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Namibian swimmer Philip Seidler bagged the Gold medal at the 5-km men's Open-Water final of the African Beach Games, held in Hammamet. He timed 58:54,80, besting silver medalist South African Matthew Dale Caldwell (59:00,98), who was followed by Tunisia's Khalil Ben Chaabane, winner of the bronze medal, clocking 59:02,48. Tunisian swimmer Mohamed Khalil Ben Ajmia abandoned the race.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Third division team Golden Stars FC emerged as the winners of the 2022/2023 season in the Oshana Village Based Football League (OVBFL) on Sunday.
They secured victory by defeating Tena City 3–0 in their penultimate match of the season. The decisive OVBFL game took place at Ekolanaambo in the Oshana Region. With this win, Golden Stars collected three points, bringing their total to 29 points in the OVBFL standings after playing 13 games.
Golden Stars FC will be competing in the second division next season. Mathews Hangula, the Head Coach of Golden Stars FC, expressed their ambition and objective of winning the OVBFL championship in an interview with Nampa on Monday.
“The plan is in place. We are aiming to maintain our consistency and reach higher divisions, such as the First Division and Debmarine Namibia Premiership,” said Hangula.
He emphasised that winning the league requires thorough preparation, effort, and the commitment of players both on and off the training ground.
OVBFL Chairperson Herman Paulus said the championship started in 2009 and aims to provide opportunities for teams wishing to compete in the Oshana Region.
However, Paulus acknowledged the lack of sufficient support and various challenges, including the scarcity of sponsorship in the league.
“Community members play a vital role by providing soccer balls to support the league. Okapya Liner sponsored the trophies and medals for the winning team,” Paulus said.
Junias Johannes, the captain of Golden Stars who has been with the team since their academy level, emphasised the importance of discipline in winning the league. “We work hard to maintain our fitness levels so that we can take advantage of opponents’ fatigue during matches. However, sponsorship for transport is crucial, especially now that we have been promoted to the second division,” Johannes noted.
The competition also plays a significant role in advancing referees to the next level, while local business owners who attend matches have the opportunity to sell their goods, thereby benefiting from the event.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
Five armed robbers reportedly broke into a residence at Auas View Park in Windhoek’s Auasblick suburb on Monday and got away with goods valued at N.dollars 655 200.
An incident report by the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) indicated that the incident occurred on Monday between 01h00 and 02h00 when the masked suspects, armed with firearms and knives allegedly gained entry into the house, tied the victims up with cables and held them at gunpoint.
The stolen goods included a Ford Ranger pick-up valued at N.dollars 470 000; N.dollars 51 000 in cash, a diamond ring valued at N.dollars 30 000; various pieces of jewellery valued at N.dollars 6 000; six cellphones and one laptop.
Two of the suspects, aged 37 and 31, were arrested in the Greenwell Matongo residential area and a getaway vehicle was seized, along with N.dollars 10 300 allegedly found in the suspects’ possession.
The Ford Ranger, which was used to transport stolen property from the house, was found abandoned near the B1 road and returned to the owners.
Investigations are ongoing.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
The Road Fund Administration (RFA) on Tuesday informed members of the public of the deferment of its proposed road tolling programme until further notice.
In a media release issued by the Office of the Chief Executive Officer on Tuesday, the RFA said it received policy support from government in 2022 to engage stakeholders on the introduction of tolling in Namibia.
“As a result of the prevailing economic climate, coupled with high interest rates and inflation, the RFA has decided to defer the planned stakeholder and public consultations on the implementation of the tolling of roads in Namibia until further notice,” the media release read.
RFA explained that it commissioned two feasibility studies on tolling, which concluded that tolling is economically and practically feasible in Namibia.
It said roads authorities and agencies worldwide are under financial pressure to maintain ageing road networks with rapidly diminishing resources.
As road conditions deteriorate, vehicle operating costs rise due to faster vehicle wear and tear and increased travel time, it added.
“As a result, the RFA looked into the viability of introducing road tolls as an additional revenue stream to maintain the N.dollars 101 billion national road network. The feasibility study found that 21 roads can fund N.dollars 5.8 billion in capital and maintenance expenditure over five years, possibly generating N.dollars 7.5 billion in additional revenue to subsidise roadworks across the entire network,” RFA noted.
It further said empirical research shows that tolled roads are better maintained, resulting in more jobs, economic opportunities and lower vehicle operation costs.
“According to additional econometric analysis, tolling would add N.dollars 1.7 billion to the Namibian economy, increasing growth domestic product by 0.4 per cent annually,” it said.
The RFA said the total funding needs for the 2023/24 financial year are N.dollars 4.2 billion, resulting in a finding gap of 22 per cent of the allocated budget.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency