Opinions – Page 24 – Windhoek Observer

23 Jun

Quo vadis regions in Namibia?

ObserverOpinionsQuo vadis regions in Namibia?

Kae Matundu Tjiparuro Gobabis, known as the capital of the Cattle Country, as the region is popularly known whether the cap fits it or not, has lately been an atypical hustle and bustle. Inhabitants of the region, including the youth, converged on the town in what could turn out a pioneering initiative in creating for the youth in the region jobs. From which other regions could well take a leaf or two. Currently the region is said to be third on the entire country’s unemployment log. The scorch of unemployment in the country among the youth is well known with…

16 Jun

Genocide being no crimethen, no reparations, period!

ObserverOpinionsGenocide being no crimethen, no reparations

Kae Matundu- Tjiparuro “Under international law, the concept of reparation flows from the breach of an international obligation. However, today’s outlawing and prohibition of genocide under international law did not exist in the years 1904 to 1908. The Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide of 9 December 1948, which entered into force for the founding signatories in 1951, and for Germany in 1955, does not apply retrospectively.” Reads the beginning of paragraph 23 of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva issued on the 1st of June,…

08 Jun

World Ocean Day: What every Namibian should know and how we can all commemorate it.

ObserverOpinionsWorld Ocean Day: What every Namibian should know and how we can all commemorate it.

Mutindi Lydia Jacobs World Ocean Day is celebrated every year on June 8th to raise awareness about the importance of oceans and marine life. The noble idea came about during the Earth summit held in Rio De Janeiro Brazil, when Canada as a member state to the Summit, proposed the concept of a “World Ocean Day”. The intention for marking this day was and is, to celebrate the interdependence we have on oceans and seas, whilst spreading awareness on the depleting standards of marine life and ocean water. The United Nations General Assembly officially recognised the 8th of June as…

05 Jun

World Bank’s dictates regarding NEEEFno more than Capitalism preservation

ObserverOpinionsWorld Bank’s dictates regarding NEEEFno more than Capitalism preservation

Kae Matundu “World Bank study says no to NEEEF,” screamed the headline of the lead article of a local English daily. Yours Truly Ideologically could not but muse as to who the heck is the World Bank and what nerve and audacity if not arrogance they have to literally dictate to Namibia how she may or may not run her affairs? This to some may be seen as a friendly advice from a world institution to a friendly but sovereign nation. But there’s more to the seeming friendly advice by the World Bank. Simple dictatorship all in the final analysis…

05 Jun

Growth, increased investments meaninglessunless accompanied by belief in socialist ethos

ObserverOpinionsGrowth, increased investments meaninglessunless accompanied by belief in socialist ethos

Kae MatunduA government publication, titled Namibia: A Decade of Peace, Democracy and Stability, describing the decade 1990-2000 as such as the title. Relative Peace, Democracy, indeed have been in Namibia during the said decade. Regarding Prosperity Yours Truly Ideologically cannot be so sure. Also wondering if the government itself can be so sure about prosperity without qualifying it indeed. Because prosperity in Namibia since independence is not something obvious, and thus a commodity one can take for granted unless prosperity can be qualified as the widening of the gap of inequality and increasing impoverishment of the masses. Accompnaied and paralleled…

05 Jun

“Only full reparation can remedy past wounds”

ObserverOpinions“Only full reparation can remedy past wounds”

Kae Matundu The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) Special Rapporteurs are requesting for answers from both the Namibian and German governments regarding the way in which they have been dealing with the issue of Genocide, Apology and Reparations. While it has written to both governments this February, this has become public only this month. But be that as it may be, the UN is raising pertinent questions as well as making very fundamental observations. Observations which descendants all along have been raising and impressing upon our Namibian government and its German counterpart. With regard to the Namibian government, they…

05 May

“Only full reparation can remedy past wounds”

ObserverOpinions“Only full reparation can remedy past wounds”

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) Special Rapporteurs are requesting for answers from both the Namibian and German governments regarding the way in which they have been dealing with the issue of Genocide, Apology and Reparations. While it has written to both governments this February, this has become public only this month. But be that as it may be, the UN is raising pertinent questions as well as making very fundamental observations. Observations which descendants all along have been raising and impressing upon our Namibian government and its German counterpart. With regard to the Namibian government, they are observing…

17 Mar

Workers a benign folk without a good shepherd

ObserverOpinionsWorkers a benign folk without a good shepherd

Kae Matundu Tjiparuro It has been becoming all along obvious and apparent that workers in Namibia are a benign folk but without a good shepherd, if they still have any shepherd at all. Despite their vanguard role during the liberation struggle, a struggle more about civil and political rights, as predominantly manifested in a free and independent Namibia, rather than being about bread and butter issues, where and in which the rights of workers remain neglected and relegated to the backburner of a free and independent Namibia’s political agenda, including the legislative agenda. As the legislative timetable of the Namibian…

04 Mar

Do free Namibia, colonialism have anything in common?

ObserverOpinionscolonialism have anything in common?, Do free Namibia

Yours Truly Ideologically in the last instalment, was still ever seized with the vexed question of education, prompted by the dismal examination results of last year and which since have seen various stakeholders scurrying around, passing the buck from one to the other. Continuing to muse as to what could be the cause of the extremely disappointing results, postulating that the problem is not so much the content of the education system. Because what is has been delivering is exactly what it has been designed to deliver. Thus this system cannot be seen in isolation from the productive system in…

22 Feb

Judicial Diversity- The Gender Gap

ObserverNational News, OpinionsJudicial Diversity- The Gender Gap, Namibian women holding 44.2% of the seats in parliament

Mercedes Ovis Despite Namibian women holding 44.2% of the seats in parliament, we still lack female judicial leaders. An important seat of power is the bench, as it allows arbitration on nearly every political issue. Judicial diversity promotes fairness, gives legitimacy to state institutions, ensures women’s interests are adequately represented and promotes access to justice. To date no woman has occupied the position of Chief Justice, an important leadership position as it heads the judiciary. Astonishingly, the bench in the supreme court has exclusively comprised of male judges since independence, despite this being the highest court where constitutional issues affecting…