the experience gained with 

the very successful Investment Plan for Europe, 

where its European Fund for Strategic Investments 

(EFSI) mobilised close to 116 billion Euro across 26 

member states in less than a year and where more 

than 200,000 small and medium enterprises benefitted 

from the EFSI. 

Botswana, Namibia railway 

project roars back to life 


Gaborone - Johny Smith, 

the Chief Executive 

Officer of the Namibian 

railway's entity, Trans- 

Namib has called on his Botswana 

counterpart to expedite the process 

of developing the Trans-Kalahari Railway 

(TKR). 

The two southern African neighbours 

in mid-March 2014 signed a 

memorandum of understanding to 

develop the TKR project. 

The agreement has been on the cards 

for several years now, but was repeatedly 

delayed largely over a decision 

on a suitable route — it is expected 

to broadly follow the Trans-Kalahari 

Highway — that balanced each country's 

environmental concerns with 

technical and cost considerations. 

In fact, it was supposed to be ready 

for use in 2019 at the earliest, but there 

is nothing to show at the moment. 

Smith, who was in Gaborone 

recently, expressed concern that Botswana 

seems to lack commitment to 

the railway line project. But Botswana 

insists that the railway line will not be 

a white elephant as it is still committed 

to developing it. Reports indicate 

that Botswana appears to have shifted 

its focus to a railway line project that 

is expected to link it with Zambia 

through the newly built Kazungula 

Bridge. Smith expressed concern that 

the construction of the TKR project 

was long overdue as it has been on the 

table for many years. He revealed that 

both the feasibility study and the planning 

stages have long been conducted 

and what “is needed is for engineers to 

be on the site”. 

According to Smith, “Early next year 

2019, the two governments are expected 

to meet in Namibia to hold discussions 

on the project.” 

Smith further revealed that his organisation 

has long set up a formidable team 

made of technicians in the capital city 

Windhoek and it has been assigned to 

ensure that the project gets started. 

He said it was unfortunate that Botswana 

has not sent anybody to be part 

of the team and that also contributed 

to the delay. 

However, he was optimistic that the 

much-awaited railway line project would 

kick off. It is expected to take five years 

to be completed. 

Botswana Railways Chief Executive 

Officer, Leonard Makwinja, said there 

was no way the Botswana Government 

would abandon the project because it has 

potential. According to Makwinja, the 

delay was caused by the fact that when 

the two governments signed the MoU, 

his organisation was not involved at the 

time. 

He was excited that Botswana Railways 

is now involved as it is now part of 

the negotiation team involving the two 

countries. He hailed the initiative saying 

it would avail the rail transport opportunities 

for Botswana mining activities 

to export their copper, and coal through 

the Namibian railway line to the sea. 

He also said the Botswana-Namibia rail 

route would also come in handy for meat 

exporters. 

Reports indicate that the planned 

1,500kilometre railway line linking 

the Mmamabula coalfields in eastern 

Botswana with Namibia’s new port in 

at Walvis Bay, assuming it goes ahead, 

has the potential to accelerate the development 

of Botswana's huge, yet largely 

untapped coal reserves — in excess of 

200 billion tonnes. 

It could also help develop other mineral-based 

exports such as iron ore. 

More broadly, such a development would 

help Botswana reduce its dependency on 

South Africa for international trade. 

Meanwhile, TransNamib and Botswana 

Railways have signed a MoU to 

establish a working relationship between 

the two and introduce a container terminal 

for Botswana in Namibia. 

Smith said the MoU is the beginning 

of a fruitful and beneficial relationship 

in developing trade between the two 

economies. 

Makwinja said the MoU provides an 

opportunity for Botswana to leverage on 

the railway infrastructure in Namibia 

as well as knowledge in the dry port 

business. 

The agreement will be for nine years, 

during which time the parties will 

explore and agree on substantive terms 

for carrying out the container terminal 

business. 

Bots looks to SA, Moza to offset looming power crisis 


Gaborone - Botswana 

is hopeful that its 

neighbours will 

not turn down its 

request to import more power. 

The southern African nation 

has since revealed that it has 

approached Mozambique and 

neighbouring South Africa for 

assistance in beating a looming 

power crisis. 

According to the minister 

responsible for energy, Eric 

Molale, Botswana’s newly built 

power station, Morupule B, 

recently experienced technical 

challenges that resulted in the 

non-functioning of three of its 

four generation units. 

The minister said at the 

moment the country only produces 

136 megawatts (MW) 

locally against peak demand of 

500MW. 

Molale said the Botswana government 

has approached South 

African power utility Eskom and 

EDM power utility of Mozambique 

to supply Botswana Power 

Corporation to meet the power 

deficit. 

Botswana, which in the past 

had relied on imports to meet its 

electricity needs, has in recent 

years banked on Morupule B. 

The Botswana government 

had plans to sell the plant but 

has since made a U-turn on its 

decision. The power plant has 

been plagued by technical faults, 

leading to power cuts and rolling 

blackouts across the country. 

Botswana Power Corporation 

(BPC) Chief Executive Officer, Dr 

Stefan Schwarzfischer, late last 

year confirmed that they were 

in talks with China Machinery 

Engineering Corporation 

(CMEC). 

CMEC is a sister company 

to state-owned China National 

Electric Equipment, the company 

that was commissioned to construct 

the power station. 

But it has since emerged 

that the Public Procurement 

and Asset Disposal Board has 

approved a request from the 

Ministry of Mineral Resources, 

Green Technology to cancel the 

sale tender. 

Before reports emerged that 

Botswana has cancelled plans 

to sell the troubled power plant, 

figures from Statistics Botswana 

(SB) indicated that an improved 

Morupule B Power Station had 

spurred the production of electricity 

in the third quarter of 

2017. 

At the time, SB indicated that 

the year-on-year comparison of 

the index of electricity generation 

reflects an increase of 35.2% from 

157.3% recorded during the corresponding 

quarter of the previous 

year. Morupule B Power Station 

provides 90% of the country’s 

domestic power generation. 

The generation of electricity in 

Botswana started in 1985 with a 

coal-fired thermal power station 

at Morupule operating at a capacity 

of 132MWH. 

Prior to this period, SB said, 

most of Botswana’s electricity 

was imported from South Africa’s 

power utility, Eskom. 

In 2008, South Africa’s electricity 

demand started to exceed 

its supply resulting in the South 

African government restricting 

power exports.


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■ BUSINESS 

Johannesburg bourse fines Pepkor 

R5 million over disclosure failures 

Johannesburg - The 

Johannesburg Stock 

Exchange said on Monday 

it had censured Pepkor 

Holdings Limited, formerly 

known as Steinhoff Africa 

Retail Limited, and fined 

it R5 million for failing to 

make disclosures in breach 

of listing requirements. 

The company, which 

owns South African retail 

brands such as PEP, Ackermans 

and Hi-Fi Corporation 

said in May it had 

decided to change its name 

back to Pepkor Holdings in 

a bid to reaffirm its independence 

of Steinhoff International 

in the wake of an 

accounting irregularity 

scandal. 

It listed on the JSE in September 

2017. 

The JSE said at listing, 

Pepkor’s wholly owned 

subsidiary formed part of a 

group of companies which 

guaranteed the Steinhoff 

Services Limited R15 billion 

Domestic Medium 

Term Note Programme 

and also, through its subsidiaries, 

provided loans to 

directors/key management 

personnel through an entity 

called Business Ventures 

Investments (BVI) which 

amounted to R9 million as 

at September 30, 2017. 

Through its subsidiaries, 

Pepkor was party to a guarantee 

of third party debt 

related to BVI and exposure 

equated to R440 million as 

at March 31 this year. 

“The relevant IFRS (International 

Financial Reporting 

Standards) applicable to 

these arrangements which 

are required in terms of ... 

the listings requirements 

were not included in the 

report of historical financial 

information contained 

in the PLS (pre-listing statement) 

or in the company’s 

results for the year ended 

30 September 2017,” the JSE 

said. 

“As a result of an investigation 

conducted by the JSE, 

the company was found to 

be in breach of ... listings 

requirements in respect of 

the various arrangements.” 

It said Pepkor had fully 

cooperated with the JSE 

during its investigation 

and provided the bourse 

with sufficient assurance 

that steps had been taken 

to address these breaches. 

“Notwithstanding this 

fact, the JSE has decided to 

impose this public censure 

against the company with 

a fine in the amount of R5 

million of which R1 million 

is suspended for a period 

of two years,” it added. - 

Nampa/ANA 

› Electronic board displaying movements in major indices at the Johannesburg Stock. [Photo: Reuters] 

SADC regional integration gets R292 million boost 



Southern African 

Development 

Community 

(SADC) Secretariat has 

launched the SADC Integrated 

Institutional Capacity Building 

(IICB) Programme to the tune of 

R292,468 million. 

The IICB programme, which is 

co-funded by the European Union 

(EU) and the German government 

is aimed at enhancing the capacity 

of national structures of SADC 

member states and that of the Secretariat. 

This is done to facilitate 

and co-ordinate the implementation 

of regional programmes, 

as identified in the SADC Revised 

Regional Indicative Strategic 

Development Plan (RISDP), a 

development and implementation 

framework that guides the SADC 

Regional Integration Agenda. 

During the official launch held 

in Botswana last week, SADC 

Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena 

Lawrence Tax hailed the continued 

and long-standing collaboration 

between SADC, the EU 

and the German government in 

promoting and deepening SADC 

regional integration. 

The EU contributed R205 million 

of the total amount, while the 

German government gave R86.5 

million. 

“Through this IICB Programme, 

SADC will focus on 

activities with impact in sectoral 

coordinating structures in three 

sectors, namely industrialisation, 

agriculture and infrastructure 

development,” said Dr Tax. 

She also said building on the 

success of Strengthening National-Regional 

Linkages (SNRL) Programme, 

implemented by the GIZ 

since 2016, SADC will expand 

coverage to at least 10 member 

states from the three; Malawi, 

Mozambique and Zambia that 

were supported under the SNRL 

programme. 

She said efforts are already 

underway to establish and revamp 

SADC National Committees in 

Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho and 

Tanzania. 

Head of Delegation of the European 

Union to Botswana and 

SADC, Ambassador Jan Sadek, 

said the relations between the EU 

and SADC have been very positive 

over the last decade. 

For the future, Sadek says, the 

EU is looking to intensify existing 

relations and evolve the relations 

towards a true partnership 

of equals, a partnership based on 

strategic common interests and 

values and advanced through 

political dialogue. 

He said in the next four years, 

the EU support to SADC will 

reach more than R2 billion, of 

which around R1 billion will be 

managed directly by SADC. 

“EU’s support to SADC is very 

comprehensive, addressing nearly 

all priority areas within SADC, 

such as infrastructure, trade, business 

environment, and agriculture 

and supporting peace and 

security, regional political cooperation 

and migration, thereby, 

contributing to the implementation 

of the SADC Strategic Indicative 

Plan for the Organ on Politics, 

Defense and Security in the 

region (SIPO),” he said. 

Speaking at the same occasion, 

German Ambassador to Botswana 

and SADC, Ralf Andreas Breth, 

said his country takes great pride 

in supporting the continuous 

capacity development of SADC 

structures at all levels and in many 

sectors. 

He said the launch of the IICB 

Programme reflects and reinforces 

Germany’s belief of sharing 

the European experiences 

and providing opportunities to 

SADC and other regional organisations 

to benefit from them, adding 

that Germany is committed 

to supporting political and economic 

cooperation across national 

borders. 

“At the centre of the programme’s 

efforts stands the realisation 

that with competing 

commitments and insufficient 

capacities, effective coordination 

of the SADC agenda at the 

national level is crucial,” he said.




