Deriou Benson

Everything has its own way of working itself out,” says former Walvis Bay Urban councillor Deriou Benson as he reflects on 2025.

• What were the last three things you spent money on?

Coffee at Slowtown, ice cream for my wife, and fuel for my car.

• What was the last text you sent?

A text to a friend to help me sort out my individual tax returns at the Namibia Revenue Agency.

• What were key projects in your sector in 2025?

Being the former regional councillor of Walvis Bay Urban was definitely a challenging role, as well as being a member of parliament (MP) at the National Council. Only two bills were unfortunately passed at the National Council.

At regional level a lot was done. Youth projects were handled, as well as get-togethers for our elders.

In conjunction with our regional council and private companies we could hand over hundreds of food parcels and vouchers to our communities.

• What did 2025 teach you?

It taught me to respect people’s boundaries as well as my own. Do not fill someone’s cup if they do not fill yours.

• What was the single most important line for you in 2025?

Everything has its own way of working itself out. You can’t control other people’s thoughts or actions. Only your own.

• If artificial intelligence (AI) could magically fix one everyday task for you, what would you pick?

To cook dinner every day. That would help a lot.

• What was the song you listened to the most this year?

‘Respek’ by Spuzza, and ‘What Did I Miss’ by Drake.

• What puts you or your sector in the spotlight?

Politics is our daily bread, and as Namibians we have genuinely awoken from our political slumber. The nation knows what it wants and how to get it via politics. It’s not business as usual any more.

• What is your dream Namibian holiday destination?

Any Gondwana lodge. They know how to make you feel special.

• Which moment in 2025 tested your leadership the most?

Every day was a test in the constituency office – whether it was just someone who wanted me to lend an ear or our struggle fishermen looking for any sort of assistance.

• What issue in Namibian politics do you feel has been overlooked?

I think at the top of the list would be youth employment, as well as our education system – basic, tertiary and vocational.

• What is your biggest goal for 2026 in strengthening your party or movement?

Since I have moved to the ruling party, I genuinely feel we should bring the party to the people; for Swapo to move at grassroots level.

In recent years, the electorate has felt that the party has moved away from them and that they have been left behind.

However, with the leadership we are seeing coming through the ranks, we will be able to fulfil the needs of our people and bring services closer to the nation.

We have seasoned veterans steering the ship, and then we have youthful minds pushing for their thoughts and voices to be heard, and thus they are granted the opportunities to serve as we have seen with the recent election of our inspiring Emma Muteka as the vice chairperson of the National Council.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.