Namibia Embassy Berlin -
Regierungsmitteilungen
State visit to Cape Town/South Africa
From 05 - 07 November 2012, President Hifikepunye Pohamba and the Ministers of Trade and Industry, Education, Finance, Environment and Tourism, Mines and Energy, Works and Transport, Defence as well as the Presidential Affairs Ministers and eight Permanent Secretaries travelled to Cape Town for a three-day state visit.
The state visit was aimed at consolidating the political and economic relations between the two countries. Three memoranda of understanding in the areas of a bi-national commission, public works and infrastructure development as well as meteorology were signed during the visit. (see Government's web-site and NBC)
President Pohamba addressed a joint session of the South African Parliament and visited Robben Island, the infamous prison where SWAPO veterans, including the founder of SWAPO, Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo, and Fillemon Shitilifa, Lazarus Sakaria and Hidipo Haufiku to name but a few were imprisoned.
visit to Robben Island; photos left to right: (1) Entering Section D where all the Namibian prisoners on Robben Island were kept; (2) President Hifikepunye Pohamba and delegation entering D section; (3) in the cell where the Namibian High Commissioner to South Africa, Marten Nenkete Kapewasha, was kept; (4) now an exhibition hall for former Namibian prisoners; (5) poster quoting Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo:
On Tuesday, 06 November 2012, South African President Jacob Zuma received President Pohamba and his delegation at an official ceremony. In his address, President Zuma, also recalled the joint struggle against Apartheid and for self-determination and liberation. (more photos here....)
From 05 - 07 November 2012, President Hifikepunye Pohamba and the Ministers of Trade and Industry, Education, Finance, Environment and Tourism, Mines and Energy, Works and Transport, Defence as well as the Presidential Affairs Ministers and eight Permanent Secretaries travelled to Cape Town for a three-day state visit.
The state visit was aimed at consolidating the political and economic relations between the two countries. Three memoranda of understanding in the areas of a bi-national commission, public works and infrastructure development as well as meteorology were signed during the visit. (see Government's web-site and NBC)
President Pohamba addressed a joint session of the South African Parliament and visited Robben Island, the infamous prison where SWAPO veterans, including the founder of SWAPO, Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo, and Fillemon Shitilifa, Lazarus Sakaria and Hidipo Haufiku to name but a few were imprisoned.
visit to Robben Island; photos left to right: (1) Entering Section D where all the Namibian prisoners on Robben Island were kept; (2) President Hifikepunye Pohamba and delegation entering D section; (3) in the cell where the Namibian High Commissioner to South Africa, Marten Nenkete Kapewasha, was kept; (4) now an exhibition hall for former Namibian prisoners; (5) poster quoting Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo:"We are Namibians and not South Africans; we do not now, and will not in the future recognise your right to govern us; to make laws for us in which we had no say; to treat our country as if it were your property and as if you were our masters. We have always regarded South Africa as an intruder in our country."
(6) President Pohamba and First Lady, Penehupifo Pohamba, and delegation; photographer: Luyanda Mpahlwa; click on the photos to enlarge pictures.
(6) President Pohamba and First Lady, Penehupifo Pohamba, and delegation; photographer: Luyanda Mpahlwa; click on the photos to enlarge pictures.
On Tuesday, 06 November 2012, South African President Jacob Zuma received President Pohamba and his delegation at an official ceremony. In his address, President Zuma, also recalled the joint struggle against Apartheid and for self-determination and liberation. (more photos here....)
High Profile Award for Fishery Policy
The Economist
Hyderabad, 17 October. During a beautiful award ceremony in Hyderabad, India, Namibia received the Silver Future Policy Award 2012. The only international award that celebrates policies rather than people was given to Namibia in recognition of its Marine Resources Act from 2000. The award was handed to the Honorable Kilus Nguvauva, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, by Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Director of the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law and member of the World Future Council. The ceremony was convened by the World Future Council (WFC), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), with support from the Okeanos Foundation. Photo left to right: Dr. Vithal Rajan, Peter E. Kenmore, Jakob von Uexkull, Dr. Naoko Ishii, Jan McAlpine, Glenda Simon, Theresa Mundita S. Lim, Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Heather Ketebengang, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Honorable Kilus Nguvauva, Alexandra Wandel
Nguvauva proudly accepted the award on behalf of Namibia. He stressed: “It gives me great pleasure to stand before you today to receive the Future Policy Award 2012 on behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and indeed the entire Namibia. My presence here is a testimony to over twenty years of Namibia’s efforts to rebuild the stocks of its marine resources and manage the fisheries on a sustainable basis as envisaged in the cardinal law of the land, in Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution.“Photo left to right: Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Head, Economic Law, IDLO, Director, Center for International Sustainable Development Law and WFC Councillor; Honorable Kilus Nguvauva, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources; Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN, WFC Councillor
In the ceremony the importance of healthy oceans and coasts for the well being of future generations was stressed by high profile speakers like Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), who delivered the welcome address, Dr. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Jakob von Uexkull, Founder of the World Future Council and the Right Livelihood Award.
