consumer news namibia - march 2013 edition

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News FREE MARCH 2013 ISSN 2026-710X YOUR VOICE Consumer Bankers launches Code of banking practice

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Consumer News Namibia - March Edition

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Page 1: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

NewsFree

MArCH 2013

ISSN 2026-710X

your voICe

Consumer

Bankers launches Code of banking practice

Page 2: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition
Page 3: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

The TeamPublisherConsumer News

Printed byPrintech cc

General Manager/EditorWillem Gariseb081 249 8161081 551 [email protected]

EditorialFreelance Journalists

PhotosFreelance Photographers

Contents• The Need for Creating Capacity on Consumer Protection at the Commission - P4 - 5

• NAMCOL celebrates its graduation ceremony- P6

• Bankers launches the Code of banking practice - P 7

• Radio remains the drum of Africa - P10 - 11

• No legal framework for ITC - P12 - 13

• Shelf Labelling & Unit Prices should be complementary - P13

• Are franchises and chains good for us? - P14 - 15

• NSA releases Fourth Quarter GDP results - P16

• Human Rights comes with some responsibilities - P16 - 17

• My Point of View - P18 - 19

• The new BMW 3 Series Sedan - P20

• Paulas Ambunda won the WBO - P22

Editor’s Note

Let me begin by honouring the almighty God for giving us yet another opportunity to continue educating and informing consumers on some dynamic principles and ethics that will enable then to sail through the year 2013 and

mark it as their year of maximum impact in all spheres of your lives. To break the ice for the year 2013, we have strategically compiled some interesting,

thrilling and inspiring articles that will provoke the reader to start this year at a different level and attitude.

This edition is an eye opener to all the inhabitants of the Land of the brave as we rally behind Namibia’s Vision 2030 objectives by stimulating the readers minds to think positively on how they can start doing things different to avoid repeating the same mistakes they did last year and how they can play an elementary role in making the national vision a reality.

Inside this edition we give you an update on the NSA third quarter report and we also inform all our readers on the progression of child poverty in Namibia and how it impacts on the children and the nation at large. We have also incorporated some back to school tips for parents to be an active force in their children’s learning process through supporting them and working hand in glove with school teachers, so as to ‘accomplish the transformation of Namibia into a knowledge based, highly competitive, industrialized and eco-friendly nation, with sustainable economic growth and a high quality of life,’ by year 2030.

It is our commitment and responsibility as the Consumer News to be a watchdog for consumers as we will be the public sphere for discussion of all consumer related news where consumers raise their issues and the state also responds and update consumers on proceedings which concerns them.

Once again we welcome you to a new year. May you be inspired to inspire others to make a positive impact in our society, as you read through the pages of this book until we meet again.

ContaCt detailsNamibia Consumer Protection Group: Milton Louw. E-mail: [email protected]

Namibia Customer Service Institute: Jon Allen. E-mail:[email protected]

Website: www.namibiacsi.com

Namibian Consumer Lobby: Bob Ziekenoppasser. Te: 064 - 46 1461 or 081 284 8000

Namibian Standards Institution: Tel: 061 38 6400 / Queries: [email protected]

Website: www.nsi.com.na

“ ”If there is a book you really want to read but it

hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it. ”

Our mission is to create a platform for you the Namibian consumer, who strives to see improvement in the value of goods and services and are savvy enough to spot misleading advertising and poor quality products and services. You deserve more, and together we have power in numbers, so we welcome your contributions, feedback, acknowledgements and your voice on products and services that need our investigation.

You deserve more ...

Toni Morrison (US novelist)

Willem Gariseb

For all your advertising needs contact: Willem Gariseb at: Cell: +264 (0) 81 249 8161/+264 (0) 85 551 9337 Fax2mail: +264 (0) 886 44443

Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Page 4: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

4 Consumer News

By Mihe Gaomab II

At its Commissioners meeting held on 01 July 2011, the Board of Com-missioners considered a ground

breaking paper on the need for ascertain-ing the link between Consumer Protec-tion and Competition Policy.

The Commission thought it appropri-ate to interrogate the link as it is vital to the mandate of the Namibian Competi-tion Commission which was established in terms of the Competition Act No. 2 of 2003 in order to safeguard competition in the country. Namibia currently does not have a legal statute geared towards Consumer Protection.

The Commission thought it essential to conduct research on this matter, as Section 2 of the Act does specifically at-test that the Commission has oversight on Consumer Protection, namely that it serves to provide consumers with competi-tive prices and product choices.

The Commission finalised its research paper on exploring the link between com-petition and Consumer Protection and shared it with the broader stakeholders concerned with Consumer Protection in November 2011.

There were substantial comments received from the stakeholders during March 2012 on the research done which further accentuated the need for having Consumer Protection policy and law in Namibia.

During July 2012, the Bank of Namibia finalised its research paper on Consumer Protection and proposed a similar position as the Commission in that given the small size of the Namibian economy, that the Consumer Protection be accorded to the Namibian Competition Commission and that the regulatory matters on Consumer Protection specific to sectors be accorded to sectoral regulators. The proposal was widely endorsed by the members of the Financial Council of which the Commis-sion is also a member of.

Since its inception in 2010, the Com-mission is also a member of the Consumer Financial Literacy Campaign led by the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Namibia and NAMFISA.

