GERMAN Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development Dirk Niebel will arrive in Namibia today for a three-day official visit.

It will be Niebel's second visit to the African continent since taking office in November last year. He will stay in Namibia for three days and hold talks on development co-operation with Cabinet Ministers and pay a courtesy call on President Hifikepunye Pohamba.

Niebel will also to meet representatives of civil society and various political parties.

"Germany has ever since Namibian Independence considered the bilateral relations to be a special partnership for historical and cultural reasons, and Germany has been providing development assistance to Namibia worth over 600 million euros (over N$6 billion) over the last two decades," according to the German Embassy in Windhoek.

On Thursday, Minister Niebel will take part in the roof-wetting ceremony of the Ohorongo cement factory near Otavi, an investment of some N$2,6 billion.

Ohorongo Cement is the Namibian subsidiary of the German company Schwenk Zement KG and the cement plant is the largest German direct investment in Namibia since Independence, according to a statement from the German Embassy.

The Ohorongo cement factory will produce about 700 000 tons of cement annually from next year.

"Half of the production will be exported. The plant will create around 300 direct and up to 2 000 indirect jobs," the German Embassy said.

About half of the total investment of 254 million euros (N$2,6 billion) is co-financed by development banks, especially by the German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Minister Niebel will acquaint himself with development projects funded by Germany. One of them is a micro-credit project which during 2008 alone made small credits available to 6 000 clients, 92 per cent of them women.

From the economic activities made possible by these credits over 40 000 people benefit directly or indirectly.

The delegation accompanying the Minister will include a Member of the German Bundestag, Werner Simmling, the spokesperson for the management of the DEG, Bruno Wenn, German business representatives and the German press.