Year: 2018

Predictably, and as some observers expected, including this columnist, the hearing in the Class Case brought by the Ovaherero and Nama against the German government last Wednesday was without any immediate closure, with the judge deferring the judgement.

I have never quite understood why rich kids often talk back to teachers. I mean, for us who grew up in the hood - a teacher’s wish was your command! You asked no questions, offered no comments - you just got your lazy behind up and do whatever the heck he/she asked you to. That is, of course, if you knew what’s good for you.

From the outset, one has to understand what this means multifaceted, difficult and contested word, ‘development’. The Society for International Development defines development as a process that creates growth, progress, and positive change to the physical, economic, environmental, and social life of citizens. The purpose of development is a rise in the level and quality of life of the people, employment opportunities without damaging the resources of the environment.

This article is meant to present my contribution to the prickly debate that is underway on Facebook, especially among the residents of the Zambezi Region. It is my desire to demonstrate the intellectual bankruptcy embedded in the contributions made by the sympathisers of the secessionists, as these individuals seem to be motivated by nothing else but family loyalism, and utter indiscretion. It is quite irritating when the residents of this region are again and again drawn back to the debate of an issue that exists in the minds of individuals who failed in their pursuit of different careers. These individuals have used their failure, and the bad experience associated with it, to justify the secession of the Zambezi Region from Namibia. It is so sad that these individuals have won sympathisers among innocent fellows who have failed to rise above imaginary tribal boundaries either due to sheer absurdity, or little education.

The highly controversial, contentious and sensitive issue, which might divide the Namibian people, is the issue of the land taken from those who were forced to withdraw from the lands on which they pastured their animals to let the colonialists take over and pasture their animals on those lands. Between 1893 and 1903 the Germans went on a rampage of expropriating land and animals from specific groups of people. This process became even worse when German colonial forces decided to exterminate the Ovaherero and Nama people during 1904-1908. The South African regime, which took over the country from the Germans, continued with the land expropriation of some of the groups of this country, and victims of this land expropriation are known and they were the people who owned the land in the South and Central parts of the country. The descendants of those people are the ones who are demanding restoration of ancestral land rights today.

Socrates have proclaimed that discipline is the highest level of education that can be attained by an educated human being. Yet, still, discipline can still be held in exception of education background. Many times, we have come across with sentiments about discipline, issues about discipline as well as conducts about discipline. From my point of view, I define discipline as an art of adhering and honouring the defined and established norms (law) and customs of a particular culture for a certain society, nation, community, institution and so forth.

There is doubt Namibia is under siege from economic stagnation and consequently the resultant high unemployment being compounded by massive retrenchments in mining, retail, fishing and other key pillars of its fragile economy. Also, thousands of university graduates and even unskilled school leavers scramble for the few job opportunities whenever such opportunities arise.

OSHAKATI - In its quest to bring development closer to the people and to enhance participatory democracy, the Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Lucia Witbooi yesterday handed over decentralised functions to 14 regions.

WINDHOEK - The University of Namibia (Unam)’s Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Neudamm campus Wednesday inaugurated two Clinical Skills laboratories for the School of Veterinary Medicine.

WINDHOEK – Imagine receiving an eWallet of N$500 from a friend and instead of taking a taxi to the nearest FNB ATM machine, you simply use the Bank Windhoek ATM not far from where you are standing waiting for a taxi when that SMS notification beeped on your cellphone. Just close your eyes for a moment, and visualise if you will, the flood of relief and joy of convenience that would jolt through you were that a real option.