FREE

CONSUMER
MARCH 2011

Y O U R V O I C E

NEWS

Viva
Namibia

Dr. Lee Small CONSUMER

Caveat Claims
Y O U R V O I C E

NEWS
Emptor Court turns 10
ISSN: 2026-710X w w w.consumernewsnamibia.com CN
 At Pick n Pay you will find a great
variety of the freshest food at best
value for money, available at all 17
stores nationwide.
In March, come and celebrate 21
years of Independence with 21
products at glorious low prices!

21
CN
 CONSUMER
The Team NEWS
Publisher
Consumer News
Editor’s Note

Printed by
John Meinert Printing
Wow! It’s March already! It’s amazing how busyness can compress
an hour into five minutes isn’t it? All-in-all, it’s a good thing because
Design & Layout there is much to be achieved and time waits for no man (sic). If there
Shapwa Hashali was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that
E-mail: shapwa@consumernewsnamibia.com matters to you, that moment is now.
The Consumer News team realised that 10 years ago (yes,
Editor it’s our 10th year anniversary this month) when the first magazine
Victoria Kangombe was published. Our passion to be the voice of the consumer has
E-mail: viki@consumernewsnamibia.com yielded fruitful relationships with relevant authorities; answers to a
Cell: 081 236 0803 concerned consumer; and has made suppliers of goods and services
more aware of consumers’ rights.
This month, the Law Society of Namibia campaigns with us
Business Development Manager
Jacques Nieman
to have a Small Claims Court established in Namibia. Small Claims
E-mail: jnieman@consumernewsnamibia.com Courts are a means of allowing access to justice for all. Turn to page
Cell: 081 203 7180 five to see what we’re on about.
Another issue that we avidly investigated is the way
certain suppliers of certain goods and services use adverts to play
Advertising Sales Executive on people’s self-esteem by claiming to be able to enlarge this or
Tabeth Nyahasha tighten that. We can’t stop them from advertising, but we can surely
E-mail: tabeth@consumernewsnamibia.com
Cell: 081 409 3448 underscore the validity of their claims. Unfortunately (or perhaps
fortunately, depending on how you look at it), we did not get to test
the product, but we spoke to certain powers that be to confirm that
Consumer News those adverts are, in fact, illegal...turn to page 6; you might want a
PO Box 96366 refund.
Windhoek, Namibia Lastly, we would like to extend our sincerest appreciation
Tel/Fax: +264 61 228 196 to you, our readers. It goes without saying, you deserve the
congratulatory messages!
Enquiries
info@consumernewsnamibia.com Viki

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.

~Bill Gates Contributers

Martin Mwinga works for First Capital Namibia, a specialised finan-
cial services company he founded in 2009. He believes that individuals
can excel at managing their financial affairs and strives to provide free
educational content and tools to empower individuals to make informed
financial decisions. You can contact Martin on +264 (61) 401 326
The Law Society of Namibia (LSN) is a self-regulating body created in
terms of the Legal Practitioners Act (1995) which serves the profession
and the public by promoting justice, protecting the independence of the
judiciary and upholding the Rule of Law. You can contact the LSN on
+264 61 230263/088

Roland Roeis holds a Diploma in Chemical Engineering (Belgium). He
has worked with Rand Water Board, the CSIR–NIWR (SWA) and finally
with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry-Department of Wa-
ter Affairs, until his retirement in 2006. His career in the field of water
got him involved in, among others, analysis, pollution control, research
and legislation (Water Quality Standards & Guidelines).
Wheely Bin Express is a wholly Namibian-owned company that pro-
vides cleaning services; landscaping, gardening and garden design ser-
vices; jet washing of interlocks, stones and tiles; as well as removal of
garden and construction refuse. Wheely Bin Express can be contacted
on +264 81 411 2941

Alexander Forbes is a leading provider of financial, risk and insur-
ance and multi-manager investment solutions internationally. Alexan-
der Forbes’ customers include small, medium and large organisations,
specialist groups and individuals. Alexander Forbes can be contacted on
+264 61 270 4300
Kaarina Nairenge is 4th year Public Relations and Industrial Psychol-
ogy student at the University of Namibia. Kaarina works as a journalist
for the Consumer News magazine.

Rob Parker holds a B.A in Political Science from St. Mary’s University Tendai Karonga is a recent MA graduate in Media Enterprise with Bir-
in Halifax. He is a consumer rights advocate and journalist for Consumer mingham City University (UK). She is an independent media profes-
News. sional that she adores all things African and fashion, and loves a little
bit of everything.

