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It’s Conclusive – Coastal Water Supply Safe for Consumption with the following professional remarks: Walvis Bay chemical test - “good quality water” Walvis Bay microbiological test – “very safe water” Swakopmund chemical test - “good quality water” Swakopmund microbiological Namib Independent Great news for the coast! [email protected] Issue 92 - Thursday, 27 March 2014 to Wednesday, 02 April 2014 CLIMATIC APOCALYPSE MUST IT COME TO THIS? 03 05 14 POLLUTION WOES LEADERS ARE MADE FREE! Tel: 064 200497 Continued on Page 3 Continued on Page 3 07 Very safe water. Oil Refinery a Dark Future for Walvis? Lavrenty Repin Last week, during Nigerian president Goodluck Joanthan's two-day visit to Namibia the two governments agreed to build a joint oil refinery in Walvis Bay, a move that has sparked interest from several international publications, including the Daily Mail. This move aims at strengthening the energy cooperation between the two African countries, and can have long-term benefits for Namibia, which presently relies almost entirely on the South African unpredictable and controversial Eskom. Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, with oil amounting to 95% of its export earnings. The Walvis Bay harbour is of ideal access to one of Nigeria's largest oil import partners; Brazil. Closer to home, South Africa has five oil refineries but this will be a first for Namibia - a prospect with potentially grave environmental consequences and distressing health risks for the future population of Walvis Bay. Oil refining is a vital process to produce the building bricks for modern life, from necessities like electricity and fuel to plastic materials, which is the reason the controversial industry has kept afloat. However, oil refineries have a reputation for being especially harmful to the environment; so much so that in 1976 USA ceased constructing oil refineries in their country all together, while Europe has turned to environmentally friendlier alternatives almost entirely. Consequently this has opened up a massive industry for third world countries, where legislations are lenient and economic benefits almost always outweigh environmental and health risks. To efficiently refine oil, a refinery has to go through various techniques involving high temperatures and toxic chemicals before it can produce the petroleum products society requires. This processes ordinarily emits about a hundred chemicals a day, including poisonous metals like lead and gases like butanes, benzene, butylenes, methane, ethane, and ethylene, which can cause not only significant air, water, light and noise pollution and unpleasant odour and Namib Independent commissions independent laboratory test for Walvis Bay and Swakopmund drinking water. Lavrenty Repin Water quality at the coast has persistently been a prolific concern, continually raised by many members of the public and brought to the attention of the Namib Independent on several occasions over the last year. This prompted us to conduct both microbiological and chemical tests of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay tap-water through a private independent water laboratory in Windhoek, to avoid bias results as well as review the current water standards and guidelines that Namibia is required to adhere to. What follows are the results, which, despite grave concerns by the public, are effectively positive. The tests were done under the advice of the laboratory, using specifically designed sampling bottles. At all times every precaution was taken to store the samples at the advised temperature and they were delivered within the given time-frame. The results of the subsequent test came test - “suitable for human consumption” These conclusions were interpreted in accordance with the Namibian “guidelines of drinking water for human consumption DWA act of 1991”. What must be noted, however, is that when compared to the

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Page 1: Namib indepenent issue 92

It’s Conclusive – Coastal Water Supply Safe for Consumption with the following professional

remarks:

Walvis Bay chemical test - “good quality water” Walvis Bay microbiological test – “very safe water” Swakopmund chemical test - “good quality water” Swakopmund microbiological

Nam

ib IndependentGreat news for the coast!

[email protected] Issue 92 - Thursday, 27 March 2014 to Wednesday, 02 April 2014

ClimatiC apoCalypSemUSt it Come to tHiS?

03 05 14pollUtioN WoeS leaDeRS aRe maDe

free!

Tel: 064 200497

Continued on Page 3

Continued on Page 3

07

Very safe water.

““

Oil Refinerya Dark Future for Walvis?

Lavrenty Repin

Last week, during Nigerian president Goodluck Joanthan's two-day visit to Namibia the two governments agreed to build a joint oil refinery in Walvis Bay, a move that has sparked interest from several international publications, including the Daily Mail.

this move aims at strengthening the energy cooperation between the two african countries, and can have long-term benefits for Namibia, which presently relies almost entirely on the South african unpredictable and controversial eskom.

Nigeria is africa’s largest oil producer, with oil amounting to 95% of its export earnings. the Walvis Bay harbour is of ideal access to one of Nigeria's largest oil import partners; Brazil. Closer to home, South africa has five oil refineries but this will be a first for Namibia - a prospect with potentially grave environmental consequences and distressing health risks for the future population of Walvis Bay.

Oil refining is a vital process to produce the building bricks for modern

life, from necessities like electricity and fuel to plastic materials, which is the reason the controversial industry has kept afloat. However, oil refineries have a reputation for being especially harmful to the environment; so much so that in 1976 USa ceased constructing oil refineries in their country all together, while europe has turned to environmentally friendlier alternatives almost entirely.

Consequently this has opened up a massive industry for third world countries, where legislations are lenient and economic benefits almost always outweigh environmental and health risks. To efficiently refine oil, a refinery has to go through various techniques involving high temperatures and toxic chemicals before it can produce the petroleum products society requires.

this processes ordinarily emits about a hundred chemicals a day, including poisonous metals like lead and gases like butanes, benzene, butylenes, methane, ethane, and ethylene, which can cause not only significant air, water, light and noise pollution and unpleasant odour and

Namib Independent commissions independent laboratory test for Walvis Bay and Swakopmund drinking water.

Lavrenty Repin

Water quality at the coast has persistently been a prolific concern, continually raised by many members of the public and brought

to the attention of the Namib Independent on several occasions over the last year. This prompted us to conduct both microbiological and chemical tests of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay

tap-water through a private independent water laboratory in Windhoek, to avoid bias results as well as review the current water standards and guidelines that Namibia is required to adhere to. What follows are the results, which, despite grave concerns by the public, are effectively positive.

the tests were done under the advice of the laboratory, using specifically designed sampling bottles. at all times every precaution was taken to store the samples at the advised temperature and they were delivered within the given time-frame. the results of the subsequent test came

test - “suitable for human consumption”

these conclusions were interpreted in accordance with the Namibian “guidelines of drinking water for human consumption DWa act of 1991”. What must be noted, however, is that when compared to the

Page 2: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 20142 | Thursday, 27 March 2014News

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DISclaImer:Namib Independent is published by Halfround communications cc. all rights are reserved. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within, no liability can be accepted by the publishers or contributors for any errors, misstatements or omissions which may have occurred. The opinions expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. also, the publishers accept no legal liability regarding copyright ownership for material which was supplied directly to the publishers by any of the advertisers or contributors.

