Opinions – Page 3 – Windhoek Observer

20 Sep

Namibia’s Missed Opportunity: Embracing Integrated Development Planning (IDP)

ObserverOpinionsNamibia’s Missed Opportunity: Embracing Integrated Development Planning (IDP)

Vivian !Nou-/GawasebAs Namibia grapples with its multifaceted challenges and strives to create a more equitable and prosperous nation, there is an unfortunate and glaring omission in our development toolkit: the adoption of the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) approach, a methodology that South African local authorities have harnessed with impressive success.In this critical and in-depth examination, we delve into the pressing need for Namibian local authorities to adopt IDP and scrutinise specific instances of South African best practices that we ought to learn from.The Troubled Landscape of Namibian DevelopmentNamibia’s development landscape is rife with disparities, from gaping economic inequalities to crumbling…

17 Sep

Namibia: Uranium Rich; but, Energy PoorTowards Energy Security

ObserverOpinionsEnergy PoorTowards Energy Security, Namibia: Uranium Rich; but

Dr Eng Kuiri F Tjipangandjara (D Sci Eng) Dedication: Engineer Siseho Simasiku (1947 – 2016) – For his Vision on Nuclear Energy. Indeed, the future looks bright for the Namibian Uranium Industry. The World has big hunger and thirst for uranium. What is encouraging is the fact that both the uranium prices (spot ad contract) are on the increase. Whilst meeting the global demand for uranium, Namibia can explore the windfall from the resurging nuclear industry to address socio-economic challenges facing the Country. Namibia cannot remain an exporter of the yellow cake only. Namibia must take a step further and…

17 Sep

Just Saying with Matts Haikali

ObserverOpinions, SportsJust Saying with Matts Haikali

I have been following keenly the various tournament being organized around the country and I have observed a very sutle but disturbing trend amongst the organizer. While the promotions of mass participation in sports is important. I have a feeling something is not right somewhere.Am just saying , in an era where progress towards gender equality is being championed across the globe, it remains disheartening to witness disparities persisting within the realm of sports rewards in Namibia at community level.The question arises: Why do women’s sports tournaments often receive fewer rewards than their male counterparts? While it is crucial to…

11 Sep

THE POETS QUILL: This little light of mine

ObserverOpinions

SheIsKingDesire As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Marianne Williamson said it better in her book, A Return to Love: “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” There is a light in a very soul, some lights are brightly burning and others are dark and cold. For me having a light that is brightly burning means doing things that make me feel free and peaceful, surrendering control, trusting my intuition, showing compassion and kindness to myself and others, and believing the simple truth that I…

11 Sep

Enhancing Accountability in Public – Private Partnership in Namibia

ObserverOpinionsEnhancing Accountability in Public – Private Partnership in Namibia

Ndimudule Laina NdeumanePublic Analyst Public–private partnerships in Namibia are one features that are growing economic landscape since independence was declared in the 1990s. Despite the boom in mining industry ventures, the fiscal deficit is growing and living standards remain inadequate in localized areas, PPPs are increasingly sought after for wider social objectives. There is still a degree of resistance to private sector involvement in public services, with concerns over how employment would be affected and how black and gender empowerment could be incorporated into such schemes. Namibia has little in the way of dedicated public–private partnership policy framework. Like many…

11 Sep

Why I do what I do – a calling to promote law and access to justice

ObserverOpinionsWhy I do what I do – a calling to promote law and access to justice

Fedden Mainga Mukwata When people say your life can change in the blink of an eye, they mean it. When I look back at the events of the past 18 months, I can say that some of my wildest dreams became true or came closer to realization. My dream has always been to make law and justice accessible – to share my legal knowledge. Hence, I started FASZ Legal Consultancy CC through which that dream may be fully realized. On the other hand, I started noticing a grim picture around this line of work. I have appeared on, and follow,…

08 Sep

Just Saying with Matts Haikali

ObserverOpinions, SportsJust Saying with Matts Haikali, Namibia football legends

As I reflect on the events of the past week, where Namibia football legends gathered to play in Rundu and Otjiwarongo, I am struck by a mixture of emotions. The nostalgia of witnessing these icons relive their youthful prowess on the very fields that once nurtured their talents is undeniable. However, this emotional journey is intertwined with a stark realization – the state of the dilapidated once-vibrant sports facilities, where they honed their skills. Am just saying the sight around some of the towns,of these deteriorated facilities serves as a testament to the neglect that has plagued them over the…

08 Sep

Brics cannot but signal a new dawn for the South

ObserverOpinionsBrics cannot but signal a new dawn for the South

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Against the best wishes of the Big Brothers of the capitalist order, the 15th Summit of Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), has come and gone. Hailed by its constituents and proponents as having been a resounding success. And rightly so! If only for the mere fact that it took place where and when it was scheduled to, in South Africa. Against all odds. The sword of the world economic disorder, because what and how else can one describe the current economic order anything else but organised chaos masterminded by colonialists. Today’s neo-colonialists to continue their…

08 Sep

Bridging the Gap: Windhoek’s Journey to Localize the SDGs

ObserverOpinionsBridging the Gap: Windhoek’s Journey to Localize the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Vivian !Nou-/Gawaseb In the years 2015 and 2016, the United Nations unveiled the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global agenda for a sustainable future.For Windhoek, Namibia, these goals represent a transformative vision, but the journey towards localizing them comes with a unique set of challenges. Localizing SDGs is crucial because it tailors global sustainability goals to local contexts, ensuring that communities’ unique needs and challenges are addressed effectively, ultimately driving meaningful progress towards a sustainable future at the grassroots level. Windhoek’s distinctive path towards SDG localization is marked by a scarcity of data, resistance to universally imposed goals, and the…

01 Sep

Lest we take projects like Green Hydrogen on face value!

ObserverOpinionsLest we take projects like Green Hydrogen on face value!

CAN more jobs creation, and even what one may consider increased investment flow lead to increased, better and/or requisite socio-economic transformation that Namibia craves for, and has been even since independence been so much desirous of and for, which indeed was, is and must be the essence of independence? Yours Truly Ideologically cannot but raise this pertinent question, especially at the backdrop of the recent oil and gas conference last month, where some Namibian ministers delivered what they presented. But their deliveries at the said conference, more than charting the way forward, in terms of the country’s let alone the…