CN 01
10th Annervasary Edition contents
Business Watch Launch
Feature

Advocating for Justice for all

By The Law Society of Namibia

05
Editorial

06
Advetile Dysfunction

By Rob Parker

07
Street vendors, an eye sore?

By Anna Kangombe

08
Are you over-insured?

By Martin Mwinga

12
Protect our health

By Milton Louw

13
Beauty: Hidden lies of chemicals

By Roland Roeis

16
The till doesn’t lie

By Tendai Karonga

17
Power options for Namibia

By Kaarina Nairenge

19
Sports

English footbal, a grafty trade

CN
CN 03
 letters
Dear Editor
What a pity I do not get hold of your magazine more often.
I seldom shop (my wife considers me incompetent in this
field). So popping in at a tourism outlet in Karibib I saw
several older editions, as well as the most recent one, of your
magazine laid out for interested visitors to take with. I am
now slowly reading through them as I find time. I fell in love
with your November 2010 issue; your choice of topics and
information are of direct relevance to the public at large, and
your excellent quality and mastery of language are superb.
Well done!
Roland
Dear Editor
Atmosphere, installers of wardrobes, cupboards and such,
installed cupboards in our new home in December 2010. By
the time we moved in on 20 December, they were already
closed for the holidays. I unpacked some of my best crockery,
including some treasured teapots, on to the shelves and they
just collapsed. I immediately called the developer who came
to confirm that it really happened and I also took pictures
of the damage. When Atmosphere re-opened, the developer
tried to speak to Atmosphere about it and the manager/owner
said: “Tell her to sue us”, turned his back and walked away. I
called them up personally and explained what happened and
was told that it’s not their fault if the shelves were not strong
enough. They sent some workers to come and re-enforce the
shelves and they are much sturdier now. I was charged for
cutlery inserts which I have still not received after repeated
requests for them. The hob which they installed moves
around on the counter and nothing has been done about it.
One of the shoe cupboards does not open or close properly.
I have called and emailed them with these faults and still no
word from them.
I would like to warn other consumers about the bad
workmanship and customer relations of this company.
Yours
Ruby Christians
CN
World Consumer Rights Day
Consumer News unites with all consumers to celebrate World
Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) on the 15 March. This is an
annual occasion that marks a memorable day for consumers
within the international consumer movement. This is our
month to promote all the basic rights of consumers and
demand that all these rights are respected.
As a consumer you have:
• The right to satisfaction of basic needs. To have access to
basic, essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing,
shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and
sanitation.
• The right to safety. To be protected against products,
production processes and services which are hazardous to
health or life.
• The right to be informed. To be given the facts needed
to make an informed choice, and to be protected against
dishonest or misleading advertising and labelling.
• The right to be heard - To have consumer interests
represented in the making and execution of government
policy, and in the development of products and services.
For Consumer Rights Day this year, we at Consumer News
would like to recognise some of those people who work hard
in Namibia for the recognition of our rights as consumers.
These people sacrifice their time effort and resources to make
Namibia a better country for us all and we salute them.
Milton Louw from The Namibia Consumer Protection Group
(miltonlouw@gmail.com)
Michael Gawaseb from the Namibia Consumer Trust
(+264 61 402 498)
Bob Ziekonoppasser Namibia Consumer Lobby
(+264 64 461 461)
Kaarina Nairenge
Letters to the editor, with the writer’s name should be
emailed to viki@consumernewsnamibia.com
Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity
 feature
Access to justice
Small Claims Courts
By: The Namibian Law Society
The United Nations Development Programme asserts that:
“Access to justice is a basic human right, as well as an indispensable
means of combating poverty and preventing and resolving
conflict... the poor and other vulnerable groups may be victimised
by corrupt or indifferent officials, without having a reasonable
chance to seek legal remedies for mistreatment. Moreover, it is
important to understand that access to justice means much more
than improving an individual’s access to courts or guaranteeing
legal representation. It is about ensuring that legal and judicial
outcomes are just and equitable and that systems work in practice
for the poor and disadvantaged as well.”
http://europeandcis.undp.org/governance/hrj/show/D8C74305-
F203-1EE9-B8B6C3C07F451806
It is no secret that not all of us can afford legal representation, and
many a times, courts would usher away someone who wants to sue
another (let’s call this person the defendant) for what is considered
a small amount – say about N$3000 –, or a matter too trivial for the
court to handle. This implies that practically justice is not available
to all.
To allow access to the masses, perhaps it is time we
considered the notion of Small Claims Courts for Namibia as
a means of settling what are considered minor civil disputes in a
speedy, affordable and simple manner. The following countries
currently employ Small Claims Courts: the United States, Australia,
England and Wales, South Africa and Canada.
In a Small Claims Court, you may sue someone for claims
that will simply become too expensive to pursue in the ordinary
civil courts. These cases may include suing for monies owed to
you (usually a small amount); for bad workmanship; for damage
to your property; for damage to your vehicle as a result of a motor
vehicle accident; faulty goods or goods ordered and paid for but not
supplied; disputes between landlords and tenants; among others.
Procedures in Small Claims Courts are simpler than in
civil courts. For that reason, persons usually can file and present their
cases relatively quickly and inexpensively. Legal representation
is not allowed although you may obtain prior advice from a legal
practitioner at your own costs. Legal assistants, usually final year
law students and clerks of the Small Claims Courts will assist you
free of charge.
Who may institute a claim? Anyone, except juristic
persons such as Companies, Close Corporations and Associations.
Persons under 18 must obviously be assisted by a parent or legal
guardian. Against whom may you claim? Except for the State,
you may institute a claim against anyone, including Companies,
Close Corporations and Associations. Municipalities and Regional
Councils are, however, also excluded. This probably conjures up
scenes of Judge Judy in your mind doesn’t it? Well, that is exactly
what it is.
It is advised that you try and settle a claim before taking
court action because you are likely to be penalised if you don’t. If
for instance you take your laptop to an IT technician for fixing and
you find that you are still encountering the same problem when you
get home, there is no point in applying to the court immediately
for compensation if you haven’t contacted the technician about the
problem. You can only use the court if you cannot get the problem
solved by negotiation.
You will therefore be expected to make your claim in
writing, giving the other person a reasonable time to reply; a month
is usually a good enough time.
You should of course let them know that you will take court action
if they fail to reply within the given time.
You are advised to sort out your claim by using mediation
if the other party agrees. This is where a neutral third party – a
mediator – helps both parties to reach a mutually-agreeable solution
to a problem. Sometimes, even if you start a claim, the court might
refer your case to a mediator.
Do keep in mind that winning in Small Claims Court
does not automatically guarantee payment or compensation
for damages done to you. It may of course be relatively easy in
the case of a dispute against an insured party. In the case of an
uncooperative defendant, the judgement may be collected through
wage garnishment – when the court orders that a given amount be
taken directly from the defendant’s salary to meet certain financial
obligations. Alternatively you may, with your Small Claims Court
order to hand, also approach a Magistrate’s Court to issue a Warrant
of Execution.
A Small Claims Court will typically have a maximum
monetary limit to the amount of judgments it can award. In South
Africa the limit has been set at R12 000.00. By suing in a Small
Claims Court, you, the plaintiff, are surrendering any right to claim
more than the court can award. In some states (in the case of the
USA) people tend to seek to reduce the amount of damages claimed
in order to fit a trial into a court that would otherwise not have
jurisdiction (a concept known as “court shopping”). This is strictly
forbidden.
In the case where you are the defendant, you must, within
at least 14 days after receiving the notice of a claim, acknowledge
the claim as valid (or invalid). The plaintiff should of course have
furnished the court with the amount of the claim, the disputed
property, plus any filing fees and expenses paid. If you as the
defendant pay, or otherwise satisfy the claim, you must provide the
court with proof of the payment.
You may ask for a hearing and/or assert a counterclaim
against you. If you request a hearing, the clerk will notify the
plaintiff by mail of the time and place set for the hearing. Either
party may of course request a postponement if the trial date is not
convenient. The request must be in writing and received by the court
at least seven days before the hearing. If either party does not appear
in court at the time set for the hearing, the case will be dismissed.
If the court has a mandatory arbitration programme, the clerk will
inform you about the arbitration rules and fees.
As with all things there is good news and bad news. The
bad news about Small Claims Courts is that their rulings cannot be
appealed, even when bad in law. You may, however, launch a High
Court review application on either the grounds of jurisdiction or on
the unlikely grounds of bias, malice or corruption on the part of the
presiding Commissioner.
Should you for any reason not feel happy with the
outcome of a Small Claims Court action, you are entitled to transfer
the matter to any Magistrate’s Court. One should, however, keep in
mind that you are then again entering the civil court sphere which
will mean a costly suit to claim your damages.
Despite the short comings, many other countries have
long recognised the strong links between establishing democratic
governance, reducing poverty and securing human rights and justice
for all and Namibia jumped on that bandwagon ages ago. Perhaps
it is time we stop philosophising and ‘Just do it’ (as the Nike slogan
states); let us advocate for justice for all, let us advocate for Small
Claims Courts in Namibia.
CN 05
 editorial
A penny for your
confidence?
By: Rob Parker
I am freakishly well-endowed. I just want to state this
at the outset so there is no confusion. It was curiosity,
rather than need, that sparked my interest in penis
enlargement.
Rocky, Rhino Horn, Virgin Sticks and Penis
Enlargement Pumps…One cannot help but notice
the full-page colour advertisements that appear in
our newspapers weekly. A full-page advertisement in
a daily or weekly paper is an expensive buy and one
might conclude that these spots are working due to their
reoccurrence.
This points us to the idea that a lot of people are
buying these products: the penis pump, performance
enhancements, cures for impotence, re-virginating
sticks, vagina tightening creams...you name them. But
what are they selling?
I would think that a powder being marketed as a cure
CN
for erectile dysfunction is a medicine. People are being
sold a cure for a specific medical problem; so yes, it is
in fact a medicine. The problem is that these companies
are operating within a grey area of the law to advertise
medicines in newspapers in Namibia.
There are existing regulations for the use of
homeopathic, herbal and traditional medicines, among
others, under the category Complementary Medicines.
According to Johannes Gaeseb from the Namibian
Medical Regulatory Council (NMRC), there is however
no category under which these products qualify as
medicines.
For a company to make a medicinal claim,
according to the NMRC, they must convince the
Council of the veracity of their claims: this includes
clinical trials by qualified independent physicians.
If there are no tests and no trials, then what proof is
offered to a discerning public? The Council, by the way,
does not accept anecdotal claims as evidence.
The Council is busy drafting guidelines
prohibiting offers for cures for impotence and other
ailments of a similar nature. This will reduce some of
the misleading advertisements which play on people’s
insecurities but offers them nothing but a placebo.
These new rules should be out by the middle
of the year. As things stand now, the Council is in a
difficult position; unless the Council makes specific
provisions, these companies operate in a grey area of
the law.
If a consumer is harmed by one of these
products, their only recourse would be a civil suit
against the producer and/or vendor of the product. The
newspaper, or advertising vehicle, would also likely be
named as a respondent.
I went ahead and phoned the number given on
the advertisement and spoke to a representative and
asked her some of these questions. I was told that Dr.
Lee products “Have been registered with the Namibia
Medicines Council”.
I asked them if their medications had undergone
clinical trials and was told that they had, but when I
asked for details the phone went dead. I tried a few
more times and got through again. I was asked to give
my phone number and was told that somebody would
call me back. I offered to email them my questions
and promised to give them time to respond. I sent my
questions but have, at this stage, not heard back.
When I called to confirm their claim that the products
are registered with the Council, I was told, definitively,
that no such product is registered, nor have they been
shown any clinical trials.
Perhaps the good people at Dr. Lee are
confused. Maybe they are lying? In any case, I am not
trusting them with The Family Jewels. Besides, I am
freakishly well-endowed.
 editorial
Street Vendors in Namibia:
a sore eye to whom?
By: Anna Kangombe
While the Private sector is the engine for economic growth
in any given place, the public sector also plays an important
role in creating an enabling environment for private sector
growth which should ideally lead to more jobs being created,
increased wealth in the economy and improved living
conditions.
With unemployment rates soaring above 50% in
Namibia, the public sector, particularly the municipalities
and town councils, should perhaps hail, instead of jailing,
street vendors because by definition, street vendors are part
of the active private sector.
It is a simple business principle: a real entrepreneur
finds a market, identifies the need of that market and serves
that need. Perhaps the Local Authorities, and maybe rightfully
so, are not very entrepreneurial in their planning; which is
why they first find a venue, develop that venue, and expect
entrepreneurs to leave their respective markets and come
to operate from that designated area. Where is the business
sense in that? What market will they be serving from such a
location?
Unlike in our country where we treat street vendors
as criminals, in many other African countries, they are treated
as business people and a large part of population live off that
very important economic activity. In Tanzania for example,
you find well developed supply chains in this sector and the
economy is self sustaining.
The fresh produce in the streets are not viewed as
a sore eye but the opposite. Similar supply chains will not
develop in Namibia because common sense tells us that, for
it to move effectively, you do not push a chain, you pull it.
In other words, you do not push products in the market, you
find the market and you pull the products into the market; the
very local market for local products that our municipalities
are busy destroying slowly. And then we talk about a market
economy in Namibia, who does the market economy serve if
it leaves out local entrepreneurs?
It is true that, most of us make up that very market
that street vendors serve. Regional and international travellers
often look for local products when they come to a particular
country and these products are not in the big well-lit aisles of
the supermarkets; they are with the people on the streets.
Street vendors are providing a very important service in the
economy and instead of planning for them, municipalities
should plan with them. The ongoing events of the police
forcefully removing these entrepreneurs from their
entrepreneurially chosen locations and confiscating their
products are testimony to the fact that there is a mismatch in
the economic planning of our towns.
Why then, if street vendors are such a sore eye does
the economic principle of “the market” continue keeping
them in business? Or perhaps the sore eye for street vendors
does not lie in the eyes of the beholder because both locals
and visitors are vying for products provided by the street
vendors in their strategically chosen locations.
This sore eye might perhaps lie between the lines of
misinformed policies and bylaws of our public sector which,
by implication are detached from the reality of our country,
especially in the time where we are talking of increased urban
poverty and unemployment.
CN 07
 editorial
Are you over-insured?
Cancel useless insurance policies
By: Martin Mwinga
Insurance (life, study, etc.) is not a simple product, and
buying insurance doesn’t make sense for everyone,
especially for those who have reached the breakeven
point of asset accumulation or whose investments
or assets are enough to take care of their dependents’
needs after their death.
However, most people have a tendency to buy
unnecessary or useless insurance policies, and in the
process waste their money subsidising others in the
insurance schemes; they than resort to borrowing in
order to supplement their budgets.
If you have no dependents, and you have
enough assets to cover your debts and the cost of dying,
then insurance is an unnecessary expense for you.
Even if you do have dependents, but you have enough
investments or assets to provide for them after your
death, then you do not need insurance policies such as
study or life insurance policies.
A personal cash flow analysis is usually
08 CN
necessary to determine the true type and amount of
insurance cover that must be purchased. Otherwise
you will keep on buying insurance policies sold to you
by sales insurance agents. The cost of insurance could
reach a point where the monthly premiums you pay to
insurance companies could bankrupt you and push you
deeper in the valley of debts. This article will briefly
examine and explore some of the insurance policies
you can do without.
Accidental Death Insurance Policies: If you
have debts that outweigh your assets, then you likely
will need insurance to ensure that your dependents are
looked after if something happens to you. You must
however avoid narrowly focused policies such as
accidental death insurance.
An accidental death insurance policy covers
you in case of a death that is not related to disease or old
age. However, chances are your existing life insurance
>>
 HAVE YOUR SAY ON
MICROLENDING
The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) is responsible for the registration and
supervision of Micro-lenders in Namibia. NAMFISA’s powers in this regard stem from the administration of
the Usury Act No. 73 of 1968 and Exemption Notices 189 and 196 as published in Government Gazette No.
3266 of 25 August 2004.
Have you been unfairly treated by a Micro-lender?
Should you have a dispute with a Micro-lender on the loan amount, the interest rate charged, the period of
the loan or allegations of unfair treatment, the first port of call would be the Micro-lender. You should
attempt to speak to the person in charge of the micro-lending office or to the owner of the business with a
view of solving the matter.