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Solution to Last Week's Crossword

ACROSS 1. Meteorological conditions (7)5. Accolade (5)8. Conclusion (3)9. Submersible warship (9)10. Task (5)11. Alphabetic character (7)12. Guide (5)14. Square root of forty-nine (5)19. Tableland (7)21. Hoard (5)22. Disregarded (9)23. Small vegetable (3)24. Happening (5)25. Sincere (7)

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Page 3: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 | 3 News

Continued from Page 1

smog for extensive distances but also have very serious hazardous health effects on near-by populations.

Studies have indicated increase in asthma, coughing, chest pain, choking, bronchitis, skin irritations, nausea, eye problems and headaches in populations living near an operating oil refinery. Leukemia and numerous cancers are also linked to many chemicals released daily. one such study in Durban showed that school children at a school situated next to a refinery suffered between 30% - 40% more respiratory problems than those in further schools. Oil refineries usually work 24/7, characterised by the unmistakable pitch black smog bellowing from its chimneys.

Numerous processes in the facility require astronomical quantities of fresh water, as sea-water is only suitable for

cooling purposes. For example, the United States refine nearly 3 billion liters of petroleum products per day, a process which consumes roughly 5 -7 billion liters of water each day. this amounts to about two liters of water per one liter of crude oil processed. SAPREF, an oil refinery in Durban, produces 2.7 billion liters of petrol per year, which would amount to between 4 and 6 billion liters of fresh water consumed annually. With fresh water demands already visibly straining the coast, it is difficult to imagine how we will meet even a small refinery's unquenchable H2o demands, keeping in mind that presently Namwater produces about two million litres of water annually, for consumption at the coast. Refineries are notorious not only for their pollution scandals and high energy and water needs, but are also rife with industrial accidents. Recently, an exxon

Oil Refinerya Dark Future for Walvis?

refinery in Louisiana, USA, was blamed for accidentally releasing eight million kilograms of toxic pollutants between 2005 and 2008. The investigation concluded that in the three-year period, 456 industrial accidents were reported at the facility.

Since Namibia produces no crude oil of its own, the heavy import via road and sea of dangerous, hard-to-clean oil will increase the likelihood of spills and leaks. as reported previously by the Namib independent, Namibia has very little in terms of spill clean-up infrastructure and experience. there is further cause for concern in the release of sulphuric dioxide which has a high propensity for causing acid rain. Acid rain acidifies lakes and streams and damages vegetation. in addition, acid rain accelerates the decay of building materials and paints – Walvis Bay already suffers extensively from corrosion, due to our extreme humid climate.

The economic benefits of a Nigerian oil refinery on Namibian soil, especially when that is entirely privately funded, are questionable, however, an average-sized refinery will employ at least a 1000 people at any given time and the added infrastructure can strengthen numerous trade relations. Regardless of economic gain, the obvious question however, remains; is it worth the risk?

Must It Come to This?

A rare species of white rhino being protected by heavily armed Kenyan Guards. Source: http://www.indiatvnews.com

Tanya Calitz

This week three Chinese men were been arrested for the possession of fourteen Rhino horns and one leopard skin at the Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek. They have been charged with counts of Possession of Controlled Wildlife Products and Export of Controlled Wildlife Products.

The three men, Li Xiao Liang (30), Li Zhi Bing (53) and Pu Xu Nin (49) were allegedly making their way to Hong Kong via Johannesburg, when aviation police made the horrendous discovery. according to police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner edwin Kanguatjivi, the three men had recently made their way into Namibia from Zambia through the Wenela border post in the Zambezi Region on 12 march.

alarming levels of rhino poaching has been reported over the past few years in various african countries, and

has become a sombre concern for many environmental groups and governments all over the world. according to ‘Save the Rhino international’, South africa’s rhinoceros population has been severely compromised. A reported 83 rhinos were poached in South africa during 2008, and a disturbing and nauseating 1004 rhinos during 2013. The photograph depicts a group of heavily armed Kenyan men guarding what is believed to be one of four endangered white rhinos left in Kenya. the Kenyan reservation took this dramatic step to ensure the survival of the almost extinct species, after four of the then eight remaining white rhinos were killed in December 2009.

is this also becoming Namibia’s last resort? is this what we will have to do to protect our precious rhino’s from these sub-humans, killing off africa’s innocent creatures for a horn with no scientifically backed medicinal benefits?

“european Drinking Water Directive”, one of two strict measuring standards, the Namibian act falls short in many aspects, often giving too much leniency for most chemicals.

However, even if the act did not offer such leniency, we are pleased to report that both Swakopmund and Walvis Bay tap-water, according to the tests, are within the accepted european parameters for safe water for human consumption.

Our water is classified, according to the World Health organisation, to be between “hard and very hard” (367mg/l in WB) however, still suitable for human consumption.

Water hardness is the traditional measure of the capacity of water to react with soap. Hard water requires considerably more soap to produce lather and is predominantly caused by high quantities of calcium and magnesium.

the WHo further elaborates that a number of studies have attempted (unsuccessfully) to link water hardness to health conditions and have reported an inverse relationship between water hardness and cardiovascular mortality. None found a positive or inverse correlation between calcium and [magnesium] and either morbidity or mortality.

Coastal Water Supply Safe for Consumption Continued from Page 1

However, hard water has been linked to skin irritation and eczema; one explanation is that the increased soap usage in hard water results in “metal or soap salt residues on the skin (or on clothes) that are not easily rinsed off and that lead to contact irritation."

another unpleasant side effect of hard water is its corrosive tendency. Corrosion can be associated with health risks (from leachates such as lead, copper and other metals) and reduced lifespan of the distribution network and appliances (e.g. water heaters) using water. It is important to note that, although hardness level beyond 200mg/l can have unfavourable results, the WHo has no health-based guideline value or limit for water hardness.

Sodium (Na) levels were also slightly high in both towns (around 150mg/l). Generally most water supplies contain less than 20 mg of sodium per litre, but in some countries levels can exceed 250 mg/litre. Sodium is an essential substance for the human body and a total daily intake of 500mg will meet the needs of adults. excess sodium can be efficiently dealt with by mature kidneys in adults, meaning that it is not classified as a toxic substance. taste-wise, sodium is more than likely the chemical responsible for the notorious salty taste of water at the coast, although chloride levels of around 200mg/l are also a contributor. as with water

hardness, no health-based guideline value is proposed either by WHo or the european standards.

the microbiological results did yield an interesting result for Swakopmund; a Heterotrophic plate Count (HPC) of 200. This is a count of commonly occurring bacteria, which uses organic carbon for growth. the WHo points out that there is no evidence that HpC values directly relate to health risk and exposure to general HpC microbiota is far greater through foodstuffs than through drinking water.

“there is no record of even a single confirmed case of gastrointestinal disease attributed to HpC bacteria growing in any of the millions of home water treatment products sold all over the world,” a WHo study on HpC states.

