namibia - The African Mirror

Jun

2021

Namibian genocide: why Germany’s bid to make amends isn’t enough

THE recent “joint declaration” of the Namibian and German governments on dealing with the 1904-08 genocide marks the first time a former colonial power has officially offered an apology to another country for state sponsored mass crimes. REINHART KÖSSLER, Professor in Political Science, University of Freiburg HENNING MELBER, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria The agreement stipulates that Germany will pay €1.1bn for development projects in Namibia over the next 30 years. Some pundits consider the accord a potential template for efforts towards post-colonial reconciliation for other former colonies and colonial powers. We recognise that this is…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Namibia to scrap colonial-era gay sex ban

NEWS

KIM HARRISBERG NAMIBIA could soon scrap a colonial-era law that criminalises gay sex between men, the justice minister said on Friday, calling the legislation "outdated and discriminatory". The law is rarely enforced in the Southern African country and is among several dozen laws that the government will consider abolishing following recommendations by a reform commission. "The LGBTQI community are human beings and we must not allow them being excluded from the bouquet of rights enunciated in our constitution," Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "This sodomy law is outdated and discriminatory ... All Namibians should enjoy life,…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

COVID-hit Namibia makes second bid to auction off fisheries quota

BUSINESS

NAMIBIA’S government will have a second go at auctioning off part of its horse mackerel fish quota to raise money for its coronavirus-hit coffers after the first sale flopped, a prospectus showed yesterday. The ministries of finance and fisheries were inviting bids for a June 18 auction of the 87,500 metric tonne quota of the country's horse mackerel fisheries normally reserved for state-owned Fishcor, the paper said. "The purpose of the auction is to raise revenue for government expenditure," finance ministry spokesman Tonateni Shidhudhu said. Namibia's first auction staged in August last year was a disappointment after bidders stumped up…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Gay couple’s children given passports

NEWS

NAMIBIA yesterday issued emergency travel documents to the twin daughters of a gay couple who have been battling to take them home following their birth to a surrogate in South Africa, one of the fathers told Reuters. Namibian Phillip Luhl and his Mexican husband Guillermo Delgado had already been fighting for citizenship for their two-year-old son when the twins, born in March, were refused the documents required to enter Namibia. Namibian authorities say Luhl must prove a genetic link to the children. The fathers had taken the home affairs ministry to Namibia's High Court over the matter, but it ruled…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Human-wildlife conflicts surge in Namibia

ENVIRONMENT

NAMIBIA has seen a surge in incidents of human-wildlife conflicts involving elephants, buffaloes and other species, mainly in the north and northeastern parts of the country, the environment minister told parliament on Wednesday. Like several other African nations, Namibia is trying to strike a balance between protecting high-value species like elephants and rhinos, while managing the danger they pose when they encroach on areas of human habitation. The country has resorted to auctioning off some of its elephants while relocating others to national parks. In some cases, government would "destroy" problem-causing animals, the minister said. The plans have riled some…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Namibia to roll out AstraZeneca vaccine

COVID-19

NAMIBIA will push ahead with the roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine despite neighbouring South Africa halting distribution after concerns over its effectiveness against a new variant, the government said yesterday. The nation of 2.5 million people recorded more than 36,000 COVID-19 cases with 394 deaths, with its mining and tourism-depended economy severely hit by the pandemic. Health and Social Services Minister Kalumba Shanghula said investigations were still underway to establish whether the new COVID-19 variant is present in Namibia and the extent of its prevalence. "In the meantime, our preparations for COVID-19 vaccine roll-out are ongoing," he said. South Africa…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Will Smith in Namibia for documentary

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER AMERICAN actor Will Smith has arrived in Namibia to film part of the National Geographic documentary series ‘One Strange Rock’. The Namibian Sun reported that Smith, dressed in a yellow sweat suit and black cap, landed in the capital city of Windhoek, greeted by a red carpet and airport staff. https://twitter.com/namibiansun/status/1356622607953584128?s=20 Smith is in the country as part of the second season of ‘One Strange Rock’, which he has been the host of since it’s premiere in 2018. The actor’s flight to Namibia included a pitstop in the UAE, where he was pictured with former UFC champion…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Namibia’s democracy enters new era as ruling Swapo continues to lose its lustre

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE results of the latest regional and local government elections in Namibia show just how much the political landscape has changed in the country since independence from South Africa in 1990. HENNING MELBER, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria The South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) – the former liberation movement that has governed the country since independence – used to win by huge margins. But, increasingly, Namibians are losing trust in its ability to run the country. They are making different political choices. For the first time, Swapo suffered numerous defeats at regional and local levels…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Namibia to auction 170 elephants over drought, increased population

NEWS

NAMIBIA has put 170 "high value" wild elephants up for sale due to drought and an increase in elephant numbers, the southern African country's environmental ministry said on Wednesday. An advertisement carried by state-owned daily New Era said an increase in incidents of human-elephant conflict motivated the sale of the large mammal that is at risk of extinction due to poaching and ecological factors. The Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism said it would auction the animals to anyone in Namibia or abroad who could meet the strict criteria, which include quarantine facilities and a game-proof fence certificate for the…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

More than 7,000 dead seals found along Namibian beach – conservation group

ENVIRONMENT

THE number of dead seals found washed ashore on the coast of Namibia has risen to more than 7,000, according to non-profit group Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN). OCN said last week thousands of dead seal pups had washed ashore at Pelican Point peninsula, a tourist destination known for its colony of seals and school of dolphins. Naude Dreyer, a marine biologist at OCN, said investigations in the past week had revealed a spike in the number of dead female adults. "What we have been observing is less freshly dead seal pups and a lot of dead female adults," he said…