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome after taking it up with the Micro-lender concerned, the matter
can be escalated to NAMFISA for further investigation. It is however important for you to first approach the
Micro-lender before referring the matter to NAMFISA, as it was often found in the past that an issue could
have been resolved with the Micro-lender without NAMFISA’s involvement.

It is important to note that NAMFISA has a dedicated Complaints Department which investigates complaints
and mediates on disputes between industry players and consumers or borrowers.

IMPORTANT: NAMFISA strongly discourages members of the public from engaging the services of unregis-
tered micro-lenders.

What to do:

• Make sure that the micro-lender is registered with NAMFISA. Kindly feel free to contact NAMFISA with
the details of the person/institution to verify their registration status.
• NEVER sign blank documents or documents you do not understand.
• Do not sign Acknowledgement of Debt forms or Consent to Judgement forms before you have defaulted
on your repayment.
• Have all the terms and conditions of the loan explained to you in a language
that you understand.
• NEVER insist on a loan that you cannot afford to repay.
• If you cannot repay your loan as per the agreement, immediately
contact the micro-lender and make alternative arrangements
to repay your loan.

We want to hear from you, contact us:

0800 290 5000 P.O. Box 21250, Windhoek or SMS to 3030*
or Email: consumer@nam sa.com.na
*normal SMS charges apply
CN
 Are policy will cover you in most of those events anyway.
Basic life and disability insurance covers a person no
matter how they die or become disabled. Before you
buy a policy, you need to check the insurance contract
carefully as it could be costly.
I can give an example of one unfortunate
you
Namibian family. Let’s call the breadwinner Mr Z. Mr
Z was a government employee who died by natural
death in 2000. He was the only breadwinner of a
family of five children and a housewife. He bought a
life insurance policy from a local insurance company
and pledged this policy against his home loan. After his
death, the insurance company refused to own-up to its
obligations because the life insurance policy stipulated
that the insured must die by accident and not natural
causes for the insurance to pay.
The family tried all avenues, including the
Ombudsman, to force the insurance company to own-
up to its obligation, but all their efforts failed and their
house was put on auction and sold; the proceeds from
the sale of the house was used to settle the debts of the
over
deceased’s estates, which only consisted of a mortgage
loan and fees for the lawyers.
The deceased life insurance cover was N$650
000, the outstanding mortgage loan was N$190 000 and
the value of the house at the time of his death was N$450
000. So had he taken the right life insurance policy, he
would have left his family a net worth of close to N$1
million.
After the house was repossessed and sold on
auction, the widow and her five children had no income
and home in Windhoek and had to relocate back to
the village. Yes, the insurance broker or salesman
might appear friendly to you and entice you to buy his
insurance policy, but some of them will be really mean
to your family after your death as this family can testify.
insured?
Study Insurance Policy: If you do a proper
cash flow analysis and take the right life insurance
policy, then a study insurance coverage may be optional
or not needed at all. Besides, there are many other ways
of saving for your child’s education. I have never taken
a study policy before therefore, for each child I have, I
have invested in property which is financed through the
bank and monthly instalments on the houses are paid
by tenants. If I die before there is enough equity value
on my properties, my life insurance policy pay-out will
take care of the children’s educational needs.
Seven years ago I assisted a single mother,
who was in a financial mess, to restructure her finances
and get her out of debts. This exercise ended up in
09 CN
her cancelling four study policies, two life insurance
policies and one funeral policy. The single mother
was earning a net monthly salary of N$12 500 and
was paying a monthly amount of N$3900 in insurance
premiums or 31% of her monthly salary.
After the re-structuring exercise we brought
down her total monthly insurance premium to N$2145
or 17% of her total monthly salary, a savings of N$1755.
Instead of study policies, my advice to the single mother
was to start buying properties for investment purpose.
After seven years since our major restructuring of
her finances, the single mother has accumulated four
residential properties including the one she resides in
and based on the latest valuations she can receive a net
income of N$1.4 million if she sales the three houses
currently on rent.
Her first born is going to university this year
and will need N$35 000 for her education in 2011.
Because this single mother’s child did very well in her
grade 12, she received a bursary and therefore does
not need to sale any of her properties. Remember all
these properties were 100% financed by the bank, and
the monthly rentals covered the instalments. With the
savings she made after cancelling the policies, she
opened an investment account and started a saving
plan to close an income shortfall she may face after her
retirement.
Car Insurance: While it is important to insure
your car, the money you spend on car insurance could
be enough to guarantee you a decent retirement as the
following example demonstrates. Mr Y retired at the
end of 2010, and over the past 23 years he possessed
four cars, an average of one car every six years.
Over the past 23 years he spent more than N$282
000 (N$1021 monthly premium) on car insurance
alone, but never received a single cent from insurance
companies because for all the 23 years he was never
involved in a car accident. The one time he submitted a
claim for a car break in, the insurance company refused
to pay, he was accused of negligence. If he had invested
the N$282 000 in a combination of shares and bonds
over the same period, he would have received by end of
2010, an amount of N$2.5 million at an average return
of 15%. For all the past 23 years, this man has been
subsidising reckless drivers and enriching the insurance
company.
There you have it folks, so before purchasing
unnecessary insurance, consider buying only what you
need and upping your savings; you will not regret it.
?
CN
 opinion

Protect
our B
health
By: Milton Louw

On 16 February, I read the following about Namibia’s

beef:

“....it was discovered during a routine EU visit that

MeatCo treats its animals with the prohibited substance,
Phenylbutazone; medication that is said to be used to ease
joint pain and for certain lung ailments in certain animals. It
is also said that it could cause cancer in humans. Knoth said.”
MeatCo’s CEO, Kobus du Plessis, yesterday said
that the substance is not illegal in Namibia: “It’s a Schedule
3 medication that one is allowed to use if prescribed by a
veterinarian. The point is that the substance is still widely
used.”...He admitted though that: “of course some of the
meat may have made their way into European households
already”.
“Phenylbutazone is a potent pain reliever, antipyretic
and anti-inflammatory used mostly in dogs and horses. In the
horse, it is used commonly for lameness resulting from soft-
tissue injury, muscle soreness, bone and joint problems, and
laminitis. Phenylbutazone may be given intravenously or
orally; pain relief and fever reduction usually starts within
one to two hours.”
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/
ProductSafetyInformation/ucm186621.htm
It gets one to repeatedly shake one’s head and
incessantly say ‘whoa’ doesn’t it? The CEO of MeatCo has
no problem with a substance that could cause cancer because
it is not illegal in Namibia?
As a consumer who loves our meat and is always
bragging about it wherever I travel in the world, I had to
suddenly hesitate. So many people are telling me not to
smoke as it could cause cancer, and now I was promoting the MeatCo’s response:
eating of a Namibian product that could cause cancer. Ouch.
The Namibia Consumer Protection Group (NCPG) “We were not aware that the medication is banned in the EU
was founded in November 2009 to enforce, amongst others, as it is legal in Namibia and widely used in other countries
“The right to be protected against the marketing of goods such as South Africa. It was an honest oversight and we take
or the provision of services that are hazardous to health and full responsibility for this.
life.”
We would like to know: is the management of All products that emanated from treated animals were
MeatCo not concerned about the health of the Namibian successfully traced and isolated – all affected products have
consumers? Clearly it would only become an issue when the thus been recalled. We also would like to add that withdrawal
EU stops these imports. I now appreciate, more than ever, the periods, as per law, were adhered to; and products will be
quote: extensively tested to confirm that there are no residues of the
“...consumer protection can only truly exist in the medication present in it.
First World, industrialised, or developed nations due to the
fiscal resources necessary to properly execute legal protection We value the reader’s comment but we are definitely not
of consumer interests.” insensitive to the consumers of our product as they are a
I sincerely hope that MeatCo corrects the problem to critical link in our value chain.”
enable it to continue to export to Europe. This is an important
part of our economy. I also hope, that MeatCo remembers Kind regards,
that we too are consumers even though we do not have the Ebben Kalondo
legislative powers YET. Senior Manager: Corporate Communications