The Namibian Competition Commis-sion hosted a Competition and Consumer Week from 24-28 September 2012 as part of its advocacy drive on competi-tion law and policy, as well as Consumer Protection. The Commission delivered a presentation based on the exploratory research paper titled; The Link between Competition and Consumer Protection in Namibia.

The presentation provides an overview of Consumer Protection from a competi-tion law/policy perspective, highlighting the link between the two as it enhances consumer welfare.

It further deliberated on the impor-

tance of competition and consumer pro-tection for attaining national development, highlighted the current status of Consum-er Protection in Namibia, the institutions involved in issues of consumer protection and discussed the way forward.

The workshop concluded that there was an established need for Consumer Protection in the country and indicated

Mihe Gaomab II, Chief Executive Officer of the Commission

The Need for Creating Capacity

on Consumer Protection at the Commission

Page 5: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

5Consumer News

During July 2012, the Bank of Namibia finalised its research paper on Consumer Protection and proposed a similar position as the Commission in that given the small size of the Namibian economy, that the Consumer Protection be accorded to the Namibian Competition Commission and that the regulatory matters on Consumer Protection specific to sectors be accorded to sectoral regulators. The proposal was widely endorsed by the members of the Financial Council of which the Commission is also a member of.

that there was a need for coordination of existing efforts towards the development of Consumer Protection Law and Policy. The need for cementing a coherent ap-proach to Consumer Protection in terms of coverage of the Consumer Protection legislation in the Competition Act and jurisdictional matters were highlighted and affirmed.

The workshop further concluded that there is a need for strengthening institu-tions such as NaCC to better carry out its mandate in order to better enforce Consumer Protection.

The proposed approach on consumer protection and the strong relevance of it to the Competition Policy and Law was supported by Mr. Chilufya Sampa, Execu-tive Director of the Zambian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Mr. Sampa delivered a presentation on the Zambian experience with regard to consumer protection. In his presenta-tion, he gave a historical background on the Zambian economy with reference to the enactment of the Competition and

Fair Trading Act of 1994 which had limited provisions on consumer protection. After 13 years of enforcing the Competi-tion and Fair Trading Act of 1994, the consumer protection aspects were incorporated to the existing law to form the Competition and Con-sumer Protection Act of 2010, which led to the renaming of the Zambian Competition Commis-sion to Zambian Com-petition and Consumer Protection Commission and became the primary consumer protection ad-vocate and enforcement agency in that country.

The presentation outlined the adminis-tration of the Zambian Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 under the Zambian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The presenter further noted that, given the developments around the region, Namibia as a country is moving at a rather slow pace in developing the necessary consumer protection legisla-tion and that is crucial to have a central body were consumers can lodge their complaints. He supported the conclusion of strong relevance between competition enforcement and consumer protection and supported the recommendation of the extension of the Competition Act to cover consumer protection aspects and that it be designed to best suit the Namibian situation.

The conclusion reached from the workshop is that the consumer protection is an evolving, dynamic and complex area judging from the 30 plus page devotion on consumer protection in Zambia and the 500 odd paged Consumer Protection Act

in South Africa.There is also a general recognition by

the former Namibian Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Hage Geingob, in the recent Consumer News publication of September 2012 that the country at pres-ent has no institutional framework pertain-ing Consumer Protection in Namibia and that the dawn of entrenching Consumer Protection efforts should be expedited in Namibia.

The Consumer Protection and Compe-tition Policy Workshop on the 27 Sep-tember 2012 which was also addressed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry delivered by the Acting Permanent Secretary Mrs. Hermina Himarua where it was spe-cifically stated that Namibia lags behind many countries in Southern Africa and beyond in that it does not have a legisla-tion on Consumer Protection with the resultant effect of the Namibian economy still being characterised with unfair trade practices and very little if any recourse for consumers who have been wronged. This leads to exploitation of consumers as they are left with little choice especially given the cost of litigation. The address con-cluded on the need for creation of a small claims court to effect consumer redress in Namibia.

The creation and capacitation of a Con-sumer Protection Division is consistent with the trend of the sectoral regulators creating such entities within their struc-tures, notably the Namibian Standards Institute (NSI) having a Consumer Protection and Inspections Division, as well as NAMFISA having a Consumer Education Department.

This is only more natural, since the Competition Commission’s work ulti-mately results in consumer protection and welfare, that the Commission’s structure should accommodate proper consumer protection mechanisms.

Page 6: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

6 Consumer News

Namibian College of Open Learn-ing (NAMCOL) recently held a price giving ceremony of 2012

NAMCOL Best Performers in the JSC and NSSCO national examinations at NAMCOL Yetu Yama Centre in Katu-tura.

Speaking at the ceremony the Director for NAMCOL Mr Heroldt Vekaama Murangi highlighted that the objective of NAMCOL as part of the education frater-nity is to contribute to the development of competent and highly skilled productive human resources.

“ As a College, we fully comprehend our national duty, that of facilitating and nur-turing the out-of-school youth and adults in preparing them for further studies at institutions of higher learning and contrib-uting to the social economic development of our country.”

Mr Murangi added that in 2012 the College registered 33 211 students for the Secondary education programme and of

this figure, 10 227 and 22 666 (54 % of total entries for NSSCO) sat for the JSC and NSSCO national examinations. For JSC, 89.5 percent subject entries were graded while 81.7% of NSSCO entries were graded.

