Featured – Page 3 – Windhoek Observer

23 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

This week’s edition of The Young Observer sits at an intersection many young Namibians are familiar with: the space between institutions and intent, between what exists on paper and what is felt in everyday life. Across these pages, we reflect on leadership, youth governance, access to opportunity, and the persistent question of relevance. These are not isolated themes. They are connected by a deeper tension shaping the youth sector today and the struggle to ensure that structures designed for young people remain responsive to their realities. The recent developments within the National Youth Council of Namibia have once again brought…

22 Jan

A new chapter in Namibia–Cuba solidarity: from liberation to life-saving medicines

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

When Namibia and Cuba announced that they are exploring the establishment of a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Namibia, the news was more than a routine bilateral development. It was a powerful reminder that some friendships in international relations are not transactional but historic, principled and enduring. From the battlefields of southern Angola to today’s boardrooms and policy tables, the relationship between Namibia and Cuba has been forged in solidarity, sacrifice and shared purpose. This latest initiative is not merely about producing medicines; it is about continuing a legacy of cooperation that has helped shape Namibia’s very existence. Namibians do not…

22 Jan

A Think Tank or just another structure?

Featured, Opinions

Reflections on Swapo’s newly appointed Think Tank Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The recent appointment of the ruling party’s think tank has reignited a familiar and uncomfortable national conversation about governance, accountability, and policy effectiveness. This is not an abstract academic debate. It speaks directly to long-standing concerns about how ideas are translated into action and whether Namibia’s political system is equipped to confront its structural challenges with honesty and intellectual courage. These concerns were already articulated in our earlier analysis, “A Transformative Agenda for Namibia’s Invisible Workforce: From Informal to Formal.” The central proposition…

21 Jan

Education starts with a safe place to sleep

Featured, Opinions

Valontino James Every year, thousands of young Namibians walk onto university campuses with the same mix of hope and nerves. They’re ready to study, ready to grow, and ready to build a future for themselves. But for many, the very first hurdle they face isn’t in a classroom. It’s finding a place to stay. At the University of Namibia’s main campus alone, 2 389 students applied for only 1 150 beds for 2026. That means more than half of the students who need accommodation simply won’t have it on campus. The pressure is coming from all sides. Of the applicants,…

21 Jan

Patience Masua at NYC: talent, reward and the cost of mediocrity

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The announcement that the newly appointed interim chairperson of the National Youth Council (NYC), Patience Masua, will earn N$100 000 per month for a three-month contract has ignited predictable outrage. Youth affiliates are questioning governance and priorities. Social media has been ablaze with indignation. Commentators ask how such a salary can be justified in a country where unemployment among young people remains stubbornly high. These concerns are valid and deserve scrutiny. Yet buried beneath the noise lies a deeper and far more dangerous national habit: Namibia’s persistent discomfort with rewarding talent, skill and leadership at competitive levels. This is not…

20 Jan

Land is not a commodity for the few: Sankwasa’s stand must mark a turning point

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has drawn a firm line in the sand. By banning the auctioning of land by local authorities and warning councillors that land belongs to the state, not to councils or private interests, he has confronted one of Namibia’s most enduring and destructive governance failures. His declaration that abuse of land allocation will no longer be tolerated is both timely and necessary. For too long, land has been treated as a commodity for speculation rather than a public resource meant to secure shelter, dignity, and opportunity for ordinary citizens. The price of land sits…

19 Jan

TURNING POINT | Which Namibia are we? A nation at war with its own imagination

Featured

“The younger cousin declared that one day he will own his own airline with five planes. The older cousin laughed uncontrollably and said, ‘Look at you and where you are. Just an hour ago you were asking for taxi money, and now you’re making embarrassing exclamations about your life.’ Clearly deflated, the younger cousin fell silent. I then asked the elder cousin, still living in his parents’ house in the village, holding a tertiary qualification, but moving from one drinking hole to another, what his plans were. Without hesitation he said, ‘Well, I tell you, cousin, one day when I…

19 Jan

No more hostage politics: Namibia must close the liberation claims era

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The latest declaration by the Former Refugees Repatriation Association of Namibia (FRRAN) that it will escalate its demands to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah should concern every Namibian who cares about the country’s future governance. Former refugees, camping at Swapo headquarters since October last year, insist that United Nations funds meant for their resettlement in 1989 were handed to Swapo and never paid to them. The United Nations denies this. Swapo’s records deny this. Yet the protest continues, and a new political audience is now being sought. At the same time, liberation struggle veterans, despite decades of gratuities, pensions, land allocations, business…

18 Jan

What are we doing wrong with education?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

A.Shipena Secondary School has given Namibia a moment to celebrate. Emerging as the only public school in the Khomas region to place in the national top ten in the 2025 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) examinations, ranking seventh nationally, is no small achievement. Principal Moses Haufiku’s pride is justified. His words reflect not just institutional success but community spirit. “A community which works together can excel in so many other aspects,” he said, adding that A.Shipena brings a distinct “Katutura flavour” to excellence. In a country desperate for positive education stories, A.Shipena is a beacon. But while we…

16 Jan

Youth spotlight: Nestor Nathingo

Featured, Latest

Nestor Nathingo belongs to a new generation of Namibian developers who are less interested in hype and more concerned with usefulness. Trained in software development and driven by a problem-solving instinct, his work sits at the intersection of technology, access, and everyday African realities. Rather than building for abstraction, Nathingo builds for context — creating digital solutions that respond to local needs, system gaps, and practical inefficiencies. His approach reflects a quiet but growing movement among young technologists who see code not as an end in itself but as a civic tool. In a country where digital infrastructure is uneven…