12 CN
 editorial
Beauty: the hidden lie
Beauty, theof chemicals
hidden lie of
chemicals
By: Roland M Roeis
The article Beauty, the promise of chemicals, in the
November 2010 issue of Consumer News, which examined
some of the hidden chemicals and compounds in make-up
and cosmetics, was based on a Canadian source and, by
necessity, contained terminology and statements that may
be somewhat difficult to follow.
The Consumer News team asked me to share
with the readers some points worthwhile to know and
understand on the topic of EDCs and related matters. I
will endeavour to do so. These contributions are not
intended to create fear; Consumer News and I merely
intend to inform, so that you can take your own informed
decisions, if you feel or observe that some EDCs affect or
may affect your personal quality of life or that of people
in your care.
The compound in cosmetics and in so many other
commodities on the market has an ugly, scientific name:
endocrine disruptive compounds. Translated, it means
compounds that destroy the function of ductless glands in
our bodies. I once read a more appropriate German name
which translated to ‘organic compounds with hormonal
effects’. That is part of what these chemicals can do.
I first encountered the term ‘endocrine disrupter
compounds’ in literature* that I read to pass the time
whilst waiting for train and plane connections in Europe.
In the course of my work with the Namibian government,
about one to two years later, I encountered the term again
whilst perusing stacks of articles and book references. To
my surprise, I found that EDCs are ubiquitous, potentially
even in our drinking- and natural water resources as well
as in our wastewater…
What are organic compounds?
In chemistry, compounds are composed of elements;
if you took science at school, you may remember that
we find them listed in the Periodic Table of Elements.
Organic compounds are made up mainly of the elements:
carbon and hydrogen.
All other compounds that are not based on carbon-
hydrogen structures are termed inorganic compounds.
The reference to ‘organic’ derives from the fact that these
compounds are associated with biological life forms, their
food, their metabolism, and decay products.
Today’s industry has succeeded to artificially
produce or synthesise many so-called organic compounds
– their relation to ‘life forms’ is by name only. Inorganic
compounds do occur in living organisms too, but fulfil a
specific role within that life form (e.g. salt in tears, brain
fluid, blood, and so forth).
What are endocrine glands?
These are glands that secrete hormones (organic
compounds) directly into the bloodstream. Endocrine
glands produce hormones that in turn play an essential
role in the physiological functions in the body’s tissues,
nerves and organs. The major endocrine glands are pineal
gland, pituitary glands, thyroid glands, thymus gland,
adrenal glands, and sexual glands.
Apart from their physiological functions like
growth control, metabolism, emotional development
(mood control), brain rhythms (sleep/awake), sexual
function and development, and intellectual development.
They are also linked to the immune system in that
hormones can act as immune system regulators. The
immune system functions as our protection against
diseases of all kinds, including cancer.
How do EDCs disrupt the hormonal system?
Several reactions between the EDCs and the hormonal
system are possible and they range from damaging to
destructive, to simply blocking off hormonal functions.
We could compare hormones with messengers, carrying a
message for a nerve or organ to perform in a specific way or
to stop working.
In order to function (or deliver their message),
hormones dock into receptors on the receiving organ or
nerve – similar to the way a key fits a specific lock and
none other. Certain chemical compounds have the same or
a similar configuration and should ‘dock on’ at very specific
receptors that are in fact intended to receive ‘instructions’
from specific hormones. The receptor is then effectively
blocked.
We observe a similar process in how taste buds on
the tongue distinguish between tastes and cells in the nose
to discern smells. The receptors can be over-stimulated and
we stop smelling or tasting anything.
Where a receptor is blocked by a chemical
compound that is not a true hormone, either no signal, or
a wrong signal is passed onto an organ within the body.
This leads to a serious disturbance in the general household
of an organ, the brain, or even nerves. Furthermore such a
disturbance, if big enough or lasting long enough, will lead to
a disease, a wrong development of an organ or a breakdown
of normal protection mechanisms in the body. These may
come in the form of cancers, deformations, disturbances
in the normal functioning of organs, procreative organs,
sexual orientation, the personality or emotional make-up of
a person, etc. We are of the opinion that the notion or term
EDC or endocrine disrupter compound should become a
household term.
CN 13

