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The reaction to American YouTuber Darren Watkins Jr, better known as IShowSpeed, failing to land in Namibia has exposed a generational and philosophical divide in how we understand influence, opportunity and governance in the digital age. For many older Namibians, the question has been simple and sincere: What is the big deal about a young man shouting into a camera while playing games or reacting to football clips?  For others, particularly the youth and those working in tourism, branding and the creative economy, the disappointment has been equally real. Both perspectives deserve to be heard. And both can be reconciled.…

The fatal shooting of traditional headman Sam Nepando and the serious injury of I-Ben Nashandi, who is reportedly recovering in hospital, have sent a deep and unsettling shock through Namibia. It is not only the loss of life and the violence itself that has disturbed the nation, but the nature of the dispute from which this tragedy reportedly arose. Incidents of this kind are almost unheard of in our recent history, particularly within the context of traditional leadership and land administration. For many Namibians, this moment has forced a painful reckoning with questions we have long debated in theory but…

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s New Year message strikes a hopeful and unifying chord. Her call for unity, compassion, hard work and integrity is timely and necessary as Namibia steps into 2026 facing familiar socio-economic challenges: unemployment, inequality, fiscal pressure and uneven service delivery. The President is right; when Namibians stand together, no challenge is too great. But unity and determination alone are not enough. To truly translate this vision into inclusive growth and national renewal, we must confront a fundamental and largely unanswered question: what do we own as a nation? In households and businesses, progress begins with knowing what is…

The Ministry of Health and Social Services deserves recognition for the urgency and coordination it has shown in responding to the threat of poliovirus in the Kavango East and Kavango West regions. The rapid rollout of a preventative vaccination campaign targeting children under the age of 10, the mobilisation of international partners, and the strengthening of surveillance systems all reflect a ministry that understands the gravity of polio and the catastrophic consequences of complacency. The detection of poliovirus type 2 through environmental surveillance at Ndama sewage could easily have been dismissed or delayed. Instead, it triggered action. The involvement of…