European Union 

(EU) will allow 

Namibian companies 

to import 29,542 tonnes 

of goods duty-free from January 

1 to 31 December 2019 as part of 

the Economic Partnership Agreement 

(EPA) between the Southern 

African Development Community 

(SADC) and the EU. 

Information provided by Namibia’s 

Ministry of Agriculture, Water 

and Forestry (MAWF) shows that 

the EU made seven products available 

for imports duty-free. These are 

pork, pig fat, butter, cheese, wheat, 

barley, cereal-based food preparations 

and ice cream. 

Of all the products, wheat has 

the highest quota permitted totalling 

27,180 tonnes. Cheese comes 

second with 1,014 tonnes, barley 

(1,000 tonnes), pork (140 tonnes) 

cereal-based food preparations (86 

tonnes), and butter, pig fat and ice 

cream are last on the list with 80, 24 

and 18 tonnes, respectively. 

These tariff rate quotas are only 

eligible to Namibian registered 

companies, which have to scramble 

to get them because these quotas 

are for the whole country for the 

duration of one year. 

The closing date for tariff rate 

quotas applications is 30 November 

2018 at 16h30. Successful companies 

will be informed of their allocation 

within 14 days after the closing date. 

MAWF’s Sylvester Nauta told The 

Southern Times this week that 

identifying these products does not 

necessarily mean that the country 

has a shortage but it has to do with 

what is available imports from the 

EU market. 

“The EU has identified products 

and this means that we have 

duty-free on all these products. 

Once these tonnes are exceeded, 

however, then it means interested 

companies will have to pay duty on 

these imports. 

“The specified products do not 

mean that we have a shortage it 

is just that these are the available 

duty-free products from the EU. 

You shouldn’t expect anything 

more to be added. The list is final,” 

he said. 

Nauta added that successful 

Namibian companies still have to 

identify the EU market from which 

they can acquire these goods and 

also create their own market in 

Namibia. 

The EU and SADC have a balanced 

trade pattern. In 2015, the 

EU imported goods from SADC 

worth R507.2 billion while exporting 

goods worth R512 billion. 

In 2016, the EU imported goods 

worth R516.8 billion while exporting 

R446.4 billion to the SADC 

market. Last year, the EU imported 

goods worth R481.6 billion while 

exporting products worth R475.2 

billion. 

This means that since 2016, 

the SADC region has recorded a 

trade surplus from its imports and 

exports deals with the EU. 

The EU signed an EPA on 10 June 

2016 with the SADC EPA Group 

comprising Botswana, Lesotho, 

Mozambique, Namibia, South 

Africa and Swaziland. Angola has 

19 

■ BUSINESS 

EU approves 29,000t duty-free imports for Namibia 

an option to join the agreement in 

future. The agreement became the 

first regional EPA in Africa to be 

fully operational after Mozambique 

joined in February 2018. 

The EPA guarantees access to 

the EU market without any duties 

or quotas for Botswana, Lesotho, 

Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland. 

South Africa will benefit from 

new market access additional to the 

Trade, Development and Cooperation 

Agreement between the EU 

and South Africa, which currently 

governs the trade relations with the 

EU. The new access includes better 

trading terms mainly in agriculture 

and fisheries, including 

for wine, sugar, fisheries products, 

flowers and canned fruits. The EU 

will obtain meaningful new market 

access into Southern African 

Customs Union (products include 

wheat, barley, cheese, meat products 

and butter), and will have the 

security of a bilateral agreement 

with Mozambique. 

The other six members of the 

Southern African Development 

Community region – the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, 

Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia 

and Zimbabwe – are negotiating 

EPAs with the EU as part of other 

regional groups, namely Central 

Africa or Eastern and Southern 

Africa. 

The EPA gives asymmetric access 

to the partners in the SADC EPA 

group. They can shield sensitive 

products from full liberalisation 

and safeguards can be deployed 

when imports are growing too 

quickly. 

A detailed development chapter 

identifies trade-related areas that 

can benefit from funding. The 

agreement also contains a chapter 

on sustainable development which 

covers social and environmental 

matters.


■ BUSINESS 

Zambia calls for concerted 

effort in pushing Africa’s 

growth agenda 


Lusaka - Regional integration 

in Africa might 

veer off course if member 

states in the regional 

economic groupings fail to adhere 

to trajectories that foster its implementation, 

Inonge Wina, Zambia’s 

Vice President has cautioned. 

While the economic integration 

agenda has been enhanced through 

the endorsement of the tripartite 

free trade area (TFTA) and continental 

free trade area (CFTA) earlier 

this year, many countries are 

still sluggish in implementing key 

instruments needed for regional 

attractiveness. 

Speaking at the opening of the 

39th Common Market for Eastern 

and Southern Africa (Comesa) 

Council of Ministers in Lusaka last 

week, Wina noted that although 

the continent seems close to realising 

the TFTA after seeking signatures 

from 22 countries, only a 

paltry four have ratified the agreement 

making the realisation a pipedream. 

The enlargement of the market 

to cover 27 member/partner states 

of the tripartite should further 

increase the attractiveness of the 

region for those market-seeking 

investments. 

Held under the theme: “Comesa: 

towards Digital Economic Integration”, 

designed to rally member 

states towards the full adoption of 

digital technologies, Wina called 

for concerted efforts to realise the 

much-espoused dream for Africa’s 

growth, whose vision remains 

cardinal if executed effectively by 

concerned countries. 

“The implementation of regional 

commitments and full-scale participation 

of all member states in 

Comesa programmes is an area 

that still requires improvement. 

Integration is a collective effort, 

and maximum benefits can only be 

realised when the majority of the 

member states are fully engaged 

in the various activities currently 

in place. 

“The low level of transposition 

of regional instruments by some 

member states at national level has 

negatively affected the implementation 

of the various programmes.” 

A recent assessment by the 

Secretariat shows low levels of 

implementation of regional commitments 

at national levels and 

suggested sustained sensitisation 

and awareness campaigns 

of Comesa protocols and more 

importantly the intended benefits 

of regional integration. 

“Awareness creation,” added 

Wina, “remains crucial for 

Comesa, ultimately trade and 

investment are spearheaded by the 

private sector and this is the audience 

we need to sensitise for them 

to have the utmost confidence and 

exploit the opportunities within 

the region”. 

Zambia envisions an accelerated 

growth following the increase in 

member states after Tunisia and 

Somalia ratified the treaty to complete 

their membership to Comesa. 

Tunisia and Somalia bring to 17 out 

of the 21 member states that have 

signed the regional body’s free 

trade area. 

Wina disclosed that Comesa’s 

global total exports rose by 

16.1% from US$87 billion in 2016 

to US$101 billion in 2017 while 

intra-Comesa exports rose by 

3.7% from US$8.8 billion in 2016 

to US$9.2 billion in 2017 and given 

more goodwill and willingness to 

work together, the regional body is 

poised for more growth. 

“We are more than happy to welcome 

Somalia and Tunisia, who 

were admitted to Comesa in July 

this year. The addition of these 

two member states introduces 

new dynamism into the Comesa 

integration agenda and further 

expands the markets and areas of 

cooperation.” 

Wina stressed the need for an 

accelerated effort towards enhancing 

infrastructure development 

to enhancing economic development 

and poverty alleviation in the 

Comesa region. 

There remains a huge infrastructure 

gap in the region accounted 

for by missing links and maintenance 

backlog, a gap needing to 

be narrowed by collective efforts 

to accelerate regional economic 

development for the benefit of the 

region. 

“Innovative ways of raising 

resources such as Public-Private 

Partnerships for infrastructural 

development and maintenance are 

required to address this challenge 

as the traditional approach of relying 

on the public sector to provide 

the resources for infrastructure 

need to be supplemented.” 

Comesa Secretary General, 

Chileshe Kapwepwe, called for an 

effective and working grouping of 

countries embraced under Comesa 

which must deliver to the expectations 

of the people and appreciated 

by its stakeholders, given the 

reigning modern technology- and 

information-driven global economy, 

given the abundant manpower 

that need utilisation. 

Kapwepwe envisions the success 

of the Comesa-East African Community-Southern 

African Development 

Community tripartite initiative 

and the African continental 

free trade area, noting the importance 

of a clearly defined role for 

Comesa and other recs as building 

blocks in the realisation of fully 

integrated African continent. 

“To this end the African continental 

free trade area (AfCFTA), 

has learnt a lot from Comesa and 

the tripartite, and whole instruments 

of the tripartite were used 

as working documents. 

“Comesa shall continue as a 

trail-blazer for economic integration 

and stands ready to share our 

experiences. Our negotiators have 

greatly assisted the AfCFTA negotiation 

process, building on their 

experience in Comesa and in the 

tripartite.” 

Ocean Rig 

Poseidon rig 

starts Eni work 

in Angola. Rig 

inquiries on the 

rise 

Offshore driller Ocean Rig has informed that its drillship 

Ocean Rig Poseidon has been hired by Eni, and 

has started drilling in Angola. 

The drillship recently arrived in Angola following 

a drilling campaign in Namibia where it had drilled for Chariot 

and Tullow, where both wells came up dry. 

According to Ocean Rig, the contract with Chariot ended on 

October 15, and the rig has now started its contract with Eni for 

drilling offshore Angola. 

“This contract has been entered into following the previously 

announced LOI. Eni has exercised its two optional wells making 

it a firm four-well program that is expected to be completed in the 

second quarter of 2019,” Ocean Rig said. 

The dayrate for the drillship contract with Eni was not disclosed. 

This is not the first Eni in is using the Ocean Rig Poseidon. The 

Italian oil company used the rig in Angola back in 2014, when it 

struck oil at the Ochigufu exploration prospect in the block 15/06. 

Ochigufu was brought on stream in March this year, connected to 

the Sangos production system and from there to the FPSO N’Goma. 

Eight rigs stacked 

Ocean Rig, expected to be acquired by Transocean soon, currently 

has three rigs on contract: Ocean Rig Poseidon with Eni, Ocean Rig 

Skyros with Total, and Leiv Eiriksson semi-submersible drilling rig 

with Lundin in Norway. 

Ocean Rig on Wednesday said Lundin had in October declared 

its eighth option to extend the existing contract of the Leiv Eiriksson, 

which is now expected to have firm employment secured until 

the first quarter of 2019. 

“Should Lundin exercise its remaining four one-well options, the 

drilling unit could potentially be employed until the second half of 

2019,” Ocean Rig said. 

Apart from the three rigs on contract, the drilling contractor 

has eight rigs without a contract of which two – the Ocean Rig 

Mykonos and the Ocean Rig Corcovado – are in Las Palmas, Spain, 

where they remain “ready to drill.” 

Six other rigs the Eirik Raude, the Ocean Rig Olympia, the Ocean 

Rig Apollo, the Ocean Rig Mylos, the Ocean Rig Paros and the Ocean 

Rig Athena, are currently cold stacked in Greece. 

Offshore picking up 

Despite most the company’s rigs currently being without a contract, 

Ocean Rig CEO Pankaj Khanna is optimistic about the signals 

the driller is receiving from the potential clients where the driller 

sees an increase in inquiries for rigs at levels not seen since 2013, 

before the oil market downturn. 

He said: “The market has been developing as projected with an 

increasing level of demand that has not been experienced since 2013, 

before the collapse in oil prices. Given the strong positive cashflow 

of our customers, we expect new and suspended offshore projects 

to achieve FID in 2019 and beyond that may lead in higher demand 

for drilling in the coming years and a recovery in rig day rates.” 

He also commented on the expected merger between Ocean Rig 

and Transocean: “As we have previously announced, our and Transocean’s 

Special Meetings where each of our respective shareholders 

will vote on our proposed merger with Transocean are each scheduled 

for November 29, 2018. Assuming a positive vote by both our 

and Transocean’s shareholders, we expect the merger to close in 

December.” 