The event was also graced by the Hon-ourable Governor of Khomas Region, Hon L. McLeod- Katjirua who noted that the Government of the Republic of Namibia recognises the importance of education as an important tool in the development of the country.

“The Government, therefore, put in place sufficient financial resources into education sector to ensure that Namibia will be assured of a well-educated popu-lace to facilitate the growth and develop-ment of our country.

“Today I stand proud as a leader be-cause of the performance of these young boys and girls. They defeated all the odds and made it their mission to excel in their studies. This is indeed the quality of learn-

NAMCoL celebrates its graduation ceremony

Director for NAMCOL Mr Heroldt Vekaama Murangi

As a College, we fully comprehend our national duty, that of facilitating and nurturing the out-of-school youth and adults in preparing them for further studies at institutions of higher learning and contributing to the social economic development of our country.

Governor of Khomas Region, Hon L. McLeod- Katjirua

ers we would like to see in this country. All this comes to complement Namibia’s

Vision 2030 document which seeks to accomplish the transformation of Namibia into a knowledge based, highly competi-tive, industrialised and eco-friendly nation, with sustainable economic growth and a high quality of life.

Honourable Katjirua ended by thank-ing companies and the private sector who joined hands with NAMCOL to reward learners with prizes for their performance.

“Remember, educating a nation is a collective responsibility. Hence, to me this is a positive sign of sharing the collective responsibility of education in our country. I urge all to follow suit,” he concluded.

Page 7: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

7Consumer News

The Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Mr Ipumbu Shiimi and the Chairman of the Bankers Association of Namibia, Mr Christo

de Vries, recently launched some Guidelines for Lodging Customer Complaints of the Bank of

Namibia and the Code of Banking Practice of the Bankers Association of Namibia at a

function held at the Bank of Namibia. According to Christo de Vries, the

joint launch signifies a commitment by the banking sector and regulator to work together to the benefit of

the consumers of banking prod-ucts and services in Namibia and

the Code of Banking Practice promotes standards for sound and

transparent banking practices and is a big step towards the enhancement of

consumer protection in Namibia. He said, “The Code of Banking

Practice is a voluntary code which sets standards of

good banking practice for financial institu-tions to follow when dealing with customers. The Code will henceforth guide the interactions of banks with their clients and it will help clients to bet-ter understand

their rights and responsibilities

as well as the bank’s responsibilities in serving the client.”

The Code of Banking Practice has been devel-

oped to: promote good banking practices by setting minimum standards for banks when dealing with their clients; increase transparency so that clients can have a better understanding of what they can reason-ably expect from the products and services of banks; promote a fair and open relationship between clients and their bank; foster confidence in the banking system and promote the speedy and effective handling and resolution of complaints.

“We want to establish and strengthen good rela-tionships with our clients and therefore the Bankers Association of Namibia’s member banks commit themselves to maintain the relevant standards of fair-ness and accountability set out in the Code.

“In addition to the Code of Banking Practice, we are also committed to the highest standards of ethical behaviour as contained in our respective Codes of Ethics. Every interaction between consumers and banking institutions should be characterized by hon-esty, fairness and respect”, added Christo de Vries.

On the other hand, the Guidelines for Lodging Complaints, which establishes complaint handling procedures in the Bank of Namibia to ensure a consistent approach in complaints resolution, have been developed by the Bank of Namibia as a to guide clients of commercial banks when wanting to lodge their complaints to the Bank of Namibia.

Christo de Vries also noted that the protection of the financial consumer is in line with the Namibia Financial Sector Strategy launched by the Minister of Finance, Honourable Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila in August 2012, adding that lodging complaints to the Bank of Namibia should be done after exhausting commercial banks complaint resolution mechanisms.

“Commercial banks are therefore urged to resolve complaints with their clients amicably. The Guide-lines for lodging customer complaints, together with the Code of Banking Practices are but one step forward in enhancing consumer service and protec-tion in the banking sector, while the financial sector is investigating a comprehensive framework for financial consumer protection,” he concluded.

Bankers launches the Code of banking practice

The Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Mr Ipumbu Shiimi

We want to establish and strengthen good relationships with our clients and therefore the Bankers Association of Namibia’s member banks commit themselves to maintain the relevant standards of fairness and accountability set out in the Code

”Mr Christo de Vries

Page 8: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition
Page 9: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition
Page 10: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

The Ministry of Information Communication and Technol-ogy (MICT) in collaboration with the United Nations System in Namibia and fellow partners in Radio recently

observed the World Radio Day for the first time in the history of the medium in the nation.

Radio has for years been regarded as the “drum of Africa” due to its accessibility, affordability and audibility, cutting across

various cultural backgrounds and geographical boundaries.

World Radio Day was proposed by UNESCO in November 2011 and endorsed by the UN General Assembly to be celebrated on 13 February each year with an objective

to raise awareness on the importance of radio among the public and the media and also enhance networking and international cooperation amongst broadcasters.

The day serves to encourage decision-makers and those who work in all forms of radio broadcasting to provide inclusive and diversified content and information access for the benefit and in the interest of all citizens regardless of age and gender.

