· . t. J ~SIDE rODAV~ * Prestdent's'warnlng'to teachers; * ~ Post Office' antl.refuYnees? * R,~indu ' stabbing sequel ,H Bringing Africa South Vol.2 No.422 SOc (GST Inc.) Wednesday October 2 Hope for·doomed towns Euro-mission could bring financial infusion DOOMED towns such as Uis and Tsumeb where closing TOMMINNEY mines have raised a spectre of mass unemployment can draw hope from an obscure Euro-mission to Namibia. At stake are European Commission grants which could help Rossing get over its cur­ rent difficulties either in the total anything up to RlSO million. form of alow-interest loan or These are mainly for reviv­ closure of the copper mine. by buying a bigger share of the ing mining industries in diffi­ Yesterday Luis Moreno, company, controlled by Brit­ culty, and come under a provi­ delegate of the Commission of ain'sRTZ. sion of Namibia's aid and trade the European Comnmnities, told Moreno also admitted that treaty with Europe which is The Namibian that the money the Sysmin funds can stop a called the Lome IV Conven­ comes under a provision of the country from switching from tion. This is how they have Lome IV Convention known ailing industries into new and been used in neighbouring as Sysmin, and is mainly to be more viable ones. This has countries and could be used used to help mining industries. happened in Zambia and Zaire, for instance in developing It is usually used to help viable where the money has been used Rossing uranium and gold mines in difficulty, or to ex­ on copper mines part of whose mines. plorenew ~as when an exist­ problems are similar to those But the cash could also be ing mine'nihs out of reserves ofTCLinNamibia -low world put to a new use in Africa - or ore. prices. developing new industries A Sysmin mission visited He said that it was the local including tourism for towns Namibia from September 15 - governments which suggest w~re mining is gone forever. 27 ,ledby H. Martinwhoheads how the money could be used, Euro-aid has done the same in the European Commission's and this is what had been cho­ ~outh Wales, Britain, where Divi,sion of Mining and En­ sen ID those two countries. Hp. closure of coal mines doomed ergy in the Directorate of added that Namibia's Govern­ a whole region. Development. He met Minis­ ment is democratic and may OMBILI squatters camp is developing into a township as tents make way for houses. Last year a plan was drafted ter of Mines and 'Energy An­ respond to people's wishes to For many it's a dream come true. Last Friday, 2S houses were handed over to the first to turn the former tin town of dimba Toivo ja Toivo and Dr try another route. _o_cc_u...:p:-.a_n_t_s_. Pi_·c_tur_e_d_ab_ov_e_b.:..y_J_o_s_eP:...h_M_o_tin-.:;g_a,_a..,:gr_o_u_p_o_f_s _q_u_a_tt_e_r_&_a_t _O_m_b_ili_'.----1 Uis into a working museum Zedekia Ngavirue who is both "We help the (mining) in­ providing many local people Director General of the Na­ dustry," he said, but added: with jobs demonstrating local tional Planning Commission "We can give people another industries such as small min­ and Namibia's "authorising option in another sector. We ing and handicrafts to attract officer" for money from the try to do tm best for the people", tourists. This is similar to Namibia Development Fund, working through their govern­ VAT's no threat schemes in Wales. This was The Euro team visited ment. ~nly one of the ideas put for­ Rossing imd Gold Fields Namibian officials are ex­ ward for Uis of which little Namibia as well as uranium pected to put forWard their more was heard. and base metals mines. Moreno request as early as next month. say local chainstore owners The Euro-cash could turn one said the tearn regards uranium Europe would then send a of these into reality, creating as a very viable industry for consultant to evaluate the plans of jobs and could also be used Namibia. and advise the Government, PRICES in local shops and "Everything imported into MBATJIUA NGAVIRUE the country should be imported to develop new industries in Money could be provided to and money could be available supermarkets are Unlikely Tsumeb, threatened by the the Namibian Government to by March. to rise because of the in­ net of V AT, and then the 11 per want to. cent Namibian General Sales troduction of Value Added This means that if they want Tax should be added, ' , he Tax (V AT), according to to charge the VAT inclusive warned. several experts. price there is nothing anyone Jones however said, he was The introduction of V AT in Swanu to merge with Swapo? can do to stop them. quite aware of the problems '\ South Africa has already pro­ Dr Jones however stressed facing retailers, particularly ." voked large-scale protest be­ that V AT is not definitely not branches of large South Afri­ SWANU President Vekuii Rukoro said yesterday that his cause of the belief that it will applicable in Namibia. can retail chains. party would work towards an electoral pact with SWAPO adversely affect the poor. These 1arge chains often argue during the forthcoming regional and municipal elections. The fears in Namibia are that it is not financially fea­ He agreed, however, that the pac~ would have to be dis­ partly based on the fact that sible for them to mark separate many products imported from price labels for their South cussed and agreed upon by both parties. South Africa are now already African and Namibian branc~s. SWANU's leadership was working towards greater co­ marked with prices which in­ Nevertheless, Jones new of operation with SWAPO and other progressive parties, clude the cost of VAT. some South Africans chains but especially with SWAPO, he said. Consumers are worried that that had instructed their Na­ Rukoro pointed out that the "enemies of the state do not local shopkeepers will keep the mibian branches, to add 1 per want Namibia to succeed," and hence the need for na­ South African VAT inclusive cent to the 10 per cent S ou~ tional unity to consolidate independence. price, and then also add the 11 African VAT, and pay this as per cent General Sales Tax GST to theNamibianreceiver. He added that even though his party was not a major required by the Namibian He again stressed that even force in Namibian politics, itwould cooperate with others. Receiver of Revenue. if local retailers retained the On the cancellation ofSWANU's All-Branches Consul­ In this way shopkeepers pre-marked South African price tative Confer~nce scheduled for last Saturday, Rukoro would profit substantially since including V AT, they were not said it was cancelled because the owners of the Katutura they are not required to pass allowed to call it VAT. Community Centre had simultaneously reserved the hall V AT on to the South African Jones also cautioDed Namibi­ for the SWAPO Pioneer Movement, SWAPO Youth League Receiver of Revenue. ans buying goods iri South When approached for com­ Africa to make sure they did and for a wedding party. ment Under Secretary in the no pay V AT, and to make clear The conference was now scheduled for November 2-3, Ministry of Finance Dr Johan they were buying for export AN example of how one at a 'venue to be announced in due course. (Nampa) Jones firstly made it clear that purposes. local supermarket deals shopkeepers were entitled to Vekuii Rukoro charge whatever prices they with the V AT issue. continued on page 2 \ . Windhoek Show dispute Society last week confirmed MBATJIUA NGAVIRUE that a single company has been engaged to put up all the stalls A HEATED dispute has arisen between the local, for this years show. signwriting companies and the Windhoek Show Society He explained the Show over the exclusive award of a contract to erect stalls for Society chose the Z-Group this year's show to a South African company. because the company uses something called the "shell The contract to build stalls to be so much work in the last system" to construct exhibi­ for the show has apparently two months before the show, tion areas. gone to the large South Afri­ that local firms could hardly' Hillsman said that in the past can. Z-Group, which special­ cope and used to have to hire firms constructing stalls for ises in exhibitions, interior extra labour. the Show used all kinds of decorating and shop fittings. 'This year many finns had materials when building. Several small signwriting already started hiring part-time The advantages of the shell companies in Windhoek now labour, but then two weeks system however is that it pro­ stand to lose important income before the show they suddenly duces uniform and neat results, because the contract has gone realised that no one had been he said. There was no longer to a South African company. offered any work. any signwriting required be­ TIle companies feel that they Normally a list of prospec­ cause names were simply cut have always done the work of tive exhibitors is circulated to out and then pasted up. erecting stalls 'adequately in interested firms long before "This is much tidier and the past, and cannot understand the show is due to open, but better than in the past We want why the Show Society has now this year there was no'list. to uplift the standard of the turned to a foreign company. There also appears to be show by putting up stalls that One caller, from the com­ disagreement about whether the look better, " he added.