By Anna Shilongo
WINDHOEK
The Deputy Minister of Works Transport and Communication, Stefanus Mogotsi, launched the second Southern Africa Postal Association (SAPOA) joint stamp issue between five countries on Tuesday.
The first SAPOA joint stamp issue was released on October 11 2004. Eight SADC member countries participated, under the theme ” National Birds”. This issue was a resounding success and won the award of the world’s best souvenir in China in December 2006 for Botswana post.
Anja Denker of Namibia designed the stamp issue and the stamps received a lot of attention, including formal recognition of quality as well as being rewarded for the “Most Beautiful Mini Sheet” in China.
To build on the success of the first issue, it was decided to launch a second joint issue with five countries – Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia – responding.
This issue depicts national animals such as Botswana’s Burchell’s Zebra, Malawi’s Nyala Antelope, Zambia’s African Buffalo, Zimbabwe’s Nyala antelope and Namibia’s Oryx antelope. Speaking at the launch, Mogotsi said the postal industry is currently in a phase of a fast and innovative transformation.
He said the increasing competition, new customer demands, technology change and inter-connectivity are driving forces that create enormous opportunities for crucial service sector.
” We must live up to the challenge and face these changing circumstances with confidence and creativity,” he said.
Postal orders cover a wide portfolio of responsibilities such as mail processing, courier services, banking and philately.
“These days people make telephone calls over the Internet, send SMS’s and MMS’s, while e- mail and fax correspondence have long become the norm, but in spite of all this, the stamp survived.” He encouraged postal operators to be very proactive in a competitive field of communication. Mogotsi emphasized the need for physical mail to be handled with efficiency if they are to satisfy customers who are used to the advantages of electronic communication.
“Our philately products can certainly be regarded as high in quality as is evident from the awards that the SAPAO and Namibian stamps have won. Our region provides the ideal inspiration for our award-wining stamps because of our rich cultural and natural attributes,” he stressed.
The first joint stamp issue depicted Namibia’s national birds and the second issue, also designed by Namibia’s Anja Denker, captures the essence of the country’s respective national animals in their natural habitats.
“It celebrates our natural heritage and underlines the value of our natural resources,” said the Deputy Minister. He was optimistic that Namibia has so much to offer when it comes to natural resources and urged the inhabitants to continue using stamps with an aim to market the country’s natural and beautiful environment and diverse cultural practices.