Opinions

As a Black Namibian entrepreneur, I have often wondered whether we are asking the right questions about economic empowerment. We speak proudly of Black success stories. We celebrate the entrepreneurs who have built companies, created jobs and entered sectors historically closed to the majority of Namibians. We celebrate Black professionals in boardrooms, Black politicians in government and Black executives leading major institutions. But when we examine the ownership of some of the most fundamental productive assets in our economy, a difficult question emerges: Are we really transforming the structure of our economy, or are we merely celebrating exceptions to a…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Despite losing one of his cattle to a lion recently, Dr Erastus Mukuaruuze, a pastoralist in the Kunene Region (yesteryears' Kaoko) and an old wise persona of note, hence the popular reference to him as "Dr," did not become disillusioned or disappointed with the government's conservation policy, particularly conservancies in his native Kaoko, as the Kunene Region is today known. Nor did he lose faith in the Swapo Party of Namibia, of which he is a member. Now 89 years old and expectedly very much deep-rooted in his traditions, especially of his native Kaoko, one of the last…

I have followed with keen interest the proposed acquisition and merger of Schwenk Namibia by Whale Rock Cement. The Namibia Competition Commission’s (NACC) first public stakeholder engagement on the proposed acquisition of shares in Schwenck Namibia Pty Limited (Schwenk Namibia) by West China Cement (WCC) was held on 9 July 2020 in Windhoek, at the Commission’s chambers. A second stakeholders’ conference on the same matter was held on 5 June 2025 at Protea Hotel in Windhoek. I attended both in person, participated actively, and on each occasion stated my objection to the proposed acquisition and merger clearly and without equovocation.…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) With Namibia’s delegation now returned from China, public debate should move beyond the cost of the visit and focus on the results that  ultimately matters. Indeed, international engagements should not be judged by photographs, official ceremonies, or agreements signed, but by whether they attract investment, create jobs, expand markets, transfer technology, and produce measurable public value. Yet even successful diplomacy cannot substitute for strong institutions. Foreign investment, economic growth, and national development ultimately depend on a country’s governance architecture. Institutions determine whether opportunities become lasting prosperity or temporary political achievements.…

Morna Ikosa In the first six months of 2026, thirty-seven (37) lives were tragically lost on Namibia’s roads, a shocking toll for a nation of three (3) million people. These individuals were not just statistics; they were a mother returning home from a night shift and a father crossing the B1 road after a long day of work. Between 1 January and 21 June 2026, 489 pedestrian-related crashes were recorded nationally, resulting in 203 injuries, with Windhoek leading. This presents a 29% increase in pedestrian fatalities compared to 2025, according to the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund.  Here is the…

Asteria Pirola We talk a great deal about the funding gap facing African entrepreneurs, and rightly so. But less attention goes to a quieter problem sitting underneath it: even when capital exists, it often doesn’t find the entrepreneurs best placed to use it well and those who could use it well often don’t find the right investors. This is not always a story of a human bias in the capital allocation sphere of things. It is more often a story of mismatch. An example, an investor who thrives on fast, high-risk bets funding an entrepreneur who builds cautiously and methodically.…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) A new chapter in Namibia and China relations The recent state visit to China has undoubtedly opened a new chapter in Namibia’s relationship with one of the world’s leading economic powers. Beyond the anticipated bilateral agreements, investment commitments, financing arrangements, and technology partnerships, one announcement has attracted particular attention: the government’s intention to develop a national nuclear energy policy, supported by legislation, to harness Namibia’s vast uranium resources for domestic electricity generation. The announcement has been presented as a bold step towards energy security and industrial transformation. It deserves serious…

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Have we ever asked ourselves what kind of language dominates the discourse of Namibia’s leadership? This may appear to be a secondary question, but it is not. Nations are not built only through public policies, laws, budgets, or infrastructure. They are also built through the words their leaders repeat every day. Political language shapes national culture, influences citizens’ expectations, and defines how a country is perceived both by its own people and by the world. Just as children in a family absorb the vocabulary and ways of thinking of their…

Lazarus Kwedhi Thirty six years after independence, Namibia is still drowning in a system built by Jan Smuts. Not because of race, but because of the dual structure of superiority and subordination in land, language, labour, and dignity. Until we decolonise the mind, we keep redecorating colonialism and apartheid and calling it independence. Colonialism and apartheid keep changing colour like a chameleon. They did not just take our land. They threw Namibians into the deepest sea. The purpose was never to save us, but to drown us. In that sea, as a nation, we have two choices: we either learn…