Reunion Wire

WINDHOEK: The agreement between the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service (MSYNS) and the Real Madrid Foundation (RMF) will this year benefit thousands of young Namibians from seven different regions through football clinics.

In 2023, the MSYNS, through the assistance of Cadilu Fishing, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the RMF to offer football coaching clinics in Namibia.

In the first edition of the agreement, four regions (Khomas, Erongo, Otjozondjupa and Kavango East) benefited from these coaching clinics that were aimed at empowering Namibian schoolchildren with critical values such as motivation, equality, respect, discipline, and teamwork, among others.

In a recent interview with Nampa, Erastus Haitengela, Executive Director in the MSYNS, said the coaching clinics will this year benefit more Namibians.

‘We are currently in Madrid on a site visit to the RMF, where we are looking at signing a permanent or long-term contract with the foundation. The new agreement would promote sport (football) and provide technical support and skill transfer on the setting up of sports clinics,’ he said.

He added that the Real Madrid team has already conducted these types of clinics in Rundu, Otjiwarongo, Walvis Bay and Windhoek but their goal is to expand it to other towns such as Mariental, Gobabis, Opuwo, and Keetmanshoop.

‘Our purpose of this important working visit is to firstly come and meet the senior management of the RMF and also to conduct physical site visits to permanent schools and high-performance centres in Madrid and Istanbul, Turkey and also to engage local coaches and management as to how we are going to work together to continue operating the clinic projects and also on how to set up the high-performance centres,’ Haitengela said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Zambezi Horticulture Producers Association (ZAHOPA) looks forward to establishing training facilities for farmers in Zambezi in order to develop programmes to expand the output of primary producing horticulture crops.

This was stated in an online presentation made by ZAHOPA executive chairperson Castrow Muunda at the 1st Spain-Namibia Climate Forum, which tackled climate change issues and solutions for both nations, on Monday.

The forum hosted from Windhoek by the Spanish Embassy provided a platform to various initiatives to take centre stage and present the various innovative ways they actively combat the effects of climate change in their respective environments.

Muunda explained that ZAHOPA was established in response to the decline in production of foods such as spinach, grapes and onions due to a lack of market access.

‘ZAHOPA established Zambezi’s first farmers market in 2021 in support of primary production output and in hopes of diversifying regional food trends,’ stated Muunda, adding that the region’s overreliance of certain crops leaves the soil in poor condition.

According to Muunda they have started training their farmers on soil analysis and how monocrop farming strips the soil of various nutrients.

‘We emphasised to our farmers that before they plant any type of crop they must take it for testing and based on the recommendations given after the testing, then they will know which seeds to plant,’ said Muunda.

Despite their efforts, ZAHOPA faces challenges such as funding constraints and the engagement of youth in agriculture, hindering their mandate for food sufficiency in the Zambezi Region. However, Muunda noted ongoing initiatives to establish mentorship programmes and forge partnerships with stakeholders to overcome these hurdles.

ZAHOPA’s endeavours underscore a concerted effort to promote sustainable agriculture practices and enhance food security in Zambezi, aligning with broader global efforts to combat climate change.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

RUNDU: The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has recommended that government declare a drought emergency at national level.

The ministry made this recommendation in its crop prospects, food security and drought situation report after it carried out the crops and household food security monitoring assessment in the seven major northern communal crop producing regions from 12 February to 11 March 2024.

The main purpose of the assessment was to assess crop conditions and provide early warning reports on the expected crop harvests, geographic locations of agronomic anomalies, the effects of floods and or droughts and other significant events.

The ministry, through its Executive Director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, said they found that the 2023/24 rainfall season started earlier compared to the previous season, with light to moderate showers recorded in October.

‘However, regions such as the Zambezi, Kavango East and West saw delayed rainfall, which affected the commencement of ploughing activities. In addition, severe dry spells with high temperatures also negatively affected crop development that further led to crops wilting,’ she said.

Nghituwamata said the dry spell has also negatively affected vegetation and water availability for livestock, with deteriorating conditions expected to worsen.

She further explained that preliminary crop estimates indicate a drastic reduction in the forecasted harvest, with all crops producing

regions in the communal areas expected below last season’s harvest.

The aggregated national cereal production (maize, millet, sorghum and wheat) is estimated at 72,150 Metric Tons (MT), which is 53 per cent lower than the last season’s harvest of 153,012 MT.

In addition, the commercial area is projected to record a harvest of 35,200 MT, indicating 68 per cent less than last season’s production of 111,000 MT, only contributing 49 per cent to the national cereal production.

The ED said the decline is primarily due to the devastating drought experienced in rain-fed areas, and the substantial reduction in numbers of farmers who have planted maize and wheat in the commercial area this season.

Household food security has generally weakened in many parts of the country, following a reduced agricultural production recorded in the 2022/2023 season.

‘Many households in the major communal crop-producing regions are indicated to have depleted their previous season’s food stock and the majority are currently dependent on the market and drought relief food,’ she stated.

Nghituwamata indicated that many parts of the country are in distress grazing, with fair to poor livestock body conditions, especially in the southern, western and eastern parts of the country.

The situation, she highlighted, is expected to worsen should the country continue to receive poor rainfall for the remainder of the season.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

An 89-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping his 14-year-old granddaughter on different occasions at Oshikushomunkete village in the Oshikuku Constituency.

Namibian Police Force crime investigations coordinator for the Omusati Region, Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho said the incidents which allegedly occurred on unknown dates between January and March this year, was only reported to the police on Tuesday.

‘It is alleged that the suspect raped the victim after inviting her to his house on different occasions,’ Simaho said.

He indicated that the matter was reported to police by the girl’s 44-year-old biological mother.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

A 25-year-old man reportedly drowned in an earth dam while swimming at Onandjaba settlement in the Okalongo Constituency.

Namibian Police Force crime investigations coordinator for the Omusati Region, Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho confirmed this to Nampa on Tuesday, saying the incident occurred around 17h00 on Monday.

‘It is reported that the deceased was seen by kids who were looking after goats removing his clothes with the intent to swim in the earth dam, and he allegedly drowned,’ Simaho said.

The deceased was identified as Shangelao Mateus.

Simaho indicated that the body is kept at the Etayi Police mortuary, and it will further be transported to Okahao Police mortuary for a post-mortem to be conducted.

Police continue investigating.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Renowned banker and former Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industrial (NCCI) Northern Branch Chairperson, Thomas Koneka Iindji, has died.

He died at the age of 44.

This was confirmed to Nampa on Tuesday by a family member, saying Iindji died on Tuesday in Windhoek.

At the time of his death, he held a position of Head of Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank, a position he assumed in February this year. He also worked for First National Bank (FNB) for over a decade.

He is survived by his wife Dr. Iyaloo Shimi-Iindji and two daughters.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency