A large number of Brazilian business executives were travelling with their head of state, President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva to Namibia on Thursday afternoon. They met over lunch on Friday at a Windhoek hotel to establish business contacts. Already Friday morning one-to-one meetings were facilitated via the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and industry. President Lula da Silva, who also visited the Geological Survey on Friday before meeting the business representatives, was very keen to encourage the business sector stretch out feelers for trade contacts. The Brazilian president and his delegation left late Friday afternoon for South Africa. In May this year Brazilian representatives of the aviation company Embrear, that builds small jet aircraft used for passenger flights between Namibia and South Africa, already came to Windhoek to hold talks with NDF air wing officials and Air Namibia as well as Comav for possible acquisition of Embrear aircraft.

Since 1994, Brazil has trained over 100 Namibian naval cadets for the fledgling maritime wing of the Namibia Defence Force. The Namibian defence ministry intends to establish a naval base at Walvis Bay. The 1994 cooperation agreement with Brazil includes assistance with the construction and development of that naval base. Budgetary expenditure of N$ 86 million are provided for the naval base, which is to include a jetty, administration block, stores and accommodation. So far, a feasibility study and a master plan were completed.

The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) will hold its National Council Meeting in the Tsumeb Cinema Hall from 9h00 on Saturday morning. Most branches from all regions will present their reports. NUNW president Risto Kapenda will deliver a solidarity message, while trade and industry minister Jesaya Nyamu and NCCI president Dr Leake Hangala will also hold speeches. It is expected that the independent commercial chambers of Gobabis, Lüderitz and Okahandja will also join the NCCI. At 16h00 all delegates will conclude their discussions and visit the Ongopolo copper smelter and refinery.

No media briefing took place yet at the ministry of information and broadcasting this week on Cabinet issues, despite a Cabinet resolution to resume those briefings after they were halted in 1999. However, the ministry faxed the latest Cabinet resolutions to the media on Wednesday. Among others, Cabinet instructed Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab to determine a date on which the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003 should be advertised in the Gazette, for it to become operational. The department of public service management in the Prime Minister’s office was instructed to look into the organisation and establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission and its secretariat. The conditions of service of the future director and deputy director of the ACC must also be determined. President Sam Nujoma will nominate candidates for the two top posts in the ACC. Their names will be submitted to the National Assembly for appointment. This will be merely a rubber-stamping exercise due to the overwhelming majority of the Swapo members in parliament. After the debacle with the appointment of a white, Afrikaans-speaking Namibian, Koot van der Merwe as CEO of the Public Service Commission, which was halted due to the disapproval of the Swapo-affiliated NUNW, it is expected that only a (black) loyal party cadre will get the top post in the ACC. How effective its anti-corruption activates will be, remains to be seen.