President Bush signed a law on July 13 in Washington that will extend a trade law benefiting exports by African countries to the US until 2015. Secretary of State Colin Powell and senior members of the US Congress, according to a release issued by the American Cultural Centre in Windhoek, flanked Bush at the White House ceremony. The legislation also extends the expiry dates for a number of its key provisions. The Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) originally enacted four years ago and the last one signed by outgoing President Bill Clinton, gives African nations duty-free access to US markets if they make progress in opening their economies and building free markets. The latest version of the law, known as AGOA III, extends to September 2007 a provision that allows African nations to sell duty-free apparel (garments and knitwear) to the US, even if the fabric used in making the apparel is produced in a third nation. That provision was due to expire this year. President Bush called AGOA an important complement to traditional aid programs for Africa. Due to that trade law, Malaysian investors set up the Ramatex textile plant in Windhoek. Its products are exclusively for export to US and EU markets.

AGOA has generated more than US$ 340 million in investment and created
thousands of jobs in Africa since it became law. Last year, African exports to the United States increased by 55% under AGOA, while American businesses saw a 15% increase in their exports to sub-Saharan Africa, totalling nearly US$ 7 billion. Thirty-seven African nations are currently participating in the programme.

The R3E Bureau is organising a one-day event called The Better Home Event on Saturday,17 July from 9h00 to14h00 in partnership with the Habitat Research and Development Centre, Katutura. The R3E Bureau (Renewable Energy and Efficiency Bureau), an association not for gain, working closely with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Shack Dwellers Federation, the Namibia Housing Action Group and the City of Windhoek conducted a research activity in early 2004. Aim of this research was to identify low-cost, do-it-yourself methods to improve the comfort of shack homes by making them less susceptible to the external climate. A shack was refurbished using reeds from riverbeds, off-cut cloth materials from a local textile factory and cardboard from the Kupferberg dump site to create effective insulation. Measurements were taken throughout this process and the refurbished shack became 4 degrees C cooler during the day and 2 degrees C warmer during the night. The public is invited to attend the event and obtain ideas for their own refurbishment efforts. For more information Ms Jowetha Andima (268220 or 081 2801300) of the R3E Bureau can be contacted. The Habitat Centre is located next to Anna Shipena Senior Secondary School and was recently built almost entirely from low-cost building materials such as clay and car tyres.

For the first time in Namibia’s crime history women were involved in a bank robbery. According to the police report this week, three females, among them a 37-year old, were among a group of eight gangsters who managed to steal N$ 253 700 in cash last month form a Bank Windhoek branch at Eenhana, a remote little town close to the Angolan border. The robbery already took place on 18 June, but was only made public this week. An amount of N$ 116 934 was recovered. The robbers tied the legs and hands of security guard and took his gun, with which they broke into the bank, using the gun as a crowbar. They took a box full of the cash. Their victory was short-lived as three suspects were arrested the same day and the other five a day later. The robbers were Saima Kadhila (21), Imargine Imbili (21), Selma Petrus (37), Sackeus Kapiye (27), Peter Shilongo (28), Michael Shilongo (28), Joshua Haihambo (22) and Stefanus Ambrosius (44).

Dr Abraham Iyambo is visiting Swakopmund and Walvis Bay from Thursday to Sunday. He will meet with the fisheries observers and the Walvis Bay municipality, where he will discuss handing and disposal of sewerage at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. It is likely he will also discuss the illegal strikes of workers at Hangana Seafood and the Walvis Bay Salt Refinery. Minister Iyambo had a few busy weekends lately having to interfere with a serious labour dispute at NovaNam fish factory in Lüderitz. Barely a fortnight ago, the minister inspected the oyster and abelone mariculture projects at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. Last weekend he visited the North to inspect fish farming projects.