Featured – Windhoek Observer

20 Feb

A golden buffer or gilded gamble? Bank of Namibia’s strategic bet on local gold

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The decision by the Bank of Namibia to begin purchasing gold from local producers marks one of the most consequential shifts in the country’s reserve management strategy since independence. By targeting gold to make up approximately 3% of Namibia’s net foreign exchange reserves, the central bank has signalled a deliberate and strategic recalibration of how it intends to shield the economy from global turbulence. At face value, the move appears prudent. Central banks worldwide have been reassessing their exposure to foreign currencies in an era marked by geopolitical tensions, persistent inflationary pressures and volatile capital flows. Gold, historically regarded as…

20 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

Nations are not built in moments of celebration. They are built in the long stretches of ordinary time that follow. Flags are raised, constitutions are signed, and history marks these events as turning points. Yet the true test of freedom begins after the applause fades, when a people must decide what to do with the future that has been placed in their hands. Namibia now lives firmly within that quieter chapter of its story. More than three decades have passed since independence transformed the political destiny of the country. A generation has grown up knowing freedom not as a dream…

19 Feb

Khomas region at a tipping point

Editorial, Featured

Namibia cannot afford to treat the latest census figures as just another statistical update. A 44.6% population increase in the Khomas region since 2011, pushing the population to nearly 495 000, is not merely demographic growth. It is a structural shift with profound economic, fiscal and social consequences for the entire country. Khomas, anchored by Windhoek, is not just another region. It is Namibia’s administrative headquarters, financial nerve centre and primary commercial hub. What happens in Khomas does not stay in Khomas. It reverberates across the nation’s economy and political system. And right now, the warning lights are flashing. Urbanisation…

18 Feb

Meatco must prove its turnaround is real, not cosmetic

Editorial, Featured

For an institution that has spent the better part of five years in financial distress, the announcement by the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) that it has recorded an operating profit of N$106 million is, on the face of it, welcome news. After consecutive annual losses between 2020 and 2024, repeated government bailouts and boardroom instability, any sign of recovery in a strategic national enterprise should be applauded. But applause must never replace accountability. We caution Meatco against becoming “trigger happy” in posting positive financial results, particularly if those results are framed in a manner designed to impress the government…

17 Feb

FATF: reforming for compliance, guarding against overreach

Editorial, Featured

The government says we have made measurable progress in addressing the deficiencies identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as we work toward exiting the grey list. That progress is welcome. But as reforms gather pace, we must ensure that compliance strengthens our economy rather than quietly constraining it. Grey listing does not mean our country is corrupt. It signals weaknesses in systems meant to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. For us, a small, open economy dependent on diamonds, uranium, fisheries, tourism and regional trade, reputation matters. International banks and investors pay attention to these signals, sometimes more…

16 Feb

Why Swapo and Namibia need President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah now

Featured, Opinions

Let me address the elephant in the room directly. There is a deafening silence surrounding a matter that is critical to both Swapo and Namibia. Conversations about succession ahead of the 2027 Swapo Congress (C2027) are intensifying, yet they are rarely confronted with the seriousness they deserve. Positioning has begun, camps are quietly consolidating, and speculative debates are increasingly shaping political discourse. As Charles de Gaulle reminds us, sometimes “politics is too important to be left in the hands of politicians.” In moments of strategic consequence, silence becomes complicity. The country and the party cannot afford petty squabbles disguised as…

16 Feb

A necessary line in the sand: protecting public housing and restoring accountability

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi has taken a decision that many before him have avoided. In stating unequivocally that government employees evicted from state-owned houses will not receive special treatment or automatic relocation, he has drawn a firm line between entitlement and accountability. It is a decision grounded not in hostility, but in principle. At a time when public infrastructure is under strain and housing demand continues to rise, the minister’s stance reflects a necessary commitment to restoring integrity in the management of state assets. The numbers alone underscore the gravity of the matter. Government immovable assets are…

16 Feb

Holistic employee benefits: Building financial security beyond a salary

Featured, Observer Money

Jolene Mans In today’s competitive workplace, employees expect more than just a pay cheque. They seek security, peace of mind and benefits that support their well-being throughout every stage of life. A truly holistic employee benefits package delivers on these expectations by combining retirement savings, risk protection and wellness initiatives into one comprehensive offering. This approach not only enhances employee satisfaction but also strengthens organisational resilience and talent retention. Retirement savings: A foundation for financial independence Retirement funds remain one of the most powerful tools for building long-term wealth and ensuring financial independence after your working years. Beyond simply saving…

13 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

February has a way of drawing attention toward love, placing it gently at the centre of conversation through symbols that feel both familiar and comforting. Yet beneath the surface of celebration lies a quieter reality shaping the lives of many young people; a season of becoming marked less by certainty than by patience, less by arrival than by unfolding. In such a season, love reveals itself in forms wider than romance alone, appearing in friendship that sustains, in ambition that persists through delay, and in the quiet courage required to keep building a future that cannot yet be clearly seen.…

10 Feb

Beyond candles and speeches: To truly honour our founders

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) February has emerged as a month of reckoning for Namibia, a time heavy with memory, loss, and moral reflection. Within its short span, the nation finds itself repeatedly called to pause, to mourn, and to ask difficult questions about legacy, fidelity, and the meaning of service. One year after the passing of His Excellency Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, the Founding Father of the Namibian Nation, Namibia gathered once again at Heroes’ Acre. Candles were lit. Speeches were delivered. Tributes were read. The nation paused, as it should, to remember the…