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Click here to visit The Digital Namibian Archive

stolze 14The Digital Namibian Archive (DNA) is an innovative project that brings together international partners to develop a rich digital resource that reflects the diversity of voices and cultural stories of Namibian people to individuals throughout the United States, Africa and the world. This collaborative project, lead jointly by Utah Valley University (UVU) and the Polytechnic of Namibia operating in conjunction with the Namibian National Archive, will make the resources available to the public or research and outreach. The digital archive will make accessible on the Internet a rich resource that reflects the diversity of voices and cultural stories of Namibian people. The urgency driving this project is the aging of individuals who hold the region's stories of strength, survival and struggle for political self-determination. These stories may disappear with the passing of elders who hold the oral traditions of the indigenous peoples and the personal stories of individuals who participated in the former South West Africa's struggle for freedom. This region is evolving into a dynamic democracy.

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President receives Sportsmen and -women at State House

Paralympics State House Visit (click here to bigger photos)

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Swapo Party brainstorms on policy

New Era, 11 Sep 2012 - Story by Paulus Paulus
swapo flagWINDHOEK - Bold steps have to be taken to address existing income disparities, high unemployment and under-development in Namibia in a direct and urgent manner.

“Urgent action is needed in addressing income inequality. Presently, Namibia has the sad distinction of having one of the highest levels of income disparities in the world. This state of affairs has many negative implications for our country. We must face the hard facts and acknowledge that, if it is not addressed speedily and comprehensively, this unhealthy situation will breed resentment that has the real potential to disturb our social fabric,” President Hifikepunye Pohamba told the Swapo national policy conference underway in Windhoek.

The four-day conference will focus on addressing what the president referred to as “the bread and butter issues” affecting all Namibians and consider new policy options to improve the effectiveness of the ruling party’s policy interventions to facilitate better delivery of services and boost its ability to address the numerous developmental challenges facing Namibia.

The conference will also serve as a platform for Swapo Party to engage in in-depth discussions and to analyse the national development policies it has pursued over the last 22 years. The policy conference is the first for the ruling party and is taking place to review the party’s policies and progress ahead of the congress at the end of the year.

President Pohamba told delegates to approach the conference with a sense of urgency in addressing the socio-economic challenges facing the country, saying it is the right thing to do and a moral imperative of the present government to act now. “This is not the kind of society for which thousands of our heroes and heroines sacrificed their lives during the national liberation struggle,” stressed the Head of State.  

More than 2 000 delegates are gathered at the Safari Hotel for the conference, which is also expected to discuss questions related to the acquisition and distribution of land. One proposal already on the table is the possible amendment of the Local Authority Act of 1992 to ban regional and local governments from selling land through auctions or the process of tendering. The proposal calls for the central government to regulate all urban land and to restrict or regulate the foreign ownership of land. If the proposed amendments are approved, town councils will be compelled to sell land through private treaty. Unlike the highest bidder takes all condition of auctions and tendering, private treaty sales will allow more room for price negotiations and the terms and conditions are usually pre-defined and suitable for targeted buyers, such as first-time home buyers. The proposed changes are a direct response to the public outcry over residential and business erven that are over-priced.
The Swapo Elders’ Council, the Swapo Youth League, as well as the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have all publicly decried the escalating cost of land in urban centres throughout the country.

The policy documents under deliberation were developed by the Swapo think tank under the chairmanship of Dr Abraham Iyambo. The conference will also review and discuss the report on the implementation of the resolutions of the 4th Swapo Congress.

Pohamba said despite having delivered notable results over the years, policies are subject to review to ensure that they are relevant, effective and address the evolving changes associated with a dynamic world. “We cannot address challenges of the 21st century with the tools of the 20th century,” he said.

Swapo Secretary General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana said the challenges facing the country may be difficult, but the ruling party is ready to roll into the future confronting the challenges facing Namibia and its people. Iivula-Ithana cautioned members to be wary of detractors and external forces that are trying to divide them, going towards the congress. “If we are not careful, we may end up being used by external forces,” she said, adding that there is no vacancy in the Swapo Party and Pohamba remains the president. Swapo Party stalwarts Simon Mzee Kaukungwa, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, Kanana Hishoono and Junior Ndadi, referred to as the class of 1950, and senior government officials and delegates from all the country’s thirteen political regions are attending the conference.
(Additional reporting by Nampa.)

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Benson makes history with gold medal

Thu, 09/06/2012

Benson gold medalJohanna Benson made history on Wednesday night when she won a gold medal in the Women’s T37 200m final at the Paralympic Games in London.

It was the first time that Namibia had won a gold medal at the Paralympic or the Olympic Games, while she is also the first female athlete to win a medal for Namibia at the Paralympic or Olympic Games.

Benson got off to a fine start and by the 100m bend had moved into second position behind the early leader Oksana Krechunyak of Ukraine.

Benson powered on down the home straight and passed a tiring Krechunyak with about 50m to go to win the gold medal in a new African record and personal best time of 29,26 seconds.

