The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, has come out swinging against the board and management of Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). In a scathing letter, she accused them of gross incompetence, governance failures, and effectively allowing the company to slide into “operational paralysis.”
Her frustration is justified. After more than four months in office, she has not received a single formal report on governance, operations, or finances from NWR. No budget, no audited financials, no strategic plan. Nothing. This is not just sloppy administration, this is negligence at the highest level of a state-owned company entrusted with some of Namibia’s most prized tourism assets.
The minister’s words, though, ring familiar. They echo the frustration of many Namibians who have watched NWR stumble from one crisis to another for years. Staff inside the company say her critique reflects their daily reality: shortages of basic supplies, lack of safety equipment, and mismanagement that has left once-proud resorts in shameful disrepair.
This is where we must pause. Because while we applaud Minister Daniel’s boldness, Namibia has seen this play before, and we know how it usually ends.
A Familiar Script
It goes like this: A new minister arrives, outraged at the state of affairs. The minister cracks the whip, issues stern letters, and demands accountability. A new board is appointed. The board installs a new CEO. That CEO drafts a turnaround strategy, which is announced with great fanfare. But when the time comes to actually fund the plan, the shareholder, government, falls short. The strategy limps along, the CEO becomes frustrated, resigns or is fired, and the cycle starts again.
This was the story of Air Namibia. A proud national airline reduced to a running joke, until the government finally pulled the plug. It is now in danger of becoming the story of NWR.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts should be one of our country’s crown jewels. It manages iconic properties in Etosha, Sossusvlei, Ai-Ais, and along our breathtaking coastline. These are names that should roll off the tongues of tourists from Frankfurt to Cape Town. Instead, too often what visitors find is crumbling infrastructure, poor service, and a sense of neglect. What should be our tourism showcase has become a national embarrassment.
The Real Question
So, what happens next? It is easy to shout at the board and management. Frankly, they deserve it. But the deeper question is: what is the shareholder, that is government, prepared to do?
Minister Daniel is not wrong to be angry. But her anger, no matter how righteous, will mean little unless it translates into concrete, sustained action. Namibia has been here before. We don’t need more scathing letters; we need a bold and realistic plan.
The fact of the matter is this: fixing NWR will take more than a change of faces in the boardroom. It will take serious political will, solid and experienced leadership, and, let’s be honest, serious funding. Without that, we will simply watch the same cycle repeat itself.
Two Possible Paths
Government has two clear options if it is serious about saving NWR.
The first is to treat NWR as the strategic national asset that it is. That means appointing experienced leaders with proven track records, giving them the freedom to act, and crucially, funding their plans adequately. It means moving away from the habit of appointing boards and executives on the basis of political connections rather than competence. It also means giving management the tools to restore the resorts, improve service delivery, and rebuild the company’s battered reputation.
The second option is to admit that government alone cannot carry this burden, and to seek strategic partnerships with international operators. This doesn’t mean selling off the family silver. It means entering into win-win agreements where world-class operators help manage and market our resorts, while Namibia retains ownership and a fair share of the returns.
Other small countries have done this with great success. Take the Seychelles, where government-owned assets were revitalized through partnerships with established hospitality brands, leading to growth in jobs and revenue. Or Botswana, where joint ventures between government, communities, and international safari operators have turned once-faltering enterprises into world-class destinations. Namibia can and should explore similar models.
The Bigger Picture
Tourism is one of Namibia’s most promising sectors. It employs thousands of people, drives regional development, and showcases the beauty and culture of our country to the world. Yet one of the key custodians of this sector, NWR, has become a stumbling block rather than a driver.
When resorts lack basics like water and safety equipment, when staff feel ignored and demoralized, when the physical infrastructure decays year after year, it doesn’t just reflect badly on NWR. It reflects badly on Namibia. Every tourist who leaves with a negative experience at an NWR facility tells that story abroad. The damage to our reputation is incalculable.
Applauding, But Asking
So yes, we applaud Minister Daniel for calling it as she sees it. Her honesty is refreshing in a political culture too often defined by silence and excuses. She has put the failures of the NWR board and management on record in the strongest possible terms.
But strong words are not enough. What Namibians want to know now is: what is the minister, as the shareholder, prepared to do? Will she push for real funding for NWR’s turnaround? Will she insist on experienced, competent leadership? Will she consider bold partnerships that bring in international expertise? Or will this end as so many other stories do, in another cycle of outrage, appointments, half-funded plans, and eventual collapse?
Namibia cannot afford for NWR to fail. Not again. Not after Air Namibia. Not when tourism should be one of our engines of growth.
Minister Daniel has raised the stakes. Now she must show us if she’s willing to follow through.
