and this morning ( 30/03 ) EMed rescue 24 introduced their latest edition to their emergency vehicle fleet. Apart from fixed wing aircraft, they boast with 7 fully equipped ambulances and 3 emergency vehicles. Their Paramedics are trained and compare with the best, while their vehicles are up to standard.

Namibian roads are considered dangerous due to the high accident rates in our country, it is a myth, as most accidents on our roads are due to drivers not adhering to road safety laws and regulations. Most cases speed, driving under the influence, overloading, and drivers fatigue are only a few reasons. Our road network could be described as the best on the continent. Tarred or gravel,,,the authorities maintain the roads,,and needs to be commended, however for those unfortunate accidents there is a medical team on standby. This insert was done end 2010 when E med, MVA and a private helicopter owner joined forces to ensure Namibia can now offer a fully medical equipped helicopter service.

Driving through Katutura in Windhoek I stumbled across a young woman learning on how to become a mechanic,,,it is a dominantly a male domain, but her determination to educate herself, and later earn an income is proof that not all young people in the country are just sitting around waiting for hand outs...

This morning just over 210 members of Namibia Police received their long term medals for uninterrupted service.

Windhoek Lager not only brew some of the best beers in the world, they also acknowledge the best in people by means of the annual NBL Windhoek Lager Ambassadors program. The second NBL Ambassadors program last night in the capitol proofed again why they are a force to be reckoned with,,,,acknowledging those who make a difference in their communities, carry the flag with pride and deserve to be the NBL Ambassador......

back in the air again,,although the parties ( the owner and the government ) will meet again later this month about some minor unresolved issues,,The Huey can be used again, and her value cannot be underestimated. Be it in a recovery, medical humanitarian or plain a social role, she has a part to play in our community. Good to know her rotors will never be silenced,,and let me assure you,,i had the honor to be in her belly during the Etosha Cessna recovery ,,she deserves respect.

51% unemployment in Namibia according to estimations not a rosy color for our small population,,,,,Creating employment is not only the duty of the government, it needs the assistance of the private sector NGO's and innovative people that can make things happen around them. Etema in Windhoek's Katutura suburb is supported by the Finnish Government in improving other's skills for a better future.

Stories you can look forward today,,,a scammer refunded a motor owner,,,Etemo got a high profile visit from Finland and more on the Huey that can operate commercial again,,,

200 thousand N$ ( about 26 thousand U$ ) reward if you can assist in arresting this two suspects ,,,,just one call if you know them,,just one call can make you richer and the streets cleaner from criminals...

Namibia's capitol was blessed with up to a 100 mm of rain in time span of about 15 hours,,this resulted in some rivers flowing the first time this rain season....

An update on the 4 point 8 quake this past week end in Namibia. Not much more info gathered,,,but some maps and live footage of the area where the quake took place. The area is scarcely populated,,,mostly subsistence farmers, tourist attractions and lodges are found in this region. How ever when walking the area one can feel, see and experience the "Prehistoric" atmosphere. It is here where some of the world's oldest rock paintings are found , and evidence of people living here thousands of years ago are evident still seen in the caves and under the cliffs.

Namibia is one of few countries where u can drive from south to north, or east to west and experience a continues change in landscape. Traveling to the West Coast is an experience to non,,as in a time frame of about three hours drive you leave the central bushy area to one of the oldest deserts in the world,,,the Namib. It is here where you will find the German influenced Holiday resort Swakopmund ,,,in the Namib on the beautiful clean beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. As the town is in the desert it is not suppose to recieve rain,,,or is it?

