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Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it will only register those people who are classified as male or female on their identification documentation. This comes amid concerns from activists and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and other (LGBTQI+) communities about the lack of inclusivity for non-binary and transgender individuals. The activists argued that the binary gender options in the voter registration process are not inclusive. In response to queries, ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka made reference to the Civil Registration and Identification Bill. “Please go through the Bill. If you see other genders apart from…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The University of Namibia (Unam) is reducing its intake of education students to address the oversupply of education graduates in the job market. This move, according to Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho, is part of a broader effort to align annual intakes with the teacher demand and supply model. "We have shifted focus away from oversupplied areas like lower and junior primary education and towards areas of teacher scarcity like Namibian languages," explained Namesho. He added that, in addition to reducing intakes, Unam has raised its admission requirements to improve the quality of its graduates. "For the secondary education…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is facing criticism for its lack of gender sensitivity in the voter registration process. The current system only provides options for males and females, excluding non-binary and transgender individuals. This has raised concerns among activists and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and other (LGBTQI+) communities. Transgender woman, Deyonce !Naris said she has been vocal about the issue and has been emphasising the battle for recognition beyond the binary gender options. “It’s really problematic that ECN is not accommodating inclusivity. This whole male and female thing I have been…

Political scientists and analysts say the transition of Affirmative Repositioning (AR) from a social justice movement to a fully-fledged political party has the potential to alter the dynamics of the political landscape. Ndumba Kamwanyah, a political analyst, says the AR needs to mature beyond its previous tactics. "The maturity of AR means moving past the issues of insult and dependence on cult personality. They must be prepared to speak to all Namibians, not just young people. The young people alone will not make them win the elections," Kamwanya asserts. He stresses that AR needs to learn from its past mistakes,…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe A political science lecturer at the University of Namibia, Erika Thomas has described Vipuakuje Muharukua’s switch to Swapo as an opportunistic move that shouldn't be taken seriously. Muharukua, who announced his defection from the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) to SWAPO on Tuesday, was criticised for his inconsistency and lack of loyalty. “These people are opportunists. He thinks the PDM boat is sinking, and he does not want to sink with it, so he chose to jump to stay relevant in the political sphere,” said Thomas. After many years of criticising Swapo for corruption and maladministration in Parliament, Thomas…

Niël Terblanché Despite its critical role in the economy and the potential for significant growth, Namibia's agricultural sector remains underfunded, receiving less than five percent of the national budget. Immanuel Kadhila, the Managing Director of Eos Capital, has called for increased investment in agriculture to unlock its full potential and reduce the country's dependency on imported food products. Speaking at a recent event, Kadhila highlighted the sector's importance, noting that it employs 25 percent of Namibia's workforce and has been growing at an impressive rate of ten percent annually since 2010. He said that with adequate support, the agricultural sector…

Niël Terblanché President Nangolo Mbumba has urged Namibian public servants to prioritise citizens in their duties and tailor public services to meet the needs of the people during the commemoration of Africa Public Service Day. On Sunday, the African continent celebrated Africa Public Service Day to highlight the role that public servants play in nation-building and governance. Mbumba's message resonated with the values of dedication, professionalism, and continuous improvement that are essential for effective public service delivery. “As Namibian public servants, you can honour this day by upholding the values and professionalism of the public service we provide to our…

Niël Terblanché “I have been waiting for a long time. Justice was served.” These were the words of Antonia Joschko on the steps of the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court after Jandre Dippenaar was found guilty of, amongst others, six counts of murder. Besides Dippenaar, she is the only other survivor of a horrific car crash between a Ford Ranger and a Toyota FJ Cruiser near Henties Bay on 29 December 2014. The crash claimed the lives of her father, mother and sister, along with the lives of three young Namibians. The people who died in the horrific crash were German nationals…

BY CAJ News Germany’s behaviour is not changing as decades and centuries pass. In the past, they used to act with fire and sword, taking land, natural wealth and freedom by force. Now they do the same under the guise of rhetoric about the environment and the common good. In 1904–1908, Germany almost completely exterminated two ethnic groups – the Herero and the Nama – simply because the latter refused to become slaves of the newly-created German Reich. In the early 20th century, people of the African continent were confined to concentration camps and subjected to other inhumane inventions of…