Columns
Political Perspective
THE word ‘hero’ (heroine) comes from the Ancient Greek ‘heros’, and our country continues to grapple with the concept as to who or what a hero or heroine is. The concept has also changed in meaning from ancient times to today. In...[more]
Notable Quotes
I have a problem with our Government’s lack of support. We are running to the Chinese people, because they have the support from their government and we are ignoring our own people. – A participant said at a two-day conference in...[more]
Time To Incorporate The Youth Is Now!
IN the next few months political party leaders will have the daunting task of finalising their lists of candidates for the upcoming local and regional authority elections.[more]
Could There Be An End To The Zimbabwean Crisis?
OUR ship of state is today sinking! A few are manipulating the system to their advantage, but our intellectuals, our women, our youth, the masses are being flushed down the drain. All our systems, educational, economic, health,...[more]
Entrenching A Gerontocracy In Namibia
ONE of the most defining features of African demographics, including Namibia, is that we have young populations. In fact, according to official government statistics from the National Planning Commission, elderly people aged 65...[more]
A 25-Year Milestone
AUGUST 30 marks a 25-year milestone in the history of The Namibian. Since our founding on this date in 1985, we have survived the tumultuous apartheid era, the country's transition to Independence, the newspaper's own fight for...[more]
Paying Tribute Where It Is Due
THE 30th August 2010 marks a quarter of a century of independent reporting by The Namibian newspaper. It was on that date in 1985 that the first edition of the newspaper hit the streets of Windhoek.[more]
Notable quotes
WE were sleeping. (It was) maybe around 23h00. Later, I heard something and when I woke up, I saw the car standing at my kid’s bed. – Elizabeth Ngwedha, said after a bakkie crashed into her shack in Otjomuise and instantly killed...[more]
Remembering Namibia’s Heroes
EACH year we commemorate and celebrate national heroes in their different capacities and better still, in their own rights. Some we celebrate in high public profile, some in their traditional localities while some we remember...[more]
Notable quotes
IT is very, very important. Because knowing you have HIV is bad enough. – Lead post-donation counsellor for the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia, Augustinus Matyayi, who was recognised as a “hero” by the US government in the...[more]
The Road To Food Security
RECENTLY, I was on a road in the Southern Choma District of Zambia to meet with Rosemary Pisani, a smallholder farmer and mother of eight who struggled to feed her children prior to joining a farmer’s cooperative to raise goats....[more]
Notable quotes
THEY are afraid that he could come after them if he is re-elected. – A union insider told The Namibian that the animosity towards NUNW secretary general Evilastus Kaaronda emanated from the fear that he might take action against...[more]
BEE Versus TESEF
I WRITE this opinion piece in reaction to Job Shipululo Amupanda as published in The Namibian of August 10 2010. I agree with much of his argument and want to add my own contribution to the BEE and TESEF fracas. I see a...[more]
Namibia’s SADC Test
SEVERAL presidents and leaders of government of countries in the Southern Africa Development Community unsurprisingly pussyfooted around the controversial issue of Zimbabwe this week.[more]
Living normally in an abnormal space
I HAVE been in a state of involuntary transit in Windhoek for the past week. It has been turned into a nightmare. I am stuck in Windhoek because my luggage has gone missing in Luanda, the capital of Angola.[more]
The Chinese Miracle: A Cautionary Tale
WILL the 21st century belong to China? For a while, perhaps – but only in the sense that it was said to belong to Japan in the 1980s. Looking back now, that seems ridiculous, but at the time best-selling books were predicting...[more]
Police’s Protest Ban Designed To Stifle Rights
MY sincere apologies to the oppressed people of Swaziland and thousands of others from countries such as Zimbabwe who came to Namibia with the hope of getting their voices heard through a peaceful demonstration.[more]
Political Perspective
ONE of the positives about an environment of free speech and opinion is that people can complain; this is one of the rights they exercise vigorously, and complain they do. Which is good. However, it is one thing simply to...[more]
Notable quotes
IT’S a simple one. The President is a simple man. – NCCI Chief Executive Officer Tarah Shaanika explained to The Namibian that the Mont Blanc pen the NCCI gave to President Hifikepunye Pohamba as a birthday gift was not one of...[more]
Notable Quotes
THERE were one-on-one meetings at noon among the presidents and Zuma managed to nudge president Mugabe into the right direction. – A source telling The Namibian that the annual summit of SADC decided to take action with regard to...[more]