The 3rd Samsung African Forum took place in Cape Town 21-25 March 2012. Attended by more than 130 journalists from across Africa, I was fortunate to attend the forum. Samsung. This year the focus was on Africa to make their products durable and affordable for the continent, many new and innovative things came out. Africa is on the designer's and engineers drawing board for sure, by just looking at we can soon Expect on the shelves in the Samsung brand stores,,,we're in for a pleasant surprise. During the launch Samsung held a journalist competition, whereby we could tell a story by means of words or pics or both about Samsung and Africa, Thank U Namibia I took main stage as I used the SAN children of the farm Uitkoms as my pic,,with the caption of "our ancestors walked the paths of Africa for thousands of years, and Samsung Galaxy S2 take our smiles across the globe"

standing next to Jo Ann Strauss,
former Miss SA

the winning pic,,,,,

Jo ann handing me prize ,,,an honor indeed....
again thank u Samsung,,
Namibia and all other
African journalists. 

Earth quake of 4.8 struck Namibia. The quake measured at 4.8 struck Namibia's North west region at 01;58;38 UTC. The area is sparsely populated and no injuries or damages were reported. The epicenter was at a depth of almost 14 kilometers ( 8.6 Miles). The activity was about 230 kilometers SSE of the town of Opuwo, and around 400 kilometers ( 245 miles) NW of the capitol Windhoek. This area is prone to minor quakes.

picture credit USGS dd
24/3/2012

Crime will always be part of us,,,but when two over opportunistic thugs try their luck stealing a few items,,and caught on CCTV, that is pure stupidity. The owner of the house put a reward on their heads,,,so if you know them,,and can lead the police to arrest them, you could be 200-thousand N$ richer..

My humble apologies for not posting anything for the past two days,,was in Cape Town at the 3rd Annual Samsung Forum. I will within the next 24 hours post a lot of pics and clips of the President of Samsung on what Africa can expect, what can we see and how can Samsung improve our lives....any ideas and comments on news or any event are welcome..Francois

a caricature of myself drawn by a "Capetonian"
thanx to Samsung Galaxy Note 

francois

Namibia will celebrate her 22nd year of independence from South Africa on the 21st of March.. I managed to speak to one of our liberation fighters Tate Nkrumah Mushelenga. His passion goes further than the freedom of our Namibia. in this clip Tate Mushelenga sing a song composed for the 22nd Independence celebrations. When I called him for an interview in the old "Ovambo Hostel" that house a variety of art and crafts centers, he agreed. The old hostel is a symbol of our liberation struggle. Happy independence day to all fellow Namibians across the globe. If you have any old pics or stories about the old hostel in Katutura and feel like sharing them with us, please feel free to leave a message.

The CEO of the Namibia Tourism Board encouraged learners from the Highline Seconadry school in Katutura to learn hard, as education is the key to the future. This insert was filmed last week during the visit of two South African celebrities to the said school.....they are currently on tour through Namibia. Hopefully i will link up with them once back in Windhoek and share their experiences with you.

Ohorongo cement started with operations December 2010, and the plant north of Otavi is one of the most modern plants on the globe. The plant was built on the farm Sargberg, and has enough raw materials, all on site to last the plant for at least 300 years. The plant makes use of biomass to generate energy, which comes from surrounding farms.

Namibia will this year again take part in the Deloitte Best Company To Work For. Last year the Ohlthaver and List Group took up the front seats with their first place followed by the MVA and Hollard Insurance. So O&L has a title to defend, and this year Kenya is the new kid on the block with Botswana and South Africa.

while on the topic of wild animals roaming between mankind,,this is the story of Abrham Gariseb,,a communal farmer who has firts hand experience

this insert on the Cheetahs of Namibia focus on the importance the predators have on the ecological system. For many years all predators wild dogs included were seen as a threat to live stock farmers,,all because they were uninformed about the animals,,,,Dr Laurie Marker world renowned conservationist started the Cheetah Conservation Fund with the aim on education and preservation of the animals.

Namibian Farm workers are some of the lowest paid in Namibia, and farming is not an easy task as farms are big,,the sun hot,,,and be it working with livestock or crops both need a lot of attention. Commercial farming is dominated by white farmers, and since many farm workers are unskilled they do not earn a good income, how ever they stay for free on the farm, get basic rations like milk, meat vegetables and maize as part of their compensation, it remains difficult to survive. And when you are married and have children,,even more difficult. A farming community at Hochfeld ( about 180 kilometers from Windhoek ) raised money among themselves and built a multipurpose community hall. The hall is used for school, with adjacent hostel facilities, and Sundays it is a church for both farmers and their employees, and the gospel comes from both black and white ...this is only one story of a winning recipe if all work together for one common goal,,,humanity and the upliftment of every citizen within our borders...

