The issue with the raging flames in Etosha National Park from 22 to 29 September, which posed a serious threat to biodiversity, wildlife and the livelihoods of communities in the affected area, burned about 1.1 million hectares of land, with roughly 775 000 hectares or about 34%, inside the park. This raises a difficult question...
I remember vividly the corridors of the United Nations in October 2000. During Namibia’s leadership of the Security Council in October, I carried with me the conviction that the world needed to view conflict differently. We had emerged from our own liberation struggle, a struggle during which women were not only victims but fighting side...
Namibia’s new administration under President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has highlighted the creative sector as a key to transformation. The creative sector holds potential for jobs, exports and national pride. The question is whether the government and private sector are prepared to foster an environment that allows this sector to succeed. Across Africa, we see how creativity...
In most organisations, there are departments that are considered non-negotiable. Legal and finance, for instance, operate with clearly defined standards and a level of seriousness that no one dares question. Contracts go through rigorous legal reviews. Financial reports are audited, undergo compliance checks and are thoroughly scrutinised. The processes are respected because the risk of...
It is a great sign of progress to see mental health at the centre of both national and political discourse. For those who have been shouting from the rooftops for years, it is a great relief. One may say it may be a little too late considering lives that could have been spared if this...
On 1 October 1975, heavyweight boxing star Muhammad Ali went toe-to-toe with his rival Joe Frazier in the Philippines for a title fight. Ali, poetic as ever, called that encounter ‘Thrilla in Manila’. The theme was inspired by the capital city of the Philippines, Manila. What does a boxing match from fifty years ago have...
Thirty-five years after independence, we are still using a political system created by and for someone else. While other African nations have reformed their governance to suit their people, Namibia remains stuck with Westminster structures that increasingly let us down. It is time to ask, why are we still running our government based on Britain’s...
Parliament is not a hammer that makes noise every time one follows parliamentary proceedings, nor a chamber of unnecessary points of privilege or order that aim to disturb those raising important national concerns. It is a sacred institution of accountability, where the people’s business must be taken seriously. Yet today, Namibia’s Parliament has reached a...
Now more than ever, supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is crucial, given their significant role in the Namibian economy. Major global companies such as DHL, Nike, Apple and Google were once SMEs. Through the support they received, they are now among the largest companies in the world. To highlight the importance of SMEs in...
With the consultations underway and gaining steam in the regions to gather input and backbone regulatory frameworks on the Teaching Profession Bill, it will be unjust and remiss for researchers, teachers, educators and key stakeholders alike to just swallow the proposed legislation hook, line and sinker, without understanding, decomposing the various components of the idea...