Editorial

There is something deeply troubling about the latest legal dispute engulfing TransNamib,  and it goes beyond the allegations against one executive or the legality of a N$500 000 forensic investigation. It goes to the heart of corporate governance at a state-owned enterprise: who is actually in charge? The High Court will determine whether TransNamib’s appointment of Specialised Investigation Consultancy Services (SICS) was lawful and whether the resulting forensic report can properly be relied upon in disciplinary proceedings against executive Alynsia Platt. Those are important questions. But there is another question, perhaps even more fundamental, that should concern government, TransNamib’s board and…

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s presence in Moscow this week is an important reminder of the enduring political relationship between Namibia and Russia. The two countries share a history forged during Namibia’s liberation struggle, when the Soviet Union provided political, diplomatic and material support to the liberation movement. That history matters. It should neither be forgotten nor diminished. But history alone cannot build an economy. As the President participates in the Russia–Africa Summit, Namibia should use the occasion to ask a practical question: how can a longstanding political friendship be converted into a stronger economic partnership that delivers tangible benefits to Namibians? The…

The deterioration of one of the capital’s most recognisable public spaces demands more than another tender. It requires accountability, a credible rehabilitation plan and a commitment to making the city liveable for all its residents. Zoo Park should be one of Windhoek’s most treasured public assets. Situated in the heart of the capital, it ought to be a place where families gather, workers take a break, children play and visitors experience the city’s civic character. Instead, its deteriorating condition has become a troubling reflection of the challenges confronting urban management in Namibia’s capital. The recent questioning of the City of…

The passage by the National Assembly of the Public Enterprises Governance Amendment Bill could, if properly implemented, mark an important turning point in the governance of Namibia’s state-owned enterprises. For too long, the governance of SOEs has appeared to ordinary Namibians as a maze of overlapping responsibilities, competing authorities and, at times, contradictory signals. The result has not merely been bureaucratic frustration. It has contributed to uncertainty over who is ultimately responsible when public enterprises fail to perform, when boards become dysfunctional, when chief executives are suspended or dismissed, or when millions of public dollars are placed at risk. Hopefully,…

There is something profoundly depressing about watching political leaders fight over positions in a town that is crying out for leadership. The latest Swapo dispute in Grootfontein is not merely another internal disagreement over party procedure. It is a symptom of a much deeper problem: the apparent inability of the ruling party’s leadership structures in Otjozondjupa to bring order, discipline and purpose to one of its most troubled political strongholds. Once again, Grootfontein is at the centre of a Swapo leadership dispute. Once again, there are competing interpretations of mandates, competing claims about authority and competing versions of which process…

There is something deeply embarrassing about a municipality being unable to pay its employees. Not merely unfortunate. Not merely a temporary cash-flow problem. Embarrassing. When a local authority cannot meet its basic salary obligations, something has gone fundamentally wrong with the way that institution is being governed. And the reported financial crisis at the Keetmanshoop Municipality should force Namibia to confront a much bigger question: Do we actually have sufficiently qualified, capable and accountable people running our towns and local authorities? The question is uncomfortable, but it can no longer be avoided. Keetmanshoop is reportedly unable to pay more than 250 employees…