Saturday 17 March at 11h11 the 60th Annual WIKA started with the big procession through Independence Avenue,,,,Namibia has a rich diverse history dated back for many centuries. One of the many cultures that is part of our customs is the annual WIKA ( Windhoek Carnival) Windhoek the capitol of Namibia is home to about 350-thousand people. Every year WIKA has it's theme and since it started 60 years ago, every year the theme is relevant to the current situation in the country. This year's theme "Mittendrin und nie daneben" translates to " Dead smack & never off Target" WIKA normally last for a month, and believe me,,it is a festivity not for the faint hearted,,as this is the time for partying, drinking eating and just plain be "WIKA"

a close up of good old 60 years of WIKA

WIKA caters even for children,,and is known as JUKA

Even "Paddy" is welcome, although it was always known
a "German event" because of the rich German influence,
it is open to every Namibian,,young and old

One lost confused "Paddy" 

"Spes Bona Motor Company"
are part and parcel of pre independence
Namibia

good idea,,,,with all the poaching going on
in Southern Africa...perhaps we can make money
from their uhhhhh? 

Like any other country, Namibia's Gay and Lesbian
community slowly but surely getting out
of the closet

Little Prince and Princess,,,,
believe me even children in the WIKA
Royalty has a few national tasks to
cover,

The brand,,no! not the band,,the beer brand 

Wika is all about fun, laughter drinking, and
plain common just WIKA

See even the campers take part in the
procession,,,,

the beauty of the region can never be over emphasized, and almost 22 years after our Independence all five countries bordering Namibia signed an agreement to establish the KAZA TFCA Kavango/Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. This opens up a new dimension of conservation, tourism and job creation in this sector alone. This area offers any tourist more than he can manage,,,a rich biodiversity that will surely offers every tourist his wildest dreams come true....

Met this morning (16/3/2012) two SA stars who are on a Namibia Tourism Board's ticket to see who what and why we are so special in this country. being a male and journalist i must say the story of Sonia Sedibe soapie star from Generations really impressed me with her life story,,,from a life of running from a family feud, a mother who faced the hardships of unemployment, no food to eat,,,sharing a house with others,,,and now this woman stands out above all. Her and I believe her mother's determination made them stars,,,we all can learn from Sonia,,,she doesn't blame the past for all the sufferings,,she made use of the past to build up her empire. Sonia u rock,,,,

The story of Maria Boois,,,Maria a former prostitute and drug addict decided enough is enough,,,and she gave me her story...This is only 5 minutes of a 17 minute documentary about her life. The pain, suffering, rejection and at the end on how one brave woman stood up,,and said "Enough is enough" ....sadly about 4 weeks after broadcasting her story on One Africa TV in Namibia, she passed away. Her legacy she left me,,her sad life story shared with me,,,and I feel honored to be the one to tell her story to the world. This story was received well by the Namibian Chapter of Southern Africa Media Institute, MISA. While the very same story was also entered for the annual Multichoice CNN Africa Media awards....but it is not about award winning productions,,,it is being between the affected,,,the man and women that suffers,,,it's all about sharing their stories,,,with the world...Thank U Maria may your brave spirit bring hope to all who watch your story,,,and may your soul rest in peace......

History was made today in Namibia with the official KAZA TFCA launching in Katima Mulilo. Kavango/Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area spans over Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola and host Namibia. This area the world's largest calculated to over 444-thousand km2, larger than Many European countries. This is some of the pix i took while flying from Windhoek to Katima. This is an ideal tourist destinantion,,,and hoepfully I will soon bring you more about what you can see, experience and most of all take back home.....

