… As social scientist Ndumba Kamwanyah has warned: “A liberation movement that cannot reflect on its own excesses risks replicating the same authoritarian tendencies it once opposed.” Henning Melber was a member of Swapo from 1974 to 2025. …
Swapo’s Authoritarian PopulismNamibia Minute.
Monday, 11 May 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Monday, 11 May 2026
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Person
Henning Melber
Also known as: Melber · Political analyst Henning Melber
Political analyst who has criticized Namibian government appointments and fiscal policies, including commentary on deputy minister posts and the public wage bill.
In coverage
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
- April 2026
… Political analyst Henning Melber yesterday said the move partly signals a reversal of the initial trimming of government positions as a cost-saving measure. …
Namibia’s new deputy ministers’ appointments raise budget concerns- March 2026
… way it’s going to be, if you don’t knowYou can’t educate usFor no equal opportunityTalking about my freedomPeople freedom and liberty.We’ve been trodding on the winepress much too longRebel, rebelYes, we’ve been trodding on the winepress much too longRebel, rebel.” Henning Melber …
Namibia at 36 Years – From Where to Where?… Another political analyst, Henning Melber, argues that it is noteworthy that one of the two competing traditional authority factions attended the meeting at State House. …
Riruako visit not recognition as paramount chief – Presidency- February 2026
… A draft bill meant to reduce benefits was being considered by Geingob, but it was never tabled in parliament. ‘FROM PRIVILEGE TO LUXURY’ Political commentator Henning Melber says it may be justified to discuss whether assets such as houses are in private possession after a former …
Mansions for presidents on chopping block… Political analyst Henning Melber argues that the government faces a difficult dilemma, as downsizing the public service would likely cost votes. …
Govt wage bill to crowd out development spending… Political analyst Henning Melber says although the president rightly points to the importance of maintaining and strengthening global governance, she should be more principled in her reference points to gain more credibility. …
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah rejects Africa as global battleground at 39th African Union summit in Ethiopia… Henning Melber For him, multiculturalism requires a reminder that the good old things still exist. …
Germany’s Colonial Memory Failure- January 2026
… Henning Melber is an associate of the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala, and extraordinary professor at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.
Namibia’s Global Policy at a Crossroads… Political analysts Ndumba Kamwanyah and Henning Melber describe the think tank appointments as leaning towards loyalty to party leadership rather than independence. …
Govt overloaded with committees – analysts
Opinion
Swapo's authoritarian populism rooted in liberation struggle mentality
The News
An opinion piece argues that Swapo, like other former liberation movements in government, has failed to deliver on promises and uses patriotic narratives of its struggle history to justify remaining in state control, drawing parallels to critiques of post-colonial African governments by Frantz Fanon and Angolan author Pepetela.
Why it matters
Opinion analysis of Swapo's authoritarian populism rooted in liberation mentality examines governance patterns affecting national political trajectory.
26 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Sunday 26 April
Swapo's authoritarian populism rooted in liberation struggle mentality
An opinion piece argues that Swapo, like other former liberation movements in government, has failed to deliver on promises and uses patriotic narratives of its struggle history to justify remaining in state control, drawing parallels to critiques of post-colonial African governments by Frantz Fanon and Angolan author Pepetela.
26 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 8 April
New deputy minister posts draw criticism over budget costs
Political analysts have criticised president Nandi-Ndaitwah's appointment of seven deputy ministers, saying the move will cost the government nearly N$1.7 million annually and reverses earlier cost-saving pledges. Critics including analyst Henning Melber argue the appointments signal inadequate planning and a centralisation of power, while raising concerns about the appointees' ability to effectively balance parliamentary, executive, and regional council duties.
8 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Friday 20 March
Namibia at 36: Liberation promises betrayed, inequality persists
An analysis marking Namibia's 36 years of independence contrasts the jubilation of 1990 with present-day inequality and governance failures, arguing that the liberation movement's slogans of "Solidarity, Freedom, Justice" have been compromised by elite self-enrichment and a persistence of class-based oppression under continued Swapo rule.
20 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 10 March
Presidency denies Riruako State House visit recognition as paramount chief
The Presidency clarified that Hoze Riruako's meeting with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah should not be interpreted as recognition of him as paramount chief of the OvaHerero Traditional Authority, saying the matter remains before the courts and the executive cannot decide issues under judicial adjudication. The traditional authority has been disputed between Riruako's and Mutjinde Katjiua's factions.
10 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Friday 27 February
State House reviews mansions granted to retired presidents
President Nandi-Ndaitwah is reportedly pushing to end the practice of allocating state-funded mansions to former presidents, preferring instead to accept a portion of benefits for her own retirement home. The review of the Former Presidents' Pension and Other Benefits Act will also examine extending benefits to vice presidents, amid criticism that such perks are excessive given widespread hardship among ordinary Namibians.
27 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Monday 23 February
Government wage bill risks crowding out development spending
Opposition shadow minister Michael Mwashindange warns that the government's growing wage bill—now covering 119,000 civil servants—crowds out development and infrastructure spending while increasing borrowing pressure. Political analyst Henning Melber suggests the government faces a strategic dilemma between downsizing the public service and risking electoral support, and should instead focus on attracting private-sector investment.
23 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 17 February
President calls for African sovereignty, climate action at AU summit
At Ethiopia's 39th African Union Summit, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah advocated for Africa to remain a sovereign partner rather than a battleground for competing global interests, and called for continental investment in water infrastructure and climate solutions. She reported that Namibia's youth unemployment programme has disbursed N$62.3 million to 140 projects creating about 722 jobs, though analysts cautioned that strong speeches must be accompanied by measurable policy implementation results.
17 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Sunday 15 February
Germany backtracks on colonial accountability as new government sidelines Namibia
Germany's commitment to reckon with its colonial past in Namibia has weakened significantly under the new CDU/CSU-SPD government, which mentions colonialism only briefly in its coalition agreement and makes no reference to Namibia. A newly appointed state secretary for culture dismisses adding colonialism to official memory culture as "dangerous relativism," citing the Holocaust as the singular reference point for German state ethics.
15 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 28 January
Namibia faces choice between multilateralism and unilateral alignments
An opinion piece argues that Namibia must openly debate and declare its foreign policy position amid global tensions, cautioning that the country's current alignment with Russia and China—despite rhetoric of non-alignment—could jeopardize trade benefits and put it at odds with multilateral principles that facilitated its independence. The author contrasts Namibia's closed policy discussions with South Africa's public commitment to strengthening the UN-based multilateral order.
28 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 20 January
Political analysts question value of new Swapo think tank
Political analysts say the government is overloaded with overlapping committees and advisers that duplicate work and delay service delivery. Critics argue the new Swapo think tank, comprising 37 appointed members, lacks independence and will produce little meaningful output, while a defending analyst says such bodies can help the party and government reassess decisions and plans.
20 January 2026 · The Namibian →