To shape the future of vending activities in the Tukondjeni market, well-known as Stop n Shop, the City of Windhoek engaged the vending operators in that area regarding their operations. The City has instructed the vendors to clean the marketplace by next Sunday. The meeting aimed to find solutions for locating the vendors. It addressed...
National
Know your civil servants – Making the arts work for government
Lahja Nashuuta It is not every day that one gets to encounter a jack of all trades with enough intellectual fortitude to have mastered them all. And even when you do, the corridors of a government ministry are the last place that you will expect to run into such multi-talented individuals. Not because the government...
Opinion – Digital literacy for creative entrepreneurship
Namibia, a nation of breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural tapestry, is on the cusp of a digital revolution. At the heart of this transformation is the creative industry, a sector brimming with potential to drive economic growth and social change. To harness this potential, Namibian creatives must embrace the twin pillars of artificial intelligence (AI)...
Opinion – Intellectual side of Joseph Diescho
Joseph Diescho is a Namibian political scientist. He is an emeritus professor at the University of Bonn in Germany. Today, the name Joseph Diescho resonates with wisdom, knowledge or a commitment to intellectual pursuit. On the other hand, the name brings out controversies such as a self-imposed exiled Namibian, someone at loggerheads with the...
Opinion – Namibian food system’s sustainability litmus test
Sustainability is a concept we encounter frequently, defined by the United Nations Brundtland Commission as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Namibia has demonstrated a strong commitment to wildlife conservation and environmental protection, notably being one of the first African countries to incorporate...
Opinion – Namibian politics, governance through a magnified lens
To date, hundreds of thousands of Namibian citizens are standing at the far end of the tunnel, focussing anxiously on the awaited Vision 2030 to emerge. As years pass by, every small amount of light detected prompts an adjustment of the lens the society is using to view through the tunnel. It is so because...
Opinion – Policy issues of concern in dual-use dilemma
Dual-use research dilemma refers to the quandary of producing and publishing research in the life sciences that is directed towards or intended to improve public health, animal health or agricultural productivity, but that could be used to harm public health in the hands of a rogue state, terrorist group or individual. One of the technical...
Opinion – An empty brain gives no signal
In April this year, I wrote an article bemoaning the speed at which we seem to be lowering standards and embracing mediocrity in public institutions. That article, titled ‘Developmental State, Meritocracy and Minimum Requirements’ had these important lines: “Our country has subordinated meritocracy in preference of irrational and irrelevant considerations. Ordinary Namibians are aware that...
Editorial – Ethics in the time of AI
The recent barbs exchanged by youth leaders regarding allegations that the ruling party, Swapo, generated parts of its election manifesto using ChatGPT has stirred debate. This commotion comes at the time Namibia celebrated the eighth National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Summit, centred on digital transformation and artificial intelligence. There, ICT minister Emma Theofelus said...
Swakop bridge to get streetlights
SWAKOPMUND – Erongo Red, Roads Authority (RA) and the Road Fund Administration (RFA) have teamed up to install streetlights at the Swakopmund bridge and key interchanges to enhance visibility along coastal roads. Coastal roads are fog-prone and a major safety risk at times. This initiative aims to improve visibility for motorists and residents, reducing the...