Opinions

By any honest historical measure, Namibia achieved political independence in 1990. But political independence and economic emancipation are not synonymous. Thirty-six years later, many of the structural foundations of the apartheid economy remain remarkably intact, repackaged under democratic governance yet functionally unchanged in their outcomes. This is an uncomfortable truth, but one that must be confronted with intellectual honesty rather than ideological defensiveness. As a Black Namibian entrepreneur, I have increasingly come to appreciate that while our political architecture has transformed, our economic architecture remains deeply influenced by colonial and apartheid-era logic. Ownership patterns, access to capital, spatial inequality, market…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro As the 28th of May, now officially, by the government's proclamation, Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD), approaches, marking the fourth time running that some genocide descendants are and have been commemorating it and the second time the Namibian government is doing so this year, any bona fide descendant cannot but reflect on happenings on this front as well as visualise the day. Hence my indulgence in this regard and on this occasion herewith. In this treatise I am tackling the problem of the problematic. Titling it as such is a missive and/or critique regarding the ever-evolving and developing political…

Vincent Shimutwikeni In pension fund governance, few phrases carry as much weight or pass with as little resistance as “in the best interest of members". It is the standard against which decisions are justified, strategies are defended, and outcomes are explained.  Yet, precisely because of its authority, it has become a phrase that is rarely examined. Increasingly, it risks being used not only as a guiding principle but also as a convenient conclusion invoked at the end of a decision, rather than tested throughout its making. The obligation itself is not in question. The requirement to act in the interests…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Gobabis, Aminuis, Epukiro, Otjinene and Otjombinde are theoretically by now supposed to be thriving towns and constituencies, as is indeed the entire Omaheke region. For these constituencies are located in the Cattle Country, with Gobabis its capital. Very much so because Namibia is one of the exporters of prime beef, starting with Europe, specifically the Nordic countries like Denmark, Norway and Sweden. A market that in terms of the export of beef has been characterised as lucrative.  Not only this, but state of the region (SORA) after SORA we are reminded of the number of cattle sold per…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The return of grand promises The Africa Forward Summit 2026, hosted in Nairobi under the joint patronage of Kenya’s President William Ruto and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, was presented as the dawn of a “new partnership” between Africa and Europe. The language was modern, ambitious, and carefully curated innovation, artificial intelligence, green growth, investment, financial reform, and mutual respect. Yet beneath the polished diplomacy lies a deeper historical question that every serious Pan-Africanist must confront: Has Africa truly entered a new era of sovereignty, or are we witnessing the adaptation…

Shafa Kaulinge There is a difficult conversation Namibia must begin to have with itself. Not a comfortable one, not a politically convenient one, and certainly not one that can be reduced to party politics, race slogans or the usual post-independence excuses. It is a question of what happens to a society when the formerly oppressed inherit the institutions of power, but not always the moral, administrative and emotional discipline required to transform them. Magezi Baloyi’s work on black self-hatred in South Africa is useful because it forces us to look beyond the visible symptoms of underdevelopment and into the psychological…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) History is not only shaped by events but also by the rare individuals whose lives become turning points within it. Founding father H.E. Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma stands among those figures whose personal journey became inseparable from the liberation and reconstruction of an entire nation. His legacy is not merely political; it is foundational to the modern identity of Namibia and, more broadly, to the unfinished project of Southern African emancipation. Emerging from the harsh realities of colonial rule, Founding President Nujoma was formed in a system designed to suppress…

There is something profoundly ironic about driving through one of the driest parts of Namibia and finding one of the country’s largest engineering achievements sitting largely underutilised. The Neckartal Dam is not a failure of infrastructure. It is, in fact, a remarkable feat of ambition. Built in a harsh and unforgiving environment, the dam stands as proof that Namibia is capable of executing large-scale projects when political will, financing and technical capacity align. The water is there. The asset is there. The vision was there. And yet, years later, the very economic promise that justified the project remains frustratingly incomplete.…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Every time an African burns the shop of another African while corporate power continues extracting wealth from African soil, the architecture of colonialism survives a little longer. That is the tragedy unfolding in South Africa today. The violence directed at African migrants is often presented as a crisis of criminality, border control, or social frustration. But beneath the smoke of burnt shops and angry slogans lies a deeper and more uncomfortable reality that millions of people are angry for legitimate reasons, yet much of that anger is being redirected toward…