Blog – Page 15 – Windhoek Observer

19 Dec

Choppies executives buy shares under long-term incentive scheme

Observer Money

Staff Writer Choppies Enterprises Limited has disclosed a series of on-market share purchases by members of its key management team, in line with Botswana Stock Exchange listing requirements. The transactions took place on 18 December 2025 and relate to the vesting of awards under the company’s Long-Term Incentive (LTI) scheme. All shares were acquired at a price of 1.44 Botswana pula per share, equivalent to about N$1.83, based on an exchange rate of N$1.27 to one pula. Minnesh Rajcoomar acquired 577 321 shares for a total value of BWP831 342.24, or about N$1.06 million. Vidya Sanooj purchased 500 000 shares…

19 Dec

January is coming, where is your budget?

Observer Money

Hileni Amadhila December is full of sparkle. Lights go up, music plays, and people start to relax. It’s a time for family, food, and fun. But while we enjoy the festive season, it’s easy to forget what comes next: January. And January doesn’t wait. School fees, transport costs, rent, and groceries all arrive right on time, whether we’re ready or not. In Namibia, many people spend more in December than any other month. There are weddings, trips to the village, Christmas lunches, and New Year’s parties. It’s a time of giving, hosting, and celebrating. But sometimes, we spend without thinking.…

19 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER |The rise of micro-retreats: Why the 48-hour “reset” is the ultimate 2025 luxury

Uncategorised

In the earlier part of this decade, the pinnacle of professional success was often signalled by the "grand escape". Young professionals would hoard their leave days for an entire year, sacrificing their weekends and pushing through burnout, all for the promise of a frantic, two-week international odyssey. We travel halfway across the globe to "relax", yet we spend those days navigating airport logistics, managing currency exchanges, and sticking to rigid sightseeing itineraries. By the time we returned to our desks, we often felt more exhausted than when we left, needing a "vacation from our vacation". As we close out 2025,…

19 Dec

Closing the year, carrying the story forward

Editorial

As this edition of the Windhoek Observer reaches you, we do so with a sense of reflection, gratitude and resolve. It is the final edition of the year 2025, and as we close this chapter, we pause to acknowledge what this year has meant for Namibia, for our readers, and for the role of journalism in a rapidly changing world. The passing of a year is never merely about dates on a calendar. It is about the stories lived, told and sometimes endured. In 2025, Namibia continued to navigate complex economic realities, evolving political conversations, environmental challenges and social transformation.…

19 Dec

Writing as resistance: memory, mandate and the discipline of freedom

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) When writing refuses to be silent Amílcar Cabral warned that the hardest battle is against our own weaknesses. We heard him. And we wrote. This year, our writing did not seek approval. It demanded accountability. Political liberation is not automatic emancipation. It is not an excuse for mediocrity. The greatest danger in liberation struggles is not only external it is within us. In the weakness that trades principles for power. In memory weaponized as a political shield. In comfort chosen over the discipline required. Here, memory is not shelter. It…

19 Dec

Staying positive

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Stay positive! A message from a good long-time friend. Actually a granny, mother, sister, niece, and cousin all rolled into one sounded Yours Truly out on a Sunday morning on the last Sunday of 2026 preceding Christmas. Was it just a Sunday morning remembrance salutation filled with the usual profoundness of love, or did it have a ring of reflection, and on what? The message could not but get me indeed reflecting deeply. Especially given the season of the times when we are not only readying for the typical season of capitalist decadence and opulence, hailed as Xmas,…

19 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | The art of the soft landing

National News

As the final pages of the 2025 calendar begin to turn, a familiar, frantic energy tends to grip the professional world. In the high-pressure corridors of our modern workspaces, we have been conditioned to believe that December is a "sprint to the finish line". This period is traditionally characterised by pulled-forward deadlines, back-to-back "final" strategy sessions, and an unspoken, heavy pressure to resolve every outstanding issue before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. We have been taught that the only way to end a year successfully is to exhaust ourselves in the process, collapsing into the holiday season like…

18 Dec

NamWater owed N$2.8bn …unpaid water bills jumped by nearly N$400m in nine months

National News

Justicia Shipena Town councils recorded the highest increase in unpaid water bills as the Namibia Water Corporation's (NamWater) outstanding debt climbed to N$2.8 billion. NamWater said total outstanding water debt stood at about N$2.8 billion as of 30 November 2025. This marks an increase of roughly N$387 million or 15.9%, from about N$2.4 billion recorded in February 2025. Debt owed by town councils rose by N$150.8 million over the period, making them the largest contributors to the growth in arrears. Rural water communities followed with an increase of N$107 million, while municipalities added N$42.4 million. Debt from mines rose sharply…

18 Dec

Zambezi inmate loses N$300 000 lawsuit over escape charge

National News

Justicia Shipena The High Court has dismissed a N$300 000 damages claim brought by inmate Ndozi Ndozi against prosecutor general Martha Imalwa and senior police officials, finding that there was no malicious prosecution in his case. Ndozi sued the Imalwa, the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security and the inspector general of the Namibian police, arguing that he was wrongly and maliciously prosecuted on a charge of escaping from lawful custody. He claimed the state continued with the prosecution despite knowing there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction and that this violated his constitutional rights. The…

18 Dec

Governor declines to receive Zambezi secession petition

National News

Allexer Namundjebo Zambezi regional governor Dorothy Kabula on Wednesday refused to accept a petition calling for the secession of the Zambezi region after a protest by a group linked to the banned United Democratic Party (UDP). The protesters attempted to hand over the petition following a demonstration held in the region. Kabula said on Wednesday that she was not prepared to receive it, citing her right as governor to decline. “I’m ready to not receive any petition because our elders have said they want peace, unity and development for this region for their grandchildren and children of the Zambezi region,”…