The company on Tuesday reported net loss of US$31.5 million for 

the three-month period ended September 30, 2018, as compared to 

a net loss of US$234 million 

Revenues decreased by US$126.8 million to US$74.1 million for 

the three-month period ended September 30, 2018, as compared to 

US$200.9 million for the three-month period ended September 30, 

2017, due to the conclusion of the respective drilling contracts of the 

drilling units Ocean Rig Corcovado and Ocean Rig Mykonos, and 

decreased operating days of the drilling unit Ocean Rig Poseidon. 

Worth noting, last year’s 3Q revenues had been boosted as a result 

of termination fees received upon the early termination relating 

to the contract of the drilling unit Ocean Rig Apollo. - Offshore 

Energy Today


21 

■ BUSINESS 

Angola 

sets new 

rules for 

import 

of 54 

products 

SA president signs National 

Minimum Wage Bill into law 

Cape Town - President 

Cyril Ramaphosa has 

signed into law the 

National Minimum 

Wage Bill (NMWB), which sets an 

historic precedent in the protection 

of low-earning workers in the country, 

the Presidency said on Monday. 

The NMWB provides a platform 

for reducing inequality in society 

and decreasing huge disparities in 

income at the national labor market, 

presidential spokesperson Khusela 

Diko said. 

The NMWB will come into force 

on a date to be determined by the 

president, said Diko. 

The bill sets a floor of R20 (about 

US$1.5) per hour, or R3,500 (about 

The natural gas extraction 

and liquefaction 

industry in Mozambique 

appears to 

have been launched, after many 

years of delays and deliberations, 

according to the China-Lusophone 

Brief (CLBrief), a news 

service on China and the Portuguese-speaking 

countries. 

Consortiums led by Italy’s ENI 

and the US ExxonMobil group in 

the Area 4 block and US-based 

Anadarko Petroleum in the Area 1 

block are investing billions of dollars 

in projects, the first of which 

is already announced for 2023, 

with the floating platform that 

will extract and process the gas 

already under construction at a 

South Korean shipyard, Samsung 

Heavy Industries. 

The project led by Anadarko 

has as its most recent customer 

Japan’s Tohoku Electric, which 

last October agreed to purchase 

up to 280,000 tonnes of gas per 

US$254) a month for the majority 

of the country's six million workers, 

more than half of the labor force. 

The president's signing of the bill 

into law came four years after the 

National Economic Development 

and Labor Council (NEDLAC) first 

began deliberations on the protection 

of low-paid workers. 

Following these deliberations 

and recommendations by an advisory 

panel, Ramaphosa has also 

assented to the Basic Conditions 

of Employment Amendment Bill 

and Labor Relations Amendment 

Bill which were negotiated by the 

NEDLAC at the same time as the 

NMWB, according to Diko. 

Taken together, these bills introduce 

a national minimum wage and 

provide for the technical arrangements 

needed to support implementation 

of the NMWB, said 

Diko. 

The NMWB recognises South 

Africa as one of the most unequal 

societies and notes the need to eradicate 

poverty and inequality, she 

said. 

Ramaphosa has reiterated his 

appreciation to all stakeholders 

engaged in the development of the 

legislation for their focus on creating 

a new dispensation for the 

country's most vulnerable workers 

and for bringing South Africa 

into line with international best 

practice, Diko said. 

Natural gas exploration in 

Moza presses on resolutely 

year for a period of 15 years, and 

in June a larger agreement was 

reached with the UK’s Centrica 

and Japan’s Tokyo Gas to supply 

2.6 million tons over a period of 

more than 20 years. 

Once enough of the project’s 

future production has been sold, 

the consortium will begin to 

build the first two gas processing 

plants, with the development plan 

already approved by the Mozambican 

government and the final 

investment decision expected to 

be made in the first half of 2019. 

The project of the Area 1 block is 

The president has also underscored 

that while NMWB will not 

end income inequality, it provides 

a firm and unassailable foundation 

- which is agreed to by all social 

partners - from which to advance 

the struggle for a living wage, Diko 

said. 

The Congress of South African 

Trade Unions (COSATU), the 

country's largest trade federation, 

welcomed the signing into law of 

the NMWB, saying this is a victory 

for millions of workers. 

COSATU applauded and 

thanked the president, for his 

unflinching support in seeing 

the realization of the NMWB. - 

Nampa/Xinhua 

operated by the Anadarko group 

through Anadarko Moçambique 

Área 1, Ltd, a 100% controlled subsidiary, 

with a 26.5% stake, ENH 

Rovuma Área Um, a subsidiary 

of state-owned Empresa Nacional 

de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), with 

15%, Mitsui E & P Mozambique 

Area1 Ltd (20%), ONGC Videsh 

Ltd (10%), Beas Rovuma Energy 

Mozambique Limited (10%), 

BPRL Ventures Mozambique B.V. 

(10%), and PTTEP Mozambique 

Area 1 Limited (8.5%). 

The Area 4 block’s participants 

are the Mozambique Rovuma 

Ventures, a partnership owned 

by the ExxonMobil, ENI and the 

China National Petroleum Corporation 

groups, which jointly 

control 70%, with the remaining 

30% divided equally between 

Portuguese group Galp Energia, 

South Korea’s Kogas and Mozambican 

state-owned Empresa 

Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos. - 

Macauhub 

Angola’s Ministry 

for the Economy 

and Planning 

on Monday 

in Luanda presented a list of 

54 products covered by measures 

to accelerate import substitution, 

including glass containers, 

wheat flour, pineapple, 

sugar, mineral water, beans, 

eggs, oil, onions and salt. 

The Secretary of State for 

the Economy, Sérgio Santos, 

as he presented the Portal for 

the Dissemination of National 

Production, said that these 

products were covered by new 

import rules, with a view to 

giving priority to domestic 

production. 

He added that anyone wishing 

to import one of the 54 

products on the list may do 

so as long as they observe two 

conditions, the first being that 

there is insufficient domestic 

production and the second 

that the importer shows they 

have a contract signed with 

domestic producers for the 

products they plan to import. 

Santos explained that the 

measures are aimed at helping 

micro and small entrepreneurs, 

and small producers, 

to guarantee the sale of their 

products and also the future 

sale of the products they produce, 

according to the Angop 

news agency. 

The Secretary of State said 

that after the national production 

has been distributed, 

the deficit will be imported, 

“the government intends, 

through this list, to ensure 

that whoever wants to focus 

on national production can do 

so through these 54 products, 

and the flow of production 

will always be guaranteed”. 

The website presented in 

Luanda, found at https://www. 

ppn.co.ao/, can be used by all 

producers, regardless of the 

size of their production, location 

and at no cost. - Macauhub 

› Sérgio Santos


■ TOURISM 

Namibia 

ranked 

38th 

in Visa 

Openness 

Report 

Windhoek – Namibia 

ranked 38th out of 54 

African countries for 

moving ahead to liberalise 

its visa policy framework in October 

2017 by having all Africans issued visas on 

arrival. 

This forms part of a wider goal to remove 

visa requirements. 

Namibia dropped two places from 36th 

in 2017, while it ranked 38th in 2016 as well 

for visa openness in Africa, the Africa 

Visa Openness Report for 2018 issued on 

Wednesday said. 

The report is compiled by the African 

Development Bank (AfDB) along with the 

African Union Commission and the World 

Economic Forum Global Agenda Council 

on Africa. 

The ranking also follows earlier plans 

to allow Southern African Development 

Community (SADC) citizens to access the 

country visa-free. African diplomat and 

official passport holders have since 2016 

been allowed to enter Namibia without a 

visa. 

The report aims to show which countries 

is facilitating travel for citizens of other 

countries and how or whether they allow 

people to travel to their country without a 

visa, if travellers can get a visa on arrival 

in the country or if visitors need to get one 

before they travel. 

Benin joined Seychelles at the top of the 

index, for the most progress in opening up 

its borders to African travellers, moving 

up from 27th place in 2017 to first place 

this year. 

Zimbabwe also moved into the top 20 

with its introduction of a visa-on-arrival 

policy for SADC members. 

Rwanda, Togo, Guinea Bissau, Uganda 

and Ghana are also among the top African 

countries for visa openness, while Sudan 

and Equatorial Guinea rank the lowest. 

Overall, when compared to 2017, Africans 

do not need a visa to travel to 25% of other 

African countries (up from 22%) and need 

visas to travel to 51% of other African countries 

(down from 54%), the report stated. 

“However, the fact that Africans still 

require visas to travel to just over half of 

other African countries shows that more 

progress is needed to realise free movement 

of people continent-wide,” the AfDB said. 

It further noted that as infrastructure 

expands across Africa, and trade and investment 

opportunities become available, Africans 

will need to travel with greater ease. 

Solutions such as the African passport, 

visa-free regional blocs, multi-year visas, or 

visa-on-arrival schemes should continue to 

be promoted. 

The AfDB stated that the launch of the 

African Continental Free Trade Area and 

the Single African Air Transport Market 

were major milestones in the creation of a 

regulatory environment that promotes air 

connectivity and makes it less expensive for 

Africans to travel within Africa. - Nampa 

Best African Safari 

Destinations for 2019 

Africa is one of the most 

enthralling travel destinations 

worldwide. Garnering over 30 

million tourist’s year on year 

with its breath-taking landscapes, historic 

monuments and welcoming culture. Home 

to an incredible array of wildlife and adventures 

that no other land can ever offer, Africa 

is the place to be for every travel junkie looking 

for the serenity of nature and wildlife’s 

company in the coming year. 

One of the absolute mandatory things to 

do in Africa is spending some quality time 

with its beautiful wildlife and sunsets, and 

a safari is an awesome way to do that. You 

will be missing out on a tremendously exhilarating 

experience by not considering an 

African safari. 

Shrug all the worries away and count 

yourself in for a wild, memorable ride in the 

realms of four of Africa’s most cherished 

Safari destinations. 

Malawi: the return of the big cats 

The south-eastern wildlife haven of Africa, 

Malawi, is primed to become Africa’s next 

hottest safari destination. Besides the majestic 

Lake Malawi flowing through the country 

that paves beautiful beaches to relax in, 

Malawi offers the most peaceful and rejuvenating 

safari experiences across Africa. 

It is home to the exquisite Liwonde 

National Park, which never fails to leave visitors 

absolutely spellbound with its rich wildlife, 

raw natural ambience, and just Africa at 

its best. The national park was proclaimed 

by Chief Liwonde to be a primary shelter to 

Malawi’s most exquisite wildlife heritage 

back in 1973. The re-introduction of majestic 

lion and cheetah species in Liwonde’s 

dense expanse adds to the whole thrill that 

the safari experience brings. 

This well-known national park is home to 

many bird and animal species, not to mention 

kudu, antelope, waterbuck, reedbuck, 

monitor lizard, Impala, Vervet monkey, 

warthog, yellow baboon and even roaming 

leopards. You can safely drive through 

Liwonde town’s wildlife grounds or get a 

pre-arranged boating system from the town. 

Luxurious Mvuu Lodge captures the best 

of African hospitality. You not only get to 

experience the Malawian safari in Liwonde’s 

beautiful national park but also land a 

chance to camp in the national park. 

Malawi is often referred to as ‘The Warm 

Heart of Africa’ and is a must-visit for anyone 

looking to escape the usual metropolitan 

hustle and bustle. Go straight into the 

countryside wilderness of the vast Liwonde 

National Park. 

