I I· YE r '. I· I aringing Africa South Vol.2 No.579 R1.00 (GST Inc.) WednesdilY J u n~: 31992 . Refugees launch an' u·rgent appeal THE refugee community in Namibia has appealed to arms the UNHCRand the ICRC to recognise their "des­ perate situation" and,to "geUhem out·olNamibia'as soon as possible". In a letter circulated to the Ministry of Home Aft'airS,ithe UNHCR, ICRC and 12 foreign embas­ sies in Windhoek,..tbe.refugeeulemand d~lpr»tec­ tion against potential harassment from the public. This,ihey daim,-was.mrred<up-by last,week'·s Home Aft'airs appeal toNamibian citizenslor help infhish­ ing out would-be refugees and asylum-seekers. The letter also demands the help of international humanitarian agencies to , secure the freedom of THE ''unsatisfactory re­ those would-be refugees imprisoned on Friday for sults" of bilateral talks refusing to' go to Qsire camp, and 10 avoid the on the Walvis Bay issue thre~tened imprisonment of other camp-refusers. • may force Namibia to The letter was draWn up at a meeting ofrepresen­ go back to the interna­ tatives of the refugee community on Sunday. It con­ tional community to get demned ''the violation of human rights by the Na­ it to assume its respon­ mibian Government" in jailing the 20 would-be ID.scams,. .' .. )0 sibility, President Sam refugees, its "negative attitude" and its labelling of Nujoma (above) has the refugees as "criminals and bandits who are here warned. to teach bad habits to Namibians". See Fresh details emerge on Govt probe MBATJIUA NGAVIRUE Wotnen traders hit MORE details have come to light about the corruption scandal being i~vestigated by an official inquiry headed by AG Visser of the streets again the Prime Minister's office. Contrary to an earlier ricu1ture Vilho Nghipondoka KATE BURLlNG report, the Visser inquiry is has been implicated how­ not concerned with the di­ ever appears to be a totally FOURTEEN women street sellers arrested in the version of Government funds separate inquiry. northern industrial area last month for trading but the allocation of 44 c. It 'appears as though the without a licence are.back at their posts after an Government farms to pri­ inquiry in which Nghipon­ vate individuals. doka is alleged to have di­ apparent U-turn by the municipality. Those who received the verted development funds According to Abed Titus It seems Bergh was origi­ farms are believed to in­ to an area in which his own of tile N amib Development nally concerned that the clude a large number of top farm is located is being Programme Trust (NDPT) traders were making the area Government officials, in­ carried out internally in his ,'" I who took up their case, the dirty and selling the alco­ cluding permanent secretar­ own Ministry. women were told they could­ holic drink 'tombo'. There ies, deputy ministers and The alienation of Govern­ start selling again last week had been complaints that other senior officials. ment land to private iilter~ after a meeting between the waste was being thrown into The 44 farms involved are ests has been the subject of 1 mumcipality and represen­ storm water channels and all in the Kavango region considerable controversy tatives of the hawkers. worries that unlicenced trad-­ immediately adjacent to a and, among others, has been Titus said city health of­ ing would spread in the area very large First National De­ roundly condemned by the ficer Jock Pfeifer and health Municipality PRO Nelius velopment Corporation Namibia Public Workers inspector Hannes Bergh, Kruger . coUld not clarify farming project. Union. who originally called for the whether certain areas of the Approached for Comment, Earlier this year the un­ hawkers' arrest, have now city had been' unofficially Visser said he could riot ion said it was totally, op­ agreed that the street sellers declared 'no go zones' for disclose which Government posed to then MinIster of represent "no problem". hawkers. However, the ENERGY EXPERT •• ; Samia Hamid Mohamed Elamin officials are being investi­ 'Agriculture Gert Hanekoms Titus said the meeting had general rule seemed to be from Sudan, an expert in alternative energy uses and gated, as he is still trying to plans to privatise the First taken place between Bergh, that street-selling was OK possessor of a Master's degree in chemical engineering, establish exactly who was National -Development Pfeifer, one of the hawkers for Katutura but risky any- yesterday helped open an engineering conference on involved. Corporations beef ranches and another member of the using sunlight for energy. See report, page 2. Photo- 'The investigation in which NDPT. continued on page 2 graph: Tom MinDey , permanent secretary of Ag- continued on page 2 I j , Desperate refugees challenge Namibia's 'h~manitarian pose' THE Namibian Government should lay its cards on' They bad all been waiting - them from