Opinions – Windhoek Observer

15 Dec

The village has died. Long live the village

Featured, Opinions

Not long ago, a friend and I found ourselves locked in a heated debate about our traditional villages, what many of us still affectionately call “back home". What began as a casual conversation quickly turned into a fundamental disagreement about the future of these places. His position was blunt: our villages are dying and not worth investing in. Mine was equally firm: if villages are dying, then it is precisely our generation, the one with education, mobility, and relative means, that must step in to ensure they do not disappear. That debate forced me to confront a broader national question:…

15 Dec

When unity becomes a performance, the centre no longer holds and the nation falls apart: The selective accountability dilemma

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara) Namibia is widely praised for its stability, democratic institutions, and robust legal frameworks. Yet beneath this reputation, a troubling pattern has emerged: accountability is increasingly inconsistent, seemingly influenced more by political proximity than principle. From diplomatic postings to internal reshuffles, some officials face swift public censure, while others with comparable controversies are quietly elevated. This uneven application of rules raises concerns that Namibia may be drifting toward selective governance, a phenomenon observable in other African democracies under political strain. Let us unpack these contradictions, trace their origins, and examine what they…

12 Dec

THE 2025 RWANDA–DRC PEACE ACCORD: DIPLOMATIC BREAKTHROUGH OR STRATEGIC EXTRACTION SCHEME?

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Introduction: A Washington signing, not an African victory In 2025, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “signed” the so-called Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. Cameras flashed. Leaders smiled. Headlines screamed “historic”. But the spectacle masked a raw truth: this was not a victory for African people. Peace was the narrative; minerals were the prize. Every handshake, every staged smile, hid the cold arithmetic of power. Inside the room, tension simmered. The principals wore politeness like armour. The mediator’s eyes lingered on the earth beneath their feet,…

12 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

December often arrives with a unique intensity in Namibia. It brings an air of celebration, a sense of relief, and the familiar anticipation of gathering with loved ones after a demanding year. Yet beneath the lights, the music, and the busyness of the festive season, December also invites a quieter and more meaningful form of reflection. It is the one period in the year when many young people confront the reality of who they have become, what they have survived, and what they hope to build in the year that follows. For many young Namibians, 2025 has been a year…

12 Dec

Are JD chickens coming home to roost?

Opinions

Kae-Matundu-Tjiparuro Yours Truly Ideologically, admittedly struggled to find an appropriate and apt heading for this week’s column. Which is about the International Conference in Algiers, Algeria, from 30 November to 1 December, 2025. At this conference Namibia was represented by International Relations and Cooperation and Trade minister Selma Ashipala-Masavyi. Its outcome is the Algiers Declaration. Notably, the motion for the African Union summit, next February, to resolve that all colonial crimes committed against former African colonies become crimes in international law. Certainly the Algiers Declaration did not fall from heaven, but intense preparatory work must have preceded it. Mentioning, amongst…

11 Dec

A nation at the threshold: Why Namibia’s eighth administration must turn intention into impact

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Namibia enters the close of 2025 with a sobering national truth: the age of endless planning has run its course. Citizens across the country, from Epukiro to Lüderitz, from Katutura to Arandis, have grown impatient with strategies that promise more than they deliver. For many, the question is no longer what the government intends to do, but when Namibians will finally feel the results. Against this backdrop, the two-day first cabinet retreat of the eighth Administration, which was held at NIPAM under the theme “Enhancing Policy Coordination, Governance and Service…

09 Dec

Tribute to Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, a pan-African legacy of courage, leadership and feminine strength

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) With solemn respect and heartfelt sorrow, we stand with the people of Ghana, with the Rawlings family, and with all Africans whose lives were touched by the extraordinary legacy of Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Her passing marks not only the departure of a former First Lady but also the transition of a woman whose presence redefined service, transformed communities, and left an imprint on the very trajectory of African social and political progress. As Ghana grants her the honour of a state funeral, our reflections extend far beyond her…

09 Dec

Namibia’s diplomacy must serve the nation, not factional interests

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s commissioning of seven new heads of mission signals an important moment for Namibia’s diplomatic future. The appointments, to Nigeria, Belgium, Zambia, Ghana, Japan, Egypt, and Zimbabwe, arrive at a time when the nation is recalibrating its foreign policy to centre economic diplomacy, investment attraction, and strategic global partnerships. The President’s message was clear and firm: these envoys must prioritise national development interests and project a credible Namibian profile to the world. The newly appointed ambassadors deserve sincere congratulations. Walde Natangwe Ndevashiya, Alfredo Tjirimo Hengari, Goms Menette, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, Rosina //Hoabes, Weich Murcle Uapendura Mupya, and David Thomas…

08 Dec

IN A WORLD OF GIANTS AFRICA CANNOT BE A PAWN IN THE BATTLE FOR SOVEREIGNTY

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Why are African leaders so silent? Why, at a moment when the continent’s dignity is being tested, do so many African Heads of State seem content to look away, turning a deaf ear as if nothing is happening? Why is there no united front, no public indignation, no clear voice defending the sovereignty of Africa’s people? These questions are not asked to provoke disrespect but to expose a painful truth: African leadership risks becoming complicit through silence. Steve Biko warned us about this long ago. “The most potent weapon in…

08 Dec

The death of arts and culture in Namibia: A crisis of custodianship

Opinions

Recently, I received a visit from a Nigerian colleague who had travelled to Namibia to consult on nationhood branding.As we walked through Windhoek’s central district, he stopped abruptly, surveyed the cityscape, and asked with visible confusion, “Where are your cultural markers?” A few minutes later, after observing more concrete, glass, and corporate branding than any trace of Namibian cultural presence, he looked at me and said, “You guys are so culturally cautious that you are killing your identity.” His remark, although delivered lightly, struck me with unexpected force. It was embarrassing, not only because he was right, but because his…