The annual Keetmanshoop winter school takes place on 1 and 2August. Guest speakers at the men’s programme are inter alia Messrs von Hase, Peason Laubser, L Lubbe, Kobus van Wyk and A Gressmann. On the women’s programme are Mrs South Africa 2004, Retha McPherson and Annchen Parkhouse. For more details contact Berdine de Klerk, Tel 063 266006, arbeid@iway.na

TransNamib will profit from an N$ 305 million loan secured by the Namibian government from China. The loan will run over 25 years at 3 % and payback starts after a grace period of 3 years. TransNamib will buy 16 new locomotives, 60 new fuel tankers, 2 short haul trains, 1 long haul train and a luxury express shuttle train to commute between Windhoek and the Hosea Kutako International airport. The existing locomotives will also be refurbished at the rate of 4 per annum. TransNamib has already bought a train that runs on the new northern railway line.

The Australian mining company Paladin Resources received the go ahead from the Namibian government to start a uranium mine at the Tinkas Plain in the Namib Naukluft Park south of the Langer Heinrich mountain range. The company said in a statement on Wednesday the licence was for 25 years, though only 15 years of production was envisaged. The environmental group Earthlife Namibia had in the past criticised the project.

Meanwhile another Australian mining company, Reefton was refused to have its exploration licence in the Erongo area to be changed from minerals to "nuclear fuels", the ministry of mines and energy issued a statement saying Reefton started drilling illegally to search for nuclear fuels (i.e. uranium deposits) without notifying the mining commissioner. This was a violation of the Mineral Resources Act and thus the ministry refused to amend Reefton’s licence.

The secretary general of the Namibia Farmworkers’ Union, Alfred Angula will take 14 months of leave to attend study courses abroad. One of the NAWFU executives, Samson Amupanda will stand in during that time, starting next month, Angula told reporters. Angula further warned all "agricultural employers" to start paying minimum wages to workers by September 2005. If not, they would be taken to court by NAFWU, he said.