Gondwana turns to High Court for Hollard to pay
Claim decision…
GONDWANA Collection Namibia, a major player in Namibia’s tourism industry, has turned to the High Court of Namibia to force short-term insurer, Hollard Insurance Company of Namibia, to pay out what it calls “agreed commitments” under a business interruption claim. Business interruption insurance basically offers businesses protection against financial losses incurred when businesses are unable to operate and in the 12 months or so the Covid-19 outbreak has raised questions about whether this coverage includes pandemic-related losses.
A statement from Gondwana spokesperson, Inke Stoldt, noted the tourism operator intends to lodge its application at the Windhoek High Court on 31 March 2021. “The action taken by Gondwana stems from insured losses that the company has suffered due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the state of emergency and measures implemented by government as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. The above application is affiliated to the urgent application lodged on 3 March 2021, but is not affected by the removal of the urgent application from the court roll,” the statement reads.
Stoldt requested the understanding of media houses that any further statements will be published only as may be deemed necessary under the advisement of Gondwana’s legal counsel. “Media queries are referred again to the court papers on public record that provide full context to this matter,” she concluded. Meanwhile, insurance experts say whether or not businesses can claim for Covid-19 related claims depends on the terms of the insurance policy and how the insurer, and in the case the courts, interpret them.
Business interruption insurance policies can help a business remain afloat if it has to close temporarily. The relevant insurance policies provide income replacement that can be used to cover day-to-day operating expenses and overhead costs until the business is able to reopen.
Business interruption policies are generally used by small to midsized businesses. A typical business interruption policy will include property, liability, and business income coverage. Generally, damage caused by riots, vandalism, or civil unrest are covered by business interruption insurance policies, as well, unless the policy specifically excludes these events. Damages related to flooding, earthquakes, or mudslides may normally not be covered under a standard business interruption insurance policy but can be added upon request. The coronavirus pandemic delivered a significant economic blow to many business owners with the many having been forced to close down. However, unless a policy specifically lists coverage for pandemics or contagious illnesses, those events may generally be excluded.
Government, through the Ministry of Finance (MoF), last week Thursday availed N$550 000 for the development and execution of an accredited procurement study program at three local public institutions of higher learning.
The launch of the procurement management program makes it available on the academic and training calendars of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Namibia Institute for Public Administration and Management (NIPAM).
Delivering the keynote address at the launch on behalf of the finance minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, his senior economic advisor Penda Ithindi said the funding will enable the conceptualisation, curriculum and course content development.
According to Shiimi, the objective of the cooperation agreement is to respond to capacity development and training needs in the public procurement sphere.
“The new law has ushered in a new paradigm shift in the conduct of the public procurement. The policy objectives enshrined in the public procurement Act are to, among others, inject greater transparency and accountability in the public procurement processes,” he said.
Further Shiimi noted that the law will curb corruption and promote integrity in the conduct of public procurement, promote value for money by striking a fine balance between quality and cost.
Among these objectives the new course is expected to promote local economic development and empowerment through local preferences and sourcing for locally produced goods and services, more so, the sourcing of goods and services produced by smallmedium enterprises, youth and women entrepreneurs.
“To achieve these lofty objectives, the implementation and institutional arrangements demanded by the law are those of checks and balances through an extensive set of implementing bodies, ranging from the procurement policy unit at the MoF, the central procurement board, the procurement management units, and procurement committees at all public entities,” outlined Shiimi.
He added that a critical mass of skills is needed across the public sector to efficiently execute this function, realising internal operational efficiency and achieving an optimal turnaround in the adjudication of bids. He further emphasised that the development of qualifying training in public procurement is an important step in the process of professionalisation and the creation of a development path for procurement practitioners and procurement cadres in Namibia.
For public procurement to catalyse local production and manufacturing capacity through local sourcing, Shiimi indicated that an up-to-date database of locally produced goods and services is needed as well as research on new product development. He concluded that enhancing the complexity of existing products as well as supporting the monitoring and evaluation to objectives will also increase local production.
Agribank’s mentee and post settlement loan beneficiary Elize Eliphas (32) is a young female resettled commercial farmer in the Maltahöhe district near Mariental in the Hardap region. Eliphas’s farming journey started at the tender age of 14 with her parents at their homestead in the northern part of Namibia and through assisting her sister who was a small-scale farmer in the Kavango-East region.
After completing her grade 12 with flying colours, she was advised to pursue medicine as a career, an idea she rejected and instead opted to enrol for an agricultural course at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. “People look at agriculture as a field for the poor academic performers and when I decided to study agriculture, many people wanted me to do medicine which was not my preference. My passion is agriculture. All I knew in my life was agriculture and my first two years of study was paid with money from farming,” she narrated.
Eliphas remained unemployed for six years after graduating and it was during this time that she came across a newspaper advertisement for farm resettlements. She applied and was resettled in 2015. Towards the end of the same year, she also received a Post Settlement Loan from Agribank to buy livestock, improve and maintain her resettled production unit. After two years of trial and error in farming, Eliphas approached the bank again to request for mentorship services. In July 2017, she was onboarded on Agribank’s mentorship programme and attached to Johannes Motinga in the Hardap region. “I really appreciate Agribank’s free mentorship programme. My mentor really opened my eyes to treat farming as business. He taught me different aspects of farming at a commercial level, ranging from record keeping, vaccinating programme, production plan, marketing, animal hygiene and farm diversification amongst others,” she explained.
