Opinions

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar)Recent developments within Namibia’s governance architecture provide an opportunity to examine how the country intends to strengthen this institutional framework.President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has nominated Bryan Eiseb, Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre, to succeed Paulus Noa as Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Simultaneously, the President has proposed a one-year extension of the tenure of Deputy Director Advocate Erna van der Merwe.The nomination is significant not merely because it marks a leadership transition, but because it reflects the evolving nature of anti-corruption work itself.Eiseb brings a professional profile that combines legal…

Thebe Ikalafeng Tomorrow, 30 June, South Africa faces a day of reckoning it could have avoided. A number of fellow Africans have been queuing at airports, bus stations and border posts, trying to leave ahead of a deadline that began, extraordinarily, with a fake poster. Someone generated an official-looking Department of Home Affairs notice, declaring that all undocumented foreigners must leave by that date. The government never issued it. But it went viral, and it gave the March and March movement something it did not yet have: a date. A moment. A match thrown into dry grass. What began as…

Leonard Hoaeb As the Chairperson of the Small Miners Association in Khorixas, and on behalf of concerned community members, I write to express our deep concern regarding the ongoing narrative that pits mining against tourism. We have observed with growing alarm the trend – supported by certain NGOs with Western influence – that seeks to portray these two vital sectors as irreconcilable enemies. In recent years, Namibia has witnessed growing tension between the mining sector and the tourism industry. At the centre of this debate are certain NGOs and investors who, instead of fostering dialogue, appear intent on creating division.…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s speech at the High-Level Conference on Transatlantic Slavery and Restorative Justice in Ghana is most revealing – especially her referencing of it as “remarks.” Yet in the local media, this induced screaming headlines. “Genocide: NNN demands justice, not revenge,” led one local English daily. “NNN Takes Namibia Reparations Fight To Global Stage,” another headline begged for the coveted attention of readers, including the descendants. But do these headlines strike any reassuring chord with them? Not at all, if the sentiments of some of them towards her Ghana escapade are anything to go by. It…

VICTORY SHIMWANDI Incentive travel has moved from a discretionary line item to a boardroom priority. In a labour market defined by high attrition and intensifying competition for top performers, organisations are re-examining every tool available for retention and engagement.  What the research consistently shows is that experiential reward outperforms cash bonuses and merchandise in emotional impact, memory durability and the strength of connection it creates between a high performer and the organisation that recognises them.  The Incentive Research Foundation has documented this repeatedly: travel-based rewards are harder to commoditise, impossible to compare with a colleague’s salary package and, critically, shared. …

JOSEF KEFAS SHEEHAMA Africa stands at a critical moment in its economic development journey. As global trade patterns continue to evolve, and economic alliances become increasingly important, African countries have an opportunity to strengthen their position within the global economy through strategic partnerships that promote industrialization, trade expansion, and sustainable development. One of the most significant opportunities currently emerging is China's decision to extend tariff-free access to African exports and the prospect of formalizing cooperation through the China–Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development Agreement (CADEPA). In this context, Namibia and other African countries can deepen their engagement with China while…

Sem Billy David Long waiting times in hospitals and clinics remain one of the major challenges facing Namibia’s healthcare system. In many public healthcare facilities, patients are still required to queue for hours before receiving medical attention. The use of manual numbering tickets, manual cards for stamps or, in some cases, the absence of any formal queue management system contributes significantly to delays, confusion, loss of patient’s historical data, and overcrowding and even cause eventualities of worsening sickness or cause death. Patients often arrive very early in the morning to secure a place in line, yet many still spend several…

Lazarus Kwedhi What if we are already in heaven? The question sounds spiritual, but it is deeply political and economic. Across religion, economics, and politics, the same moral lesson is preached in different languages: sacrifice now, be rewarded later. Clergymen promise heaven after death. Economists promise development after structural adjustment. Politicians promise prosperity after the next election. The vocabulary changes, but the structure does not. The reward is always deferred, and the gatekeepers remain the same. Christianity teaches Namibians to trade competing values - righteousness against sin - while waiting for judgment day. Believers endure poverty on earth so they…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) We could not let this remarkable gathering of Netflix series enthusiasts pass without sharing our reflections on the positive and negative lessons conveyed by this powerful production. The series took us on a profound journey through themes of leadership, public resource management, and the future. What particularly struck us was the fact that the story begins with the funeral of its main protagonist. This narrative choice prompted me to reflect on the paths many African nations have taken since achieving independence.  In a somewhat ironic sense, while political independence was…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The case for establishing the Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma Museum and Living Conversational Center The recent inauguration of the Obama Presidential Center has attracted international attention not merely because it commemorates the legacy of a former President of the United States, but because it reflects a growing global recognition that nations must invest in institutions capable of preserving historical memory, cultivating civic values, documenting leadership experiences, and transmitting national knowledge across generations. Across the world, countries are increasingly discovering that monuments alone are insufficient. Statues may honour history, but institutions…