Notably, both e. coli and Coliform were absent from coastal water. Namwater explained that, “the Health Division is obligated by national guidelines to take weekly samples to test the water’s bacteriological quality.”

they also perform chemical tests every six month. they also provided water sample results that were taken during February and March 2014 in Walvis Bay, which corresponded with those tested independently.

With the data now in the open, the Namib independent is pleased to set minds at ease. our coastal drinking water offers little to be worried about.

Page 4: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 20144 | Thursday, 27 March 2014News

POWER OUTAGE18TH ROAD SWITCHING STATION

Notice is hereby given that the electricity supply will be interrupted on the following date:

DATE: 30 March 2014DAY: SundayTIME: 07:00 – 19:00

The power outage will affect the power supply to the following customers:

• Central Business Area • Hermes• Parts of Kuisebmond • TN Mobile/Telecom• Parts of Narraville • MTC• Light Industrial Area

The reason for the outage is for Erongo RED to install and connect two new cables at Paratus Switching Station and 18th Road Switching Station.

POWER OUTAGENAMPORT SWITCHING STATION

Notice is hereby given that the electricity supply will be interrupted on the following date:

DATE: 30 March 2014DAY: SundayTIME: 07:00 – 09:00

The power outage will affect the power supply to the following customers:

• Namport • MTC• Central Business Area • TN Mobile/Telecom• Meersig Area • Lagoon Area

The reason for the outage is for Erongo RED to install and connect two new cables at Paratus Switching Station.

erongored.comTEL + 264 64 214 600 FAX +264 64 214 601

ERONGO RED BUILDING 91 HAGE GEINGOB STREET P O BOX 2925 WALVIS BAY NAMIBIA

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Erongo RED regrets any inconvenience that may result from this outage.

PLEASE NOTE:YOUR INSTALLATION MUST BE REGARDED AS “LIVE” AT ALL TIMES AS THE POWER SUPPLY MAY BE SWITCHED ON AT ANY TIME DURING THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PERIOD.

Issued by: Enquiries:Public Relations Division Control CentreBenjamin Nangombe Stephen MullerTel: +264 64 214 600 Tel: +264 64 217 609

CONSENT APPLICATION IN TERM OF

WALVIS BAY TOWN PLANNING SCHEMESent: Home based business (Beauty Salon)Erf no: 4380 Township: KuisebmundWalvis Bay Street: Karl Hagendorn Cres.

Term of the above-mentioned scheme, notice is hereby given that I/We, the undersigned, have applied to the Walvis Bay Municipality for permission to erect/establish a hair salon on site.

This may be inspected or particulars of this application may be obtained at Town Planning first floor, Rooms 101&106 Civic Centre.Any person having any objection to the approval of this application must lodge such objection, together with grounds thereof, with the General Manager: Roads and Building Control, (Town Planning), Private Bag 5017, Walvis Bay, and the undersigned, in writing, not later than 10 April 2014.Name and Addresses of Applicant(s): Aini Ambambi Box 4478, Walvis Bay 081 251 0403

First Coastal Group to Take Real Action Against GBVSiglinde de Villiers

Three social workers in Walvis Bay have decided to start a grassroots initiative of their own to curb the plague of gender based violence that has infected the country. In an exclusive interview with the Namib Independent, they disclosed their plans as to winning this war.

“Gender based violence is on the increase. the large number of cases at the coast is a grave cause of concern and so we have compiled several programs to try and prevent it,” senior social worker adelheid lekobane told the Namib independent. to her right and left, social workers monica Chikozho and Hilkka Shiwalo are the supporting pillars for these new programs.

“i hope that our initiative can start something that has a ripple effect on the rest of the country,” monika said.

adelheid explained, “Subsequently, our programs deal with a great range of problems, from family therapy to pre-marital counselling. We want go right to where we think the roots of gender based violence draws its nourishment from, and that is family life.”

monika added that the programs, have since their development mushroomed into a collaborated effort between social workers, the Woman and Child protection Unit and the magistrate's

Court, where they counsel victims as well as perpetrators. adelheid put their mission into simple words: “We are there

to help, support and guide.” “Women enable men to abuse them by keeping silent for

years and years on end. Children become accustomed to growing up in a violent household and learn that it is the correct way to treat women. Violence portrayed on modern television makes it acceptable,” adelheid explained of the vicious cycle of GBV. in addition, the general norm exists where polygamy is acceptable for african men, but women are meant to abide to monogamist rules. Needless to say, this already creates a lot of problems.

“We try to discourage people from living together, for it becomes a time bomb ticking away towards explosion,” adelheid said.

“We have cases where people have been living together for 17 years, others for 14 years, with six or nine kids, even grandchildren, but they are not married,” monika added. “this is where a lot of fights occur that result in violence.”

it will not be easy to run the new initiative. according to adelheid, in keeping up with their other responsibilities, time will be one of their greatest challenges. However, the three women are more than ready to take on the fight against gender based violence.

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Page 5: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 | 5

First Coastal Group to Take Real Action Against GBV

Visit your nearest Teleshop. Call us Toll Free on 1100 or SMS multitalk to 060123.

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News

Air Pollution Woes in Light Industrial AreaTanya Calitz

After numerous complaints regarding a brick-manufacturing factory’s dust pollution in Walvis Bay’s light industrial area, the Namib Independent decided to take a closer look at the alleged pollution and the alleged consequences suffered by the complainants on account of the manufacturing processes.

Five businesses in the vicinity expressed their bitter discontent about what they call significant air pollution

consisting primarily of cement dust created by the brick production carried out by the manufacturer.

“It is a very fine dust,” said one of the employees of a business close to the brick factory. “it really irritates my chest and throat and as soon as the brick machine starts working, i am assured to get this tickle in my throat and then the coughing starts,” he explained, indicating that they have had issues with the brick company before.

another disgruntled business owner said that the minute the brick making

operation starts his staff have to work indoors, because they can no longer work on the outside premises due to the thick dust cloud that blows their way.

“Not only is our health in jeopardy, but our vehicles are suffering damages, too. once the cement dust settles on our cars and it gets wet, it hardens and scratches the car when you try to wash it off,” he explained, clearly fed-up with the situation. according to this same business owner, he has approached the

company owner in question, who promised that he will improve the situation. “But that was last year already,” he added.

another expressed the fact that they are also not happy with the amount of air pollution coming from the brick plant and stated that it damages their vehicles, as well as clients’ vehicles.

