EarthBoundOfficial Newsletter Ministry of Environment and Volume 2 -­ ISSUE 4/2015 CONTENTS

Editor’s Note 1 Editor’s Poaching should be considered Note a priority crime: Hon. Herunga 2 Economic, social and environmental has declared war on poverty with the new administra- tion of the country’s affairs. Zero tolerance to poverty will be the impact of poaching 3 motto of government and its associated institutions. This is cou- pled with a culture for hard work and productivity. This is what Electronic permitting the head of state and his administration want for this country. All of the above call for reassessment of ourselves and the in- for 5 stitutions we serve under to insure that we fit in to become part of the change. A ministry we need to examine our programmes and activities to see how the address the issues of poverty re- Another concession duction in the land of the brave. The tacks are high and the ex- pectation are even much higher. to benefit communities 6 In his state of the nation address, his Excellency urged civil servants to refrain from corrupt activities. The presi- Swakop centre for galleries, craft shops 7 dent urged further that public official should declare their assets to avoid conflict of interest. In belief that transparency starts at the top, the president has committed to reveal his assets and his Namibia prepares for Green medical report to the public. The idea is to preventing undue benefits accruing to Public -Of Climate Fund accreditation 11 ficials and ensure that resources are directed to benefit - ian in all corners of the world. I personally salute this ideal and Human resource forum 12 the challenge is on all of us. The question is how far are willing to go for a better Namibia where everybody has access to basic DEA on course with resources. The Ministry has a number of projects benefitting the citizens of the country particularly those in rural areas. Our duty there- national mandate 13 fore is to maximize this benefits for their social and economic upliftment. Let us work together to address the challenges be- Wildlife Breeding fore us, such as poaching and waste management. Having highlighted all of the above, let me also take time to Stock Loan Scheme 14 congratulate our newly appointed Minister and Deputy Minister respectively. A lot has been said already to welcome the duo of 5th International Symposium and lawyers into their new capacities. On behalf of all the readers and the community of the ministry of environment wish them success in their endeavors. We look forwards to working to- Annual Conference of Partners a success 15 gether with you in moving forward the mandate of the ministry towards the attainment of national goals. Namibia receives an international I welcome you to yet another edition of exciting information. Enjoy! award at the 11th UNWTO awards 17

Editing, Design & Layout 18 Adler Street, West I Tel: 061 231901 Contact Us: Fax: 061 231907 I email: editor@vision2030group. Tel: +264 61 284 2840 I e-mail: [email protected] I website: www.met.gov.na 1 Ministry of Environment and Tourism As a government working closely with you as stakeholders, we are seeking to make a major intervention in the safety and health of workers through the establishment“ of the Namibia Institute for Occupational Safety and Health “

Minister of Environment and Tourism Hon. Pohamba Shifeta Namibia Institute for Occupational Safety and Health almost a reality

