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OBSERVER DAILY | A nation decides: Local elections to signal public confidence in NNN

As Namibia approaches the regional and local authority elections on 26 November, the nation finds itself at a critical democratic crossroads. These elections, often overshadowed by the glamour and political theatre of general elections, carry an undeniable weight. They are, in many ways, the most intimate reflection of the people’s voice. This is where political rhetoric meets the hard reality of service delivery; where promises collide with potholes, housing backlogs, sanitation failures, and bread-and-butter governance. What makes this year’s elections particularly consequential is the timing. We are only nine months into the Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah administration. For a presidency still defining…
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TURNING POINT | Banking while black: A reflection on power, ownership and the financial future we must build

TURNING POINT | Banking while black: A reflection on power, ownership and the financial future we must build

My recent conversation with a close Afrikaner friend left me sitting with a question that is as uncomfortable as it is necessary. While discussing business and finance, he looked at me, without malice, yet with the kind of bluntness that forces self-reflection, and asked, “Why is it that you black people are not able to start, maintain, and manage a successful black-owned bank? How long are you going to blame us Boers for lack of financing?” The question struck me not because it was racist, but because it touched the uneasy space between the ambitions of black Namibians and the…
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Dealers of hope: Eleven years on the road of struggle and faith

Dealers of hope: Eleven years on the road of struggle and faith

George Hidipo Hamba Kambala It has been eleven years since we gathered in Klein Windhoek to make a stand. We were young, restless and determined to be heard. We had no money, no power and no certainty about what the next hour would bring. All we had was conviction. We believed that the land question, and the exclusion of young people from decision-making, could no longer be ignored. That morning was not just a protest. It was a promise. It was the first loud beat in a drum that has never stopped. It was the beginning of what the country…
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A just energy transition for Namibia (Part One)

A just energy transition for Namibia (Part One)

Eline van der Linden The world talks about the need for a Just Energy Transition (JET). What could or should JET look like in Namibia?   I work in the Green Hydrogen (GH2) and Green Industrialisation space.  Oftentimes, I am asked by journalists and representatives from civil society organisations how it can be “just and fair” to export a source of energy when 50% of Namibians have no connection to the electricity grid.  It is a fair question that has a reasonably simple answer. Not all energy sources are suited for the power grid, and access to electricity is more closely…
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OBSERVER DAILY | Stand Up for South Africa 

South Africa has, for decades, carried burdens on behalf of this continent, some loudly acknowledged, many quietly ignored. From peacekeeping in Lesotho and the DRC, to economic stabilisation efforts across SADC, to being the single most consistent African voice in global forums where our collective interests are too often dismissed, diluted, or deliberately sidelined, South Africa has been the indispensable anchor of our region. And yet, when that anchor is shaken, Africa goes silent. Over the past months, President Cyril Ramaphosa has endured a series of undiplomatic and thinly veiled confrontations from the United States, first the ambush at the…
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OBSERVER DAILY | Dear Honourable Bernadus Swartbooi 

 Namibia has entered the familiar, feverish stretch of the political calendar known as the “silly season”, when passions run high, rhetoric grows sharp, and politicians of all stripes test the limits of what they can say to energise their supporters. Elections are, by their very nature, noisy affairs. Positions clash, words fly, and agendas jostle for prominence. In that sense, your recent remarks about wishing for an “actual shooting war” to start in Namibia, and your call for foreign intervention from U.S. president Donald Trump, may be chalked up by some as campaign theatrics. But even in the silly season,…
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The velvet grip of power: Why Namibians must stay vigilant as election day approaches 

The velvet grip of power: Why Namibians must stay vigilant as election day approaches 

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) As Namibians prepare for the Regional and Local Authority Elections on 26 November 2025, a recent political confrontation in Europe has unexpectedly offered a mirror to our own democratic landscape. It came from a Dutch member of the European Parliament, who boldly challenged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reminding the world that even in the heart of Western democracy, power can slip quietly beyond the reach of the people. Her argument was unsettling yet essential: are we really being governed democratically, or merely invited to participate in a…
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YOUNG OBSERVER | A purple signal in a moment of global decision making 

As G20 leaders gather to negotiate the future of global growth, security and cooperation, the world outside the summit walls is speaking a language they can no longer ignore, and that language has taken on a colour: purple. The Purple Hearts Movement is a political symbol that has spread across digital platforms and even public spaces in the form of protests, drawing attention to one of the most persistent governance failures of our time: gender-based violence against women. The symbolism is deceptively simple: purple hearts shared online, purple profile images, and purple clothing worn at vigils and protests. Yet beneath…
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Youth Spotlight: Emma Muteka, councillor of Windhoek West Constituency 

Youth Spotlight: Emma Muteka, councillor of Windhoek West Constituency 

Q: You wear multiple hats… How do you balance these roles while staying grounded in the needs of your community? A: I believe there is no such thing as perfect balance in our world. What truly keeps me grounded is the discipline to prioritise, the willingness to stay flexible, and the commitment to plan with intention. These are the realities that have helped me carry out each role with purpose while keeping my community at the centre of everything I do. Q: What inspired your entry into public service, and what does leadership mean to you beyond the political title?…
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YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

There are moments in a nation’s public life that reveal far more about us than we intend. The reaction to Miss Namibia 2025, Johanna Swaartbooi, is one of them. What should have been support and celebration towards a young woman stepping into a national role that carries pride quickly exposed how easily our national conversations can be poisoned by old prejudices. Tribal slurs began to circulate. Derogatory remarks about her beauty and her worth followed. And Namibia, for a moment, felt smaller than it is. Tribalism is not new in this country. It is a shadow that lingers, often dismissed…
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