“another concern is the amount of dust I find in the office every day. An hour after i have cleaned the surfaces, it is there again,”

she said. another source mentioned that plants like this should be in a heavy industrial area, and not in a light industrial area.

even workers at one of the nearby businesses say that they have been pestering their management to supply them with masks as the situation is untenable.

according to the owner of the brick plant, the company is operating legally, which has been confirmed by the Walvis Bay municipality. But the issue at hand, according to those who say they have been affected the most, is not the legality of the operations, but whether it is acceptable for a company to create so much discomfort and air pollution in a light industrial area, as well as whether the company is complying with all the regulations in terms of brick making.

the Walvis Bay Municipality has confirmed that as matters currently stand, the operations carried out by the brick plan are indeed not acceptable. the plant has been given a deadline to bring about the changes required to be in compliance with the regulations. the owner of the brick company assured the Namib independent that the complaints have not fallen upon deaf ears, and that the company is working hard to meet the deadline set by the municipality to have the area covered up so that the dust does not affect those around his premises. He indicated that at first the company was going to erect high nets to minimise the effects or the production process, but that the company had subsequently

taken the decision to build an enclosure to ensure that no pollution escapes the plant in future. Kevin adams from the municipality confirmed that the deadline to bring about the corrections is the end of April 2014.

according to regulations set by a regulating body in india for brick making factories or kilns, all workers should be wearing a mask, to prevent them from inhaling the dust. another regulation was that the brick making plant should be at least 500 meters away from schools, hospitals, public areas, offices and one kilometre away from residential areas. this does not indicate that the same law applies to Namibia, but according to adams all countries follow basically the same type of regulations in terms of light and heavy industrial areas.

as a matter of interest, according to a study done by the National institute of Health in the United States, cement dust is associated with lung function impairment, chronic obstructive lung disease, restrictive lung disease, pneumoconiosis and carcinoma of the lungs, stomach and colon. other studies have shown that cement dust may enter into the systemic circulation and thereby reach the essentially all the organs of body and affect the different tissues including heart, liver, spleen, bone, muscles and hairs and ultimately affecting their micro-structure and physiological performance.

The Brick machine in operation, emmitting lots of dust

One of the neigbouring businessses said they cannot work outdoors anymor due to vast amounts of dust

The accumulated cement dust on one of the complainant's cars

Page 6: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 20146 | Thursday, 27 March 2014News

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Coastal Dieticians Come Together to Give Public Free Screening

Tanya Calitz

Several dieticians on the coast have come together to offer the public a free health screening in Walvis Bay this coming weekend. The group of lifestyle coaches will do a basic screening for interested persons, determining their weight (BMI), mid circumference, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Speaking to the different dieticians involved in the initiative, they all agreed that overweight / obesity – coupled with Hypertension, elevated Cholesterol levels, and Diabetes - is the most predominant health issue at the coast. according to the health practitioners involved they have decided to come together in order to educate the community about health, lifestyle and what they truly do.

“We are now starting to stand together and work as a team at the coast to educate the public. We are starting with the public screening on Saturday, which will be continued with specific disease conditions and educational talks to the public on a regular basis. We as dieticians here on the coast also offer health talks to businesses. So companies are welcome to invite a dietician to give a presentation to their staff,” dietician mariska van Wyk told the Namib independent this week.

according to Walvis Bay dietician lore Wormsbächer the problem is their title “Dietician”, which may imply that one must “go on a diet” after one has visited one.

“this, however, is not the case. We are rather trying to coach patients to improve their lifestyle by making small changes every day that are sustainable in the long run and that suit each individual’s lifestyle,” Wormsbächer said. Dietician Karen templin, who will also be part of the free screening

day, said that it is all about informing the public on what they offer in terms of health and lifestyle.

“our profession is often misunderstood and people think that we are simply there to make them lose weight, when in fact, we do so much more,” she said. templin also said she is often asked what the most amount of weight is one can lose in a week. “the answer is simply that the human body can only burn 500g to a 1kg per week. Losing 20kg in one month of only pure fat . . . impossible!” she says.

the group said that they hope to do this kind of thing more regularly and involve even more dieticians in educating the public. the screening will take place at the Walvis Bay pick & pay Centre in the middle of town on Saturday morning, between 10am and 12pm.

First Ever Ambulance Boat Launched at the Coast

Tanya Calitz

Following a recent incident where a man needed immediate assistance out at sea and only received help days later due to the lack of a sea based rescue service, Skeleton Coast Marine Services and LifeLink Emergency Rescue Services have joined forces in order to provide such a service.

the vessel belonging to Skeleton Coast marine Services has been fully equipped with emergency gear by lifelink who also have fully licenced paramedics available 24/7 to assist with any sea based incident. the team also boasts with advanced life support on board to

handle the more intricate situations. the boat, which is mostly based out at sea as a medical support vessel to the rigs, can also be dispatched to assist any other company with an emergency out at sea.

according to lifelink’s managing Director, Brian low, they are very pleased to be part of this agreement, which enables them to expand their rescue capacity. lifelink currently have a big rescue network, ranging from land ambulances and aviation rescue services to now the new sea based addition.

in case of emergencies you can reach lifelink by dialling two 24-hour lines: from landline only call 999, or from a cell phone dial 085 9247.

Property Moratorium Set to Stabilise Swakop’s Frenzied Real-Estate Market

Lavrenty Repin

After Mayor Kambueshe announced a property moratorium on bulk land purchases by private developers last week, simply saying that the municipality wants to focus on mass-housing development instead, Swakopmund residents were left with more questions than answers.

When the Namib independent asked the municipality to clarify the decision, we consistently received the cold shoulder. although the moratorium was announced and seemingly implemented, the municipality refused to give any explanation as to the objectives of the plan; who will be affected and how long it will be enforced.

aili Gebhardt, newly appointed Marketing and Communication Officer, said that, “the mayor at the public meeting merely informed the public of the property moratorium to come for applications received for big [bulk] pieces of land [more than 5 000m²]."

After further questioning, an unidentified municipal employee called the Namib independent and explained that the application for the proposed moratorium needs to be unveiled before the mC and deliberated in council chambers before any questions could be answered, refusing to give a time-frame or reasoning behind the proposal. When the Namib independent tried to probe further, we were simply told that we “don't understand how a municipality operates and have no respect for council chambers.”

trying to gain more information, we turned to max Schwieger from Nels estates in Swakopmund, who confirmed that he has heard about the moratorium but was also struggling to obtain any additional information on it.

“probably the idea is to get erven prices to go down,” he speculated, mentioning that the property business is booming. He does not believe that a moratorium on bulk land will have any negative impact on Swakopmund residents if it is short-term. another estate agency, Capricorn, were also intrigued by the decision. owner and agent, Desiree, explained that the moratorium could have a positive outcome on Swakopmund real-estate, which, she admits, is presently out of hand.

"We seriously need to look at lowering what people are paying for erven, so if the municipality takes away the developers,

the market may stabilise.” She explained that developers set high

prices and have expensive visions, which destabilises the market.

“there needs to be control, the developers don't stop,” she said. Desiree predicted that a moratorium on big residential development will not drop the prices. “Nothing will drop house prices in Swakopmund”, she said, “but it can definitely bring much needed stability in to the market.”

