Opinions – Page 3 – News Stand

13 Mar

On the cabinet of the new dawn and a missed opportunity to self-correct and set the tone of a unifier and a democrat

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P T SHIPALE The Confidante newspaper of 03 March 2025, aptly described this moment as a dawns of a new era on the SWAPO Party, signalling a shift in leadership paradigm under the first female elected leader in the region, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and the end of an old era which coincides with the passing of Africa’s last liberation icon, Dr. Sam Nujoma. Similarly, the editorial of the Namibian Sun Newspaper of Tuesday, 11 March 2025, properly described the moment as President-elect Nandi-Ndaitwah’s defining test as she finalizes her Cabinet. This time, the stakes could not be higher. The editorial further…

06 Mar

Tackling poor sanitation is a critical step toward a healthier cleaner and, more prosperous Namibia

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Wayambekange N Hamufenhu Sanitation is often overlooked and remains largely invisible to many, yet it has far-reaching consequences. We face an invisible enemy that impacts millions of Namibians daily: “inadequate sanitation”. Despite the undeniable connection between sanitation and improvements in public health, economic productivity, education, and environmental sustainability, this critical issue remains underfunded, overlooked, and inadequately addressed. For Namibia to secure a prosperous future, it must recognize sanitation not just as an infrastructure need but as a foundational pillar of development. The country must confront this issue head-on by investing more resources and adopting a multisectoral approach to tackle the…

06 Mar

Tatekulu’s legacy is not about holding on to, abetting capitalism!

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Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro “Celebrating a Revolutionary, Honouring an African Icon” has been the theme during the mourning of the passing of the Founding President and Father of the Nation, Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma. Indeed, such accolades are befitting of Tatekulu given his dedication to Namibia’s liberation struggle, following in the footsteps of nationalists such as Ovaherero Ombara Otjitambi, Hosea Katjikururume Komombumbi Kutako, and others. Pathfinders and pioneers of the resistance movement who passed on the baton to the Kaukuetus, Nujomas, Garoës, and Beukeses, steering the cause all the way to the country's freedom and independence on the 21st of March, 1990.…

06 Mar

The end of an old era and the re-birth/re-surrection of a new era; Founding President Nujoma, the quintessential pan-africanist

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P T SHIPALE I. PROLOGUE Once again, let me repeat here that it is as if the departure of the Founding President was well-orchestrated by the ancients of days for his burial to take place on the 1st of March 2025 coinciding with the day on which he crossed the border fence into the British Bechuanaland Protectorate, on the 1st of March 1960. The 1st of March 1994, it was the re-integration of Walvis Bay and the offshore islands to Namibia. There is also the date of 21st March. In a bid to test South Africa’s claims at the International…

03 Mar

The Legacy of Sacrifice

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Mirjam Shihepo “My country, I have become a stranger in the country of my birth; now I find myself a stranger in a strange country. My country we are struggling for you, sacrificing for you, our lives, our strengths, and everything we got… ama tukondjere ove (While we are fighting for you).” These stirring lyrics from Jackson Kaujeua’s iconic song “Shilongo Shetu” resonate profoundly as I reflect on the legacy of our selfless Founding Father, His Excellency Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma. The words evoke Namibian culture, the wind of change, and the sacrifices that paved the way for our freedom.…

24 Feb

The Call for Unity: Economic Freedom and Self-Sufficiency for Africa

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Lilungwe Mutafela As African countries face increasing external pressures from Western nations and the European Union, the time has come for the continent to unite and strive for economic freedom and independence. For too long, Africa has been depicted as a continent of dependency, but the message now is clear: Africa must rise and shape its own future. The Vision of Economic Integration One key step in achieving this vision is fostering economic integration. Initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are instrumental in reducing trade barriers and promoting regional cooperation. These measures can help African nations reduce their…

20 Feb

Reparations must be informed and driven by quest for communalism

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Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro REALISTICALLY, the road towards reparations is a long and hard one because the immediate task now staring the Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama in the face is getting the campaign back on track following its attempted derailment by both the Namibian government and its German counterpart. With the Joint Declaration (JD), which was made in 2021 after what seemed like ten years of negotiations on reparations, the two governments have come up with nothing more than a bilateral aid package. This, by the standards of genocide and subsequent reparations, cannot and will never come closer to being defined and…

20 Feb

The last man standing; founding president and father of the NAMIBIAN nation H.E. Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma

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P T SHIPALE I. Prologue Indeed, a great tree has fallen and a great shadow hangs heavy across the entire land because our beloved Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, H.E. Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma is no more. For those of us who knew him, who worked alongside him, who counted and relied on him, who were led by him, who learned from him, who loved him, it is unbearable that we will not see him again. The sad news of his passing struck a deep and solemn note as he was an iconic and quintessential revolutionary leader,…

16 Feb

The Lobito Corridor: Geopolitics, resource control, and African sovereignty

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Lot Ndamanomhata The Lobito Corridor, an ambitious trans-African project, is reshaping the geopolitics of Southern Africa. Spanning Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the corridor connects mineral-rich regions to the Atlantic Ocean, facilitating the export of critical resources such as copper and cobalt. These materials are vital for renewable energy and green technology, and the project’s backing by the U.S. and its allies underscores its global significance. However, the corridor has sparked concerns about sovereignty, resource exploitation, and geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China. The Corridor: A strategic gateway The Lobito Corridor links the DRC’s…

13 Feb

My personal recollections with the Founding Father H.E. Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma; The Last Man Standing

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P T Shipale Although, in my capacity as the Senior Special Assistant to the Founding President, I was kept abreast of the condition of the Founding President, one is never prepared to hear the sad news of the passing of a person who is close to our hearts. More so, if such a person is of the calibre of the Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, H.E. Dr Sam Nujoma. The first time I met the Founding President in person was in 1979 after the Cassinga Massacre on the 4th of May 1978 as I was part of…