amibia is on course to establish the Institute for Oc- tain large companies, providing enterprise based occupational cupational Safety and Health. health trained medical doctors. The institute is a programme that aims to provide Where enterprise based occupational health services are ab- policy and technical advice to government, employ- sent, a number of small or medium enterprises are providing ersN and trade unions on matters of occupational safety and medical surveillance for their employees using local general health as well as develop services, human resource and re- practitioners. search capacity in occupational safety. The Minister noted that government is embarking on a se- In an effort to realise this goal, a workshop aimed at setting ries of regulatory reforms to ensure a safe and healthy working the tone for the establishment of the institute was held in the environment for workers in Namibia. capital from 22-23 April 2015. He said generally the occupational health environment Hon. Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment and Tour- in Namibia has improved in recent years with emphasis on ism who officiated at the event stressed the significance of the workplace inspections and special studies to improve workers institute. health and safety such as the major study on the workers at According to Shifeta, a safe working environment reduces the Tsumeb smelter. absenteeism, enhances employees’ health and well-being and “As a government working closely with you as stakeholders, increases productivity. we are seeking to make a major intervention in the safety and The workshop was attended by management cadre, consult- health of workers through the establishment of the Namibia ants, employer Group and Professional Associations amongst Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,” said the Minister. many others. It is envisaged that the institute will develop strategic part- The Minister further stressed that half of the world’s people nership and cooperation programmes with similar institutes in are economically active and spend at least one third of their the world as well as with the International Labour Organisation time in their place of work, but only 15% of workers currently and the World Health Organisation. have access to basic occupational health. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism was mandated He added that only one third of the global workforce is esti- by Cabinet to incubate the institute, pilot its development mated to be covered with insurance for occupational diseases through the stakeholder and legislative process and ensure its and injuries. sustainability in the line Ministry of Health and Social Services. Currently, occupational health services are provided by cer- Ministry of Environment and Tourism 2 he Etosha National Park, Namibia’s flagship wildlife conservation area Thas experienced a shocking wave of rhino poaching and the situation can be detrimental to the tourism sector and the economy. A total of 60 poached rhinos has been reported of which 54 were discovered in the Etosha National park. The Ministry has since last year intensified patrols in protected areas leading to the gruesome discovery. On 7 April 2015, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Simeon N. Negumbo released a media statement announcing a total of seven carcasses discovered in the Etosha National Park. As the patrols intensified, 31 more carcasses were discovered. Some had their horns intact. The Ministry is conducting a postmortem to, amongst others, discover whether the rhinos were poached or some died of natural causes. In a media statement, the Permanent Secretary condemned the poaching and cautioned those involved to stop with immediate effect. He further said the current levels at which the rhinos are being killed illegally in the country need to be rapidly brought under control. “The Ministry of Environment and Tourism will continue efforts to strengthen effective crime prevention and law enforcement through coordinated and integrated clusters of activities such as security planning, monitoring and adaptive management,” the Permanent Secretary said. Hon. Pohamba Shifeta has also, at a

3 Ministry of Environment and Tourism Poaching on the increase

Ministry of Environment and Tourism Permanent Secretary Mr. Simeon N. Negumbo

separate occasion, expressed his dismay with the current trends of poaching while strongly warning that he will apply zero tolerance to poaching. The Ministry also released the latest statistics on cases of elephant poaching taking place particularly in the North East of the country. From February to date, the has discovered nine elephants poached while the Kavango East Region reported two elephants. In a statement, the Permanent Secretary said a strong and effective presence on the ground, dedicated investigation units that focus on criminal and poaching syndicates and organised crime, collaboration with the police, army, judiciary, intelligence service communities, farmers and all other important stakeholders, and continuous training and capacity of staff members will be implemented to eradicate poaching. He urged the public to report any suspected cases of poaching to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism or any nearest police station. “Any person who will provide the Ministry or other relevant authorities with information leading to the successful arrest and prosecution of a person(s) suspected of/or involved in the rhino poaching will be rewarded with N$30 000”, the PS

Ministry of Environment and Tourism 4 NAMIBIAN CABINET

Hage Geingob Nicky Iyambo President Vice President 2015

Katrina Himarwa Tom Alweendo Dr. Bernard Haufiku Minister of Minister of the Minister of the Planing Minister of Education and Arts Presidents Office Commission Health

Leon Jooste Dooren Sioka Minister of Minister of Youth Minister of Gender Minister of Finance State Owned Enterprises and Sports Equality

Bernard Esau Minister of Minister of Minister of Minister of Fisheries Security Justice Industrialization NAMIBIAN CABINET

Saara Amadhila Netumbo Nandi-Ndeitwah 2015 Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister

Obeth Kanjoze Sophia Shaningwa John Mutorwa Pohamba Shifeta Minister of Minister of Minister of Minister of Tourism Mining Urban Development Agriculture and Environment

Alpheus Naruseb Itah Kandji Penda ya Ndakolo Minister of Works Minister of Higher Minister of Lands and Minister of Education Resettlement Defence

