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Couch Cat: Mask etiquette rules

Jackie Wilson Asheeke For now, we all have to wear masks on our faces. So, let’s make the best of a weird situation. It cannot be all doom and gloom. Let’s look at this whole thing with a different eye; shall we? I put on my mask for the first time to go to work on the first day after the lockdown ended. My rude awakening is that I dirtied the inside of the thing immediately with my face make-up and lipstick. Duh-uh. I must be some smart person to not have thought about that one. Rule #1 – no…
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Time to analyse issues ideologically, give them an ideological perspective

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Certainly the emergency and lockdown could not but compel all of us to shift gears in one way or another given the time of reflection it may have afforded us. If only if to maintain some sanity from the solitary confinement, for some, and from depression visited by confinement with those some may all the time been trying avoid. For me criticisms which have been floated as analyses in our media, against the administration of Dr Hage Geingob, since the advent of his first term in 2015, compelled me to shift in an ideological gear. A gear that…
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Observatory: Lives are worth more than the economy

Clementine Tjameya Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa has listed Namibia as having reported zero cases of COVID-19 over a couple of weeks. I humbly question this conclusion. I am not a doctor, nor do I have any health care training. Admittedly, I can make my choices about what to believe regarding COVID-19 in Namibia, based only on what I read. With the low level of testing in Namibia (maybe only 1000 tests done for 2.5 million people), I am not certain the number of 16 cases can be accurate. Countries with reportedly high infection rate…
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Focus on the basic needs of the people

. . . anything else is noise Jackie W Asheeke COVID-19 is a game changer. Any business or individual thinking that all will snap back into pre-pandemic shape is delusional. The best thing to do is to lower your barriers against change and thank God you are alive. After that, we all must focus on the needs of the people and step-in to thwart the profiteers, conmen, hoarders, blindly selfish people and other vermin that feed off of other people’s misery. Food stores in Windhoek are raising prices in the middle of a State of Emergency. Government should take legislative…
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The Time Traveler: Towards a freer media

Hugh Ellis It’s a day on which the sacrifices of journalists are honored, and one on which we look forward to greater advances that enable everyone in society to have equal rights to communicate publicly. What is great is that Namibian journalists are not being killed, imprisoned or having their lives threatened. Bribery of journalists is rare. But this does not necessarily mean all is well. Looking back on the tone of many stakeholders’ statements leading up to WPFD 2020, as a career-long media practitioner and educator, I’m a bit disappointed. Politicians and their spokespeople seem to have equated a…
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Southern Africa: rethinking the media sustainability models in the post-COVID-19

Southern Africa: rethinking the media sustainability models in the post-COVID-19

Admire Mare As the world is ceased with trying to find a lasting solution against the deadly coronavirus (code-named COVID-19), the media industry in particular has been negatively affected by the state of disaster (emergence) and locked down measures put in place by governments across the globe. All of sudden the oxygen of the [print] media industry, which includes advertising, events and newspaper sales, have been extinguished. Some corporates have moved in quickly to suspend or even terminate their advertising contracts during the lockdown period. Others have had to move their adverts to platform companies and online newspapers in anticipation…
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NACADA: THE COMBATANT COMMANDER

NACADA: THE COMBATANT COMMANDER

General Martin Shalli In the midst of corona virus pandemic with its economic rampage, lockdown, fear, death, internet conspiracy theories and infodemic, Namibia commemorates 42nd anniversary of the Cassinga massacre and the battle of Chetequera. In remembrance of all those who died, shed blood and survived on this day, we pay tribute to all of them. May their souls continue to rest in eternal peace! And may their blood continue to water our freedom! We salute them and in the hope that their revolutionary spirit help to continue to serve as a glue of unity, patriotism, solidarity, peace, and justice.…
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The Time Traveler: Criminalizing fake news is not the way

Hugh Ellis It seems that Government may criminalize the spreading of fake news on the Coronavirus pandemic, during the current state of emergency. In terms of regulations published in the Government Gazette, it is now (at least technically) a criminal offense to publish a statement, including on social media, that is intended to deceive people about the Covid-19 status of someone or about measures intended to combat, prevent and suppress the disease. Offenders may be fined N$2000 or face six months imprisonment. Readers of this column will know I despise fake news, and have little time for those who spread…
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Disagreement is NOT a personal attack

Jackie Wilson Asheeke I have much respect for the intelligence and openness of Presidential Press Secretary Alfredo Hengari. But, in reading his last missive in defense of the president, I am disappointed. He included a section where he seems to say that the massive loss of public support for Geingob in the last elections was due to biased media reporting. I strongly disagree with that conclusion and hold up a hand of caution. It is one thing to defend your boss to keep him sweet. It is quite another thing to assign blame to the media because he dropped significantly…
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Observatory: We need to protect trans people

Thandizo Kawerama A disgusting video of a member of the Gobabis trans community being assaulted has recently surfaced online. The conversation surrounding the incident highlights how we as a society refuse to protect the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community, and continue to gas light them on the discrimination they face in our society. Contrary to popular belief, trans people are human beings. They live a human experience just like the people outside of their community. If someone outside of the community has a problem with a trans person they should look to resolve their differences instead of attacking…
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