Eros airport in Windhoek...Air Namibia's new  Embrear
Jet in the front,,

Sunrise......only in my country Namibia where u get it clean,
crisp, and unpolluted,,

The Okavango Delta from the
sky,,,,although not fully filled yet,,
this is amazzzzinngggg 

Botswana cultural group at the launching of
KAZA,,,to be be frank,,,,
this group are are seriously
represent their country, their government
and KAZA

That is my minister Hon. Netembu Nandi-Ndaitwah
she is a role model ,not only as a
politician, but her leadership in conservation
cannot be equaled..
She is the only Female Minister in her portfolio
between our neighboring countries,

rain from the aircraft,,Desert Air avail their Cessna Caravan
to ensure the local media travelled
to Katima to witnessed the historic event 

The Kavango Delta again...
can you imagine the game waiting for you to
see them,,take pictures of them,,and
above all,,,tell everyone in the world on the
adventure being on the ground,,,

lovely,,,on our way back from Katima to Windhoek,,
the rainbow treated us with beauty and uniqueness
of taking a pic at about 14-thousand feet above sea level

The Auas mountains on the outskirts of
Windhoek

Namibian Government is doing well,,and their intentions are good by providing land to those who apply for it,,,my concern it is the only place in the world where people can claim their ancestral land,,,with what deeds,,proof or facts,,,only by "claiming" but that is not the point,,the issue is the Ministry of lands resettled farmers from previously disadvantaged communities.....the issue now is most of these people think they can farm, produce food,,ensure food security, provide employment,,and guess what,,it's not that easy,,so again the government must intervene with assistance,,supplying basic farming needs,,,at the cost of tax payers and donor countries...but it is a fact,,,very few resettled farmers are mature enough to make things work,,this needs to be debated and looked into on how it can work,,,if at all?

the importance of our environment is of such importance,,that one can hardly understand how fast we are destroying our own earth. FNB Namibia, Global United and local soccer stars will this Saturday 17/03 play a match at the Sam Nujoma stadium in Katutura to make people aware of the importance of looking at the globe Namibians by Nature are conservationists,,but this characteristics is slowly dying, as many now smelled the money, and want to see development, regardless the impact on the environment, our future and health.

More than 70% of Namibians reside on Communal land, however some seems they can make and break on the land as it is not privately owned. One of the concerns of government is some people fence off certain areas on the land, preventing fellow communal residents to let their cattle graze, this is in contradiction with the Communal land Act. Namibian Minister of lands Alpheus !Naruseb this morning 13/03 addressed the media on the current situation regarding fencing ...

This was one of my best 'adventure" stories,,being between the shots, teargas,,,and action. last year January 2011 the police warned taxi owners, not act on their own,,,yet they tried,,and did not work,,,Now almost 15 months down the line,,the court case against 70 of those arrested for various reasons varying from illegal marching to inciting violence are not finalized in court yet....

Road accidents are quite a head ache for the Namibian authorities,,,but still it seems that some lack basic knowledge when behind a steering wheel,,or those who call themselves pedestrians. A man was bumped by an oncoming taxi this morning 12/3/2012 on one of the capitol's most busiest roads.. accidents involved pedestrians in Namibia is skyrocketing, and seems that people walking on pavements or crossing roads are plain ignorant when it comes to road safety,,their own even those of motorists are at risk.

Namibian Government started with a communal land registration process to ensure that all living/farming/owes a piece of communal land are on the roll. The process has norhing to do with rumors that Government want to take away land, but rather that it is controlled. Namibia is a Agriculture driven country with more than 84 million hectares according to the Lands Ministry, with 41% of the land in communal areas. please feel free to comment or share ideas.

