Opinions – Windhoek Observer

09 Feb

TURNING POINT | Namibia’s youth debate is asking the wrong question

Featured, Opinions

If Namibia’s challenges could be solved by replacing older leaders with younger ones, the country would already be on a dramatically different trajectory. Youth unemployment would be falling, institutions would be stronger, and public trust would be rising. Instead, the opposite is true. Yet our public discourse increasingly insists that the central problem is generational: that young people are deliberately held back by an older generation unwilling to let go. It is a convenient narrative, simple, emotive, and politically useful. It is also largely misleading. Namibia is a young country by any measure. Roughly 70% of the population is under…

06 Feb

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

In the quiet symmetry of history, February has once again become a month of memory for Namibia. Within days of one another, the nation marked the passing of two towering figures whose lives shaped the moral, political and institutional imagination of our republic: founding president Sam Nujoma and president Hage Geingob. Their departures do not merely signal the end of personal journeys; they summon the nation into reflection about legacy, responsibility, and the unfinished work of freedom. These were not ordinary leaders. They belonged to a generation that carried conviction through exile, negotiation, reconciliation, institution-building, and the long discipline of…

06 Feb

Political rhetoric is meaningless without ideological recalibration

Opinions

Kae Matundu - Tjiparuro “We are too few to be poor” is and has been one of the famous catchphrases of the president of the eighth administration of the Republic of Namibia. Yours Truly Ideologically indeed, this catchphrase has been given serious reflection, wondering if it ever has or shall have any practical and consequential meaning or if it is just another popular rhetoric by a politician? One, for that matter, without any hint of ideological conviction. For, indeed, unless backed by some serious ideological conviction and inclination, as much as ambition, such shall remain no more than just another…

06 Feb

Namibia’s strategy for performance-driven governance – from delay to delivery, the tone is set

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) In a defining address that has recalibrated the nation’s governance priorities, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah declared the era of excuses over. Opening the new judicial year, she delivered a stark verdict on public service, saying there is no room for failure. This was not merely a speech; it was a strategic blueprint, positioning a strong legal framework and an efficient judiciary as the indispensable engines of national performance. The timing could not be more critical. With magistrates grappling with caseloads of up to 63 cases simultaneously, public trust is under strain.…

06 Feb

An engineer’s perspective on leadership in Namibia

Opinions

Ndeya Iita As engineers, we are trained to think in systems. We analyse problems, design solutions, test assumptions, and measure outcomes. We value clarity, evidence, and continuous improvement. From this professional lens, one conclusion becomes unavoidable: Namibia would benefit greatly if its ministers and public officials became regular writers. Engineering teaches us that complex systems fail when communication is weak. The government is one of the most complex systems in any country, involving people, policies, institutions, budgets, and infrastructure. Yet too often, decisions appear disconnected from clear explanations, data, or long-term logic. Writing can help close this gap. When leaders…

05 Feb

Petroleum Amendment Bill: dead on arrival?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The Petroleum Amendment Bill is back before the National Assembly, retabled on Wednesday by the Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Modestus Amutse. On paper, it is presented as a technical adjustment to Namibia’s petroleum governance framework. In substance, however, it represents a profound shift of power, one that would allow the President of the Republic to grant and revoke oil and gas rights. From the very onset, it is clear that this bill will be vehemently opposed. Not because Namibians are anti-development, nor because they are hostile to investment in oil and gas, but because the bill raises serious…

05 Feb

Beyond ritual: Reconnecting Namibia’s state with its people

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A public reflection on Namibia’s governance week PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Every system of governance that is born without clarity about the role of each actor creates a silent war within the state. That war makes no noise, but it paralyses the country. As Namibia formally opens the three arms of the state, namely the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, for the 2026 working year, the moment calls for more than constitutional observance. It calls for reflection. Not only by leaders, but by citizens as well. A fundamental question must be asked: how…

04 Feb

Customer-centric with insurance in the revolutionised digital era

Featured, Opinions

Martin Shaanika The winds of change are not coming; they are here. Across our nation, from the bustling streets of Windhoek to the tranquil vistas of the Zambezi, a digital revolution is reshaping how we live, connect and do business. For the insurance industry, this presents not just a challenge of technology but a profound imperative to re-centre on our core purpose: the customer. At Namforce, as a proudly 100% Namibian-owned company, we see this era not as a disruption to be feared but as an unparalleled opportunity to deepen trust, enhance value, and truly serve the people whose aspirations…

03 Feb

Vision without specifics risks losing public confidence

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s address at the official opening of Cabinet for the 2026 calendar year was, by all accounts, polished, optimistic, and rhetorically disciplined. It emphasised commitment, unity, and the high expectations Namibians have for their leaders. It recognised achievements, highlighted ongoing initiatives, and called for renewed focus as the administration advances toward Vision 2030. Yet, for all its lofty language and moral gravitas, the speech reveals a recurring challenge in Namibian political communication: ambition that is often unaccompanied by concrete operational clarity. In short, while the words inspire, they leave many questions unanswered. The President began appropriately, welcoming cabinet…

02 Feb

Winner takes all, the state loses: How political purges are hollowing out Namibia

Opinions

Last week, after laying my mother to rest, a retired Executive Director, what we used to call a Permanent Secretary, came to pay his respects. After the cultural formalities, we sat and spoke, as Namibians often do, about life. I asked him a simple question: what are you doing with yourself after retirement? He shrugged, almost apologetically. “I’m just busy with a few things, here and there,” he said. There was no bitterness in his voice, only resignation. That moment stayed with me long after he left. Not because of the words themselves, but because of what they symbolised. Here…