According to the acting director of Print Media at the Ministry of Information and Technology, Mr Reagen, who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Information and Technology said this is a historic day that all the citizens of this country should embrace.

“This is the first event we are witnessing in Namibia that brings together all the radio stations sharing one platform. As we celebrate and mark this day, we must take advantage of this new formed collabora-tion and have this day as a beginning to networking together as each find its leach in the market.”

He said that the ministry of information is proud to join the international com-munity and radio stations to mark this important day and added that the ministry is committed to provide access to informa-tion for the benefit and interests of the citizens in the country regardless of their locations, gender, age and any other affili-ation.

“We do recognise radio as a development tool in this country and the medium that provides communication in this country between the majority of the citizens and decision maker.”

Speaking on the day the Chief Execu-

reAChiNg The MAsses

radio remains the drum of Africa

We do recognise radio as a development tool in this country and the medium that provides communication in this country between the majority of the citizens and decision maker.

”Chief Executive Officer for the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), Stan-ley Shanapind

Page 11: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

tive Officer for the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), Stanley Shanapinda said radio is an essential communication tool in many homes in Namibia with the abil-ity to transcend barriers of cost, geographical boundaries and provides a voice for the voiceless and illiterate- in particular the minority groups of women and young people.

“Radio facilitates responsible political debate, shapes identities, mobilise a society towards a common goal and assists listeners as they go through challenges of everyday life.

“To date, Namibia has roughly 13 radio stations and even with this development, only 72 percent of Namibians have coverage and access to radio in 2011,” said Shanapinda adding that these statistics have prompted CRAN to form more partnerships with relevant bodies both locally and internationally so as to ensure more people have access to ICT benefits, such as radio.

Shanapinda encouraged the rollout of additional radio services nationally, since radio, apart from informing, educating and entertaining, provides services where other platforms cannot due to high cost, lack of infrastructure or emergency situations, blackouts, disruptions of electricity or internet access. Moreover, radio reaches children, women and men in areas where tradition-al education systems cannot due to financial means, education or accessibility, he noted.

According to UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, “World Radio celebrates a medium that has transformed the way we communicate and that remains at the forefront of the 21st century. On 18 December 2012, the United Nations General As-sembly endorsed the 2011 resolution adopted by the UNESCO General conference, proclaiming 13 February as World Radio Day, the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946.”

The objective of World Radio Day, according to Bokova, is to raise greater awareness about the importance of radio among the public and the media but also to enhance networking and interna-tional cooperation amongst broadcasters.

“The day serves to encourage decision-makers to establish and provide access to information through radio; as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broad-casters,” said Bokova.

He added that the world has changed dramatically since the 19th century, but radio has hardly aged a day and remained

To date, Namibia has roughly 13 radio stations and even with this development, only 72 percent of Namibians have coverage and access to radio in 2011

” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova

World Radio celebrates a medium that has transformed the way we communicate and that remains at the forefront of the 21st century. On 18 December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the 2011 resolution adopted by the UNESCO General conference, proclaiming 13 February as World Radio Day, the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946.

”widely accessible, relatively cheap and very simple to use and is still the medium that can carry any message to any place at any time even in the absence of electricity.

According to Bokova, “Radio has embarked the digital revolu-tion to expand its power and reach. Across the world, the cost of broadcasting is decreasing and the number of radio stations is increasing,” adding that in a world changing quickly, UNESCO is committed to harnessing the full power of radio to build bridges of understanding between peoples, to share information as widely as possible and to deepen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially freedom of expression and this is essential for good governance, open societies and sustainable development.”

“This is why UNESCO works to protect the safety of radio journalists across the world and to support free, independent and pluralistic media, along with the necessary legal frameworks and democratic institutions.

UNESCO is also determined to make full use of community radio to address poverty and social exclusion at the local level and to empower marginalised rural groups, young people and women. Radio is a key platform for education and for protect-ing local cultures and languages and it is also a powerful way to amplify the voices of young people around the world on issues that affect their lives.”

Page 12: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

12 Consumer News

While doing research, I came across the website on projects conducted and submitted by

students from The University of Namibia (UNAM). Among the papers, I was im-presses with a paper entitled “Consumer Protection and the Legality of ICT: A Comparative Study between Namibia, South Africa” presented by N. Boon-zaaier.

Boonzaaier in his abstract states… “Credit sales are a common occurrence and originated before the Roman era. As time passed,especially after the industrial revolution of the 19th century (which made available consumer goods on a large scale), an increasing number of contracts of purchase and sale were concluded in terms of which payment of the purchase price would take place at a later date or

over a period of time in the future. It is an incontestable fact that some ‘purchases on credit’ constitute a risk.Not only for the credit grantor, but even more so for the consumer.

It is common knowledge that the use of consumer credit enables individuals to en-joy the services of consumer durable goods sooner than they otherwise and in a period of inflation, offers them a real prospect of

acquiring them more cheaply. Consumers in general are

able to obtain a more satis-fying ‘basket’ of goods and services with the same income. Thus consumer credit may besaid to enhance consumer satisfaction. Furthermore some individuals who lack the self-discipline to save up for the purchase of a du-rable consumer good but are nevertheless unlikely to break their contract with a credi-tor are able to buy a durable consumer good which might otherwise never be theirs.

