Less talk, more action needed

Festus Nakatana
It is only the fourth day of the new year and there is already a refreshed optimism for the next 12 months ahead. In his new year's message, President Hage Geingob boldly stated the year 2017 should be a one rededication, with a resilient and innovative approach required to weather the tough economic storm.

And as Geingob said, the problems of 2016 will still be part of us in 2017, but as a nation there is a massive weight of expectation to do better than last year this time around.

The reckless government spending must come to an end and elected officials should also stop with making vastly unrealistic promises that they inevitably cannot keep.

Those in power should not just make empty promises, but should bring about improvements in education, public healthcare, job creation and the economy.

On paper we have good policies, but we often lack a convincing plan to implement them and ultimately improve people's lives. If people have access to quality healthcare and education there is no doubt that they will be productive citizens.

We can no longer afford to manage the economy irresponsibly. On the sport front, the president announced in his message that government was looking at concluding the review of the Sports Act and policies aimed at defining and prioritising the national sport codes.

It is good to hear that the sad state of affairs bedevilling Namibian sport is finally being addressed. What we want to see, however, is more action than just mere talk. Sport-loving Namibians and our sportsmen and women have endured a torrid 2016 and it is high time that changes are made at the top to avoid yet another year of disappointment. Our attention should be at coming up with a proper sport programme and developing our sport systems.

Lest we forget sport has the power to unite us and thus creating hope for our nation.

