Opinions

Paul Shipale While the editorial of the Sun Newspaper on Friday, 23 August 2024, was cautioning the voters against “a litany of mega thumb sucked promises in the manifestos” of political parties without explaining how they will be fulfilled, on his part, Emeritus Professor André du Pisani said this was “A time of empty hollow ringing manifestos” in a country where words have lost their meaning due to deep racial and social divides. Du Pisani’s assertion is premised on his argument that in the context of Southern Africa, there has been two dominant modes of transition from national liberation movements…

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro For all the good efforts those entrusted with attracting and luring, if not enticing investors to the country, at the end of the day their efforts may prove futile and the resources so invested wasteful? Until and when all the necessary ingredients to their efforts are in place. Because investments alone is necessary but not a sufficient ingredient to make Namibia what she wants to be. And herein lies the problematic. Because except for craving investments, scant and significant attention, and/or no attention at all is given to how investments can, may and could benefit the whole country.…

Benedick Moody Louw In a recent post on X, Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa highlighted the growing tension between South African agriculture and the neighboring countries of Botswana and Namibia over the latter's bans on imported vegetables. Sihlobo argues that such bans undermine regional agricultural cooperation and pose significant challenges to South African farmers. He acknowledges the political and economic motivations behind these bans but emphasizes the need for a balanced and cooperative response from South Africa. This article aims to provide a comprehensive response from the perspectives of Namibia, Botswana, the Southern…

Sakaria Johannes Frantz Fanon, a towering figure in decolonial thought, introduced the concepts of the "zone of being" and the "zone of non-being" to describe the existential realities shaped by colonialism and its enduring legacies. These terms encapsulate the different ways people experience the world based on their social, economic, and political positioning within a society deeply influenced by colonial history. Zone of being The "zone of being" is a space where individuals are fully recognized as human, enjoying the rights, privileges, and dignity that come with this recognition. In the colonial and postcolonial contexts, this zone is typically reserved…

Festus Nakatana It is a challenging time for media operations everywhere. Printed media sustainability has been sliding towards the abyss due to declining advertising revenue, reduced circulation, and loss to technology giants. Advertising revenue, in particular, is the lifeblood of newspapers’; ability to remain profitable. This reality rings true in Namibia, considering that circulations of virtually all mainstream print titles are in alarming decline. While some popular media outlets have fully adopted new technologies and advertising models to diversify revenue streams, many are still struggling. They are left to fend for themselves, with no new revenue streams to reshape operations…