The Swartbank and A-area aquifers along the Kuiseb River were affected this week when 15 electricity poles were uprooted by a quite significant river flow. However, by Wednesday afternoon NamWater electricians managed to restore approximately 60% of normal water production in the affected areas, says Utaara Hoveka, spokesperson of the Walvis Bay municipality. Despite the fact that the river level at Gobabeb has subsided from over 2 m Tuesday to 0,5m by this Wednesday afternoon, weather in the east "still looked threatening", Hoveka said and forced authorities to adopt a conservative approach. "We will try and prevent complete shut down of supplies but had to reduce it with a resultant drop in pressure in order to protect the water in the reservoirs for as long as possible" he said in a statement. "Hopefully the situation will not get worse but current conditions may prevail for a number of days", he added.

Fisheries minister Dr Abraham Iyambo announced low hake quotas for the next two fishing seasons to lessen pressure on the species. A high percentage of small hake in landings called for total allowable catches (TAC) below 140,000 t, closure of fishing areas with small hake and a two-month closed season during September and October each year. In his annual address to representatives of the fishing industry at Walvis Bay on Monday, Minister Iyambo said scientists could not explain the large percentage of small hake, despite close monitoring. Namibia is the largest exporter of hake to the EU.

"Something is changing in the Benguela system", Dr Iyambo said, but experts could not yet pinpoint what it was. The recovery of pilchard stocks was not as good hoped for and a stock survey in March will be crucial to determine the new TAC. In the mid-water trawl sector, the ministry will now only allow one foreign-chartered vessel per right holder and stronger management controls on the foreign vessels to protect horse mackerel will be introduced. "Only 3 of 23 vessels in this sector are Namibian", Iyambo said. No new fishing rights will be issued for the next 5 years. All vessels must install a monitoring system by March 2007. After that, no vessels will be allowed to fish unless they are fitted with an automatic location communicator (ALC).

Military experts of the German Bundeswehr are in Namibia and handed over a fully equipped field hospital for 100 patients to the Namibia Defence Force this Thursday. The deputy head of mission of the German Embassy, Ms Ute König and Lt. Col. Johannes Lammel of the German Advisory Group officiated at the ceremony at the army headquarters at Grootfontein. Victor Simunja, who is the deputy defence minister, received the equipment.

Since 1992 the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has granted equipment aid to the NDF, the total amount budgeted until 2008 being 12,5 million euro (N$100 million). Within the framework of Germany’s equipment aid, Bundeswehr medical supplies to the total value of N$ 3,4 million were delivered to Namibia since November 2005. A complete field hospital with the facilities to provide first aid to 100 patients forms the main part of this donation. More medical materials will follow.

Lt. Col. (Medical Service) Manfred Reiber from the German defence ministry will give a two-day introduction to the application of the material to NDF medical staff at the Grootfontein military hospital.