Op Die Keper Beskou

24/10/2025

The Widening Crisis Within Swapo:

The ongoing crisis within the Swapo Party has reached a new and dangerous level of internal fragmentation, reflected most vividly in the current protest by so-called “veterans” camping at the party’s premises. Ostensibly demanding payouts for promises made during exile and at the dawn of independence in 1989, their timing—barely weeks before the upcoming elections—is too calculated to be coincidental. It represents not merely a cry of economic despair but a potent political signal of disillusionment within Swapo’s traditional power base.

Swapo’s quick attempt to shift blame towards the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) betrays an undercurrent of panic. The party’s historical moral authority—the legacy of liberation—is eroding, as ordinary veterans and grassroots members contrast their decades of suffering with the opulence of the elite - “fat in body and bank accounts", as ordinary people mock them.This sharp inequality between the liberation aristocracy and the neglected foot soldiers has created a combustible mix of resentment and betrayal that no propaganda can easily contain.

At the centre of the turmoil stands Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (NNN), the party’s president, who has boldly attempted to purge the old guard and rebrand Swapo as a “new” force under her stewardship. While her efforts to sanitise Swapo’s image and distance it from entrenched corruption have won her some respect, they have simultaneously alienated powerful factions accustomed to patronage and internal immunity. The infighting that ensued has split the party into camps of survivalists and reformists—each distrustful of the other.

The veterans’ protest, therefore, must be read as both a symptom and a weapon: a symptom of decades-long neglect, and a weapon exploited in factional wars aimed at embarrassing the current leadership. With the electorate growing more sceptical and opposition parties capitalising on Swapo’s fatigue, the stakes are existential. Nandi-Ndaitwah faces an impossible balancing act—appease the disgruntled veterans and grassroots while convincing the nation that Swapo can renew itself.

Whether she succeeds or presides over Swapo’s early political collapse depends on one question: can moral authority be rebuilt after decades of excess, or has the liberation movement finally turned against itself?

23/10/2025

The Feminisation Wave: A Nation at the Crossroads:

By Pius Dunaiski

For more than a century, the emancipation of women has been the defining social revolution of our age. From the suffragette movements in Europe and America to the landmark UN Beijing Women’s Conference of the 1990s, the advance of women into every sphere of society has been both remarkable and irreversible. Namibia, a young nation born in the spirit of equality, embraced this global tide enthusiastically. Today, women lead in politics, the civil service, and academia.

Yet, beneath the surface of these triumphs, a more troubling picture is emerging. The drive for gender equality, when uncritically imported from Western liberal societies and imposed upon deeply traditional and religious communities, can produce unintended consequences. The signs are visible across Namibia: rising rates of male su***de, persistent gender-based violence, soaring divorce statistics, and widespread substance abuse. The boy child, once nurtured as the protector and provider, now grows up confused and marginalised in a social order that increasingly doubts his worth or purpose.

No one disputes that women’s empowerment was somehow necessary to achieve equality and dignity of women, who were harshly oppressed for many centuries. The sins of patriarchy were real and often cruel. But the remedy, in many instances, has become an overcorrection. What began as a quest for fairness has in some places turned into a crusade for dominance—a sweeping feminisation of society that risks dismantling the very foundations that hold it together: family, faith, and responsibility.

Namibia’s embrace of gender equality policies owes much to global institutions that often fail to appreciate our cultural context. African societies have traditionally valued complementarity between men and women rather than competition. In our homes, faith communities, and extended families, man and woman were partners in purpose, not rivals for power. When this balance is upset by ideologies that glorify individualism and diminish the family, the social costs are immense.

The evidence is plain to see. Families are fragmenting. Children are growing up without fathers or moral anchors. Violence against women and men alike reflects not just cruelty, but deep confusion about roles, duty, and dignity. Economic progress cannot compensate for moral decay. A nation cannot prosper when its men are lost, its women burdened, and its families broken.

