Thought Leaders

On Tuesday of this week the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) had consultations with political parties and whoever else regarding the vexed issue of having paper trail when using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) of which Namibia is a pioneer in their use in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

Scholars in decoloniality are spreading the good gospel according to the total decolonisation of tertiary education and advocating for an era in which African universities will use curricula that are free from the vices or evils of colonialism, apartheid and imperialism. 

Jariretundu Kozonguivi, an intellectual militant internationalist was a brainchild of the African National Congress in Eastern Cape while at Fort Hare University, while Sam Nujoma is a crude breed of the railway contract labour system that forced him to adopt African nationalism to fight for their rights. 

Though separated by many independence years, Ghana, 62 and Namibia, 29, share a common independence birth month: March. 

After more than two years of waiting in exasperation, excitement, hope, expectations and uncertainty, the judge in the class action brought by the Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama against the government of the Federal Republic of Germany has delivered her verdict.

I have a longstanding passion for motivational or inspirational material. Quick research shows that I am not alone. An actress once compared the inspirational or encouraging words to the daily intake of vitamins. At its most effective delivery, motivation may very well be the crutch that moves one from stasis to breakthrough. 

In the words of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.”

Today I want to tackle the concept of originality when it comes to doctoral research degrees.

Goran Hyden is right when he says, “Turing the despair and pessimism that affects large sectors of the African people into hope and optimism will require from the planners of African development to re-inspect the premises upon which they have based their planning to date. No one escapes this challenge: there are no short cuts to progress.”

An article titled ‘A parliament of the elderly’ that appeared in The Patriot newspaper of 8 March 2019 is, to all intends and purposes, fake news that seeks to distort gains made by the ruling party Swapo in being an all inclusive party represented in parliament by a diverse set of individuals of a different range of age groups.