On 16 January 2024, a group of youth marched in Windhoek from the National Youth Council (NYC) Head Office to the Ministry of Youth Head Office (NIDA building) opposite Zoo Park. The group fought to reclaim their institution that is constantly being hijacked by authoritative figures, and the protest aimed to raise awareness of the minister’s office’s misuse of power.
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The National Youth Council was established through Parliament Act no. 3 of 2009 as an umbrella body of the Namibian youth. The protest was sparked to allow the rightful NYC members to vote for their leadership as stated in the National Youth Council Act.
The protest was to raise awareness of what is currently happening to allow for the nation’s youth to have open discussions on the matter while awaiting the Prime Minister’s response and the final verdict of the court on 20 February 2024.
On 13 December 2024, the Minister of Sport, Youth, and National Services fired the entire National Youth Council Board by issuing a letter from her office. This happened the day before NYC and its affiliate organisations were supposed to vote for the new Board, disrupting the process of voting for a new Board.
The minister continued to try and prevent the general assembly from happening; however, “it is not in her right to do so since the NYC has an act that states the general assembly can still be held if its quorum has been reached. Therefore the general assembly took place,” a member stated.
During the general assembly, the fired Board was in court with the minister fighting against her decision. It was then declared in January by the High Court that the minister did not have enough grounds for firing the Board.
“The judge gave the minister until February to give enough proof on the grounds of firing the Board where he will then decide if it is fair or not,” the member stated.
All things in NYC were stopped until the final verdict, including the decisions made at the general assembly. However, the minister went further and appointed an interim board that allegedly had a member from the fired board and people who were not part of the organisation.
The youth in NYC feel like the minister is trying to take their right to vote away.
The National Youth Council has many affiliate organisations that fund projects by these affiliate organisations. Every affiliate and youth forum has funding from NYC to carry out projects. It has also recently opened a computer lab where the nation’s youth can do work such as printing and research. The NYC also helps the nation’s youth in terms of funding and helping individual projects.
Zawady Tjijombo, the chairperson of the Namibian Christian Association for Music and Arts (NACAMA), an affiliate organisation that falls under NYC, stated that she believes the aims of the protest were reached, resulting in it being successful. She also noted that there were no past board members or current board members at the protest.
“We did not face many challenges; we all worked well together, and we are determined for our voices to be heard,” Tjijombo stated. She further added that there were no specific donations towards the protest; however, friends and colleagues helped out.
“We are eternally grateful for the youth that supported our course and cannot wait to continue leading and aiding our youth through NYC,” she added.
“It was a rally for issues that directly impact our lives and future, yet many of our peers weren’t present. This lack of participation highlights a gap in awareness.”
Unondando Rupingenga
“The protest went well; however, I must admit, I feel disappointed by the low turnout. It was a rally for issues that directly impact our lives and future, yet many of our peers weren’t present. This lack of participation highlights a gap in awareness. Many young people are willing to get involved, but they aren’t fully informed about the matters that affect them and the opportunities available through the Youth Council,” Unondando Rupingenga, a member of NACAMA, stated.
Rupingena further encouraged the youth to invest in their futures and actively contribute to movements that stand for the issues that shape our generation. “The youth council is here to provide the opportunities, but it takes all of us, as young people, to use them effectively,” she added.
Interested youth delegates are encouraged to review the Parliament Act No. 3 of 2009, which provides a detailed overview of the criteria for memberships and the application process.
