Opinions – Page 16 – Windhoek Observer

19 Aug

Tourism’s Crown Jewel or National Embarrassment? Time to Decide on NWR

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, has come out swinging against the board and management of Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). In a scathing letter, she accused them of gross incompetence, governance failures, and effectively allowing the company to slide into “operational paralysis.” Her frustration is justified. After more than four months in office, she has not received a single formal report on governance, operations, or finances from NWR. No budget, no audited financials, no strategic plan. Nothing. This is not just sloppy administration, this is negligence at the highest level of a state-owned company entrusted with some of…

18 Aug

The financial impact of climate change in Namibia

Observer Money, Opinions

Veruscka Gertze Namibia is already feeling the true cost effects of climate change. It's no longer theoretical. Unpredictable weather, increasing droughts, and unpredictable seasons are already changing how we farm, build, invest, and make plans for the future. Agriculture, energy, insurance, and infrastructure sectors are especially exposed. In the countryside of the developing world, agriculture provides the main source of income, but when rains do not come or heatwaves hit, harvests fall, livestock perish, and families lose earnings. It doesn't just hurt families; it hurts banks, insurers, and investors alike, as loans are not paid back and claims accumulate. For…

18 Aug

Namibia’s Golden Move: Why the Bank of Namibia’s Gold Strategy Matters

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

When the Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Johannes !Gawaxab, announced that our central bank would begin buying gold from Navachab and B2Gold, it may have sounded like just another technical monetary policy decision. But beneath the surface, this is one of the most consequential financial moves Namibia has made in years. Done right, it can strengthen our financial sovereignty, reduce risks from external shocks, and even open up new opportunities for ordinary Namibians. Done wrong, it could become a costly gamble. Why Gold Matters For centuries, gold has been the ultimate symbol of value. In today’s world, central banks…

14 Aug

Namibia’s Eurobond Redemption: A Fiscal Win with Real-Life Benefits

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

In a time when news about public finances often comes wrapped in alarm bells and warnings, Namibia has given us a story worth celebrating. The country is on track to fully redeem its US$750 million Eurobond when it matures in October 2025. This is not just a technical achievement in debt management; it’s proof that disciplined planning and consistent follow-through can pay off, and it’s the kind of success that can have real meaning for ordinary Namibians. Nicholas Mukasa, Director of Financial Markets at the Bank of Namibia, confirmed recently that “we are on target to redeem that bond when…

14 Aug

Hon Sankwasa and Swapo need the ideal ideological disposition!

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro FOR what it is worth! Yours Truly Ideologically could not but title this week’s column as such. Urging to join the ongoing debate pertaining to the dichotomy between the Minister of Urban and Rural Development and elected local authority councils. Thinking whether the debate is worth the time and energy that seems to be expended on it. As if there’s ever any unclarity between the functions of these councils and the central government, and thus ministers and/or Cabinet if you wish, let alone the Minister of Urban and Rural Development (MURD). As far as Yours Truly is concerned,…

14 Aug

Responding to Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro alleging that Swanu-trained cadres never engaged in combat due to the reluctance of Swapo to facilitate their infiltration into the country

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Abstract In his column Yours Truly Ideologically, Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro wrote a moving tribute in honour of the late Comrade Charles Kauraisa, who was at one point SWANU's Chairperson and Foreign Affairs Secretary at its External Council, established in Sweden in 1965. I don't personally know him, but I know my niece Ujama's father, also a Kauraisa, and I am not oblivious to the fact that they are truly grounded in revolutionary and Marxist theory. May his soul rest in peace. Sentimentality apart, what prompted us to write this piece is…

14 Aug

Finding Common Ground: Sustainable Development in Namibia

Opinions

Mandy Hattingh Namibia is well known for its biodiversity and ecotourism appeal. Equally, its rich endowment of mineral resources has, for over a century, fuelled economic growth, infrastructure development, and job creation. As the government considers the Revised National Policy on Prospecting and Mining in Protected Areas and Other Environmentally Sensitive Areas, it does so at a moment that demands nuance and pragmatism. This policy will test whether Namibia can meaningfully balance two cornerstones of its national identity: its global conservation standing and its status as one of Africa’s most stable, investment-friendly mining jurisdictions. Achieving this balance is both possible…

14 Aug

The RedForce Conundrum: A Debt Crisis Without Easy Answers

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The decision by Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa to cancel all RedForce contracts with local authorities has ignited a heated national debate. On one side, municipalities insist that external debt collectors are essential to keep their finances afloat. On the other, residents reject the very idea of private companies hounding them for overdue payments. It is a messy situation, but one fact is undeniable: many residents of our towns are in arrears for municipal services, water, electricity, refuse collection, for a variety of reasons. Some are genuine hardships; others are simply a refusal to pay. The rule…

13 Aug

From Bailouts to Boomtowns: Rethinking How Our Towns Make Money

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Let’s not sugar-coat it, our local authorities are broke. And it’s no longer just a small accounting problem that can be patched up; it’s a full-blown crisis that threatens the future of some of our towns. The problem is not only that they don’t have money. It’s that the very way our town councils do business is broken. Here’s the reality: in many of our towns, residents are unemployed or scraping by on very little. Municipalities depend almost entirely on rates, taxes, water, and electricity payments, but when people can’t pay, that money never comes in. The result? Services get…

12 Aug

Time to Set the Rules on State Funerals

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s decision to put a moratorium on state funerals is a move that deserves both praise and serious public debate. For years, Namibia has stumbled along without a transparent, universally accepted set of rules for who qualifies for a state, official, or heroes funeral. The result? Confusion, bitterness, and public quarrels at moments when the nation should be united in grief. The recent passing of Dr. Moses Amweelo reignited these tensions. Many felt the former minister and respected political figure deserved, at the very least, an official funeral. Others supported the government’s decision to hold the line after the…