Opinions – Page 20 – Windhoek Observer

17 Jul

Namibia’s re-classification meaningless to workers in the context of Capitalism

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Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro At last Namibia has been reclassified as a lower-middle-income economy from an upper-middle one. A reclassification that the country, especially its late third president, Dr Hage Geingob, hardly missed any international financial and economic platform to plead with players on this platform, especially the World Bank, that the country has wrongly been classified as an upper-middle economy. Late President Geingob may have had his reasons why he very much and untiringly pleaded for a re-classification. Which no doubt had anything to do with what he thought the country at large could benefit from such a re-classification. Foremost, the…

17 Jul

Fighting corruption through a transformative leadership: A new political paradigm

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) INTRODUCTION Chinua Achebe's poignant observation from 1983, "The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership," resonates with disquieting accuracy within the contemporary Namibian landscape. This enduring warning compels a critical introspection: for how long shall we, as a nation, tacitly endorse the insidious erosion of ethical standards and the systemic decay of institutions, as if such maladies were an ineluctable destiny? How long will the proverb "the goat eats where it’s tied" serve as a convenient justification for pervasive malfeasance, rather than a stark indictment of…

16 Jul

How competition among students is making them lose touch with their roots.

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Junias VH Shipwilikineni Today, many students are caught up in a fierce race to outdo each other. Competition has become part of our daily lives, mostly driven by peer pressure. But in the middle of all this, we are losing something very important: our connection to where we come from. As a student myself, I have realised that we are messing up a lot because of this pressure to compete. We forget our culture, our families, and the values that once guided us. Instead, we focus only on being the best, sometimes at any cost. This is making us truly…

16 Jul

People before projects

OpinionsPeople before projects

Hileni Amadhila No matter how groundbreaking your strategy is or how bulletproof your execution plan may seem, if you ignore the human factor, your stakeholders, your project is already halfway to failure. Stakeholder management is often treated as a checklist: identify them, inform them, involve them, influence them. But when we reduce people to processes, we lose the very thing that makes them buy in, trust. People don’t just support plans. They support people who value them, listen to them, and show up consistently. At the heart of effective stakeholder management is empathy. It’s understanding that a board member, a…

10 Jul

Voluntary separation: not a loophole for disguised retrenchment

Opinions

Filleppuss George Ampweya Namibia’s workers face a growing trend that Trade unions and employees alike must scrutinise carefully: the rise of the so-called ’Voluntary Separation Scheme”. At face value, these schemes appear fair and harmless as they offer employees a “choice” to leave employment on mutual grounds, often with a separation package that seems better than statutory retrenchment pay-outs. But beneath this façade lies a practice that, if misused, can directly undermine the very principles of fairness, transparency, and collective bargaining process that the Labour Act, 11 of 2007 enshrines for any employer considering job cuts for economic reasons. Section…

10 Jul

Philip Keripuu Tjerije: The stalwarts who kept Swapo’s name alive

Opinions

Joshua Razikua Kaumbi At the time of paying tribute to Immanuel Ngatjizeko my article was dedicated to Philip Keripuu Tjerije – a live tribute. Well, now Philip Keripuu Tjerije has died. I would always call him Comrade Senior as I would pose the same question as to whether Swapo in Omaruru would die with them. Philip Tjerije a second of seven children was born 13 June 1947 in Otjihinaparero and grew up in Omaruru, in that street that came all the way from town, a street of one big family. Our street connected separate worlds without irony. He died on…

10 Jul

Corruption in Namibia is Systemic, and there is a Psychology behind it

Opinions

Ndumba J Kamwanyah Namibia is once again in the spotlight because of corruption. This time it's not the Fishrot but the state-owned oil company, NAMCOR. Thirteen individuals, including entities, Have been charged in connection with a corruption scandal involving over N$500 million. This is not just another news story. It’s a serious reminder of how deep corruption has grown in our country, and how much work is needed to fix it. What’s shocking is not only the amount of money involved, but the network involved and how long it took for action to be taken. Signs that something was wrong…

10 Jul

When shall Africa ever awaken to the writing on the wall and rise?

Opinions

Kae Matundu Tjiparuro IT is mindboggling how many times African leaders have to read the writing on the wall, which has been there since the days Imperialism and Colonialism, for them to realise that they are on their own. Regarding steering and shepherding African societies towards genuine economic emancipation and/or the whatever after Kwame Nkurumah’s political kingdom which all of the African countries have obtained. But since the dawn of political kingdoms not much have been happening and is happening to reach what should be the promised land. Economic emancipation. That few if any of these countries can ever claim…

10 Jul

The shattered mirror of Namibia: A Pan-Africanist analysis of economic decline and the urgency of sovereignty

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) There are realities whose poignancy transcends mere numerical quantification. Namibia’s recent downgrade by the World Bank’s classification - a global singularity, being the only state to transition from upper - middle - income to lower - middle - income status in 2025 does not constitute a mere statistical datum. It represents, rather, the visceral cry of an economic paradigm in the process of disintegration, an echo vehemently amplified by intellectual contributions in this prestigious journal. This imperative cry demands an introspection that transcends the coldness of econometric language, delving into…

07 Jul

Is consolidation in the cement industry justifiable? A closer look at the Swenk // Whale Rock Cement merger

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Johannes Shangadi On 5 June 2025, the Namibian Competition Commission convened a public conference under Section 46 of the Competition Act in relation to the proposed acquisition of Swenk’s shareholding in Ohorongo Cement by Whale Rock Cement, the owner of Cheetah Cement. This transaction would effectively consolidate Namibia’s only two cement manufacturers into a single integrated entity. As clarified by Mr. Johannes Ashipala, Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at the Commission, Section 46 conferences are investigative by design. They serve as fact-finding exercises, critical engagements that precede the Commission’s final determination. This article seeks to discuss the issues raised at…