Speaking to the Namib independent, the mayor went on record and finally explained why the decision to impose a moratorium has been made.

He warned, “if you come and apply for land now, we will not entertain it.”

the mayor assured the Namib independent that all those that applied for bulk land before march would receive the necessary attention and deliberation, but confirmed that it is indeed the cut-off date. He revealed that an extensive application backlog exists in the municipality, which is now being worked through.

“Now and then we deal with applications and discover many are pending on certain land,” he explained. this results in a conflict of interest. The mayor also revealed that a new land policy will be introduced soon to the coastal town. He admitted that a lot of the backlog was caused by a vague property policy. He also admitted that the municipality will give priority to the mass-housing development scheme, which also contributes to the decision.

Finally, he called it “a way to protect the market”, explaining further: “people [developers] grab land, and then maneuver the process to sit on the land. there are instances where bulk services, which were started ten years ago, are yet to be completed. Currently we have more luck at guessing fuel prices than we do real-estate, which is not a way for a healthy market to run.”

He said that no “residential-block development” applications will be considered, however, certain applications, for example shopping malls, will be given attention.

Seeing that the planned moratorium is seen as a positive for Swakopmund, it could not be established why the municipality persisted to be evasive with regards to the matter.

Page 7: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 | 7 News

Coastal Climatic Apocalypse Imminent

Siglinde de Villiers

For many coastal residents, climate change is a far off reality that mostly affects other countries or farmers. Upon closer inspection though, climate change has already altered conditions on our coastline and continues to do so at frightening rate, painting an apocalyptic picture for our future. Already, the coast is experiencing warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, raging winds and powerful storms.

even though climate change has been occurring for a number of years, it is escalating, propelling Namibia towards a catastrophic doomsday. The year 2003 saw exceptional winds that blew large lichen fields into the desert. more recently, ocean storms created furious waves that took out the bird island in 2010. These examples show that reality is striking closer and closer to home.

a Swakopmund based environmentalist told the Namib independent that climate change is happening at an alarming rate.

“it is much faster than anticipated, changing our climate at an exponential degree,” he said. He continued to explain that everything is linked to an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. “once the world passes the tipping point and goes beyond its limit, there is no going back and we will be heading down a long spiral into a disastrous end. at the moment we are on the tipping point,” he said.

temperature is one aspect of climate change that is most obvious.

“in the last ten years, records were broken in terms of heat waves,” the environmentalist commented. Research done by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) last year, showed that the 1980s and 1990s were some of the hottest decades of the 20th century. In the summer of 1998, Namibia broke several records for maximum temperatures. even so, those temperatures were still minor when compared to the new temperature high and low records that were broken in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

“The weather can be likened to traffic. Normally it passes through certain channels, but once it gets blocked, it becomes like a traffic jam, where the consequences last for a long time such as the current cold in europa. the same thing can happen here,” the environmentalist explained. according to laC, research suggests that maximum temperature increases of 2-6°C will occur in Namibia by the 2050 decade. In the same vein, higher temperature also means a rise in sea levels.

No doubt, higher atmospheric temperature causes the ice caps to melt, raising the overall sea level. Nevertheless, this is not the only contributing factor.

“as the ocean water absorbs heat, it warms up and expands,” the environmentalist noted. the laC stated that Namibian tide gauge records between 1960 and 1992 showed an average sea level rise of 27 mm per decade. Back then, future sea level rise was predicted to be 2 mm per year, which is far lower than the current rise, which stands at 4 mm per year and is on the increase.

A warmer ocean also means fiercer storms. “the heat energy from the ocean is picked up by

storms, making them more violent,” the environmentalist said. “in the last ten years we have recorded the biggest storms in the South atlantic ever,” he added. one such a case was in September 2008 when a storm between the antarctic and Cape town created huge waves that caused extensive flooding.

“Because the swells were southerly they did not affect Walvis Bay. However, it washed mile 14 and 72 as well

as many of those roads away,” the environmentalist mentioned. in august last year, a spring tide that coincided with a south-western swell of 4.5 m magnitude went right over pelican point. according to the environmentalist, each successive storm reaches higher, goes farther and is more forceful.

“the sea is getting to places that i have never seen it reach before,” he added. “at the moment, our South atlantic ocean is generating hurricanes, where one of them hit Brazil, something that has never happened before. We are not that far away from Brazil, and can be affected by such storms. one possibility is a north-western swell, which will go straight into Walvis Bay.” as a solution, many towns bordering the ocean build bigger defences into the sea, but how big do you build? For example, New york was prepared for a 12 foot storm surge, but when hurricane Sandy hit the city storm surges of 15 feet caused damage of billions of dollars. this incident only underlines the most vital question: What does one prepare for?

the Namibian government, through the ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), is doing its part in trying to reduce the impacts of climate change.

“Namibia has a National policy on climate change, implemented through its associated strategy and action plan” Romeo Muyunda , Chief Public Relations Officer for met, stated. “a number of community based adaptation activities have been developed, implemented and piloted jointly with local communities,” he added. it is clear, Namibia is moving into the right direction, but are we moving fast enough?

As for the fishing industry, Anja van der Plas, a scientist at the ministry of Fisheries and marine Resources, said that climate change could cause setbacks.

“There may be changes in fish available and their abundance. this in turn, will affect the effort involved to catch fish. Also with increased storm surges the number of days for catching fish could be limited,” she said. according to van der plas, eventually the Namibian marine ecosystem will change from a cool productive upwelling system to a warm tropical low productive system, with a disastrous effect on the fishing industry.

“things are only going to get worse and worse. people will need to start adapting to extreme wind, heat, rain, drought, sea levels and storms. also they will have to start thinking of the elevation above the high water mark when building on the beach. it is time for us to start slowly retreating from the sea and moving to higher land,” the environmentalist concluded.

Stormy Waves at Swakopmund

IntroductIon

Process

crIterIa

crIterIa

dIsclaImer

submIssIon requIrements

Request for Proposal (RFP) relating to the development and marketing of Residential Units on Property owned by Elgin Brown and Hamer (Pty) Limited.

Elgin Brown and Hamer (Pty) Limited (“EBH”) Namibia is a world class leading ship repair company strategically located in the port of Walvis Bay Namibia.

EBH acquired the land with the sole objective of providing adequate residential property for its employees. The property, ERF 5761, Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay earmarked for development consists of 100 000 square meters of virgin land and any persons who are interested, whether individually or as a consortium (“interested party/ies”) are required to provide a full development scope within specified standards as prescribed and approved by the Municipality of Walvis Bay.

EBH therefore invites interested persons (inclusive of juristic persons) to express an interest in developing and marketing the aforementioned property via this RFP.

Those persons who are interested, whether individually or as a consortium (“interested party/ies”) are invited to submit Request of Proposal (RFP) which will be reviewed for short listing and the possible formation of a Panel of Interested Parties (“The Panel”).

