Opinions

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) At a moment of visible internal strain, the appeal for unity by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on the occasion of the inauguration of the new building for the Swapo party national headquarters is not routine rhetoric. It was a diagnosis and, signals more importantly, exposure. Unity, once embedded in the ruling party’s historical DNA, must now be actively produced, defended, and, crucially, legitimated. The significance of the crossroads of 2026 lies precisely here. It is a threshold. It will test whether the ruling party can complete a transformation that has eluded…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Since the discovery of oil in Namibia, the country, for better or worse, has been of particular interest to many developed countries and their so-called investors or explorers – you can call them what you wish.  Only then do they know what and who they are and what their interests in Namibia are. But does Namibia actually know what the various interests of these countries and their citizens, foremost the so-called explorers and investors and what-have-you, are with regard to Namibia other than what they are pretending to be and which we as a country have been tempted…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The Namibia-Cuba Solidarity Committee has recently joined growing global calls for solidarity as the island nation continues to feel the impact of US policies and launched the Namibians in Solidarity with Cuba campaign, which seeks to raise essential supplies and financial contributions to support Cuban nationals, especially with energy and medical equipment. Indeed, this is a highly commendable and noble initiative. Conversely, any serious engagement of solidarity between Cuba and Africa must begin by stripping it of sentimentality. This is not a relationship built on diplomatic courtesy or abstract moral…

Kae Matundu - Tjiparuro THROUGH a recent report in a local English daily, headlined "Govt hospital’s ‘elite wing’ raises eyebrows", Namibia was and has been awakened to the harsh fact that the ideal of a classless society upon the attainment of independence, which has been seeming remote, shall never be. Not to mention if it ever was genuinely meant. That a classless society in an independent Namibia shall never be may not come from the Swapo of Namibia itself. Indeed, it has long been coming since independence: all talks about a classless society upon independence, or after, and it has…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) A crisis not of power, but of thought. After the thought-provoking editorial penned down by the Windhoek Observer on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of Swapo, one could not help but admire the accuracy of the analysis, especially when it refers to a drift and a loss of intellectual compass, ideological clarity, and, perhaps most dangerously, its sense of purpose, said the editorial. Indeed, for a party that once embodied ideological clarity, rooted in anti-colonial struggle, social justice, and a defined vision of economic transformation, it now appears ideologically…

Omagano Nampweya Namibia is entering a defining extractive moment. From offshore oil and gas discoveries to renewed mining expansion, the country is experiencing a surge of resource interest that promises revenue, jobs and global repositioning.  Headlines speak of transformation. Political speeches emphasise opportunity. Communities debate what this momentum could mean for livelihoods and local economies. This national conversation is healthy. It signals that Namibians care deeply about their development. But as extractive ambition accelerates, one question demands greater attention: Are our social governance tools strong enough to manage the scale of change being proposed? The debate unfolding in the Leonardville…

Prof Uchendu Eugene Chigbu The 'Energy Sector in Namibia’ 2025 report identified 17 main actors in the energy sector. One of the biggest challenges these companies face is minimising disruption to the natural environment as they conduct their activities.  The report highlights several oil and gas challenges that must be addressed to ensure the coexistence of Namibia’s energy sector with the environment. It found that fuel wholesalers increasingly rely on trucks to transport fuel due to the declining performance of TransNamib. Some oil wells are located hundreds of kilometres from shore, in water depths of up to 3 000 metres.…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro When the dust settles over the opportunistic, if not crocodile, tears over the sad and indeed untimely bowing out of this world of the prodigal son of Gam, James Unomasa Uerikua, none shall miss him dearly and direly, and for long so, more than the Otjiserandu villagers and indeed the broader inhabitants of the Gam Bantustan. An inopportune and untimely passing, surely, as if there were ever any death that were timely and opportune. The road to Gam, the days leading to the burial of Uerikua, was out of the world of Gam. Perhaps a pointer to his…