https://www.republikein.com.na/maatskaplike-kwessies/wetgewing-wurg-burgerlike-sektor2023-09-25

“WETGEWING WURG BURGERLIKE SEKTOR

Moet teen Vrydag (29th September 2023) registreer

In terme van registrasie en nakoming is die fokus veral op kerke, geloofsgebaseerde organisasies en welsynsorganisasies wat onder meer betrokke is by behuising, gesondheid, welsynsdienste en onderwys.

Augetto Graig

• 2 DAE GELEDE – 2023-09-25 00:00:00

“Die tyd het aangebreek om burgerlik ongehoorsaam te wees,” sê Joris Komen, die stigter van die niewinsgewende organisasie Netday Namibia.

Dit na aanleiding van die Bank of Namibië (BoN) se Sentrum vir Finansiële Intelligensie (FIC) wat steeds daarop aandring dat alle niewinsgewende organisasies in Namibië teen 29 September geregistreer moet wees en aan streng verklaringsmaatreëls in verband met hul geldsake moet voldoen. Dit sodat die FIC glo kan vasstel of ’n organisasie ’n risiko loop om terrorismebedrywighede te finansier of vir geldwassery gebruik te word.

By ’n vergadering wat Vrydag by die Hilton Hotel in die hoofstad gehou is het Kristian Hamutenya, die FIC se adjunkdirekteur van nakoming, gesê niks kan nou aan die nuwe wetgewing verander word nie. “Ongelukkig nie nou nie,” was sy antwoord op vrae oor die aanskuif van die sperdatum of versagting van die vereistes.

Hy sê in terme van registrasie en nakoming is die fokus veral op kerke, geloofsgebaseerde organisasies en welsynsorganisasies wat onder meer betrokke is by behuising, gesondheid, welsynsdienste en onderwys. Organisasies van dié aard moet die FIC dringend kontak, sê Hamutenya.

Behalwe vir die bogenoemde moet alle (“other”) niewinsgewende organisasies die Wysigingswet op Finansiële Intelligensie no. 6 van 2023 gehoorsaam.”

So there you have it.

While I’m likely to comply with FIC’s registration demands for “other” non-faith, non-charitable non-profit organizations (NPOs), I’m doing this under protest since my 22-year old Incorporated Association not for gain simply doesn’t have N$ 100 million to pay as a penalty for non-compliance with this draconian legal amendment surreptitiously slipped into law earlier this year. And I certainly won’t live long enough to deal with the alternative 30 year prison sentence!

FOR FIC’s SAKE!

(what a t-shirt this would make!)

FIC representatives claimed that their media interventions from early 2020 onwards (remember COVID?) were sufficiently public for all us potentially terrorist-funding NPOs to have recognised the urgency of their demands for our institutional information, police (!) and credit bureau clearance of our legacy board members and administrators, as well as of our donors and clients on an annual basis!

Arguing that the urgency of this demand on our 1000s of churches (and one or two mosques and a recently deconcecrated synagogue) — all NPOs — is driven by a national fiduciary obligation to some UN policing group of countries call FATF (typically including the USA and “other democracies”) which threaten a GREY LISTING of our country which FIC representatives claim will have worse economic consequences than any international Ratings agency would ever be able to deliver!

And thus so in apparent blissful ignorance of money-laundering political parties (one of which was still seen as a terrorist organization shortly before our independence in 1990!) and utterly corrupt government officials, their families and friends raping our country’s resources to the tune of gazillions of dollars!

FOR FIC’s SAKE!

Eben de Klerk https://www.epra.cc is right in his thoughtful sentiments concerning the underlying motive of this “affaire”…

On 21 July 2023, the President signed into law the Financial Intelligence Amendment Act (6 of 2023) in Government Gazette, Nr 8139. This amendment act inter alia added a definition of “non-profit organisation”, as well as section 35A with the heading “Powers of Centre in relation to non-profit organisations”. In terms of this newly added section, on 31 August 2023, the Minister of Finance promulgated a host of regulations (Government Gazette number 8192) with which all “non-profit organisations” must comply.

A non-profit organisation is defined as meaning “[a] legal person or arrangement or organisation that primarily engages in raising or disbursing funds for purposes such as charitable, religious, cultural, educational, social or fraternal purposes, or for the carrying out of other type of good works, where the Centre under section 35A identifies certain non-profit organisations to which the applicable provisions of this Act apply”.

It was reported in the media that Namibia had to scramble to put in place several laws, or risk being “grey-listed” as a country. Several foreign agencies are involved, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Namibian government subsequently put in place this (and other laws) to help fight organised crime, money laundering and terrorism on global level.

It is highly doubtful that there is any significant risk of high-level financial crimes such as money laundering and financing terrorism in Namibia’s civil society sector -– Namibia’s financial crimes are typically associated with government, state-owned enterprises and well-connected people.

I have no objection with lawful efforts to fight any form of crime. But to suggest that “we have no (other) choice”, when it comes to potential conflict with our constitution and other local laws, is sublime. It is incomprehensible that any responsible international agency would demand that Namibia enact laws that breach our constitutional rights and freedoms, and worse still, demand the oppression of civil society, and the destruction of our free democracy, only to make their democracies (USA and European countries mostly) safer!

Government’s pussy-footing around financial institutions and industries with vast profits (and philanthropic tokenism), while inflicting gross bureaucratic overreach and government control of civil society (very much like Zimbabwe – their Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill provides one more “legal” vehicle for institutions of extraction to oppress civil society organisations) rightly demands collective civil disobedience, witness to the rapid erosion of our hard-earned democracy.