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Namibian Sun 2024-05-05

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Premier League: Manchester City 5 vs 1 Wolves | Brentford 0 vs 0 Fulham | Sheffield United 1 vs 3 Nottingham Forest | Burnley 1 vs 4 Newcastle | Arsenal 3 vs 0 Bournemouth | Luton Town 1 vs 1 Everton | Chelsea 2 vs 0 Tottenham Hotspur LaLiga: Mallorca 0 vs 1 Atletico Madrid | Girona 4 vs 2 Barcelona | Real Madrid 3 vs 0 Cadiz | Real Sociedad 2 vs 0 Las Palmas | Getafe 0 vs 2 Athletic Club SerieA: Sassuolo 1 vs 0 Inter Milan | Monza 2 vs 2 SS Lazio | Torino 0 vs 0 Bologna European Championships Qualifying: Plymouth Argyle 1 vs 0 Hull City | Birmingham City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Coventry City 1 vs 2 Queens Park Rangers | Stoke City 4 vs 0 Bristol City | Swansea City 0 vs 1 Millwall FC | Leeds United 1 vs 2 Southampton | Ipswich Town 2 vs 0 Huddersfield Town | Sunderland 0 vs 2 Sheffield Wednesday | Rotherham United 5 vs 2 Cardiff City | Middlesbrough 3 vs 1 Watford | Leicester City 0 vs 2 Blackburn Rovers | West Bromwich Albion 3 vs 0 Preston North End English Championship: Plymouth Argyle 1 vs 0 Hull City | Birmingham City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Coventry City 1 vs 2 Queens Park Rangers | Stoke City 4 vs 0 Bristol City | Swansea City 0 vs 1 Millwall FC | Leeds United 1 vs 2 Southampton | Ipswich Town 2 vs 0 Huddersfield Town | Sunderland 0 vs 2 Sheffield Wednesday | Rotherham United 5 vs 2 Cardiff City | Middlesbrough 3 vs 1 Watford | Leicester City 0 vs 2 Blackburn Rovers | West Bromwich Albion 3 vs 0 Preston North End Katima Mulilo: 14° | 33° Rundu: 14° | 32° Eenhana: 13° | 33° Oshakati: 15° | 32° Ruacana: 16° | 34° Tsumeb: 16° | 31° Otjiwarongo: 14° | 30° Omaruru: 14° | 32° Windhoek: 12° | 27° Gobabis: 14° | 28° Henties Bay: 14° | 20° Wind speed: 18km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:44, High tide: 04:42, Low Tide: 22:59, High tide: 17:11 Swakopmund: 16° | 17° Wind speed: 20km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:42, High tide: 04:40, Low Tide: 22:57, High tide: 17:09 Walvis Bay: 17° | 23° Wind speed: 25km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:42, High tide: 04:39, Low Tide: 22:57, High tide: 17:08 Rehoboth: 14° | 29° Mariental: 17° | 31° Keetmanshoop: 17° | 31° Aranos: 16° | 30° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 16° | 33° Oranjemund: 13° | 21° Luanda: 25° | 30° Gaborone: 15° | 29° Lubumbashi: 13° | 27° Mbabane: 15° | 29° Maseru: 10° | 25° Antananarivo: 12° | 23° Lilongwe: 17° | 28° Maputo: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 12° | 27° Cape Town: 14° | 17° Durban: 18° | 30° Johannesburg: 16° | 25° Dar es Salaam: 22° | 29° Lusaka: 16° | 29° Harare: 13° | 29° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.17 | EUR to NAD 19.9 | CNY to NAD 2.54 | USD to NAD 18.5 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.31 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.67 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.64 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 133.95 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.64 | USD to EGP 47.9 | USD to KES 133.98 | USD to NGN 1379 | USD to ZAR 18.5 | USD to ZMW 27.1 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 76428.31 Up +0.50% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1700.24 Up +0.45% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13403.47 Up +0.61% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 26113.71 Up +6.81% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 301.81/OZ DOWN -0.0011 | Copper US$ 4.53/lb UP +1.46% | Zinc US$ 2 924.30/T DOWN -0.08% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 83.49/BBP DOWN -0.0105 | Platinum US$ 955.87/OZ UP +0.28% Sport results: Premier League: Manchester City 5 vs 1 Wolves | Brentford 0 vs 0 Fulham | Sheffield United 1 vs 3 Nottingham Forest | Burnley 1 vs 4 Newcastle | Arsenal 3 vs 0 Bournemouth | Luton Town 1 vs 1 Everton | Chelsea 2 vs 0 Tottenham Hotspur LaLiga: Mallorca 0 vs 1 Atletico Madrid | Girona 4 vs 2 Barcelona | Real Madrid 3 vs 0 Cadiz | Real Sociedad 2 vs 0 Las Palmas | Getafe 0 vs 2 Athletic Club SerieA: Sassuolo 1 vs 0 Inter Milan | Monza 2 vs 2 SS Lazio | Torino 0 vs 0 Bologna European Championships Qualifying: Plymouth Argyle 1 vs 0 Hull City | Birmingham City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Coventry City 1 vs 2 Queens Park Rangers | Stoke City 4 vs 0 Bristol City | Swansea City 0 vs 1 Millwall FC | Leeds United 1 vs 2 Southampton | Ipswich Town 2 vs 0 Huddersfield Town | Sunderland 0 vs 2 Sheffield Wednesday | Rotherham United 5 vs 2 Cardiff City | Middlesbrough 3 vs 1 Watford | Leicester City 0 vs 2 Blackburn Rovers | West Bromwich Albion 3 vs 0 Preston North End English Championship: Plymouth Argyle 1 vs 0 Hull City | Birmingham City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Coventry City 1 vs 2 Queens Park Rangers | Stoke City 4 vs 0 Bristol City | Swansea City 0 vs 1 Millwall FC | Leeds United 1 vs 2 Southampton | Ipswich Town 2 vs 0 Huddersfield Town | Sunderland 0 vs 2 Sheffield Wednesday | Rotherham United 5 vs 2 Cardiff City | Middlesbrough 3 vs 1 Watford | Leicester City 0 vs 2 Blackburn Rovers | West Bromwich Albion 3 vs 0 Preston North End Weather: Katima Mulilo: 14° | 33° Rundu: 14° | 32° Eenhana: 13° | 33° Oshakati: 15° | 32° Ruacana: 16° | 34° Tsumeb: 16° | 31° Otjiwarongo: 14° | 30° Omaruru: 14° | 32° Windhoek: 12° | 27° Gobabis: 14° | 28° Henties Bay: 14° | 20° Wind speed: 18km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:44, High tide: 04:42, Low Tide: 22:59, High tide: 17:11 Swakopmund: 16° | 17° Wind speed: 20km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:42, High tide: 04:40, Low Tide: 22:57, High tide: 17:09 Walvis Bay: 17° | 23° Wind speed: 25km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:42, High tide: 04:39, Low Tide: 22:57, High tide: 17:08 Rehoboth: 14° | 29° Mariental: 17° | 31° Keetmanshoop: 17° | 31° Aranos: 16° | 30° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 16° | 33° Oranjemund: 13° | 21° Luanda: 25° | 30° Gaborone: 15° | 29° Lubumbashi: 13° | 27° Mbabane: 15° | 29° Maseru: 10° | 25° Antananarivo: 12° | 23° Lilongwe: 17° | 28° Maputo: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 12° | 27° Cape Town: 14° | 17° Durban: 18° | 30° Johannesburg: 16° | 25° Dar es Salaam: 22° | 29° Lusaka: 16° | 29° Harare: 13° | 29° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.17 | EUR to NAD 19.9 | CNY to NAD 2.54 | USD to NAD 18.5 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.31 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.67 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.64 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 133.95 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.64 | USD to EGP 47.9 | USD to KES 133.98 | USD to NGN 1379 | USD to ZAR 18.5 | USD to ZMW 27.1 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 76428.31 Up +0.50% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1700.24 Up +0.45% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13403.47 Up +0.61% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 26113.71 Up +6.81% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 301.81/OZ DOWN -0.0011 | Copper US$ 4.53/lb UP +1.46% | Zinc US$ 2 924.30/T DOWN -0.08% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 83.49/BBP DOWN -0.0105 | Platinum US$ 955.87/OZ UP +0.28%