A Windhoek centre for the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol addicts, which is fully funded by Telecom Namibia, has won an international award, the company announced. Telecom’s Nova Vita centre received a gold medal for excellence in business practice by the Foundation for Excellence in Business Practice (FEBP), which is regulated by Geneva and federal authorities of Switzerland.
Nova Vita - which is Latin for "new life" - will attend the International Forum on Business Practice scheduled for March 10 in Geneva to receive the award.
The award embodies acknowledgement and independent valuation of the centre’s activity in accordance with high standards of international business. "The gold award recognises Nova Vita for having implemented a particular
aspect of rehab approach that stands out as a superior process," explained
Ollie Joubert, manager of Nova Vita Rehabilitation centre. "The use of innovative ways to help addicts has push Nova Vita’s success rate for harder drugs to about 12% and for alcohol, dagga, mandrax and others it runs to about 51% success," Joubert says.

Nova Vita is the only registered rehabilitation centre for alcohol and drug
abuse in Namibia, and is fully funded by Telecom Namibia as part of the
company’s corporate social responsibility. The centre’s services are also
open to the public.

All livestock like cattle, sheep and goats south of the veterinary fence must be properly tagged and branded by 1 February 2006, the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) reminded all farmers in the country. Every livestock owner must apply for a stock brand or ensure that the stock brand he is using has been re-registered and that it is valid for use in the area where he is farming. Every livestock owner must ensure that his stock brand is linked to the farm or farms where his livestock is located. The traceability system is built on this requirement. No permit will be issued to move livestock from or to a farm that is not linked to a stock brand of the sender or recipient.

All cattle leaving a farm must be individually identified by an approved ear tag. Tags must be ordered timely. All small stock on or leaving a farm must be clearly identified with a tattoo or metal ear tag bearing the owner’s registered stock brand. All imported cattle, in addition to the brand mark "(?)" on the neck, must carry green ear tags with a serial number and DVS logo. All imported small stock, in addition to the brand mark "(?)" on the cheek, must wear brass ear tags bearing a serial number with a prefix "VS". Tags for imported livestock are available at the State Veterinary Office. Full implementation in all areas south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence will start on 1 February 2006.

All cattle leaving a farm must be accompanied by a Departure Register on which the ear tag numbers of all the cattle being moved are correctly recorded by the sender. Upon arrival at a farm, ear tag numbers of all cattle arriving on this consignment must be correctly recorded manually or electronically in an Arrival Register. All cattle leaving an auction or any public sale must be accompanied by a Departure Register on which the ear tag numbers of all the cattle being moved are correctly recorded by the auction operator or organiser of a public sale.