"She" is one of Namibia's finest pieces of art, and estimated to be older that 4-thousand years. Her hiding place well preserved, and only discovered during the early 1900's. Her habitat the world famous Brandberg ( Burnt Mountain) is home to our highest summit "Konigstein" and it is this very same Brandberg where ancient people lived for thousand of years. The White Lady of the Brandberg is a big attraction, and the 45 minutes walk to her cave is worthwhile. Her "Home" is surrounded by a mystery one cannot explain,,,but every time i visit her place, I feel as if a higher power is watching every move we make while close to her. Her mysteries might never be fully understand or explained,,,but her presence is felt....

This pictures tell the story of a group of San ( formerly known as Bushmen) making a living on  Namibian Government Resettlement Farm. Farm Uitkoms is home to about 480 individuals, the government gave the 7-thousand hectare farm to them about 5 years ago. Since then the people under Chief Katae August getting into the moves and grooves of farming, and being self sustained, yet they lack farming knowledge, mechanical equipment, veterinary services and above all good advice. I paid them a visit during August 2011,,and then again February 2012, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the progress with little resources,,I vowed to follow their progress and keep you posted on this beautiful San people.

time to laugh and make faces at the
camera

smiling faces,,,

can't get any better,,once the sun are
reaching the western horizon,,u can feel the peace come
the people and the nature surrounding them 

Do i have to say anything?

not an easy road during the rainy season to get there,,

The fruits of hard work...two farmers with Eddie
v/d Merwe,,the man who look after their spiritual side,,
at his own cost

one of those "classic" pics,,this little boys enjoys his bath outside, although his parents has a bathroom in the house,,,he still enjoys a natural bath, taken on a farm outside Hochfeld close to Okahandja,,

mahango ( a sort of millet) is a staple food to thousands of people,,,and since Mahango not only feeds most of our people,,it also generate an income to pays for health, education, housing and many more basic commodities,,,but up to twenty years ago life was easier and basic needs were not as expensive as today. That why many farmers were quite happy with their annual harvest,,lately they need to produce more Mahango to feed their family and sell the surplus to sustain themselves. And to sow more one need mechanical equipment, which is expensive,,,,Gerhard Baufeldt saw the need,,and design and built a Mahango planter that can increase yields and improve living standards ..

hats off to our Windhoek City Police for using the latest technology in getting those who dodge/fail/refuse or plain common forget to pay their fines,,,then again,,why!? must police officers policing so called responsible citizens. If anyone claims he or she is an responsible adult, why in the first place did you not abide by the traffic rules,,,and secondly what happened to our own integrity to act responsible on our own...why do we need a man or woman in blue to remind us of our responsibilities.

One of the many things Namibia has to offer to visitors and her people alike,,,a stunning sunrise that cannot be described,,,but only experienced,,,

fire from the skies..the beautifulness of a clean sunrise in the capitol Windhoek this morning 8/3/2012,,,

if a police force can stand public and admit there are corrupt members in their midst,,,it shows their maturity to face it's issues,,,and I witnessed earlier this year when an officer was arrested after he tried to bribe a tourist,,while a senior Inspector was removed suspended and taken to court after an incident that left our government with an egg on the face in the International arena.

A story with a nice human touch,,,,,our Politicians are human beings too, and if no one is looking after their health, no one will,,,yet the Minister of Health is a health conscience man himself, and with the help of First National bank Namibia and a local beauty consultancy Shadonai Beauty Consultants in Windhoek ensured our politicians get what the deserve,,a massage and a little pampering,,,,Thank You FNB Namibia

today we celebrate International Woman's day, and thank you to all our women, mothers wives, sisters,,,but so many times we as the media cover the stories of the glamorous women, politicians, celebrities,,,but no one seems to look at the ordinary women doing extraordinary work,,,like Albertina Anton from the Windhoek Emergency Services,,,Here is her story...

she can fly again,,,talking about the bell Huey of Expedite Aviation...there a few issues,,according to some people,,but she is back where she belongs,,in the air,,,

our Namibian Police this morning 7/03/2012 informed all criminals through the media that their days are outnumbered,,,and by listening to our regional Commander,,,,it is numbered days for them,,,and we the public is invited by the Chief to assist the police and he will ensure that his word will stand ,,,

as the story says,,"it's time for Africa" and doing the filming with the Himbas was just fun, Their natural way of interacting and investigating our equipment ( cameras and smart phones ) was such a joy. This People -although many see them as primitive due to their way of living- they are highly intelligent. The Chief are of mind that I am a poor man,,because i live in the city, and has NO cattle,,,,in their culture I'm poor.

