Opinions

Staff Writer  Namibia’s stronger-than-expected 4.8% economic growth in the second quarter is unlikely to be sustained through the rest of 2026, with Simonis Storm forecasting a sharp slowdown in the second half of the year. In its latest macroeconomic assessment, Simonis Storm said the Q2 performance, together with an upward revision to first-quarter growth, had changed the arithmetic for the year but argued that the recovery was being driven largely by base effects, services, farming and domestic demand rather than exports. The research firm maintained its 2026 growth forecast at 2.0%, below the Bank of Namibia’s 2.1% forecast, the World…

Kae Matundu Tjiparuro So many turnarounds have been spoken about since Namibia's independence in 1990 in many spheres of Namibia's socio-economic endeavours. All of them under the ambition, if not pretence, of improving the socio-economic conditions in the country, if, as it may and has been, much so for the well-to-do rather than for the betterment of the downtrodden. In fact, little has been spoken about and continues to be said about a turnaround in the living, let alone survival conditions, of the economically exploited masses in the country, especially the working class. This is not to say there hasn't…

Kapena Tjombonde When I joined the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) in February 2021, I returned to a principle that has shaped my professional life: leadership is ultimately measured by its impact on people. During my tenure, that principle guided difficult decisions about laboratory capacity, institutional resilience and the speed at which patients could access results on which their care depended. I began my career as a professional nurse after four years of studies at UNAM, a trade that taught me skills required in leadership i.e. teamwork (doctor, nurse, patient, family collaboration), listen (hear the whisper of the patient), remaining…

Lazarus Kwedhi The tragedy of Namibia is not a lack of institutions or a lack of human capital, lack of natural resources, or a lack of laws. It is a tragedy of transition, a transition of mentality. I hope the presidential delegation to China some months back did not negotiate with a poverty mentality. That worry comes from a deeper observation: freedom fighters and public servants have always been the last line of defence for public values and the public good.  When that defence line erodes and is replaced by a politician and employee mentality, public institutions become an image…

COLLINS OMALU  Divorce may settle who keeps the house, but it does not automatically remove either spouse from the home loan. For instance, after signing the divorce papers, the relief feels immediate.  The hard part, many people assume, is behind them. Then the SMS from a bank arrives: the bond payment is overdue. One former spouse may have moved out, and the settlement may say the other will “take over” the home loan. But until the bank agrees and the paperwork is properly updated, both names remain jointly and severally liable for the debt. That is where many people are…

With sustained political leadership and practical partnerships, Windhoek can become a global hub for water diplomacy and investment Inge I. Zaamwani and Alex Simalabwi For Namibia, a drop of water is an ocean. That is why countries that live with water scarcity can offer some of the clearest leadership on water security. In an arid country, water determines where communities can thrive, how food is produced, whether industries can grow and how the economy withstands climate shocks.  Namibia has responded by treating water as a national development priority and, increasingly, as an instrument of regional cooperation and global diplomacy. That…

Shafa Kaulinge Reflections from the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy Validation Workshop, 31 August 2026 Namibia stands closer than it ever has to becoming an oil-producing nation. TotalEnergies is working toward a final investment decision on the Venus field in the Orange Basin, expected by late 2026 after already slipping once, with first oil realistically several years beyond that. Nothing is certain until the ink dries and the first barrel is loaded, but the direction of travel is unmistakable. The question this country must answer is not whether the oil is coming. It is whether Namibians will merely watch…

Jeronimo Kateya 1. Introduction: The Call and The Context   In her 11 September 2026 reflection with the New Era, Kahungu stated that “Namibia must increase its population before it develops” because “for business to prosper you need a big number of customers” (Jason, 2026). She is correct that Namibia’s three million people across 824,292 km² presents a developmental challenge (NSA, 2023). Conversely, it is of paramount importance that, with supreme logic, sequence matters. In the 1920s-80s, Namibian parents relied on communal land, Mahangu fields, cattle, and goats. Today, climate change and urban migration have pushed millions of youth to cities…

Diana Ndeshihala Hainana In Namibia, discussions about foreign investment increasingly begin with the nationality of the investor rather than with the quality of the investment. There is understandable concern among some Namibians about increasing foreign involvement in important sectors of our economy. Chinese investment is sometimes viewed through concerns about labour practices, resource extraction and economic dominance. Similar anxieties arise when American or other international interests become increasingly prominent in strategic industries. These concerns about foreign investment should not become hostility towards foreign investment itself. Namibia’s history gives us every reason to care deeply about sovereignty, ownership and who ultimately…

Esther Shakela During the 20th century, there lived in Colombia a man called Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria who, upon discovering the profitability of cocaine, entered the trafficking fray and soon established himself as one of the most notorious drug lords in modern history. The legacy of Pablo Escobar remains contested to date, with some viewing him as a ruthless criminal whose operations negatively impacted thousands of lives, while others, particularly in his country, regard him as a legend of Robin Hood proportions. The latter group's sentiment towards Escobar can be understood through the acts of service he carried out for…