Windhoek Observer

12 Dec

THE 2025 RWANDA–DRC PEACE ACCORD: DIPLOMATIC BREAKTHROUGH OR STRATEGIC EXTRACTION SCHEME?

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Introduction: A Washington signing, not an African victory In 2025, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “signed” the so-called Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. Cameras flashed. Leaders smiled. Headlines screamed “historic”. But the spectacle masked a raw truth: this was not a victory for African people. Peace was the narrative; minerals were the prize. Every handshake, every staged smile, hid the cold arithmetic of power. Inside the room, tension simmered. The principals wore politeness like armour. The mediator’s eyes lingered on the earth beneath their feet,…

12 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | Namibians who stopped the show in 2025

Featured

In every generation there are figures whose achievements capture national attention and inspire widespread admiration. In 2025, several Namibians did more than simply excel. They stopped the show by performing on global platforms, elevating national pride, breaking barriers, and reshaping cultural narratives. From global beauty stages to creative entrepreneurship and political leadership, these individuals demonstrated ambition, resilience, and excellence that reached far beyond Windhoek. This feature highlights some remarkable Namibians whose work defined the year and gave young people real stories of success to celebrate. Selma Kamanya: A global pageantry trailblazer One of the most memorable Namibian successes of 2025…

12 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

December often arrives with a unique intensity in Namibia. It brings an air of celebration, a sense of relief, and the familiar anticipation of gathering with loved ones after a demanding year. Yet beneath the lights, the music, and the busyness of the festive season, December also invites a quieter and more meaningful form of reflection. It is the one period in the year when many young people confront the reality of who they have become, what they have survived, and what they hope to build in the year that follows. For many young Namibians, 2025 has been a year…

12 Dec

Rent control: A terrible idea for Namibia, and a disastrous answer to the wrong question

Editorial, Featured

Namibia stands at a dangerous crossroads. Faced with an undeniable housing crisis, one driven by a chronic shortage of serviced land and formal units, the government is once again flirting with the illusion that administrative decrees can override economic reality. The push for a Rent Control Bill, still present in ministerial legislative plans, is not merely misguided. It is a profound policy error that risks strangling an already over-regulated economy, undermining investment, and worsening the housing crisis it claims to solve. Rent control is often sold as a compassionate intervention, a quick fix to high rents. But the global evidence…

12 Dec

Novo turns to competitors to staff Nust security contract

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Novo Security Services has started approaching companies that lost the N$40 million Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) security tender, asking them to help provide and manage the required services. This comes after Novo told the review panel it had the capacity to carry out the contract on its own. On 2 December 2025, Herman Nekomba contacted Namibia Protection Services (NPS) chief executive officer Fanie Horn with a request for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to manage security services at Nust for three years. He wrote that the anticipated start date was 1 January 2026 and asked…

12 Dec

Navachab’s N$1.4m payback fight yields only N$149k

National News

Justicia Shipena QKR Navachab Gold Mine has won a limited victory in the High Court in a case where it tried to recover more than N$1.4 million paid to former employee Petrus Nambondi under an arbitration award that was later set aside. The court ruled that Nambondi must repay only N$149 838, plus interest. He does not have to return the rest of the money he received during his reinstatement period. The matter began when Nambondi was dismissed and later won an arbitration case in May 2020. The arbitrator ordered Navachab to reinstate him with full benefits and to pay…

12 Dec

N/a’an ku sê founder loses appeal bid in N$2.6m lawsuit

National News

Justicia Shipena The Supreme Court has ruled that Dr Rudie van Vuuren’s irregularity claim in a lawsuit where he is being sued for N$2.6 million could not be considered because it fell outside the approved grounds of appeal. The court said hearing that claim would have been unfair to Expedite Aviation CC. Van Vuuren, a medical doctor, conservationist and co-founder of the N/a'an ku sê Foundation, was challenging a High Court decision that removed his attempt to force the Expedite Aviation CC to hand over documents needed for the case. This process is known as discovery, and it requires each…

12 Dec

Shilunga warns: Oil boom comes with responsibility

National News

Staff Writer Presidential advisor and head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit, Kornelia Shilunga, has warned that Namibia’s growing oil and gas opportunity comes with a responsibility to ensure citizens are prepared to participate in the sector. She delivered this message at the launch of the Petroleum Training and Education Fund's (Petrofund) new brand and refurbished head office in Windhoek this week. Shilunga said recent discoveries in the Orange Basin and the announcement from ReconAfrica on the Kavango West 1X well have repositioned Namibia as an emerging petroleum player. She said the sector carries the potential to reshape the economy for…

12 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | How December spending entrenches the January and February poverty cycle

National News

December has gradually become the most financially demanding month in many societies, and Namibia is no exception. The end of the year is a period marked by celebration, travel, gifting, relaxation, social gatherings, and elevated expectations of generosity. While there is nothing inherently harmful about participating in the festivities of the season, the financial behaviours that accompany the month of December often produce long-term effects that continue to haunt young people well into January and February. This article examines the deeper economic, social, and psychological factors that contribute to the January and February poverty cycle, with a particular emphasis on…

12 Dec

Teacher arrested for asking hostel boys to make his private parts ‘angry’

Main

Renthia Kaimbi A male teacher at Wilhelm Nortier Primary School in Grootfontein was arrested last month after being accused of sexually molesting boys in the school’s hostel. The arrest of Alexis Awaseb came only after he attempted suicide, amid a case that has exposed serious concerns about child safety and institutional accountability. According to sources familiar with the incident, the alleged assault occurred on the night of 14 November 2025, during a widespread power outage in Grootfontein that lasted until after the learners' bedtime. It is alleged that Awaseb sneaked into the bed of a 13-year-old Grade 7 learner and…