A taste of the
Namibian Spirit in the
The secret that is driving us to success lies with our
determination to ‘Flying the Namibian Spirit’ to The first two ERJ’s will service the current route with our
base at Eros, with the following schedules.
the world. Our history is marked with an illustrious
past but our future is shaped with big dreams.
At 21, Air Namibia dreams is to see Namibian travel scene
changing with the rest of the world. Our aim is to grow
from within border and mushroom to the rest of Africa,
Europe and beyond. It is with this spirit that the airline
has embarked on introducing the upgraded services for
our domestic market that is expanding with increasing
demand. We are offering our domestic travellers a travel
experience that is fast, more comfortable and affordable.
We invite the public to taste our travel experience on
our introductory fares for selected domestic route.
We provide personalised range of services for all domestic
flights. It is important for you to familiarize yourself with
all services available at the point of reservation to see
how we can make your travel experience enjoyable.
Air Namibia shares the excitement by announcing the
upgraded services through the introduction of the
Embraer ERJ 135 to our growing family. The first of the
3 Embraer ERJ 135 was introduced in February, with
expectation of the second jet arrival in April and June.
The spirit embodies a distinct approach to celebration of life
that is unique to the land of the brave. Evoking the sights,
sounds and fragrances of Namibian people, it captures the
passion and natural warmth of the people shining through
their attitude to life and the way they interact with others.
CN
Skies
• Eros – Walvis Bay
• Eros – Ondangwa
• Windhoek – Maun – Victoria Fall
• Eros – Rundu - Katima Mulilo
The performance capacity of the ERJ’s are of high
standard enabling them to serve smaller cities without
forcing a connection; allowing us to augment existing
services as well as establish new routes never before
served nonstop. For us this means that we can introduce
new routes, such as, flights to Rundu as soon as April,
and selected regional routes.
The ERJ 135 is equipped with the ability to fly “above
the weather,” ensuring a quieter smoother and faster,
ride. The higher interior ceilings and wider aisles gives
you a larger seating capacity that accommodates 37
passengers and still leaves you room to feel comfortable,
while allowing you to work or relax.
Our aim as Air Namibia is to take this journey with you
and go the extra mile to bring you great services. We
invite you to experience our domestic service UPgrade
Rundu
Eros
Embraer ERJ 135 Routes >>
CN
 editorial
The till doesn’t lie
By: Tendai Karonga
It is Friday. Randomly you enter a clothing store. You peruse
the different tops, dresses and accessories oohing and aahing
as you go. You decide to purchase a lovely, multi-coloured
bracelet. You hold your breath and look at the price: N$
39.99. What?! You look again and notice that N$ 39.99 is
the former price, now it is going for N$ 19.99. Phew! You
take it to the till and as you hand over a twenty dollar note,
the cashier tells you the item was marked down-to N$ 9.99!
You almost throw your hands up in triumph, and why not? It
is the perfect beginning to the weekend. Funnily enough, this
happens quite often but so does the reverse.
The till does not lie
How many times has the same scenario unfolded only instead
of being told that the price has gone down, to your dismay
you hear it is at full price? What do you do? Understandably
most people, after queuing for so long do one of two things:
A.) if they can afford it, buy the item at whatever price it is.
Or B.) whether they have the money or not decide the hassle
of the situation is not worth it and neither is the item.
A small percentage of people will argue with the
cashier just to vent their frustration:
“I have waited this long only for you to tell me that this is
the wrong price? That is not my problem! All I know is I
am following the price that is shown.” Which never goes
very far because the cashier will invariably say: “Sorry mam,
someone must have put the wrong label by mistake. The till
is showing the full price of N$ 39.99.” Or even something
clever like: “The till doesn’t lie.”
Most people, having gotten this far, will take a deep
breath and do either option A or option B as detailed above.
A very small percentage of people will ask for the manager.
15 CN
Now it gets interesting. Depending on the impression you
make, how angry you are and what kind of person the
manager on duty is, the outcome can swing either way. This
tends to work with older customers of a dignified bearing
because when they say ‘don’t you know who I am! I will
shut down this whole shop!’ it is believable. You can even
see the manager’s job flash before their eyes as they imagine
having to explain to head office why Mr/Mrs. XXX (fill in
the gap)’s wife/husband was not properly attended to, and
how they failed to recognise them.
A legal course of action?
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a law or legal
recourse in this situation. This is mainly due to the fact that
if the till rings up the price as lower than the price shown on
the shelf, the manager would never claim that their business
was on the verge of collapse, and neither would we refuse
to pay lower! Once again it would be the prerogative of
the manager, after all, as Olivia Allen, from the Namibia
Customer Service Institute, advises: “it would be better for
business if the manager may decide to charge the lower price
anyway.” For all the customer service complaints out there,
hearing of a shop where such an occurrence would happen
shows great customer care and good will.
A cloud through every silver lining
As you walk out of the shop pleased with your twice-
discounted purchase, you think about how you will return
to this your new favourite clothing store because of the
wonderful sales they always seem to have. And yet...from
NS39.99 to N$ 9.99, you cannot help but wonder how much
it really cost to make the bracelet. After all, it says made in China.
 editorial
Power options
for Namibia
By: Kaarina Nairenge
Over the past three years, Namibia has been running heads-
off doing research on which energy source could be suitable
for Namibia to produce sufficient energy for the whole
country.
In May 2008, a group of Finnish experts, on a
mission to carry out a feasibility study on various energy
sources, suggested that the burning of wood to produce
electricity would be the best option for Namibia. According
to the Namibian, “60 000 tonnes of wood a year would [have
to] be harvested from an area approximately 8 600 hectares
in size.” However, due to bush encroachment, this would
not be a good option for our country because we depend on
agriculture; cutting and burning of such amount of wood
every year will therefore lead to desertification.
Currently, we get our electricity from NamPower
and their main sources of power are the thermal coal-fired
Van Eck Power Station outside Windhoek, the hydroelectric
plant at the Ruacana Falls in the Kunene Region, and the
standby diesel-driven Paratus Power Station at Walvis Bay.
In 2010, the price of electricity in the country
increased by 35%. Is there something that the government
can do to relieve the rapid increase in rates of electricity?
Perhaps a look at the varying energy source options available
to us:
Nuclear power originates from the splitting of
uranium atoms in a process called fission. At the power plant,
the fission process is used to generate heat for producing
steam, which is used by a turbine to generate electricity.
Nuclear power produces around 11% of the world’s energy
needs, and produces huge amounts of energy from small
amounts of fuel without the pollution that you would get
from burning fossil fuels. Due to this, nuclear power has
been one of the greatest way of providing electricity in many
developed countries.
However nuclear power poses specific demands
on national infrastructures that have to be satisfied by any
country to achieve success in its introduction as well as its
safe and reliable use. These demands include nuclear power’s
technical complexity, the required high level of investment,
and strict safety requirements.
Nuclear power is said to be one of the energy sources
that contributes to the country’s economy in different ways.
>>
CN
 However, massive nuclear waste is produced during this Solar energy, which is free, safe and available and is
process and it is very dangerous to human health. It is said obviously the best and safest bet for Namibia. Namibia is a
to cause cancer, birth defects and lead to genetic damage. sun-rich country and has seven to eight months of sunshine
It therefore requires resolution of the long-term high level every year. By using solar cells – also called photovoltaic
waste storage in any county. It must be sealed and buried for or photoelectric cells – we can convert light directly into
years to allow the radioactivity to die away. If these toxic electricity.
wastes are not properly sealed, they can contaminate the soil Below is a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of
and vegetation. Nuclear power is said to be reliable, but a lot the energy sources outlined above.
of money has to be spent on safety; if anything goes wrong, a
nuclear accident can be a major disaster. Source Advantage Disadvantage
Nuclear •Extensive scientific basis for •Requires larger capital cost for
Wind energy is another option available to produce the cycle safety reasons and nuclear waste
•Produce a high amount of storage system
energy and is efficiently employed in many countries such as energy •Releases toxic wastes that are
France, Spain, Germany and India. 5% of India’s Electricity •Create jobs harmful for human health
is being supplied by wind energy generation. Like any other
Wind •Wind is available and free •Limited to windy areas
source of energy, wind energy generation has advantages and •Generation and mainte- •Need many tower to produce
nance cost is reasonable enough energy
disadvantages. compared to nuclear. •High climate demands
The best places to build wind farms in Namibia •Wind is a renewable
resource
•The wind turbines may effect
endangered birds
are at the coast, in the deserts and mountainous areas. Wind •Safe, does not produce any
toxic waste harmful to hu-
is free, available and does not need fuel. It is a renewable man or vegetation
resource and can therefore not be depleted, unlike uranium
In addition, wind power is safe; it does not release any
Solar •Sunlight is free and available •High climate demands (more
form of toxic waste. Unfortunately, the wind is not always •Safe and cheap to manage sunlight more energy produced)
•Current technology requires
predictable; it is highly climate dependant, thus energy is large amounts of land for small
only produced when there’s availability of wind. amounts of energy generation

17 CN
 sport

English football, a grafty trade

By: Staff Reporter
When the real Ronaldo quit football, an (i.e. Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal,
EPL fan said the Brazilian legend could Liverpool) anyway. However they
never rank among the best because have, to their credit, of late broadened
he had never played in England. their limited scope to include
Now why would any sane Tottenham Hotspurs and Man City.
person come up with such an absurd If the EPL is such a great
remark? A bloke that probably believes league, why would the average
the WWE is a global sport. The reason EPL diehard enthusiast choose to
why Ronaldo, or Zidane and Romario, ignore a hardworking Stoke City
before him ignored the EPL is obvious; play a stubborn Wigan Athletic? The
it would have stifled their flair. EPL is the best marketed football
Just because the British competition, but that does not make
media overhypes its league and its it the best league to play football in.
players, it does not mean that they The German Bundesliga, which is
play good football. Let’s face it, the incredibly under-rated, has very good
EPL has money...and that’s about it. matches.
Anyone who truly loves football would In fact most teams in that league
choose to watch Sporting Gijon play have adopted an offensive approach
Levante or Sampdoria against Bari. By: Anna Kangombe to the game which has made the
If necessary, even a match between usually dull matches more of a
FC Koln and Mainz than the much spectacle.
obsessed-about Manchester Derby. Yes, the EPL has had the most
And, for the record, Wayne teams in the latter stages of the UEFA
Rooney is not the best player in the Champions League in recent seasons,
EPL either. He is at least three times but that does not compensate for their
below the levels of Carlos Tevez, lack of skill.
Dimitar Berbatov and four five notches As a matter of fact Spanish and
behind Fernando Torres. Olympique Marseille Sporting Italian clubs have won and appeared
Director, Jose Anigo, made a valid footballing point before his in the final stages of European competitions more than
team’s goalless UEFA Champions League in the last 16 first- English clubs have overall.
leg draw with Manchester United. In addition, Arsenal fans would most likely enjoy
He said: “In essence, it is the financial aspect of the watching their team play Barcelona every week. Spurs fans
game that dominates in England, not the sports project.” He will equally welcome a match against AC Milan over Liverpool
than went on to state: “The French players (based in the EPL) or Manchester United.
are used to touching the ball, but now they just see it fly over Imagine the EPL without Arsenal and Tottenham
their heads for 90 minutes.” – 90 minutes of sprinting, lots of aimless crosses and the
As you can imagine, Anigo’s opinion of the self- occasional wonder strike. All graft and no flair from August to
proclaimed best league in the world didn’t go down too well May. That should be painful.
with astute EPL followers and this columnist is less likely to be Look at it this way: football is like dancing; a game
much popular with them either. in La Liga is like a beautiful woman dancing graciously.
Namibian’s have been exposed to the English Whereas in the EPL, it is like a fat chick who keeps stepping
premiership for so long that it clouds their judgement. on your toes! So in essence the EPL lowers the significance
Until recently, most EPL followers only watched matches of talent and is over-reliant on physicality. Now that, ladies
involving the so-called traditional top four and gentlemen, is not a good example of football.

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19 CN
 Don't Waste a Watt!!
KETTLE
Why pay for boiling a full
kettle of water if you only
need a cup?

GEySER • Only boil the amount of

water that you need
Why pay for hot water not being used? • Keep your kettle’s
element clean of chlorine
• A geyser accounts for up to 40% of your electricity bill. build up by boiling
• Ensure that your thermostat is set to no more than 55 vinegar.
Degrees Celsius.
• Wrapping your geyser in an insulating blanket can cut
power consumption by half.

HEATER AUTOMATIC WASHING

Why pay for heating rooms MACHINE
that are not occupied? Why pay for full cycle when
washing only 2 items?
• Electric heaters that
• It is a fact that a front
are controlled by
loading washing machine
thermostats are more
uses less water and
energy efficient.
power than top loaders.
• Oil filled heaters are
• Use warm and cold water
the safest.
settings
• Only heat rooms that
• Only use the machine to
are occupied.
do full loads of washing.

ELECTRIC STOvE
• Use a pressure cooker when preparing
food that normally takes a long time
to cook.
• Consider buying a stove with a
convection oven.
• The size of the pot to match the size
of the stove plate.
• Use cooking utensils with flat bottoms placing it in the refrigerator
and tight covers
• Do not use grill compartment to make
toast
• Don’t use a stove to light a cigarette.
• Never use the stove or hot plate as
heaters.
fRIDGE
• Don’t open fridge doors unnecessarily
• Ensure that door seals are intact
• Switch off the fridge when it is
empty or when going on holiday
• Let hot food cool down before
• Defrost the fridge regularly
• Leave space between items on
shelves, this allows cool air to
circulate more easily.