History reminds us that no civilisation survives long after it undermines the family. The Western world itself is now wrestling with the consequences of decades of radical social experimentation—declining birth rates, loneliness, and moral fatigue. Namibia must not follow blindly down that same path. We can honour the advancement of women without abandoning the natural order that gives life coherence and meaning.

The way forward lies in restoring balance. Empowering women must go hand in hand with re-educating and uplifting men. The boy child needs mentorship, not marginalisation. The father figure needs restoration, not ridicule. Policy must once again prioritise the family as the cornerstone of national development. Churches, schools, and traditional authorities should reclaim their role in shaping moral character and social harmony.

We stand at a crossroads. One path leads to further fragmentation—a society where gender is a battlefield and the family a casualty. The other leads to renewal—where men and women walk side by side, distinct yet united in purpose, anchored in shared values and faith.

The feminisation wave need not wash away who we are. If guided by wisdom, humility, and respect for our traditions, it can help us rediscover the balance that made our communities strong. The future of Namibia depends not merely on equality, but on the restoration of order, family, and moral strength.

Pius Dunaiski is a Namibian writer and social commentator focusing on faith, cultural renewal, and moral questions in contemporary society.

10/10/2025

The Judas Within — A Poetic Essay on Betrayal:

Betrayal is the most refined cruelty of the human heart. It is not born in the open, but in the shadows behind a smile. It is the kiss of Judas — tender, familiar, and fatal. The tragedy lies not merely in the act, but in its intimacy. Only one who has eaten at your table, shared your dreams, and been trusted with your silences can strike so deeply.

How mysterious is the human heart that love and hatred can dwell together in its chambers. Jealousy grows quietly there, like a vine wrapping itself around affection, suffocating what was once pure. The betrayer does not begin as a monster, but as a friend who lets envy whisper too long. What begins as admiration turns to rivalry, and admiration’s light curdles into resentment.

Christ knew his betrayer. He broke bread with him, washed his feet, and still called him friend. That is the divine tragedy — to love knowing you will be wounded, and to forgive even as the wound opens. The story of Judas is not confined to ancient scripture; it walks with us daily in boardrooms, in marriages, in friendships once sacred. Every age reenacts Gethsemane under new stars.

Yet betrayal, for all its venom, cannot conquer love. It exposes not only the frailty of man, but the endurance of grace. The knife reveals what words could not — the limits of loyalty and the boundlessness of mercy. To be betrayed is to see the human condition stripped bare: glorious in potential, pitiful in weakness, and still somehow redeemable.

So we weep, we forgive, and we rise — for though betrayal wounds, it also awakens. It teaches us that the heart of man is fragile clay, but the heart of love is indestructible.

01/10/2025

There come a time in any person's life when talk becomes a real walk. Caroline jumped first...! She asked sincerely for your vote to change the trajectory of our country.

30/09/2025

Anthropologist Robert J. Gordon on the San in Namibia:

Gordon is a Namibian-born anthropologist (raised in South Africa, later based in the U.S.) who has written extensively on southern Africa, especially about the San (often referred to historically as “Bushmen”).

One of his most influential works is The Bushman Myth: The Making of a Namibian Underclass (1992; revised edition 1997, sometimes subtitled The Bushman Myth Revisited: Dispossession and the Road to Servitude).

Core Themes of Gordon’s Work:

The “Bushman Myth”: He explores how European settlers, missionaries, colonial officials, and even later anthropologists constructed an image of the San as a “primitive,” “timeless,” and “vanishing” people. This image was both romanticized and derogatory, serving colonial agendas.

Dispossession: The San were systematically driven from their land in Namibia and Botswana, marginalised by ranching, conservation projects, and government policies.

Servitude: Deprived of their subsistence base, many San were pushed into dependency, often working as cheap laborers or servants on farms, in military units, or in informal economies.

Anthropology’s Role: Gordon critically reflects on how his own discipline sometimes perpetuated stereotypes rather than challenging them. He calls for reflexivity and ethical responsibility in research.