The report went on to ex-plore the rights of consumers, looking at factors such as the necessity of consumer protec-tion and the right to privacy of consumers in congruency to section 28, Article 13 of the Namibian Constitution and the provisions of the Bill of rights.

At the end of the paper he makes the following recom-mendations “…I concede that currently in Namibia there is no procedure in place that regulates ITC, this makes it seem like the Trans-union has no legal standing in our law. It has, however, become neces-sary for Namibia to reform their consumer legislation and consumer protection laws, and put in place, as the South Afri-cans procedural guidelines to follow in instances of extreme default where blacklisting would be justified,because if

No LegAL framework for ITC

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Ü

Page 13: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

13Consumer News

in the last edition of the Consumer News Magazine, I wrote about the unit pricing on shelves which refers to

the practice of indicating the prices per unit (kilogramme, litre, single product in bilk packs, etc.)

During the past few weeks I was fortu-nate enough to travel around Namibia as a tour guide, the time in which we had an opportunity to visit some towns like Swa-kopmund, Walvis Bay and Okahandja. During my visits, I had the opportunity to visit the most common shopping centres in those towns and then observed that only a few shops labelled their products for the convenience of consumers.

I must commend Shoprite for ensuring their products are labelled with the unit price clearly indicated, while Pick & Pay had around half of their products labelled – which for me appeared to be just laziness from the IT department to fill in all the

fields correctly in their central system as the labels already had place to indicate the unit price. In my cursory examination at OK and Fruit and Veg, I did not find any of the products with unit prices indicated.

This was rather strange as these South African stores have the regulations and laws in South Africa, but clearly do not yet bother with our Namibian consumers till they have a law to force them. In addition, the Namibian chain store, Woermann & Brock, did not have unit pricing and I hope they consider changing this soon. After all as a Namibian owned chain store, they have moved into South Africa where I am sure they adhere to the South African rules and regulations.

After reading my article quite a few peo-ple contacted me about shelf pricing they see when they pick up the product and put into their basket – but find to their horror that there is another price in the “computer

shouLd Be CoMpLeMeNTAry

Shelf Labelling &Unit Pricessystems” and the cashier can do nothing about it. But that is not the consumer’s fault because it is the store’s responsibility to correctly price the goods on the shelves if they do not wish to price each product individually.

I had some difficulty finding the appli-cable laws governing commercial transac-tions before Independence – as these laws are still applicable until repealed by the Parliament in a Namibia Consumer Act. But, when I search through the training manuals of the Namibian Police’s Com-mercial Branch and found the following list (as of the day of Independence) that were applicable still in Namibia:

• Merchandise Marks Act, 1941 (Act No. 17 of 1941),

• Business Names Act, 1960 (Act No. 27 of 1960),

• Price Control Act, 1964 (Act No.25 of 1964),

• Sales and Service Matters Act, 1964 (Act No. 25 of 1964),

• TradePractices Act, 1976 (Act No. 76 of 1976)

This is a very interesting fact which then entails that our police are able to interfere in consumer versus business matters on the side of the consumer. Next time this happens to you, offer to call the police un-less they offer you the product at the shelf with indicated price. Yes, they may even end up in jail if they do not comply.

I wonder how long it will take before our business community pushes for the creation of a Consumer Protection Act that clearly stipulates their responsibilities in the new day and age.

we should declare ITC as illegal, credit grantors would in actual fact have no remedyagainst a de-

faulting consumer, and this would render an imbalance of rights.”

The Ministry of Finance has promised legislation on credit burea us and how they manage our data. Until such time, I have to strongly urge the Minister, Bank of Namibia and Namfisa to work out a solution to fix this problem.Since 1999 a proposal has been made such a credit bureau would actually fit well into our Cooperatives Act without much being

done in addition.This would make the cooperatives, operations governed by a set of by-laws, as well as ensure ownership by the business that share this information with each other. Of course, this would also mean that Trans-union would only be allowed to own a maximum of 20% in the cooperative. I think that is a rather better way of getting Namibian ownership of a strategic resource without using black eco-nomic empowerment or other such tools.

In the meantime, perhaps we can consider some kind of grandfather clause to allow their operations to continue until

a new law is in place.Another issue I would like to ponder

is that in addition to providing credit reports to credit grantors, they also supply potential employers and some of the high unemployment can be put squarely on the shoulders of the credit bureau. After all no employer wishes to employ a person listed on the “blacklist” so many qualified people are now outside of possible employment. I think that this is unconstitutional, and a violation of the labour law, as you may not discriminate on grounds of the an indi-vidual’s economic status.

Ü

Page 14: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

14 Consumer News

in Namibia there has been a growth rate of Franchises and Chains amongst restaurants and

stores which are essentially ready-made businesses.

When you buy a franchise from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) for example, you are buying the whole operation; marketing, menu and all.

A franchise owner cannot just start changing things on his own. You will never find a KFC where the owner has decided he want to rather sell fish instead. There are advantages to both the consumer and the person who bought the franchise. The con-sumer gets the assurance that if he/ she walks into a ‘Wimpy’ stores any-where in the country, the menu will be the same. The staff should be trained at similar levels of competence.

An advantage for the franchise owner would also be easy access to national market research along with advertising and merchandising assistance. Therefore the franchise is, according to Milton Louw from Namibian Consumer Protection Group, an easier and safer way to invest in opening a business as it comes with an established brand.

