Editorial: Sixty is no longer old

Namibia should start an urgent conversation about raising the retirement age to 65. Even better, it should consider adopting a more flexible model similar to South Africa's, where retirement is largely governed by employment contracts, pension arrangements and sector-specific rules rather than an inflexible national expectation. 

For a country that speaks endlessly about skills shortages, succession planning and institutional capacity, Namibia has an odd habit of discarding some of its most experienced people the moment they turn 60. 

Mandatory retirement at 60 belongs to a different era. It is a relic of a time when life expectancy was lower, healthcare was less advanced and many physically demanding occupations genuinely left workers unable to continue into old age. That world has changed. The law, however, has not kept pace.

Medical advances, healthier lifestyles and longer life expectancy have fundamentally altered what it means to grow older. Many professionals reach their peak in their late fifties and early sixties. Judges write their finest judgments. Teachers become master mentors. 

Yet, just as this accumulated wisdom reaches its fullest value, the system tells them to clear their desks and leave.

It is a strange way to manage a country's human capital. The greatest casualty of all this is institutional memory.

Every year, institutions lose people who carry decades of practical knowledge. They know why previous reforms failed. They understand relationships that have taken years to build. That knowledge walks out the door with them. Organisations then spend years rebuilding expertise that already existed.

The argument most often raised against extending working lives is that older employees block opportunities for younger people. It is an appealing slogan, but it is poor economics. Jobs are not created by retiring older people. Jobs are created by economic growth, investment, entrepreneurship and expanding public and private services.