Interested party/ies are required to meet the criteria set out per paragraph 3 below and comply with the Submission Requirements set out per paragraph 4 below.

1. Legally registered as a contractor or estate agent in the Republic of Namibia, proof is required

2. Registered in at least two of the following organizations: Estate agency Board of Namibia, Association of Estate Agents Namibia, Construction or builders association of Namibia.

3. Documentary evidence of successful completion of similar projects in the aggregate of N$ 50 Million (Fifty Million Namibia Dollars)

4. CV of two of the top directors/ project managers of the organization/consortium

5. Letter of comfort from the bank stating good standing with the bank6. Performance guarantees of 1% to be locked with the bank and provided in

writing to the Tender Holder.7. Verifiable proof of availability of funds to cover the costs for all related

requirements (incl. Town Planning and Civil Infrastructure) of the project.

All communication and enquiries relating to this advert or the Proposed Transaction should be directed to [email protected] EBH reserves the right in their sole and absolute discretion to respond to any such questions or queries as they deem appropriate.

This announcement is published for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, nor does it constitute a commitment or obligation.

None of EBH or its directors, employees will be liable or responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by any Interested Party in connection with the preparation or submission of an Expression of Interest.

EBH reserves the right not to make any awards in terms of this process.

Interested parties are required to submit their proposal at;EBH NamibiaThe ReceptionC/o Hanna Mupetani and 2ns StreetSynchrony Life Industrial AreaWalvis BayOn or before 16th April 2014 at 12:00 noonThe proposal must in addition incorporate;• Costing Model on the proposed development and marketing of the property

based on low cost housing • Certificate of Good Standing from the Social Security Commission• Annual Financial Statements for the past two years.

Elgin Brown & Hamer Namibia(Pty) Ltd.Ship Repairers & Marine Engineers

Registration No. 2003/390Vat No.: 3578932015

Cnr 2nd Street East & Hanna Mupetani Road, Walvis Bay,

NAMIBIA

P.O. Box 2340Walvis Bay, NAMIBIA

Tel:+264 (0) 64 218 6000Fax: :+264 (0) 64 218 6001

e-mail: [email protected]: www.ebhnamibia.com

First Ever Ambulance Boat Launched at the Coast

Page 8: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014Thursday, 27 March 20148 | Thursday, 27 March 2014News

MonthMARCH 2014Namib Independent

celebrates ...

Coastal Women Support Cancer Awareness by Going Bare-faced A new ‘selfie’ trend has taken the world and

Facebook by storm, encouraging thousands of women to post photos of themselves on the popular social network without any make-up on, in aid of cancer awareness. This trend has spread to the coast of Namibia, and ties in nicely with the fact that this is women’s month.

A "No makeup selfie" campaign grew organically in Britain in recent weeks, and ended up raising several million pounds for Cancer Research U.K., even though the group initially had nothing to do with the effort. author laura lippman apparently started the trend to support actress Kim Novak,

whose looks were criticized at the oscars. others picked up on the idea, and somehow the hashtag #breastcancerawareness and donation links to Cancer Research U.K. started getting added to the selfies.

"it's brilliant, it's raising so much money. it's totally unexpected because it wasn't something we planned," a rep for the group tells Britain's telegraph newspaper, and then it spread to the coast of Namibia. Here are some of the ‘no make-up selfies’ posted by coastal women supporting the trend and awareness campaign.

Jenny Koorts Guilluame Visser

Alecia van Zyl Rochelle Ackerman

Tiani Steyn Anise Holtzhauzen and Marianne Holtzhauzen

Jeanne Sanderson Monique Etsebeth

Jolaine Bindeman Linda Vermeulen

Page 9: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 INSIDE OU

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IN ThIS ISSUE:Coastal Women Support Cancer Awareness by Going Bare-faced

Simple Steps to Update Your Bathroom

Whether your bathroom is screaming out for a whole new look, or just a little tired around the edges, there are easy ways to avoid the expense of a full-scale renovation.

try these simple steps to help update a tired bathroom:

ScrubFreshening up your bathroom can be as simple as donning some rubber gloves and giving it a seriously good scrub. mould and scum accumulate over time; taking the time to eradicate them is the first step to a sparkling bathroom.

PaintColoured tiles can date a bathroom quickly. Giving your old tiles a coat of fresh white paint is an inexpensive way to lighten up the whole room.

Reduce clutterReduce bathroom clutter by investing in some simple drawers then give the room a lift with new towels and pretty bowls. our tumbler and bowls are made from rubber – ideal for a kids’ bathroom. Find

something similar at top3 by design.Update a focal pointUpdating one major component of your bathroom can lift its whole look. First, work out where your focal point lies – bath, shower or basin. then invest in a replacement that will take pride of place yet still work with the overall room.

Be water wiseinstalling a shower-head with an aaa rating will save around 10 litres of water a minute. they come in a variety of styles and are designed to conserve water without compromising comfort.

mixer taps offer greater temperature control and thus water savings. they enable the desired temperature to be reached swiftly, cutting down on the amount of water wasted while waiting for it to heat up or cool down.

For the truly dedicated, a bucket can be used to catch unused running water, for later use on plants.

Source: http://www.homelife.com.au

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Update by Upcycling Page 11

Small Space home Office Tips

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Page 10: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 201410 | INSIDE OU

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Page 11: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 | 11 Thursday, 27 March 2014 INSIDE OU

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Update by Upcycling!Decorating your home on a budget

When money is scarce, it is time to be more resourceful and creative. Updating your home interior need not be expensive - repurposing objects in the home, displaying found objects or even adding a feature wall can breath new life to your home.

Here are some affordable ideas to injecting some new style to your home without breaking the bank!

Vintage tea chests and crates (above) can become a personalised storage system with industrial-style character. arrange heavier chests at the bottom for better balance. the entire display is held together with red, rachet tie-downs.

A tired old chair sees red

Fresh paint brightens anything, so salvage a seat with a new hue. Remember to spray-paint in a well-ventilated room and apply from a good distance, to avoid patchiness.

Handles open doors to new walls

Collect mismatching door handles to use as decorative coat hooks. it’s a good idea to select handles with a similar size and shape, to balance the overall look.

Frame up treasured collectables

open your mind to possibilities: frames don’t just have to hold artworks, they can display almost anything you like. particularly effective are pieces collected on travels – such as this ethnic skirt.

General pattern wins the wall war

a patterned panel will add glamour and the impression of an elongated space – a more affordable change than a renovation! you could use a panel of wall stickers or wallpaper to create the panel.

Don’t banish your kitchen paraphernalia to the back of the cupboard – a painted peg board allows your pots and pans to be out and proud. ensure you hang your board on a frame away from the wall and use stainless steel S-hooks.

