Opinions – Page 5 – Windhoek Observer

07 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | Tot siens, Botswana: The end of an era in the second car dealership in Namibia

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

A quiet revolution is unfolding at the Namibian border posts. A policy shift, announced by the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, has barred the importation of second-hand vehicles older than 12 years from outside the Common Customs Area (CCA). This change, while perhaps anticipated in policy circles, has hit with the sudden force of a desert storm for many young Namibians whose livelihoods depend on the second-hand motor vehicle trade. For years, the phrase “Dankie, Botswana” marked the informal farewell uttered by hopeful entrepreneurs as they crossed into our neighbour, heading to Durban or other major ports, returning weeks later…

06 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | All politics is local: Choose wisely at the ballot box

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Election season is upon us once again. This is what will mark the familiar campaign: across the country, the familiar rhythms of political life are playing out, campaign posters springing up on every lamppost, rallies drawing crowds with promises and pageantry, and political hopefuls crisscrossing constituencies in a last-minute bid to win favour. The Swapo party was first out of the block and has officially launched its campaign, and it will soon be followed by others, all eager to convince voters that they hold the answers to our problems. Yet beyond the slogans, the music, and the promises, some more…

06 Oct

No stopping, reversing Namibian October

Opinions

Revolution movement for reparations! Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro When one hears and talks of and about the October Revolution, what ordinarily immediately comes to mind historically and ideologically is the culmination of popular sentiment directed against the provisional government, which was achieving little for the majority of people to change Russia from its Tsarist past. Indeed events this October in Namibia, pertaining especially to the vexed question of Genocide, Apology and Reparations (GAR), a matter that has been dragging on, and deliberately dragged on by both the Namibian government and its German counterpart, at last looks destined for a beginning of what…

03 Oct

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Opinions

Last month, Namibia lost a legendary icon: Ras Sheehama. Beyond doubt, he was one of the very best among us. He didn’t just make music but used it as a vehicle for political awareness and encouragement. He spoke for the marginalised, challenged the status quo and really just made sure you were having a good time while listening to his music. His talent was undeniable, his influence profound, and his loss is truly a national tragedy. When news broke that he had died by suicide, the nation collectively mourned. Social media lit up with shock and grief, but also with…

03 Oct

Tourists first, Namibians second

Opinions

Uzuva Kandjou The brochures paint a picture of paradise. Sun-drenched dunes cascading into an endless horizon. The haunting, skeletal trees of Deadvlei stand sentinel against a sapphire sky. The roar of a lion in the deep silence of Etosha. This is the Namibia sold to the world, a pristine, untouched wilderness, an escape for those with the means to chase its raw beauty. But for many Namibians, this picture is a cruel mirage. It is a paradise they can see, a beauty that exists on their ancestral lands, but one they can never afford to enter. In the heart of…

03 Oct

From New York to Philadelphia, Namibia steps onto the global stage

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Introduction When President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), she did more than fulfil a diplomatic duty. She signalled that Namibia, under her leadership, is stepping boldly onto the global stage not as a spectator, but as a shaper of international discourse. From New York’s high corridors of power to Philadelphia’s civic halls, the Namibian president carried a clear message: the nation is open for business, serious about reform, and ready to lead with principle. A woman at the helm, a nation…

03 Oct

Viva Assata Shakur! Viva Cuba!

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Angela Davis, Donald DeFreeze, Elaine Brown, Eldridge Cleaver, Fay Bellamy Powell, Fred Hampton, George Jackson, Gloria Richardson, Hakim Jamal, Huey P. NewtonJohn Africa, , Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., Maulana Karenga, Malik Zulu Shabazz. What do all these names have in common? One cannot mention the likes of Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr, and Angela Davis without conjuring up a picture of a struggling people in America going back to the civil rights movement of the people of African descent whose forebears were taken as slaves from Africa. Add to them Assata…

03 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | Local ownership in mining: Namibia must strike a

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

bold, balanced path The recent warning from the Chamber of Mines about "growing risks" to Namibia’s mining sector due to policy uncertainty, particularly the proposal for 51% mandatory local ownership in new projects, deserves careful attention. The Chamber is right on one key point: investor confidence depends on a stable and predictable regulatory environment. But it is wrong to suggest that government proposals aimed at ensuring greater domestic participation should be viewed as threats rather than opportunities. Namibia is not stepping into the unknown. Local ownership is not a radical or reckless concept; it is a globally recognised policy instrument…

02 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | Resettlement farms: From land reform to national embarrassment

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

There are few topics in Namibia as emotionally charged and politically potent as land reform. Rightly so. Land is not only an economic asset but also a deeply symbolic issue rooted in the country’s colonial and apartheid past. The generations of black Namibians were robbed of land, denied ownership, and consigned to the margins of society. When independence came, the cry was loud and clear: “The fight was about the land.” And now, over three decades later, we must ask—what have we done with the land we fought for? The painful truth is this: Namibia’s resettlement programme has failed. Catastrophically.…

01 Oct

OBSERVER DAILY | A noble gesture that will save lives: MVA Fund leads the way

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

This week, Namibia witnessed a moment of quiet revolution in the nation’s healthcare system. The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund’s donation of a state-of-the-art Lodox full-body X-ray machine to the Ministry of Health and Social Services marks not only a milestone for Katutura Intermediate Hospital but also a shining example of what can be achieved through public-private collaboration in addressing Namibia’s critical infrastructure challenges. Valued at over N$13 million, this generous gift is far more than a piece of medical equipment; it is a lifeline. Installed at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital’s emergency unit, the Lodox machine is the first of…