Opinions

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…

Malcolm Kambanzera  Recently, the legal fraternity gathered at Sisa Namandje & Co. Inc. to attend the public lecture by Dr Muzi Sikhakhane, a South African senior counsel and a practising advocate.  The lecture was about "A Decolonial Legal Culture and the Role of an African Lawyer in our Society". During this lecture he asked the audience, "What is the purpose of a constitution praised for being one of the best in the world, but it cannot deal with our people’s historical challenges? We are still landless and still socially and economically disadvantaged." It got me thinking, is it perhaps time…

George Kambala  There are moments in a nation’s life when time seems to stand still when the noise of politics fades, when the urgency of daily life pauses, and when we are called, collectively, to reflect. The passing of Hon. James Unomasa Uerikua is one such moment. It is difficult to speak of loss when the life we are remembering was so full, full of purpose, of conviction, of quiet but unwavering strength. And yet, perhaps the true measure of a life is not in how loudly it was lived, but in how deeply it was felt by those it…