Zambia: sailing across the wild Lower 

Zambezi 

The Lower Zambezi region in Zambia 

is wildly popular for the legendary crack 

in Earth’s crust it caused centuries ago, 

where a mighty river flows today. Counted 

amongst one of the most thrilling camping 

and safari destinations in the African continent, 

Zambezi’s safari lodges offer a wide 

range of adventurous activities for travellers 

to choose from. 

You can often find giant elephants and 

varied mammal species roaming around the 

vast expanse of the Lower Zambezi National 

Park, with buffaloes grazing peacefully on 

the river islands. Known for its aquatic wildlife 

diversity, the Zambezi River has plenty 

of crocodiles and hippos leisurely swimming 

about its waters. 

The Zambezi happens to be the land 

of adventures, where leopards, lions and 

hyena populate national parks, creating a 

breath-taking safari experience. This African 

region is an absolute treat for bird watchers, 

with over 378 recorded stunning bird species 

flying around the area. Brown-hooded 

kingfishers, woodlands, and heron are all 

common residents of the Lower Zambezi 

safari area. 

Not to mention the opulent flora this country 

takes pride in. The rich vegetation, soil 

nurtured tall fruit trees and sparse bush 

growth make this area perfect for memorable 

walking safaris with armed rangers 

and trained well-qualified guides. You will 

be sailing the famous Zambezi waters in 

guarded canoes, living the African safari 

experience at its best. 

Uganda: the pearl of Africa 

Uganda is a rousing haven packed 

with adventurous trekking and rafting experiences. 

Its diverse culture and welcoming 

people create an unforgettable safari experience. 

There is nothing like roaming around 

the wilderness of Uganda’s mountains, 

topped with a blood-pumping white water 

rafting experience across the vast Nile River. 

Although the country is known for its 

enormous gorilla population, it has countless 

adventures to offer. Not only can you paddle 

through Bunyonyilake to Uganda’s biggest 

markets for a refreshing shopping experience, 

but also experience African camping 

at its best. 

Uganda’s chimpanzee trekking is something 

every traveller should experience at 

least once in their African exploration. You 

begin a walking safari through Kalinzu Forest 

National Reserve and just as excitement 

begins settling in, the region fills with sounds 

of chimpanzees in the canopy which you follow 

with the hope of an encounter. 

Another amazing travel experience 

Uganda offers is a visit straight to the equator. 

The mystical stories of flowing water 

stopping dead in its track while on the equator 

are all true. Travellers get to witness the 

entire water current cease in Uganda, soak 

their feet in it and experience nature’s most 

cherished wonders. The gorillas and Nile 

river rafts await! 

Tanzania: bush, beach, mountain! 

Tanzania one of the world’s most preferred 

tourist destinations- and for good reason. 

From huge waterfalls, beautiful mountain-top 

views and beaches to die for, Tanzania 

is the whole package that makes up for 

a perfect holiday 

Home to the magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro, 

the highest free-standing mountain 

on earth and Ngorongoro Crater, one of the 

hottest safari destinations in all of Africa, 

Tanzania is the perfect travel spot for people 

seeking adventure and serenity alike. 

Staying in Moshi town, you experience 

luxurious hospitality, taste mouth-watering 

African delicacies under the stunning view 

of Mt Kilimanjaro, all of which makes up 

for one of the best travel experiences you 

will ever have. 

The perfect Tanzania itinerary comprises 

a hike up Mt Kilimanjaro’s wide mountain 

expanse, relaxation in its beautiful green 

plains topped with a safari dig into Serengeti 

lands, literally meaning endless plains’. 

Tanzania is Africa’s most cherished tourist 

destinations perfect for thrill seekers, trekking 

and safari lovers. The majestic Usambara 

landscape, Kilimanjaro’s heights, and 

Bagamoyo beach can give you a breath-taking 

travel experience. 

So, there you have four incredible safari 

destinations, which are set to be even better 

in 2019. Which one will you visit first? – 

Tourism Tattler

Arts 


■ Entertainment 

■ Music 

■ Theatre 

■ Movies 

■ Books 

23 

Mkokstad’s 

Ulwandle hit 

wins the hearts 

of many! 

P25 

Designers force the world 

to rethink what African 

furniture should look like 

■ Lynsey Chutel 

Culturally, Africa is 

having a real moment. 

In the last few years, 

fashion, films, music 

and art from the continent have 

punctured the outdated image the 

west has of an African aesthetic. 

Now, the household has become 

the latest area showcasing contemporary 

design. 

For the first time, South African 

designers were represented 

at the prestigious The Salon Art 

+ Design showcase in New York 

City. Held mid-November, The 

Salon featured art and furniture 

ranging from abstract, deco, modern 

and post-modern styles to the 

new voices of groundbreaking 

design. The Southern Guild was 

the only African gallery among 

mainly European and American 

exhibitors. 

Held at the Park Avenue 

Armory in New York City, the 

fair gave collectors an intimate 

feel of upcoming trends. While 

these are not the couches you’ll 

find in your average living room, 

these artworks-as-furniture set 

the trend for what will trickle 

down to the mass market, which 

is why it’s important for African 

designers to be seen here. 

In her fifteen years in the industry, 

Southern Guild co-founder 

Trevyn McGowan has noticed 

an increasing “turning of the 

gaze” toward Africa. International 

design is not only beginning 

to appreciate the continent’s 

offering, but also engaging with 

what contemporary designers 

have to say through their work, 

and avoiding the clichés of what 

the world thinks African furniture 

should look like. Even in 

an ever-changing design space, 

these pieces challenge what people 

thought they would see walked 

over to an exhibition stand from 

South Africa. 

A Cape Town-based high-end 

design gallery, Southern Guild 

works closely with the designers 

they represent, guiding the process 

from idea to execution where 

needed. To compete on the global 

stage, a high level of quality and 

attention to detail and finish is 

required, she tells Quartz. Ultimately 

though, to stand out in an 

international catalogue, designers 

must be brave enough to tell 

their story and show the world 

who they are and where they 

DESIGNERS: turn to P.24 

Born-again Lady 

May redirects fans 

to praising God 

■ Annines Angula 

Windhoek - Music lovers in Namibia are 

still digesting the news that one of the 

country’s colourful Afro-pop singers, 

Lady May, has turned a new leaf and 

become a born-again Christian. 

Earlier in November 2018, news broke out that the 

former Big Brother Africa contestant has rebranded 

from the old self to Lady May Africa – who will be 

singing gospel music. 

Since hitting the limelight in 2004, Lady May was 

loved by music fans for her bold and energetic stage 

antics and costume that evoked the memories of the late 

South African Afropop legend, Brenda Fassie. 

But that is water under the bridge now for the award-winning 

singer, real name Martha Namundjembo. She has since 

signed with D-Naff Entertainment, owned by the country’s 

gospel singer D-Naff, who also played a leading role in her 

new spiritual path. 

Lady May’s manager, Zvitendo Julian Mugabe, said despite 

the reputation for her provocative 

stage antics, Lady May’s BORN-AGAIN: turn to P.24 

› Lady May


■ ARTS 

DESIGNERS 


come from. 

“You’re here amongst the most 

important names in the world, 

your work is accepted at this 

level but how do you distinguish 

between the galleries?” McGowan 

would tell the designers. “You 

cannot blend in and you cannot 

assimilate a global aesthetic, you 

have to stand out by being authentically 

yourself.” 

The South African stand got 

the attention of attendees. In previews, 

ceramics by Andile Dyalvane 

had the art world rethinking 

village life. At the exhibition, 

designer Rich Mnisi’s Nwa-Mulamula 

twisting black leather chaise 

and accompanying side-table in 

the shape of a hovering crying 

eye—designed to honor generations 

of hardworking black 

women—caught the eye of The 

New York Times. 

Featuring Porky Hefer’s enveloping 

suspended nest, one of artist 

Athi Patra Ruga’s fantasy photographic 

portraits and the deceptively 

simple server titled “A piece 

of furniture made of brick” by 

Gregor Jenkin, Southern Guild’s 

stand was hailed for taking design 

“well beyond domestic comfort.” 

– Quartz Africa 

BORN-AGAIN 


transition to gospel music was 

smooth. He said he does not expect 

the gospel singer to change her high 

octane dance moves, except the 

provocative ones. 

“She will only have to change the 

message and redirect it to praising 

God and instead of pointing 

people to the provocative, she will 

now have to point them towards 

God,” Mugabe said. “We are not 

only interested in her music career 

but her spiritual life too. I am interested 

in seeing her sharing the gospel 

of our Lord Jesus Christ fully 

with others.” 

Lady May Africa will be singing 

a blend of both Oshiwambo and 

English. However, she will not just 

be singing gospel music but will 

also be focusing on inspirational 

and educative songs whose message 

is about the positive upliftment of 

an individual. 

“The message of hope and 

encouragement spoken and sung 

by an individual who has seen 

much in this life. She is also singing 

about how God has kept her and 

protected her from the disasters of 

life and accidents where she could 

have lost her life as well as God's 

faithfulness and human opinions 

and judgements towards her life,” 

said her manager. 

Lady May Africa will be 

expected to be on stage this festive 

season and already featured 

at prominent events including the 

just held Africa Women Conference 

in Windhoek, and the Annual 

Namibian Faith Convention that 

was organised by the Greater Love 

Ministries International. 

She will also be performing live 

on December 8, 2018, at the Okahao 

Gala Dinner in Omusati region. 

■ Sharon Kavhu 

Windhoek - Night 

events may seem 

complicated, 

perhaps a challenge 

to certain individuals who 

complicate fashion by trying to 

look so sophisticated that their 

outfits can even make them feel 

uncomfortable in public. 

This reminds me of an American 

fashion designer, Calvin Klein 

(76) whose notion on fashion is 

key in this week’s subject. According 

to the 76-year-old, ‘simplicity 

is the ultimate sophistication’ and 

a basic foundation of ‘dressing up 

for a night formal event’. 

Dressing up for an evening event 

is simplified by a dull colour and 

gets sophisticated by accessories 

for both men and women. Of all 

the dull colours that one may prefer 

such as blood red, dark army 

green, black, royal blue and grey; 

black and royal blue are the best 

for night events. 

Karl Lagerfeld, once said, “One 

can never be underdressed or 

overdressed in a little black dress.” 

Well, her concept is true 

because ladies you can never go 

wrong wearing a black dress, 

then accessorising it with sophisticated 

earrings, belts, pearls, 

shoes, bracelets or clutch bags 

during a night event. 

Trevor Noah Foundation to 

improve education system in SA 

■ Colleta Dewa 

Johannesburg Internationally commended 

comedian Trevor Noah this 

week launched a crowd-funding campaign 

on local donations crowd-funding 

platform, BackaBuddy, to raise R2 million 

in a matched giving effort to empower 

education through his recently 

launched, Trevor Noah Foundation. 

Noah was targeting 

people 

to 

The jewellery can be gold, 

bronze, white, silver, and glittery 

all depending on individual preferences. 

Sisibuso Xhosa, a fashion 

designer based in Bulawayo, 

told The Southern Times that 

black is a jack of all trades as it 

cuts across all complexions. 

“With black, it doesn’t matter 

the complexion of a person, 

the colour brings an elegant, 

unique appearance, especially 

when won at night with beautiful 

jewellery. One may decide to 

tone down on the jewellery and 

appear more sophisticated with 

the type, design and colour of the 

shoe. However, I have seen that 

dark-skinned ladies look nicer 

in silver jewellery compared to 

gold and for the light-skinned, 

gold jewellery is better than the 

silver,” said Xhosa. 

She said royal blue also carries 

the same effect during a night 

event. 

The magic of dull colours is 

that they enhance one’s appearance 

and the same effect also goes 

for the facial makeup. Dark eyeshadow 

would be awesome on a 

night event accompanied with 

glittery blushers, which blend 

well with the accessories. For 

instance, black eyeshadow lined 

with golden rims, which complements 

golden blushers on a 

lady wearing a black 

dress and golden jewellery. 