MICROWAvE DISHWASHER
• Defrost food before cooking in microwave.
• Only use a microwave to cook small to medium quantities of food • Run it only when it
• Compare cooking times on packaging and use the method that is full
takes the least time and power. • Turn it off before
the drying cycle
starts and dry
dishes manually.
• Connect the
machine to the cold
water supply
• Make sure that
all the filters stay
clean.

for more information please visit our website at www.nampower.com.na

CN
 FREEZER AIR-CONDITIONER
Why pay for cooling/heating rooms that are not occupied?
• Clean and inspect filters regularly
• Set your air conditioner to recirculate cool air instead
of drawing in warm outside air.
• Protect outdoor cooling units from the sun.
• Freezers that are iced up use substantially more
power, so keeping freezers frost free will save you
power and money.
• Not overstocking your freezer means that cold air
circulates easier and less power is required to keep
temperature constant.

TV/DVD/STEREO/
COMPUTERS
Why pay for 24
hours usage?

IRON • Standby-button
consumes en-
• Use a thermostastically controlled iron that switches itself ergy.
off when the correct temperature is reached. • Switch off the
• Switch an iron off once it has reached the correct power button.
temperature and complete the ironing on stored energy.
• Use distilled water in steam irons
• Iron low temperature fabrics first to reduce warm-up time

TUMBLE DRYER CELLPHONE

• Tumble dryers are great
appliances, but consume vast
amounts of energy.
• Use correct temperature
setting to minimise electricity
use.
• Removing excess water before
putting clothes into the • Only recharge your cellphone battery when it is com-
tumble dryer saves time and pletely drained
power. • Never leave your cellphone charging overnight
• Best of all, use sunny days to • When your cellphone is fully charged, unplug the char-
dry clothes outdoors. ger.

SMALL APPLIANCES LIGHTBULBS

• Replace conventional bulbs with Compact Fluorescent
Light (CFL) bulbs where possible.
( Toasters, electric grills,
• CFL bulbs give the same light while using a fifth of the
slow cookers, electric
power and last 10 times longer.
pots/pans)
• Always switch off lights when you leave a room.

• They use less

electricity than a
stove

For more information please visit our website at www.nampower.com.na

CN
 Consumer Complaint
Dear Editor,
Below follows a series of events which I’d like to air as I feel the public needs to know about the complete lack of customer
service and inherent disregard for business ethics. In fact, I feel the public is being deceived and being made to pay for a
product which they are not receiving.

Background:
I’ve recently moved into a new house which required a significant amount of landscaping. Part of the landscaping involves
the placement of an estimated 280 square meters of lawn. I specifically requested instant/roll-on lawn from my landscaper as I
required grass cover for a special event. He is not a supplier of the product but proceeded to procure the product from Mr Piet
Hough of Roll on Lawn (situated in Brakwater, just north of Windhoek).

The End Product:

The lawn is supposed to be a neat and complete mat of lawn which is skimmed off a field of lawn. It merely requires placement
and rolling out (preceded by ground preparation and followed with watering and rolling). What I received was a mixture of
some decent rolls but the majority were strands of grass held together with soil. Needless to say, the end result was that I was
short of about 55 square meters of grass (gaping hole in the lawn can be seen on attached photo). This is after we tried to
salvage every small little patch we could out of the heap of rubbish.
Customer Service and Resolution:

What makes this worse it that you have pay him in advance, and in full, so one has no leverage with regards to withholding
payment. Mr Hough is also the only grower of this product so he knows he can offer a sub-standard service/product and won’t
suffer any significant consequence. My landscaper kindly requested Mr Hough to visit the site to witness in person the poor
product he supplied. Mr Hough declined to visit the site stating his people know what they’re doing. Since I’m the end “user” of
the product I proceeded to phone Mr Hough. His phone was off and I left a message requesting him to visit my house. Shortly
after this he phoned my landscaper and with a barrage of expletives asked him: “Why are you making your customer’s problems
mine?”

Mr Hough fails to grasp that my landscaper is merely the installer of his product which was not up to scratch from the start. He
also fails to recognise that I am in fact his client since I’m the one who uses and paid for the product. Mr Hough then said to
my landscaper he will refund him for the 55 square meters of lawn but will not supply him with the lawn. This does not resolve
the problem as can be noted by the gaping hole in my lawn. To date, no confirmation of this refund has been received.
We tried to phone his foreman (only known to me as Jacques) to ask if he wants to visit the site. He also refused to discuss the
matter with me stating: “You are not my client”. I asked what action I shall take to which he responded: “Do what you want”.
I tried later that night to get hold of Mr Hough again, but again was only able to leave a message. Mr Hough never returned
a call or attempted to contact me.

Concern:
I, as an end user, feel that the product, service, and manner in which Roll on Lawn undertakes business is greatly in contravention
of any consumer rights and ethics. Upon further enquiry I found that this seems to be a general practice of Mr Hough and I
am not alone in suffering at the hands of his poor product and service. My landscaper can confirm that on several occasions
the same happened to other clients of his. Not once did Mr Hough attend the site to view his poor product or try to resolve the
matter amicably. Every time the client just has to pay for more grass.
My personal view is that I paid for Fillet steak and received minced meat. If I knew that half of what I will receive will be
strands of grass I would’ve sown seeds or plant seedlings from the start. I’ve been waiting since 17th January for the delivery
of grass. Admittedly the heavy rains prevented the grass from being cut but the fact of the matter is seedlings would’ve nearly
covered by now with a lot less cost or hassle (had I known what I know now).
I would really like someone to investigate his business handlings in further detail and make known to the whole of Namibia that
this man and his business should be avoided at all cost.

Regards,
Pewer Fourie

22CNCN
responses
Every month we pose a question sent in by a reader to our panel of experts.
Send questions to viki@consumernewsnamibia.com or fax to (061) 228 196

Law Society of Namibia

We are dealing with a contractual relationship. The nature of the relationship depends on the
exact terms and conditions of any written documents or an oral agreement that arose explicitly
or impliedly.
From the facts provided, we cannot determine whether the landscaper was the agent of Mr
Fourie in ordering the lawn from Mr Hough or whether Mr Fourie contracted with the land-
scaper to provide the lawn. This is important as only the actual contracting parties are liable
to one another.
Mr Fourie bought “roll on” lawn. If the product supplied differs materially from that supplied,
the contract can be cancelled. In that case, money paid can be recovered. Mr Fourie also has
the option to enforce the agreement, claiming that the correct lawn be provided. If this is not
possible, objectively, a court will not order compliance. In both scenarios Mr Fourie can also
claim damages for any damage suffered. The nature and extent of damages claimable will
depend on the details. It must be kept in mind that, unfortunately, annoyance and irritation do
not constitute damage claimable in law.

Wheely Bin Xpress

We have also experienced issues of this nature with some lawn suppliers. As a result, we
ended up losing a lot of money because we had to refund our clients as the lawn will just
not develop. It is of course good to hear that you can have your lawn within in a day or so,
but as per our experience, it is always best to do thorough research on the supplier, and the
varying methods of lawn installation before you purchase your lawn. Yes it takes time but
in the long-term it will be time well spent.
Also, some landscapers, or their employees, fail to comply with lawn laying instructions;
this plays a big role in the survival of the lawn. In the case of the end-user not following
certain instructions – such as watering methods – the landscaper cannot be held liable.

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 Managing born-frees
An observation has been made, and a conclusion was
reached thereafter, that many initiates into the job
market seem to have ultra-high expectations from their
jobs and desire to shape the job to fit their lives rather
than adapting their lives to the jobs. Of course, this is
an observation made by bosses that have managed
companies or departments for quite some time. Many
of these initiates conclude that managers are people
who seem to have lost touch of reality somewhere
along the ledges of the ladder or are really just from a
generation that they are glad to not be from.
Now there is no denying that either party’s
argument is valid; many individuals who have at
least over 30 years’ management experience seem
to be having a difficult time understanding, and
consequently managing, this generation of initiates.
These initiates, equally, are a breed that has grown up
with leaders that say one thing but do another. They
are thus disconnected at a relational level. This has led
to them fervently seeking for some sort of ‘authentic
communities’ with leaders that walk the talk.
For the said manager, that equates to someone
who wants to be parented in the workplace. However,
from a bird’s eye view, it is just a matter of both parties
understanding each others’ expectations. For this issue,
we look at the initiate’s expectations and perhaps
briefly offer solutions to each.
1. Poor communication
A substantial percentage of management problems are
of course people problems, and these stem primarily
from poor communication. Part of the problem is
attributed to poor listening skills; many people are
poor listeners, even in everyday life. They tend to be
distracted by thought while seemingly listening to
another person. That is if arrogance and ignorance are
not rearing their heads.
Listening skills play an important role in the
overall communication process; communication
is, subsequently, the skill that leads to signing that
million-dollar deal. What can be done to improve your
listening skills?
• Eliminate distractions
• Know your blind spots – assumptions and passive and submissive
prejudices
• Be an active listener. Paraphrase and ask 3. Managing teams effectively
questions.
24 BW
CN
• Be an empathic listener. Listen for context
rules within the message
• Face the speaker and keep an eye contact,
except, of course where it would it is a cultural
taboo
• Listen to ideas/concepts and not just words
• Don’t interrupt the speaker
• Give feedback
• Pay attention to what is not said
Equally, when you as a manager are communicating,
do it in such a way that the message is delivered and
heard in a clear concise manner. A book entitled “The
Psychology of Memory” states that you retain only 10
percent of what you hear, 72 hours after hearing it. So
when delivering your message, be sure to know your
objective so you can be clear, specific and concise.
Check for understanding by asking questions
and listening to the feedback. Listen for the intended
meaning. Eliminate obvious distractions. Acknowledge
your personal hidden assumptions and prejudices.
Actively listen by asking probing questions. Listen with
empathy for the “heart and soul” of what the other
person is saying.
2. Fear of change
Fear of change, or ambiguity of the unknown, as many
Change Management professionals would say, is
elusive as it is not a once-off occurrence; initiates don’t
just flood into your company... The greatest obstacle to
any change is the “fear of change” itself.
Whether one likes it or not, change will happen; it’s one
of the few things in life that is guaranteed. Rather than
going through life being afraid of it, why not make it
is easy and turn this perspective around and see how
change can positively impact you? Consider this way
of thinking:
• If I change, I will encounter new situations
• If I change then I will be allowing myself to
explore
• The fear of change infringes on my rights to
learn
• Change means I’m being active as opposed to
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of each team