Zephania Kameeta Pendukeni Ithana Tjekero Tweya Minister of Minister of Minister of Poverty Reduction Interior ICT Sophiscation of poaching activities a worrying trend: Hon. Pohamba Shifeta

he newly-appointed Minister of Environment and Tourism, Hon. Pohamba Shifeta, called on the Ministry’s staff, partners and associates to continue to aggressively address the threats of poaching Tand illegal wildlife trade as well as to attract international conferences and promote business . the media” he added. Hon. Shifeta made this remark during his first staff meeting on Thursday 2 April 2015 at the Government Office Park However the Minister also expressed dismay with staff Auditorium, Windhoek. members who have become too comfortable at their stations and have become complacent and are no longer innovative. Hon. Shifeta noted that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is known to be one of the top-performing ministries “I will not hesitate to give instructions for staff members to in Namibia and that he was privileged in his previous role be rotated to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our as Deputy Minister to witness first-hand the hard work, patrols, especially in cases where there are repeated incidents dedication and passion of the staff of the Ministry. of poaching. “The Ministry is now increasingly recognised as a key driver “For these reasons, I will ensure that the Anti-poaching of the economy and socio economic development. We will Department is modeled on the mobility of staff and that it is however need to aggressively and pro-actively address the proactive and aggressive to drive poaching out of Namibia,” threats we are facing such as poaching and illegal wildlife he stressed trade,” the minister noted. He further called on the Game Products Trust Fund and He also said that the increasing scale and sophistication of Environmental Investment Fund to continue supporting poaching activities is a worrying trend and a very serious the Ministry to find new and innovative solutions towards threat to the tourism sector, the international reputation and ensuring the financial sustainability of the CBNRM?????? the wider economy. Programme. “During my tenure, I will apply and implement the zero “Our tourism parastatals mainly, Windhoek Country Club and tolerance approach in dealing with this threat and prioritize Resorts, Zambezi Waterfront Tourism Park, Namibia Wildlife the reduction and ultimately the elimination of poaching. Resorts and Namibia Tourism Board have a crucial role to play We must strengthen our cooperation with relevant partners in linking tourism to poverty reduction, employment creation including the army, police, community’s on-the-ground and and environmental sustainability.

5 Ministry of Environment and Tourism New Appointments

“Namibia Wildlife Resorts, as the nation’s flagship accommodation provider and with recent completion of a number of developments and upgrades, is now positioned to further increase its profitability and market growth,” the Minister further said. “Further, I would like to see NWR become increasingly eco- friendly and a leading establishment in the areas of waste management and the efficient use of scarce resources such as energy and water” he further added. The Minister also called on board members of Windhoek Country Club and Resorts and Zambezi Waterfront and Tourism Park to play their part in ensuring good governance and proper management of these entities. New Appointments “I will not work with boards that are dysfunctional and Kanyemba Josepth Appointed as Messenger Windhoek non-performing. During my tenure, board members must Shapange L Appointed as Cleaner Ruacana perform and play their part in transforming these institutions Kasera N.F Appointed as Cleaner Omuthiya to greater heights. I expect the Board members to be Nevela N.N Appointed as Cleaner Ongwediva answerable and accountable to the Minister who appointed them. Non-performing members will see their tenure cut Transfers from other ministries short,” he cautioned. Katjotjo Anselm Chief Administration Officer Windhoek Pohamba Saara Economist Windhoek He also took the opportunity to introduce the Ministry’s new Sheyadiva Josephine Senior Administration officer Windhoek Deputy Minister, Mr. Tommy Nambahu who was also warmly Hungi Senior Administration Officer Windhoek welcomed by the staff members. Goreses S Assistant Administration officer Mariental

