Opinions – Page 9 – Windhoek Observer

28 Nov

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

Namibia went to the polls this week in an atmosphere that was largely calm, orderly and dignified. It is a reminder that, despite frustrations and imperfections, the country remains committed to democratic processes that many societies struggle to uphold. The peaceful character of our elections has always been a quiet national pride and proof that political difference does not need to become political violence. That is precisely why any rhetoric that undermines this peace must be taken seriously. In the lead-up to the elections, Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swaartbooi made remarks that many Namibians interpreted as irresponsible, inflammatory,…

28 Nov

Elections have consequences

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The dust hasn’t quite settled on the 2025 Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections, but the political mood across Namibia already feels unmistakably familiar. Swapo, after its stumble in 2020, has found its footing again. The opposition, meanwhile, looks scattered and winded. Add to this the drag of a low-turnout election, the kind that almost always tilts toward incumbents, and the picture that emerges is one of a democracy revealing not just its choices but also its frustrations. What we are witnessing is a shift in how Namibians are engaging with politics: less animated by party colours, more shaped by…

27 Nov

Do regional and local authority elections make any difference?

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro This may sound like a nonsensical and rhetorical question, if not altogether useless and belated, in view of the fact that we just concluded these very elections and are only now awaiting the results thereof. Be that as it may, compared to the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, there’s no denying that the Regional and Local Authority Elections are, ordinarily, meant to bring politicians closer to people and thereby service delivery. By making councillors elected directly by those they are meant to serve in their regions and localities. Ideally councillors are thus not only known to most, if…

27 Nov

Giving a leeway for foreign intervention through local actors as proxies with silk gloves

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The legendary revolutionary leader Che Guevara once emphasised that “not an inch of concession to imperialism” was a key principle in the struggle for liberation. In Namibia today, that warning echoes louder than ever as questions of sovereignty, foreign influence, and domestic political opportunism reach a boiling point. At the centre of this moment stands Bernadus Swartbooi, leader of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), a man whose recent political behaviour raises alarms far beyond ordinary opposition politics. Swartbooi’s now-infamous letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President…

27 Nov

Young voters shy away from the polls

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

Allexer Namundjembo Youth participation in the regional and local authority elections remained low, with many young voters not visible in the queues at the polls on Wednesday. This is despite more than 643 000 youth registered to vote, making up about 42% of the 1.49 million voters on the final voters register released by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). The regional and local authority elections took place on 26 November 2025. Landless People’s Movement (LPM) Youth leader Duminga Ndala says the low youth turnout in yesterday’s Regional and Local Authority elections signals a serious disconnect between young people and…

27 Nov

The Johannesburg G20 Leaders’ Summit: Africa’s achievement and Africa’s test

Featured, Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) The 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit, the first ever held on African soil, was widely celebrated as a milestone for African agency. For two days, Johannesburg stood at the center of global governance under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.” It was a moment when Africa did not simply participate in the global conversation but also directed it. The continent placed issues such as climate justice, multilateral reform, debt restructuring, and sustainable development at the forefront of the global agenda. But as history often reminds us, progress reveals both power and fragility.…

25 Nov

Silence is complicity

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

The Windhoek Observer has watched Namibian elections for decades. We have seen the rise and fall of political giants, the birth of new movements, and the ever-shifting theatre of campaign rhetoric. But every so often, something happens that forces us to pause, not because it is surprising, but precisely because it is not. It is depressingly familiar. It is predictable. And it is dangerous. This week, reports emerged from Keetmanshoop that Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi and independent candidate Vernon Coleman became entangled in a confrontation that escalated into physical violence. What began, as these things often do, with…

25 Nov

The case for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education

Featured, Opinions

Frieda Stefanus In today’s world, access to accurate and timely health information can mean the difference between thriving and surviving. Nowhere is this more urgent than in the realm of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), particularly for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Without comprehensive education and youth-friendly services, young people face heightened vulnerability to unintended pregnancies, HIV infection, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and gender-based violence (GBV). Knowledge is power and protection SRH education equips AGYW with the tools to recognise and reduce health risks. When young people understand how HIV is transmitted, how to access prevention tools like Pre-Exposure…

25 Nov

Why preserving your retirement money matters — and what to do when you change jobs

Opinions

Selby Sibeya If there is one financial decision that quietly makes or breaks a retirement journey, it is what you do with your pension when you leave a job. Cashing out feels tempting, while preserving the money feels boring. I mean, you are alive now; why not enjoy your money, right? Well, as tempting as that thought is, you need to consider various factors, like living longer, before you chop your money. Life expectancy in Namibia has risen to roughly 67 years. That means many workers who retire around 60 years old will need an income for a decade or…

24 Nov

OBSERVER DAILY | A nation decides: Local elections to signal public confidence in NNN

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

As Namibia approaches the regional and local authority elections on 26 November, the nation finds itself at a critical democratic crossroads. These elections, often overshadowed by the glamour and political theatre of general elections, carry an undeniable weight. They are, in many ways, the most intimate reflection of the people’s voice. This is where political rhetoric meets the hard reality of service delivery; where promises collide with potholes, housing backlogs, sanitation failures, and bread-and-butter governance. What makes this year’s elections particularly consequential is the timing. We are only nine months into the Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah administration. For a presidency still defining…