Pohamba: Namibia at the crossroads - Al Jazeera English |
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20 October 2012
click here... or on the picture to watch the video Talk to Al Jazeera. Pohamba: Namibia at the crossroads. Namibia is a country that rarely makes the international headlines. It is also one of the most sparsely-populated places on earth. Named after the vast Namib desert the country is a place that has been controlled by two different foreign powers in the last century. Until World War I it was a German colony, a period marked by repression and the genocide of thousands of tribesmen who were driven into the desert where they starved. Then neighbouring South Africa took control and imposed its apartheid system. Namibia is now a post-colonial, post-conflict nation facing many of the same problems as its neighbours. So far it has maintained the domestic peace and many things are going well. On the global corruption index, Namibia ranks lower than many other countries in Africa. Tourism is growing, but balancing the environmental impact is a challenge. But in a country that is extremely rich in mineral resources there is great inequality. Many of the big landowners are white, and the black population is increasingly angry about this situation. So the president says the white population must give up land or possibly face a revolution. In the 22 years since independence Namibia has been run by just one party, SWAPO, the same organisation that led the guerrilla war for independence. Its leader, Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, who is also the Namibian president, discussed with Talk to Al Jazeera how the country has managed to remain so peaceful, and how he intends to deal with the underlying anger and growing discontent in his country. |
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Allgemeine Zeitung, 17.10.2012
Gutes Ergebnis
Mo-Ibrahim-Index: Namibia auf Rang 6
Windhoek/London – Dank stetiger Verbesserungen hinsichtlich der Regierungsführung in den vergangenen elf Jahren ist Namibia beim aktuellen Mo-Ibrahim-Index 2012 auf dem sechsten Rang von 52 afrikanischen Ländern gelandet. Das Ergebnis dieses Rankings gab die Mo-Ibrahim-Stiftung zu Wochenbeginn in London bekannt.
Demnach habe Namibia in der Gesamtwertung 70 von 100 möglichen Punkten erreicht, während der Durchschnitt für das südliche Afrika bei 59 Punkten und für den Kontinent bei 51 Punkten liege. Laut Detailübersicht hat Namibia bei den 18 Unterkategorien die meisten Punkte für Nationale Sicherheit (100 von 100) bekommen, gefolgt von Rechtstaatlichkeit (84) und Gesundheit (83). Die schlechtesten Werte gab es für Private Sicherheit (55), Ländliche Gebiete (58) sowie Nachhaltige ökonomische Möglichkeiten, Infrastruktur und Öffentliche Verwaltung (jeweils 61).
Wie die Stiftung mitteilte, habe sich die Regierungsführung in Afrika seit 2000 insgesamt verbessert. Aktuell gehörten die Länder Ägypten, Kenia, Nigeria und Südafrika zu den Verlierern. Der Mo-Ibrahim-Index gilt als führende Beurteilung für Regierungsführung in Afrika.
Demnach habe Namibia in der Gesamtwertung 70 von 100 möglichen Punkten erreicht, während der Durchschnitt für das südliche Afrika bei 59 Punkten und für den Kontinent bei 51 Punkten liege. Laut Detailübersicht hat Namibia bei den 18 Unterkategorien die meisten Punkte für Nationale Sicherheit (100 von 100) bekommen, gefolgt von Rechtstaatlichkeit (84) und Gesundheit (83). Die schlechtesten Werte gab es für Private Sicherheit (55), Ländliche Gebiete (58) sowie Nachhaltige ökonomische Möglichkeiten, Infrastruktur und Öffentliche Verwaltung (jeweils 61).
Wie die Stiftung mitteilte, habe sich die Regierungsführung in Afrika seit 2000 insgesamt verbessert. Aktuell gehörten die Länder Ägypten, Kenia, Nigeria und Südafrika zu den Verlierern. Der Mo-Ibrahim-Index gilt als führende Beurteilung für Regierungsführung in Afrika.
President Pohamba to address UN General Assembly
President Hifikepunye Pohambaattended the 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York. The session was held under the theme: Settling of Disputes by Peaceful Means. President Pohamba addressed the Assembly on the rule of law on Tuesday, 25 September 2012, and will speak on Friday, 28 September 2012 on the resolution of conflicts by peaceful means. The Namibian delegation includes Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Utoni Nujoma, Permanent Secretary Veikko Nghiwete, Government's Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Tuliameni Kalomo, 
as well as the country's Ambassador to the U.S., Martin Andjamba. President Pohamba and his delegation are expected back home on Saturday.
as well as the country's Ambassador to the U.S., Martin Andjamba. President Pohamba and his delegation are expected back home on Saturday.To listen to President Pohamba's address, please click on the video-clip; to read President Pohamba's speech click here...