Chains and franchises also create jobs for Namibians, who use that money to buy goods and services for their families.

Critics of Franchises and chain stores have pointed out that many of them come

from South Africa or other nations and are not home grown.

They say that the money ends up leaving the local economy despite the wages paid to employees.

A study in Iowa, for example, found that new Wal-Mart stores gets an average of 84 percent of their sales from existing businesses within the community. This es-sentially means that people are going out to shop for the things they need but instead of buying at the local stores they just buy from the chain instead.

Similar conclusions have been reached in studies of big box development elsewhere.

Trading locally owned businesses for chain stores means the loss of secondary economic benefits.

Local stores tend to support a variety of other local businesses and create opportuni-ties for service providers, like accountants and printers. In this way, a dollar spent at a locally owned business sends a ripple of economic benefits through the community.

Small, independent stores also cre-ate economic diversity and stability and because they are locally owned, they are firmly rooted in the community and are also unlikely to move and will do their best to weather economic hard times.

Chain stores, by contrast, tend to be fair-weather friends as they are highly mobile and will abandon a location if profit mar-gins do not meet their expectations. Chain stores typically centralize these functions at

their head offices and keeps local invest-ment and spending to a minimum.

They bank with big national banks and bypasses local radio stations in favor of national advertising. In this way, much of a dollar spent at a chain store leaves the com-munity immediately.

Chain stores and franchises have also been involved in some serious anti competi-tive behavior. Starbucks in the U.S for example, has been known to come into a town with a strategy to close the indepen-dent stores in the area. Starbucks knows that the town can only support a total of two shops- and has two existing shops already. So what they do is they build four, and wait for the independent shops to close down as their business inevitably slows down then close the extra two shops out of the four they built. The town will be left with 2 coffee shops, both Starbucks.

Starbucks, being a multinational company can afford to take the losses from those stores for an indefinite amount of time. Milton Louw said chains can behave in an anticompetitive nature but stressed that such things can be dealt with through the Namibian Competition Commission.

When we asked him whether any legisla-tion is needed in regards to the proliferation of chains here, Mr. Louw said all that we need is to have our (long overdue) Con-sumer Protection Act passed into law for the benefit of consumers.

-NawaZone

chains good for us?

Are franchises and

Page 15: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

15Consumer News

Namibia Celebrate 23rd Independence Anniversary

As we celebrate freedom, peace and stability

from the manacles of colonialism we raise the

flag of peace high and praise our forefathers

and mothers for the road to freedom was long

and bitter.

Their blood waters our freedom.

We shall keep the flame of freedom burning as

we march together in unison in the pursuit for

socio- economic development, for the benefit

of the current and future generations.

We shall redouble our efforts as a nation, and

continue to rekindle the spirit of patriotism

unity, selflessness and hard work and nurture

our peace and stability, as we harmoniously

march together, on our journey towards Vision

2030 A visionary nation on the move to a

prosperous future

Happy Birthday Namibia!

The Government of the Republic of Namibia wishes the entire Namibian Nation a happy 23rd Independence Anniversary.

The Consumer News Management joins the nation

in celebrating Namibia's 23 years of independence.

MG Promotions & InvestmentsManagement joins the nation

in celebrating Namibia's 23 years of independence.

Page 16: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

16 Consumer News

Namibia recently celebrated the Constitution Day, a time during which i got a revelation on the connection between human rights

and responsibilities. In as much as we have human rights, we also have human responsibilities so as not to infringe on another person’s rights in the process of enjoying ours. Since Independence, Namibians has been guaranteed their rights through the Namibian Constitution. These rights are known by all, but how many of us realise the burden of responsibilities these same rights put on us? In this opinion piece I look at the rights in our constitution, and compare them to the responsibilities expected from us.

What does it mean to be a good citizen?• You must always remember that the other

person has rights while being aware of your own

• Think and do as you want, but know that your rights end where another person’s rights begin

• Create things which are useful to yourself and others

• It is to produce wealth by labour and only by labour, and to spend less than you have produced that your children may not be dependent on the state for support when you are no more.

Article 6 - Protection of LifeThe protection of life places on me the responsibility

to:

Human RightsThe Namibian Statistics

Agency recently an-nounced that the coun-

try’s economy rebounded in the final quarter of the year posting a positive growth of a 4.3 percent following a decline of 3.7 percent in the third quarter of 2012.

These results were released in their 2012 Fourth Quarter Gross Domestic Product. However, according to the Statistician General Dr John Steytler, the 4.3 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 represents a slowdown in economic activi-ties when compared to the same quarter of the preceding year, when the economy expanded by 10.4 percent.

This slow growth in the economy was mainly reflected in the fishing, manufacturing and hotels, and restaurants sectors that declined in real value added by 10.0 percent, 8.0 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively.

The poor performance of the fishing sector during the fourth quarter of 2012 is partly attrib-uted to the fact that no landings were recorded in pelagic fisher-ies as most right holders utilized their quotas in the first half of the year.

As for the manufacturing industry, the poor performance

was mainly attributed to the cat-egory “other manufacturing not classified elsewhere,” which in-cludes items such as rubber and chemical products which posted a massive decline of 47.7 percent. On the other hand, some of the traditional manufacturing items such as meat processing, mineral processing and basic metals posted positive growth during the review period, although not sufficient to offset the overall decline of the sector.

