Scharnowski speaks on Civics

CI: Civics won the league last season and appear to be more successful than ever.What is the secret ? HS: There is really no secret because our players are fully integrated into the social structure of our club.

They get an appropriate basic wage, performance and victory bonuses and they receive a percentage of the prize money. They get good medical care and there is a social fund to help them if they are in need.This all creates a climate of togetherness and mutual acceptance.The players trust their club and their management.Since 2001, we have been 4th, 3rd 2nd and last season we won the league.In 2003 we won the Tafel Lager NFA Cup.We have been in other six cup finals and we have taken part in the Africa Champions League.CI: A lot of clubs cannot afford a ‘Civics set-up’.Does this give you a competitive edge ? HS: This is not a question of competitive edge.We want to be a positive and well regulated example for all the other clubs, both at player and management level.I do believe we have achieved this and there have been a lot of very positive developments in Namibian football.On the competitive edge, I must admit that although many clubs have the following of thousands of fans, they either still haven’t been able to develop this resource or they just haven’t made an effort.Civics has a close family of around 200, which is nothing compared to clubs such as Pirates, Black Africa, African Stars or Blue Waters.Our advantage is that Buschschule provides a sports sponsorship programme that provides basic funding and thus stability for Civics.This programme for assisting Namibian youth is contractually anchored in the statues of Buschschule, which is a welfare organisation.CI: Can Namibian football gain from your ideas or has it gained thus far ? HS: Some clubs have adopted a few of our ideas and provide their players with an environment that helps them flourish.The main sponsors have almost trebled the amount they are putting in football.The game will soon provide real employment for sportsmen in this country who want to be serious players and I estimate this could provide 500 to 800 full time jobs.This will, however, only be possible if Government recognises the potential this creates for employment in all regions and establishes a tax-saving structure that would motivate sponsors to invest into football.Football can also prevent problems such as drug and alcohol abuse and can create a positive life perspective.It addresses all levels of society and can be used as an effective social medium.CI: Despite all your commitments as Director of Civics and Buschschule, you have been the subject of massive personal attacks by the ‘Allgemeine Zeitung’ in Namibia, and you have also been considered very controversial in football circles, but you still havenŽt erred from your chosen path.HS: That is correct.I think our successful involvement in football has resulted in a few envious people crawling out for the woodwork in some sections of the population.Some of these have supplied the media and the German Embassy with false information and were even brave enough to lodge criminal complaints with the judicial authorities in Germany and Namibia.Statements were manipulated, files were stolen and falsified, witnesses were bought and the management of the Buschschule was maligned, slandered and branded as criminals.The late Dr.Agatha Pillmannova suffered more than anyone as a result of these allegations.It affected her so much that she could not differentiate between what was physical pain and pain caused by the psychological stress.And that seriously contributed to the false diagnosis that was the end of her.She was always there for whoever needed help and understanding and she helped wherever she could.What she found most reprehensible were the attacks in a concentrated campaign of the ‘Algemeine Zeitung.’ CI: What were the actual accusations made against you and the late Dr.Pillmanova ? HS: We were accused of mishandling those in our care, tax evasions and misuse of public funds, failure to provide proper supervision, using false titles and professional qualifications and fraudulent accounting.CI: These are serious accusations.Have all these been investigated and what is the status now ? HS: Despite all the accusations and the stress I felt when preliminary proceedings were instigated against me and Buschschule.I was in fact pleased that the public prosecutors in Namibia and in Germany investigated everything so thoroughly.They searched houses, put people under observation, checked foreign bank accounts and really put us under the microscope.All the investigations in Germany and Namibia confirmed that we had done our business properly and there were no improprieties at all.All funds have been properly accounted for and Buschschule looks after the young people in their care responsibly.All public funds were publicly accounted for.The attacks on the late Dr.Pillmannova were contrived and the senior state prosecutor report rejected the accusations as false.The preliminary proceedings were officially closed in September this year by both the public prosecutor offices of Namibia and Germany after they found that accusations made against us were unsubstantiated.CI: Who was behind this campaign ? HS: I have already mentioned that envy and resentment played a very important role, as did personal affronts.In 2003 we had to let go a member of staff – Gabriele Behrens from Otavi – for personal reasons.Behrens consequently made all these accusations about Dr.Pillmanova and myself to the authorities in Germany in the most brazen and slanderous manner.She provided so many documents and papers that the German authorities had to instigate preliminary proceedings.CI: Apart from all what happened, how do you see the future for Buschschule and Civics? HS: The Buschschule has found new state and private financed cooperation partners in Europe and America which will enable us to open up horizons.This will enable us to set up cooperative training and orientating programmes for Namibian and European youths.CI: And for Civics ? HS: Civics has become much stronger and we aiming to defend the league title again and will also be active in international