Ministry of Environment and Tourism 6 Human Resources Forum

On this segment is where we discuss and deliberate on issues relating to human resources with the intention to educate our readers on some issues relating to the public service. This is a platform where our staff members will be informed about staff rules, new developments in regards to Human Resource Management. In this edition, we took time and interviewed the Ministry’s Senior Human Resource Practitioner responsible for condition of service and employment wellness Ms. Esther Elago. Our focus however was on condition of service with specific emphasis on termination of benefits. Condition of service These are service benefits as well other compulsory conditions such as probations, notice for resignations, contributions to pension fund and medical aid, adherence to staff rules, public service act and regulations. Termination of service benefits There are various benefits a staff member is entitled to. Leave gratuity applies to all termination of service Senior Human Resource Practitioner Ms. Esther Elago benefits. Staff going on retirement is entitled to Pension a) Death Benefit (GIPF), Social Security and an option of Medical Aid This is a benefit to the staff member or his/ Scheme her dependents in case of mortality. It includes claims such as pension (from GIPF), social security and leave gratuity. When a staff member c) Resignation passes on, the duty station/supervisor must inform HR, HR will then assist the family to process a This is the voluntary termination of service by a staff funeral claim from GIPF and Social Security. member. A staff member who resigns is only entitled to pension (GIPF) and leave gratuity. When a factual dependent passes on, a staff member is only entitled to claim for funeral d) Ill-Health benefits from GIPF. Ill-health can be defined as incapability to carry out duties due to illness. A staff member can only be b) Retirement declared unfit to perform duties based on ill health by the Medical Board. The medical board is under This is termination of service for a staff member the Ministry of Health and Social Services and is when he/she reaches the age of 60 to 67. The comprised of medical doctors. Ministry has a retirement schedule to enable HR to inform staff members six months in advance of The staff or the supervisor can initiate or refer an their approaching retirement and their last day of ill health examination to the medical board where it work. is observed that the staff member is unfit for duty. Based on the outcome, the ministry will approach the In cases were a staff member approaching Public Service Commission for recommendation. retirement age wants to extend, the staff member is encouraged to motivate this through their The staff member will then be notified. Staff supervisors for the approval of the Permanent members whose services are terminated due to ill Secretary. health are entitled to Pension, leave gratuity and Medical aid (optional). Once the Permanent Secretary has approved, the submission is sent to the Public Service All of the above are in accordance with the Public Service Commission for recommendation. The staff Service Act, 1995 (act no 13 of 1995). For further clarity on member will then be informed of the outcome. issues please contact Ms. Esther Elago @ [email protected] and 061 284 2207.

7 Ministry of Environment and Tourism Why should Windhoek be the only cleanest city? - Nambahu

he newly appointed deputy minister of environment and tourism wants to see the Tentire country free of littering and pollution insuring environmental protection.

Nambahu made the remarks during the Annual Sectoral Execution Review and Planning workshop in .

The deputy minister questioned the rationale as to why Namibians should be proud that Windhoek in the cleanest city in Africa while the rest of the country is flooded with unmanaged waste.

“I cannot imagine a Namibian wedding without bottles being emptied, even at funerals, the question is how that waste is disposed” Hon. Nambahu questioned.

Hon. Nambahu emphasized that disposing of waste should be made part of the conditions for issuing operating licence for businesses. He called upon the systems in the ministry to address the challenges of environmental protection in ensuring that Namibia becomes it what he termed as ‘the smiling face of Africa’.

The Deputy Minister also cautioned that if Namibia attains its developmental goal of becoming the number 1 destination in sub-Saharan Africa as stipulated in the NDP4, there is a need to employ an I cannot imagine a Namibian integration approach where all stakeholders play their wedding without bottles part. being emptied,“ even at He urged that there is a need to conduct some funerals, the question is how extensive awareness to make stakeholders understand how their roles contribute to the that waste is disposed achievements of the objectives of the sector. He stressed that Namibia is not the only countryvying for the top spot, hence the need for better planning and execution thereof complimented by determination courage and hard work was identified. “ “You do not want your effort to be jeopadised by someone who is not conscious of what needs to be done to attract tourists in the country” he added.

He noted with disappointment on the barbaric acts of poachers pointing out that the system must not show remorse to those involved.

He urged the staff members of the ministry particularly the management to ensure that the infrastructures of the national parks are in perfect working condition to avoid some cases of poaching. He called upon the ministry to upgrade the fence around the Etosha with urgency.

