Opinions

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The case for establishing the Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma Museum and Living Conversational Center The recent inauguration of the Obama Presidential Center has attracted international attention not merely because it commemorates the legacy of a former President of the United States, but because it reflects a growing global recognition that nations must invest in institutions capable of preserving historical memory, cultivating civic values, documenting leadership experiences, and transmitting national knowledge across generations. Across the world, countries are increasingly discovering that monuments alone are insufficient. Statues may honour history, but institutions…

Dylan Mukoroli Namibia is currently at a crossroads, and the name “Leonardville” now centres an international debate around a widely used mining method known as In Situ Leaching (ISL). Having attended a number of consultations on this mining method convened by the mine itself, community organisations, private bodies, and the Uranium Mining Institute, where farmers, water experts, geologists, and hydrological specialists unpacked this method to its core in a bid to demystify and understand what it entails, I rise to add my voice in support of this mining method. Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association’s (SAUMA) economic development, 500 jobs vs…

Sakaria Johannes The National Youth Council (NYC) of Namibia was established through the National Youth Council Act of 1994 as an independent statutory body tasked with promoting, coordinating, and advancing the interests of young people in Namibia. The institution was created in recognition of the important role that young people play in national development and the need to provide them with a platform through which they can participate in decision-making processes. The council was never intended to serve the interests of a particular political party or ideological grouping. Rather, it was designed to represent all Namibian youth regardless of political…

Namibia’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist in June 2026 is more than a technical victory for regulators and policymakers. It is an important economic milestone with direct implications for entrepreneurs, investors and the country’s long-term competitiveness. As a Namibian entrepreneur, I view this development not simply as a compliance achievement, but as the restoration of confidence in our financial ecosystem. Confidence, after all, is one of the most valuable currencies in business. When Namibia was placed on the FATF greylist in February 2024, the designation sent an unfortunate signal to the international community. Greylisting does not…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar)  The fundamental question of leadership Given the recent diplomatic engagements of the Namibian Head of State, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, with her counterparts in Ghana and Tanzania respectively, at first glance, the question we posed in our headline seems to be simple. Yet, its deeper paradox is that it asks us, before anything else, to question the assumptions behind the two concepts advanced herein. As such, our head question offers not merely a privilege or a responsibility to seek for an answer, but a rare opportunity to engage with a more…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro This Tuesday, June 16, Namibia joins the rest of the continent – if not the international community – in supposedly remembering and paying tribute to the South African youth, some of whom, on this day 50 years ago, paid dearly with their lives. Why did they pay dearly with their lives, and who took the lives of some of them brutally? This was for being part of the broader resistance of the South African black majority and their sympathisers – a resistance that included armed resistance – against apartheid and all its manifestations.  Yours Truly Ideologically cannot but…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The twentieth century witnessed the rise of some of the most transformative political movements in modern history.  Across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East, liberation movements emerged as responses to colonial domination, racial oppression, foreign occupation, and authoritarian rule. They mobilized millions of people around aspirations for freedom, national sovereignty, social justice, and economic emancipation. For many societies, these movements represented more than political organizations. They embodied hope itself. Their leaders became symbols of sacrifice and resistance, while their victories marked the end of colonial empires,…

Lazarus Kwedhi Deng Xiaoping’s instruction to “seek truth from facts” still rings in our ears. The “Conference of the Left” held in Ekurhuleni on 29–31 May 2026, convened by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and attended by the EFF, MK Party, PAC, AZAPO, trade unions, and Pan-Africanist formations, should compel Namibian and African leaders to do exactly that – reflect. What we saw in Boksburg was not new. It signalled the return of the old communism versus capitalism blocs, reshaped for the 21st century. Same wine, different bottle.  During the Cold War, each bloc competed to win hearts at…

“Fare thee well Bernardus Van Wyk”. Joshua Razikua Kaumbi Life is about the people we meet, randomly placed next to your seat. For every soul carries a lesson or spark, some bring the light, others walk in the dark. But each one reminds us [that] we’re not on our own, in this beautiful world we call our unknown. (Christina de Vries, edited) On Wednesday morning, en route to work I noticed that the corner of Thuringer Hof Hotel was empty. Before I could make sense of it, my mind was swept away by the fast-paced rhythm of our capital, until…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) On this year’s day of the African Child, we want to reject the colonial narrative and arrogance that denies us our African humanity. In the same vein, we vehemently reject the passive victimhood mentality that denies us our African agency. We reject the colonial stereotypes and their internalization as ultimate political truth in order to teach our future generations to remember our history and overcome it where it constrains the present. For centuries, Africa has been described by others before Africans were allowed to describe themselves. Foreign explorers arrived on…