member and delegate work accordingly based on
the skill and interest level of each person. As earlier
mentioned, give clear instructions as to what is
expected out of each team member and follow
through as required instead of micromanaging. A
clear understanding of the requirements encourages
the employee to live up to your expectation, to feel
accountable for results and solve issues proactively.
When a team member does a good job with a
task or project, let them know. This is one of the easiest
morale builders for a team. It can also be an effective way
to build team unity and loyalty. Take responsibility for
the team and acknowledge their efforts in meetings. the delegated tasks.
A boss that sticks up for his or her team creates
loyalty and motivates the team members to go the
extra mile for the boss.
4. Sound time management principles
CEOs, in particular, have always struggled to fit 24 hours
into a 12-hour day. It simply doesn’t work. We don’t
manage time. We manage our choices and actions.
To be successful in today’s business environment thus
requires using creative principles of time management
at work. This will not only help you do your job more
effectively, but practicing these time management
principles will also help lower your stress levels.
To lower your stress levels, and to guarantee
more time to enjoy, you will have to decide what you
To lower your
stress levels and
to guarantee more
time to enjoy, you
will have to decide
what you are willing
to stop doing or do
differently.
are willing to stop doing or do differently. Consider the
barriers to making those difficult choices?
Next try surveying how much time you
have. Make a list of your projects and prioritise their
importance; everything has to have a deadline. Take
your most important project and break it down into
tasks. Decide which tasks can be delegated to others.
Even if you think that you will be able to complete all
of the tasks better than anyone else on your team, it is
important to try to delegate.
Make sure to keep a record of your due dates,
who you delegated other tasks to and the due dates of
References
1. Corporate Leadership: Avoid the fatal flaws
of management, http://www.biztimes.com/
news/2008/3/21/corporate-leadership-avoid-the-
fatal-flaws-of-management , retrieved on
16 February 2011
2. How to Overcome the Five Fatal Flaws of
Management http://www.boyens.com/article_files/
How_to_Overcome_the_Five_Fatal_Flaws_of_
Management.pdf, retrieved on 16 February 2011
3. Principles of time management, http://www.
discover-time-management.com/principles-of-time-
management.html, retrieved on 16 February 2011
BW 25
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LUISE T. MWANAYANGAPO
FASHION AND ART FLEA MARKET COORDINATOR

We would like to believe that business

people are made before they are born.
For that reason, every month, we will
speak to different entrepreneurs to share
in their experiences and to get their com-
ments on the entrepreneurship journey.
This month, we speak to Luise Mwanay-
angapo, Coordinator of the Fashion and
Art Flea Market.

BW. Tell us about yourself...where were you born, where did you
school?
LM. I was born on 11 August 1987 in a little town called
Lubango in Angola. Two years later my mother and I relo-
cated to Ovamboland for another two years. I grew up and
started my schooling in Sweden Stockholm. We came back
to Namibia were I completed my primary schooling at Emma
Hoogenhout and matriculated at Windhoek High School.
I am currently a final-year Marketing student majoring in
Tourism at the Polytechnic of Namibia. I am also employed
full-time at a tourism firm in Windhoek. Luise is approach-
able and enjoys the simple things in life.
BW. Tell us about Fashion and Art Flea Market; fill us in on how
you came up with the idea?
LM. The brain child behind the Fashion and art flea market
was actually Ms. Niita Emvula, who is currently working in
the UK. The flea market stems from participants who are in-
vited to explore an eccentric world of local fashion styles and
art trends that appeals greatly to bargain hunters and those
who enjoy original places to stroll around for classic antiques
like: furniture, local designs, clothes, books, jewellery, toys, products/services (which, we have come to learn, has re-
old tools, shoes and many more. The monthly event is work- sulted in quiet a number of participants to becoming self-
ing to connect local up-and-coming entrepreneurs to the employed) has been our greatest accomplishment.
community in a cost effective way to create awareness of an BW. If I’m not mistaken, the City of Windhoek used to host a flea
active sub-cultural community. Namibia offers an unavoid- market years ago, what would you say led to it losing its popu-
able wealth of antiques, the fashion and arts market has thus larity?
far managed to group individuals who have similar aspira- LM. They gave up too soon. Before we started this initiative,
tions and a platform to showcase their goods/services. we already knew that it would take some time to get people
The Windhoek Fashion and Arts flea market takes place ev- to warm up to the concept; you have to drive and attract the
ery first Saturday of the month at the Zenso Lounge Terrace market consistently, although we are a business, we weren’t
from 8:00 am to 17:00 pm. Stalls are charged at N$ 50.00 for in any rush to make a profit on the spot but rather to build
the whole day. ourselves as a brand first.
BW. What challenges have you faced since materialising this BW. Many young people have innovative ideas such as yours
concept? but fail to get them off the ground, what advise would you give
LM. We have to admit that the going has been tough. The them in this regard?
general public has taken a while to comprehend the concept LM. Before you start have a business plan for guidance, one
and therefore the number of ‘feet’ coming to the market has should provisionally prepare for anything. You can always
discouraged usual participants. The concept is relatively new revert back to your business plan and see where you went
to Namibia, we have also come to realise that not a lot of wrong or where you can improve. And remember that Pa-
people know where Zenso Lounge is. It is Town Square Park- tience is a virtue, get rich quick schemes don’t last.
ing by the way. However, through adequate marketing we BW. Lastly, please share with us your life philosophy
are eliminating these concerns slowly. LM. Love always begins with you and loving yourself, only
BW. What highlights can you share with us; what has been your you can edify how people should treat you. I believe that
greatest achievement to date regarding the flea market? positive thinking and having positive people around you
LM. Getting it off the ground, offering stall owners and up- leads to positive innovation.
and-coming entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their

