Opinions – Windhoek Observer

30 Oct

El Niño threatens to deepen southern Africa’s poverty crisis

Opinions

WANDILE SIHLOBO October is a special month in global agricultural and food organisations. On the 16th many celebrated World Food Day, which marks the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. It also gives countries a chance to reflect on their food security conditions and outline plans to strengthen resilience and contribute to efforts to reduce poverty in countries that remain highly impoverished. But this year’s World Food Day celebrations were different. Unlike in previous years, when some countries reported declining poverty levels, the outlook for 2027 is worrying, particularly in southern Africa. Many countries in…

27 Oct

Inside the NIP’s turnaround – from 59% to 93% TAT

Featured, Opinions

Kapena Tjombonde When turnaround-time (TAT) performance across Namibia’s national laboratory network moved from 59% to 93%, the improvement represented more than an operational milestone. It essentially meant clinicians could receive critical evidence sooner, strengthening their ability to diagnose illness and determine treatment. Yet the most important question was not what the figures said about the institution, but whether patients experienced a faster and more dependable service. Turnaround time is not an abstract management indicator. It measures how quickly clinicians receive the evidence they need to diagnose illness and determine the appropriate treatment. But this TAT is influenced by a myriad…

26 Oct

Government Must Give Namibia’s Economy Breathing Space

Opinions

I understand that government cannot simply wish away the realities of international markets. Namibia imports virtually all of its petroleum products, and we therefore remain exposed to movements in international oil prices, shipping costs, geopolitical tensions and the exchange rate. But I also understand something else: when the operating environment becomes exceptionally difficult, government has a responsibility to create breathing space for the economy. That is why the decision by South Africa to temporarily reduce its fuel levy deserves serious consideration in Namibia. South Africa is not pretending that it can control the international price of oil. It is recognising that…

23 Oct

Until when shall Namibia allow some to remain beggars?

Opinions

Kae Matundu - Tjiparuro The lamentations of Namibia’s President, Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, over the burden placed on a privileged few to provide handouts to the many reflect only a fraction of the country’s deeper socioeconomic problems. Speaking at a fundraising event for the One Economy Foundation, the President appeared concerned that only a few people are expected to extend a helping hand to the many Namibians who continually stretch out their hands for assistance. Her remarks suggest a situation in which the privileged few, presumably considered hardworking and deserving of their incomes, are expected to help sustain the masses…

23 Oct

The cost of living: The question every ruling elite avoids, why Paris is burning

Opinions

Lazarus Kwedhi (Public Policy Analyst) What the political ruling elite avoids telling the public is not rocket science. It is a simple but fundamental question: what does it cost to live? They avoid it because to answer it honestly would indict their own rule. The ruling elite does not feel the cost of living because they never buy their own bread. They never use private vehicles to understand the price of petrol and diesel, and never pay taxi fare. Their children do not attend public schools, they do not go to public hospitals and clinics to see the quality of…

23 Oct

Your policies are not the problem, your culture is

Opinions

Malcolm Kambanzera Organisations keep trying to regulate problems they refuse to confront There is a particular kind of email that usually arrives after something goes wrong in an organisation: “Management has noted with concern…” What follows is normally a reminder of an existing policy, a new procedure, another approval requirement or, if the incident was serious enough, a committee tasked with reviewing the policy. And the interesting part? Everyone receiving the email usually knows exactly who caused the problem. Yet instead of dealing with that person, we regulate everybody. An employee repeatedly arrives late. Send an attendance circular to the…

22 Oct

Agriculture at a turning point

Opinions

From resilience to value creation Awie Thompson Agriculture has always required a long-term view. A farmer makes decisions today that may only bear fruit months or even years later. A herd takes time to rebuild, infrastructure takes time to deliver a return, and the effects of a good or difficult season extend well beyond the farm gate. I learnt this first-hand during the seven years I spent in primary agriculture, farming cattle and crops and gaining experience in agro-processing. Today, working with agricultural businesses from a financial perspective, I see the same principle from a different angle: the businesses that…

20 Oct

Pension funds: Employer’s most underused employee benefit

Opinions

Vincent Shimutwikeni and Sabrina Jacobs On a Friday morning in Windhoek, you may find employees in running shoes and corporate T-shirts preparing for a company walkathon. Some organisations have gone further, organising running clubs, entering corporate teams into marathons and even taking wellness activities to Swakopmund. There is nothing wrong with this. It is encouraging to see employers investing in the physical health and wellbeing of their people. But it raises an interesting question: How much are we investing in their financial wellbeing? We spend considerable time talking about physical wellness, mental health, medical aid, nutrition and exercise. Yet one…

20 Oct

Is the President a marketing officer of Yambuka?

Opinions

Lazarus Kwedhi and Sem Billy David The moment you see a whole President with full executive powers reduced to an agent of the Yambuka Housing Scheme, it symbolizes flaws, cracks and fault lines in the Namibian governance system directly from the State House. Recently President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah officially handed over two fabricated-material houses in Windhoek's informal settlements of Kilimanjaro and 8ste Laan. On the surface, it appears to be the President's effort toward solving the housing crisis. In reality, it is political deception to cool the anger and frustration of the masses in informal settlements who have been victims of…

19 Oct

TURNING POINT | 50 000 Houses: Government Must Build the Ecosystem, Not the Houses Alone

Opinions

As a Namibian entrepreneur, I welcome President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s determination to deliver 50 000 houses by 2030. More importantly, I welcome the manner in which she is approaching at least one part of the challenge: she is testing an idea rather than dismissing it. The President personally financed two houses built by Yambuka Housing to establish whether a two-bedroom house, with basic amenities, could genuinely be constructed for N$200 000 and within a remarkably short period. That is a refreshing approach to public leadership. Too often in Namibia, we debate solutions in conference rooms, produce policy documents, launch programmes and…