Two articles that appeared in New Era yesterday paint a troubling picture of our correctional system — one that cannot be solved by the police and judiciary alone. Severe staff shortages and overcrowding at the Namibia Correctional Service facilities, particularly in Windhoek, were laid bare. In a separate report, safety and security minister Lucia Iipumbu...
When Namibia signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement in July 2018, ratified it in January 2019, and deposited its instruments with the African Union Commission shortly thereafter, it signalled more than compliance with a continental ambition. It signalled Namibia’s belief in Africa as a viable market for domestic enterprises. Several years later, the question is no...
Today, shops are awash in red and white. Florists are fully booked. Restaurants and resorts have prepared special menus for couples eager to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Social media timelines will overflow with carefully curated declarations of affection, expensive gifts and grand gestures meant to symbolise devotion. Yet beneath the roses and reservations lies an uncomfortable...
Namibia’s pitch at Indaba 2026, the annual mining industry gathering in Cape Town, was not just about attracting capital. It was about redefining the country’s economic trajectory. Namibia’s ambitions are encapsulated in the phrases “growth at home, value at home and opportunity for Namibians” that require deeper political and economic recalibration. The coming years will...
This week marked exactly two years since the demise of former president Hage Geingob, a towering African political figure, a first among equals. As February approached, the memory of the 4 February 2024 returned with a heaviness that words still struggle to carry: ‘The sitting President is no more’. This week, Namibia paused to remember...
Namibia can no longer afford to treat cybercrime as an abstract, future-facing risk. It is here. It is organised and it is devastating lives in real time. In recent years, the country has witnessed a disturbing rise in cyber-enabled crimes, with ordinary Namibians losing millions of dollars to criminals operating in an unregulated digital environment....
The incidents involving veterans of the liberation struggle and employees of the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) earlier this week compelled society to pause and reflect on how journalists continue to be treated. What unfolded was not merely an isolated confrontation. It was a troubling reminder of the fragile relationship between the media and sections of...
When the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos this week, he emphasised the end of the rules-based international order and outlined how Canada was adapting by building strategic autonomy. This is all while maintaining values like human rights and sovereignty. In his speech, Carney spoke about...
Fact: Some of the beneficiaries of the Government Institutions Pension Fund’s (GIPF) Housing Scheme will default on their home loans. While this may not be intentional, unforeseen circumstances or financial mismanagement will inevitably lead a pensioner to lose part of their pension because they defaulted on their loan. The question then remains: How will that...
Namibia has just announced the results for learners who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO), commonly referred to as Grade 11, and the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS), popularly known as Grade 12. This period is always emotionally charged, as thousands of young Namibians stand at the threshold of...