Editorial – Page 10 – Windhoek Observer

21 Aug

OBSERVER DAILY | WHO IS CHECKING THE CHECKERS?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia has always prided itself on being a nation rooted in law and democratic values. We boast a Constitution that is admired across the continent, and institutions that, at least in principle, should safeguard our democracy from the kind of arbitrary governance that has destabilised so many of our neighbours. Yet, every so often, we are reminded that even in Namibia, leaders sometimes forget that power is borrowed, not owned, and that authority must be exercised within the guardrails of law. The latest controversy surrounding Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa is a case in point. On 15 August, a…

20 Aug

National Youth Council paralysis: Steenkamp and Balloti must act, not watch

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The National Youth Council (NYC) has collapsed into paralysis. What was supposed to be the engine of young voices in Namibia is now a cautionary tale of dysfunction, governance failures, suspended directors without due process, missing financial reports, and youth openly defying ministerial appointees. The picture is one of decay, not leadership. Now, with minister Sanet Steenkamp and deputy minister Dino Balloti at the helm of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, the country expects more than sympathetic statements and administrative tinkering. This is the moment for them to lead decisively, because NYC cannot continue like this. Dysfunction in…

19 Aug

Tourism’s Crown Jewel or National Embarrassment? Time to Decide on NWR

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

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…

18 Aug

Namibia’s Golden Move: Why the Bank of Namibia’s Gold Strategy Matters

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

When the Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Johannes !Gawaxab, announced that our central bank would begin buying gold from Navachab and B2Gold, it may have sounded like just another technical monetary policy decision. But beneath the surface, this is one of the most consequential financial moves Namibia has made in years. Done right, it can strengthen our financial sovereignty, reduce risks from external shocks, and even open up new opportunities for ordinary Namibians. Done wrong, it could become a costly gamble. Why Gold Matters For centuries, gold has been the ultimate symbol of value. In today’s world, central banks…

14 Aug

Namibia’s Eurobond Redemption: A Fiscal Win with Real-Life Benefits

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

In a time when news about public finances often comes wrapped in alarm bells and warnings, Namibia has given us a story worth celebrating. The country is on track to fully redeem its US$750 million Eurobond when it matures in October 2025. This is not just a technical achievement in debt management; it’s proof that disciplined planning and consistent follow-through can pay off, and it’s the kind of success that can have real meaning for ordinary Namibians. Nicholas Mukasa, Director of Financial Markets at the Bank of Namibia, confirmed recently that “we are on target to redeem that bond when…

14 Aug

The RedForce Conundrum: A Debt Crisis Without Easy Answers

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The decision by Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa to cancel all RedForce contracts with local authorities has ignited a heated national debate. On one side, municipalities insist that external debt collectors are essential to keep their finances afloat. On the other, residents reject the very idea of private companies hounding them for overdue payments. It is a messy situation, but one fact is undeniable: many residents of our towns are in arrears for municipal services, water, electricity, refuse collection, for a variety of reasons. Some are genuine hardships; others are simply a refusal to pay. The rule…

13 Aug

From Bailouts to Boomtowns: Rethinking How Our Towns Make Money

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Let’s not sugar-coat it, our local authorities are broke. And it’s no longer just a small accounting problem that can be patched up; it’s a full-blown crisis that threatens the future of some of our towns. The problem is not only that they don’t have money. It’s that the very way our town councils do business is broken. Here’s the reality: in many of our towns, residents are unemployed or scraping by on very little. Municipalities depend almost entirely on rates, taxes, water, and electricity payments, but when people can’t pay, that money never comes in. The result? Services get…

12 Aug

Time to Set the Rules on State Funerals

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s decision to put a moratorium on state funerals is a move that deserves both praise and serious public debate. For years, Namibia has stumbled along without a transparent, universally accepted set of rules for who qualifies for a state, official, or heroes funeral. The result? Confusion, bitterness, and public quarrels at moments when the nation should be united in grief. The recent passing of Dr. Moses Amweelo reignited these tensions. Many felt the former minister and respected political figure deserved, at the very least, an official funeral. Others supported the government’s decision to hold the line after the…

11 Aug

Madam President, How About a Jobs Summit?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia’s unemployment crisis is not just a statistic. It is the quiet desperation in villages and towns, the hollowed-out dreams of graduates, and the simmering frustration of a generation with no place to go. We have heard the speeches and seen the plans. What we need now is not another promise, but a national reckoning on jobs. When President Nandi-Ndaitwah declared in her inaugural speech that “in Namibia, we are too few to be poor,” it wasn’t just a hopeful slogan. It was a challenge. A reminder that our small population should be an advantage, yet unemployment and underemployment continue to choke opportunity…

07 Aug

Visa on arrival: Namibia is not a colony, and it’s time we act like it

Editorial

If you’ve been on social media or read recent tourism sector commentary, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Namibia’s visa-on-arrival policy is the greatest blunder our government has committed in recent times. Loud voices from within the tourism industry, particularly white operators, have gone as far as predicting a collapse of the sector. “Tourists will run away,” they scream. “These people don’t know what they’re doing,” they mutter, publicly and privately, about government officials. Let’s be clear: this hysteria is misguided, exaggerated, and in some cases, drenched in barely concealed racial politics. What’s worse, it undermines an important principle, Namibia’s…