Curt von Francois – Time to Go
Namibians are calling for the removal of the Curt von François statue in Independence Avenue. See the petition on the issue here – https://www.change.org/p/mayor-of-the-city-of-windhoek-fransina-kahungu-a-curt-farewell Von François is most notoriously known for carrying out the 1893 Hoornkrans Massacre in which mainly women and children were killed. In 2015 Swanu President Usutuaije Maamberua called for the statue […]
Who owns the national flag?
Google any of the recent headline-making protests anywhere in the world and you’ll see images of many demonstrators waving their national flags proudly or in anger. As political protests have gripped various countries around the world, anyone with a newsfeed would have seen the flags of Chile, France, Iran, Iraq, India, Lebanon, Peru, Sudan, to […]
Electoral Justice in Namibia
A quick explainer on how the Electoral Act of 2014 deals with challenges to the results of elections. Independent candidate Dr. Panduleni Itula, along with other four other presidential candidates, is seeking to have the Presidential election of November 27 2019 declared void and for the election to be held again. If an electoral challenge […]
Is the ACC fit for purpose?
Even before this weekend’s botched warrant of arrest (for Bernard Esau), the Anti-Corruption Commission’s independence and competence have long been questioned. Several key corruption cases have either collapsed in court or seen the Prosecutor General decline to prosecute – suggesting shoddy investigations by the ACC (although questions about the PG’s own performance and delays in […]
Why does two-thirds matter?
Swapo has enjoyed a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly since 1994 and in the National Council since 1993. In theory, if Swapo has two-thirds majorities in both the National Council and the National Assembly it can change the Constitution without the agreement of the other parties (Article 132). Since Independence there have been three […]
Week in Review: 8 – 10 October 2019
During the week in review, the National Assembly covered a wide range of its duties, including ministerial statements, reports, bills, and motions. The issue of quorum and questions and answers were discussed as follows: On Tuesday 8 October, the Speaker of the National Assembly announced that his office received a petition from members of Fridays […]
The 5th Children’s Parliament
The 5th Children’s Parliament convened at the National Assembly over the 19th to 23rd August 2019. The group comprised 91 learners from all 14 regions who met under the theme “Engaging Young People in the Legislative Process”. In his opening statements, Hon. Prof. Peter Katjavivi stated that “the fundamental aspect of the Children’s Parliament is […]
Independent Candidates in Namibia
The emergence of independent candidates may be a trend that develops towards the holding of the regional council elections at the end of 2020. We are still a long way off from that election. People on Twitter saying they will stand in the regional elections that are still almost a year-and-a-half away doesn’t mean much […]
Week in Review: 27 – 31 May
During the tabling of the 2019/20 Budget on 27 March 2019, Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein pointed out that the budget made provision for “a growth stimulus package”. However, in their debate during the committee stage between 16 and 28 May 2019, various members of the National Council expressed concern regarding various allocations, notably unemployment, […]
Namibia’s Media – The Digital Challenge
Digitalisation is transforming how media products are both created and accessed. Consumers can now exercise more control over their media use in terms of how they access content. Consumers are increasingly likely to only access a few stories from newspapers or TV stations rather than reading a newspaper from cover to cover or watching an […]