football.I am sure the team will represent the country in a worthy manner and maybe even be instrumental in helping to create a positive new beginning for the national team.They get good medical care and there is a social fund to help them if they are in need.This all creates a climate of togetherness and mutual acceptance.The players trust their club and their management.Since 2001, we have been 4th, 3rd 2nd and last season we won the league.In 2003 we won the Tafel Lager NFA Cup.We have been in other six cup finals and we have taken part in the Africa Champions League. CI: A lot of clubs cannot afford a ‘Civics set-up’.Does this give you a competitive edge ? HS: This is not a question of competitive edge.We want to be a positive and well regulated example for all the other clubs, both at player and management level.I do believe we have achieved this and there have been a lot of very positive developments in Namibian football.On the competitive edge, I must admit that although many clubs have the following of thousands of fans, they either still haven’t been able to develop this resource or they just haven’t made an effort.Civics has a close family of around 200, which is nothing compared to clubs such as Pirates, Black Africa, African Stars or Blue Waters.Our advantage is that Buschschule provides a sports sponsorship programme that provides basic funding and thus stability for Civics.This programme for assisting Namibian youth is contractually anchored in the statues of Buschschule, which is a welfare organisation. CI: Can Namibian football gain from your ideas or has it gained thus far ? HS: Some clubs have adopted a few of our ideas and provide their players with an environment that helps them flourish.The main sponsors have almost trebled the amount they are putting in football.The game will soon provide real employment for sportsmen in this country who want to be serious players and I estimate this could provide 500 to 800 full time jobs.This will, however, only be possible if Government recognises the potential this creates for employment in all regions and establishes a tax-saving structure that would motivate sponsors to invest into football.Football can also prevent problems such as drug and alcohol abuse and can create a positive life perspective.It addresses all levels of society and can be used as an effective social medium.CI: Despite all your commitments as Director of Civics and Buschschule, you have been the subject of massive personal attacks by the ‘Allgemeine Zeitung’ in Namibia, and you have also been considered very controversial in football circles, but you still havenŽt erred from your chosen path.HS: That is correct.I think our successful involvement in football has resulted in a few envious people crawling out for the woodwork in some sections of the population.Some of these have supplied the media and the German Embassy with false information and were even brave enough to lodge criminal complaints with the judicial authorities in Germany and Namibia.Statements were manipulated, files were stolen and falsified, witnesses were bought and the management of the Buschschule was maligned, slandered and branded as criminals.The late Dr.Agatha Pillmannova suffered more than anyone as a result of these allegations.It affected her so much that she could not differentiate between what was physical pain and pain caused by the psychological stress.And that seriously contributed to the false diagnosis that was the end of her.She was always there for whoever needed help and understanding and she helped wherever she could.What she found most reprehensible were the attacks in a concentrated campaign of the ‘Algemeine Zeitung.’ CI: What were the actual accusations made against you and the late Dr.Pillmanova ? HS: We were accused of mishandling those in our care, tax evasions and misuse of public funds, failure to provide proper supervision, using false titles and professional qualifications and fraudulent accounting.CI: These are serious accusations.Have all these been investigated and what is the status now ? HS: Despite all the accusations and the stress I felt when preliminary proceedings were instigated against me and Buschschule.I was in fact pleased that the public prosecutors in Namibia and in Germany investigated everything so thoroughly.They searched houses, put people under observation, checked foreign bank accounts and really put us under the microscope.All the investigations in Germany and Namibia confirmed that we had done our business properly and there were no improprieties at all.All funds have been properly accounted for and Buschschule looks after the young people in their care responsibly.All public funds were publicly accounted for.The attacks on the late Dr.Pillmannova were contrived and the senior state prosecutor report rejected the accusations as false.The preliminary proceedings were officially closed in September this year by both the public prosecutor offices of Namibia and Germany after they found that accusations made against us were unsubstantiated.CI: Who was behind this campaign ? HS: I have already mentioned that envy and resentment played a very important role, as did personal affronts.In 2003 we had to let go a member of staff – Gabriele Behrens from Otavi – for personal reasons.Behrens consequently made all these accusations about Dr.Pillmanova and myself to the authorities in Germany in the most brazen and slanderous manner.She provided so many documents and papers that the German authorities had to instigate preliminary proceedings.CI: Apart from all what happened, how do you see the future for Buschschule and Civics? HS: The Buschschule has found new state and private financed cooperation partners in Europe and America which will enable us to open up horizons.This will enable us to set up cooperative training and orientating programmes for Namibian and European youths. CI: And for Civics ? HS: Civics has become much stronger and we aiming to defend the league title again and will also be active in international football.I am sure the team will represent the country in a worthy manner and maybe even be instrumental in helping to create a positive new beginning for the national team.