Opinions – Windhoek Observer

17 Nov

Frantz Fanon’s impact on the life of African liberation and the father who coined the decolonisation word

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) When Frantz Fanon died in 1961 at the age of thirty-six, he left behind no army, no party, no flag, only words. Yet those words ignited the conscience of a continent and became the moral compass of an awakening people. As Angola celebrates fifty years of independence, we are not merely marking the passage of time. We are standing before a mirror. In that mirror, we see our history, the courage, the pain, and the triumph, but we must also ask, what have we done with the vision that brought…

17 Nov

TURNING POINT | Black entrepreneurs and the curse of the value chain

Featured, Opinions

Namibia’s loss of nearly 30,000 employers in just five years is not a statistic to glance at and move on from. When placed alongside labour figures showing that only about 550 000 Namibians hold formal jobs and just 115 000 are registered taxpayers, the story becomes more troubling. It reveals an economy that not only struggles to generate employment but also fails to sustain the businesses expected to create those jobs. As a Black Namibian entrepreneur, I read this not as a collapse of imagination or ambition, but as evidence of deep, long-standing structural weaknesses in our economic foundation. The…

17 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | Quo Vadis, NIPDB?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The impending departure of Nangula Uaandja from the helm of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) marks yet another twist in the turbulent journey of an institution that has, from its very inception, been mired in confusion, political tug-of-war, and chronic uncertainty. As the nation reflects on what this means for investment promotion and economic governance, one uncomfortable truth demands confrontation: Namibia continues to create institutions without the clarity, stability and legislative backbone required for them to thrive. From the moment NIPDB was launched under the administration of the late President Hage Geingob, optimism was tempered by unease.…

14 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | Namibia Air: What’s in a name?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

When the Cabinet recently announced the launch of a new national carrier under the name Namibia Air, it marked a bold and welcome move by the administration of President Netumbo Nandi‑Ndaitwah and her team. At a time when national symbols matter more than ever, the decision sends a signal that Namibia intends to reclaim pride of place in the skies. The return of our national airline taps into something deeply Namibian: the idea of connection, of our country being visible in global skies, of our citizens and stories being carried across continents. That ambition deserves applause. It is a sign…

14 Nov

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

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A recent survey revealed a statistic that should alarm every policymaker, educator and truly, even the business leaders in this country: only 19% of our young people, those aged 18 to 35, aspire to start their own businesses. This figure reportedly represents the lowest rate of entrepreneurial ambition recorded across the African continent. Simultaneously, a massive 44% of our youth state a clear preference for jobs within the civil service. This paradox goes beyond just a statistical anomaly. It is actually a confirmation that we have structured our economy and society in a way that actively encourages our brightest minds…

13 Nov

The “business as unusual” mantra is not enough!

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro CERTAINLY it needs more than the mantra and/or slogan “business unusual” for the current administration of Namibia to rescue the country from the current stagnation quagmire. As there is and can be no better word to encapsulate the country’s socio-economic situation currently than stagnation, if not deterioration, degeneration and regression. Nobody knows, let alone the administration’s spin doctors, analysts and economists, who can and may otherwise make the masses believe that indeed the country is better and/or shall be better served now and in the foreseeable future. On the contrary, the red flags have, for some time now,…

13 Nov

Etunda Farm Primary School: A beacon of hope

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) In the heart of Namibia’s Otjozondjupa Region, some 30 km south of Otavi, rises a vision turned reality: Etunda Farm Primary School. Born from the foresight of Namibia’s founding president, Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, this institution stands not just as a school but as a testament to what leadership guided by purpose can achieve. A vision beyond wealth The land for the school was generously donated by President Nujoma, a gesture reflecting his unwavering commitment to the education of every Namibian child. This school was meant for the children of farm…

13 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | The presidency must speak clearly or risk losing the nation’s confidence

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

In a move that sent shockwaves through parliament and beyond, the newly appointed interim minister of Mines, Hon. Frans Kapofi, announced that the government intends to urgently amend the Petroleum Act of 1991. The proposed changes, we are told, would grant significantly greater powers to the President in matters of petroleum licensing and oversight, an area already fraught with political tension and public scrutiny. On the surface, the intention might be practical: to streamline decision-making, enhance accountability at the top, and ensure strategic control over Namibia’s increasingly vital oil and gas sector. But the reaction in Parliament and among the…

13 Nov

THE TIDE LINE | Time to bring the fishermen’s saga to an end

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For months now, the plight of the fishermen from Namibia’s Erongo region has remained a painful reminder of the unfinished business in our fisheries sector. This week, when a group of these men once again journeyed from the coast to Windhoek to hand over a petition to the Minister of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Land Reform, it was not merely another act of protest; it was a cry of fatigue, frustration, and hope. These are people who once powered the fishing industry of Walvis Bay, Lüderitz, and Henties Bay, an industry that is both the pride and lifeblood of coastal…

12 Nov

Rethinking leadership as a posture

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Esther Shakela Leadership is influence. This is the one definition that scholars across the world, such as John C. Maxwell, amongst others, agree on. To lead is to sway those who are led towards the achievement of a common goal. The use of the word “sway” in this context is deliberate because leadership, though often positively used, can be negatively employed. After all, rebel groups, for example, have leaders too. Despite the fact that influence is not exactly synonymous with loud, the attributes often attached to the accepted brand of effective leadership are charisma and visibility. The louder you are,…