Swapo to discuss reserving seats for youth
Nekongo repeats central committee call
Perpetually outfoxed by the old guard, the youth are now seeking a policy directive that reserves seats for them.
Swapo will discuss a request by its youth league to reserve a 50% quota of its parliamentary and Cabinet seats for capable young people in the party.
In November 2023, Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) secretary Ephraim Nekongo made a call during the youth wing’s central committee meeting - where Swapo vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa were also in attendance - requesting that the party consider them for leadership positions.
Shaningwa this week told Namibian Sun that the request, just like many other issues in the party, would be made part of the agenda and discussed.
“It is a matter of the collective,” she said.
SPYL members this week stressed that if no formal reservation is made, young party members stand to ‘lose big’ to the old guard at Swapo's electoral college scheduled for later this year.
At the last electoral college in 2019, the youth were so outwitted that at 83rd on the list, the league’s then secretary for education Hophni Ipinge was the highest-ranked among its candidates at the event.
At the time, SPYL was demanding 40% representation in the National Assembly, a call based on the league’s 2017 congress resolution. This time, they want 50%.
The electoral college is a Swapo Party indaba held weeks before the national elections to elect members for the 96 seats in the National Assembly.
As the event draws closer, youth league members remain in limbo without a clear indication from the party on whether their request will be entertained.
Made our plea
Nekongo told Namibian Sun on Tuesday: “We have more young people in the central committee of the mother body. It is an indication that they are getting ready. It’s a fact that more young people are educated to understand the role they need to play in society. We have doctors who can be health ministers. We also have engineers in SPYL,” he said.
Questioned on what the SPYL is doing to ensure that it is better represented in parliament and Cabinet this time around, Nekongo was quick to say they have already made their plea to their elders, and now they wait.
“Those are scary things that we don’t want to mention. We know the dynamics of our party and the composition of those who attend the electoral college,” he said.
As it stands, the ruling party has a large number of elderly members, whom the youth fear are likely to vote for themselves.
“The lead is so small that we are unable to come through. This is why we said ‘can we be assisted, please?’” Nekongo said.
Looking into it
During a brief conversation with Namibian Sun, Shaningwa said there is nothing untoward about the request made by the youth league’s leaders, adding that the ruling party will look into it.
“The youth have publicly and openly requested [it] through party structures and meetings, [and] we shall definitely discuss it, like many other issues that were requested and were made part of the agenda,” she said.
“In Oshiwambo, they say “otushi lya popi katushi lya mwena” [you can only be heard if you speak up]. You better express yourself openly and frankly. Open requests shouldn’t be taken in a bad light,” she said.
“We were all young and here we are today. We shall not and cannot ignore the youth. We will always be prepared to listen to SPYL,” Shaningwa assured.
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In November 2023, Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) secretary Ephraim Nekongo made a call during the youth wing’s central committee meeting - where Swapo vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa were also in attendance - requesting that the party consider them for leadership positions.
Shaningwa this week told Namibian Sun that the request, just like many other issues in the party, would be made part of the agenda and discussed.
“It is a matter of the collective,” she said.
SPYL members this week stressed that if no formal reservation is made, young party members stand to ‘lose big’ to the old guard at Swapo's electoral college scheduled for later this year.
At the last electoral college in 2019, the youth were so outwitted that at 83rd on the list, the league’s then secretary for education Hophni Ipinge was the highest-ranked among its candidates at the event.
At the time, SPYL was demanding 40% representation in the National Assembly, a call based on the league’s 2017 congress resolution. This time, they want 50%.
The electoral college is a Swapo Party indaba held weeks before the national elections to elect members for the 96 seats in the National Assembly.
As the event draws closer, youth league members remain in limbo without a clear indication from the party on whether their request will be entertained.
Made our plea
Nekongo told Namibian Sun on Tuesday: “We have more young people in the central committee of the mother body. It is an indication that they are getting ready. It’s a fact that more young people are educated to understand the role they need to play in society. We have doctors who can be health ministers. We also have engineers in SPYL,” he said.
Questioned on what the SPYL is doing to ensure that it is better represented in parliament and Cabinet this time around, Nekongo was quick to say they have already made their plea to their elders, and now they wait.
“Those are scary things that we don’t want to mention. We know the dynamics of our party and the composition of those who attend the electoral college,” he said.
As it stands, the ruling party has a large number of elderly members, whom the youth fear are likely to vote for themselves.
“The lead is so small that we are unable to come through. This is why we said ‘can we be assisted, please?’” Nekongo said.
Looking into it
During a brief conversation with Namibian Sun, Shaningwa said there is nothing untoward about the request made by the youth league’s leaders, adding that the ruling party will look into it.
“The youth have publicly and openly requested [it] through party structures and meetings, [and] we shall definitely discuss it, like many other issues that were requested and were made part of the agenda,” she said.
“In Oshiwambo, they say “otushi lya popi katushi lya mwena” [you can only be heard if you speak up]. You better express yourself openly and frankly. Open requests shouldn’t be taken in a bad light,” she said.
“We were all young and here we are today. We shall not and cannot ignore the youth. We will always be prepared to listen to SPYL,” Shaningwa assured.
- [email protected]
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