Various youth organisations and political parties have pushed back against calls to abolish the National Youth Council (NYC) chairperson position, insisting that the office remains necessary and cannot simply be removed.
The debate follows comments made by parliamentarian Imms Nashinge on social media last week, where he called for the abolition of the position, arguing that NYC has become a battleground for political interests.
The remarks come as former Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) presidents Esther Simon and Simon Taapopi contest the NYC chairperson position ahead of the General Assembly elections taking place at Swakopmund from today until Monday.
Responding to Nashinge’s proposal, Swapo Party Youth League secretary’s personal assistant, Taddeus Shithigona, says abolishing the position is not a viable option because it was established through legislation.
“The concerns about overlapping functions between the executive chairperson and the director stem from a misunderstanding of their respective roles,” Shithigona says.
He compares the arrangement to that of a government ministry, where an executive director serves as the accounting officer while the minister provides political leadership and policy direction.
“There can never be a perception of overlapping functions or powers between the two. In fact, they are meant to complement each other,” he says.
The director is in charge of the day-to-day administrative running of the NYC like the executive director in a ministry, while the executive chairperson is responsible for policy direction at the board level.
Shithigona acknowledges that if stakeholders believe there are shortcomings in the current structure, they should discuss and propose amendments to the National Youth Council Act 3 of 2009 rather than abolish the chairperson position altogether.
“If there are concerns, stakeholders can come together and amend the Act.
That should never be used as justification to abolish the NYC chairperson position.
This is something we will never accept and it should never be allowed,” he adds.
Students’ Union of Namibia’s Bernhard Kavau also dismisses the proposal and urges lawmakers to focus on addressing youth challenges instead.
“We have seen sleeping parliamentarians.
If everyone had done their work properly, we would not have unemployed graduates and students today.
Before pointing fingers, they must first interrogate themselves,” Kavau says.
He has endorsed Simon for the position, describing her as a proven leader who has mentored and supported many young people, including students.
Based on his assessment of the two candidates during the vetting process, he believes Simon is best positioned to lead the council.
Meanwhile, Taapopi has declined to be drawn into the controversy, saying focus should be on advancing youth development rather than engaging in public disputes.
“It is time to stop making noise and work. Youth aspirations must always come before personal ambitions,” he says.
Taapopi says his nomination was supported by several organisations, including Nanso, the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Africa.
Highlands Youth Organisation’s Ndemuweda Nghixulifwa, who is also vying for the NYC board, says many organisations appear to be backing Simon, but stresses that the success of any chairperson will depend on the collective efforts of the board.
“As board members, it will be our responsibility to support the chairperson’s vision and help drive initiatives that create employment opportunities for young people,” he says.
