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Capitalism versus Democracy a paradigm shift to Monopoly/Olygopoly versus one Party State

Issy Tjihoreko Introduction A lot of articles have been written about the concept capitalism and democracy as well as monopoly/oligopoly. This piece of article is trying to diagnose the concept of capitalism vs democracy with a paradigm shift to monopoly/oligopoly versus one party state in Namibia. The article is attempting to scrutinise the current Namibian situation and how these concepts are impacting the nation daily. It appeared that before independence, our liberation movements especially SWANU and SWAPO advocated for the ideology of socialism and communism as a form of desirable systems that should be applicable to a free and independent…
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Call to track, measure women’s progress

Call to track, measure women’s progress

Moses Magadza As the world marked International Women’s Day last week, the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Ms Boemo Sekgoma, called for an advanced framework for tracking and measuring key indicators to ensure progress of women in political participation. Sekgoma made the call when she delivered keynote remarks during a virtual international engagement meant to discuss ways of enhancing women’s political participation. She noted that although “women's political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality, democracy and for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” more remains to be done to ensure their meaningful political…
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LPM’s Mariental appointments illegal – Lawyer

LPM’s Mariental appointments illegal – Lawyer

Maria Hamutenya Legal representative of recalled Landless Peoples Movement (LPM)’s councillors, Richard Metcalfe, says the appointment of new Mariental councillors is illegal. Thus he will proceed to file for review from the High Court next week Monday.Metcalfe maintained the two LPM members had been denied a proper disciplinary hearing by the party before it recalled them from their position on the Mariental town council. “It is time that politicians start to remember that Namibia is a democracy with a Constitution as its Supreme law.” “They can't continue to run the country like the colonials did. We sink lower by the…
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No Sinopharm vaccine for Shangula, top govt officials

No Sinopharm vaccine for Shangula, top govt officials

Andrew Kathindi, Kandjemuni Kamuiiri, Rose-Mary Haufiku It has emerged that most high-ranking government officials, including Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHss), Kalumbi Shangula, will not receive the Sinopharm vaccine, because of its age restrictions. The vaccine, the first vaccine against COVID-19 to come into Namibia since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, is only recommended for use on people between the ages of 18 to 59 years. “If I fall in the eligible criteria I will take it. I am waiting for another one because this vaccine is only for people between 18 and 59 and I don’t…
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CRAN powerless against Facebook’s data snooping

CRAN powerless against Facebook’s data snooping

Andrew Kathindi The Namibian government is unable to stop Facebook from sharing the data it collects from Namibian WhatsApp users due to the lack of a data protection law. According to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), the Authority does not regulate over-the-top services that are delivered over the Internet, including WhatsApp and similar applications as Namibia also does not have a data protection law, in terms of which information on social media may be managed. As a result, Facebook, will be able to share the information it collects from WhatsApp users, including contact numbers and location when a…
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Venaani to cost tax payers more

Venaani to cost tax payers more

Andrew Kathindi and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Taxpayers are set to start incurring additional costs for the upkeep of Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani, after he accepted President Hage Geingob’s offer for further benefits. Venaani's additional perks will include a state office at the premises of the National Assembly, a personal administrative assistant of his choice, a motor vehicle, a security aid and a driver. Political commentator Henning Melber said the official opposition leader’s acceptance of the perks was a classical case of hypocrisy and double standards, arguing the move could have an impact on voters’ perception of him in…
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Team Namibia, free market system shall never liberate the workers

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro The National Equitable Economic Empowerment Bill (NEEEB), which is to see the implementation of the National Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework(NEEEF) seems to have reveal the true characters of some of the organisations in our society. One of them is none other than Team Namibia, which all along has been making the country believe it is there in the best interest of the country, Namibia, hence its name Team Namibia. However it is becoming clear that Team Namibia is more than meets the eye in terms of its broader interests in Namibia, particularly those of Namibian workers. From Team…
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The Time Traveler: Queen for a day

Hugh Ellis By the time you read this, the Duchess of Sussex’s allegations of racism and victimization in the British Royal Family - more correctly in the bureaucracy that surrounds them - will have been headline news around the world for a week. As a Namibian with some - increasingly tenuous - links to the United Kingdom, I’m saddened but not surprised. Firstly, it lays bare the kind of subtle racism which Europe (as opposed to Southern Africa or the United States) specializes in. You’ll commonly find white Bits or Germans or Frenchmen as cleaners or gardeners, and it’s extremely…
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AstraZeneca faces mounting bans

AstraZeneca faces mounting bans

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri and Rose-Mary Haufiku Controversy continues to dog the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as several European countries suspending the use of AstraZeneca vaccine. Despite Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, remaining adamant that Government will go ahead with the procurement of the controversial vaccine through the COVAX facility. European media have been carrying reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine caused thromboembolic events or blood clots among some individuals who received the jab. Three of 17 European countries that have received the AstraZeneca vaccine (Denmark, Norway and Iceland) have, as a precautionary measure, stopped administering the vaccine while Italy,…
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Former SME Bank employees demand N$67m from Government

Former SME Bank employees demand N$67m from Government

Andrew Kathindi Former employees of the now defunct SME Bank are demanding over N$67 million from Government in payment at the value of 12 months’ salary. According to the 208 former employees of the bank, the claim is supported by the recent decision by Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, to pay out Air Namibia employees’ salaries for one year. The SME Bank employees received their termination of service letters on 25 July 2017, with some only receiving accrued annual leave days, pro-rata bonuses, severance pay and five years long service award for those eligible. “There was no retrenchment package. Nothing at…
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