While I concur that the onus is on those who interpret rock art to demonstrate what (perhaps special) ability they possess to do so correctly, and consider why anyone should take their interpretations seriously, I think that there is sufficient context to be found in the local mix of archaeology, paleontology and ethnology to accept at least some of these!

Accordingly, in celebration of the thoughtful work of the Namibian archaeologist John Kinahan, and some rock art which has really teased my sensibilities in a remote cave on Daurês (formerly Brandberg), I’ve elected to briefly share John’s thoughts about emperor moth dancing rattles used by the historical hunter-gatherer inhabitants of Daurês.

John considers these rattles to be more than an unusual and accidental find, showing that occultation, as an element of performance not previously considered by scholars of the region, is of fundamental importance to an understanding of the art and ritual practice of southern African hunter-gatherers. The rattles expose a critical weakness in conventional explanations.

Moth cocoons with small pebbles placed inside and strung about the lower limbs, issue a characteristic rustling sound, a rhythmic accompaniment to the ritual dance. Their significance goes much further, for the cocoon represents the stage of occultation when the moth larva is hidden from view. The moth itself is the emergent stage represented by the dancing shaman: once hidden, now apparent.

The moths illustrated in the Daurês rock art panel are very unusual – firstly the illustrative style – moths seen from above to show the emperor ‘eyes’, and secondly their uniqueness – there are apparently no other equivalent rock art illustrations found anywhere – thirdly the likely association of these moths with the use of their cocoons as dancing rattles and hence fourthly the association of these emerged moths with the shaman’s appearance.

John Kinahan’s ‘Namib – the archaeology of an African desert’ was originally published by the University of Namibia Press. It is available from Wits University Press and is also available internationally from Boydell & Brewer.

digging through another external hard drive with files from days gone by – files created with now long obsolete software programs such as canvas, wordperfect and dbase+ – I found this picture, scanned from the original which was done with my favourite rotring ink pens, decades ago!



Liz and I spent some time at farm Noab in the Remhoogte pass and had a chance to see some rock art there at a site known as “grossequelle” (sp?). It was a bit of a scramble to get to the site, on dolomite. Apparently this site has been documented in the past, but access to archaeological and rock art custodian websites in Namibia is limited.

Aside from an excellent rhino, there were two other images which stood out from the rest. The surprisingly detailed figure’s ‘cape’ (or is it a carcass?) and the ‘tapestry’ would appear to be quite unusual. Both images are of similar scale, cf. the hand in the accompanying photo.

Dear

thank you for your prompt reply, the kind offer of a voucher and a photo of a Lion matchbox with the usual informative text on its back! This was most reasuring, to say the least! [I do take exception to the large barcode, though. There can’t be many children who have barcode readers as part of their personal tech. And can you imagine how many Chappies you can buy for one of those devices?]

I’m afraid that all my earlier frustrations with the deteriorating state of your matches were not documented as expressly as the present lot, but believe me when I say that I’m not the only person who has noticed changes in the quality of your matches! Obvious hearsay you might say, but my group of friends at a recent barbeque were quite vociferous in their concerns; and this well before the brandy kicked in!

I recovered the following range of batch codes from the remaining matchboxes in the same packet barcoded in my previous correspondence.

It would appear quite clear from the present photo that this collection of matchboxes should never have passed a quality control exam at your factory. Given the fact that this packet of 10 matchboxes was purchased at a Spar retailer in Windhoek, Namibia, is it at all possible that you’ve got some very naughty staff members selling reject matches on the sly?

I’m afraid I can’t recall at which one of the three Spar retailers I frequent in Windhoek I purchased this particular packet of matches, but since they are all likely to acquire their imported stocks from a common wholesale distribution depot here, perhaps you could contact them directly.  

Come to think of it, there’s even the chance that someone might be selling fake Lion matches in Namibia!  We do know that uncontrolled quantities of contraband fake cigarettes have infiltrated our country, along with a gazillion other fake goods of oriental origin, so perhaps there is bigger story to tell! 

Now that would cause quite a media stir here, given the otherwise dreary reporting of Independence Day celebrations and the doom and gloom of self-enrichment by diverse members of popular political parties here and in other southern African countries.  

I, too, assure you of my best intentions in hoping that you’ll uncover the reasons for deteriorating matches in your factory!  

Sincerely, etc.

Good Day Mr Komen,

Thank you for your email and feedback.

Kindly please provide the following details, so that we can log your complaint.

1. Postal address where we can send you a voucher
2. Batch code, as per picture below (should you not find it where indicated, kindly please look underneath the actual matchsticks themselves)
4. Where did you purchase the current box of matches

Assuring you of our best intentions at all times.

Kind regards,

etc.

May 2022 bring on a public orgy of larrikinism, [a state of being disorderly and mischievous] without offending your own sensibilities; testing the bounds of civil disobedience with your face and grin concealed by a flimsy blue mask.

In particular, I look forward to once again offending irate neighbours on our shared dusty public roadways; by driving at a snail’s pace, stopping to pick up pedestrians (mostly these neighbours’ staff) and preventing the fuckwits from overtaking me in furious haste. And informing them of their sins with my favourite hand signal –

Lanioturdus torquatus, commonly known as the White-tailed Shrike, is a striking endemic species of the South West Escarpment Zone of central and northern Namibia and southern Angola. It remains an enigmatic species with respect its place in avian taxonomy – it’s neither a true shrike nor a batis-like flycatcher, behaving and calling in a mix of both forms. It also makes for fun ink drawings ! It has been likened to a “giant terrestrial batis”… I think this species deserves more credit!