Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Prominent lawyer, Sisa Namandje, through his law firm Sisa Namandje & Co., has invested N$300 000 to the Namibia Football Association (NFA) for the development of third-division football leagues nationwide.
The sponsorship agreement was signed and handed over to the NFA on Thursday at the Sisa Namandje & Co. head office in Windhoek.
The N$300,000 sponsorship will be distributed over three years, with N$100,000 allocated for each year. The first instalment will be disbursed in January 2025.
NFA President Robert Shimooshili expressed gratitude for the contribution, highlighting its importance in nurturing football at the grassroots level.
“The third division that we are referring to is where our grassroots are; all of us that are into football are benefiting from it, one way or the other, direct or indirect. Which means the leadership cannot deliver without the sponsorship. As a result, we appreciate this. It really means a lot to us as football leaders,” said Shimooshili.
He added that if Namibians come together and contribute the little they have to football, people will live in harmony because football unites humanity.
Shimooshili urged football administrators to use the funds responsibly and for their intended purpose, warning against misuse.
“To all football leaders and administrators, we must make sure that we use these funds wisely, not for the benefit of ourselves or any other sectors but rather the beneficiaries whom the sponsorship is intended for. Remember, people have a conception that NFA will misuse the funds. That one has no place in our leadership. We have to make that very clear,” warned Shimooshili.
In addition to the football sponsorship, Namandje has donated N$1,000 to each of the 103 households in his village of Oshikulu, located in the Onyaanya constituency.
The funds are intended to support school children when schools reopen in January.
Namandje stated that his contributions aim to assist the government in its fight against poverty and to provide opportunities for Namibian children to achieve their goals.
“I know how it feels like to be poor because I was also poor, and that is why we have the Sisa Namandje foundations that also help students in need at tertiary institutions every year. I now want to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in our country,” said Namandje.
