Sport Minister Erastus Uutoni - accompanied by several other ministry officials - visited the local textile company Dinapama manufacturing and supplies in Windhoek on Monday. The visit followed a call by Uutoni to manufacture national sports gear locally to help curb unemployment. Dinapama reacted to the call of the Sports Minister and invited him for a short presentation. In line with the invitation, Dinapama managing director David Namalenga said his company previously worked with the Sports Commission and producing sports gear is thus not something new to them. He said his company also supplied Cameroon with sports gear, while they made school uniforms for Angolan institutions and locally supplied companies such as the O L group, Shell Vivo, schools and others with textiles. “All that we are getting from wherever, is ordered where we ordered. They are getting it in Taiwan and Indonesia and that's where we get. They are manufacturing, because they have a better set up in terms of arrangement with their clients and then they make Namibia an extended client, because we are getting it from those that are producing it” Namalenga said. Namalenga indicated his company’s readiness, if the request comes to them to produce and offer service and transfer skills. The Sports minister said gone are the days that Namibian children who have the skills must sit idle home while employment is created elsewhere. Listening to the presentation and touring the factory, Uutoni said he was impressed. ”This skills that we have developed, we want to get value out of it for the money we have spent. I'm saying yes , because Namibia cannot produce material to manufacture sport wear, we can send this money to procure materials. In terms of putting things together, the manufacturing that can be done by a Namibian child. When I look at Dinapama I was so impressed. They have modern machines, but we need to empower them more so this money can start to circulating in the country” Uutoni said. Uutoni said he will still engage other organisations in the same industry, to see what they can offer. Asked if there are policies in place when it comes to manufacturing of sportswear Chief Administrator of the Namibia Sports Commission Freddy Mwiya said there are regulations concerning national colours. “When one have been awarded national colours, we need to have a specific manufacturer who have to produce those national colours. We need to give them contract to say that for this number of years that company will produce the national colours and what type of quality that they need to produce and the standard that needs to be produced” Mwiya said When purchasing national colours , the process must be accompanied by a letter from the sports commission, and only those with the letter will be able to purchase the sport gear.