Source: http://www.homelife.com.au

Page 12: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014Thursday, 27 March 201412 | INSIDE OU

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Small Space Home Office Tips

Regardless of the scale of your home office, it is important to consider your space and take into account the essentials.

Creative Zoneyou’re far more likely to be productive in a space that you enjoy.

For a casual, creative atmosphere, seek out interesting pieces in second-hand stores or on eBay – think upholstered chairs, desktops with character or old-fashioned bureaus. Choose accessories that are attractive enough to be left out on display, such as old timber boxes.

personalise the space by hanging pictures and photos on walls, or casually

prop them on shelves. you don’t necessarily need a traditional board – a more fluid arrangement will allow you to add and remove pieces whenever the mood suits.

Colour can also influence the way you work, so think carefully before repainting your walls. Dark hues are soothing, vivid shades might energise or distract, while bright whites can clear the mind.

lighting should both set the atmosphere and perform efficiently. Ideally, you should combine good overhead illumination with a desk lamp or wall-mounted light. Natural brightness is a must during the day, but be careful to position the monitor away from glare.

Integrated OfficeA home office that occupies an awkward space – such as within another room, in a hallway or beneath stairs – presents unique challenges. Careful planning is vital: take measurements of the space and ensure that desks, chairs and freestanding storage will all fit comfortably, while allowing you room to move around.

Small spaces are best served by built-ins that use every available centimetre of space – think floor-to-ceiling shelving, an office built into a cupboard or furniture that conveniently folds away and conceals its often-cluttered contents.

If your home office is part of another room, integrate the

two styles by looking for similar colours, materials and textures.

alternatively, consider a screen that acts as a design feature while also keeping the spaces separate.

think about how you’ll use the space. if you only need to check a few emails or pay bills, perhaps a flip-down wall shelf for a laptop will suffice. If you require access to files and cabinets only part of the time, seek out units on castors.

Sophisticated spacethe type of work you do will largely dictate the look of your office, but there are things you can do to add style. if you want a sophisticated office space that blends with your whole home, today’s technology is your new best friend. it’s sleek, small and less obtrusive than ever before, so your desktop computer or laptop needn’t visually monopolise.

look for an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier and a cord management system for trailing wires (other solutions include docks, which require a single cable for everything, or a wireless system).

ensure you have enough power sockets and phone lines, and consider installing separate lines for your business and home phones.

For multiple computer users, opt for a networking system that allows for remote printing and for everyone to be online at once.

Furnishings don’t have to stick with tradition – once all ergonomic criteria are met (e.g. a supportive chair, desk at the correct height, etc), you can choose pieces that satisfy all your design and aesthetic needs.

Organised hubShuffling through a sea of papers is a waste of energy and a serious impediment to maintaining a

stylish space. instead, focus on creating a practical storage system that allows you to find things instantly.

once you’ve de-cluttered and are left with the things you really do use, then you can evaluate the type and size of storage needed.

a mix of sizes will work best – such as large filing drawers, stackable boxes with labels and small drawers for stationery.

position items so that anything indispensable is within easy reach, occasional necessities are on nearby shelves or in boxes and anything less essential is stored further away. Built-in shelves can

be tailor-made to fit your needs, whereas a freestanding unit offers flexibility. Use low-level storage opportunities, too – filing cabinets and drawers beneath a desk can be space-savers.

aim to keep the desk as clear as possible. Consider a wall-mounted computer-monitor arm or a floating shelf for much-used reference materials. Store magazines and brochures in coordinated files – all properly labelled so that you can find what you’re looking for. and don’t forget the little details, such as smart desk accessories.

Source: http://www.homelife.com.auProtesters over Missing Plane

Page 13: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 | 13 Thursday, 27 March 2014 Worldwide News

A Danish zoo puts down four healthy lions weeks after causing outrage by killing a healthy giraffe in front of patrons and then feeding it to the lions.

two lions and their two ten month-old cubs, all from the same family, were put down on monday to make way for a new male after the zoo failed to find a new home for the felines.

Copenhagen Zoo said in a statement: “Because of the pride of lions' natural structure and behaviour, the zoo has had to euthanise the two old lions and two young lions who were not old enough to fend for themselves”. the cubs “would have been killed by the new male lion as soon as he got the chance,” it added. last

WoRlDWIDe

The two old lions and two young lions were not old enough to fend for themselves.

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Malaysian Flight:Storm of Emotions over Lives 'Lost' as Storm at Sea Delays Search

For families whose loved ones were aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the past day has been full of news they were dreading. First, a grim-faced Malaysian Prime Minister confirmed their worst fears, announcing Flight 370 went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

then, even as investigators seemed closer than ever to finding the plane, stormy weather forced Australian authorities to call off a day of searching for the Boeing 777. "it's almost felt like a miniature roller coaster within the day," said James Wood, whose brother philip was one of three american passengers on the plane. Families are stuck in a "holding pattern," he told CNN's "AC360." "We're just waiting and waiting," he said, "and not getting any answers one way or another."

An agonizing wait continuesthey'll have to wait at least a day longer. Gale-force winds, large waves, heavy rain and low clouds forecast for the area "would make any air and sea search activities hazardous and pose a risk to crew," the australian maritime Safety authority said tuesday. teams will resume searching Wednesday if weather permits, officials said. When they start looking again, they'll be combing the remote area in the southern indian ocean where officials now say they believe the flight ended. New analysis of satellite data by a British satellite company and accident investigators led to that conclusion, prime minister Najib Razak said monday. "they have told us all lives are lost," a missing passenger's relative briefed by the airline in Beijing said. malaysia airlines also sent a text message to relatives saying "we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on-board survived." While the last-minute announcement appeared to end hopes of finding survivors more than two weeks after the flight vanished, it left many key questions unanswered, including what went wrong aboard the Beijing-bound airliner and the location of its wreckage in the deep, wild ocean waters.

Protesters over Missing Plane

possible landing sites." He begged reporters to respect the privacy of relatives.

"For them, the past few weeks have been heart-breaking," he said. "i know this news must be harder still."

The airline said it was making plans to fly families to australia once wreckage is found.

Four scenarios of what happenedHe said police are focusing on four possibilities about what happened: a potential hijacking, sabotage, psychological issues or personal problems of the passengers and/or crew.

