Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) A Legal and Political Analysis of the Tension Between Constitutional Aspiration and Fiscal Reality The maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Repiblic of Namibia, on April 24, 2025, represents a significant political milestone in Namibia’s governance trajectory. Themed “Unity in Diversity, Natural Resources Beneficiation and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development,” this address articulates a comprehensive vision for national development while introducing substantive policy reforms across multiple sectors. As the 8th administration charts a bold course for national development, the financial sustainability…

Josef Kefas Sheehama On the 24 April 2025, President H.E. Dr. Netumbo Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaitwah of the Republic of Namibia delivered her first State of the Nation Address (SONA), emphasizing "Unity in Diversity, Natural Resources Beneficiation, and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development." She outlined the administration's goals and strategies for an array of the economy. In the SONA, the president outlines the targets for the year, the current state and achievements of the economy, and plans for implementation. In addition to highlighting important challenges and transformative initiatives, her 2025 State of the Nation Address outlined eight key economic enablers and seven…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro With its mantra of “business unusual”, needless to mention, the 8th administration of Namibia, new as it may be and proffered and sounded and perceived to be under President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, is essentially old. The Swapo of Namibia is a long-standing political party that has undergone constant change, transformation, transition, and metamorphosis. In many aspects and respects. Whether democratically, ideologically, politically or otherwise, it must have its work cut out. Navigating the entrenched capitalist system in the country and fulfilling the ideal of "business unusual" is undoubtedly a challenging task. Let alone giving it a definition and practical…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power (ANIREP) has concluded a conditional binding offer, in terms of which ANIREP will acquire a 45% shareholding in Cerim Luderitz Energy (Pty) Ltd for a total consideration of N$60 million. The vendors are Allied Worldwide Trading Limited, for a 30% shareholding, and Riminii Investment (Proprietary) Limited, for a 15% shareholding. CERIM is an Independent Power Producer (IPP) currently developing a 50 MW (AC) wind power plant located 17km south of Lüderitz in the Karas Region. The project will include the development of 743 hectares of land into a power-generating facility and the construction…

Josef Kefas Sheehama Namibia will be susceptible to this financial contagion in the short to medium term, but I disagree with the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Namibia's assessment that tariffs will have little immediate effect on GDP. It is critical to recognize that Namibia's economy is comparatively small, and a reduction in revenue from international sources will negatively affect the country's liquidity, given that Namibia does not possess sufficient domestic markets to yield adequate income to offset the impacts of earnings from export markets. The markets are projected to continue being highly volatile, undergoing considerable fluctuations…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro As much as Yours Truly Ideologically would wish to give Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia, and her eclectic team  based on  considerations such as gender and youth, and presumably also on technocratic merits, the benefit of the doubt, experiences in governance over the last 35 years simply dictates against this. As with most policies over the last 35 years, the few meaningful ones in the uplifting of the living standards of the masses are concerned. Safe for co-opting a few petty bourgeoises in the current capitalist economic productive system. They are yet to…

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Abstract The question one must ask is; what is our conceptual framework as far as development is concerned? Should we determine the course of our actions based solely on the mantra of “no business as usual”? In his contribution to the appropriation bill, the Landless People’s Movement Leader Bernadus Swartbooi asked, how come in our public discourse there is no reference to words such as “Developmental State”, and “Industrialization”? In our view, he should have asked; What is the conceptual framework as far as our development is concerned?   Is it true…

Wayambekange N Hamufenhu A house without a toilet is, by all definitions, incomplete. Sanitation is not a luxury, it is a human right. It upholds human dignity, protects our health, and provides personal safety. Without proper toilets, people are forced to live in conditions that are both undignified and dangerous. In our beloved Land of the Brave, compared to other sectors such as education, infrastructure, healthcare, and governance, progress has been made. However, sanitation continues to lag. Yet, sanitation is a silent crisis that affects hundreds of thousands, particularly in rural villages and informal settlements. The 2023 Namibian Census report…

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Abstract This article critically examines the constitutional status of Namibia’s Leader of the Official Opposition, a position declared unconstitutional by Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC). Employing a dialectical analysis (thesis-antithesis-synthesis), the study explores the tension between statutory deficiencies and parliamentary conventions that underpin the office. By situating Namibia’s semi-presidential hybrid system within a global comparative framework, including France and Zambia, the article argues that, while the role lacks constitutional grounding, its functional necessity in a democratic system warrants formal legislative codification. It concludes with recommendations for…