The Deputy Minister attended the entire workshop with the staff members as part of his familiarization while making some valuable contributions. Ministry of Environment and Tourism 8 “THE OLD VS. THE NEW FIRE MANAGEMENT APPROACH

EARLY FIRE MANAGEMENT APPROACH IN ETOSHA [1970 - THE CURRENT FIRE MANAGEMENT 2011] APPROACH [STARTING 2012]

• In the Etosha National Park, use of fire was • The strategy tends to encourage the forbidden in the 1970s use of fire as opposed to past strategies of fire suppression. • But the policy allowed for backfire to contain & limit any wildfires that occurred • Reduces the occurrence of high intensity fires and large cleanly burnt • In the early 1980s, the planned use of fire entailing areas – and hence the risk of high a block burning approach was introduced, but no wildlife mortality. guidelines were available, and thus its use was haphazard • Promotes more spatial heterogeneity, increased species richness and greater • In the early 1990s, guidelines were developed for ecosystem resilience. Etosha shifts the implementation of blockin burning • Limited manpower required to • These guidelines prescribed that fires caused by implement and monitor the fire. lighting were to be extinguished by park staff unless they occurred in the block selected for burning in the annual burning plan fire management • The reality (and subsequent failure) of both fire suppression and block burning strategies was very

hot and high intensity fires, large areas cleanly burnt and high wild animal mortality. FIRE ZONES strategy nstead of seeing fire as a threat, the Etosha National Park has shifted to a Ifire management system that views fire as a necessity. The Etosha National Park has adopted the Patch Mosaic burn system as part of its fire management strategy from 2012 to 2014. The shift is to primarily reduce uncon- trolled fires, reduce fire wildlife related

mortalities and ultimately contribute NORTH to maintenance of biodiversity through promotion of heterogeneity type of vegetation. The system entails that instead of the “THE OLD VS. THE NEW FIRE MANAGEMENT APPROACH old practice of suppressing fire conserva- 2 tion managers realize the importance EARLY FIRE MANAGEMENT APPROACH IN ETOSHA [1970 - THE CURRENT FIRE MANAGEMENT and necessity of fire as a management 2011] APPROACH [STARTING 2012] tool in conservation areas. • In the Etosha National Park, use of fire was • The strategy tends to encourage the forbidden in the 1970s use of fire as opposed to past In Etosha, the previous fire manage- strategies of fire suppression. ment practice of suppressing all fires is • But the policy allowed for backfire to contain & limit any wildfires that occurred • Reduces the occurrence of high ineffective. Most of the fires occur during intensity fires and large cleanly burnt the hot, dry months which lead to large • In the early 1980s, the planned use of fire entailing areas – and hence the risk of high areas being burnt by homogenous and a block burning approach was introduced, but no wildlife mortality. guidelines were available, and thus its use was intensely hot fires which are detrimental haphazard • Promotes more spatial heterogeneity, to the vegetation of Etosha in the long increased species richness and greater term. • In the early 1990s, guidelines were developed for ecosystem resilience. the implementation of block burning • Limited manpower required to Fire plays an important role in removing • These guidelines prescribed that fires caused by implement and monitor the fire. moribund inedible vegetation; stimu- lighting were to be extinguished by park staff unless they occurred in the block selected for burning in the lating new growth for animals to feed, annual burning plan facilitating a balance for co-existence between trees, shrubs and grasses and • The reality (and subsequent failure) of both fire suppression and block burning strategies was very

controlling encroachment of bush upon hot and high intensity fires, large areas cleanly grasslands. burnt and high wild animal mortality. FIRE ZONES

The ultimate desired outcome of this is the maintenance of interesting variety of landscapes, vegetation communities and ment Plan which promotes: large wild animals which attract tourists. • The maintenance of biodiver- As per the guiding principle of the re- sity; vised Integrated Fire Management Policy within Namibia’s Protected Areas under • Provision of a practical solution the fire section in Etosha Management to the occurrence of wild fires in the hot, Plan, fire is an integral part of the envi- dry season by breaking up the fuel load; ronment and will be applied primarily to reduce fuel loads and limit the size and • Allowing lightning fires to occur scale of fires. It will also contribute to naturally. NORTH the overall objective of the Park Manage-