Although men 

may not wear earrings, 

sophisticated necklaces 

and bracelets like women, 

they can still wear all 

black formal with a colourful 

blazer and create an outstanding 

appearance. 

“A man can 

we a r black 

formal trous 

e r s a n d 

shirt with 

a colourful 

pair 

of shoes 

matching 

with 

the 

blazer 

as well 

as a bow tie 

for a glamour look. In 

some cases, the outfit can 

be complemented with 

a medium necklace on a 

semi-casual T-shirt and a 

blazer either colourful or 

dull,” said Xhosa. 

She said men can also wear all 

black and bow tie which match 

with the shoes. 

donate towards the cause during the 

Giving Tuesday SA until New Year’s Eve. 

Giving Tuesday is the global day of giving 

back on the Tuesday following Black 

Friday and Cyber Monday. 

South Africa launched The Giving 

Tuesday concept was last month. 

On a YouTube post, Noah encouraged 

people to prioritise quality education as 

part of creating a better future. 

“I’m excited to announce that I will be 

donating more money into the Trevor 

Noah Foundation which supports schools 

and teachers around South Africa getting 

them what they need. I will be donating 

whatever you do and I will match it up to 

R2m,” he said in a YouTube video. 

Noah added that society needs to 

appreciate the awesome work done by 

teachers in emancipation of people’s lives. 

“For me, I’ve come to realise the secret 

is great teachers. In my life and the lives 

of many other kids, one great teacher 

has made all the difference. To this day, 

business economics and history are my 

favourite subjects thanks to teachers like 

Mr Darby and Mrs Gold. 

“My favourite teachers were those who 

engaged me in a way that made me feel 

like they loved the subjects as much as 

they wanted me to love it,” Noah said. 

The Foundation’s pilot programme 

began this year, helping orphaned and 

vulnerable learners in Grades 9-12 at New 

Nation School in Vrededorp government 

school. The school has performed well 

academically despite lacking resources 

and facing issues of statelessness, abandonment 

and poverty. Snenhlanhla 

Vilakazi official from the Giving Tuesday 

said they had to introduce the concept 

in South Africa because giving back 

should be made a norm. 

Vilakazi added that a total of R4.2 billion 

was raised globally as part of giving 

back. “It harnesses the collective power 

of individuals, communities, and organisations 

to encourage local philanthropy 

and to celebrate generosity worldwide. 

The idea is simple – if you shop on Black 

Friday or Cyber Monday, consider a gift 

back to those who need it on Giving Tuesday,” 

said Vilakazi. 

She emphasised that the day is not 

only about giving money but also sharing 

stories of motivation. Funds raised 

by the crowd-funding campaign, will be 

matched 1:1 by Trevor himself up to R2 

million. The funds will be managed by the 

Trevor Noah Foundation to assist various 

schools across South Africa in curbing 

obstacles that stand in the way of students 

and teachers reaching their full potential. 

As a token of appreciation, donors will 

be randomly selected to receive various 

gifts. As a result – five donors whose contribution 

received by 27 November will 

receive a pair of VIP tickets to the Global 

Citizen Festival on 2 December. 

Meanwhile, 20 donors will receive a 

signed copy of Trevor’s memoir ‘Born 

a Crime’, one donor will get a personal 

thank you tweet from Trevor and another 

will receive a pair of tickets to Trevor’s 

next comedy show in South Africa on 

dates to be announced. 

Dressing up for a formal night event


25 

■ ARTS 

Of the AFRIMA winners from SADC 

■ Sharon Kavhu 

Windhoek - Last 

week at least 36 

winners across 

Africa walked 

away with All Africa Music Awards 

(AFRIMA) during AFRIMA’s 

5th edition. The annual event was 

held in Accra, Ghana, on November 

24. 

Out of the winners, five were 

from the southern African region 

countries, namely: Malawi, South 

Africa and Tanzania. 

Malawi scooped the Best African 

Act in Diaspora through Hazel 

Mak’s song ‘Jaiva’ featuring Roberto 

and Tay Grin, while Master 

KG’s song ‘Skeleton Move’ featuring 

Zanda Zakuza from South 

Africa won the Best Artists Duo or 

Group in Africa Elector. 

Representing Tanzania ‘One 

and Only’, a song by Nedy Music 

featuring Rubby won the African 

Fans’ Favourite award and Shekhinah 

and Nasty C from South Africa 

won the Best Female and Best Male 

artist from Southern Africa respectively. 

Below is a brief summary of the 

AFRIMA winners from SADC. 

Hazel Mak 

She is a Malawian Afro-soul, 

R‘n’B musician who is based in 

the United Kingdom. At the age 

of 11, she began her music career 

in Malawi where she performed 

at various events such as ‘Miss 

Malawi’. In 2000, Hazel, who is 

the award-winning recording 

artist from Malawi ‘The Warm 

Heart Of Africa’, moved to the 

UK, and this is where she began 

her fight for fame. She came into 

› Nedy › Hazel Mak › Nasty C 

› Master KG 

the limelight when she performed 

with famous artists such as Tinie 

Tempa, Smokey, Tay Grin, Oliver 

Mtukudzi, Lucius Banda, the 

Kamajors and Lake of Stars. Mak 

released her debut album titled 

‘Embryonic’ in March 2012. After 

releasing three successful videos 

‘Umbeta’, ‘Ride or die’, ‘Never letting 

go’ and ‘Liyaya’ in 2014. 

Master KG 

He is one of the young artists 

from South Africa taking the 

music industry by storm. Master 

KG (22), from Calais village 

in Tzaneen, Limpopo, was born 

Kgaugelo Moagi. At 13 years old, he 

was already playing with beats on a 

computer bought by his late uncle. 

He hooked up with DJ Maebela as 

they experimented with software. 

By the time Master KG gained 

the confidence to make a career 

out of making beats, his arsenal 

was filled to the brim given the 

years of practice. In 2016 he ventured 

out with the single Situation 

which got Limpopo throbbing with 

excitement. 

He was signed to Open Mic 

recording company in Midrand, 

which offered him a deal, but 

insisted he finish his matric, which 

he did last year. 

Nedy 

Nedy Baro born as Nurdin Azizi 

on 26 October in 1996 is a Bango 

Flava recording artist and singer 

from Tanzania. He joined the Zanzibar 

music in 2014. The 22 year is 

best known for his hit song ‘Moyo 

Umechoka’. 

Shekhinah 

Born as Shekhinah Thandi Donnell 

on 2 October in 1994, Shakhinah 

is a singer-songwriter from 

Durban, South Africa. She was 

among the top 32 of M-Net's Season 

7 of SA Idols in 2011 and among 

the Top 6 of Season 8 of SA Idols in 

2012. Her debut album Rose Gold 

was certified platinum by RiSA 

on 31 August 2018.Ever since then 

she has been establishing herself 

as an artist on a national scale by 

performing at a variety of corporate 

functions, government events 

and public events. She scooped 

the AFRIM Best Female Artiste 

in Southern Africa with her song, 

‘Please Mr’ 

Nasty C 

Nasty C whose real name is 

Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo 

is a South African rapper, song 

writer and record producer. He was 

born on 11 February 1997 and he is 

one of South Africa’s most prominent 

performers. In 2015, he became 

the youngest recipient of a South 

African Hip Hop Award when he 

won the Best Freshman Award. 

He was nine years old when he 

started rapping and during that 

time he signed in with Free World 

Music. He has also done several collaborations 

with artist across the 

region among them include Davido 

(Nigeria), Boity and Runtown 

(South Africa). 

Mkokstad’s Ulwandle hit 

wins the hearts of many! 


Johannesburg - South Africa’s gospel music songster 

Dumi Mkokstad’s hit song ‘Ulwandle’ won the 

tightly contested Best Gospel Song of The Year award 

during the 11th SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards 

that were held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International 

Convention Centre, Durban on Sunday. 

The song ‘Ulwandle’ has attracted favour from many 

gospel music lovers who voted it as the best for the year. 

Another gospel artist Babo Ngcobo snatched the Best 

Gospel Artist of the Year during the ceremony which 

was held under the theme: #NewLevels #Siyenyuka. 

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Ngcobo said 

the honour was a result of hard work and devotion. 

“It’s been an honour. I feel so honoured that I won 

this award. Yes, I have been working very hard. I did 

not expect this and the trip as well from here to overseas 

and it’s been a bonus. But I trust God in every 

step of the way. God will decide my next action and 

something big is still going to happen. I do not know 

anything. God knows everything. How he will take 

me to the next step,” said Ngcobo. 

Upcoming gospel music group Abathandwa, stunned 

many by winning the best downloaded gospel song 

and best gospel video for their hit song ‘Umoya wami 

uyavuma’. The awards were founded by Zanele Mbokazi's 

World Gospel Powerhouse and they have grown to 

become a major event on the entertainment calendar. 

They are aimed at acknowledging, celebrating and 

appreciating gospel music voices in the country. 

Speaking during the ceremony, Mbokazi said 

artists who are keeping alive the essence of gospel 

music deserve the recognition. “We are celebrating 

the 11th SABC Crown Gospel music awards. We are 

very affected because we see people literally from all 

over the continent. We are now the biggest Gospel 

Music Awards in the African continent and they are 

taking place here in Durban. For us, this is a big milestone 

with year’s theme we are saying #NewLevels 

#Siyenyuka. 

Gospel is the glue that is holding the nation together; 

gospel has the ability to drive social cohesion. Gospel 

has the influence and the moral landscape of our 

country as the world gospel powerhouse. We are very 

excited that our artists are a reflection of our rainbow 

nation,” Mbokazi the founder. Representing government 

during the event, Member of the Executive 

Council for Economic Development and Tourism in 

KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Zikalala, said the awards were 

contributing meaningfully to sustainable economic 

development mainly in the tourism sector. 

“We commend the Gospel Powerhouse for the work 

they are doing in organising such events because it’s 

very important in ensuring the development of talent, 

especially among the youth, but also adds to tourism 

as people are coming from all over the country and 

continent,” he said. 

Other notable guests 

included gospel divas 

Lindelani Mkhize and 

Rebecca Malope. 

“It’s a great thing 

that they do of honouring 

those gospel artists 

and encouraging them 

to keep on preaching 

the word of God and 

that’s why they receive 

the awards. They are 

being honoured and 

(we) say well done and 

that will encourage 

them to keep on writing 

good news to the people,” 

said Malope. 

Energetic gospel artists 

Khaya Mthethwa, 

Hlengiwe Mhlaba, 

Abathandwa and 

Sipho Ngwenya 

treated the guests 

to a magnificent 

performance during 

the ceremony.

26 

REVIEW 

Friday 30 November - 06 December 2018 The Southern Times 

■ BOOKS 

BOOK 

‘The Alchemists of Kush’ 

by Minister Faust 

■ Reviewed by Tiffany M. Davis 

Critically acclaimed 

author Minister 

Faust returns with 

his fourth novel, ‘The 

Alchemists of Kush’. Set in both 

modern-day Edmonton, Canada 

and ancient Sudan, this speculative 

fiction novel follows the path 

of two boys who must harness 

ancient knowledge in order to 

combat a great evil. 

Raphael “Rap” Deng Garang 

was just your average seventeen 

year-old war refugee hanging on 

the streets of Edmonton, Canada. 

Half-Sudanese and half-Somali, 

he had one foot in both worlds but 

truly belonged in neither, especially 

in the close-knit Somali 

community in which he lived 

with his mother. A joy ride in a 

stolen car with a good friend led 

Rap down a path of self-knowledge 

that transformed him into 

Supreme Raptor, the “conscious 

rap” sensation. 

