Curating data for political purposes: NSA credibility destroyed.

Curating data for political purposes: NSA credibility destroyed.

Rowland Brown Opinion On the 30th of October, the Namibia Statistics Agency’s (NSA) released the 2023 Census report, around a year after the data collection for the same was completed. However, despite collecting labour force data and employment/unemployment data, in a turn of events more worthy of North Korea than Namibia, this was excluded from the report, a notable change to previous Census reports. This means that the latest official […]

November 1, 2024 11

Namibia

Ballot Paper Printing for Elections Progressing on Schedule Insists Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission has confirmed that the final production of ballot papers, which commenced on Tuesday in Johannesburg, is proceeding as planned. ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka noted that the printing process is being closely monitored by political party representatives.

October 25, 2024 22

Namibia

Namibia Institute for Democracy hosts civic dialogue in Otjiwarongo

To strengthen civic engagement and democratic participation, the Namibia Institute for Democracy concluded a community dialogue in Otjiwarongo on Tuesday. The event sought to bridge the gap between citizens and their local representatives, promoting a deeper understanding of democratic processes and governance—the NID’s Executive Director Naita Hishoono. The Namibia Institute for Democracy was founded in 1991 with the belief that sharing information and knowledge could enhance Namibia's democratic […]

July 31, 2024 28

Namibia

Call for ECN to engage political stakeholders fairly

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanya has raised alarms over the low voter registration numbers ahead of the upcoming election on November 27. Kamwanya criticised the involvement of Sophia Shaningwa, the Swapo party's secretary general, in the registration process, suggesting that her presence undermines trust and appears politically motivated. Kamwanya urged the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to engage all political stakeholders to address these concerns. He emphasized the importance of increasing […]

July 17, 2024 53

Namibia

Tech companies join forces against AI election manipulation

Tech leaders, lawmakers, and civil society groups are alarmed about the potential for artificial intelligence to disrupt elections worldwide. In response, a coalition of major tech companies have pledged to collaborate in detecting and countering harmful AI content, including deepfakes of political candidates. CEO of the National Commission on Research, Science, and Technology, Professor Anicia Peters weighs in.

February 27, 2024 50

Namibia

IPPR calls for youth involvement in 2024 election

The Institute for Public Policy Research has warned that unless young people can be persuaded to take an interest in local politics, the country is likely to see a low election turnout. Here’s IPPR executive director Graham Hopwood with more.

February 19, 2024 34

Africa

Nigeria has a democracy deficit – corruption and a lack of welfare policies are to blame

By Fidelis Allen, University of Port Harcourt Democracy refers, at a minimum, to a political system that guarantees some involvement in decision-making. It gives citizens opportunities to choose and replace their leaders or representatives via free and fair elections. But that’s not all. Democracy also protects citizens’ socio-economic, political and cultural rights. Its success turns on its ability to bring changes to the living conditions of citizens. It […]

January 25, 2024 8