Ministry of Environment and Tourism 2 9 FIRST EVER NAMIBIAN SUSTAINABLE AWARDS “Namibia is by no means immune to the global trends we are seeing today - increasing populations and demands on natural resources and goods and services, higher standards of living, growing economic uncertainty and inequalities, and the contin- ued existence of widespread poverty” said Shifeta. He further said that Business as usual will not work in this context, and the nation needs to change the way goods and ser- vices are offered and consumed for the welfare of human kind and the environment. “I am happy to see these awards come into being, we need to reward and honour those individuals and institutions, which are so committed and bringing new innovations to the table to ensure the sustainability of this nation. I thank all of you for the valued contribution you are making in this regard”, he said. The minister further declared that as the country pursue the National Development Agenda as guided by the Vision 2030, industrial production is set to increase by a factor of four to six by the year 2030, hence decoupling economic growth from increased resource use and negative environmental impacts is a fundamental prerequisite for any future sustainable develop- ment. he Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia is providing and the Sustainable Development Advisory Council particularly strong support to the country transition towards a Thosted the first ever Namibia Sustainable Develop- greener economy. ment Awards. − The Green Soft Loan scheme that is implemented in The Environment Investment Fund is a Namibian own partnership with the SME Bank has provided a total of response to the growing global need for green financing. N$6.2 million in micro financing to over 120 people, mainly for solar water geysers, solar water pumps, and It was established in terms of the Environmental In- solar lighting. vestment Fund Act, Act 13 of 2001 with a mandate to raise funding for investment into projects that promote − The Fund has further provided loans worth N$18 mil- sustainable development it is currently one of the fastest lion to environmentally based businesses and enter- growing green financing institutions in the country. prises in the areas of recycling, eco tourism, smart agriculture, and manufacturing. The crowning evening was opened by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Hon. Pohamba Shifeta. − This support resulted in the creation and sustenance of at least 375 “green” jobs. The Awards were designed to promote the sustainability of the environment and recognize the achievement of Moreover, grants amounting to N$14 million have been award- close to 25 companies and individuals that answered ed to different institutions, benefiting more than 18,800 people. a call for nominations across six categories, between September and November 2014. According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in 2011, the incremental costs of climate change An amount of N$350,000 was disbursed to the overall adaptation for livestock farming in Namibia is estimated at N$20 winners and runner-ups across the six categories. Billion in the next 15 years. The categories were; Natural Resource and utilization, To maintain and increase productivity under climate change Environment Excellence among Industries, Research scenarios, Namibia requires further investments and a transfor- and Development, Thought Leadership, Environmental mational approach that places the green economy at the center Education for Sustainability, Pioneering Journalist in the of sustained economic growth. field of Sustainable Development. The minister concluded that the country needs to put legisla- According to the Minister of Environment Hon. Pohamba tive frameworks in place to discourage practices and incentives, Shifeta, a transition to a greener economy offers the which are having a negative impact on the environment. country a great potential to address some of the critical challenges that the nation is facing including the scarcity of resources that are vital to development such as water and electricity, unemployment and income inequality.

Ministry of Environment and Tourism 10 Minister wants SOEs to follow

t is not business as usual for SOEs under the Ministry of Environment and Tour- ism as the minister demands change on some practices he describes as illegal Iand procedural. Hon. Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of En- vironment and tourism discouraged the practice where the management of SOEs seek audience with the Ministry without going through the Board of Directors. The Minister clarified that it is wrong by law for the management to deal directly with the shareholder as it undermines the authority of the board directors. He clarified the different roles between the board of directors and management, he stressed that the board of directors are answerable to the shareholder “you are in charge of the company, if anything goes wrong, you are to be answerable, you can even be charged”. The Management ap- pointed by the board of director and there- fore it is answerable to such a board. The minister directed that companies must appoint company secretary with legal The relationship between the knowledge to be able to advise them on board and management id of vi- compliance with the law and regulations. tal significant, it should be cordial, If you don’t have a company secretary, no amicable. He urged the board of that you are violating the law. You must directors to appoint managers have a company secretary, very important. with commercial viability to bring productivity to the companies. He also directed that SOEs must conduct Annual General Meeting. If you don’t have The Minister availed himself for an AGM, it’s a must, not an option. In ac- consultation to the board of direc- cordance with the company act in a period tors for any consultations. of 18 month from registration and within nine months in every financial year you should have an AGM. It is a requirement. How do you even appoint auditors? How do you report to the company registrar without records? Questioned the minister. you are in charge of the He also discouraged a general practice company, if anything where companies deduct pay as you earn goes wrong, you are to be from employees and do not take the answerable, you can even money to the receiver of revenue. This is be charged theft, you can even be arrested, you are not supposed to touch that money, it does not belong to you. Some companies use this money for operational purposes, it is wrong- he expressed. He called upon boards and managers of SOEs to consult established laws govern- ing the companies to understand what is required. He urged that statutory compa- nies should understand the establishment act, companies act, state owned enterprise act. “In addition to appreciation the reve- nue law and the state finance act amongst others.