Political and Human Rights Dimension: The book highlights how dispossession connects to broader issues of indigenous rights, land claims, and the need for redress.

Importance:

The book is considered a landmark in critical anthropology of southern Africa.

It helped reframe the San not as relics of the past but as contemporary people struggling with poverty, landlessness, and political exclusion.

It connects local Namibian history to global debates about indigenous rights and the legacies of colonialism.

The Bushman Myth Revisited: Dispossession and the Road to Servitude is both a history and a critique. It documents how the San were dispossessed and relegated to servitude while challenging the myths that justified their treatment.

29/09/2025

A New Middle East Plan and Lessons for Namibia:

The fresh announcement by President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a 20-point postwar plan for Gaza is being billed as a turning point in the search for Middle East peace. Unlike the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, which gave the Palestinians limited self-rule but dodged final-status issues, and unlike President Bill Clinton’s Camp David talks that collapsed over Jerusalem and refugees, this proposal leans on broad Arab participation, Gulf financing, and international oversight. The aim is to disarm Hamas, rebuild Gaza, and link Arab–Israeli normalisation to measurable progress.

What is new is not simply the content of the plan, but the architecture: Arab and Muslim states are no longer passive observers. They are being drawn into the enforcement and financing of the peace. International actors would oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, reducing the burden on Israel and the Palestinians alone. If it works, it could bring stability and a path back to political negotiations.

But peace is never easy. If Hamas rejects the plan, Gaza risks sliding back into violence. If Israeli politics harden against concessions, the entire process could stall. And if Palestinians see only another imposed arrangement without a credible statehood horizon, legitimacy will remain elusive. At the same time, the growing number of Western countries recognizing Palestine strengthens the diplomatic hand of Palestinians and signals to Israel that the world expects more than endless conflict.

Namibia has its own history of negotiated peace. Our independence came through international mediation, regional solidarity, and painful compromise. The lesson we can draw is that peace requires three things: courage to talk with enemies, enforcement mechanisms everyone trusts, and a vision of fairness that ordinary people can believe in. Without those, even the best-crafted plan will remain just paper.

04/01/2025

On 2025:

Most people ascribe to the notion of making a core bedrock pledge to themselves on which other resolutions or plans are built. It helps in guiding our direction for that epoch. Mine is: NO TIME FOR EXCUSES ANYMORE; LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

12/10/2024

On the Leadership Profile for Namibia; The Most Frequent Question:

To create a leadership profile for the best president Namibia would need now, we should focus on the country's current challenges and opportunities. Namibia faces economic difficulties, youth unemployment, inequality, corruption, and environmental concerns, while it also holds potential for growth in sectors like tourism, mining, renewable energy, and agriculture. Below is a leadership profile for an ideal president for Namibia in the present time:

1. Visionary and Strategic Thinker

Long-term Vision: The president must have a clear and compelling vision for Namibia’s future. They should be focused on creating sustainable economic growth, reducing poverty, and fostering social cohesion.

Strategic in Policy-making: They must understand the need to create policies that will enhance Namibia’s position in regional and global markets, while addressing local issues such as unemployment, income inequality, and education reform.

2. Economically Savvy

Pro-economic Diversification: The ideal leader should prioritize diversifying Namibia’s economy away from its dependence on mining and agriculture, investing in emerging sectors like technology, renewable energy (solar and wind), and tourism.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Focus: They should promote entrepreneurship and innovation, especially among the youth, by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and reducing red tape.

Sound Fiscal Management: A deep understanding of fiscal policy and budget management is essential to keep Namibia's debt under control and ensure responsible use of resources.

3. Anti-corruption and Integrity

Unwavering Integrity: Corruption has hindered Namibia’s development, so the ideal president should have a zero-tolerance stance on corruption. They must lead by example, demonstrating transparency in governance and personal conduct.

