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Editorial
Editorial

EDITORIAL: A new mayor for Windhoek, but so what?

After months of infighting among city councillors, Windhoek finally has a new mayor. But this prolonged power struggle wasn’t driven by competing visions for serving the city’s residents. Instead, it was a tug-of-war for control over the City of Windhoek as an institution, with the needs of the people left to languish in the shadows.



Last year, the opposition alliance collapsed under the weight of inflated egos, paving the way for Swapo to exploit the cracks and reclaim control of the city’s leadership, including the pivotal management committee.



This year, the opposition patched things up, joined forces and ousted Swapo to restore its own dominance. But for what purpose?



Will this leadership shift bring better sanitation for Windhoek’s residents? Or will those living on the city’s outskirts continue to rely on nearby bushes when nature calls, exposing themselves to the dangers of sexual predators and harsh weather?



Will new mayor Ndeshihafela Larandja ensure that children in Babylon and Okahandja Park have reliable electricity to study at night? Or will flickering candles remain the only light for their fading dreams?



Leadership is about using power as a tool for meaningful change, not as a trophy to flaunt.

Windhoek desperately needs leaders with a clear vision and actionable plans to transform the city. It needs a mayor who prioritises the dignity and well-being of all residents, from the inner city to its most neglected fringes.



The question is no longer who holds power – it is what they will do with it. The residents of Windhoek deserve more than political theatrics. They deserve a future where leadership is measured by its impact on their lives, not by its pageantry.

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-15

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Six Nations: Scotland 18 vs 32 Ireland | England 26 vs 25 France | Italy 22 vs 15 Wales Premier League: Everton 2 vs 2 Liverpool Katima Mulilo: 18° | 28° Rundu: 18° | 28° Eenhana: 18° | 27° Oshakati: 19° | 27° Ruacana: 18° | 27° Tsumeb: 18° | 25° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 24° Omaruru: 19° | 29° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Gobabis: 19° | 22° Henties Bay: 18° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:07, High tide: 05:11, Low Tide: 23:08, High tide: 17:22 Swakopmund: 17° | 18° Wind speed: 16km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:09, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:20 Walvis Bay: 18° | 21° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:08, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:19 Rehoboth: 21° | 30° Mariental: 24° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 26° | 37° Aranos: 21° | 33° Lüderitz: 15° | 27° Ariamsvlei: 24° | 39° Oranjemund: 15° | 23° Luanda: 26° | 29° Gaborone: 20° | 31° Lubumbashi: 17° | 21° Mbabane: 17° | 24° Maseru: 18° | 31° Antananarivo: 18° | 22° Lilongwe: 19° | 29° Maputo: 22° | 31° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Cape Town: 19° | 24° Durban: 21° | 24° Johannesburg: 18° | 30° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 17° | 19° Harare: 17° | 23° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.04 | EUR to NAD 19.24 | CNY to NAD 2.53 | USD to NAD 18.37 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.21 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 134.95 | USD to AOA 912 | USD to BWP 13.83 | USD to EGP 50.59 | USD to KES 129.22 | USD to NGN 1509 | USD to ZAR 18.35 | USD to ZMW 28.15 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 88717.13 Up +1.00% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1797.63 Up +0.36% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 16452.23 Up +0.33% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 29997.11 Up +1.13% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 10063.87 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 882.48/OZ DOWN -0.0166 | Copper US$ 4.62/lb DOWN -0.0281 | Zinc US$ 2 857.30/T DOWN -0.07% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.89/BBP DOWN -0.0102 | Platinum US$ 1 001.35/OZ DOWN -0.0362 Sport results: Six Nations: Scotland 18 vs 32 Ireland | England 26 vs 25 France | Italy 22 vs 15 Wales Premier League: Everton 2 vs 2 Liverpool Weather: Katima Mulilo: 18° | 28° Rundu: 18° | 28° Eenhana: 18° | 27° Oshakati: 19° | 27° Ruacana: 18° | 27° Tsumeb: 18° | 25° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 24° Omaruru: 19° | 29° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Gobabis: 19° | 22° Henties Bay: 18° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 11:07, High tide: 05:11, Low Tide: 23:08, High tide: 17:22 Swakopmund: 17° | 18° Wind speed: 16km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:09, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:20 Walvis Bay: 18° | 21° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 11:05, High tide: 05:08, Low Tide: 23:06, High tide: 17:19 Rehoboth: 21° | 30° Mariental: 24° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 26° | 37° Aranos: 21° | 33° Lüderitz: 15° | 27° Ariamsvlei: 24° | 39° Oranjemund: 15° | 23° Luanda: 26° | 29° Gaborone: 20° | 31° Lubumbashi: 17° | 21° Mbabane: 17° | 24° Maseru: 18° | 31° Antananarivo: 18° | 22° Lilongwe: 19° | 29° Maputo: 22° | 31° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Cape Town: 19° | 24° Durban: 21° | 24° Johannesburg: 18° | 30° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 17° | 19° Harare: 17° | 23° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.04 | EUR to NAD 19.24 | CNY to NAD 2.53 | USD to NAD 18.37 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.28 | EGP to NAD 0.35 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.21 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 134.95 | USD to AOA 912 | USD to BWP 13.83 | USD to EGP 50.59 | USD to KES 129.22 | USD to NGN 1509 | USD to ZAR 18.35 | USD to ZMW 28.15 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 88717.13 Up +1.00% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1797.63 Up +0.36% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 16452.23 Up +0.33% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 29997.11 Up +1.13% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 10063.87 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 882.48/OZ DOWN -0.0166 | Copper US$ 4.62/lb DOWN -0.0281 | Zinc US$ 2 857.30/T DOWN -0.07% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.89/BBP DOWN -0.0102 | Platinum US$ 1 001.35/OZ DOWN -0.0362