YOUTH CORNER
NAMIBIA will go to the polls On 25 November 2020 to fill numerous seats at every local authority and regional council, marking a new phase in the country’s much-anticipated decentralisation reform.
With the youth having interest in contesting for upcoming elections, Youth Corner reached out to some candidates from different parties to share their manifestos and plans for their constituencies.
1. Elifas Helao Nghitomoka (28)
Independent candidate Khomas region: Samora Machel constituency candidate
What inspired you to stand for elections?
Over the years, we have been advocating for change; we have written letters, protested to demand human basic services such as sanitation, electricity housing and land but our cries have fallen on deaf ears; we have been betrayed and lied to by the politicians.
It’s 30 years now and we still don’t have these basic services we have been denied for many years. We came to a point to say we have complained enough and nothing came out better. If we need change, then we must be the agents of the change we need.
We need to represent ourselves – those of us who go through this suffering because maybe the reason we live like this is that those representing us don’t feel the pain and suffering we are subjected to every single day of our lives. These elections are about people coming together to solve our problems together – and to do it is when one of us is championing this drive. It is on this background that I got nominated by my fellow residents of Samora Machel Constituency to fight this battle until we get it right.
What are some of the pressing issues affecting your constituency/region and how would you mitigate those concerns or change the situation?
Sanitation, electricity, housing and land – the majority of people living in Samora Machel are those living in the shacks. We have no toilets; hence, we resort to the riverbeds to relieve ourselves when nature calls. At night, we use the toilet bucket system and dispose it of early in the morning.
We are not permitted to even extend the existing shacks. This means children now have a possibility of seeing their parents having sex, as the municipality has refused this family to extend a room for the children.
A majority still walks long distances to fetch water over hills and valleys, carrying 25 litres containers of water; this includes the children. We have many shacks burning down almost every day, as most of us use candles for lighting. We know it is risky but we have no choice; it’s the only way the learners can study at night. It’s the only light our mothers can use as they wake up to make milk for the babies. How we intend to mitigate this first is to re-organise the shacks and then reallocate on an equal basis. People will not have a big problem paying for the land that belongs to them. Water is life; we can’t compromise on that – it must be brought closer to people.
If you win the elections, how will you balance economic, social and environmental issues in your constituency or region?
The statement should read as ‘ when we win’. Remember, during elections, communities are divided over different candidates contesting for office; when we take over the office, the first thing we will do is to bring communities together. We will have a mass open-air meeting around the communities within Samora Machel Constituency to discuss and adopt resolutions on how well we can move our community forward in terms of all economic, social and environmental issues.
2. McKay Losper (24)
Landless People’s Movement Kunene region: Khorixas constituency candidate
What inspired you to stand for elections?
The youth are faced with many challenges and there is no one else to stand for them but themselves.
What are some of the pressing issues affecting your constituency/region, and how would you mitigate those concerns or change the situation?
The majority of youth in the constituency is jobless, landless and mostly relies on their grandparents, parents, girlfriends and boyfriends for survival. The town lacks development infrastructure and empowerment facilities. It is behind in terms of development and growth, and their youthful populaces are in dire need of practical policy intervention. I will ensure no mines in the Khorixas district will operate without allocating key shares to the constituency development fund to contribute substantially to the development and utilisation of wealth for industrial growth and job creation.
If you win the elections, how will you balance economic, social and environmental issues in your constituency or region?
All mines planning to operate in the Khorixas district will be made strictly aware that 60% of labour comes from the Khorixas area and only skills that cannot be found in the Khorixas area will first be sought in Kunene before searching nationally. I will also ensure that certain positions for general workers, labourers, cleaners, security guards and drivers are strictly reserved for people from the Khorixas area. Through the publicprivate partnership (PPP) initiative, if elected, my office would lead a process of rapid beneficiation of Khorixas mineral resources to ensure these resources are processed in Namibia and developed into finished products through joint venture establishments.
3. Marthineo Roberto Dirkse (21)
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Khomas region: Windhoek Rural Constituency
What inspired you to stand for elections?
I care about the Windhoek Rural Constituency and it pains me to see leaders governing the area not carrying the best interest of the area. I have seen the challenges that we face in Windhoek Rural and I want to be a servant leader for our people. Additionally, I also want young people to see that the youth can indeed be involved in politics and take up space in areas from which we have been previously excluded. We can make a tangible difference, and we will.
What are some of the pressing issues affecting your constituency/region and how would you mitigate those concerns or change the situation?
Windhoek Rural has many challenges; these include, amongst others, youth involvement and empowerment as a young
man. Who is better to understand the issues that plague the youth of Windhoek Rural than a fellow youth? I would like to empower the youth by equipping them with skills to create jobs for themselves and others, fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship among us. Priority will also be given to ensure the delivery of quality education to the children of Windhoek Rural by ensuring they have access to primary and secondary education in Windhoek Rural. The ultimate goal is to ensure we can grant access to the children of Windhoek Rural to apply for tertiary and vocational education.