Namibia as soon the table and admit it has no interest in the plight of . KATEBURLlNG some since Independence - for as posSlble. "It has been made I refugees and asylum seekers, according to several decisions from the Namibian quite clear that we are not would -be refugees who yesterday accused the Govern­ ongo, saying they feared for country for more than a year, Government on their status, wanted here. It has been a ment of hypocrisy and double dealing. their lives to go to so remote a and soniebad already suffered and said they bad now "had shock, given the humanitar­ destinati<?n in view of ·the periods in detention here. They enough". ian posture of Namibia's They said they knew the copybook with the international Govemm,ent's "uncompromis­ are well-educated and profes­ In a letter addressed to Home Constitution, but there is Government wanted nothing obmmunity. ing hostility" and desire to "get' sionally-qualified, but are . ~,UNHCR,theICRCand obviously no intention of I1 to do with them, but said it They further refused point rid of us". unable to return to their home various embassies, the would­ providing help to foreigners was afraid to "come out and blank to countenance reloca­ Most of those who spoke to countries for fear of persecu­ be refugees called for interna­ continued on page 2 I say it" for fear of blotting its tion to Osire camp near Otjiwar- The Namibian had been in,the tion. tional assistance to evacuate I -2 Wednesday June 3 1992 THE NAMIBIAN as a "direct violation of public trust". According to llonga, the in the Mangetp.region~ . ' Namibi;m. p.eople had en- Sunlight route to energy WheIl he aDnoun~ plans . ~sted Minister ~~ekom to priv iitise ~.the ' ranches, :,,·-, ~th tt;'e responslb!lity of , ENGINEERS from all not been educated in their TOMMINNEY ¥inister Hanekom ~iaid he ' 'managmg the, agnculture over southern Africa, working, protection and felt that .priv!lte enterprise " ministry -for public benefit. maintenance. Finland, Pakistan and , Experts are also scheduled to work with the engmeers could, lfianag~ tile- rilJ:lC~hes '.' ~ 'lnstead it appeared from the USA are in Win d.- Other issues to be debated better.th an tile Government. ". 'the MiDister's statements on to discuss their experiences; aQd other bodies local and jnclude the future of.solar , hoek ~his week to di.s­ . In a 1e.tt~i · ad~~~sed : to' Mangetti fanns as though for instance in using solar international to fmd ways' ::'the cuss how to create en­ . power and other environ­ HanekofI).'b 6\vever Napwu .' , he iptended to manage'this power to pump water for ' to use it, and added that the mentally friendly use of General ' SecretarY , PetrUs '. "public resource" as if they ergy using sunlight. wild animals in Etosba parlc, World Bank is funding an energy. Elamin pointed out llonga said the unionititei- were ihe exclusive domain Namibia is one of the and for domestic use in overall study of Namibia's that energy resources are . preted the Minister's plans.' 'of the commercial farmerS: countries best suited to this, Malawi and Botswana. energy needs and sources, , .... - . unfaitly distributed around as the long dry periods en­ Sun-powered ovens,' wa­ which is set to start this the world. THE Namlblan Is publ"hed by the F.... Press of Namibia, 42 ter boilers and home heat­ month. John Melnert Street, Wlndhoek. Editor: Gwen Llster. Printed sure there is little cloud cover "While the US popula­ by John Melnert (Ply) LlmHed; StObel St.... t, W1ndhoek. Tel: and a lot of sunshine. ing will be debated by the The ministry will create tion is about six per cent of (061) 36970j Fax: (061) 33980j Telex: (061) 3032. PO Box 20783, Nearly 100 delegates are assembled engineers, as well policies and other help to . Wlndhoek, Namibia. the whole world population, registered for the three-day as a Zimbabwean plant to .encourage the use of solar their consumption of energy conference, organised by the take salt out of water and p,ower and to make sure it is is about 30 per cent of the efficent batteries . ARE YOU Engineering Professions widely understood and global energy comumption." Association of Namibia. African alternatives to known among the popula­ The environment will DROWNING IN It was opened yesterday solar power will also be tion. never stand up to the whole morning by Leake Hangala, discussed, such as wind­ Key issues include world rising to this level of ",':., ...' DATA 11 permanent secretary in the power, which is common whether engineers can find consumption. whOe stiR maybe suffering'from a Ministry of Mines and En­ across Namibia, and biogas a way of cutting costs which Solar power is only set to "drought" of INFORMATION? ergy, and by Samia Hamid which is Elamin's field of are very high in setting up a be cost effective to house­ Mohamed Elamin, a spe­ expertise and is widely used .