With Namibia’s National and Presidential Elections less than three months away, chaos, characterised by factionalism, reigns in Namibian politics. It would seem Namibian political operators are passionate about and committed to division. As the African saying goes, “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” The saying is true for several political parties...
Preliminary findings of the NaMedia media monitoring project, how these findings were presented, and what the organisers chose to amplify would have left a bitter taste in the mouth of any sane individual. The Media Ombudsman undertook a study with the support of private media, foreign development agencies and a local research outfit. The ombudsman’s...
Namibia relies heavily on imports, and rising geopolitical upheaval may limit the country’s economic growth. Within this framework, the growing geopolitical environment, which includes the war between Russia and Ukraine, unrest in the Middle East, and a series of sanctions aimed at preventing Russia’s military-industrial complex from obtaining critical and essential goods such as sophisticated...
Of the 1.4 million registered voters in Namibia, 901 316 were born after 1982, making them younger than 42 and considered to be part of the youth. This was announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia at a press conference yesterday where it also handed over voters’ registers to all registered political parties taking part...
The announcement by the Popular Democratic Movement that it will launch its election manifesto this weekend signals a crucial moment on the election calendar. The PDM has since descended on the Zambezi region capital Katima Mulilo for its congress, which kicks off tomorrow. By Wednesday, delegates from different parts of the country had already started...
Schools have been turned into battlegrounds, with those who believe teachers should be allowed to assault children physically as a means of enforcing discipline making quite some noise in recent weeks, while authorities have their hands full trying to remind Namibians that violence in any form is not acceptable in our society. Many onlookers may...
As the Electoral Commission of Namibia announced the successful conclusion of the fourth general registration of voters (GRV) on 1 August 2024, it is time to look ahead. The overall cumulative number of eligible Namibians who registered as voters, both within the country and at diplomatic missions abroad, was 1 467 604, representing a turnout...
The just-concluded general registration of voters process tells a story of change in Namibia’s voter dynamics, necessitating a shift in planning and logistics. It is time to acknowledge it can no longer be business as usual. The new generation of voters want comfort and avoid ‘inconveniences’, especially when they are not sure if things will...
You can’t vote if you haven’t registered. If you don’t vote, you forfeit the only opportunity you have to voice your opinion about who should make decisions on your behalf. Many young people are not interested in politics, and consider decisions made on their behalf as inevitable, with little impact on their lives. They do...
Perhaps what Winston Churchill said in 1939 could be true today when one critically analyses the internal political affairs of local political parties, for their reality is what is defined. The failure of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) to pull off an elective congress over the weekend is another indication that political parties in...