Opinions

OBSERVER DAILY | Tribalism has no place in the hearts of Namibian youth

There are moments in a nation’s story that unite us, moments when pride transcends tribe, language, and region. One such moment is upon us. Johanna Swartbooi, Miss Namibia 2024, is halfway across the world representing our beautiful country at the Miss Universe pageant. She carries not only her grace and intelligence but also the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. Yet, instead of celebrating her achievement, some Namibians have chosen to shame and ridicule her. What a disgrace. In the age of supposed enlightenment, where the Namibian youth are expected to be the torchbearers of progress, inclusion, and unity,…
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OBSERVER DAILY | An African awakening in the diamond trade: Namibia must match boldness with wisdom

A quiet but powerful tremor is shaking the global diamond industry, and this time, it is emanating from Africa itself. Reports that Angola and Botswana are in discussions to acquire or expand ownership of De Beers mark a profound turning point in the continent’s long and complex relationship with its mineral wealth. Even more encouraging, Namibia’s Cabinet has approved plans to pursue a significant stake in De Beers Namibia. This is not mere corporate reshuffling; it is an awakening. For generations, African nations have occupied the lowest rungs of the global resource value chain. We mined and exported, while others…
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The jobpocalypse is not coming – It’s already here

The jobpocalypse is not coming – It’s already here

Celeste Nangolo We used to talk about the future of work like it was something far away. Something our children would have to worry about. But let’s be honest: it’s already here. The jobpocalypse isn’t a distant storm on the horizon. It’s happening right now, quietly reshaping the way we live, work, and survive. Jobs are disappearing. Not because people aren’t trying hard enough, but because the world is changing faster than we ever imagined. Machines are doing things we thought only humans could do. Algorithms are making decisions, writing reports, and even handling customer service. And while that sounds…
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The importance of community and solidarity in the mining industry

The importance of community and solidarity in the mining industry

Rebekka Bengela Mining is an important sector in Namibia, but it is also an industry that may have a damaging impact if not carefully safeguarded. Economically, mining's contribution to the Namibian GDP has been phenomenal. Despite the mining sector contracting by 1.2% in 2024, over the past five years (2019-2023), diamonds and uranium were the most significant mineral commodities contributing to Namibia’s economy.  In 2023, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (“KPCS”) revealed that Namibia (having the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, estimated to total more than 80 million carats) is among the top five African diamond exporters,…
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TURNING POINT | Guided democracy

TURNING POINT | Guided democracy

Every election season, Namibians get a chance to ask themselves a question that goes deeper than politics: are we really ready to govern? It’s been 35 years since independence, a lifetime for a country that promised democracy, accountability, and development. And yet, our towns, villages, and regional councils are in distress. Roads crumble. Water taps run dry. Councils are broke, divided, and sometimes downright dysfunctional. The signs of regression are too clear to ignore. We often talk about democracy as if the act of voting alone guarantees good governance. But democracy, as political philosopher Claude Ake reminded us, is not…
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OBSERVER DAILY | Are we ready for the floods?

There’s a running joke that Namibians are surprised by only two things every year: winter and floods. When the temperatures drop, we huddle around heaters, wrap ourselves in blankets, and say to one another, “My goodness, it’s cold.” And when the rains finally arrive, we stare at the rising water levels and say, “The floods are here!” But beneath the humour lies a serious truth,  we are rarely ready. Every year, the same cycle repeats itself: warnings go out, rains come, rivers swell, people are displaced, roads are washed away, and after a few months, we move on. Until the…
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YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED 

It has been a week that reminded us how much can happen in a small country with a big heart. Namibia repaid its US$750 eurobond, which is the largest loan payment in our history, and the whole world took notice. Two learners painted their faces black on Halloween and used a word that should have been buried long ago, and the whole country felt the sting of our unfinished conversations about race. According to a report, the number of independent candidates in this year's regional and local authority elections has decreased by 26% since 2020, prompting young voters to question…
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The underrated financial literacy underdog, NAMSACCO

The underrated financial literacy underdog, NAMSACCO

Ndatyoonawa Tshilunga-Nelumbu The evolution of financial theories and concepts is a much-overlooked matter in the ever-dynamic and developing world.  Societies are ever changing and attaching new dimensions to common words and ways of life in alignment with our nature, of course.  In my view the most underrated and misrepresented financial term, financial literacy, for example, has seen major transformation and evolution since its inception in the apartheid era but is still not receiving the sovereignty and respect it deserves. Back then under the regime of the Van Trothas and co., financial literacy was capped to represent home budgeting and basic…
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Witherto Epukiro Constituency?

Witherto Epukiro Constituency?

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro WITHERTO Epukiro? Yours Truly Ideologically cannot but pose the question. Seeing the evident shocking state of stagnation, if not decline, of the Epukiro Constituency socio-economically. Definitely impacting on body soul of the Constituency like the spirituality, culture and indeed the mental health of its inhabitants. Because, more than anything, the constituency cannot be said to be anything better than a socio-economic, and by extension, also cultural and spiritual ruin. Underpinned, foremost, by nothing but lack of socio-economic progress. It has been a good 15 years now since it assumed and/or was given a constituency status of its own…
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Urgent imperative to decolonise Africa’s electoral systems

Urgent imperative to decolonise Africa’s electoral systems

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) A persistent paradox defines the African political landscape; the ballot box, a symbol of popular will, has become a theatre where the deep yearning for change clashes with systems engineered to resist it. The recent electoral episodes in Tanzania, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan secured a contested 97% victory to absolutely no-one's surprise, and Cameroon, where the Constitutional Council proclaimed the re-election of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, for an eighth successive term, despite it being part of the long-term pattern, the official outcome, and…
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