Featured – Page 2 – Windhoek Observer

12 Mar

OBSERVER COASTAL | Rössing donates N$135 000 to Swakop Striders

Featured, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Rössing Uranium has donated N$135 000 to the Swakop Striders Running Club following the recent Rössing national marathon held in Swakopmund. The funds were raised through registration fees collected during the event held on 7 March. The donation will support the club’s programmes and assist local long-distance athletes in the Erongo Region. The contribution forms part of Rössing Uranium’s community support initiatives aimed at promoting sport and healthy lifestyles. An additional N$20 010 raised from entry fees for the 5 km Fun Walk was donated to the Cancer Association of Namibia. Corporate communication manager at Rössing Uranium, Daylight…

11 Mar

Housing urgency must not replace accountability

Editorial, Featured

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s directive to bypass standard government tender procedures for a rapid-build housing initiative reflects a sense of urgency that few Namibians would dispute. The country’s housing backlog continues to grow, informal settlements expand year after year, and the promise of affordable shelter remains out of reach for thousands of families. Any initiative that claims it can deliver houses within days at a cost as low as N$50,000 will inevitably attract attention and hope. But hope, when combined with haste and limited oversight, can also produce costly consequences. The proposal currently receiving presidential support involves the use of alternative…

09 Mar

Dialogue must move Namibia from courtesy to concrete action

Editorial, Featured

In a political age increasingly defined by polarisation, spectacle and hardened ideological lines, the decision by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to engage the leadership of opposition parties is a gesture that deserves recognition and encouragement. Democracy does not thrive merely through elections; it flourishes through constant conversation between those who govern and those who challenge power. Since assuming office in March 2025, Nandi-Ndaitwah has initiated consultations with leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly, including the official opposition, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), led by Panduleni Itula. She has also met representatives from the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM)…

06 Mar

Regulating the ride: Government must bring order to Namibia’s e-hailing revolution

Editorial, Featured

The rise of e-hailing services in Namibia has exposed a familiar dilemma facing governments across the world: how to regulate innovation without stifling it. Platforms such as Yango, InDrive and LEFA have rapidly become a visible part of the urban transport landscape, particularly in Windhoek. Yet their growth has triggered escalating tensions with traditional taxi operators, raised safety concerns, and highlighted gaps in Namibia’s transport laws. At the heart of the conflict lies a regulatory vacuum. Namibia’s Road Traffic and Transport Act of 1999 was written long before smartphones and app-based mobility existed. As a result, e-hailing services have expanded…

06 Mar

The motion to preserve the memory and legacy of the founding father of the Namibian nation: The future of institutional memory in Namibia

Featured, Opinions

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) When a Nation Confers the Title of Founding Father When a nation confers the title of 'Founding Father' by statute, it does more than honour a historical figure. It legislates memory. It transforms history into law. Once history enters the legal order, it demands institutional expression. Namibia now stands at such a constitutional moment. Ten months ago, the Leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), Hon. McHenry Venaani, submitted a series of parliamentary questions to the Prime Minister, Dr Elijah Ngurare, calling for cost-cutting measures by repurposing state offices for…

05 Mar

Is this what the youth is telling us about the future?

Editorial, Featured

Chaos in the National Assembly is no longer shocking. It is becoming routine. This week, proceedings descended into disorder after National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) member of parliament Vetaruhe Kandorozu questioned the citizenship of deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Dino Ballotti and told him to “go back to Italy.” The deputy speaker, Phillipus Katamelo, ruled the remarks unparliamentary. Swapo members of parliament walked out in protest after the matter was referred to the standing committee on rules. The session collapsed. We have written before about the conduct of our parliamentarians, on both sides of the…

04 Mar

Are we outsourcing the bench ?

Editorial, Featured

The Office of the Judiciary this week announced the appointment of former judges from the region to Namibia’s High Court. A former judge of the High Court of Botswana, Gabriel Komboni, has been appointed on contract for two years and five months. Two Zimbabwean jurists, retired High Court judge David Mangota and former High Court judge James Devittie, have been appointed as acting judges for three years. On paper, these are distinguished legal professionals. Their experience is not in question. Regional judicial exchange is not uncommon, and cross-border appointments can, in certain contexts, strengthen jurisprudential coherence within the Southern African region. Yet the announcement…

03 Mar

Sports betting: Why government must act now

Editorial, Featured

Psychologists are sounding the alarm: online gambling is rising sharply among young people, with a notable increase among young women. They warn that smartphones and social media have normalised gambling in a generation already weighed down by unemployment and financial pressure. In Namibia, this is not an abstract concern. It is a flashing red light. We have seen this movie before. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Namibia witnessed the rapid proliferation of shebeens across the country. At the time, the argument was framed as progressive and economically empowering. Legalising and tolerating informal bars was presented as a pragmatic…

02 Mar

Rising reserves reflect stability and a moment to consolidate

Editorial, Featured

Namibia’s international reserves rose to N$51.9 billion at the end of January, driven by inflows from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). In an uncertain global environment marked by currency volatility, geopolitical tension and tightening financial conditions, this development is a welcome affirmation of macroeconomic stability and disciplined fiscal management. For a small, open economy such as ours, international reserves are not abstract accounting figures. They are the backbone of financial credibility. They ensure the country can meet its import obligations, service external debt and cushion itself against global shocks. Crucially, they sustain confidence in the one-to-one peg between the…

02 Mar

TURNING POINT | Budget reflections: Structural realities facing Namibian entrepreneurs

Featured, Opinions

When the minister of finance tabled the national budget, I listened through two lenses: that of a citizen concerned with fiscal sustainability and that of an entrepreneur operating within Namibia’s regulatory and commercial framework. A national budget is more than a fiscal ledger; it is an institutional signal of how the state conceptualises growth, allocates risk and positions the private sector within the broader development agenda. The budget reflects an awareness of competitiveness. Yet it also underscores structural constraints that continue to shape the ease of doing business in Namibia. These constraints are not abstract debates confined to policy forums;…