Editorial

The unprovoked cold-blooded murder of black American George Floyd is a painful and stark reminder of the minority rule of Namibia by an iron-fisted regime whose trademark was race-based laws excluding black Namibians from the mainstream economy. 

Finalising the 2020/2021 maiden budget by the newly appointed finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi and the cadre of financial technocrats at the ministry of finance was not an easy task when government revenues shrunk in the wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Namibia has in recent months seen an upsurge in malaria in the north and the northeastern regions despite previously having made enormous gains to roll back malaria infections and deaths. 

The economic destruction caused by the Covid-19 outbreak is being felt across industries in our country, particularly the tourism and hospitality sector, which has literally been brought to its knees. 

The first cases of what would become known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) that starts as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were reported in 1981 mostly among a population of men having sex with men in the United States of America (USA).

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has widely issued guidelines related to Covid-19, including critical information on prevention. 

One would have expected businesses to emulate the exemplary example set by President Hage Geingob who personally pledged N$250 000 to the war-chest established towards the national effort to assist the government to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus that has brought the world to a standstill. 

Plagues and epidemics have devastated humanity throughout its existence dating from prehistoric to modern times. But mankind through innovation and sheer resilience has always survived these crises.

Independence Day has always been a momentous occasion in our country’s history and it will remain like that for many years to come. This year it will be an especially auspicious day, as we not only celebrate 30 years of freedom, but will also witness the inauguration of a new administration, including the swearing-in of President Hage Geingob for his second term as head of state. Namibia is definitely a better place than it was over 30 years ago when the institutionalisation of apartheid divided the country and its resources by race.

Rising poverty levels faced daily among the majority of the country’s small population of slightly over two million are in stark contrast to the fabulous natural resources of Namibia, among them gold, diamonds, uranium, copper, marine fisheries, forestry resources and an abundance of labour.