Hru was a child soldier in 

ancient Sudan, helping the other 

children of his village survive 

when raiders destroyed their village. 

Forced to rely on rudimentary 

fighting skills, Hru and the 

other child soldiers manage to 

eke out an existence in the forest 

until they arrived at the ocean, in 

which the Great Devourer of Souls 

resided. Hru becomes the sole survivor 

of an attack by the Devourer, 

which leads him on a quest to find 

his mother and claim a birthright 

he didn’t know he had—as Horus, 

the son of Osiris. 

Faust does a riveting job in 

alternating between modern-day 

Canada and ancient Sudan by 

way of Kush; the book is divided 

into four parts, and each part has 

two divisions: The Book of Then 

(which takes place in ancient 

times) and the Book of Now 

(which takes place in modern-day 

Edmonton. The title of each of 

the four parts is key to the occurrences 

in that particular part, and 

takes on a greater sense of importance 

as the story progresses. As 

readers follow Rap’s path from 

an errant teenage refugee to a 

young community leader, they are 

treated to a parallel course in history 

in the guise of the Egyptian 

myth of Isis and Osiris. Indeed, 

the final portion of the book is 

the text of the Book of the Golden 

Falcon, which is the seminal text 

from which Rap and his cohorts 

are taught to elevate and expand 

themselves. ‘The Alchemists of 

Kush’ is heavy on allegory, and 

readers would do well to take 

this into account while delving 

into this novel. Faust has managed 

to make history cool, and the 

Book of the Golden Falcon gives 

a lesson not commonly found in 

neither public nor private educational 

institutions in any country. 

The underlying message of the 

novel is one of self-improvement, 

self-sufficiency, and elevating 

others to their best selves; while 

this message is imprinted upon 

the teenagers in the novel, it can 

be applied by all ages. Even better, 

you can read all of the Books 

of Then or the Books of Now in 

order, for a different yet equally 

entertaining reading experience 

which puts an entirely different 

spin on the novel. Fans of Tananarive 

Due, Steven Barnes, and 

Charles Saunders would enjoy 

‘The Alchemists of Kush’.- The 

Black Book Review 

‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama 

■ Reviewed by Max Rodriguez 

‘Becoming’ has 

been a deeply personal 

experience,” 

“Writing 

Obama said in a press 

release. “It has allowed me, for the very first 

time, space to honestly reflect on the unexpected 

trajectory of my life. In this book, I 

talk about my roots and how a little girl from 

the south side of Chicago found her voice and 

developed the strength to use it to empower 

others. I hope my journey inspires readers 

to find the courage to become whoever they 

aspire to be.” 

The Obamas have been praised for their 

historic accomplishments and have been lambasted, 

too, in certain circles, for “not having 

done enough” to benefit under-served 

African Americans. There had been wistful 

hope – early in President Obama’s tenure – 

that long-simmering discussion on African 

American reparations would be allowed public 

discourse. The Obamas instead held high 

the virtues of human value as American aspiration 

for everyone. 

At first wary of politics and its undertones, 

Michelle quickly – and not so quickly 

– learned to navigate the feral scrutiny of 

media, tabloids, and the opposition party. 

“For the first time in my adult lifetime,” she 

told a crowd before the Wisconsin primaries, 

“I’m really proud of my country.” She got 

hammered for it and felt blindsided, taking 

it as a lesson that she needed to be even more 

careful and prepared than she already was, 

said Jennifer Szalai in her New York Times 

review. The media firestorm that followed 

the Obamas now-infamous celebratory fist 

bump would again remind her of the precariousness 

at hand. During her entire time 

in the White House, she tells her readers, “I 

had lived with an awareness that we ourselves 

were a provocation.” 

Wendi C. Thomas’ Chicago Times review 

reflects Michelle’s inner struggles: “Many 

black women can imagine Michelle Obama 

as a good girlfriend; her struggles are relatable. 

It’s comforting to read that she, too, 

battles insecurity, wondering if she’s good 

enough.” Thomas tells us more, “Obama gets 

frustrated by her husband’s messiness. She 

watches HGTV to relax. She ate fast food 

in her car. She leans on close relationships 

with her parents, older brother and a squad 

of strong women mentors and friends. She 

tries to ignore what others think of her — both 

a high school counselor’s assessment that she 

wasn’t Princeton material and political adversaries’ 

racist and sexist barbs — but she admits 

it all stings.” There is real telling in this book. 

My reticence lies not in the book’s narrative 

but in its cover photograph. There is much to 

be said about the journey of claiming oneself; 

there is something else to be said about 

being claimed by unintentionally-projected 

stereotype. Despite the proffered message of 

pragmatic optimism, determination, self-acknowledgment 

and success, Michelle Obama, 

in the selection of her cover photo, is narrowed 

to contextualized, bare-shouldered 

innuendo. A befitting portrait, some may say, 

of a contemporary, successfully-empowered 

woman. But Michelle Obama has proven herself 

far and beyond a woman-above. Joyful, 

yes, but Michelle’s "glam" is rooted in dignity, 

depth of character, integrity and classic 

beauty. Michelle Obama may be gifted 

with a model-like look but she has earned 

the globally-acknowledged honorific of First 

Lady of the United States of America. Given 

her attained stature, the photograph lands as 

perhaps well-intended but reductive. 

‘Becoming’ is a memoir of Michelle Obama’s 

personal triumph in spirit, offered as a 

grounding for anyone who chooses to believe 

and embrace the possibility of anything in 

their lives. - The Black Book Review


Southern Sport 

By Andrew Bonani K amanga 

UNLOCKING Southern Africa’s Potential 

27 

2024 Paris Olympic Games Preps: 

Little investment, great expectations! 

The Paris 2024 Olympic 

and Paralympic 

Games might be about 

six years away but in 

terms of planning and programme 

implementation, it is almost like 

six days away. 

Those who will win medals in 

the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are finalising 

their preparations. A strategy 

is important in developing athletes 

for major games. According to the 

Art of War: 

“When your strategy is deep and 

far-reaching, then what you gain 

by your calculations is much, so 

you and win before you even fight. 

When your strategic thinking is 

shallow and nearsighted, then what 

you gain by your calculations is little, 

so you lose before you do battle.” 

For visionary sport leaders, the 

serious count-down to Paris 2024 

has already started. They now have 

an idea as to which athletes and 

teams will represent their countries. 

The Olympic Games would also 

be even more exciting for African 

countries if governments also 

invested meaningful resources 

into preparations for the games. 

Even more important is the issue 

of establishing vibrant sports systems 

underpinned by coherent 

sport development policies and 

programmes. 

Success in international sport 

is a by-product of a strong sports 

culture or system. In other words, 

success at major games such as 

the Olympic and Commonwealth 

Games is the proverbial “cherry on 

the cake”. 

For excellence to be achieved, 

there is a need for physical education 

and sport to be incorporated 

into the school curriculum 

from primary to tertiary education 

levels. However, this is not the 

case with most African countries, 

including the Southern African 

region. 

Most sport and political leaders 

only want to associate themselves 

with winners or successful sports 

stars. If an athlete or team wins a 

gold medal for their country, they 

are most likely to be met and welcomed 

at the airport by the head 

of state or minister of sport. 

However, even if they perform 

very well, improve their personal 

best or surpass their previous 

team achievements and records, 

but still lose and not win medals, 

they will be lucky to see even the 

president or secretary general of 

their own sports association at the 

airport. 

Most sport and political leaders 

want to reap where they have not 

sown. As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic 

and Paralympic Games inch 

closer, there will be the usual 

accompanying euphoria and crisis 

of expectations about the performance 

of Southern African teams. 

However, these “great expectations” 

have not been matched 

with focused and well-managed 

investments in sport development. 

For those that have not prepared 

seriously, it is now already too late 

to reap anything from Tokyo 2020. 

Even before the start of the 

games, some Southern African 

countries need to go back to the 

“drawing board” and look to the 

future. 

This then entails planning for 

adequate administration and technical 

capacity to manage and run 

activities, promoting sports cultures 

that will attract and retain 

quality volunteers and staff. 

Their future efforts must be 

premised on strategic planning 

underpinned by a national 

sports model, for example, the 

Long Term Athlete Development 

(LTAD) framework, to guide plans 

and programmes as well as securing 

funding for sport by the government 

and corporate sponsors. 

Estimates are that on average 

it takes approximately US$1.5 

million to develop a world-class 

sportsperson who can compete 

with the best in the world to win 

at least a medal at the world championships 

or Olympic Games. 

The athlete needs good preparatory 

competitions, nutrition, 

psychological support, training 

facilities, medical services, 

expert physical training as well 

as strength and conditioning. This 

aspect of preparation should be 

undertaken by an integrated support 

team. 

The integrated support team has 

to identify general health, physical 

or performance-related deficiencies 

and provide the necessary 

mitigation. 

The absence of some of the 

aforementioned areas of expertise 

can seriously compromise 

even the most talented athletes 

and teams. 

There is, therefore, a dire need 

for governments and even corporate 

sponsors to invest meaningfully 

in the preparation of athletes 

and teams for major games. 

There are currently great expectations 

of Southern African Olympic 

teams to bring medals home. 

This is normal but in most cases, 

sports and political leaders do not 

bother to establish whether the 

teams are being adequately prepared 

or not. 

It will be interesting to learn 

about projections for the medals 

from Southern Africa countries 

and compare that with the current 

investments being undertaken in 

the development of the elite sport. 

As much as all Southern Africans 

will be rooting for their various 

athletes and teams and those 

of their neighbouring countries, 

the fear of failure should not cause 

people to shy away from investing 

seriously in sport development 

programmes. 

As Dale Carnegie aptly stated, 

“Develop success from failures. 

Discouragement and failure are 

two of the surest stepping stones 

to success”. Winning is nice but 

Southern Africa should prepare 

to learn from its failures in Tokyo 

2020.


■ SPORT 

Under-fire Zebras coach faces the sack 

■ Bakang Mhaladi 

Gaborone - Zebras coach, David 

Bright’s time is charge of the 

Botswana national team is 

set for an abrupt end, after a 

winless run in the Africa Cup of Nations 

(AFCON) qualifiers. 

Botswana, is one of only five countries yet 

to win a match in the AFCON qualifiers, 

with just one round to go. 

Eswatini, Rwanda, Seychelles and South 

Sudan, are the other nations, which have 

had an abysmal run thus far, and face the 

embarrassing prospect of finishing the campaign 

winless. 

In Botswana, however, the winless run 

is likely to cost Bright his job after he was 

appointed to the top post last year June on 

a three year contract, but has struggled to 

lift the Zebras. 

He failed to get past the quarterfinals of 

the COSAFA Cup held in South Africa in 

May, and has seen his side struggle to register 

a single win in the AFCON qualifiers. 

The Zebras are bottom of Group I with just 

one point, gained from last month’s draw 

against third-placed Burkina Faso. 

The team scored just once in five games, 

and now have the remaining game against 

Angola in March next year, to salvage some 

pride. 

However, Bright’s employers, the Botswana 

Football Association (BFA), have 

made up their minds to get rid of the coach. 

According to local media reports, Bright 

would be gone soon after the Angola game, 

as the BFA delays firing him due to contractual 

issues.“He still has a large chunk of the 

contract to go. At least next year, we will be 

closer to the end of his contract, with about 

a year left, which will make dismissing him 

less costly,” a source at BFA told The Southern 

Times. BFA spokesperson, Tumo Mpatane 

did not give a firm assurance that the 

coach’s future is bright. 

“There will be a review of the (AFCON) 

campaign as a whole. As for his future, 

we have a contract with the coach at the 

moment,” Mpatane told the local media. 

