Angelina, Brad have return visit to Namibia in sights

HOLLYWOOD stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are eyeing a return visit to Namibia for a vacation later this year to take a break from their hectic schedule.

During their stay the couple are expected to decide on whether to accept an offer of honorary citizenship made by the Namibian Government, The Namibian has reliably learnt. A Cabinet decision to that effect was taken last year already, a well-placed source told The Namibian.”This decision must be seen as a token of appreciation for what they have done for Namibia,” the source said.Namibia made headlines around the world last year when the celebrity couple chose the coastal holiday village of Langstrand as their temporary home while awaiting the birth of their first biological child, Shiloh Nouvel.Their baby daughter was born on May 28 2006 at a clinic in nearby Swakopmund.Shiloh became the most famous baby in the world after the first photos of her were released a few days after her birth.The Namibian Government immediately informed the Jolie and Pitt that baby Shiloh would receive Namibian citizenship, as she was born here.Before Jolie and Pitt returned home to the US with Shiloh, their adopted son Maddox (5) and daughter Zahara (2), Cabinet decided to grant them honorary citizenship of Namibia.”Angelina and Brad were extremely pleased about that, but they requested time to think about it,” a source told The Namibian.They wanted to get advice whether their honorary citizenship would not clash with her charity commitments and her status as UNHCR goodwill ambassador.”the source said.Jolie already has honorary citizenship of Cambodia, where she adopted her son, Maddox.The famous couple were dogged by the international press throughout their close to 10-week stay in Namibia and put Namibia on the international map.Jolie and Pitt travelled to several tourism spots like Namibrand in the southern parts of the Namib Desert and Harnas Wildlife Farm near Gobabis.The couple donated approximately N$2 million to be equally divided between the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay State hospitals to acquire medical equipment for their maternity departments.The Harnas Wildlife Foundation also received a donation.The couple and their three children have set up a new home base in the famous French Quarter of New Orleans in the US.A Cabinet decision to that effect was taken last year already, a well-placed source told The Namibian.”This decision must be seen as a token of appreciation for what they have done for Namibia,” the source said.Namibia made headlines around the world last year when the celebrity couple chose the coastal holiday village of Langstrand as their temporary home while awaiting the birth of their first biological child, Shiloh Nouvel.Their baby daughter was born on May 28 2006 at a clinic in nearby Swakopmund.Shiloh became the most famous baby in the world after the first photos of her were released a few days after her birth.The Namibian Government immediately informed the Jolie and Pitt that baby Shiloh would receive Namibian citizenship, as she was born here.Before Jolie and Pitt returned home to the US with Shiloh, their adopted son Maddox (5) and daughter Zahara (2), Cabinet decided to grant them honorary citizenship of Namibia.”Angelina and Brad were extremely pleased about that, but they requested time to think about it,” a source told The Namibian. They wanted to get advice whether their honorary citizenship would not clash with her charity commitments and her status as UNHCR goodwill ambassador.”the source said.Jolie already has honorary citizenship of Cambodia, where she adopted her son, Maddox.The famous couple were dogged by the international press throughout their close to 10-week stay in Namibia and put Namibia on the international map.Jolie and Pitt travelled to several tourism spots like Namibrand in the southern parts of the Namib Desert and Harnas Wildlife Farm near Gobabis.The couple donated approximately N$2 million to be equally divided between the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay State hospitals to acquire medical equipment for their maternity departments.The Harnas Wildlife Foundation also received a donation.The couple and their three children have set up a new home base in the famous French Quarter of New Orleans in the US.