EDITORIAL: A nation held hostage by paper

That over 7 000 Namibian graduates have been unable to receive their qualifications simply because they owe money to universities is nothing short of a national shame.It is, therefore, a welcome development - albeit long overdue - that NSFAF has finally stepped in to help settle some of this debt, freeing these young people to collect the qualifications they’ve worked so hard for.These are not dropouts. These are not disengaged youths. These are qualified graduates - young, eager and ready to contribute to the country - whose only crime is poverty. Trapped in a cruel paradox, they cannot apply for jobs without their certificates, and they cannot raise the money to pay off their university debts without a job.And so we have witnessed a generation of Namibians reduced to selling boiled eggs, vetkoek and lollipops at traffic lights - not because they lacked ambition or brains, but because the system denied them dignity. A would-be doctor of 2025 is at the intersection, not the hospital. That is scandalous.As a country, we talk endlessly about skills shortages, about a lack of innovation, and the need for a knowledge-based economy. But how many engineers are out there with their degrees locked away in filing cabinets? How many nurses, accountants, teachers - all trained but barred from the labour market by a financial wall?This must be the last time our people face such a cruel cycle. Education should not become a debt trap. Leadership is not just about managing systems - it’s about seeing people. Let this be a turning point, not a once-off rescue. Let us build a country where success is not stalled by poverty, and where no graduate is ever again held hostage by a piece of paper.

EDITORIAL: A nation held hostage by paper

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-14

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EDITORIAL: A nation held hostage by paper

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-14

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