Bethany Woodward of Great Britain won the silver medal in 29,65 and Maria Seifert of Germany won the bronze medal in 29,86 seconds.

An elated Benson ran to her Namibian team mates in the crowd where they hugged and celebrated before she started her victory lap with the Namibian flag draped around her shoulders.

It was Benson’s second medal at the Paralympics, after she had won a silver medal in the Women’s T37 100m on Sunday, September 2.

Memory Kahlari of Team Namibia told Namibia Sport that Benson immediately thanked her coaches and medic for helping her win the gold medal.

“Johanna said she is so happy and proud of her coaches Barbra Fernandez and Michael Hamukwaya, as well as her medic Donatha Gawanas who made sure that she was in good health,” Kahlari said.

“Personally, I am overwhelmed by the record that she has set by becoming the first gold medallist for Namibia and therefor I would like to ask Namibians to take Paralympic sport to heart by contributing so that we can achieve more success in Rio 2016,” she said.

Kahlari added that the Deputy Minister of Sport Pohamba Shifeta, the Deputy Director of Sport Shivute Katamba and the Namibian High Commissioner to Great Britain George Liswaniso, who were all in the crowd, were elated with Benson’s performance.

In a fitting tribute, IOC member Frank Fredericks, who won four medals for Namibia at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996, handed Benson her gold medal at the medal ceremony.

The only disappointment for fans back home in Namibia was that the television transmission by the Olympic Broadcasting Services was cut off a few seconds before the start of Benson’s medal ceremony, with the result that Namibian fans could not see the flag raised or the national anthem played at the Olympic Stadium.

Meanwhile, according to Kahlari, Ananias Shikongo was a doubtful starter for the Men’s T12 400m heats on Thursday evening.

“Ananias has pulled a hamstring and our medic is doing her best to see if he can compete,” she said.

Allgemeine Zeitung, 03.09.2012

Verbindung nach Grootfontein weiterführen

Gobabis_OtjineneAsphaltstraße zwischen Gobabis und Otjinene offiziell eröffnet - Anschluss nach Grootfontein

Windhoek/Gobabis – Weitere 157 Kilometer Asphaltstraße wurden am vergangenen Freitag von Namibias Präsident Hifikepunye Pohamba offiziell eingeweiht, als die Strecke zwischen Gobabis und Otjinene für den Verkehr freigegeben wurde. „Die Kosten für diese Teerstraße beliefen sich auf über 381 Millionen Namibia-Dollar und somit sind augenblicklich 3429 Kilometer Teerstraße im Lande. Vor einer Woche wurden 77 Kilometer zwischen Karibib und Okahandja neu asphaltiert und 56 km zwischen Okahao und Outapi geteert und für den Verkehr geöffnet“, sagte Pohamba. Die Farmer in der Omaheke-Region sollen die neue Straße nutzen, um ihre Produkte schneller zu den Märkten zu bringen und landwirtschaftliche Initiativen vorantreiben. „Die Strecke zwischen Gobabis und Otjinene soll schon bald bis nach Grootfontein weitergeführt werden, da dies die logische Verbindung des Trans-Kalahari-Highways mit dem Norden des Landes und des Caprivi-Highway ist“, sagte Namibias Präsident. Schon im kommenden Jahr soll dieser Abschnitt in Angriff genommen werden sowie die Strecke südlich von Gobabis nach Aminius und Aranos.

„Um die Wirtschaft und den Handel anzukurbeln ist die Konstruktion von guten Straßen nur ein Teil des Planes. Jetzt sind die Farmer gefragt. Sie müssen mehr produzieren und unternehmerisch auftreten, da eine moderne Straße sie mit den Märkten verbindet“, sagte Pohamba. Neue Geschäftsideen würden neue Arbeitsplätze schaffen und die Gelegenheit bieten einen Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen.

Namibias Verkehrs- und Transportbestimmungen würden den Rahmen schaffen, um die Straßen effektiv zu nutzen. „Erfahrungen haben gezeigt, dass die Lebensdauer unserer Straßen verkürzt werde, wenn Fahrzeuge überladen sind. Dadurch müssen pro Jahr zusätzlich 60 Millionen Namibia-Dollar ausgegeben werden, um entstandene Schäden zu reparieren“, sagte Pohamba. Er forderte den Verkehrsminister und die Straßenbehörde auf, alles zu unternehmen, um überladene Lkw aus dem Verkehr zu ziehen, um die Straßen im Lande zu schonen. Die Regierung würde alles in ihrer Macht tun, um die Transportwege im Lande zu verbessern und zu erweitern. „Dies schließt die Eisenbahnverbindungen, Flughäfen, Häfen, Brücken, Schotter- und Verbindungsstraßen ein“, so der Staatspräsident. Zahlreiche Ehrengäste waren zugegen, darunter Transportminister Erkki Nghimtina und die Gouverneurin der Omaheke-Region Laura McLeod-Katjirua.
Von Dirk Heinrich
Die gesamte Rede des Präsidenten finden Sie hier... (Englisch)

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