The hotels and restaurants sector, a proxy of tourism, and an NDP4 priority sector, is estimated to have contracted by 16.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 and this was due to a decline in the number of bed nights and room nights sold that declined by 19.8 percent, respectively.

The construction sector, which has been propelling the economic growth, registered a slow growth of only 3.7 percent during the quarter emanating from the value of construction works for the general govern-ment sector that recorded a decline of 5.0 percent. On the other hand, the value of build-ing completed in municipalities around the country increased significantly by 108.6 percent.

NSA releases Fourth Quarter GDP results

Dr John Steytler

The 4.3 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 represents a slowdown in economic activities when compared to the same quarter of the preceding year, when the economy expanded by 10.4 percent.

Page 17: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

17Consumer News

comes with some responsibilities

Since Independence, Namibians has been guaranteed their rights through the Namibian Constitution.

• protect and defend the lives of others• not to put other people’s lives at risk through my actions.

This includes carrying of dangerous weapons, by acting recklessly and not disobeying our rules and laws. This is es-pecially relevant to the responsibility we have as road users. It is your responsibility to ensure the vehicle and driver is in a fit condition not to endanger the lives of others.

• taking good Care of your health by exercising, eating correctly, not smoking or abusing alcohol, not taking drugs or doing irresponsible things that may result in me becoming infected with communicable diseases such as HIV and AIDS

Article 7 - Protection of LibertyThe protection of liberty places on me the responsibility to:

• not hurt, bully or scare people, or take measures to stop others who are hurting, bullying or scaring people

• find solutions for problems in a peaceful manner, that is without resorting to violence

Article 8 - Respect for Human DignityThe right to human dignity places on me the responsibility to:

• treat every human being with respect and dignity• be caring, kind-hearted and understanding with every-

one, by greeting them warmly and speaking to them politely

• Article 9 - Slavery and Forced LabourThe right to safe and fairly paid employment places on me the

responsibility to:• be polite to those who provide me with a service• enquire about the working conditions of the workers

who provide me with services• pay adequately the people who work for me in my gar-

den, around my house and within the officeArticle 10- Equality and Freedom from DiscriminationThe right to equality and freedom from discrimination places

on me the responsibility to:• treat every person equally and fairly• not discriminate unfairly against anyone on the basis of

gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, religion or status in society

Article 13 - PrivacyThis right to privacy by each citizen expects me to:

• respect the property of others• respect the letters, emails or conversations of people and

avoid sharing this with others

Article 14 – FamilyThe right to family expects me to:

• recognise that love means long-term commitment, and the responsibility to establish strong and loving families

• honour and respect my parents, and to help them,• be kind and loyal to my family, to my brothers and

sisters, my grandparents and all my relatives

Article 15 - Children’s RightsThe responsibility of respecting children’s rights means:

• to see, and treat, every child as my own• listen to, and respect the opinion of a child• provide an example of how to treat others• provide monetary support for my children to achieve

their goals

Page 18: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

18 Consumer News

My Point of View

Close your eyes…count to 10, now open it. That is how quickly your baby has learnt to do something

new. I recently spent 10 days away from home

and when I came back, he started rolling and sucking his toes. All while mommy was away for work! And when he first laid his eyes on me he cried for his granny! Nothing explains the disappointment of missing a milestone in your child’s development or when he does not want to come to you!

We were recently woken up by poop

at 7am on a Saturday morning which led to an immediate bath! There was poefies everywhere! Down his legs, up his back and he of course thought it was all amus-ing, turning around at the speed of lighting, spreading it everywhere! Five months down the line and he is opening his mouth wide to eat his porridge, wears a number 3 nappy, too big to fit on his car seat and started eating his pram which, not long ago was a comfortable place for him to sit while mommy cooks. They grow so quickly, it is unbelievable!

I went into Jet recently to look for baby grows, but found only clothes for little people, corduroy pants, jerseys and all I wanted was a baby grows for my little baba! It is not enough that they grow while mommy is away, the stores stock clothing for little people too!

I prefer dressing my little human in little human clothing; baby shoes, socks, long sleeve vests, and I put bibs on and Making sure that he remains a baby for a while is important to me, despite the fact that they grow so quickly.

Motherhood

it has been a while since I have been this infuriated by accommodation! When you are away from home you want to

stay in a space that is comfortable with all the necessary amenities like a TV, mirror, a 2 point plug, delicious warm breakfast with all the trimmings and a warm shower. Out of all that list of what I consider as basics, a warm shower was all I got from my stay at Polytechnic Hotel School recently.

They had a TV, but it only played Super Sport, a mirror but it was hanging on its

own, on the opposite side of the room, with no 2 point plug or space to sit whilst doing your hair, breakfast with no bacon or bread, and the tomato sauce arrives only after you have finished your surprisingly delicious omelet.

I stayed at Polytech hotel for about a month prior and the TV situation was exactly the same then, which tells me they did nothing to fix it. There was an empty Bioplus sachet which was lying there in the same position when I checked in and when

I left, after the room was cleaned the previ-ous morning.

