Thought Leaders

Monday this week, 8th April, marked another anniversary of the sad passing of Ovambanderu Paramount Chief Keharanjo Nguvauva.

On the sidelines of a conference titled Colonial Repercussions: Reflecting on the Genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama Peoples 115 Years Later, held in Windhoek last week at the Goethe Institut Namibia, US- based Jephta Nguherimo, a co-founder of the Institute of the Nama, Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama Genocide (ONGI) in the USA, interestingly observed that these days, if ever, Namibians more often talk about rain than they do about genocide and reparations. 

I recall visiting an elderly man who I proudly called “Baba” (father) in 2007. We had worked together in the Biomass Users’ Network.

An omundonga would say “ya vala oyiikutha molweendo” - loosely translated to mean he/she that has given birth has lessen their own burden. As such, the late Omukwaniilwa Kauluma Elifas’s burden is not only lessened by his biological children. It is also lessened by his extended children – the generality of the Aandonga people. 

Graduation time is a special time that signifies that students have achieved their qualifications, and that they deserve to celebrate with their parents, guardians, friends and classmates. It is a time at the end of degree programmes that crowns the work or qualification.

I had a hectic schedule last week, the ultimate in helter-skelter. I was on my feet every working day. And you need to understand early on, that I was not acting on carefully drawn plans.

As a big banner showing the words “One Namibian House” was displayed at the Independence Stadium on Saturday, 21 March 2019, during the celebrations of 29 years of the independence of Namibia, there was a huge ovation from every corner of the Stadium.

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.