Bright has blamed the soccer mother body 

for the lack of results, arguing there is no 

sufficient support from his employers. 

This is a sign that the relationship is 

strained and heading for a premature 

end. The hunt for a new coach has reportedly 

begun, with Orlando Pirates’ Milutin 

‘Micho’ Sredojevic and his Serbian counterpart, 

Veselin Jelusic, linked. Jelusic was 

popular among Botswana fans when he took 

charge of the Zebras between 2003 and 2006, 

while the BFA has previously pursued Micho, 

but his salary demands have proved to be 

the stumbling block for the cash strapped 

association. 

Dyantyi breaks record 

...Scoops the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Award 


Johannesburg - The 24-year-old Springbok 

winger Aphiwe Dyantyi made history when 

he became the first South African rugby player 

to win the World Rugby Breakthrough Player 

of the Year Award during a ceremony held in 

Monaco on Sunday night. 

The determined Eastern Cape-born Dyantyi 

scored six tries in his first 14 Test matches in 2018. 

He beat Ireland wing Jordan Larmour and 

New Zealand prop Karl Tu'inukuafe to the 

award. Speaking after the prestigious achievement, 

Dyantyi said the acknowledgement was 

a huge encouragement for him to keep improving 

and giving his best in the sport and beyond. 

“From here for me, I’ll just keep challenging 

myself to keep on improving and to keep on 

making a difference – not only for my country 

but in someone else’s life. If they can look at my 

story and see that as an inspiration to do something 

great out there, not only in sport but also 

in whatever field that they’re in. That for me is my 

ultimate goal. So yeah, truly honoured and really 

special to be standing here and truly appreciate 

this award,” said Dyantyi. 

Dyantyi added that being part of the Springboks 

meant much more to him and promised to 

do his best for the country through the team. 

“Being part of the Springboks, representing 

our country – it doesn’t get any better,” he added. 

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said 

Dyantyi has remained a consistent and hardworking 

player since he joined the senior team. 

“Aphiwe has been sensational since making 

the step up to senior provincial rugby and after 

a superb debut season for the Emirates Lions 

in Vodacom Super Rugby, he was deservedly 

called up to the Springbok squad. Despite his 

limited experience at international level, Aphiwe 

never looked out of place in the Springbok jersey 

and he made an immediate impact, scoring 

a try on debut for the Boks against England in 

June,” he said. 

He added that the speedy Dyantyi made a 

mark in the remarkable match when the Boks 

beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first 

time in nine years. 

“It was his two tries in Wellington though, 

when the Boks beat the All Blacks in New Zealand 

for the first time in nine years, that will be 

remembered the best for his superb debut Test 

season. He finished as the joint top try-scorer in 

the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, which is 

a wonderful achievement for a rookie Test player. 

We are all very proud of 

him and can’t wait to see 

more of the same in 2019,” 

added Alexander. 

Other nominees from 

South African included 

Malcolm Marx and Faf de 

Klerk (Men’s Player of the 

Year), Rassie Erasmus (Coach of 

the Year), the Springboks (Team 

of the Year). 

Ireland, however, dominated 

the event by scooping most of 

the influential awards including 

the main award of the evening, 

the World Rugby 

Player of the Year 

grabbed by Johnny 

Sexton as well as the 

Team of the Year and 

Coach of the Year taken 

by Irish Joe Schmidt. 

Below is the full list of the 2018 World 

Rugby Awards winners: 

• World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year - 

Johnny Sexton (Ireland) 

• World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the 

Year, in association with Mastercard - Jessy 

Trémoulière (France) 

• World Rugby Team of the Year - Ireland 

• World Rugby Coach of the Year - Joe 

Schmidt (Ireland) 

• World Rugby Breakthrough Player 

of the Year - Aphiwe Dyantyi (South 

Africa) 

• World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the 

Year - Perry Baker (USA) 

• World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of 

the Year - Michaela Blyde (New Zealand) 

• World Rugby Referee Award - Angus 

Gardner (Australia) 

• Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished 

Service - Yoshiro Mori (Japan) 

• Award for Character - Doddie Weir 

(Scotland) 

• Spirit of Rugby Award - Jamie Armstrong, 

The Clan (Scotland) 

• IRP Special Merit Award - Stephen 

Moore (Australia) and DJ Forbes 

(New Zealand) 

• IRP Try of the Year - Brodie 

Retallick (New Zealand 

v Australia)


29 

■ SPORT 

› Novak Djokovic › Rafael Nadal › Roger Federer 

Djokovic, Nadal, Federer in yearend 

top three for seventh time 

Paris - Novak Djokovic, 

Rafael Nadal 

and Roger Federer finished 

as the year-end 

top three for the seventh time, 

and the first since 2014, as the 

ATP World Tour published the 

2018 year-end ATP Rankings on 

Monday. 

The star trio ranked first at one 

stage during the year, the first 

time for them to make that during 

the same season. 

Djokovic, who ended 2017 at 

No. 12, became the first player in 

history to finish No. 1 after ranking 

outside the top 10 in the previous 

season. At 31, he is also the 

oldest year-end world No. 1. 

Five changes in top 10 can be 

found compared with that last 

year, including two newcomers, 

the sixth-ranked Kevin Anderson 

and No. 10 John Isner. Moreover, 

Djokovic made his way back to 

top 10 along with Juan Martin del 

Potro and Kei Nishikori. 

For the first time since the 

ATP Rankings was introduced 

in 1973, players from five different 

regions of the world have been 

represented in the top 10, including 

six from Europe, and one each 

from Africa, Asia, North America 

and South America. 

The ATP Rankings has witnessed 

the year-end top 10 from 

10 different countries for the second 

time in three years. 

The ATP year-end top 10 players 

are Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, 

Alexander Zverev, del Potro, 

Anderson, Marin Cilic, Dominic 

Thiem, Nishikori and Isner. 

-Nampa/Xinhua 

Zim coach threatens to 

report Bots club to FIFA 

■ Bakang Mhaladi 

Gaborone - Former 

Zimbabwe 

national team 

assistant coach, 

Bongani Mafu has threatened 

to report Botswana Premier 

League side, Orapa United, to 

FIFA over owed salaries. 

Mafu was dismissed by the 

diamond mine side last month 

and says he is owed more than 

P40,000, after his severance 

package and October salary 

were not paid in full. 

The coach has said efforts to 

get the club to stump up the 

dues have, thus far, hit a brick 

wall. 

He said if no solution is 

forthcoming, he would be left 

with no choice but to report 

the Botswana side to FIFA. 

Another Botswana side, 

Gaborone United, recently 

paid a crippling P500,000 to 

a Ghanaian national, Appiah 

Bismark, after the player 

reported the club to FIFA for 

unfair dismissal. The debt was 

initially a lowly P21,000, but 

as repeated efforts to get the 

club to pay failed, the figure 

escalated to US$39,500 after 

it reached the Court of Sport 

Arbitration (CAS) in Zurich. 

Mafu is also contemplating 

taking the same route after the 

club told the local press that it 

did not owe the Zimbabwean. 

"I was paid P70,000, but 

then we agreed that I should 

be paid my October salary 

and a settlement allowance, 

both amounting to just above 

P40,000. However, nothing has 

been forthcoming," Mafu told 

The Southern Times. 

"The club chairperson was 

not honest that the money 

would be deposited into my 

account." Orapa spokesperson, 

Kabo William, denied that the 

club owes Mafu. 

"We don't owe him. If 

there is anything he or his 

representative will contact us," 

William told the local press. 

But Mafu said he will press 

ahead in his bid to get the club 

to pay. 

"I am willing to let people 

know the truth so that no other 

coach would be abused. This 

might cost me, but I am fine 

with it. They have no respect," 

fumed Mafu. 

"I am looking for the route to 

FIFA, I am not letting this go." 

Mafu was appointed Orapa 

coach last season, but there 

was trouble when the club 

appointed local, Mogomotsi 

'Teenage' Mpote, as his 

assistant. Mpote had won the 

league championship with 

Township Rollers the previous 

season and was reluctant 

to be Mafu's assistant, and 

reportedly engineered his 

downfall. 

Mafu, a former Highlanders 

coach in Zimbabwe, did not 

have a good introduction to 

Botswana football after he 

went for six months unpaid at 

his first club, Mochudi Centre 

Chiefs in 2017. 

In the end, the club 

accumulated a P200,000 

debt, which has not been fully 

settled to date. 

The majority of Botswana 

clubs are battling financial 

challenges, which have seen 

most pay disputes with either 

players or coaches, reach the 

courts. 

However, Orapa United are 

one of the few 'rich' clubs, with 

a strong financial backing from 

the diamond mining company, 

Debswana. 

› Zimbabwe national team assistant 

coach, Bongani Mafu


■ SPORT 

Zambia soccer 

chief apologises 

after Chipolopolo 

AFCON bid flops 

Lusaka - The head of 

Zambia’s soccer governing 

body on Monday 

apologised to soccer 

fans over the failure by the senior 

national soccer team to qualify to 

next year’s Africa Cup of Nations 

(AFCON) finals. 

The Chipolopolo (The Copper 

Bullets) failed to qualify to 

next year’s Africa showpiece for 

a consecutive time after losing to 

Mozambique 0-1 on November 18, 

leaving the team rooted at the bottom 

of Group K, with one qualifying 

game remaining. 

Zambia remains rooted on four 

points, with Mozambique on seven 

points while Guinea Bissau and 

Namibia have eight points with the 

West Africans having a superior 

goal difference. 

“Failure to qualify for the 

AFCON’19 in Cameroon is very 

disappointing to the nation and 

of course to me. Zambia is a footballing 

nation with immense pride 

and a very rich history,” Andrew 

Kamanga, president of the Football 

Association of Zambia (FAZ), said 

in a release. 

He rendered his apology also 

to President Edgar Lungu and 

the government, saying the soccer 

governing body has enjoyed 

unwavering support from the government. 

Kamanga, however, said the failure 

to qualify should not be the 

› Andrew Kamanga 

sole basis to judge his executive 

harshly, saying a number of successes 

have also been performed. 

“We have laid a very firm foundation 

for the growth and development 

of the game,” he added. 

The soccer governing body chief 

has come under attack from ardent 

soccer fans following the team’s 

failure to qualify. 

Kamanga further revealed that 

the national soccer team’s head 

coach Sven Vandenbrock’s five 

game contract which was tied to 

Africa Cup qualification will also 

be reviewed. - Nampa/Xinhua 

Baroka FC meet Pirates in TKO final 

Polokwane - Limpopo 

based Baroka Football 

Club have made 

history in South 

Africa by reaching the R14.2 million 

(US$1.025 million) Telkom 

Knock-Out final to be played in 

Port Elizabeth next week. 

This follows Baroka's narrow 

1-0 victory over Bidvest Wits in 

a thrilling Telkom semi-final 

played at Peter Mokoba Stadium 

in Polokwane on Sunday. 

A solitary strike by Matome 

Mabeba from a free-kick outside 

Bidvest Wits 18 yard box in 

the 8th minute was all Baroka 

FC needed to upset their highly 

fancied Johannesburg based 

premiership side to progress into 

the final. 

Putting icing on the cake was 

Baroka FC striker Talent Chawapiwa, 

who was voted Telkom 

man of the match while acrobatic 

goalkeeper Zimbabwe goalkeeper 

Elvis Chipezeze gave no 

chance to marauding Bidvest 

strikers. 

Zambian coach Wedson 

Nyirenda made history by guiding 

Baroka FC into their first 

ever cup final thereby bringing 

jubilation to thousands of Limpopo 

province residents. 

The timely victory is also 

expected to open floodgates of 

sponsorship for Baroka FC while 

unlocking business opportunities 

to the Limpopo provincial 

capital - Polokwane. 