Furthermore, we must look at ensuring all constituents have adequate access to medical services by establishing mobile clinics in areas that do not have clinics. Food insecurity must also be addressed with the urgency it requires. I will look at community gardens so that constituents can grow their food and combat food insecurity, promoting sustainable agriculture within their communities. These are but a few issues I will address within my constituency.
If you win the elections, how will you balance economic, social and environmental issues in your constituency or region?
Sustainable rural development is of utmost importance. I want to allow the constituents of Windhoek Rural to manage their social environmental and economic objectives by empowering them with the necessary skills and knowledge, and to allow them to apply these skills and knowledge by creating rural-off farm employment with the neighbouring urban areas.
I believe this will help close the urbanrural gap. Furthermore, this will allow us to retain our skilled young people in Windhoek rural. There is considerable potential for rural job creation – not only in farming and the rural industry but also in building rural infrastructure and managing our natural resources. Beyond meeting basic needs, I will look at the increasing investment of public and private partners to invest in areas of rural infrastructure, such as water sanitation and supply infrastructure, electrification and information infrastructure, amongst others.
4. Hans Haikali (33) Swapo Party
Omusati region: Etayi constituency candidate
What inspired you to stand for elections? Our leaders have always encouraged us to stand for political positions while we are young. Young people have a false perception that politics is only for old people, especially in the mighty Swapo party.
What are some of the pressing issues affecting your constituency/region and how would you mitigate those concerns
or change the situation?
Lack of potable water, earth dams, electricity, youth unemployment and lack of agricultural projects. The problem is not with incumbent councillors; it’s the model of funding constituencies that is wrong. As young people, we are going to advise the government to change the model of funding constituency projects, so the service reaches people at the grassroots level.
If you win the elections, how will you balance economic, social and environmental issues in your constituency or region?
I will equip my people with the skills and mindset to empower themselves, so that they understand they have the power to fight their socio-economic and environmental issues and my role will be that of a facilitator. As the adage goes, one cannot forever feed a man fish. It is for this reason that I will maintain the dignity of people in my constituency, so that they understand the power that lies within them, including the ability to create a sustainable life across generations.
Having been a youth activist for quite some time, I will target mostly youth so that they shift their energy of what will matters in their adulthood, because some of them have a tendency of dependency, causing so much stress among their elders in the community and their households.
Moreover, I will ensure that people across ages are educated in various forms – information sharing sessions and also encourage for various trainings across levels to ensure the agenda of tackling and balancing the aforementioned issues is met.
5. John Edwin Witbooi (28)
Swapo Party
Hardap region: Mariental Urban (Local Authority)
What inspired you to stand for elections?
Firstly, my inspiration comes from my love for this great town, as I see the potential that it harbours. As a young person, I have seen the impact that I can make and thus took this opportunity to stand for these elections. We need change but to change, we need great impact – and I am inspired by this opportunity to stand for that impact. We, as young people, should also be involved in policy dialogues that contribute to a national consensus of what should be happening in our country as opposed to being passive citizens.
What are some of the pressing issues affecting your constituency/region and how would you mitigate those concerns or change the situation?
Our constituency/region is faced with immense poverty, which is the backbone of all issues facing our region. Thus, by tackling these issues, we would fill a big gap in many areas e.g. crime, education, teenage pregnancies, etc. My aim is not just to eradicate poverty but to present those affected by poverty with opportunities and find ways to fight this social pandemic. Job creation, SMEs, skills training and identification of needs are just some of the methods I plan to introduce to change – not only minds but to inspire others.
If you win the elections, how will you balance economic, social and environmental issues in your constituency or region?
If, by the grace of God, I win, my first mission will be to create inclusive governance and change the mindsets and perspective of the general public about those who are leading them.
6. Natangwe Neingo (26)
Independent Patriots for Change Omusati region: Tsandi constituency candidate
What inspired you to stand for elections? Poor living conditions in my constituency; our former leaders plus current ones are doing nothing for the community.
What are some of the pressing issues affecting your constituency/region and how would you mitigate those concerns or change the situation?
Lack of infrastructure, such as health facilities and tarred roads. We are going to change this situation with the community in the sense that it is not about what we want to do for our people but our manifesto is based on our people’s basic needs. We can’t promise undoable things.
If you win the elections, how will you balance economic, social and environmental issues in your constituency or region?
I’m going to work on the mandate of the party and not on the personal will – business forum linked to VTC that can create employment opportunities for the youth and put up silos and pounding machines.