Featured – Windhoek Observer

10 Nov

TURNING POINT | Guided democracy

Featured, Opinions

Every election season, Namibians get a chance to ask themselves a question that goes deeper than politics: are we really ready to govern? It’s been 35 years since independence, a lifetime for a country that promised democracy, accountability, and development. And yet, our towns, villages, and regional councils are in distress. Roads crumble. Water taps run dry. Councils are broke, divided, and sometimes downright dysfunctional. The signs of regression are too clear to ignore. We often talk about democracy as if the act of voting alone guarantees good governance. But democracy, as political philosopher Claude Ake reminded us, is not…

10 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | Are we ready for the floods?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

There’s a running joke that Namibians are surprised by only two things every year: winter and floods. When the temperatures drop, we huddle around heaters, wrap ourselves in blankets, and say to one another, “My goodness, it’s cold.” And when the rains finally arrive, we stare at the rising water levels and say, “The floods are here!” But beneath the humour lies a serious truth, we are rarely ready. Every year, the same cycle repeats itself: warnings go out, rains come, rivers swell, people are displaced, roads are washed away, and after a few months, we move on. Until the…

07 Nov

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

It has been a week that reminded us how much can happen in a small country with a big heart. Namibia repaid its US$750 eurobond, which is the largest loan payment in our history, and the whole world took notice. Two learners painted their faces black on Halloween and used a word that should have been buried long ago, and the whole country felt the sting of our unfinished conversations about race. According to a report, the number of independent candidates in this year's regional and local authority elections has decreased by 26% since 2020, prompting young voters to question…

06 Nov

THE TIDE LINE | Enough is enough: Walvis Bay deserves to breathe again

Featured, Opinions

For years, the people of Walvis Bay have been forced to live with a smell that has become as much a part of the town’s identity as the port and the sea breeze: the stench of fish meal. For some, it’s been brushed off with a wry smile and the familiar quip: “That’s the smell of money.” But behind the jokes and resigned shrugs lies a deeper truth: this is not just an inconvenience. It’s a persistent environmental and public health concern that affects residents’ quality of life, the town’s image, and its tourism prospects. And it’s time for those…

06 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | When ignorance masquerades as jokes: Two teens, blackface and the haunting return of a slur

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Last week, two white pupils at a local school performed a grotesque pantomime of racism. They painted their faces black and referred to themselves as “Kaffir 1” and “Kaffir 2, invoking one of the most odious slurs in Namibia’s tortured history. It wasn’t just blackface; it was blackface with the added sting of apartheid’s legacy layered on top. This was not ignorance alone: it was wilful disregard for decency, for history and for the fragile social contract of our post-independence nation. Many in the community demand that the pair be expelled or even criminally charged. The school and the parents…

06 Nov

Why Namibia’s Mental Health Bill must confront maternal mental health and baby dumping

Featured, Opinions

Morna Ikosa The efforts by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in tabling the 2025 Mental Health Bill have been commendable and have led to a landmark step to enshrine dignity, autonomy, and human rights in mental health care in Namibia. However, the proposed bill does not explicitly address maternal mental health, including pre- and postnatal depression. This omission risks leaving thousands of Namibian mothers without adequate support, despite global evidence that postnatal depression is a leading cause of maternal illnesses. Although the bill promises sweeping reforms from community-based care to forensic mental health oversight. Yet, amid its 81…

05 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | judiciary on the brink: The looming magistrates’ strike demands urgent action

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia stands on the precipice of an unprecedented judicial crisis. The looming nationwide strike by magistrates, the first of its kind in recent memory, is not merely another labour dispute; it is a thunderclap warning of deep and festering discontent within the very foundation of our justice system. If this strike proceeds tomorrow as threatened, it will shake public confidence in our courts, disrupt thousands of pending cases, and place the credibility of our judiciary under severe scrutiny. For years, murmurs of frustration have echoed through the corridors of our lower courts: complaints of overwork, understaffing, inadequate facilities, and stagnant…

04 Nov

Free education: A bold step, but responsibility must follow

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The government has finally clarified what it means by “free education”. While the clarification may have disappointed some who expected full coverage of every education-related cost, from tuition to accommodation, transport, and registration, it deserves acknowledgement for its honesty and fiscal realism. In a time when public expectations often outpace the limits of public resources, this is a bold and mature move by the government. For years, “free education” has been a politically loaded term, used loosely and often misunderstood. Many citizens equated it with “everything free”, but in truth, no education system in the world is ever entirely free.…

04 Nov

Kastyle Ndonga Boy shares life lessons in new album

Featured, National News

Allexer Namundjembo Ananias Paulus, known as Kastyle Ndonga Boy, has released his sixth album, titled “The Message from an Underrated Man”. Born and raised in Oshigambo in the Oshikoto region, Paulus began his music journey in 2021 and has since become one of the country’s rising artists. He discovered his passion for music after realising he had a gift that could heal and share wisdom through songs. Since then, music has become his way of inspiring and teaching life lessons. Speaking to the Windhoek Observer in a telephonic interview, Paulus said his biggest inspiration came from the Namibian artist and…

04 Nov

Diamond of the Month: October 2025

Featured, Opinions

Celebrating Namibian Excellence DTI proudly honours Johanna Kamati as the Diamond of the Month for October 2025, celebrating her remarkable achievement as the first San learner from Hainyeko Combined School in the Ohangwena Region to graduate from a tertiary institution. Her story is one of resilience, courage, and the power of education to transform lives. Johanna, now a graduate of the International University of Management (IUM) in Nkurenkuru, recently obtained her Diploma in Junior Primary Education, marking a historic milestone not only for herself but also for her community. Coming from a remote San settlement, she defied the odds stacked…