Page 7 – Windhoek Observer

06 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

In the quiet symmetry of history, February has once again become a month of memory for Namibia. Within days of one another, the nation marked the passing of two towering figures whose lives shaped the moral, political and institutional imagination of our republic: founding president Sam Nujoma and president Hage Geingob. Their departures do not merely signal the end of personal journeys; they summon the nation into reflection about legacy, responsibility, and the unfinished work of freedom. These were not ordinary leaders. They belonged to a generation that carried conviction through exile, negotiation, reconciliation, institution-building, and the long discipline of…

06 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER |The week of giants: a definitive ode to Namibia’s architects

National News

In the history of nations, certain dates are inscribed into the collective consciousness, not merely as markers of time, but as anchors of identity. For Namibia, the first week of February has become such a period. It is a week that begins with the quiet sunset of the third president, Dr Hage G. Geingob (February 4), and ends with the final rest of the founding president, Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma (February 8). The Young Observer dedicates this edition to these two towering figures. To the youth of Namibia, they were more than names on a ballot; they were the storytellers…

06 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | Cancer and the future we must protect

National News

For a long time, the word 'cancer' felt like something that happened to other people. People in distant countries, or people much older than ourselves. It lived in statistics, in whispered family stories, or in hospital corridors far removed from everyday youth life. Recent events in Namibia, however, have drawn this reality closer to home. Cancer is no longer a distant threat. It is a present and personal one. Among young people, conversations about cancer are often avoided because they feel frightening or irrelevant. We focus on careers, friendships, ambitions, and fitness, quietly assuming that serious illness belongs to some…

06 Feb

Does anyone actually live here? Discovering Namibia from a lens of prospect.

Featured, National News

Written by “The Mengelas” “Does anybody actually live here?” asked our most recent friends from Germany who were absolutely stunned by the very majestic and memorizing landscapes our Country gets to subtly boast about. A desert stretched out by 2000km, along a coastline which is home to plus 500 fish species and more than 300 other marine species is definitely not child’s play. Sometimes it appears to be evident that as Namibians, we probably do not even understand the beauty that surrounds us. Is it perhaps because the best tourist destinations come with an apparent financial trade-off which the every-…

06 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | When artificial intelligence erases the first step

National News

For generations, the journey into working life followed a familiar rhythm. One began at the bottom of an intern’s desk, a junior designer’s draft, an assistant’s notes, or a trainee’s first uncertain attempt. The early work was rarely glamorous, often repetitive and sometimes invisible. Yet it served a quiet and essential purpose. It was the first step. It was where skill was formed, confidence was tested, and professional identity slowly took shape. Today, that first step is beginning to disappear. Across the world, artificial intelligence is transforming how work is produced, distributed, and valued. Tasks that once belonged to beginners,…

06 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | Why black history is our present tense

National News

If you walk through the streets of Windhoek today, you are not merely navigating a city; you are moving through the physical expression of an intellectual miracle. The independence we inhabit did not arrive as a sudden political accident. It was engineered. Long before the first flag was raised, our future was being drafted in the heat of exile camps, argued in the chambers of the United Nations, and whispered in the secret meetings of the Old Location. Black history is often spoken of as memory. In classrooms, it appears as a collection of dates and names. In speeches, it…

06 Feb

When tourists become targets, the nation is at risk

Editorial

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s warning about the rising incidents of crime targeting tourists should be taken with the seriousness it deserves. Speaking at the opening of the Legal Year at the Supreme Court, the President correctly noted that such crimes do not merely harm individual victims but threaten jobs, livelihoods and Namibia’s hard-earned global reputation. These are not abstract concerns. They go to the heart of our economy, our national identity, and our moral compass as a people. We share the President’s concern deeply. Yes, tourism is a commercial industry. It generates revenue, supports employment and contributes significantly to national development.…

06 Feb

Diamond production falls 21% in Q4

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia’s diamond production fell by 21% to 500 000 carats in the fourth quarter of 2025, mainly due to scheduled maintenance on two vessels and extended in-port time to install a next-generation subsea crawler on the Benguela Gem diamond recovery vessel. The decommissioning of two vessels earlier in the year, a response to current industry conditions, also contributed to the decline. Debmarine Namibia produced 286 000 carats during the quarter, while Namdeb land operations produced 173 000 carats. The figures are contained in the production report for the quarter ended 31 December 2025. Anglo American, which owns De…

06 Feb

TotalEnergies targets oil production around 2030

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira TotalEnergies says offshore oil production in Namibia could begin around 2029 or 2030, subject to regulatory approvals and the timing of a final investment decision. The timeline was outlined by Gabin Poizat, press officer for exploration and production at TotalEnergies SE Corporate Communications, who said the start date will depend on how quickly key approvals and project decisions are completed. Poizat told Observer Money that following a transaction announced in December, TotalEnergies will hold operated interests in three offshore petroleum exploration licences in Namibia’s Orange Basin. The company will own a 40% operated interest in PEL 83, which…

06 Feb

Trade deficit shrinks to N$393m in December

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia recorded a trade deficit of N$393 million in December 2025, a sharp improvement from the N$4.4 billion deficit recorded in November 2025. On a year-on-year basis, the country posted a trade surplus of N$297 million, according to data released by the statistician general and chief executive officer of the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), Alex Shimuafeni. South Africa remained Namibia’s largest trading partner during the period, accounting for the largest share of both exports and imports. Exports in December were driven mainly by the mining sector. Non-monetary gold, precious stones (diamonds) and uranium dominated the export basket. Fish…