Featured

Patience Makwele Vice President Lucia Witbooi has called for greater inclusion of autistic young people, saying their disability should not prevent them from accessing education, pursuing their ambitions or participating in society. Speaking at the official opening of the 6th World Autism Organisation Congress in Windhoek, Witbooi said Namibia must move away from stigma and discrimination towards recognising the abilities and potential of autistic persons. “We must build communities where autistic children can access quality education without discrimination; where parents and caregivers receive the support they deserve; where young people can pursue their ambitions; and where adults can participate meaningfully…

Patience Makwele President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for Namibians to receive first priority in employment and skills development opportunities arising from the N$41 billion Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project, followed by other Africans. Speaking at the official launch at Farm 58 in Walvis Bay on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the investment should equip Namibians with skills that would remain useful beyond the completion of the project. “In executing this project, priority should be given to Namibians, followed by other Africans, so that together we can support one another,” she said. The President said the project should not only…

The Swakopmund town hall meeting, facilitated by Erongo Governor Natalia /Goagoses, is a timely demonstration of responsive leadership. Its success, however, will ultimately be measured by whether the concerns raised translate into decisions, accountability and tangible improvements in people’s lives. There are few more important demonstrations of democratic leadership than a President who is willing to listen to ordinary citizens. Not merely to those who occupy positions of influence, sit in boardrooms or enjoy direct access to the corridors of power, but to the people whose daily experiences often provide the most honest assessment of how the government is performing.…

Local authorities have a legitimate responsibility to recover outstanding revenue and protect their financial sustainability. But when the collection of municipal debt threatens access to essential services, the question is whether councils are striking the right balance between financial discipline and social responsibility. There is something increasingly troubling about the manner in which some local authorities are approaching the disconnection of water and electricity services. While municipalities have every right to expect residents and businesses to pay for services consumed, the apparent enthusiasm with which disconnection threats are being issued raises a pertinent question: Are town councils adopting a gung-ho…

Namibia must embrace major investment with confidence and ambition, while ensuring that today's infrastructure decisions contribute to the country's long-term economic transformation. Our basic instinct as a country when confronted with major investment announcements should not be one of cynicism, criticism or negativity. It should be one of optimism, curiosity and ambition. We should welcome investment, appreciate the opportunities it presents and, importantly, ask how best to translate it into lasting economic value for Namibia. This was an underlying message from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during a panel discussion with Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, where the question of public attitudes towards…

The capital is buckling under the weight of urbanisation, yet Namibia continues to concentrate opportunity, services and economic activity in one city. If government wants to ease the pressure on Windhoek, it must stop treating decentralisation as a slogan and start making it work. There is something deeply troubling about the City of Windhoek having to explain to Parliament that it cannot keep pace with the influx of people into the capital. It is not merely a municipal problem. It is an indictment of how Namibia has organised its development since independence. When the capital’s Chief Executive Officer, Moses Matyayi,…

Patience Makwele Young Namibians entering the job market may increasingly need to demonstrate that they can use artificial intelligence (AI), with education deputy minister Dino Ballotti highlighting digital competence as an important skill for the next generation of workers. Speaking at the UNESCO-KFIT cross-country workshop in Windhoek on Monday, Ballotti said young people currently in classrooms would enter an economy shaped by digital tools, including artificial intelligence. “For these learners, digital competence, I would say, is fast becoming mandatory,” he said. Ballotti shared that when he hired his assistant, one of the first questions he asked was whether she was…

…as Optimistic Media Group premieres its latest  Patience Makwele  Optimistic Media Group is setting its sights beyond Windhoek as it prepares to premiere Shortcut Part 3, with plans to take the film to four other towns and eventually rural communities across Namibia. The film will premiere at Ster-Kinekor, Maerua Mall, on 7 November before opening at both Maerua Mall and Grove Mall on 13 November for an initial two-week cinema run. In an interview with Young Observer, producer Gustav Nuuyoma said the company has confirmed plans for additional screenings in Swakopmund, Lüderitz, Rundu and Ongwediva, with dates to be announced…

Why does the City of Windhoek still have a Parks Department if it cannot maintain the only park left in the capital? And while we are asking uncomfortable questions, why are the Tintenpalast Gardens still closed to the public after more than a decade, ostensibly because of vaguely stated “security concerns”? The Windhoek Observer in an earlier article wrote at length about that.  These are not merely questions about grass, gardens and flower beds. They are questions about what kind of city Windhoek wants to be, how public money is being used and whether public spaces are still regarded as…