The first time I stayed there I loved the experience, the dinner choices were limited, but the food was delicious. I must admit though that they do make very nice platters. But as for the service, there is need for improvement as the receptionist was not polite when attending to guests. I am not going to rate my recent stay there, but I am going to say that I am never going back there!

Accommodation

Page 19: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

19Consumer News

Building your own home comes with many sleepless nights,

headaches and often anxiety attacks. My advice to you this month is familiarizing yourself with your house plans, and the building site.

I found it very easy to learn the jargon, know where your windows should be, doors, plugs and lights. My husband and I got to our house one day and our bathroom did not have a window! A window that is very clearly indicated on the plans.

We also discovered that the picture your plans portrays and reality is very different. When the walls are up, you already start getting a good idea of what the end product will look like, but I tell you this, it is only after the undercoat paint is on, that you start seeing skew walls, window sills that are clearly out of line, and if your builder is anything like ours, he will convince you with his lev-eler that the walls are straight! By the time the tillers and carpenters start with their job, you realize what’s been hap-pening right under your nose. Our contractor did not main-tain a very clean building site. The men’s shoes were often laying around on site, food left over’s laying everywhere, and jerseys were everyday things laying around in what would become my bedroom, not to mention the cigarette buds.

A contractors building site should be spotless, men should clean up every night and your materials should not be laid all over the place. We rented a container from the start to about a month before the house was finished. They stored all the materials and equipment there which worked quite well. Our rela-tionship with our contractor did not end on a good note, but I hope yours will.

Good luck to you and the process!

Building your dream home

My Point of View

CN 16

Page 20: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

20 Consumer News

The new BMW 3 Series is the perfect balance of class-leading dynamism with a sporty edge.

Equipped with state-of-the-art in-novations, the new BMW 3 Series now includes BMW infotainment features and other BMW technologies like ECO PRO Mode to actively maximise effi-ciency.

In addition this vehicle contains a new, powerful 4-cylinder BMW Twin Power Turbo engine and 8-speed automatic transmission that provide reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without compromising on performance.

With the versatility of the Modern Line, Sport Line or Luxury Line to choose from this new generation car of-fers the unrivalled driving experience you expect from the new BMW 3 Series

ExteriorThe new BMW 3 Series Sedan system-

atically continues the design tradition and features of the BMW brand consisting of the sportingly elegant exterior which creates the effect of coming from one single mould and conveys aesthetics and dynamics at first sight.

Combined with the headlights, the striking BMW kidney grille forms a harmonious unit and follows on from the front design of earlier models, thus emphasising the breadth and sporting character of the vehicle. For the first time,

it exploits the full effect of the kidney grille from the side.

Like its predecessors, the BMW 3 Series Sedan has the classical three-box design – in a modern interpretation. The car’s long bonnet, short front overhang, long wheelbase and rear-set greenhouse promises pure dynamics and the flowing transition from the curving roof line to the flat standing rear window lends the vehicle a coupé-like appearance and a sportingly elegant lightness.

Interior design.The interior of the new BMW 3 Series

Sedan is impressive with its high-quality selection of materials. Skilful space design gives optimum access to all the impor-tant control functions on the instrument display.

The car’s interior includes an instru-ment panel also opens up to the driver and allows convenient access to the controls. All the design lines converge in one point behind the steering wheel, thus directing the driver’s view fully onto the road.

On the driver’s side of the deliberately asymmetrically designed centre console, a change from decorative surface and grain optically highlights the driver’s section of the interior. On the front passenger side, an elegant atmosphere is created by the instrument panel that displays the decora-tive trim giving it an ornamental effect.

The new BMW 3 series sedan

A measure of performance

Page 21: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

21Consumer News

Page 22: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

22 Consumer News

Bantam weight World Title with a unanimous decision win over Pun-

gluang Sor Singyu in Windhoek. He was awarded the decision by all three judges with the score cards reading 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112. The event has not only marked a new dimension in Ambunda’s carrier as the only Namibian boxer to attain the WBO world championship on the Namibian soil, but it has brought respect and honour to the land of the brave for fielding a World Champion in the sport.

Andrew Smale, the WBO vice president for Africa was quoted by radio 99 FM expressing his excitement about Ambunda’s performance soon after the box-ing match.

He said, “It was an awesome display of boxing. The boxers had contrasting styles and they brought out the best in each other. Paulus Ambunda brought his A game to the party and stuck to it for 11 rounds, although he nearly threw it away in the 12th round.

“I think the result was ab-

Paulas Ambunda won the WBo

It was an awesome display of boxing. The boxers had contrasting styles and they brought out the best in each other. Paulus Ambunda brought his A game to the party and stuck to it for 11 rounds, although he nearly threw it away in the 12th round.

”solutely fair. Ambunda just displayed better ring general-ship, he forced the pace and he made the champion fight his type of fight. He came of age tonight and having put up a good show against such an

experienced boxer, I think he can just build from where he is now. I think he can hold his own against any of the other bantamweights in the world,” he added.

The Minister of Sports and

Culture, Honourable Jerry Ekandjo also congratulated Namibia’s new world boxing champion Paulus Ambunda, saying that he is an inspiration for the nation and a role model for Namibia’s youth.

Page 23: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

23Consumer News

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Page 24: Consumer News Namibia - March 2013 Edition

24 Consumer News