One of the biggest challenges she faced as a farmer, was the 2019 drought. Another challenge was the outbreak of the Orf disease in her goats last year that resulted in more loses at her farm. Currently, Eliphas farms with livestock (both cattle, goats and sheep), poultry as well as growing some crops. She has three employees and have three other agriculture students from NUST, that are on a six-month job attachment contract. “In the next five years, I picture myself as a successful commercial farmer from the resettled unit, and I want to be exemplary to other resettled farmers, who get resettled and become a burden to government by turning their farms into white elephants,” she shared.
She urged fellow young people to utilise their time wisely, by concentrating on constructive ideas such as engaging in farming. She further advised young Namibians who harbour ideas of farming to start small and seek for support from role players in the sector such as Agribank. “My message to my fellow youth is that let’s stop wasting our valuable time in unconstructive things such as drinking, complaining and gossiping. All these things will take us nowhere in life,” she enthused.
WALVIS BAY – Likwambuyu wa bundui Albert Kawana ubulela kuli wanyaziwa ni kulumbiwa kiba makande ni limembala za sicaba, kamusebezi wahae wakubata kutatulula litaba za liluko la hae.
Kawana nabulezi manzwi awo kanao ya mukopano wa silimo mwa Swakopmund.
Likwambuyu unyazizwe hahulu kuzwelela hakena famusebezi, sihulu mwalitaba za kuaba mayambelo kwalikampani zeshelana ni kulyeha kuaba mayambelo kwabakupi babanca.
“Babulela kuli Kawana ki sikuba. Kawana una ni bulyangelino. Kona zeba bulela. Kono, hanilukeli kulatiwa kibatu kaufela kakuli hanilwaneli mupuzo walifasi kaufela,” nekubulezi Kawana.
“Musebezi waka sina mo ubulelela mutomopuso wanaha, kikubona kuli limbule zaluna lisebeliswa mwanzila yelukela. Kacwalo nisweli kueza musebezi oni ketezwi ki Mueteleli Hage Geingob.”
Kawana naize babeleki mwa liluko la hae seba bizwa “babeleki ba bulyangelino mwalitapi” bakeñisa taba yezwelapili ya bulyangelino ye ama yanali likwambuyu wa bundui Bernhard Esau.
“Sebasaba ni kubulela kuli babeleka kwa liluko la bundui. Babañwi mane balapela kuli libizo la liluko licince kuzwa ku la bundui kuba la limbule za liwate,” nekubulezi Kawana.
Nabulezi hape kuli hakubonisi hande kuli babeleki mwaliofesi zamuuso bangiwa kuli bana ni bulyangelino, ni habasika fumaniwa mulatu ki likhuta za mulao.
Likwambuyu naize kitaba ye zibahala kuli limbule za liwate libapala kalulo yetuna mwakufukuza bunjebwe, kuhulisa sifumu ni kubapala kalulo yetuna mwakubata kufita kwa pono 2030.
“Mulelo wo ukona feela kukonahala haiba kuna ni kamaiso sakata mwa mayemo kaufela, ili muuso ni liofesi za kwa mukunda halibeleka hamoho kutahisa zende mwanaha,” nabulezi.
Ovalandifi vomomapandaanda modolopa yaShakati ova hala oku pewa onhele yoku landifila yeli kalekelwa ili mokati kodolopa apa pena omangeshefelo mawa opo va shiive oku mona ovalandi vahapu. Ovanangeshefa vashona vomomapandaanda ohava landifa oinima yayooloka ngaashi omapungu, omatama, eenyanga nosho tuu, tava ti ova kala noku landifa momapandaanda omido dili hetatu paife.
Ovanyenyeta kutya otava mono oixuna shaashi kave na onhele iwa yoku landifila oinma yavo. Otava ti kutya ohava kala tava tewatewa kumuni wodolopa yaShakati noinima yavo oha inyekwako kumuni waShakati.
“Otwa loloka oku kala hatu endaenda twafa oimuna. Nomokati komutenya ohatu undula outololi ile twa humbata omavela komitwe muna oinima idjuu. Efimbo limwe ohatu dengwa kovakeleli vomaliko ngeenge tave tub lombwele tu dje ponhele yonhumba,” Ndapandula Johannes ta ti.
Ova hokolola kutya unene tuu efimbo eli lodula tai loko oinima yavo oikala tai lokwa nai shaashi kave na omatala oku landifilamo, oinima yavo ikale ili meyameno ngaashi naana ovalandifi vakwao veli momatala vena oilandifomwa yavo ili momudile.
“Otwa hala epangelo li tupe onhele yokulandifila modolopa yaShakati opo tu kale atu landifa oinima yetu twamanguluka, eshi osho omukalo muwa atu longifa opo tu shakeneke epangelo ondjilakati nokukelela oluhepo”, Bertha Namupala a ti.
Ovapopya noipala tai limemesha kutya ongeshefa otai enda nawa shaashi ovalandi ohava mbomboloka momwaalu uhapu efiku nefiku opo veli landele oushike pengeyo wavo, eshi ohashi vape omukumo opo va kale tava twikile nokulandifa nonande veli meshongo lakula lonhele yo kulandifila.
Ovati kutya oministeli yiipinndi nayi kale tai talele po ovanangeshefa momapandaanda opo i kale tai tale eshi nghee tava longo noudinini nokukwashipaleka kutya navo ova talika ko ongaa ovanangeshefa vo kolela.
Pexulilo ovatwa ovanhu omukumo ava veli momaumbo veena eshi tava ningi opo vatote po oungeshefa vavo vashona vadule okulimonena okamaliwa kavo ko mondjato.
Ovati otava twikile nokulonga nelitulemo opo eengeshefa davo dixume komesho.