Blog

Closing the year, carrying the story forward

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

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

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…
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Staying positive

Staying positive

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,…
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YOUNG OBSERVER | The art of the soft landing

YOUNG OBSERVER | The art of the soft landing

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

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

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…
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Zambezi inmate loses N$300 000 lawsuit over escape charge

Zambezi inmate loses N$300 000 lawsuit over escape charge

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…
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Governor declines to receive Zambezi secession petition

Governor declines to receive Zambezi secession petition

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,”…
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Transparency is the best medicine

The Ministry of Health and Social Services deserves recognition for the urgency and coordination it has shown in responding to the threat of poliovirus in the Kavango East and Kavango West regions. The rapid rollout of a preventative vaccination campaign targeting children under the age of 10, the mobilisation of international partners, and the strengthening of surveillance systems all reflect a ministry that understands the gravity of polio and the catastrophic consequences of complacency. The detection of poliovirus type 2 through environmental surveillance at Ndama sewage could easily have been dismissed or delayed. Instead, it triggered action. The involvement of…
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OBSERVER COASTAL | Man arrested in Mondesa for false burglary report

OBSERVER COASTAL | Man arrested in Mondesa for false burglary report

Renthia Kaimbi A 23-year-old man is due to appear in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court today after his arrest for making a false statement under oath and attempting to defraud an insurance company. Erongo police said the arrest serves as a warning against the deliberate misreporting of crimes. The case dates back to Saturday at about 16h51, when the man reported to the Mondesa Police Station.  According to police, he made a sworn statement before a Commissioner of Oaths, alleging unknown suspects had broken into his house. In his statement, he reported the theft of a refrigerator, a four-plate stove, an…
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OBSERVER COASTAL | Walvis Bay council checks festive season readiness of safety teams

OBSERVER COASTAL | Walvis Bay council checks festive season readiness of safety teams

Renthia Kaimbi Walvis Bay mayor Johannes Shimbilinga last week led a delegation of councillors on a tour of the municipality’s Traffic and Fire Brigade departments. The visit aimed to give councillors a clearer view of the daily work and challenges faced by essential service providers responsible for public safety and emergency response in the town. Councillors received guided tours of both departments and observed operations firsthand. The visits focused on service readiness ahead of the busy festive season. At the traffic department, acting chief traffic officer Clifton Jacobs outlined key operational challenges. These include limited resources and rising service demands. …
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