2 NAMIB TIMES
22 AUGUST 2014
NEWS
US Embassy reaches out Piquet Jacobs
John Kowaski, Chargé d’Affairs of the U.S. Embassy Namibia, made a visit to Walvis Bay on Wednesday in celebration of the 10 year existence of the American Corner at the Public Library. Aerial view of the disputed land west of Schwietering Street. Source: Google Earth
Mile 4 erven Continued from page 1
Council session on 31 July. A moratorium on the sale of undeveloped erven was adopted after Council concluded that the local authority lost out on potential income of more than half a billion dollars over the past decade. This was a direct result of an earlier decision to allow private developers to service and sell erven for residential housing, with the bulk of the profit being shared among 12 private developers. The item was tabled last month at the request of Mr Johannes Gawaxab, who wrote to the CEO of Swakopmund, Mr Eckart Demasius on 2 June, saying that: “My application for this specific plot [Erf 101] dates back to 2008/09 and I want to appeal to your good offices to table my application to the Management Committee and to Council for a discussion and position [on] the fact that this application actually dates back to a period before the Council took resolutions on the said plot. it is not a case of applying for the plot only now.” Municipal records indicate that Gawaxab, acting on behalf of Eljota Consulting Capital as a shareholder, first approached the municipality about the land in question in 2005. In a letter to CEO Demasius, dated 7 January 2005, he offered to buy the prime beach property. Eljota hoped to buy the land at minimim cost (upset price) and would “propose some profit share to the municipality, if it is needed,” Gawaxab wrote. He proposed that the municipality sell the land “on the same basis and pricing as it did to the Waterfront development”, although he said any other offer would be considered. Eljota would raise the funds privately. “The intention is to ultimately sell the developed erven to the general public and establish an upmarket
township,” he noted at the time. In further motivation he wrote: “I became aware that the Office of the Prime Minister is interested in a suitable piece of land on Erf 101, should the Council be favourably disposed towards my application.” Gawaxab said that the day before he approached the municipality with the offer, he had a meeting with the then Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab “at his official residence in Swakopmund and briefed him about my intended approach to the Swakopmund Municipality to acquire Erf 101.” “The PM confirmed his Office’s interest in a piece of land on Erf 101 and indicated that his Office would be agreeable to ‘co-exist’” and would not object to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Mr Gurirab, the current Speaker of Parliament, would engage the municipality directly during the week of 10 January [2005] to arrange a site visit and to ‘indicate the need of the Office of the PM...”, Mr Gawaxab's letter of January 2005 read in part. It could not be immediately ascertained whether the PM’s Office is still interested in the 2005 proposal or the erf in question, but the Management Committee recommended that Messrs Eljota be informed that their request to buy erven 101, 102, and 103 at Mile 4 had been considered and turned down. Council will stick to its April decision: the land is reserved for development by the municipality. The erven are currently being consolidated and subdivided into smaller erven for township development. Once the red tape has been cut through and all legal requirements met, the land will be made available for sale to the public through closed bid.
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Kowalski discussed the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, previously known as the Young African Leaders Initiative. The program was renamed by US President, Barack Obama, in respect of the late South African legend, Nelson Mandela. The program chooses 500 exceptional young leaders, from nearly 50 000 applications, from all over Africa for six weeks of intensive executive leadership training, networking, and skills building, followed by a Presidential Summit in Washington, DC. Kowalski presented the Young Africa Namibia directors with a USD 6 500 grant to assist them
with the training of youth in solar energy studies. A grant was also awarded to the Municipality for a WiFi system at the library as a pilot program, which will be implemented in the next coming months. Through the initiative, young African leaders gain the skills and connections they need to accelerate their own career trajectories and contribute more robustly to strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa. Applicants should be between 25 and 35 years old; have proven track records of leadership in a public, private, or civic organisation; demonstrate a strong commitment to contributing
John Kowalski signing the USD 6500 grant contract along with Dirk and Yvette Bellens, founders and directors of Young Africa Namibia. their skills and talents to building and serving their communities. Piet Carstens, a 2014 participant, is one of the nine participants chosen from Namibia, and gave a brief overview of what he experienced on his memorable trip to the US. Carstens commented, “A once in a lifetime experience, which I am humbly grateful for. You get to learn and see so much – and shaking
hands with the President of the United States is just one of the many bonuses.” The American Corner, by the US Embassy, is a dedicated area in the Public Library of Walvis Bay and serves as a free informational resource for Namibians seeking to learn more about the United States. Books, computers and other educational material are donated by the Embassy on a regular
basis and serves as a branch of the American Cultural Center (ACC), situated in Windhoek, so that people outside the capital city will have access to similar information. This special initiative in Walvis Bay is 10 years old. According to officials, it may double the number of participants – to make the opportunity available for even more prospective great leaders.
First graduates for healthcare Sharlien Tjambari This week sees the first graduates completing their final assessments of the healthcare assistant’s course in Swakopmund. Healthcare is one of the growing careers in the world, accommodating the advancement of technology within the nursing field. There have been no nationally recognised courses here or in South Africa that caters for the type of qualification needed. Community healthcare and hospital specific qualifications do exist, but it limits the graduate’s work opportunities. This need has now been filled by a course devised by nursing sister and business woman, Pam Miller. Marketing/Sales Mikkie Kriel Cell +264 81 286 9519 mikkie@namibtimes.net marketing.namibtimes@iway.na Journalists Dorcas Mhungu Cell +264 81 409 8414 dorcas@namibtimes.net Madelaine Laubscher Cell +264 81 602 2918 madelaine@namibtimes.net
Healthcare’s first graduates in the assistant’s course graduated in Swakopmund this week. After a four week course of videos and activities, the first graduates are completing their assessments in Swakopmund this week to ensure their understanding and skills are in place. The course is based on South African and
American standards and provides a theoretical and skills based curriculum. Due to the demand and requirements from both students and employers, the course is evolving and will be offered in Walvis Bay and Windhoek in the next two
months. A distance learning course has also been created, using e-learning, with practical training at a place close to the students home. Ongoing assessments will be in the form of assignments on paper, email, Skype and phone
video and photographs as well as log books signed by registered nurses on the practical they need to complete. The course is suitable for people without grade 12 as long as they speak good English and are literate to allow the teaching to take place.
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