Had it not been for fluffing two 

easy scoring chances created by 

Chawapiwa, Baroka could have 

won the match 3-0. 

Bidvest Wits tried to turn 

around their fortunes in the last 

10 minutes, but strikers Terrence 

Dzvukamanja, Gift Motupa 

and Haashim Domingo failed 

to get the much needed support 

upfront from their midfielders. 

However, the victory by 

Baroka FC tore apart the football 

history form book by making 

Bakgaga the first Limpopo 

premiership club to reach final. 

A thrilled Baroka FC Chief 

Executive Officer Morgan Mammilla 

praised his charges for 

bringing joy - not only to the 

club, but to the entire Limpopo 

province. 

In another Telkom semi-final 

played on Saturday, Orlando 

Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 to 

book ticket to the Telkom final 

against Baroka FC. 

Winners of the Telkom Knock 

Out will walk away with a hopping 

R4 million, runners-up R1.5 

million, losing semi-finalists 

R750,000 each, losing quarter-finalists 

collecting R400,000 each 

while losing last 16 teams in the 

premierships pocket R200,000. 

Line-up: 

BAROKA FC: 

Chipezeze, Semenya, Gebhardt, 

Makume, Mdantsane, 

Mabeba, Mosele, Sodi, Dickens 

(Chivaviro 65'), Chawapiwa, 

Sibiya. 

BIDVEST WITS: 

Keet, Mere, Hlatshwayo, 

Mkhwanazi, Nonyane, 

Monare (Hlanti 71'),Alexander, 

Domingo, Hotto (Motupa 46'), 

Dzvukamanja, Macuphu (Murray 

65') - CAJ News 

Visa, CAF seal CAF sponsorship deal 

Accra - Preparations 

for the 

To t a l A f r i c a 

Cup of Nations 

(AFCON) tournament in 2019 

and 2021 have received a major 

boost after Visa, the global 

leader in payments, announced 

a partnership with the Confederation 

of African Football 

(CAF). 

The sponsorship deal will 

make the payments giant the 

exclusive payment services provider 

at all venues during the 

tournaments set for Cameroon 

and Ivory Coast respectively. 

“The benefits of investing 

in African football are clear 

to see, and with football being 

the number one passion of 

consumers across the continent 

we’re delighted to welcome 

Visa as a sponsor of the 

Total AFCON tournament,” 

said Ahmad Ahmad, CAF 

President. 

He said the partnership 

would be able to connect further 

with its customers and 

leverage CAF as an innovative 

marketing platform. 

“Africa is now more connected 

than ever before, and 

Visa’s payment network will 

play a vital role in reaching 

and rewarding fans across the 

region. 

I’m certain that together we 

will take African football to the 

next level,” Ahmad said. 

Visa has been a sponsor of 

the FIFA World Cup since 

2007. 

Andrew Torre, Regional 

President, Central and Eastern 

Europe, Middle East and 

Africa at Visa, said football was 

the most popular sport in the 

world with an estimated 4 billion 

fans. 

He said the Total AFCON 

was arguably the most important 

football event in the 

region. 

“We are very proud to begin 

our association with CAF, 

Lagardère Sports and the Total 

AFCON tournament to support 

the growth of football in 

our key markets,” Torre said. 

Lagardère Sports brokered 

the landmark partnership. – 

CAJ News


31 

■ SPORT 

Brave Warriors keep 

the fire burning 

...offer ray of hope to the country’s ailing football 


Windhoek - Namibia’s 

national 

football team, 

Brave Warriors 

defeated Ghana in the Dr Hage 

Geingob Cup to maintain momentum 

heading into the last match of 

the 2019 African Cup of Nations 

(Afcon) qualifiers, despite the 

country’s football sector currently 

being in disarray. 

In the match played last weekend 

to celebrate President Geingob’s 

contribution to football, understrength 

Brave Warriors defeated 

an equally understaffed Black Stars 

of Ghana 4-1 on penalties after a 

one-all draw at the Sam Nujoma 

Stadium. 

The Brave Warriors, who are the 

verge of 2019 Afcon qualification 

have been punching above their 

weight, as the country did not have 

a national league for 18 months – 

and even when the league is on-going 

now, the country’s first and second 

divisions are yet to kick the 

ball, leaving the promotion and 

relegation system for next season 

uncertain. 

Instead of solving the football 

problems, those tasked with 

this mission, the Namibia Football 

Association (NFA) president, 

Frans Mbidi and the secretary general, 

Barry Rukoro have resorted 

to boardroom squabbles that have 

seen Mbidi apparently not setting 

foot at the Soccer House for seven 

months. 

It was a surprise to those privy to 

› Under-strength Warriors too good for Black Stars…Namibia retains Dr Hage Geingob Cup 

what is going on at Soccer House 

to see Mbidi handing over the Dr 

Hage Geingob Cup at the stadium. 

“He didn’t want to be the one 

looking bad in the eyes of the people, 

the country’s president is here 

(at the stadium) after all,” an official 

in Rukoro’s camp said at the 

stadium. 

The squabbles are so intense 

that the two administrators’ selfishness 

killed Namibia’s Under-23 

national team’s dreams of playing 

at the next Olympics when the two 

failed to avail funds for the qualifiers. 

Rukoro, who was instrumental 

in getting Mbidi fired as the NFA 

president (although the decision 

is not recognised by the country’s 

sport ministry or FIFA) was all 

smiles at the stadium – a huge contrast 

to the discomfort on the faces 

of the u23 national team players. 

“When we see these guys smiling 

(Mbidi and Rukoro) my teammates 

and I, or should I say my former 

teammates, wonder whether these 

guys even care. Do they even realise 

what they have done? We could 

have probably played a curtain 

raiser for this cup, yet we had to 

fork out money to watch the Brave 

Warriors,” an U-23 player told The 

Southern Times at the stadium. 

In a casual chat with this 

reporter, well-known football analyst 

Isack Hamata said it was a pity 

that egos are ruining football in the 

country. He said his wish is to see 

football being run in a decent manner, 

citing the presidential term 

of Petrus Damaseb as a befitting 

example. 

Now a High Court Judge President, 

Damaseb was the NFA president 

for seven years until his resignation 

in 2006 citing huge amount 

of legal work as the reason. 

Damaseb was feared for his hard 

-stance approach, which helped 

run things smoothly at the Soccer 

House. Damaseb helped NFA 

build the current R6 million Soccer 

House in Windhoek and brought 

former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter 

to Namibia for the facility’s opening. 

His work did not go unnoticed 

as he was appointed to serve on the 

FIFA’s ethics committee. 

But those were the good times 

and now the country is facing 

tough times both in the football 

sector and country’s economy. 

Brave Warrior’s coach, Ricardo 

Mannetti, who has been very 

instrumental in keeping his players 

solely focused on football, 

said he would be lying if he said 

the squabbles did not affect the 

national team. 

“In the world of social media, you 

cannot hide these things from the 

players but my technical team and 

I have been trying. It is difficult 

but we have told the boys that we 

must remain focussed and take the 

nation to Cameroon next year and 

give the football fans something to 

cheer about,” he said. 

Depending on the time, the 

squabbles could have reached their 

peak or resolved when the Brave 

Warriors play their last 2019 Afcon 

qualification match against Zambia. 

The team just needs to avoid 

defeat away in Lusaka to qualify for 

the continental tourney for the first 

time in 10 years. It’s a feat that could 

give a shot in the arm for the country’s 

football sector and hopefully 

leads to the resignation of Mbidi 

and Rukoro from Soccer House. 

Under-20 team withdrawn 

from Cosafa tournament 

Windhoek – The 

Namibia's Under- 

20 national football 

team has been 

withdrawn from the 2018 Council of 

Southern African Football (Cosafa) 

tournament scheduled to take 

place between 30 November and 13 

December 2018 in Kitwe, Zambia. 

The Secretary General of the 

Namibia Football Association 

(NFA), Barry Rukoro, confirmed the 

withdrawal in an exclusive interview 

with Nampa on Monday. 

“The similar situation that befell 

the Under-23s has forced us to withdraw 

the Under-20s from this year’s 

tournament. We do not have funds 

to send the team over there. We had 

waited until the last minute with the 

hope that sanity will prevail, but to 

no avail,” he said. 

He added that they are now awaiting 

a decision from Cosafa on possible 

sanctions for the football mother 

body. 

The Under-23 team was earlier 

this month withdrawn from the 

Olympic qualifiers against Angola 

after Rukoro accused NFA president, 

Frans Mbidi of refusing to sign off a 

financial request from the association 

to International Federation of 

Association Football. 

In turn, Mbidi accused the NFA 

Executive Committee of illegally 

ousting him, and demanding that 

he be first reinstated before he can 

sign the request. 

He was quoted as saying, “How 

can I sign for these things after they 

removed me?” 

The Cosafa Under-20 championship 

is used as a developmental 

tournament, which over the years 

has produced top-quality players, 

who have gone on to forge successful 

careers as professional footballers 

in addition to representing their 

respective senior national teams. - 

Nampa

32 Friday 30 November - 06 December 2018 

The Southern Times 

The 

Sport 


INSIDE STORIES 

PAGE 

28 

Dyantyi breaks record 

PAGE 

31 

Brave Warriors keep 

the fire burning 

› Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis 

rewrites the history books as she qualifies for the 

World Cup for the first time ever 

Banyana Banyana 

rewrite history 

…as they qualify for Fifa World Cup 


Johannesburg - South Africa’s national 

women soccer team Banyana Banyana’s 

has for the first time qualified for the Fifa 

Women’s World Cup to be held in France 

next year after they thrashed Mali 2-0 in the 

semi-final of the ongoing 2018 African Women’s 

Championship tournament in Ghana 

Tuesday evening. 

It was goals by Thembi Kgatlana and 

defender Lebogang Ramalepe that ushered 

the team to victory in the prestigious competition 

and drove the nation into celebration. 

Captain Janine van Wyk was the first to 

threaten the Mali goal with a long range free 

kick but her powerful effort just went wide 

as South Africa started the match on the 

front foot. 

The Banyana Banyana bench was annoyed 

after Jermaine Seoposenwe was blatantly 

brought down in the box in the 26th minute 

and the Tanzanian official waved play on. 

However, the history-making girls then 

took the lead in the 31st minute through 

Thembi Kgatlana who gladly accepted a miscued 

clearance by the Mali defender to score 

her fifth goal of the tournament. 

The lead was well deserved after Banyana 

Banyana had spent most of the first half in 

the West African area. 

Though Banyana Banyana dominated the 

game, they could not add to the 1-0 advantage 

in the first half though they maintained 

composure even under pressure. 

Captain van Wyk was also booked for a 

professional foul in Mali’s rear attack. 

South African then made the game safe 

in the 81st minute when defender Lebogang 

Ramalepe’s scored the second goal. 

This is the first time that the team has 

qualified for the Fifa World Cup. 

It is, however, not over yet as Banyana have 

a date the Super Falcons of Nigeria in the 

final on Saturday. 

The team seems not worried by the Super 

Falcons supremacy since they beat them in 

the opening game of the tournament. 

The prevailing atmosphere in South Africa 

signals that whatever happens in the final, 

Banyana Banyana are set to receive a heroes’ 

welcome when they return home for making 

not only South Africa proud but the whole 

of Southern Africa. 

Speaking after the victory, team coach 

Desiree Ellis said the team owes the success 

to everyone who has supported them 

during the tournament. 

“We are carrying the hopes of millions of 

South Africans on our shoulders, and they 

have been very supportive of this magnificent 

team – we believe it’s time we paid back 

the only way we know how, by ensuring qualification 

for the World Cup,” said coach Ellis.

The Southern Times

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