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Esther Shakela Leadership is influence. This is the one definition that scholars across the world, such as John C. Maxwell, amongst others, agree on. To lead is to sway those who are led towards the achievement of a common goal. The use of the word “sway” in this context is deliberate because leadership, though often positively used, can be negatively employed. After all, rebel groups, for example, have leaders too. Despite the fact that influence is not exactly synonymous with loud, the attributes often attached to the accepted brand of effective leadership are charisma and visibility. The louder you are,…

Every election season, Namibians get a chance to ask themselves a question that goes deeper than politics: are we really ready to govern? It’s been 35 years since independence, a lifetime for a country that promised democracy, accountability, and development. And yet, our towns, villages, and regional councils are in distress. Roads crumble. Water taps run dry. Councils are broke, divided, and sometimes downright dysfunctional. The signs of regression are too clear to ignore. We often talk about democracy as if the act of voting alone guarantees good governance. But democracy, as political philosopher Claude Ake reminded us, is not…

Morna Ikosa  The efforts by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in tabling the 2025 Mental Health Bill have been commendable and have led to a landmark step to enshrine dignity, autonomy, and human rights in mental health care in Namibia. However, the proposed bill does not explicitly address maternal mental health, including pre- and postnatal depression. This omission risks leaving thousands of Namibian mothers without adequate support, despite global evidence that postnatal depression is a leading cause of maternal illnesses. Although the bill promises sweeping reforms from community-based care to forensic mental health oversight. Yet, amid its 81…