Opinions

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) History is seldom defined by the firing of a gun or the signing of a treaty. The deepest historical transformations are forged in quieter places where ideas reshape political imagination, where institutions are built, and where a people come to see themselves as a nation. Military victories may end wars, but they do not, by themselves, create enduring states. As Namibians reflect on the long journey to independence from the heroic wars of resistance of Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi, Jacob Marengo, Chief Maharero, Chief Nguvauva, Chief Nehale lya Mpingana, Chief Mandume…

Lazarus Kwedhi Namibia marked 36 years of political independence in 1990. That victory was not gifted. It was paid for in blood, torture, exile, prison, and the silence of unmarked graves. Without that struggle, there is no Constitution, no vote, no Namibia. Gratitude for that is non-negotiable. That is why we have monuments, Independence Day, Heroes' Day, and commemorations for the Genocide, Cassinga, and the Oshakati Bank bomb blast. They exist to remind us of our nation's vulnerability under colonialism and apartheid rule, and of the work we must still do so it never happens again. But gratitude cannot be…

Vincent Shimutwikeni The coming into force of the Financial Institutions and Markets Act, 2021 ("FIMA") has transformed retirement fund governance in Namibia. Much attention has rightly been given to the enhanced duties and accountability of trustees. Less discussed, however, is the significant evolution of the role of the Principal Officer. Under the repealed Pension Funds Act, the Principal Officer was often viewed primarily as the fund's administrative contact person and liaison with the regulator. While the role was important, governance responsibility rested largely with the board of trustees. FIMA has fundamentally changed that position. This is evident not only from…

Lazarus Kwedhi There is a moment in every nation’s life when it must look in the mirror and ask a simple question: who have we become? South Africa is at that moment, and Namibia watches, because our histories are braided together by African nativism, colonialism, liberation, and now by the same dangerous test: what do we do with the power we fought for during the liberation struggle for independence against colonialism and apartheid? Mahmood Mamdani, the scholar who dissected the Rwandan genocide, gave us the warning long ago. He showed how African native societies that once bled under colonial oppression…

Prof. Bismark Tyobeka Twice I was there when South Africa was the centre of the universe. The last decade of the 20th century heralded the arrival of a nation poised to lead through moral example, as we pledged never again to repeat our tainted history. Today, many citizens threaten violence against foreigners, and once again we face becoming one of the world’s pariahs. On 11 February 1990, I was glued to the television in my sister's home in the township of Selosesha in Thaba Nchu, where I had just started Standard 8 (Grade 10) at Moroka High School. I had…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar)Recent developments within Namibia’s governance architecture provide an opportunity to examine how the country intends to strengthen this institutional framework.President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has nominated Bryan Eiseb, Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre, to succeed Paulus Noa as Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Simultaneously, the President has proposed a one-year extension of the tenure of Deputy Director Advocate Erna van der Merwe.The nomination is significant not merely because it marks a leadership transition, but because it reflects the evolving nature of anti-corruption work itself.Eiseb brings a professional profile that combines legal…

Thebe Ikalafeng Tomorrow, 30 June, South Africa faces a day of reckoning it could have avoided. A number of fellow Africans have been queuing at airports, bus stations and border posts, trying to leave ahead of a deadline that began, extraordinarily, with a fake poster. Someone generated an official-looking Department of Home Affairs notice, declaring that all undocumented foreigners must leave by that date. The government never issued it. But it went viral, and it gave the March and March movement something it did not yet have: a date. A moment. A match thrown into dry grass. What began as…

Leonard Hoaeb As the Chairperson of the Small Miners Association in Khorixas, and on behalf of concerned community members, I write to express our deep concern regarding the ongoing narrative that pits mining against tourism. We have observed with growing alarm the trend – supported by certain NGOs with Western influence – that seeks to portray these two vital sectors as irreconcilable enemies. In recent years, Namibia has witnessed growing tension between the mining sector and the tourism industry. At the centre of this debate are certain NGOs and investors who, instead of fostering dialogue, appear intent on creating division.…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s speech at the High-Level Conference on Transatlantic Slavery and Restorative Justice in Ghana is most revealing – especially her referencing of it as “remarks.” Yet in the local media, this induced screaming headlines. “Genocide: NNN demands justice, not revenge,” led one local English daily. “NNN Takes Namibia Reparations Fight To Global Stage,” another headline begged for the coveted attention of readers, including the descendants. But do these headlines strike any reassuring chord with them? Not at all, if the sentiments of some of them towards her Ghana escapade are anything to go by. It…