Opinions – Windhoek Observer

21 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | Dear Honourable Bernadus Swartbooi

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Namibia has entered the familiar, feverish stretch of the political calendar known as the “silly season”, when passions run high, rhetoric grows sharp, and politicians of all stripes test the limits of what they can say to energise their supporters. Elections are, by their very nature, noisy affairs. Positions clash, words fly, and agendas jostle for prominence. In that sense, your recent remarks about wishing for an “actual shooting war” to start in Namibia, and your call for foreign intervention from U.S. president Donald Trump, may be chalked up by some as campaign theatrics. But even in the silly season,…

21 Nov

The velvet grip of power: Why Namibians must stay vigilant as election day approaches

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) As Namibians prepare for the Regional and Local Authority Elections on 26 November 2025, a recent political confrontation in Europe has unexpectedly offered a mirror to our own democratic landscape. It came from a Dutch member of the European Parliament, who boldly challenged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reminding the world that even in the heart of Western democracy, power can slip quietly beyond the reach of the people. Her argument was unsettling yet essential: are we really being governed democratically, or merely invited to participate in a…

21 Nov

YOUNG OBSERVER | A purple signal in a moment of global decision making

Featured, Opinions

As G20 leaders gather to negotiate the future of global growth, security and cooperation, the world outside the summit walls is speaking a language they can no longer ignore, and that language has taken on a colour: purple. The Purple Hearts Movement is a political symbol that has spread across digital platforms and even public spaces in the form of protests, drawing attention to one of the most persistent governance failures of our time: gender-based violence against women. The symbolism is deceptively simple: purple hearts shared online, purple profile images, and purple clothing worn at vigils and protests. Yet beneath…

21 Nov

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

There are moments in a nation’s public life that reveal far more about us than we intend. The reaction to Miss Namibia 2025, Johanna Swaartbooi, is one of them. What should have been support and celebration towards a young woman stepping into a national role that carries pride quickly exposed how easily our national conversations can be poisoned by old prejudices. Tribal slurs began to circulate. Derogatory remarks about her beauty and her worth followed. And Namibia, for a moment, felt smaller than it is. Tribalism is not new in this country. It is a shadow that lingers, often dismissed…

20 Nov

Can one heal a wound they have never felt? The pain of living in a shack

Opinions

Sem Billy David I It's time to face one of the biggest myths of our time: the idea that people who live in luxury can empathise with those who live in poverty. Each election season, well-dressed voices emerge from air-conditioned offices promising to "transform the informal settlements". Their feet have never touched the muddy floors of a leaking shack, but they wear the faces of saviours. How can someone who has never experienced a wound heal it? How can the misery of the valleys of poverty be alleviated by someone from the hills of privilege? The pretenders of the struggle …

20 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | Why the departure of the governor of the Bank of Namibia is a serious concern

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The early departure of Johannes !Gawaxab from his position as Governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN) has sent shockwaves throughout the financial services sector, shockwaves that cannot and should not be ignored. In a country where the stability of the financial system relies heavily on regulatory credibility and consistent leadership, the sudden resignation of the central bank governor, especially with less than a year left in his contract, raises far more questions than answers. To be clear, the governor of the central bank is not just another executive. He is the custodian of monetary policy, the watchdog of financial…

20 Nov

THE TIDE LINE | Your vote, your region, your future

Featured, Opinions

In just a few days, on November 26, 2025, the people of the Erongo Region, indeed the entire nation, will head to the polls for the Regional Council and Local Authority Elections. The date has rightly been declared a public holiday by the President, ensuring that every eligible citizen has the time and opportunity to vote. This is not just another election; it is a defining moment for our communities, our local development, and our shared future. As Observer Coastal, we urge every resident of Erongo and every voter in Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Arandis, Henties Bay, Omaruru, Karibib, and surrounding…

19 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | GIPF: It’s déjà vu all over again

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Once again, Namibia finds itself staring into a familiar abyss, an abyss carved by misjudged investments, blurred oversight, and a dangerous institutional culture of “explanations without consequences”. The revelation that the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has impaired a staggering N$815 million through its exposure to the South African-based Signal Structured Finance Fund (SSFF) is not just another line item in an audit report. It is a reminder of past failures, a warning of present vulnerabilities, and a test of our collective commitment to accountability. For many Namibians, particularly pensioners whose livelihoods depend on the prudent stewardship of their savings,…

19 Nov

From discovery to delivery: Strategic readiness for Namibia’s first oil

Energy, Observer Money, Opinions

Nelson Lucas Namibia stands on the cusp of a transformative era. With recent oil and gas discoveries positioning us as a potential energy powerhouse in sub-Saharan Africa, the path to first oil is no longer a distant vision; it is a fast-approaching reality. But the journey from discovery to production is not automatic. It demands readiness, collaboration, and strategic decision-making at every level of our economy and society. Our trajectory can draw valuable lessons from countries like Guyana, which moved from discovery to first oil in just four years, a world record in the oil and gas sector. Their success…

18 Nov

Won’t someone listen to the regulators?

Featured, Opinions

Wendall Uiseb As an economics graduate observing Namibia’s financial policy debates, I have been fascinated by the clash between the Ministry of Finance and the country’s top regulators over the payroll deduction management system (PDMS). Recently, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) and the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) have confirmed their opposition to the Ministry’s directive to abolish PDMS. This revelation, contained in position papers filed in the Entrepo Finance v. Minister of Finance High Court case, highlights a troubling contradiction: the Ministry’s policy direction runs directly against the recommendations of its own regulators. NAMFISA’s position paper on payroll…