National News – Page 638 – Windhoek Observer

09 Oct

The remains in the dunes

National NewsShannon Wasserfall, Walvis Bay

The recent grisly discovery of human remains in a shallow grave at Walvis Bay near the C14 roadblock is a tragedy. This sad situation is one of many involving the death, rape, beating, and disappearances of young women in Namibia. When will we value women and girls enough to stop preying on them? While an official DNA test on the remains in the dunes must be done to legally make the identification, it has been widely speculated that Shannon Wasserfall, missing since April 10th, has now been found. The family and numerous friends of Shannon were actively reminding the nation…

08 Oct

Removing incumbents changes nothing …candidates in regions and local authorities should face direct elections

National NewsNamibia

We trust that the regional electors of the various parties understand that Namibia operates under a party system. The individuals sitting on town councils and in regional bodies could be anyone; it is the party that holds the seat, not the individual. When people who have been holding seats are not returned via their primaries to vie for those seats again, the policies, (failed or not) will be exactly the same. If a region has no investments or high unemployment or escalating municipal bills or poor service delivery it is the party platform of the party of those on the…

07 Oct

It’s about competence first, then age

National NewsNamibia, Namibians

The days of people in powerful positions who are incompetent, unskilled, unaware, and with no new ideas are numbered. Namibia is in desperate straits. Those chosen to lead in politics and business must be the best and brightest. No other criteria, including age, gender or ethnic background, should take precedence. There is no doubt that we have too many people in top positions in Namibia that have passed their prime. It is sad to see prize fighters or world-class athletes that stay on for too long. We all remember their past powerful performances and are saddened to see them limp…

06 Oct

PDM Youth – The death penalty solves nothing

National NewsPDM, Popular Movement for Democracy (PDM)

A passionate announcement by youth leaders of the Popular Movement for Democracy (PDM) calling for the introduction of the death penalty for perpetrators of gender-based violence, rape and human trafficking is grossly misguided. The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime and does nothing to address the underlying causes of why these crimes occur. Rather than calling for the death penalty, the PDM YL should demand that the public give evidence in court. They should insist that specific cultural beliefs and traditional practices that demean women be eliminated. They should demand state financing for support for rape victims. It…

03 Oct

The embarrassment over the fish auction

National Newsfish auction, fisheries, Government

The happy dances being done some weeks ago about N$628 million supposedly ‘earned’ in a government fish auction were grossly premature. There were statements made that "now we know the value of our fish stocks." Comparisons to the over-played investor conferences that generated similar glowingly huge numbers of investments "received" (but were not), are apt. No matter how embarrassing it all has been, it is not the whole story. The first win on this, the egg-on-the-face notwithstanding, is that auctioning the fisheries quotas is a good idea. It should be done permanently. The rules for such auctions, however, must change.…

30 Sep

Hold candidates accountable; demand the details!

National Newscandidates

As the campaign season gears up for local and regional elections, it is time for the voting public to hold parties accountable and demand the details. People need to ask a simple question after every generalized comment made by political parties. “How do you plan to do that?” This question will separate the wheat from the chaff. Politicians must have a plan or strategy that makes sense. They must be recorded and held accountable when/if they do not deliver. It is easy to stand on a stage and say anything that pleases the crowd. Politicians often change their promises and…

29 Sep

A tax policeman is not the solution

National NewsCommissioner for the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA), Sam Shivute

Sam Shivute is the new Commissioner for the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA). The agency has no empowering legislation and is not yet operational. Hiring a tax enforcer at a time of extreme financial distress in the Namibian economy is ill-advised. Namibia is in serious financial trouble. Business and government must work hand-in-hand to save the economy. The government must not use a tax policeman to bash businesses on the head and then demand private sector participation in economic recovery. And yet, Shivute when stating his commitment to building a credible and trusted tax collections institution said that the tax and…

26 Sep

Namibia is correct to demand UN SC changes …but no one votes themselves out of power

National NewsUN General Assembly, United Nations

It is long past time for the slow-moving, United Nations to stop talking about reforms to the Security Council and start doing it. Since 1993, the UN General Assembly has hotly debated Council reform but has not been able to reach an agreement. President Hage Geingob’s demand for reform is spot on. Sadly, his voice has very little power in the United Nations (UN) - as is the case for all General Assembly members. The UN will remain a body controlled under post-WWII decision-making structures from 75 years ago. It is unresponsive to 21st-century global power realities. The problem is…

25 Sep

It is time to say goodbye to Kurt

National NewsKurt von Francois, Namibia, Windhoek

The offensive and non-representative statue of Kurt von Francois in Windhoek must fall. For some time, people in cities all over the world have been on fire about their statues and memorials. All through recorded history, statues of people who no longer resonate with those in power were removed, smashed or desecrated. Change and upheaval usually mean that things are no longer seen in the same light. People who are living in an era, have the right to decide what monuments and statues should continue standing. The people living during the time when these statues were erected had the right…

24 Sep

Unaffordable, decongested tool sheds

National NewsGovernment

The government has launched an ill-advised decongestion plan. This plan is supposed to curb COVID-19 infections by moving some people out of the overpopulated tin shack suburbs. Human beings are supposed to be shoved into these quickly built, un-serviced structures that are little more than large tool sheds. Now, we learn that there is no money to continue building them – the ‘emergency’ decongestion plan is without funds. The minister of rural and urban housing has sent a letter to local authorities. He is asking them to find money to take up the decongestion project on top of finding land…