I want to believe our national roads, ( gravel and tarred ) are surely the best on the continent, how ever i also believe our death toll on the roads due to motor vehicle accidents are the highest as well, Our accident fund this morning 6/3/2012 showed that since 2012 more than 480 accidents were reported, with 70 people who lost their lives, and a staggering 860 injured. Enough reason for the authorities to look at another way of trying to stop this carnage on our roads. Unfortunately it is not only Namibians that die, but tourists as well. I believe it is only in Namibia where motorists can do anything and get away scot free, even if a driver are blatantly the cause of an accident. Did you lost a loved one due to an accident, and nothing was done against the perpetrator,,,even driving walking free...share that with us.

This is but one of our diverse cultures I visited recently in Damaraland,,,these people started recently introducing a living museum to educate visitors and Namibians alike about their cultures,,while at the same time promote the Damara culture among their own, as modern life is slowly but surely destroying old values...please leave a comment if you feel like it,,

Remember when TV started in the 70's and we all thought this is it,,the ultimate in the industry,,then there were faxes,,,cell phones ..I pods,,,and so the list go on,,,but technology came to stay,,and will be part of our lives, be it making calls,,sending sms's playing games,,surf the web,,it is here to stay. This morning Deloitte Touch's Mark Casey addressed role players on the future of technology. If you got any comments or ideas please feel free to share it with us. ,

when was the last time you saw model toys like this,,the aircraft is a "Piscolo" Junkers JU 52, and made under the brand " Schuco" Germany, and the truck Magirus "Mullwagen" made under the brand "Siku" Germany. These toys were bought by friend of mine, who is no more with us, for her son , back in the late 1950's. The toys are only two of a few. They don't make them like anymore today like back in those years.

my story on water woes in Namibia, and since we are lately blessed with above average rainfall, we are not guaranteed this will continue, this is a temporary solution as we do not have rivers like other countries, we are dependent on aquifers and dams,,but if no rain in the catchment areas,,no inflow no water,,,,

This morning 2/3/2012 several sex workers met in Windhoek to discuss ways and means to try and convince authorities to understand and respect their profession. Their profession one of the oldest is here to stay, and although they face hardships in canvasing clients they also face the fury of the public. Sad enough some of their clients are senior government officials, while it is mot uncommon for white CEO's to seek for a little pleasure...all this at a price off course.

the story of the Huey used to sling a Cesnna wreck from the Etoasha national park after an emergency landing..this very same Huey is now the midst of a "security threat" because of the US Army markings on the tail. The chopper is a legend,,an Icon and a collectors item,,she found a home in Namibia and we all ought to be proud to have such a machine in our skies...

One of Namibia's green schemes on the outskirts of Okahandja, Green Crisp farming produces English cucumbers, green peppers and lettuce, making use of Israeli technology and green houses. This was one of the Projects the Ambassador visited to familiarize himself of our countries status on food production...

The Israeli Ambassador's recent visit 21-22 febr to various agricultural outlets that makes use of Israeli technology in the industry. Namibia like the Holy Land is semi arid, and apart from that, depends on Agriculture to feed their nations.

working on a UNDP documentary on Land degradation at Omatjette in the Erongo region.

a short insert on Open Africa Namibian Chapter launched early February 2012. Mark Paxton from Shamvura Lodge and Nandu Lodge Sponsored the trip so i could travelled to the Kavango Region and get the most amazing visuals of a beautiful region.

Namibia like the rest of the world also has her issues with Sex Workers,,,a group of local sex workers - as far as Oshikango on the Nam/Angola border- this morning ( 01/03/2012) gathered in Windhoek to talk about their common ground problems.