Ministry of Environment and Tourism Lawyer- No strange to Environment and Tourism

he Deputy Minister of we were struggling, people did not Environment and toursim, want to hear about environmental Ta lawyer by profession, sais protection,” he said. he is no stranger to the issues of Environment Tourism. “When the consultany with the Ministry of Agriculture ended, Hon Nambahu sais, during the I found myself in the streets. I drafting of the water bill with went back to what I knew best, the then Ministry of Agriculture, prosecution,” he added. Water and Rural development, he got exposed to aspects of the It was then when he joined politics. Environment and how they impacy on He has been the SWAPO Youth the people. League Regional Secretary for and the Caribbean. This gave him an Earthbound Newsletter caught up insight on what tourism is from other with the newly-appointed Deputy angles of the world. Minister, Hon. Tommy Nambahu who gave us an insight into his journey He also expressed concerns with towards success and achievements. waste management in Namibia saying that people need to live in a clean Tommy Nambahu left for exile in 1977 environments, rich or poor, and they aged 16. Alongside other freedom should be assisted on how to handle fighters, he came back to Namibia in waste management. 1989 and acquired his first job at the Development of Brigade Corporation. “If the person comes up with a business plan, the construction of He was transferred as an Office the business/ company will generate Administrator at OMEGA before he waste. Companies, or those given was promoted as the Assistant Centre tenders to build roads tend to leave Manager for Maintenance. their waste close to the roads. This poses a danger to road users and In 1996, he worked as a Development the environment at large. It is time Planner in the National Planning to speak to the authorities, be it Commission under the division for traditional, local and regional on International Corporation responsible environmental waste management,” for German and Scandinavian. he said. He was promoted to Cabinet With regards to tourism, the Deputy Secretariat as a Policy Analyst and Minister believed that the community was seconded to the Ministry of has not yet exploited the potential Labour, where he was in charge to the maximum through tourist of drafting the Affirmative Action mobilisation. Legislation. “I have been to many countries and Hon. Nambahu was the lead lawyer through that experience, I have come in the development of the Water to the conclusion that we as a country Resources and Management Bill should market ourselves through which is now an Act. This was creative ways,” he added. “This is when the ministry was called the the only country you have therefore Ministry of Agriculture and Rural you have to market it to defend and Development. Today the ministry develop it in order for our country to is known as Agriculture, Water and be on par with other countries.” Forestry. The Deputy Minister also urged the Nambahu was involved in the staff of the tourism ministry to play negotiations of water sharing rights their part for the development of the of which he was a found member Ministry and the country at large so. ORASEKON, OKAKOM amongst other Bilateral water sharing agreements. “When you leave the Ministry, make sure you leave it better than you “I am grateful when I look around found it,” he added. that people have moved. When

Ministry of Environment and Tourism We wear the flag with pride. We finance economic independence.

Before we approve finance, we ask ourselves hard questions about whether enterprises create prosperity through employment, how they place ownership in the hands of previously disadvantaged Namibians, and how they stimulate economic activities in the regions? We also ask how the enterprises may perform in the long term? In short, we finance enterprises and projects that Namibia needs for economic independence.

If your enterprise might contribute to Namibia’s economic independence, visit www.dbn.com.na, then call 061 - 290 8032. We’re waiting to hear from you.

Good business is good for development.