BW 27
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 By: Erika Reissner, Marketing
Alexander Forbes Group Namibia (Pty) Ltd
Mantra: Achieve
Financial Freedom...
In this issue, we take a look at the difference between
savings and investments. It has come to our attention
that many people use the terms interchangeably and
therefore seem to miss the many wonderful perks
offered by either principles of growing your money.
We have also realised that those that do know the
difference are intimidated by the term ‘risk’, which is
often associated with both the practices of investing,
and (but rarely really) savings.
Before all else, we understand why many
people are reluctant to invest; it should however be
stated that nothing is without risk. It is just a matter of
being well informed on the type of saving/investment
options there are, the risks involved, the returns on
each, and how liquid various financial assets are
(that is, how quickly and easily you may convert your
investment to cash).
We want to believe that many of us adhere to
the financial rule (to financial freedom) of saving or
investing at least 10% of our earnings monthly. There
are of course disagreements on what constitutes
savings as it is apparently synonymous to investing.
Some say it is simply putting away a certain amount
of your income in a financial intermediary such as a
bank or an insurance company, others believe that
paying off a mortgage bond is saving because you
are indirectly putting away money for acquisition of a
fixed asset, while majority think that buying stocks is
28 BW
CN
the only thing that comes close to investing.
Either way, saving is a good practice; it allows
you to increase the amount of fixed capital available to
you in future. Cash savings, as they are often referred
to, are monies put aside for a short-term goal or in case
of emergency. Choosing this as a means of achieving
some sort of financial freedom comes with perks such
as earning interest and a guarantee that your money
will be intact and accessible when it is needed.
Investing, equally, is an attempt at making
your money grow. However, this happens over a longer
time as compared to the savings option. You can make
your money grow by allowing it to compound. With
this option, you purchase an asset that will generate
a “safe” and acceptable return over time. These ‘assets’
range from rare wines, jewellery, to mutual funds, real
estate, and stocks, just to name a few.
Savings is, therefore, accumulating your
money, while investing is, as Robert Kiyosaki would
put it: “making your money work for you”. This means
using your money to earn you more money. Of course
you earn a plausible reward for putting away your
money: with savings, you earn a fixed amount of
interest, and with investments like mutual funds or
stocks, your money has the potential to grow even
twofold depending on certain uncertain market
behaviours and the package you choose to invest
through.
 With reference to the statement on risks involved
above, let’s take a brief look at the risks involved in
both these options of growing your money.
Risk in Saving and Investing
Ever heard the saying: “No pain, no gain”? Well, you
must remember that along with the potential for
extraordinary gain, there is also the potential for loss;
of course these two go hand in hand. You can lose
money investing in stocks just as you can through
the safest savings instrument as it carries unseen
risks. Either way, try to understand the relationship
between risk and reward when composing your
personal investment philosophy.
Most savings instruments trade security for
return; this implies that even if they are safe, they pay
very little returns. When you consider for instance
inflation and taxes, many so-called safe savings
instruments return almost nothing, and some can
actually lose ground. Consider an instrument that
earns you 5% interest for instance. It is important to
note here that, contrary to popular belief, the 5% is
calculated at an annual rate and not monthly. If you
invest N$1000 in January for instance, you will have
N$1 600 in your savings account by December. This
implies that you earn about N$600 per annum. This is
calculated as follows:
(5% × 12 months) × N$1000
Most people think of investment risk in one
way: “How likely am I to lose money?” Unlike bank
savings, however, stocks and bonds, over the long-
term, do offer enough returns to outpace inflation,
but they may also decline in value from time to time.
There are some risks you have some control over and
others that you can only guard against.
However, other risks are inherent to investing;
you will therefore have no control over these risks.
Most of these risks affect the market or the economy
and require investors to adjust portfolios or ride out
the storm. Below is a list of the types of risks that
investors face. We will outline and cover the strategies,
where appropriate, for dealing with the problems
caused by these risks through follow-up articles.
•• Economic
Economicrisks risks
•• Business
Businessriskrisk
•• Default
Defaultrisk
risk
•• Inflation
Inflationrisk
risk
•• Market
Marketvalue
valuerisk
risk
•• Liquidity
Liquidityrisk
risk
•• Political
Politicalrisk
risk
Erika Reissner: reissnere@aforbes.com.na / Tel: (061) 293 7002
Not all the risks may be present at one time, in any
single investment; many a times, the various kinds of
risks are interlinked. Investment in a company that
faces high business risk for instance automatically
has a higher liquidity risk than a similar investment in
other companies with a lesser degree of business risk.
If the thought of losing money makes your
stomach knot up, stick to savings instruments.
However, the goal is to find a way to ensure that
your money is safe from risk and readily available for
immediate use while at the same time positioned to
offset the eroding effects of inflation. It is important,
therefore, to carefully assess the existence of each
kind of risk, and its intensity in whichever investment
opportunity you may consider.
However, do not let the presence of risk feed
your reluctance to invest. Select a savings option that
accomplishes both of these objectives and is also easy
to set up and manage. Please remember that there
is always some risk or the other in every investment
option; no risk, no gain.
Polish your skills in managing your
investments; it is just a matter of achieving the right
balance between risks and returns. Where risk is high,
returns can also be expected to be high. Some things
to consider when saving/investing: the amount of
money that you’re going to put into your savings
account; the amount of time that you have before
the funds are needed; and how important to you
convenience of the funds is.
Just as it is important to consider the risks
involved in investing, it is also important to consider
the risks of not saving. There are quiet a number of
risks in not saving adequately for your future needs
and goals.
Too many people for example think that Social
Security payments will be sufficient for their financial
security after retirement. Think again; consider the
likelihood of Social Security benefits not providing
adequate money for a post-retirement lifestyle.
Also, keep in mind that your life expectancy might
outpace your savings. Consider those risks that you
have no control over such as the possibility of a major
unexpected life or economic event and the impact of
inflation on your savings.
Financial independence is the freedom to
stop working anytime you want and still be able to live
the lifestyle you desire. To achieve financial freedom,
consider passive income; the interest of your saving
account is a kind of passive income. You do not need
to work to earn it. To achieve financial freedom, your
passive income should be greater than or equal to
your expenses.
In the next issue, we take a look at risks
involved in investing. In the meantime, meditate on
achieving financial freedom; you will not regret it.
BW 29
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Building Related Illnesses
Ever wondered why people who work in the same building
would all catch the flu, or start showing a range of symptoms
of some illness or the other at the same time? Even if it’s not
winter when the flu is at least more likely to strike...? Ever
heard of the term Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) – sometimes
referred to as Building Related Illness (BRI) –?
Well if you haven’t, no worries; we are here to en-
lighten you. SBS is a combination of ailments which are
most commonly associated to poor indoor air quality of an
individual’s place of work. It is used to describe situations in
which occupants of a given building experience heightened
health and other discomforts that are associated to the times
they spent in a building.
As yet, no single cause has been identified; most
experts believe that SBS may be the result of a combination
of different factors. Causes are often pinned to flaws in the
heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
The problem has also been linked to when a building is op-
erated or maintained in a manner that is inconsistent with its
original design, and/or to prescribed operating procedures.
Some building occupants would for instance parti-
tion a room so as to create cubicles. In doing so, and some-
times without consideration to building regulations, these
occupants block off certain air circulation systems (for the
lack of a better term) and so cause an imbalance in indoor air
movement within their office space.
Other causes have been attributed to contaminants
produced by off-gassing (the release of a gas that was dis-
solved, trapped, frozen, or absorbed into some material
within the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system).
Also, some types of building materials have been suspected
to cause SBS.
Volatile organic compounds (VOC); moulds; ozone
produced by photocopiers and printers; psychological fac-
tors such as stress or poor staff morale; poor lighting that
causes glare or flicker on visual display units (VDUs); light in-
dustrial chemicals used within the office; low humidity due
to lack of adequate fresh-air intake/air filtration; airborne
pollutants such as dust, carpet fibres or fungal spores; and
poor standards of cleanliness in the working environment
have also been linked to SBS.
General tiredness is most often the most common
symptom; it usually starts within a few hours of arriving at
work, and improves within minutes of leaving the building.
Sometimes one would find occupants of a given building
complaining about a week-long headache or about a combi-
nation of eye-nose-throat discomfort. Sometimes one would
discover that a substantial number of occupants of that
building are experiencing a dry cough; dry or itchy skin; diz-
ziness and nausea; difficulty in concentrating; fatigue; and
sensitivity to odours. These are all symptoms of SBS.
It is important to note that complaints may result
from other causes; these may include job-related stress or
dissatisfaction, and other psychosocial factors. Nevertheless,
studies show that symptoms may be caused and/or exacer-
bated by indoor air quality problems.
If you think that your working environment is mak-
ing you ill, talk to your colleagues to see whether they are
having similar symptoms. Raise the issue with your health
and safety representative, as well as your employer to rectify
it. It is, after all, your employer’s duty to ensure the health of
the employees.
Symptoms are often dealt with by boosting the
overall turnover rate of fresh air exchange with the out-
side air. Recent times have seen an increasing number of
business owners opting for green building design. The
goal of this option is to avoid most of the SBS problem
sources; to minimise the ongoing use of VOC cleaning
compounds; and to eliminate conditions that encourage
allergenic and potentially-deadly mould growth.
The problem can also be treated by: educating both
employers and employees about the problem and how to
recognise it; addressing relevant psychosocial issues such as
high job demands and low support; removing of the pollu-
tion source if possible; improving building ventilation; dis-
couraging smoking; and also by increasing the number of
live plants in buildings.
It is of course in the company’s best interest that
SBS are recognised and treated. This is because the company
is likely to lose profits due to absenteeism because of rectifi-
able issues such as SBS. In the next issue, we will take a look
at the means of rectifying issues related to SBS. In the mean-
time, monitor your and your employees’ health and examine
the possible causes. It is, after all, also to the benefit of the
company’s profits.
References
1.Clean Air Plants & Sick Building Syndrome. (21 February 2011). Re-
trieved from http://www.oxford.net/~steve/sick.htm
2.NHS. Sick Building Syndrome. (21 February 2011). Retrieved from.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Sick-building-syndrome/Pages/In-
troduction.aspx
3.Indoor Air Quality. Indoor Air Facts No. 4 (revised) Sick Building
Syndrome. (21 February 2011). Retrieved from http://www.epa.
gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html
BW 31
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 CONTENT
Business Watch Managing born-frees
Featuring...Luise Mwanayangapo
Mantra: Achieve financial freedom
24
27
28
Building Related Illnesses 31

EDITOR’S NOTE
If you awake every morning with the thought that something
wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention,
you’ll often find that you’re right. If you woke up this morning with a
strange feeling that the Consumer News team couldn’t get any better,
well...push that feeling aside; we’re awesome and it’s thanks to you,
our avid readers.
With that said, we’re delighted to present to you our newest
addition to the publication; the Business Watch.
It is general knowledge that not all entrepreneurs have
a Business Degree; through the Business Watch, and with our
contributors, we are aiming to play the role of business educator.
The publication will therefore serve as the ‘go-to’ media when
entrepreneurs and business-minded people are faced with a business-
related dilemma or want to enlighten themselves on issues relating to
the business arena.
The supplement is obviously still in its infant stages and will
look bigger and better as the year progresses, and as you offer your
assistance in the form of criticism, comments and suggestions.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading through the Business
Watch. We will be looking forward to receiving comments and
suggestions from you. Together we can identify and rectify problem
areas on the journey to entrepreneurship; it is after all teamwork that
leads to business success.
Viki

BW 33
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BusinessWatch Identifying Opportunity

savings vs managing
investments rookies

EDITION

01
In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience.
Take the experience first; the cash will come later. ~Harold Geneen
CN