Opinions – Page 12

29 Aug

On privatized & corporatised liberations

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Paul Shipale While the editorial of the Sun Newspaper on Friday, 23 August 2024, was cautioning the voters against “a litany of mega thumb sucked promises in the manifestos” of political parties without explaining how they will be fulfilled, on his part, Emeritus Professor André du Pisani said this was “A time of empty hollow ringing manifestos” in a country where words have lost their meaning due to deep racial and social divides. Du Pisani’s assertion is premised on his argument that in the context of Southern Africa, there has been two dominant modes of transition from national liberation movements…

29 Aug

Namibia’s economic growth could be affected by growing geopolitical unrest

info_e12wt4csOpinionsRussia's military-industrial complex

Josef Kefas Sheehama Namibia relies heavily on imports, and rising geopolitical upheaval may limit the country's economic growth. Within this framework, the growing geopolitical environment, which includes the war between Russia and Ukraine, unrest in the Middle East, and a series of sanctions aimed at preventing Russia's military-industrial complex from obtaining critical and essential goods such as sophisticated machinery and electronic components, can be attributed for inciting World War III. It is worth noting that Namibia saw positive growth in the first quarter of 2024, despite expectations that real growth would slow to 3.7 percent in 2024. However, real economic…

29 Aug

Investments necessary but insufficient Without ideological foundation, firmness

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Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro For all the good efforts those entrusted with attracting and luring, if not enticing investors to the country, at the end of the day their efforts may prove futile and the resources so invested wasteful? Until and when all the necessary ingredients to their efforts are in place. Because investments alone is necessary but not a sufficient ingredient to make Namibia what she wants to be. And herein lies the problematic. Because except for craving investments, scant and significant attention, and/or no attention at all is given to how investments can, may and could benefit the whole country.…

28 Aug

NSA EMBARKS UPON THE NEXT STATISTICAL PROJECT

info_e12wt4csOpinionsNamibia Household Income and Expenditure (NHIES)

Iipumbu Sakaria The NSA will be conducting the Namibia Household Income and Expenditure (NHIES) during 2025 / 26. The NHIES is the primary source of data on income, wealth and expenditure in Namibia and is instrumental in calculating poverty indicators at both household and individual levels. This will be the fifth NHIES to be conducted in Namibia since independence. The NHIES is important because it helps in understanding income distribution, measuring poverty and analysing consumption trends, hence enabling governments to design effective social and economic policies and allocate resources efficiently. The information that will be collected includes information on various…

23 Aug

The path to agricultural prosperity: A regional perspective on import bans in Southern Africa

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Benedick Moody Louw In a recent post on X, Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa highlighted the growing tension between South African agriculture and the neighboring countries of Botswana and Namibia over the latter's bans on imported vegetables. Sihlobo argues that such bans undermine regional agricultural cooperation and pose significant challenges to South African farmers. He acknowledges the political and economic motivations behind these bans but emphasizes the need for a balanced and cooperative response from South Africa. This article aims to provide a comprehensive response from the perspectives of Namibia, Botswana, the Southern…

22 Aug

Democratic Elections: A pathway for Namibian youth to transcend the zone of non-being

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Sakaria Johannes Frantz Fanon, a towering figure in decolonial thought, introduced the concepts of the "zone of being" and the "zone of non-being" to describe the existential realities shaped by colonialism and its enduring legacies. These terms encapsulate the different ways people experience the world based on their social, economic, and political positioning within a society deeply influenced by colonial history. Zone of being The "zone of being" is a space where individuals are fully recognized as human, enjoying the rights, privileges, and dignity that come with this recognition. In the colonial and postcolonial contexts, this zone is typically reserved…

22 Aug

Mainstream media sustainability amid digital transformation

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Festus Nakatana It is a challenging time for media operations everywhere. Printed media sustainability has been sliding towards the abyss due to declining advertising revenue, reduced circulation, and loss to technology giants. Advertising revenue, in particular, is the lifeblood of newspapers’; ability to remain profitable. This reality rings true in Namibia, considering that circulations of virtually all mainstream print titles are in alarming decline. While some popular media outlets have fully adopted new technologies and advertising models to diversify revenue streams, many are still struggling. They are left to fend for themselves, with no new revenue streams to reshape operations…

22 Aug

OPPORTUNISM VS ADVENTURISM

info_e12wt4csOpinionsNyiko Floyd Shivambu, uMkhonto Wesizwe

Paul Shipale After Former EFF Deputy President Nyiko Floyd Shivambu’s decision to leave the Red Berets for uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, addressing a press conference on Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema attempted to put on a brave face saying this was not the end of the road for the EFF. Malema expressed his disappointment at Shivambu’s resignation from the party when it has been deemed to be at its weakest since its formation in 2013. Shivambu’s departure left a leadership vacuum in the EFF and put the party in an even tougher position leading up to its elective conference in…

22 Aug

Same vigour necessary to preserve resources as looking for investors

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Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro There can be no better time than now for the country to be become more vigilant over its natural resources and with the same vigour that it is currently crisscrossing the globe like the late President Dr Hage Geingob did looking for investors to tap into the rich natural resources of the country. And there can be no better generation than the current and future one to do this. Because it behooves them to ensure that such natural resources are preserved for future generations, which is none other than them. One cannot but notice that currently it is…

21 Aug

The State of Decoloniality in Namibia

info_e12wt4csOpinions1884-1885 Berlin Conference, Colonialism in Africa, Roman-Dutch common law

Tomas Nashongo Decoloniality, a response to the lingering effects of colonialism, seeks to emancipate societies from the pervasive influence of colonialism and its lasting impacts. As defined by Ndlovu- decoloniality involves the deepening of decolonization efforts in regions that endured the slave trade, imperialism, colonialism, apartheid, and neocolonialism. The concept not only aims to liberate these regions from colonial rule but also to detach them from entrenched Western ideologies and influences. This essay examines the state of decoloniality in Namibia by exploring the transition from colonialism to decoloniality and analyzing the remnants of colonialism within the country's power structures, knowledge…