Institutional Reforms: They should focus on strengthening anti-corruption institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), ensuring that law enforcement agencies are well-funded, independent, and free from political interference.

4. Inclusive Leadership and Social Reformer

Youth and Gender Empowerment: Namibia's high youth unemployment rate and gender inequality require a leader who will push for reforms in education and skills training, particularly in STEM fields. The president should ensure that women and marginalized groups have equal access to opportunities.

Strong Advocate for Social Justice: A commitment to improving the welfare of the poor and marginalized communities is essential. They should pursue policies that tackle social inequality and address land reform and housing issues in an equitable manner.

5. Environmentally Conscious

Pro-green Policies: With Namibia’s vulnerability to climate change, the president should prioritize green development, water conservation, and renewable energy. They must ensure Namibia's development remains environmentally sustainable, leveraging its vast renewable resources.

Support for Conservation and Tourism: Namibia is home to unique wildlife and ecosystems. The president should be committed to protecting these natural assets while promoting eco-tourism as a key driver for sustainable growth.

6. Diplomatic and Regional Leader

Pan-African Outlook: The president should embrace Namibia’s role within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU), working to enhance regional trade, security, and cooperation.

International Partnerships: They should strengthen Namibia’s partnerships with international bodies such as the United Nations, fostering relationships with key global powers and development organizations while prioritizing the country’s sovereignty and national interests.

7. Charismatic and Inspirational

Inspirational Leadership: The ideal president should be able to inspire confidence and hope among the people. Charismatic and approachable, they should communicate effectively with citizens, building a sense of unity and shared purpose.

Resilience in Leadership: The president should remain steadfast and composed in times of crisis, particularly given Namibia’s challenges with droughts, economic instability, and public discontent.

8. Technologically Forward-Thinking

Digital Transformation Champion: The president must embrace digital transformation in both government and private sectors. They should promote e-governance to improve service delivery, transparency, and reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Youth and Tech Focus: With the growing global focus on the digital economy, the president should be committed to enhancing tech skills among the youth and fostering an innovation-driven economy.

9. Cultural and Historical Awareness

Respect for Cultural Diversity: Namibia is home to diverse ethnic groups, and the president must value and promote national unity, while respecting the cultural identities and contributions of all communities.

Historical Understanding: The president should possess a deep understanding of Namibia's historical struggles, especially its fight for independence, and work to heal any lingering divisions.

10. Accountable and Transparent

Accessible to Citizens: The president must foster a culture of openness and accountability, encouraging regular engagement with citizens. This includes town halls, press conferences, and the use of digital platforms to remain connected with public sentiment.

Responsive Governance: They must have a strong team that listens to feedback, quickly addresses crises, and is committed to continuous improvement in public service delivery.

In summary, the best president for Namibia would need to be a visionary leader, committed to economic growth, social equity, environmental sustainability, and strong governance. This individual should inspire hope and pride among Namibians while positioning the country for a prosperous and sustainable future.

(Borrowed).

07/07/2024

Namibia Inc. has witnessed Swapo's core moral incurable sickness. Let's registered and brush them aside forever. They became corrupt before independence and never recover from a this deadly disease of tribalism and greed. These are their gods for life...!

21/06/2024

Being weak because you lie you won freedom and the military struggle, denying you got power by default by the fall of the Cold War and the supremacy of Western hegemony, Swapo is a very weak organisation. Its demise is imminent and sure.

For more on this and other stories; grab a copy of the Newspaper 🗞

03/03/2024

Waiting

On Thursday we are launching booklets and animations which explain how the layperson can use the Access to Information Act. This is in cooperation with the Action Namibia Coalition and High Commission of Canada in South Africa
The booklets and animations are especially geared for civil society activists but can also be used by anyone who wants a clear, accessible guide to the law.
The Access to Information Act has been signed into law but is not yet fully implemented - we hope that the law will be shortly become operational.
If you would like to attend on Thursday please confirm by sending your details to [email protected]