"Such cases may take up to a year," Khalid said, "so please don't jump to conclusions that the police are slow." While investigators have yet to find even a piece of the plane, the prime minister based his announcement on what he described as unprecedented analysis of satellite data by British satellite provider inmarsat and the British air accidents investigation Branch. He didn't describe the nature of the analysis. He said the data, drawn from satellite pings the ill-fated airliner continued to send throughout its final flight, made it clear that the plane's last position was in the middle of the southern indian ocean, "far from any

Last know location of the plane

Location of possible plane debris found

Two objects in the Indian Oceanthe announcement came the same day as australian officials said they had spotted two objects in the southern Indian Ocean that could be related to the flight, which has been missing since March 8 with 239 people aboard. one object is "a grey or green circular object," and the other is "an orange rectangular object," the australian maritime Safety authority said. the australian naval ship HmaS Success didn't turn up the objects when it searched monday night, the authority said. the objects are the latest in a series of sightings, including "suspicious objects" reported earlier monday by a Chinese military plane that was searching in the same area, authorities said. a U.S. surveillance plane sent to follow up was unable to find the objects, and so far, none of the sightings has been definitively linked to Flight 370. Ten aircraft -- from Australia, China, the United States and Japan -- searched the area monday. China said monday after the prime minister's announcement that it would be sending more ships to help. China has a particularly large stake: its citizens made up about two-thirds of the passengers on the missing Boeing 777.

Satellites helped focus the searchamid a vast regional search that at one point spanned nearly 3 million square miles, searchers homed in on the southern indian ocean in recent days after satellite images spotted a variety of unknown objects in an area roughly 1,500 miles southwest of Perth, Australia. Australia reported the first images in the area, followed by China and France.

they could be containers that have fallen off cargo ships, for example. on Saturday, searchers found a wooden pallet as well as strapping belts, australian authorities said.

Plane said to have flown lowmonday's dramatic developments came after a weekend during which other nuggets of information emerged about the movements of the errant jetliner on the night it vanished.

military radar tracking shows that after making a sharp turn over the South China Sea, the plane changed altitude as it headed toward the Strait of malacca, an official close to the investigation into the missing flight told CNN. The plane flew as low as 12,000 feet at some point before it disappeared from radar, according to the official. It had reportedly been flying at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet when contact was lost with air traffic control.

also over the weekend, malaysian authorities said the last transmission from the missing aircraft's reporting system showed it heading to Beijing -- a revelation that appears to undercut the theory that someone reprogrammed the plane's flight path before the co-pilot signed off with air traffic controllers for the last time.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com

Marius the Giraffe who was killed because he was not fit for breeding

Danish Zoo That Killed Giraffe Puts Down Four lions

month, the zoo put down its 18-month-old giraffe marius who was considered unsuitable for breeding. the giraffe was shot with a bolt gun, dissected in front of a large crowd of both adults and children, and fed to the lions. the decision shocked thousands of animal lovers around the world and over 27,000 people had signed a petition to save him. according to a spokesman, the zoo will not be dissecting the lions in public since “not all our animals are dissected in front of an audience”.

after a few days the new male will be introduced to the zoo’s two female lions who are now able to breed. “the zoo is recognised worldwide for our work with lions,” chief executive Steffen Straede said, “i am proud that one of the zoo's own brood now forms the centre of a new pride of lions”.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The Lion family that was killed eating the Giraffe which was killed a week prior

Page 14: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 201414 | Thursday, 27 March 2014motoring

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Leaders Are Made, Not Born

Siglinde de Villiers

In an exclusive interview with the Namib Independent, the new Car Dealer Principal at Pupkewitz Nissan in Walvis Bay, discloses his great plans for the Pupkewitz Nissan Walvis Bay branch. At the same time, this gave rise to the opportunity of gaining more insight into the person behind the name.

Jaun Nel, new Car Dealer prinicpal for pupkewitz Nissan in Walvis Bay, says that he has officially started with his new position on 1 march. However, he is still helping out at the Swakopmund branch

during march and april until their new branch manager starts on 1 may. How does Nel feel about his new position her in Walvis Bay?

“i am extremely excited about my new work, since both Nissan and GWm products are reliable and affordable,” he answers.

However, Nel has come a long way to reach his current position, starting to climb the corporate ladder at a young age. Nel relates that straight after school he started as a sales rep in luderitz with Coastal electric and Hardware for nine years. “i then moved to Windhoek and started with another hardware

company only to receive a phone call from the pukewitz motor Division. i started immediately as a bike sales consultant with pukewitz Honda and later moved to Honda auto as a new vehicle sales executive,” he chronicles.

He continues saying that not long thereafter he was given the opportunity to start a mega motors in Swakopmund, much to his success.

according to Nel, he has great plans for pupkewitz GWm Walvis Bay.

“i aim to make pukewitz Nissan the preferred vehicle retailer at the coast,” he discloses. to this end Nel believes that one has to convert customers into friends for life.

“i live by this guiding principle, and it has helped me to make a success of pupkewitz motors Swakopmund,” he says. Nel’s leadership philosophy is that leaders are made, not born.

“leaders are made by hard effort, which is the price we must all pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile,” he says, quoting Vince lombardi.

Thorium Powered Car Could Run 100 Years on Just 8 Grams of Fuel

If your car was powered by thorium, you would never need to refuel it. The vehicle would burn out long before the chemical did. The thorium would last so long, in fact, it would probably outlive you.

that’s why a company called laser power Systems has created a concept for a thorium-powered car engine. the element is radioactive, and the team uses bits of it to build a laser beam that heats water, produces steam, and powers an energy-producing turbine. thorium is one of the densest materials on the planet. a small sample of it packs 20 million times more energy than a similarly-sized sample of coal, making it an ideal energy source. thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive chemical element, and is most popular for its potential to replace current nuclear energy generation by implementing reactors powered by thorium, which would be an alternative to uranium. it’s

definitely a much safer fuel for civilian power plants than uranium. “if a thorium, molten-salt reactor can be successfully developed, it will remove all fears about nuclear energy,” says Fang Jinqing, a retired nuclear researcher at the China institute of atomic energy. “the technology works in theory, and it may have the potential to reshape the nuclear power landscape, but there are a lot of technical challenges.” the thing is, Dr. Charles Stevens, the Ceo of laser power Systems, told mashable, that thorium engines won’t be in cars anytime soon. “Cars are not our primary interest,” Stevens said. ”the automakers don’t want to buy them.”

He said too much of the automobile industry is focused on making money off of gas engines, and it will take at least a couple decades for thorium technology to be used enough in other industries that vehicle manufacturers will begin to consider revamping the way

they think about engines. “We’re building this to power the rest of the world,” Stevens said. He believes a thorium turbine about the size of an air conditioning unit could provide cheap power for whole restaurants, hotels, office buildings, even small towns in areas of the world without electricity. at some point, thorium could power individual homes. Stevens understands that people may be wary of thorium because it is radioactive — but any such worry would be unfounded. “the radiation that we develop off of one of these things can be shielded by a single sheet off of aluminium foil,” Stevens said. ”you will get more radiation from one of those dental X-rays than this.”

Sources: http://www.collective-evolution.com

http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com

Page 15: Namib indepenent issue 92

Thursday, 27 March 2014 | 15 Business Boxes

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17 to 21 March 2014

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Page 16: Namib indepenent issue 92