Cruise ship Hondius cleared for sea after hantavirus outbreak
via The Namibian1 min read
The cruise ship Hondius has been cleared to resume operations after undergoing cleaning and disinfection following a hantavirus outbreak. A public health agency in Rotterdam confirmed that there are no longer any public health obstacles to the ship returning to sea, based on a final inspection conducted on Friday. Infection control experts determined that the cleaning and disinfection were carried out effectively and in accordance with established guidelines. Oceanwide Expeditions, the owner of the MV Hondius, stated that the ship would depart Rotterdam after inspections and is scheduled to resume its cruise schedule from June 13.
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Sardar Azmoun, Iran's third-highest scorer in national team history, has been excluded from the World Cup squad. Azmoun faced criticism in March for posting a photo with the premier of the United Arab Emirates, a US ally, which some Iranian state media called a "betrayal." The 31-year-old forward, who previously played for Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma, had also drawn criticism in 2022 for supporting protesters during demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini. Iran is scheduled to play its first match on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, but the national team players have not yet received visas to travel to the United States. Their training camp, initially planned for Tucson, Arizona, has been relocated to Tijuana, Mexico. The squad includes goalkeepers Alireza Beiranvand, Payam Niazmand, Hossein Hosseini; defenders Ehsan Hajsafi, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Shojae Khalilzadeh, Hossein Kanaanizadegan, Danial Eiri, Ramin Rezaeian, Saleh Hardani; midfielders Saman Ghoddos, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mohammad Ghorbani, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Amirmohammad Razzaghinia, Mohammad Mohebi, Mehdi Torabi, Mehdi Ghayedi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Aria Yousefi; and forwards Mehdi Taremi, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Ali Alipour, Shahriyar Moghanlou, Dennis Eckert.
Tulaing Properties, now Siren Partners Realtors, has filed a High Court claim against First Capital Property Managers, alleging the deduction of nearly N$48 million in unlawful project management fees from clients involved in a 300-house project at Grootfontein. Tulaing Properties, owned by businessman Joseph Andreas, claims an exclusive agreement from August 2021 granted First Capital Property Managers rights to market plots for a 2.5% commission and designated Tulaing as a preferred developer. However, Tulaing contends the contract prohibited First Capital Property Managers from charging project management fees if it engaged other developers. Tulaing alleges that First Capital Property Managers appointed and supervised other contractors, yet still charged additional fees from purchasers' home loan accounts, described as "provisional management fees" or "other payments." Citing an example from erf 1812, Tulaing estimates the total claim at N$48 million across approximately 293 housing projects. Tulaing is requesting the High Court to compel First Capital Property Managers to provide a full statement of account with supporting documents or, alternatively, to pay the estimated N$48 million plus 20% annual interest from August 2023 and legal costs. Letters of demand were reportedly sent in August 2023 and January 2024. The High Court has set deadlines for exchanging witness statements, expert reports, and documents by June, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for July.
Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa has directed traditional authorities to appoint legitimate heirs by the end of 2026 to resolve leadership disputes, which he attributes to political influence. Chief Johannes Isaak of the /Hai-/Haua Traditional Authority at Berseba stated that political influence is a major cause of conflict, leading to many traditional authorities lacking legitimate chiefs. He highlighted that Nama traditional leaders have previously requested a review of the Traditional Authorities Act to prevent political interference. Isaak also noted that many Nama tribes are currently denied access to their ancestral land and are not recognized by the government due to political influence. Sankwasa, speaking at the 111th anniversary of the Battle of Sam !Khubis, emphasized that traditional authorities without chiefs must establish leadership by the end of this year. He added that aspiring traditional chiefs will need to provide proof of lineage, as multiple custodians of communal land in the same area cause confusion in administering the Communal Lands Act. Sankwasa warned that unresolved chieftainship disputes threaten stability and cultural cohesion. He mentioned that the number of recognized traditional authorities grew from 34 in 1998 to 50 in 2026, with many chieftainship applications still pending. Council of Traditional Authorities chairperson Immanuel |Gaseb agreed, stating that disputes arise because "everyone and anyone wants to become a c
Must ReadThe Gendev Fishing Group board of directors has been summoned to an urgent meeting by Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa at State House. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is also expected to attend the meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday. The invitation, dated May 7, was addressed to the company’s board chairperson, Pau Iilongo, and includes the entire board and finance executive. This meeting follows a series of labor disputes, financial difficulties, and increased scrutiny of the fishing company, which is linked to Swapo through its commercial arm, Guinas Investments. Earlier reports by The Namibian indicated that Gendev employees accused the company of defrauding approximately 550 workers of N$17.3 million in salaries and pension contributions over nine months. Workers had previously written to Shaningwa requesting intervention after mediation efforts by the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations failed to resolve the dispute. Additionally, about 80 to 90 employees were allegedly sent home without pay. Those invited to the meeting include directors Paulina Haindongo, Leonie Edwards, Robert Shimwooshili, Sandro de Goveia, Josef Andreas, George Pieters, Josef Katukula, Gideon Hamukwaya, and Nico Kaiyamo, along with finance executive Ruby Rees.